Thursday, April 08, 2010

Thursday-10:30am

Another glorious spring day in the prairieland. Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, 50 degree sweater/light jacket weather...ahhh!
I called the pharmacy and they set it up so that I will just be sent a bill at the end of every month and I can still get my pills mailed--tada! I made a trip over to the bank and the post office in the early afternoon. Here are the sights in south Fargo--hehe!
I think all of south Fargo used to be farmer's fields.
The flatlands.
They're building a lot of houses, townhouses, and apartment buildings.
The city is sprawling outward. Reminds me of Minneapolis where I grew up--how it just has kept expanding with more and more suburbs. Only Fargo-Moorhead is just a mini version of Minneapolis-Saint Paul--hehe!
I told you I live in the middle of nowhere--hehe!
There's such a sameness to the outside edges of sprawling cities.
It was wonderful to be out on such a gorgeous day even if it is pretty brown still...spring really is here!
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Angie came by for my review (about Caroline--who I can't praise enough!). Then Dagan and Leah arrived. We ate and gabbed.
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Dagan tried the printer and he could not get it to work, either, connected to the desk computer. So, we tried connecting it to the McLap. Finally got it to recognize the printer (its so old it wasn't listed)--but then more troubles. The McLap doesn't really recognize the Windows documents in the same form they were in. *sigh* Leah messed around for a long time and got a fair printing of my weekly schedule I had been trying to print off. Not great, but useable. Fainter lines and off center. Was really a pain to adapt an Excel document. Thank you, Leah! And thank you, Dagan!
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There are times I am really, really tempted to just put windows on the McLap. But I have always had so much trouble with windows viruses...??? I'll keep trying to stick to the Apple programs for now.
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Leah forgot her laptop. We did work some on the Etsy shop. Decided to change some pricing now that we have renewed once on what we had posted (every four months you have to pay to post your goods again). Lowered some prices by selling in sets instead of individually. Leah is still working on that. We are still learning how to run the shop--only been seven months and we only work at it part time. (I haven't been much help lately.) After things have been renewed twice, we might drop them. We are learning as we go along.
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I have been feeling rather fuzzy around the edges for some time. Forgetting things. Harder to concentrate. I didn't feel all that helpful to Leah last night. I know I am always reading about "fibro fog"....but is it from the fibro or from the pain pills we take every day? Hummm???
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I have been fighting a long losing battle against taking the pain pills. First it was Tramadol and then Darvocet. It's been a year now (since the jaw surgery) that I relented and started taking the Darvocet regularly--twice a day--every day. I think I am spacier...driftier. And yet, when you take something every day, then you get kind of immune to the relief effects, too. I am thinking of seeing if I can wean myself off the Darvocet and get back to only using it on the worse days again. ??
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This is exactly why I refused to take pain pills while I was still trying to finish college. My brain loses its sharpness and clarity. Hard to explain. Not that I am taking strong doses or anything, but...well...I may feel a little better painwise, but I lose focus of attention...concentration ability. If I am going to "write-write" again--I have to see if my mind is clearer with or without the pain pills, you know? Pain can cause you to not be able to think straight, too.
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Or--am I getting this way because the pain pills don't do as much and I am in more pain and that's why I can't think straight? Will I end up needing stronger pain pills--like when the Tramadol didn't work any more? (Seems to me I tried going without anything at all back then, too.) I sure felt alert and full of energy wen I was on the super duper pain pills after the jaw surgery!?? *big sigh*
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Chicken or the egg?
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Well, I am taking them today--hehe! I am planning on going with Leah shopping tonight...or meeting her at a store. Plans are not defined as yet. With me, it is always up in the air, as you know--hehe! But it is another bright, spring day---ahhhh!!! Miss Karma is curled up with me on my chair and I am going to watch the last DVD of season three of Mad Men and escape into the early 60s for a while...:):)

6 comments:

Intense Guy said...

Fargo looks like what you hear about Montana... "Big Sky" country - and its so nice and BLUE!!!

:)

The published side-effects for A SEET a MIN oh fen and proe POX i feen (Darvocet) include confusion, unusual thoughts or behavior.

Now having "unusual thoughts" might help your writing, I don't think you want your writing to be "groo-ooooo-oooo-vy" as opposed to "way cool!" Unusual behaviour would be jumping out from a balloon at 120,000 feet...

I wonder how these clinical trials uncover and what they consider "unusual thoughts and behaviour"??

Anyway, Darvocet has soooo many interactions with other drugs its almost scary -

Sigh... Just wish you were pain-free and clear-headed all your waking hours (and pain-free all the time).

AliceKay said...

I loved your pictures. Such flat land you have out there. What truly amazes me is how flat a lot of our country is away from where I live. I was born and raised in northeastern Pennsylvania and have lived here all my life. I've been around mountains all of my life. I've taken a few trips where I've seen some very flat land, and it really amazes me. I went to Texas last May and saw some wide open spaces. I kept saying...it's soooooo flat. LOL

I'm sorry to hear your pain meds are messing with your head. I know it's not easy when you feel confused and "fuzzy". I hope you can find something that helps control that "fuzziness" in your head and your pain a little better very, very soon.

Rita said...

Iggy--yes! When you get outside of the cities you never feel closed in, that's for sure. Funny how growing up n the land of the prairie that I can get to feeling claustrophobic in a deep valley, actually. I like to see a horizon line. ;)

Well, I can say I have fuzzy-brainess which would qualify under confusion, I think. But unusual thoughts or behavior--nope. Nothing outside of my ordinary oddness--hehe!

I know--I really dislike taking pain pills! I refused for years when the doctor suggested I try them. But the pain just wears you down. It's a rock and a hard place situation, I suppose. :( I am going to gradually cut back and see what happens. You also don't want to just stop, I am sure I'd go through withdrawal! I won't know unless I try, tho.

Rita said...

AliceKay,
Coming from the mountains--it would feel really weird being out here, I would imagine. I remember reading about pioneers who went crazy out here on the plains--feeling so exposed or something? I do like some trees and water. I am a Minnesotan, after all--hehe! But I love the grasslands and the openness.

Thanks--I hope I can either cut back or go in to my doctor and ask to try something else. :):)

Serena Lewis said...

Lovely pics of wide open spaces, Rita. Some towns thrive and expand because they have an industry, such as farming or mining, or a business value of some sort that enables employment for the residents. With you mentioning that Fargo is expanding, I was wondering, apart from the beauty, what attracts people to live there?

I'm like you...I hate taking pain medication, even the non-prescription variety. Some side effects certainly do make you wonder whether it's worth it. As you know, my Mum has Rheumatoid Arthritis, and all the cortisone treatment over the years actually caused her osteoporosis. Mum has weaned herself down to very small dosage of the Prednisone (cortisone medication) over the past few years and feels much happier for it.

Rita said...

Hi Serena,
I'm not sure why it is growing here. Could be that all around for miles and miles is agricultural. This is the biggest city in North Dakota--most metropolitan. So, if any businesses want to come into North Dakota (one of the solvent states) this would be the place to come. The economy is supposed to be better here than in a lot of areas in the United States. ??

I can certainly empathize with your mom as far as the constant pain goes. But she has the worse kind of arthritis--my heart goes out to her. A longtime friend of mine's daughter came down with RA when she was only in her 20s! Dealing with meds is a constant balancing act. I'm so glad your mother has found a good balance for her. That is something to celebrate! Tell her I send hugs from Fargo! :)