On Getting Your Hopes Up!

I try to always be optimistic---which isn't so hard since I was born this way.  But today, Butch said I shouldn't get my hopes up. I texted that to the girls and told them it was too late. Of course my hopes were up. I don't even know what it feels like to have your hopes "down!"

I had my follow-up visit today after my foot surgery last week. Apparently, we both heard completely different things from the doctor. Last time I had this surgery, I had to go in to a hard cast. Butch thought I was going in to another splint cast this time, while I "heard" I was going straight to the boot. Well, I got the BOOT!!! Oh happy day!!!

The heavy cast the last time killed my knees and "activated" my hives. I definitely didn't want that again. Butch was so surprised and said he didn't understand if I had to wear the cast for 4 weeks last time and then the boot for 4 weeks, how could I skip the cast? We started discussing it and decided that there were several things at play.

1. I had the experience of the first surgery and knew what to expect.
2. I followed the doctor's orders to the letter and cut my recuperation by 3 weeks the last time.
3. The nurse/technician, resident and doctor seemed surprised that I have NO pain. That's a good thing, right??? I only took the pain pills for the first 3 days. In fact, I used the same ones left over from the last time. Yes, I'll admit, for half a second I considered refilling the new oxycodone prescription just to sell them and make a few bucks. But, I'm no drug dealer. If I were to have this surgery again---which of course I won't---I still have enough of the pills left from surgery #one.
4. The doctor seemed a bit incredulous that I said this surgery was easier. Neither Butch nor I understood that reaction. I guess had he planted the seed that this one would be harder, I would have reacted to that.
5. In actuality, the doctor never actually said what he was going to do and we both just "assumed" what we did.

Any way you cut it, I'm so happy to be in the boot. Don't get me wrong. It's still uncomfortable and bulky. It rubs me in all the wrong places---which isn't good for my hives either. But, I am much more mobile and can take it off while sitting. In two weeks, I won't even have to wear it to sleep. Since it's my left foot this time, I can drive. I promised Butch that I'll take it easy and not drive yet. In reality, I pretty much HAVE to take it easy. I can really only be up walking around in the boot about 10 minutes max before it starts hurting my back. So, I won't be hitting the mall or anything like that for awhile. Still, I plan to meet friends for lunch, play bridge, get back to Movie Monday and go to the theater events on my calendar. A friend loaned me a rolling chair---it's sort of like a wheel chair except someone has to push it. That's what I'll use if there's any length of walking involved in my excursions. I'm still pretty limited.

That's okay with me. I'll take comfort over being able to maintain my regular busy schedule. Besides, I'm getting so much done around here. I'll have to share my latest stitching project soon.

Still not bored! I'm so lucky to have friends who visit me! Yesterday a few of them came over to have lunch with me and watch a movie. We spent the first hour or so just catching up. I need my "girls!" Plus, it was a nice break for Butch and his caretaking duties!

I'm glad I got my hopes us. It worked out just fine for me!!

53 Books You Can't Put Down

I've had this list on my computer desktop for months. I don't even remember where it came from. I've never taken the time to actually go through it. Besides, it's not like I don't have enough reading material. As we speak, I have 174 book samples just waiting to be purchased and read. Some of those are on this list. Forced sedentarianism  (okay, so I made up this word---but it really says it all) has given me time to catch up on all those Ted Talks, layout processes, Apple Keynotes and tons of blog reading. Reading anything about books is always at the top of my list. I certainly don't want to miss a thing! After all, y'all, people come to me for book recommendations!

My criteria these days for putting a book on my "sample" (actually, my "to be read") list is one of these three reasons:
1. The book comes highly recommended from another bibliophile who I respect. Maybe respect isn't quite the word. Let's change that to another bibliophile whose recommendations I trust---knowing we share similar tastes and interests in books (Connie, Stephanie, Sandy, Chrissy).

2. The book has 4.5 stars on Amazon with at least 100 ratings.

3. The book is by one of my favorite authors. In that case, I don't care about the ratings. But, I do beware of books that come out right before Christmas. Usually, the author is meeting a deadline. I've found that those books often are not their best work.

Currently, I'm reading Orphan #8. This one came recommended by Chrissy. It's really good so far. I love books around the turn of the century or the early part of the 1900's. It's about a little girl in an orphanage who is used for medical experimentation. It seems downright barbaric that something like this could happen. There's one twist in the book that I was not happy about, but I guess the author wants to keep you guessing.

Here's the list with a few comments from me. The ones in green I have downloaded to my sample list. The ones in blue are those I've already read.

53 Books you can’t put down:

Never Let Me Go---Kazuo Ishiguro

Safekeeping---Jessamyn Hope

The Book of Night Women---Marlon James

The Time Traveler’s Wife---Audrey Niffenegger (saw this movie, so won't bother with the book. I liked it really well.)

11/22/63---Stephen King (I’ve always loved Stephen King---until IT. I quit reading for a decade and have just within the last 5 years---started up again. I forgot what a genius he is. Add Mr. Mercedes to your list).

Who Asked You---Terry McMillan

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time---Mark Haddon

Circle of Friends---Maeve Binchy (I read this in the 1980’s).

