Sunday 18 March 2018

This and That and Back to some form of Normalcy

Well folks, I believe I am returning to work this week. My previous health problems are basically "back to normal" and I really have no idea what it was all about. The only lingering issue I have, which I don't think is even related, is a nasty case of vertigo. I basically feel somewhat drunk all the time. The world doesn't spin around me, but I feel shaky and weird, and like I'm walking on a boat. I feel like everything is rather ethereal, if you know what I mean. So... I see the doc tomorrow and I'll ask him to assess me for an inner ear thing, or test my electrolytes, or whatever else might determine why I feel like my head is being pressed back and to the side (Seinfeld episode anyone?) and why I feel like there is a slight tremor in my body at all times. (Theories are welcome, as long as they aren't too scary). I did have something like this a few years ago which started one day after getting off a plane and it lasted for three months and just went away on its own.

Anyway... onward. We have been very fortunate here in Midwest Ontario with very little snow compared to others. The sun was even shining today. It's still chilly, but we are not buried under three feet of snow and are grateful.

When I spent too many hours sitting on the couch, I managed to binge watch the entire three seasons of Grace and Frankie on Netflix (Canadian Netflix, I must add, which is not the same as what my American friends can access). Is it wrong that I want to base my whole wardrobe and fashion sense on the character of Grace (as played by an 80 year old Jane Fonda)? The funny thing is I worked with a woman for many years who is basically Frankie with her hippie clothes and personality.  I also watched quite a few episodes of Comedians Driving in Cars Getting Coffee (Jerry Seinfeld). I enjoyed those.

I read a couple of books and realized that two books that I took out of the library were ones which I had already read. Has anyone else done that? I also read blogs. Thanks everyone for writing your blogposts and putting in great pictures and neat links. I do not do any other form of social media, I'm not even sure if you consider blogging social media, but this is my little way of finding out about others in different parts of the world, enjoying what they write, and sometimes commenting.

I've been a bit introspective these last few weeks and was thinking about what makes me happy. I realized that when we had our little backyard flock of chickens, it made me very happy indeed. We had chickens for quite a few years. I got rid of them about two or three years ago because I just hated the whole winter upkeep. Chickens still need to have fresh water and their eggs collected even when you have to wade in thigh high snow with sloshing buckets of water. Sometimes the heater stopped and the water froze and sometimes the chickens got sick and sometimes they were just too old and didn't lay much... but I mostly loved watching them and hearing them. I loved taking kitchen scraps out for them and watching them enjoy pecking at watermelon rinds. I especially loved the wonderful big eggs. We were never short on eggs. Sometimes friends and colleagues would buy extra eggs. Not that it was EVER a money making thing, god knows! But a little piece of me kind of wants to get chickens again. My husband said he would consider putting a waterline in so there would be water right at the chicken coop. That would be fabulous. I must say, there is a ton of stuff out there on Pinterest showing great chicken feeding systems made out of PVC pipes. Chickens are always nice in the spring, summer, and fall. But we'll see.

It was St. Patrick's Day, of course, this past weekend. I did not celebrate. At all. But, university daughter who is a Don had a BUSY weekend trying to keep the merry makers on her campus from hurting themselves or each other. I think she is very glad that's over with. Did you know a big hassle in dorms is the constant fire alarms going off because students are vaping in their rooms? Who knew? I think if I were to do university all over again, I would live in residence my first year. I didn't. I always lived "off campus" in a couple little houses which had been chopped up into a bunch of bedrooms rented out by a local landlord who had quite a few student rentals. The houses were pretty nice, actually and on a main bus route to be able to get to campus. But, I think I really missed out on meeting people and getting involved in things.

Well wasn't this just a stream of consciousness type of post? But I've been absent for quite a while and I guess it's like sitting down with a friend and catching up. Time to get ready for bed. Goodnight all.



24 comments:

  1. I hope you feel well soon, and that you get a for sure diagnosis. It sounds very unsettling.

    I think it would be so cool to live on a farm, or have chickens and maybe a few goat. Bit there is upkeep, I don't know if I could commit. I hope you decide what is best for you.

