No, not Wheaties anymore. I tend to dump sprinkle so much sugar on Wheaties to make them palatable that it kind of takes away from it’s good-for-you-ness.

I’ve been on a steady diet of Oatmeal Crisp Crunchy Almond. I figure it’s also whole-grain, I like almonds and it has more flavor than plain Wheaties. And it’s usually just a bit cheaper. Now I don’t know much about these nutrition labels but I use 1% milk rather than skim (eww yuk) and I dump a crapload of raisins on top. The reason I chose the almond version over the raisin version is raisins are cheaper to add-on than almonds.

Speaking of raisins, I make a special trip to Fresh and Easy to get my raisins. Their raisins are so much better than Sunmaid. Sunmaid, no matter what size packaging you buy, get sticky and hard almost as soon as you open them, But the raisins I get from Fresh and Easy never get sticky and stay soft – all the way to the bottom of the bag. And they’re cheaper than Sunmaid so win-win. Just in case you ever wanted the skinny on raisins.

Sure, I still have to occasional bowl (or two) of Coco-Roos or Lucky Charms – usually as a midnight snack – but for the most part I’ve been sticking to Oatmeal Crisp every morning for about 2 months now.

Unfortunately I’ve also been taking prednisone almost as long, so I have no clue if it’s helping my weight at all. Maybe I’m not getting fatter as quickly. Who knows. But it has to be better for me, right?

When my doctor went over my recent blood work results I was dumbfounded. Next time I’m going to have to record my visit because I just can’t remember it all, but the key points are:

According to the numbers I’ve been exercising. Really? Not so much. Sure, I get a bit more exercise now that I’m breathing better, but it’s not like I’m out there trying. More like walking from the parking lot without stopping to rest.

According to the numbers my liver is not handling my alcohol level well. Really? I have two or three drinks a WEEK. And I only started drinking like 5 years ago, so it’s not a long-time drinking thing. Fucking liver is in for it this weekend. (Vegas baby!)

According to the numbers my cholesterol is fine and my heart-related cholesterol is great. I’m as healthy as I can be!

She sees a few white blood cells in my blood, and something about fighting a UTI (which I really don’t remember having) so we’ll check again in 6 months.

All that misinformation from a few tubes of blood?

Actually, my breathing is great. I think I’ve used my albuterol inhaler once in the last couple of weeks as compared to a couple of time an hour like 4 months ago. I feel fantastic!

My blood pressure is iffy, so I now need to keep a chart. My weight is a little high (gained 10 pounds) but I blame that on the steroids – and maybe on the Butter Pecan Ice Cream I’ve used to replace cigarettes. What shall I use to replace the ice cream?

Maybe I should exercise more now that I feel better. Maybe after the spring pollen season passes because the only time I do feel any tightness is when I’m outside.

I’m telling you, when they first put me on 20 mg a day of prednisone I was good, then it was lowered to 15 and then 12 mg a day and I started feeling the bloating and gaining the weight. After Friday I’m supposed to go down to 10 mg a day and I wonder how I’ll feel after that. Though how I can feel more side-effects the less I take stumps both of us. Right now I just feel FAT though I’m sure that damned ice cream doesn’t help.

I really want to go back to smoking. Shaddup.

My friend Ruthie - taken by MrAnathema

So Sunday was our 3rd Annual NoPantsAZ Day on the light rail. There are some pictures on flickr tagged #nopantsaz if you want to go wander through them. It was a bit chilly but I managed to keep up when the whole group strutted down Mill Ave to Robbie Fox’s for drinks and then back to the light rail. Good fun… such good fun I just spent the rest of the day pantless.

Also, I managed to get approved for my new apartment so I finished the day making arrangements for utilities and stuff.

Monday night I had Kira and for some stupid reason we decided to pincurl her hair. She sat still for me to do the front and top, but there was no way in hell she’d let me do her whole head.

As you can see, she wasn’t pleased. I think it’s adorable but she complained all day. I’m pretty sure as soon as her Daddy saw it (and more than likely laughed) she showered it out. Oh well.

Speaking of hair, for some reason I have sores all over my scalp. Maybe it’s a side effect from something I’m taking or more likely, it’s an allergic reaction to something I’ve eaten. I’m beginning to think my fondness for pistachios is causing that and possibly the difficulty with breathing I have periodically and coincidentally after ingesting more than my fair share. I’m really gonna hate giving up pistachios.

What else…

I’m planning – hoping – to get down to Tucson on Thursday to stand as silent guard at the funeral of Christina Green. There are a couple of groups getting together to stand silently arm-in-arm to block any possible hate-spewing by the Westboro Assholes. I want to go, but between the 5000 local residents and if the President or First Lady shows up, it might be better for us non-locals to stay out of the way. Still not sure.

Yes, I’m still slightly bitter about my failed attempt to get to the Jon Stewart Rally. My poor health and ability to walk distances might make the whole Tucson mission impossible for me. But I really want to, to stand against the WBC, to provide what little protection I can for a grieving family, and to show that Atheists have compassion and honor.

Well… nuttin much.

