Stardate report 62514

In a short bit I plan to catch the new movie Hercules with Lisa Simpson. So far my summer break has been fan-effing-tas-tik! I finally got to the post office this morning when I got up to move the car. I went to a location in Yonkers. I realize NYC post office are dreadful to deal with. Long lines, not overly helpful postal employees and the difficulty with parking if I happen to be in my car. Anyways a graduation photo of my aunt who passed away not all that long ago :( to her one of her daughters in California so they can make copies of their own and use the photo for their memorial service. I think while I'm in town Baba and I should have one of our own. I can't begin to imagine the hole she left behind in Baba's heart :(
There's also another ugly mess left to be dealt with by Ronnie and Dr Doogie Howser. Just a real shame when death brings out the love ones worst behavior especially as they grieve. I'm glad my family nuclear or extended do not generally act like a pack of baracudas!
On to other more cheerful news.
I'm looking forward to a follow up date tomorrow. I wonder how it will go? I have no expectations at all. My new friend from last night wants to set me up with one of his good friends. I am flattered. I'm still not used to getting a lot of attention. The other night I needed a jump start to my car. Somehow on Monday morning I hit the interior light on and it drained the battery. So I knew not to bother calling AAA as I already have my own jumper cables (it's like American express to me, don't leave home without it!) And I popped up the hood. Waited patiently as I knew I had a primo parking spot and someone who's eager enough to get it, gotta jump me first. Plus I'm cute that helps. Less than 2 minutes, duh it's the Bronxs, always someone around. A SUV pulled up with I think 2 guys and 3 girls squeezed in the back, all probably mid 20s. The hottie with the muscles gets right out after they had pulled up to inquire for the space. He happily set up the cables. I thought they wanted my spot because there's a relatively new Tango Salsa place that opened up nearby. So Wed-Sun parking after 11 pm is problematic. No turns out the guy is my neighbor after I said I lived in the neighborhood and was getting ready to go out and meet friends. He flirty adds that he's seen me around in the neighborhood and also lives nearby. I told him next time he sees me to say hi. I'm enjoying getting to slowly know my neighbors.
Well sure enough after I got all the way down to Soho area and was catching up with my friend my battery kind of flaked out again. So Mama Duck gets all militant and starts quacking orders to me and I'm like, it's my car I'll deal with it. Once again a different muscle ave flashy smile cutie helps me out when I repeated my earlier steps of getting the cables and hood up. I feel so lucky to have good karma. Then on the train yesterday as I mad a mad dash to get to an event all the way down to Soho again! I was riding the D train which I rarely when a guy on the train, thug looking if you will helps me out when I smiled at him and walks me to where I can take the 4 train from that station before heading home himself. Surely I'm lucky. Anyways I get to the Apple Store, and I missed the event entirely but I did get to meet a celebrity name Nat Faxon from the tv series called Married. Plus there were many upper crust stores like Fendig (sp?) Prada, Ralph (as in barf) Lauren and one of my favorites Michael Kors to shyme around in. All in all I had a grand time with friends too!

Been in a coma, reads a card of a woman

Finally feeling like I'm rested I think? The past two days now I've been sleeping my days away! I was so surprised today after I got up at 11:00 am to move my car to avoid getting a parking ticket. I went to the nearby pathmark to buy groceries because it was slim pickings here. Got lots of fruits to snack on this week. Came home, unloaded my car and got the perishable put away in the fridge. Decided to take a nap, thinking an hour or two when 5 hours flew by and the next thing I know it's evening. Figured no point in fighting my body when clearly I needed the rest.
Lesson learned that for any long distance traveling I must give myself at least a day or two to recover. So glad I'm off from work till September!
Tomorrow though I must return to the land of the living. Got to run to the post office, make some phone calls. Meeting Lisa Simpson at 5 pm to go swimming and Mama Duck at 9 downtown LES for some fun and catching up :-)
The pain has subsided a lot in the past 24 hrs. My neck is still tender and upper back and shoulder hurt a little. Not as much as yesterday.
Life is good.

You've got a friend from Pennsylvania

It's so depressing to be catching up on the news after such a wonderful week with the Maine gang! I feel sorry for the victim Eric Garner from SI who died from most likely the illegal choke hold a NYPD officer used during a takedown. I know he was a big guy but NO ONE should be subjected to a choke hold during an arrest or takedown.
I had such a wonderful week with Ronnie, Doogie Howser, Dar Dar, Knob, Karman and so many others. From painting a lake with a dock, or in my case skyline and a boat. To working on the book and making new friends, to witnessing a tragedy right before it all began and helping out my friend who's heart is broken and wounded and helping her laugh here and there. And swimming at night in the lakes even though it was chilly, the locals all say the same thing "the water is like bathwater, you'll get used to it quick!" They were right! I was proud I brought my bathing suit because I know Maine culture and all ;) to trying moonshine for the first time and warming up to gluten free diets. It was an unforgettable week.
I was also thrilled and honored to film Ronnie's wedding and the day before. I love documenting an experience. Especially for people I love and consider family. <3 I posted some photos from the past week below, you can see Ronnie was a gorgeous bride and we all had a blast! I'm still on such a "high" from a great week in Maine. I really can't recall when I haven't had a good time there. Maine's state motto is correct, "Maine, the way life should be." Then again when you look at my home state motto it's fitting too. "You've got a friend in Pennsylvania." :-)