    Jane

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  2. Hi Jenn, I saw your comment on Joanne's blog (Cup On The Bus) where you said your cursor is opening everything when you hover over it - I left a reply there but will repeat here. It sounds like your mouse (or trackpad?) is set to "auto click" which is an accessibility feature for those with physical impairments, in other words a feature which can be turned on or off. Try Googling "auto click" to get started finding directions to change the setting. I'm not really very knowledgeable about it but this might get you going in the right direction.

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    1. Oh my, CLick looks like Dick in this font! Sorry!

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  3. Hope you get your health problems sorted. At least you are still able to write your brilliant blog posts!
    Our infrequent book bazaars have a lot of circulating books and I often buy books, just a few cents, that I've already read. Darn disappointing!

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  4. Glad that most of your health problems have sorted themselves out and hope they get the vertigo straightened out. I like the idea of chickens, but they sound like work and the older I get the lazier I get.

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  5. Jenn I hope your first day back to work goes smoothly. With regards to your vertigo woes, we get a number of people at the physio clinic for this & there are some very simple exercises you can do at home that help. I'll ask our physio therapist if there's a link & send along to you. I mentioned the St Patrick's day univ events on my blog; this morning's news is filled with all the charges & problems from one university's out of control party(s). I just read from our health minister's office that vaping is proofing to be quite a health hazard. Had chickens as a kid, I'll leave it to the lady down the road, where I get her lovely eggs & none of the worries (col). Cheers to well being.

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  6. Hi Jenn. Nice to see you back in the fold.
    I would like to get some chickens in summer too. I think a meat/egg variety would work for that.
    I have something called Familial Tremor that sounds a lot like your description. I feel like my left ear is full of water. It flares up now and again when I've had trauma - like that blasted surgery back in January. It will eventually go away again. Might be something you want to look into.

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  7. Glad to hear that you are getting back to normal, as normal as life can be. Do hope all goes well for you. I think it has seemed a long winter.

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  8. Love your stream of consciousness and I've missed you. Glad you are turning the corner, able to get back to work. And I do hope you get those chickens. We can't have them in the city and I know they are a lot of work, but I rather love the idea.

    And I consider blogging the most social of the social media platforms -- people actually take time with someone -- to read, to comment, to get to know a bit more in depth than "like" or whatever. FB is a slacker media and so is instagram, I think. Too easy to click a button and go onto the next. With Blog, I think we develop relationships. They'll be different with everyone -- some more passing and less involved, others deep friendships that might turn real. If that's not social, I don't know what is.

    And finally, if it was me in your spot, and given both the vertigo (which could well be inner ear) and the tremors, I would try to request a neurology consult, just to ease the mind. Not sure how it works there, but it's worth it to insist and hope you were just being silly.

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  9. I am so glad you are on your way back to totally normal. I hope that whatever is causing this vertigo will just get the heck out of town. You've been through enough! I so admire your great sense of humor - that is sometimes the most important part of healing. Even though I also dread chicken-tending in winter, I do love my hens. That said, I will be happier when they are down to a more manageable number.

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  10. An English blogger friend says it's like chatting over a cuppa. I hope the vertigo is sorted soon, and you don't let it stop you while it's running interference. Always something! At a doctor's office this morning I met an old friend. A surgical accident a year ago left her with a bum leg. We compared canes, and agreed getting old ain't easy.

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  11. I hope that you can find the cause of your vertigo and feel better soon.
    I so enjoy reading your blog and hope that your rough winter is on its way out. I long to be out in my garden with fresh air and the company of my one outside kitty.
    If I was younger I would add chickens and bees to my garden but no longer have the strength. My daughters friend always has her hens and loves their company (and eggs of course).

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  12. Jenn..I feel so bad for you. Vertigo is awful. My sister had it for awhile and the doc gave her floor exercises to do and it disappeared. I agree about Grace - I want to look like her, own her beach house, and have her wardrobe! Hope you feel better soon!

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  13. So happy to have you back in blogland. I have missed your blogs!