Firstly, don’t post anything about Carol Channing. Seriously. I’ve gotten more pingbacks on that one simple snark post than anything I’ve EVER posted. Those Carol Channing fans are paying attention. Geeze.

And then, I ended up in the emergency room AGAIN Monday night. That’s 6 asthma attacks severe enough for medical assistance since last January 1st.

Then there was the continuing arguments with GirlChild. She finally got off her ass and completed the paperwork to start classes next week. Still no job but at least she made a move. She apparently whined at her brother and he told her tough shit. Grow the hell up and get a friggin job already.

I’ve applied for a new apartment back in Mesa on Gilbert Road. They haven’t let me know for sure but I think it’s a done deal. Moving February 7th if you’re not doing anything. *hint hint* And it’s a one-bedroom so NO KIDS moving with me.

I’m still perusing craigslist for RVs for sale. I wandered into a couple of dealerships and they’re all “you can’t finance anything older than 10 years and you need at least $20k down” so that’s not going to happen. If I get lucky I can find someone who will let me take over payments. Like when pigs fly.

Let’s see… what else.

I was supposed to have a meeting tonight to start a new business. I’m being pushed into it after a nonchalant conversation with a friend. I mentioned I’d like to start a business using my podcast producing skills in a different way and he jumped on it. Rounded up a couple of other people and we were supposed to hash/hack it out but he’s sick. Maybe next week. I’m actually getting pretty excited about it.

I think that’s it for now.

I didn’t actually make it to the rally.

Here’s the thing, I’m sure I’ve told you I’m asthmatic. So I got to my friend’s house fine*, woke up at 4am unable to breathe and had Ginnie take me to the hospital. By the time that was dealt with, the pharmacy trip was dealt with and getting back to my friend’s house happened it was almost 11.  We all decided to go to the last stop on the train line for a best chance to get on a train. I’d passed the closer station and spotted the very long line so it seemed like a smart choice.

Still having difficulty breathing, the walk to the line and then finally (after more than 2 hours in line) we squished into a (the fifth train that went though) train and made it downtown. I managed to walk about 50 steps before I’d have to stop and rest for a while. It was the cold air. I have a real problem breathing in cold air.

So… I got to a bench on the Mall and gave up. Sent Ginnie off to see if she could get close enough to the stage to actually hear anything but the crowd was so thick she couldn’t get in at all. And that was around 3:30 when it was almost over and lots of people were leaving.

I enjoyed the camaraderie of the crowd. People were happy and cheerful and I got to see lots of signs passing by. Some humorous, some serious. I’d tweeted my location hoping any of my friends would come find me but no luck. I’m still glad I went. I felt I accomplished something though I didn’t accomplish anything at all. Does that make sense?

*Watch for the rest of the road trip in another post.

This is gonna be really long. That’s why all my photos are on flickr and if you want to see them go there.

My car had issues with one of the coils or spark plugs or whatever but I got that fixed and took off. 10 minutes in the car and I decided to go completely off my rocker and head towards areas talked about in those Little House books. I wandered back roads to Sleepy Eye and then Walnut Grove to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum. That’s where I got this giant chip busted out of my windshield. I don’t even know where the rock came from. Oh well.

From Walnut Grove I went to De Smet where she actually grew up. I stopped by the homestead, but they wanted a chunk of money and a wagon ride to show me everything so I passed. Ended up near Murdo, SD for dinner and then spent the night in the car.

Guy walks in the restaurant and says anyone wanna see a horse? Everyone goes outside. I’m in freaking South Dakota! Horses are unusual?

The next day I stopped at the infamous Wall Drug for (an expensive and not very good) breakfast then toured the place. Bought a nice leather purse I liked for $14. Wall Drug is enormous and completely touristy. Way too much crap.

Wandered through Sturgis and Sundance before heading to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming. Breathtaking and way cool. I managed to walk the path around the entire tower (1.3 miles) though I was done about two seconds before I came across the Halfway Point sign. Shit. But I did it and am kind of proud of myself. I decided right then and there to pony up the cash and camp at the KOA at the foot of the damned thing. Had my tent up and shower done by 7 because the campground movie was… can you guess? Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Which was canceled because of this ginormous storm. I should have stashed the tent and stayed in my car! That storm was scary as hell! Lightning and thunder and wind and rain and I’m zipped in the tent and can’t see anything and the wind is gusting and my fat ass is the only thing holding that stupid tent down. It kept folding over on me (no, the stakes disappeared years ago) and I kept picturing myself wrapped up tubal in a polyester tent and sleeping bag. Eventually it passed and I crashed until about 1am when the cold drove me into the car after all. My light AZ sleeping bag isn’t very useful when the temp drops too far.

Next day I headed towards Deadwood, SD for breakfast. I love Deadwood. I could live there if it didn’t get cold in the winter. Then to the Crazy Horse Memorial Monument. Huge museum and a bumpy bus ride to get closer. From there I stopped by Hot Springs but I didn’t do anything.

Blew through Colorado on the major highway. You don’t really see much doing 85 mph. Stopped for the night in Santa Fe at this cute little Silver Saddle Motel, but I really didn’t get to enjoy much because the elevation made it hard for me to breath.  Saturday morning I decided to take another back road home. South of Albuquerque I found the US60 and headed west.

