News of My Demise Shouldn't Be Much of a Surprise

Or: How I Survived Two Weeks of Pain. I don't know how really ill people can stand it. I'd give you the TMI version but suffice it to say that one week I was doubled over in agony and the next week I had the most awful non-migraine headache ever. I never thought I'd miss a migraine but at least w/a migraine I'm out in a dark, soundproof room and it lasts maybe 3 days tops. This headache was sufficient to make me wish I'd never been born but not enough to stay home from work, especially with the IRS looming over a client or two.  

Unfortunately the IRS was all I could handle a day. I dragged myself out of bed, dressed, worked, came home, went to bed, rinse and repeat. I missed concerts, birthday parties, two friends from out of state, two weekends - the Maker Faire! Grrr!

New month, new health. I'm back to my regime of exercise and good eating and maybe it was my iron plummeting that caused the headache (it was something like 12 when I saw my doc which is why I've got a gastroenterologist appt coming up). Cross your fingers it works this month.

I was watching Unwrapped: Deep Fried  Monday night (what? Doesn't everyone?)  and it ocurred to me how mind numbingly dull it must be to work on an assembly line. As much as my job fries me (hahahaha), it's good to think. (Although I'm sure you can't totally zone out - easy way to lose a finger/arm/limb/etc).

Also I really want to go to the Minnesota State Fair and eat a deep fried candy bar.

Books read in May:

1. Suits Me: The Double Life of Billie Tipton by Diane Wood Middlebrook (L) (1998) 326 pages. Wow. Her life as a man was both easier and harder. Just goes to show how dumb gender stereotyping is.

2. The Periodic Table by Primo Levi (1975) (233 pages). Excellent, excellent book by a chemist who lived through the Nazi regime and told about it in this charming novel/autobiography.

3. Cattery Row by Clea Simon (L) (2006) 238 pages. Music and cats, what's not to like? And the ending is fabulous.

4. 1632 by Eric Flint (L) (2000) 597 pages. I really liked this time traveling geo-shifting tale although it's sent me on a binge of historical background digging. My knowledge of 17th century Germany is vague at best.

5. Blood Will Tell by Dana Stabenow (L) (1997) 257 pages. Another mystery w/Kate Shugak. I was seriously bummed by one of the character's death in this book. So much so that I haven't brought myself to pick up the next in the series yet, but that won't last long.

6. Her Husband: Hughes & Plath-A Marriage by Diane Wood Middlebrook (L) (2003) 350 pages. Hmm. Maybe they were a match made in - - poetic justice.

7. A Concise History of Germany by Mary Fulbrook (L) (1990) 263 pages. Nice background on Germany! It covered too little of the early centuries, which is what I was interested in and too much of WWI and beyond but very helpfu.

Now that I'm done with Mary Tudor, I'm at a bit of a loss. Okay, what I really should be knitting is my Dad's cardigan and my mother's stole but they are boring. Notice how even after knitting this repeat eleventy billion times, I can still manage to muck it up (by the cast on edge). It's a design feature. I used to have two skeins of the yarn too and now I can only find the one. I'm hoping the other is somewhere in my stash.

Comments

[Christie]

That's quite a week you've had. Glad you're back on the mend and I hope you stay that way!!!

[Karen]

Hope you are feeling better!

[Gale]

Congratulations on finishing Mary Tudor. She looks great. Sorry to read of the health woes though.

[Stefanie]

Sorry you haven't been feeling well. I hope you are on the mend. Mary Tudor is gorgeous! If you are going to the MN State Fair, let me know and we can meet up! Those fried candybars are quite popular. I've not had one as they aren't vegan, but I hear they are good.

[Marina]

Does that mean I don't have to take you to the nearest, secluded field & shoot you ;-)

You could always start Henry. The gorgeous Mary looks a bit lonesome!

[Chris]

UGH - you didn't mention the accursed headache. :( Glad you're finally feeling better.

And if you want to go to the MN State Fair, my living room futon is at your disposal. :)

[Angie]

Oh my!!!!! I am glad you are feeling better. Would a steak help? /runs

If you get that close, let me know!!!

[Bridget]

Poor you, that sounds awful! I'm glad you are feeling better.

Mary Tudor is soooo pretty, I hope you are pleased.

I'm currently deciding what to knit as well. Yes, I have WIPs ... so???

[deb]

I'm so sorry about the bad thing! But "Burn Notice" should help tomorrow nite!

[Cheryl S.]

Has everyone been faking their own death this week?

I guess I didn't get the memo.

Sorry you had such an awful couple of weeks! Hope things are better now.

[stephanie]

Godness. I hope the illness was just a fluke!

[Bookfool, aka Nancy]

Oh, noes! Sorry you've been miserable, you poor chick. I hope you're all better, now. I think I need to read Suits Me and the Primo Levi book. Look at my blog and laugh. I just reviewed a book about babies, even though Eldest and Dr. Sarah are very happy and it looks like I'm going to end up with grandkittens. I will lavish them with love, of course.

[Elspeth]

Wow, Mary Tudor is done? Time to start another difficult project ;)

[Knitnana]

OH MY! I'm glad you're feeling better, and hope the doc visit will go well
(((Hugs)))

[kmkat]

You must have been really, REALLY sick; I cannot imagine wishing I had a migraine instead of whatever you had. Glad it is better now.

