Is it Friday yet?

Where has the week gone? I've been playing catch up since returning from vacation as well as bus driver. From a little after 5 until around 9 pm, I drove kids to swim, from swim, to soccer and back to swim. Crazy! And very little down time for me to read or write. But we survived and I crashed hard only to be woken up at 5:30 am by barking. I wonder if Barbara Cartland's little dog ever did that to her?

On the good news front, my oldest's shoulder is just a sprain. She should be back to her activities in a month, six weeks at the longest! Just in time for high school swimming. They gave her a sling to wear when she's out and about as well as exercises to do and a referral for PT. We celebrated with lunch at a new-to-us place on the Columbia River called the Puffin Cafe. Best part for the kids-snow cones for dessert.

On the TV front, we've started watching a summer show, a 13 episode series called Under the Dome. The kids found it on Amazon Prime, watched the pilot and said I'd enjoy it. The series is based on a Stephen King novel. So far it's interesting, but there's this whole kidnapping thread that I wish wasn't there.

On the movie front, Sunday was family movie night at the theater. Of course, that meant seeing three different movies at the same time. Sigh... Rose and I saw Monsters University. It was cute. Finn saw The Lone Ranger with a bunch of his swim team members. He was more interested in being with his friends so couldn't tell me much about the movie which makes me think it wasn't very good. Mackenna saw White House Down with a swim buddy and enjoyed it.

Well, it's time for me to jog. I'm on week 5 of my training app. I keep thinking I should be farther along, but at least I'm now not dying when it tells me to run for 5 minutes. Today's run is for longer and there's a distance involved. Most likely while I'm still inside blogging instead of outside getting it done. Haha!

Have a great Thursday!

Big Brothers

On Wednesday, Rose went to a friend's house for a playdate. Kids call it something else these days, but it's still a playdate. She hurt her middle finger on her left hand.

I didn't think too much about the injury. She wasn't crying. There wasn't much swelling or bruising. But she kept saying it hurt to bend it.

On Thursday morning, the finger was swollen like a sausage and black & blue. Oops. But it was state testing day so she had to do that! A good thing it wasn't her writing hand.

After lunch as we were driving home I told her we were going to Urgent Care to have her finger looked at. Rose was fine with that until...

Finn told her to say goodbye to her finger because if she couldn't bend it the doctor would chop it off. He said it so seriously and then backed it up with totally made up science as to why amputation would be necessary.

I got on him right away, but the damage was done. Rose was sure her finger was a goner. Big crocodile tears streamed from her eyes. She kept saying she didn't want to lose her finger. She wasn't going to the doctor's now.

Meanwhile Finn is laughing like a fiend.  He finally fessed up, but the damage was done.

When we finally got to Urgent Care, she had her first X-ray and yes, I had to assure her that 1) It wouldn't hurt and 2) Her finger would still be there when she was finished.

Sigh...

The joy of having a big brother.

Did you have a brother who did stuff like that to you?

Tails and tales

Too funny! This picture reminds me so much of this. I'd woken up one morning to find Smalls' tail across my eyes like a sleeping mask.

We received the nicest sympathy card from the Smalls' vet. They must have heard from the emergency vet hospital. It included a tear off bookmark with the Rainbow Bridge Poem on it. Bailey, who sometime comments on this blog and I was fortunate to meet at RWA Dallas a few years ago, suggested I share that poem with the girls. I did, and it really helped, Rose especially. She keeps forgetting that Smalls isn't coming back and I've found her looking for her.

I think part of the reason this came as such a shock go us was that Smalls had had a full blood work up done during an exam in mid-March. The vet couldn't believe how healthy Smalls was given her age (which was more of a range then 15+.) But the hospital doctor did say this comes on suddenly. And I suppose with an old cat, you can never fully know what's going on inside of them.

Finn has mentioned more than once that he said bye to Smalls when he left to go camping, but that he never got to say a final goodbye. I think we'll need do some sort of ceremony as a commenter mentioned on yesterday's post to give him some closure.

Speaking of ashes, I received a call toady saying she'd been cremated and that I could pick up her ashes. I'd spoken to someone else there who offered to have the ashes transported to the pet hospital which is closer to me. When I mentioned that, he said he'd check then came back on the line and said he couldn't find Smalls. She hadn't been taken with today's deliver, but wasn't there, either. Wherever "there" is. I was starting to freak out a bit. He told me he'd call back, but didn't. I gave him two hours then called. Thankfully her ashes had been located.