And stopped almost immediately because some little town was having it’s Labor Day parade on the ONLY STREET. I’m stuck behind the last police car disappointing small children because I’m obviously NOT part of the parade. So I blared some George Hrab as loud as I could stand it the whole length of the parade.

You know there’s a tiny town called Pie Town? Right there on the continental divide. I stopped for pie in honor of my friend Mur Lafferty. I’m not really a fan of pie, but I knew if I ever saw Mur again and passed up the opportunity she’d smack me.

And then I was home! Nice vacation but more expensive than I though it would be. I can’t tell you if the car ate more gas because the windows were open the whole time or if it would have been cheaper if the A/C worked. Who knows.

What I do know is, the next time some Fucktard tries to tell me I can’t do something they can just fuck off. I was fine. Better than fine. I did GREAT!

Thinking about my next road trip. Where should I go?

The breathing is becoming a real issue here. One trip to the ER last night and I’m already tight again this morning. I’m not sure what to do. I’m taking everything they can give me and I’m not maintaining a baseline I can live with. Hopefully a day outside will help. Or I’ll die.

Other than that I’m having a great time!

No I didn’t forget ya, I’ve just been busy and distracted.  Here’s how the last week went.

Thursday Mom called to tell me my cousin Jackie died unexpectedly. Well not that unexpectedly as I had noticed she was posting hospital testing comments on Facebook. I feel bad that I didn’t pay more attention before it was too late to commiserate. Apparently she went to her local Michigan hospital thinking she was having a heart attack and they sent her to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Nine days later she was gone in her sleep. Something to do with Amyloidosis. I’m clueless about what that is.

Friday night #evfn at Whole Foods was fun. LaDawn and I went to Yucca Tap Room but after a drink and a game of pool I pretty much dumped her there. I had too much to do and didn’t feel well anyhow.

Saturday I spent the day packing the last of my stuff and in the afternoon Casey and bunch came over to move the heavy furniture. They said they’d move it all so I left to go have my…

Debbie’s Naked Pool Party. Seriously. Excellent. Party. I had three ciders and no problem getting naked. Good friends, good party and we even recorded a show during it.

I came home to my new apartment to find that no, in fact they did NOT move everything else after all. So Sunday Ginnie and I schlepped back and forth looking for house keys and then finally packing as much crap as I could into my car before Casey and bunch came back to move the rest…

While I drove to Phoenix to bail Max out of jail. Long story I really can’t go into, but I just paid the bail and left him to find his own way home hours later.

By Sunday night – between the moving and the stress and the humidity and the dust – I was really struggling to breathe so I ended up at the VA emergency room Monday morning. I might post more about that fiasco later. A couple of albuteral treatments and I’m just fine.

Monday night I went over to CJ’s to record their show (the first half is about Star Trek TNG/the second half about their life) about our trip together to SDCC.

I think I finally have my new apartment mostly put together. I need a few things like shelves and plug thingies. Most of the sockets in this apartment are two-prong sockets, which poses a problem in our three-prong electronic world. Easy fix, just gotta do it.

Whew, I think we’re all caught up. SmallChild and her cousin are here and we’re watching Ella Enchanted for I think the 615th time.

Wednesday I went to the VA Medical Center for my breathing test. As directed I skipped my morning dosages, but as I’m slowly getting better anyway it wasn’t that big of a deal.

So… the really nice lady who tried to kill me was one of those constant talkers. You know those people you meet occasionally who talks over you, repeats what you say or finishes your sentences for you? Bless her little peak pickin’ heart you can tell they can’t help it. Yeah, sure, okay, yeah, oh no, Arrrrgh.

Anyway, it’s been a long time since I’ve take this particular test:

1. Don the nose clamps.
2. Place the plastic toilet paper tube in your mouth and wrap your lips around it tight.
3. Take normal breaths until instructed to suck in as much air as you can in one big breath.
4. Blow, blow, blow hard until you’re out of air, your toes curl up, you wet your pants and the room goes dark.
5. Finally take in another deep breath and remove equipment.
6. Rest one minute, breathing normally.
7. Rinse and repeat until you have three “good” samples.

I’ve no idea what the criteria is for a “good” sample. I had to do it four times before she was satisfied. Then I did a regular breathing treatment and waited 15 minutes before starting the whole process over again. At least the second time through I did it in three. I’d forgotten about the wetting my pants part so I had to walk through the entire hospital and out to my car like that. Embarassing! That and being so dizzy I wasn’t sure I should drive home right away. Can’t wait to go back on the 18th and see the pulmonologist and find out if it was worth it. Will they change/improve my meds?

I got the postcard in the mail yesterday regarding my breathing test. It’s next Wednesday at 10 in the morning. Instructions are NO asthma medications for the 12 hours before the test.

I usually take my meds around 9 at night, which will work out fine. But missing the morning dose at 9? And getting myself to Phoenix and into the medical center – which is pretty big – and then going through testing without meds? Not even the albuterol rescue inhaler?

You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me!