I worked in a semi-assembly-line job for a few months once, a contact lens lab where the lenses were molded, cut, ground, and finished. Not dangerous, but -- as you said -- mind-numbingly dull. It is good to remember that a majority of the world's population has jobs like that -- dull, possibly dangerous, and severely unremunerative. We are very very lucky.

[Kim D.]

So sorry to hear about your headache drama.

Mary Tudor is wonderful. Congratulations, you did it! I'm so proud of you.

[bybee]

Fried candy bar?? Sounds promising! Sorry you've been sick. I hate regular headaches, so I can't imagine migraines or your experience.
Out of your stack, Suits me and the Primo Levi one look tempting.

[Michelle]

I worked on an assembly line in a factory owned by a company whose name rhymes with Daft. One of the worst jobs of my life. About a week after I quit part of the roof fell in on the employees.

[Stacey]

When do we get the modeled shot of Mary? Huh? I love that chess board! LOVES! Details!

xoxo

[Lisa]

I am so sorry that you have been sick! It sounds horrible. Congratulations on Mary Tudor; she is beautiful!

[Tara]

Sorry to hear you've been ill! Listen, let me know if you come to the Mn State Fair, but I've tried the deep fried candy bar and thought it was gross. So is the chocolate covered bacon. Come for the pork chop on a stick, the milkshakes, there's so much..

[Jocelyn]

Mary Tudor looks fabulous!! Do we get modelling shots? :) And I love the lace you're working on -- what motif is that? It's looking familiar for some reason. Also, just finishing up 1632 now - good fun.

[CarolyninAlaska]

Whatever you had sounds so miserable. Sorry you were ill.
Nice to see Mary all finished. It must be hard to get motivated to start something new when your local weather is hot.

STAY WELL. though!

[Cookie]

Full moon is coming. Stay home and hide under the cat.

xo

[Tim Rooch]

Poor SiL,

I'm glad to know that you have emerged from your illness and with a gorgeous sweater, to boot.

Intractible pain makes me wonder why more chronically ill people don't commit murder or suicide.

Your baby brother has had deep-fried Oreos. He liked them. While the batter no doubt had eggs, I learned that, surprisingly, Oreos are vegan. And, yes, he liked them. The local Renaissance festival has deep-fried macaroni and cheese, which seems a little redundant, but what do I know?

Take care,
SiL

[Ex Libris]

I'm so sorry to hear you've been sick. I do hope you are on the mend and feeling better. I commend you on being able to keep knitting!

[Julia]

How did you sneak this post by without me noticing? Okay, I've been under the weather too. Glad to hear you are on the mend. It just irks me to miss good things because I feel lousy.

[Nora]

The Wisconsin state fair also has lots of deep fried things, most of them on sticks...

Just sayin'.

[Birdsong]

Sorry you have had such a rough time of it! From the photo, it looks like Mary Tudor came out fabulously... how about better photos when you are up for it?

[opal]

i can see how that lace pattern can be mind-numbingly soul crushing.

hang in there and power your way through it!

[Sonya]

Congratulations on a gorgeous Mary Tudor! I'm always befuddled by that just-finished-a-big-project let down too. I usually do a pair of socks for recovery.

Sorry to hear about your non-migraine misery. As if migraines aren't bad enough!

[twig]

Glad you're feeling better. The only Unwrapped I've ever seen is the one about the noodles. That was really fascinating. They showed how the machines make rotini.

[mrspao]

Poor you - that headache sounds horrible. Hopefully it won't be back.

Mary Tudor looks amazing!

[marylou]

Meet up for friend candy bars - but I'll just watch. I tried one a couple of years ago and my teeth still hurt.

[Merri]

EEK hope that you are ok..the migraine sounds gruesome..

I always guiltily watch Unwrapped and always crave the decadent things like the deep fried choc bars..lol!

:D

[Miss T]

I'm glad you're better. And your sweater is stunning! You should go for the chocolate covered bacon instead.

[Amanda Cathleen]

so darn glad that your feeling better!! ((hugs))
OMG Mary Tudor is amazing, I'm at a loss for words!

[Rachel]

First, I'm hoping you are feeling better (I would assume so since it's 2.5 weeks later, but I never assume! OK, I do, but not this time).

Second. Holy crap. I leave the internets for a month and Mary Tudor is done! I bet that feels so good. And wow--she is simply amazing! I'm pretty impressed by just how great that sweater looks! You should be proud!

[Eileen]

Oh, gosh, I'm sorry you were sick, and hope that you are feeling MUCH better now.

But I'm feeling a bit breathless, myself, looking at that sweater... are you sure you weren't just experiencing oxygen depletion from holding your breath at having produced such an amazing thing your very own self?

Oh, the cleverness of You!!

[jordan retro]

It is good to remember that a majority of the world's population has jobs like that -- dull, possibly dangerous, and severely unremunerative.

[jordan sneakers]

Sorry you had such an awful couple of weeks! Hope things are better now.

[jordan retro]

Come for the pork chop on a stick, the milkshakes, there's so much..