On the good news side of things, my son had his cast removed. He's now wearing a removable brace. He can swim and play soccer again! He's so psyched. Just in time as the fall seasons will be starting soon.

I also got some words written. It's been a struggle to finish my latest tale, and I've fallen behind on my word count. No doubt the emotions as well as the fact one of my constant writing companions is missing. But Spirit has been extra attentive no matter what time of day and night. If my computer is open, she's within arms reach or touching me. That's helped a lot.

I've been very self-absorbed this week. What's been going on with you? Please fill me in!

Saturday Smiles

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Good news from the specialist. Finn's break is more like a crack. He's in a short cast (glow-in-the-dark one that's pretty cool!) for the next three weeks. He can't swim or ride anything with wheels, but he can kick a soccer ball so that's good! The swim team takes a couple weeks off in August anyway so besides missing the championships right now, it shouldn't be too long for him. We'll know more in August.

Yoda discovered the outdoors. Not sure why it took him so long, but he loves to sit in my bedroom window and stare out. I did have to close the glass at one point. I found him climbing up the screen. But hubby opened it this morning, and Yoda seems content to sit now, not climb.

Rocket found the bag of catnip. He and Yoda made a mess in the bathroom. Boys...!

A totally free Saturday thanks to not being at the swim meet. Mackenna could have made a 4-H Fun Match, but we had no details since we weren't planning to be in town so she said not to worry and just skip it. That simplified things!

I'm planning to write until lunchtime. Then it's family time!

What do you have going on?

Broken

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I wish the only thing broken around here was a lamp. Unfortunately it's my son's arm. I took him to practice at Mount Hood Community College to swim in the 50 m pool they use during the summer long course season. We ended up in the ER at Mount Hood Medical Center. The x-ray showed a break in his left arm.

Today we should be heading to Eugene so he could swim in the Long Course Championships (aka State.) But that's not going to be happening now. On Friday, we see a pediatric orthopedist.

Poor kid.

I've got something I need to do this morning, but I'll fill in the story more later. Prayers for him (both physical and mental healing) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

A long night...

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So this blog is late going up this morning. I have to admit it would have been late even if Blogger hadn't been down. I spent last night at the ER with my son Finn. He fell at soccer and put his right arm out to break his fall. He ended up hurting his wrist. Fortunately it's only a sprain. The ER doc turned out to be his former Little League coach. Needless to say, it was a late night and I got zero writing done. I feel like the LOL kitty above.

Because of that, and the fact a nap is looking like a must-have before lunchtime, I'm going to leave you with this link. It'll take you to a blog of pictures containing writers and their kitties! Enjoy!

Headache

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My head has been killing me since Monday. My friend Amy thought it might have to do with the physical therapy I had that morning. I went to PT today and found out she was right. The mechanical traction I had earlier in the week caused a muscle spasm in my neck. This led to the headache on the right side of my head. Amazing how it all works together!

The PT worked on relieving it this morning. Not all gone. But better!

With a lot of writing ahead of me this weekend, that's good enough for me.

I'll be working on my newest manuscript Saturday and Sunday and enjoying the sunshine. What about you?

Revisting a story

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I need to get a copy of that book! Yoda is a kitty wrecking machine. My new bathroom window coverings are his new favorite toys. Good thing he's so cute and adorable.

Last night he managed to get locked in the garage. Hubby heard wailing, opened the door and something black darted inside. He stayed with me the rest of the evening. Poor baby was very scared.

Before I read the cat behavior book, I need to finish another first. The AAs (page proofs/galleys) for my upcoming November release, Christmas Magic on the Mountain, arrived yesterday.

It's always fun to revisit characters and a story. With the distance, in this case a few months, I can read the words without so much emotion invested. It's easier to find awkward phrases, words, you name it. It's also nice when I'm pleased by what I read. I'm only to page 80, but so far so good!

I'm doing physical therapy three times a week to recover from being rear-ended. I'm sore and my hand/arm is still numb, but my back is doing much better. Now to get my neck, arm and hand healed! It's still uncomfortable to sit in my chair so I'm limiting my on-line time. I am reading blogs, however, just not commenting due to my numb hand! I have a book due in May so pretty much a visit to Facebook, email and a blog here is about it. I'm even writing by hand and hoping to be able to type it all in soon!

Hope all is well!

Get this off of me!

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I wish someone would get the monkey off my back!

