Monday, January 2, 2012

So Much Stuff

So much stuff happened over the break.  Not like momentous Earth-shaking stuff, but I just feel like I've been on break forever.  I haven't really had a chance to catch up on my blogroll reading, much less write my own stuff.  But let me let you know what to expect/not expect from me/us moving forward:

What not to expect:
  • The Year in Review - Maybe I will someday, but I get so sick of lists and wrap ups and top 100 for 2011 shows on TV, I can hardly justify subjecting other people to it.  Also, considering I just started this blog in September, it just doesn't work.
  • The full recap of the holiday - I'll definitely touch on it.  I think we learned some things about our little Lily, and how to best optimize her holiday experience, but soooo much water has gone over the dam at this point that I feel stressed out even thinking about trying to give the break its "due" in writing.  I will broad brush it, for sure, and post pics, and tell specific stories.  But it's wearying me even thinking about covering the two weeks it seems like I've been off.
What to expect:
  • EEG Results Discussion - We know nothing.  But I sort of suspected we'd know nothing.  We meet with the pediatric neurologist on Thursday.  I expect to hear something then, and the something I expect to hear is. . . "nothing" and by that I mean, Lily has a long history of not having anything outside the norm to point at or to that suggests more appropriate treatments for her symptoms.  That is to say, she's not Fragile X, all her blood levels are more or less normal, her MRI was more or less normal, etc.  Every new specialist we see tells us there's nothing special about our special little girl.  That said. . . I also wouldn't be terribly surprised to learn something, but that's not been my experience to date.  "She's a puzzle."  Yeah, no shit.
  • Some stories about the holidays:  Church, Holidays at the various houses, the extended break from school.  They're sort of backing up in the queue, and I need to write them out before my failing memory transforms poetic license into outright fabrication.
Some random tidbits:
  • I bought my wife "Wit and Wisdom", which is the book to which it seems 90% of my blogroll contributed.  She really likes it.  It's actually like a perfect storm for her, bookwise.  She's always been more of an emotional reader, more apt to get involved in writing that touches her heart.  These stories obviously do that, but what makes it even better for her is. . . and I'm half kidding here. . . she's borderline narcoleptic.  I mean, she's actually not narcoleptic, but Leslie loves her sleep.  In the past when I've recommended books to her she's started them and stalled about a 100 pages in because she can't read more than a couple pages before ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.  In fact, sometimes she can't finish my blog posts (when I get a little wordy) without smelling salts and toothpicks holding her eyelids up.  Although that may just be the writing. . . hmmm. . . 
  • She bought me, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon.  Or, more accurately, I bought it for myself and she asked if she could wrap it because she bought me this kickass North Face coat, and tapped my budget dry, so I really didn't have anything to unwrap on Christmas.  I read it in three days, but it could EASILY be read in a couple hours given enough guilt-free reading time.  I recommended it to her.  We'll see if she can make it past the 100 page zzzz-boundary.
  • I don't really blog when I'm at home with my family.  It's just not convenient.  I know it seems ironic that I blog at work, but I write on my lunch break in my office while I eat, saving the long posts to finish on subsequent days, and I just don't ever really have that sort of free time at home.  Even when I'm free to write I feel guilty doing that over spending time with the kids or getting something constructive done.  So I'll tweet occasionally, or play words with friends, but I don't really blog much.  Nor do I read blogs when I'm at home.  So I'm soooo far behind now, I'm probably not going to dig myself out of the blogroll rut I'm in.  If you have a post you're particularly fond of/proud of, please let me know.  I'd still love to read it, I'm just too far behind at this point.  
  • My New Year's Resolution was to lose 15 pounds.  I'll be watching my diet a little more closely, choosing the least evil option, for example, or managing portions more reasonably.  And I'll be running.  I'm not a marathoner or anything.  A few miles here, a few miles there, working up to something along the lines of 3-5 miles at a time, 3 - 4 days a week.  I don't want to burn out on it, but I think 15 pounds is a reasonable goal, and hope to make it more once I've met it.
That's it for now.  You'll be seeing more posts this week, now that I'm no longer on break.



18 comments:

  1. Who are you again?!? ;)
    I'm glad to see you back on the blogging track, mister. We all need those words of wisd.....zzzzzzzzz

    Don't bother heading to my blog. I've just been flapping my gums.

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  2. Nice to hear/read from you again (if that made ANY sense)! I look forward to reading more tales of Lily and your families adventures in 2012.

    Keep us posted on the EEG results. We get the "Ted is a real puzzle" shit, too. Like, really? 12 years of med school, numerous years of practical experience and THAT'S what you give me?! Jeez...