Home cooked meals go a long way

Recently it dawned on me how meaningful it is when someone else cooks for you. Especially when you're not well enough to cook for yourself. I am always thrilled when Blondie or  Mama Racoon cook me something delicious! They're both such good cooks! Since I live alone compounded with the years of cooking for a man who never appreciated it I've lost my desire to be anything other than a lazy and simplistic cook. The crockpot is one of my closet friends in the winter time. I also try to cook enough go something to get at least 3 meals or more out of. I admit it's a small pet peeve of mine to be asked to cook specific foods like cookies for a cookie party! Ugh no thank you, two years ago I bagged the cookies and made Jell-O shots which were a hit. Better I make something I can't f*ck up like for Blondies 4th of July party recently which might I add was a lot of fun I made deviled eggs. But when I made the coconut cookies, the same ones Mama Racoon and I made a few weeks ago, my cookies while good did not come out like they did for Mama Racoon. Grr I chalk it up to the fact I added more flour and baked the dough that had been refrigerated plus I didn't flatten it with a spoon. No matter they were still tasty. Mama Racoon was proud of my attempt. I explained to her once I used to love baking when I was age 10 I think? Used to bake all the time. I just lost my zeal for it.
I relate so much to my grandmother when it comes to the monotony of mass produced and may I add bland choices of food. Living in the dorms during my high school years  where your only food options was in the cafeteria I know how it become drudgery. The secret of course is to order out once in a while which I know she does. But also for family to cook fresh meals too or bring pre-made. When I am there for longer than a few days I try to cook something I know we will both enjoy because my grandmother is worth the effort and it makes us both happy to eat well.
My newest food obsession for the past year or so has been
Kiwis
Chai seeds
Quinoa
And eating more food that is gluten free as several friends of mine maintain a gf diet. That's fine by me :)

Fibromyalgia is....

Feeling crummy right now but not so much physically but mentally. After spending nearly two straight years of chronic pain along with several decades of various pains and ailments from an unknown source that came and went... I'm finally not in constant pain. However I've left with zip energy and feeling weak.
I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia a month ago and given nortriptyline to take a low dosage at bed time. It has helped tremendously with the chronic intense debilitating at times pain but not without side effects. In the beginning, the headaches were so bad. Originally I chalked up the headaches to be from my usual arsenal of maladies. But nope after investigating other users reviews online that the headaches from hell can be one of the nasty side effects while the body adjusts to the medication.
I suffered a lot from the side effects while working a less than ideal schedule these past few weeks. Basically I was stuck at my job for 12 hours days which was just bad timing with me trying to get the pain level under control so I could function. With the headaches and fatigue and an overall feelings of being burned out I was kind of miserable at work. I kept myself as busy and distracted as I could in between the classes but it is not an experience I care to repeat.
Also during the weekend I wasn't at all that sociable either. I did see friends here and there but the lack of energy would triumph my desires and I often stayed by myself which is depressing.
But I'm happy that as of the end of next week I have the remainder of my summer off *Deaf hand waves*  And I have slowly begun to tell people I have fibromyalgia and it's been interesting to see their responses. Some have been sympathetic and expressed sorries to me. Others really have no idea what it is or how it affects me. It's not something I told many people. Mostly I've told the those who I share my life with regularly, close friends and of course my family. Obviously on here too that's if anyone still reads this?
My current plan of action is to continue taking this med. Schedule an appointment with a rheumatoid arthritis doctor and get some physically therapy. Mostly so I can build up my strength again. The past 6 months my muscles have atrophied some and that's not acceptable to me. The PT can help me with what exercises I can do and for how many reps to build up my core and get back my strength without causing fibro flare up. But sadly with fibromyalgia that fibro flare ups are bound to happen here and there :/
I've been pretty good the past few weeks at least for avoiding fibro triggers such as cold air blasted on my skin especially for my upper body. And trying not to overdo. Partly reason why I haven't been as sociable is to preserve my strength for work.
Well another piece of good news is I've been much better about washing the dishes, taking out the trash even when I'm tired. That's how much better the pain level is now. I am able to go back to keeping a much tidier apartment again.
Last but not least I cannot wait for later this July to see the Maine gang for Ronnie and Doogie Howser wedding w00t w00t! And of course seeing my family, spending time with friends and giving more attention to the few guys I've gone out on dates with recently :-) dating lately has been interesting and fun but my mind isn't on them rather it's on work and my health.
So at the beginning of this post I was feeling pretty down but now after venting which always helps I feel like okay. Even though my right arm is bad, tingling down to my fingers and I feel like I want to go back to bed but I won't. My neck is achy and my lower back is too That it's okay, I'll do what I can tonight and still feel happy. Because I know tomorrow is going to be a much easier day. And I'm on my way to getting better or at least the fibromyalgia managed :]