Thanks for your prayers and good thoughts for my daughter. The doctor thinks it's a knee sprain, but there's a chance it could be her meniscus so they're scheduling an MRI. Whichever it is, she can still walk (no limp!), but she's not allowed any other physical activity. That includes dance. She's going to class tonight to walk through a performance troupe dance and learn where she's supposed to be and the hand movements, but other than that she'll sit and rest her knee.

I'm trying to get the revisions finished. My black moment isn't quite right. It wasn't the first time through so I'll be spending time on that today.

What are you doing?

Cat Scratch Fever

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The story of two of my chairs. Only mine are much worse than this. You can see the stuffing/padding, whatever you call the soft part. Recovering them with a fabric less attractive to kitties still didn't work. A good thing they were hand-me-downs. That is, free. Although I have no idea what to do with them now!

So the good news is I saw went to the orthopedic surgeon's office yesterday. They have released me! My hand still sometime hurts a little at the wrist where the thumb is out of place slightly, but it's not worth trying to fix.

The bad news is I'm sick. The sore throat started yesterday. It hurt so bad I couldn't swallow. A cough came on a little while after that. By last night, I had a runny nose and the chills.

My son told me at bed time that his throat hurt. I'm praying that's all that he gets. He's on some heavy duty antibiotic still for his sinus infection, but if this is viral than that's not going to help him.

Better get to work. I'm going to need a nap or two today!

Take care.

Hand Therapy

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This cracked me up. This would be our cats. We have one television in the house and it's only 20".

I went to my first session of hand therapy yesterday. I have two different colors of putty to work with to regain strength in my hand. It's got 50% less strength than my right. Yikes! I have a sheet full of different types of exercises to do. I have two sessions next week.

While I was doing some of the exercises we talked about the CTS symptoms I'd had the past year and how I figured out if I was doing push ups or certain weight lifting exercises, it got worse. She explained the physiology by having me imagine a garden hose that gets bent and plugged. The same thing happens in that push up position and then you add weight (either body or a barbell) to it. Not a good thing in my case!

She recommended icing my palms if I'm writing a lot, even if I'm not having symptoms. She says that a lot of issues are because of swelling/inflammation and ice can really help that. Seems easy enough to try! And she said to keep sleeping in my hand braces. Again, easy to do.

Hope you have a nice Saturday! We're coming into another hot spell with 100+ degrees on tap. With no a/c, I'm not looking forward to it!

I haz a mad

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This seemed like a good LOLcat pic for today because I'm a little mad at my thumb right now.

Other than that, the writing continues. The deadline approaches. The chocolate consumption increases.

What's going on with you?

Random Friday

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The one thing I love about using public restrooms...privacy. At home someone (kidlet, cat, dog) always wants to be in there with me. Sometimes more than one. If I shut the door, watch out. That can result in tears, meowing, scratching and barks. It's nice to be loved, but is a few minutes alone in the bathroom too much to ask?

Yesterday, Chaos turned 4! I took some time off to take her on a birthday walk. It was so hot we didn't go far because I didn't want her to get overheated, but she enjoyed it. Tonight she's remained plastered at my side due to all the fireworks being shot off. She really doesn't like them.

The writing marathon continues. I'm making progress. Yay! But I still have a ways to go. Boo!

Not sure what's going on with my thumb. I've done the exercises to regain mobility and that's going well. Unfortunately, it's hurting and by the end of the day more swollen than when I wake up. I'll probably call the doc tomorrow because I really don't know if that's normal or not.

What's random in your life today?

Good news!

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I got a phone call from the doctor's office this morning. The CT results are in. My scaphoid is not fracture. Yippeee! No broken wrist.

I still have to deal with my thumb which isn't staying where it should so I got an extension on my book that was due July 1, but I'm so happy about my wrist!

Hope you have a wonderful Friday!

Mount Hood and more

Now that I finally got my pics downloaded here are a few that deal with my injury.

On Memorial Day, we arrived at Timberline early. The sun was shining. Perfect conditions for spring skiing. Hubby was going hiking while we skied and took this pic just before the kids and I set out that morning.

Hubby snapped this pic of one of the Snowcats on his way to hike. This is one of the nicer snowcats. When hubby climbed Mt. Hood, he rode up in an older one that they joked had been used when they filmed the movie The Shining. In the background you can see Timberline Lodge.

