ALL STRESSED OUT AND NO ONE TO CHOKE

Think you may be losing your mind? Just reading this list may ease your mind to know it's all part of the big plan. I used to think my Mother was insane when she'd stick her head in the freezer. Now I totally get it.
The Menopausal Years by: Susun S Weed is a good online read which breaks it down in stages.

Perimenopause or premenopause is the time before actual menopause. This phase lasts 5 to 13 years & is when you experience most of the symptoms. Menopause is actually a one day event--the last day of your last ever period. Of course, you will not know when that day occurred until you no longer have periods. The average age for menopause is 51. Post-menopause begins 1 year after your LAST period.

The 35 Symptons Of Menopause
1. Hot flashes, flushes, night sweats and/or cold flashes, clammy feeling___________
2. Bouts of rapid heart beat____________
3. Irritability____________
4. Mood swings, sudden tears____________
5. Trouble sleeping through the night (with or without night sweats)__________
6. Irregular periods; shorter, lighter periods; heavier periods, flooding; phantom periods, shorter cycles, longer cycles__________
7. Loss of libido__________
8. Dry vagina __________
9. Crashing fatigue____________
10. Anxiety, feeling ill at ease___________
11. Feelings of dread, apprehension, doom___________
12. Difficulty concentrating, disorientation, mental confusion___________
13. Disturbing memory lapses____________
14. Incontinence, especially upon sneezing, laughing; urge incontinence___________
15. Itchy, crawly skin__________
16. Aching, sore joints, muscles and tendons____________
17. Increased tension in muscles____________
18. Breast tenderness___________
19. Headache change: increase or decrease____________
20. Gastrointestinal distress, indigestion, flatulence, gas pain, nausea__________
21. Sudden bouts of bloat___________
22. Depression__________
23. Exacerbation of existing conditions___________
24. Increase in allergies___________
25. Weight gain________
26. Hair loss or thinning, head, pubic, or whole body; increase in facial hair______
27. Dizziness, light-headedness, episodes of loss of balance_______
28. Changes in body odor________
29. Electric shock sensation under the skin and in the head__________
30. Tingling in the extremities__________
31. Gum problems, increased bleeding_________
32. Burning tongue, burning roof of mouth, bad taste in mouth, change in breath odor_______
33. Osteoporosis (after several years)___________
34. Changes in fingernails: softer, crack or break easier__________
35. Tinnitus: ringing in ears, bells, 'whooshing' buzzing etc._________

A Susan*Jayne Public Service Announcement
Link

I've got another migraine coming on I've been wrestling with it off and on for 3 days. It doesn't come on all the way and it doesn't leave me completely either.

I may need to get my glasses, well, my lenses, changed. It's been 3 years, I think since I got new ones. How often are you supposed to change your glasses? If they're in good shape and you still see well with them, you may not really need to. Unless it gets over 5 or, certainly 10 years. My vision was the same from 12 years ago it was 3 years ago, but my glasses aren't as effective as they used to be.

OK. It's taken me an hour to write this. I keep leaving out words, and losing my train of thought. So long for now. Gonna go lie down in my dark room.

The Amazing Race has been on for a few years now, but I finally caught it this year. It's entertaining with all the sites around the world and I also just love anything that mascarades as a study in human nature. Of the five remaining couples, I'm still rooting for Chip and Kim. They are so grateful for the opportunity and their spirit just bowls me over. That's always my barometer for anything... the spirit. And theirs is such a joy to watch. I liked the African visit where they took the time to sit on the porch with the locals and break bread, or watermelon, with them even though minutes lost can be crucial to the game. Does anyone watch this show? Link

What's Quick Edit in Blogger, you may ask? I now have a tiny pencil graphic beside my "posted by Susan @ whatever 0'Clock". I guess it's just visible to the website owner. It's what I now click on to edit my post from the website instead of going into the guts to do it. Cool beans. Now, I'll see if I can set it up in EBC. Two for two? Hey, it can happen.

Then I can go see what some of youse guys are up to this evening.