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  3. I thought about all of you over the holiday, wondering if you got the results. I will check back later in the week to see if you know anything.
    Happy New Year - and that is what it is NEW
    Ms Aweeze

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  4. I knew I liked your wife! I totally tapped my Christmas budget on my hubs to buy a fancy new coat too (it wasn't NorthFace, but something equally swishy, I assure you)!

    Welcome back and Happy New Year!

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  5. Glad you're back! I think most of us are probably behind on writing/reading so no sweat (unless, of course, you're doing your running). I'm hoping to get more caught up today....

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  6. Nice to see you back!

    I think a lot of us are behind in reading & writing.

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  7. I'm totally bringing up your EEG to my ped neurologist when we go back in March! That p's me off. Obviously, I am no doctor but my gut tells me that Lily's EEG was weird...

    Holidays are filled with so many obligations - we were all taking time off. Don't even think twice about it. Glad Leslie liked the book - and stayed awake! I know how she feels. Books can be great insomnia curers.

    Oh yeah - and Happy New Year!!

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  8. I am the same as your wife!! I try to read, get half a page into it and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz I'm a goner! I've used my kindle for everything BUT reading since i've gotten it lol

    EEG's.. ugh. Tommy's never been found to HAVE seizures, but ALL of his symptoms are textbook seizures. I wish there was a less invasive way to do an eeg where my kid wasn't a freaking lunatic to have it done. I too am interested in the results.

    Good luck on the 15lbs!! Im sure you can do it. Its a very do-able goal.
    jewcandoeeet!

    Happy new year :)

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  9. @RM - isn't that what we always do? Gum flappin'? If there's any gum flappin' about which you're particularly pleased, please let me know.

    @Kelly - "Lily is a puzzle" are now fightin' words to my wife. It instantly pisses her off.

    @Ms. Awheeze (you really should get a blogger id, so you aren't anonymous anymore)- We go Thursday, which reminds me, I want to call them and see if I can fill out the paperwork in advance.

    @M2LM - Thanks, and Happy New Year!

    @Bird - I liked the post your hubby did for you when you were gone. he did a nice job!

    @AW - sooo far behind.

    @Karen - I got your doctor's book for christmas. I'll let you know how our ped neurologist consult goes Thursday so you have more data to fuel your righteous wrath!!!

    @Rhonda - you think i set my sights too low?

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  10. Seems MORE than reasonable :)

    I like church stories, especially when they are uncomfortable. The more, the better.

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  11. I had been wondering about the EEG too. And also wondered how your Holiday went. I pretty much figured Since you were off work, that you wouldn't be around much. I too have been kinda absent.

    Reading makes me sleepy too, But the Kindle helps. I can read anywhere. So I don't read in bed.

    I haven't posted anything. Of course.

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  12. I LOVE YOUR WIFE. HAHAHAHA.. wrapping the book. She is the best.
    p.s its a wonderful read.

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  13. @Lady E - It's only uncomfortable for me. It feels like burning when I'm in church.

    @jen - share.

    @kyla - what's a wonderful read. . . The Curious Incident? Wit and Wisdom? My blog?

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  14. Welcome back! I had the opposite problem with Wit & Wisdom last night...oh just one ,ore author will only be a couple of pages...and then it was 11:30!

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  15. Good to have you back! I don't have sleep-read problems, but I do have attention span issues, so you're bullet points were nice...

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  16. @Andrea - Thanks! Well, she doesn't have that problem because. . . she's budgeting it so she doesn't finish it all too quickly. She may read more of it at a time now that she has The Curious Incident to move on to. . . but there's no guarantee she'll like it.

    @Carrie - Thank you! Bullet points are good for encapsulated bloglets. Not awesome for long story-type posts.

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  17. I actually read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time when it first came out in hardcover. I have no idea what happened to it--I loaned it to someone, probably the parent of one of my kids with autism. But it was good.

    I thought of your visit with Santa the other day--there's a theater in New Braunfels, Texas that is offering one day a month where they will adapt a theater for children with special needs. They will lower the sound, raise the lights, whatever it takes for kids to be able to see a movie in a theater. I actually got a little choked up about that--when I started working here, kids with special needs were locked away in their houses. Such a wonderful change!

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  18. @TMW - I swear I did not steal your copy of the curious incident. . . although I DID buy it at Half Price books, meaning it was used. . . BUT it was paperback.

    I'm more in tune with these special offerings now, and they seem like they're more common. I forgot to tell the story about my wife taking Lily and her big sister to a theater. . . no specialness required. . . successfully over the holidays. Good stuff. I'll blog it.

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