Chaos and hubby were hiking somewhere east of the lodge. Not exactly sure where, but this is one of the pics he took. She loves the snow and hiking. Her fave part, however, is descending. She loves to run down.



Hubby wanted to take pictures of me getting oxygen and being examined in the Ski Patrol First Aid room, but I waved him off. Talk about adding insult to injury! He settled for this shot.




On Wednesday, I saw a specialist and got a pink cast. This was to hold my thumb in place, and as of my last set of x-rays was working. I have never had a cast before so it was interesting to see how they put it on and how it hardens as it dries.




Here I am with the cast almost done. If you look closely, you can see the bruise on my right arm. I'm so thankful it was only a bruise and not a fracture!

I get more x-rays (praying my wrist really isn't broken!) and a new cast today.I'm still trying to figure out what color to get. Right now I'm leaning toward lime green, but my climbing and Crossfit friend Jen (as well as my son) think camo would be cool. Maybe pink camo. We'll see!

Random Friday

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I got a call from the ambulance company yesterday wanting to know if I have insurance so I gave them all the info. That should be an interesting bill. I'm praying that was my first and last ambulance ride.

Tomorrow we're taking Chaos to a Norwegian Elkhound gathering. It's put on by her original mom, who hasn't seen her since she dropped her off at our house a year ago April. We're hoping to see Chaos' mom, daughter, half sister and half brother. The kidlets are so excited!

I'm spending as much time as I can writing. That panicky, need-to-buy extra chocolate feeling is setting in. Couple that with a hurting hand, and I'm a little freaked out. But I usually do my best writing in these conditions so I shouldn't worry!

I keep forgetting I have a book, Dream Date with the Millionaire, on sale right now. I'll come up with a contest to run for the remainder of its release this weekend so stay tuned!

Any random things you want to share?

Good news, bad news

The good news is my thumb is where it should be, and I can type all I want! The doctor said typing will actually help healing so this made me very happy.

The bad news is the doctor thinks I may have also broken my wrist. There looks to be a fracture in a not-so-good place on one of the x-rays. I'll go back in two weeks to have the cast removed, more x-rays taken then a new cast put on. If it's broken like she thinks, I'll be in a cast for a while to see if it heals naturally. And if it doesn't... I don't even want to think about that.

Thanks for all your comments yesterday. I really appreciate them.

Hope this is a good news day for you all!

Swollen

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It's not my tonsils that feel swollen, but my left hand. It really started bothering me yesterday. Hubby thinks I've been typing to much on the book. I'm going to give writing by hand a try and limit my time at the keyboard as much as I can until I see the doctor on Thursday! Thanks goodness Dru took over the Crossfit Challenge for me!

Anyway, talk to you soon.

A Pink Cast

The doctor thinks I might not have to have surgery on my hand. Yesterday, they took more X-rays, put my thumb into place and put a cast on my hand. I got to pick the color and choose pink for my two girls. Of course, my son would have preferred a different color.

I go back next week to see if my thumb is where it should be. Please say a prayer that it is. I'd like to a avoid surgery if possible!

Unfortunately, my hand is now hurting as bad as it did on Monday and my head isn't feeling so hot, either. I think I overdid it a little yesterday so I'm going to take it easy the rest of the day.

Is there anyone up there who would mind typing up the Crossfit Challenges for me to get it caught up? I can either add you as a contributor to the blog or you can just email them to me. Whatever works. Thanks!

Hi!

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Thanks for the comments and concern. Much appreciated!

My head is feeling better. I don't remember hitting it, but Finn says I did. Thank goodness for helmets!

My right arm is nasty looking where I think the top of my ski pole hit it, but the swelling is going down. The same with my face where my left hand and pole hit. I do remember that happening! My first thought when I was lying on the snow was "I broke my thumb!"

I called hubby who was hiking on a glacier with the dog and said I thought I broke it, told him to head to lodge and in the meanwhile we kept skiing. Bet you're thinking that's crazy, but I had no idea at that point anything else was hurt but my thumb and cheek since I didn't remember the complete fall. But a little while later, it was clear more was wrong.

My left hand is in a splint and sling. I'm typing with my right. My doc appt. was cancelled yesterday when they lost electricity. I'm hoping to get in today to figure out what what's. It's clear from the x-ray something's not right. I'm praying it'll be a quick and easy fix.

I'll try to get the Crossfit Challenge posts going again later. I'm looking forward to catching up on people's blogs. Not sure how much commenting I can manage though!

Thanks again!