**Edited to Add @ 10:03 am - Trying out the Edit feature. It says the tiny pencil is invisible to everyone else. I was able to add it to Easy Bake Coven, too. It's so simple to do. Cool. I like it. I had never noticed this option before. Just saw it yesterday roaming around in my Settings.

Well, I documented the first official boy/girl date Sky went on, so it's only fitting that I record this event as well.

My (16 yo) daughter just left on her first official girl/girl date. The girl's parents picked her up and they're all going uptown to 'Picking On The Green' for a live concert. Her parents are as fine with their daughter being gay as we are with ours being bi-sexual.

It's still tough at times for Skyler, but so many fine people came long before her that I'll eternally be grateful for. In high school, any gay people I knew of had to lie about it. And if found out, usually got a real thrashing. All gay people aren't accepted all the time, and they may never be. But for all the hell they have endured through the years, I know my daughter is free to be who she is today.

I AM 16% WHITE TRASH! I, my friend, have class. I am so not white trash. . I am more than likely Democrat, and my place is neat, and there is a good chance I may never drink wine from a box. Take the WHITE TRASH test at Fuali.com

Hope you've not seen this yet. (I usually check Blogdex before I post something to be sure it's not already travelled around the Blogworld!) Sorry I've been unable to visit today. Will be able to tomorrow after Sky is at school.

Good Morning!
I just came back from taking Skyler to school. It's her first day. She begged me to drive, so I let her. It's just a mile and a half and she did great. She was up at 4:00am when I got up and couldn't sleep, so we went out for a bagel breakfast. You know how you have butterflies on a first day of school or a new job.

I hope to find some blogging time to visit all you good people today. But first I'm going to trim some bushes/shrubs while it's still cool out.

xoxo

Just sitting down to a good ol' carb and fat-laden grilled cheese sandwich (spread mayonnaise on the outside of the bread and put it mayo side down in a hot skillet.) and a Yoo-Hoo when Fed-Ex came by. With my satellite box. One of the televisions that is hooked up to satellite tv (DirecTV) went out during a storm Sunday night. I called them yesterday morning and they said they'd send a replacement unit (looks just like a cable box) via Fed-Ex and for me to send my old one back prepaid. I was a little surprised to receive it the very next day. I guess I fuss about bad service often enough, so I wanted to acknowledge good service, too. DirecTV's been very good the one year we've had it. Even if Rupert Murdock (Fox News, New York Post, etc) owns the company.

Good Days
Simon and I had such a nice day today. He's very ill and he doesn't have a lot of good days anymore. I can barely accept his declining health, much less speak of it. But occasionally I try to put down my thoughts.

Skyler spent the last two nights with her best friend so we've had this time all to ourselves. She starts back to school this Thursday. It's hard to believe that summer is over already.

But back to the two of us. He played guitar and sang some of his old songs that I've not thought about in years. He knows so many songs. It's not like when I pick up the guitar and am stuck on the same 4 or 5 tunes that automatically demand to be played. Funny which songs pop out when you pick up a guitar or sit down at the piano. Old songs I learned as a small girl. Songs my grandmother taught me. I walked over and joined him on "Too Far Gone" by Emmylou Harris. (I don't know if she wrote it or not.) And "I Will" by the Beatles. Songs take on a different meaning now. They're more pronounced; more personal. Some of the lyrics are so tender I find it hard to continue. But he's in his element with a guitar in his hands. On a good day, all bets are off. We sing on.

We went grocery shopping, picked up a DVD, and ran some errands and he later fixed Chicken Caesar Salad for dinner. One of his specialties. He's been busy; panting and sweating all day long, but he never complained. I think I should ask him to rest, but dismiss the thought. As long as he's having a good day.

He's lost almost all his body hair. And his stomach is so extended that it looks like it may burst any day, which looks strange on a tall, lanky man. Some things are said and some are left unsaid. We talk about the hair loss. We don't mention the big belly. The doctors appointments, medicines taken, just general malaise, take up enough of our space and conversation and time.

Sometimes you gotta roll it back; sing, laugh and make it a good day. I'm grateful for the Good Days.