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  14. So good to hear from you and know you're on the mend. The vertigo sounds like an inner ear thing to me. But the tremor . . . don't know and am glad you're having it checked out.

    I love the "Grace and Frankie" series. Our Netflix here in the States still doesn't have Season 3, but I've seen the first two. Even though I know Jane Fonda has had "work" done, she's the best looking 80 year old around. And how she can wear clothes! THAT is one stylish woman.

    I wouldn't want to be in on the college scene these days for love nor money. I know there are good kids out there (like yours), but so many of them don't seem to have the good sense of a rock.

    We've had all kinds of different animals in our years of homesteading. Gotta admit goats are my favorite personality-wise, but I'd never give up chickens . . . for their eggs and the flavor of the meat of an old stewing hen? Mmmm-mmm, can't be beat!

    Keep us updated on your doctor's appointments and what they tell you.

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  15. I had something similar years back and it was my spine. I had pinch nerves/slipped discs and the first nerve at the base of my brain was pinched. I dunno if that's too scary or even if that's your case but I'm tossing it out there. Hope you feel all the way normal, soon.

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  16. I'm glad to hear you are feeling much better and I hope you get to 100% very soon.

    I love the idea of chickens. When we were living in Kingston, we could have had some in our backyard. A bylaw was passed that gave homeowners permission to do so. I lived in a bit of a snobby area, so I don't think my neighbours would have really liked that. Not that I would have cared. But I'm glad we didn't do it because we moved to another city where we can't have them and it would've been horrible to have to give up the chickens. I'm a big softie with animals!

    My younger daughter spent her first year of university in residence and it was probably the best thing she could've done. She met a lot of people and got involved in a lot of things. The past two years she's been in a private home that she shares with four other girls.

    I should ask my daughter if fire alarms ever went off while she was in residence. Ah, those crazy kids! :)

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  17. I have experienced the tremor thing. Never knew what it was and one day I realised it had gone away on its own. It was very weird and I didn't know whether to feel special for having it or scared. I have never heard of anyone else having it till you! Lots of love from here Jenn x

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  18. That was one of my favourite episodes of Seinfeld, "now that was one magic loogie" lol...great reference! I'm so glad you're better Jenn...I had vertigo when I was much younger, in my late teens, and was told it was a Niacin deficiency. I've been taking a B Complex pretty much daily since then and it never came back. I hope what's plaguing you is just as simple as a vitamin pill!

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  19. How frightening, Jenn - I have been a bit dizzy getting up in the morning lately but I think it's a combo of this everlasting cold and the melatonin I take to help me sleep. Hopefully you will figure out what's wrong soon!

    I miss having chickens also but after the hawk left the last one for dead and we had to finish it off I said that's enough. No doubt it would be worse in this house with the coyotes, I don't need to draw them any closer to my house to attack my pups, that's for sure. Hope work wasn't too awful!!

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  20. My boyfriend suffers from vertigo every now and then...
    He has pills that he can take...think they are called "CIRC"...not sure of the spelling...
    They put him on a table, and turned him upside down, in order to diagnose!!!
    Glad you are feeling better...being sick sucks!!
    You should watch Fargo on Netflix and Peaky Blinders...LOVED these!
    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  21. Your vertigo may be a tooth issue. I had a teacher that went to every doctor possible about her vertigo. She also had a bad tooth her denwas determined to save. Finally the dentist pulled the tooth and her vertigo was gone the next day. I am glad you feel better. I want to get ducks when I retire.

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  22. Stream of Consciousness Posts, one of my favorite kind. I love sitting in my chicken coop (I keep a chair in chair turned upside down between uses to avoid sitting in masses of poop) and just watching them at work. Funny little birds and that whole "pecking order" thing is hysterical. Always reminds me of myself and my three sisters.

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  23. Thanks, Jen, for your recent visit and comment on my blog. It was nice to find you had posted as well and hopefully you are feeling better also taking it easy with returning to work, which can be stressful in itself. We had considered having chickens when we lived in VA, but then figured it would be work and were unsure how the neighbors would react, even though there was no zoning against having them.

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