Legend---Marie Lu (another series---I’m not ready to tackle)

Season of Storms---Susanna Kearsley

Thirteen Reasons Why---Jay Asher

Dark Places---Gillian Flynn (personally, I thought Sharp Objects was better)

Ready Player One---Ernest Cline (sci-fi)

Zone One---Colson Whitehead

Maybe Someday---Colleen Hoover

The Orenda---Joseph Boyden

Luckiest Girl Alive---Jessica Knoll

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe---Benjamin Alire Saenz

All the Light We Cannot See—Anthony Doerr (I haven’t met too many WWII sagas that I did not like).

Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven---Susan Jane Gilman

The Lying Game---Sara Shepard

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World---Haruki Murakami

Think of a Number---John Verdon

Heart of Darkness---Joseph Conrad (I read this in highschool and don’t really remember much about it. I might have to read it again).

Reconstructing Amelia---Kimberly McCreight (so very good with many twists).

Salvage the Bones---Jesmyn Ward

The New York Trilogy---Paul Auster

And the Sea Will Tell---Vincent Bugliosi

Kindred---Octavia E. Butler

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo---Stieg Larsson (you really should read the other two in the series---all excellent)

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August---Claire North

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer---Michelle Hodkin

Devil in a Blue Dress---Walter Mosley

Life as We Knew it---Susan Beth Pfeffer

Midnight’s Children---Salman Rushdie

Rosemary’s Baby---Ira Levin (read this in the 70’s---creepy)

Eleanor & Park---Rainbow Rowell

Shantaram---Gregory David Roberts

Native Son---Richard Wright

The Secret History---Donna Tartt

The Name of the Wind---Patrick Rothfuss

Daughter of Smoke & Bone---Laini Taylor

A Piece of Cake---Cupcake Brown

And Then There Were None---Agatha Christie (I started reading AC in the 7^th grade. I'm not sure how I discovered her as my mother did not read AC. I remember feeling all grown up carrying around The Murder of Roger Acroyd! I always loved them---but haven’t read any in years)

Heart-Shaped Box---Joe Hill

Seraphina---Rachel Hartman

Blasphemy---Sherman Alexie

Crime and Punishment---Fyodor Dostoevsky (another I feel like I’ve read in highschool, but can’t really remember)

The Light of the World---Elizabeth Alexander

I Am Pilgrim---Terry Hayes

Consequences---Aleatha Romig

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close---Johathan Safran Foer

The Mountain Story---Lori Lansens

The Last Time We Say Goodbye---Cynthia Hand

Things You Won’t Say---Sarah Pekkanen

A Fall of Marigolds---Susan Meissner (this one is so good---goes back and forth in time---another style I love)

The Boston Girl---Anita Diamant

First Frost---Sarah Addison Allen

The Book of Unknown Americans---Cristina Henriquez

Before I Go---Colleen Oakley

Inside the O’Briens---Lisa Genova (just go this for book club).

Landline---Rainbow Rowell

Yes Please---Amy Poehler (this has turned up on many lists. I just might have to read it).

The Girl on the Train---Paula Hawkins (very good, but I didn’t really get all the hubbub).

Pride and Prejudice---Jane Austen (another that I think I read in highschool, but can’t really remember---it’s free, so I downloaded to my Kindle)

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand---Helen Simonson

Jane Eyre---Charlotte Bronte (loved, loved, loved it in highschool---should read it again. Wuthering Heights by Emily, her sister is my ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOK! Oh Heathcliff! This one wasn't on the list---I put it there.

The Sugar Queen---Sarah Addison Allen

Anne of Windy Poplars---L.M. Montgomery

Outlander---Diana Gabaldon’s (this has been on my list for awhile---I really need to get to it)

Arabella---Georgette Heyer

Fifty Shades of Grey---E L James (not sure why this is on the list. I read the first one because I wanted to be in the know. Pretty disturbing and not particularly well written---as if I'm the one to judge as the author laughs all the way to the bank!

A Spool of Blue Thread---Anne Tyler

There you have it. Let me know which ones you've read and consider that I MUST read.

Another Batch of Layouts

Warm & Cozy

#Storyteller

Operation Organization

Christmas in New York

Remodel

Another Problem

And I really can't complain because I don't have too many problems---and this barely even qualifies for a problem---more like an annoyance. But here goes.

How do you read a magazine online? Okay, I get the reading part---even making the print larger so you can actually read it. But how do you "clip" articles or recipes you might like to refer back to? Or even to just print something. For example, there's a great scrapbook magazine that is only available online. How I wish I could just order and PAY for a print copy---but sadly scrapbook magazines are just about all gone now. The free online magazine is called Jot. It's supercool, but I would like to be able to make notes of ideas and techniques as I go along. Surely there's an easy way to do this. Anybody??

Don't make me go back to pen and paper!!

What a Waste!

You know that first time you wake up in the morning, but it's not time to get up? You still have 27 minutes. You waste 27 minutes laying there because you have to go to the bathroom, but you don't want to get up because it's not time to get up. So instead you think you'll doze back to sleep but you can't because, well, you know. You toss and turn, waste the 27 minutes, get up, take care of business and now it IS time to get up.

Why, oh why don't I just get up right away and give myself back those 27 minutes? It certainly weren't a pleasant way to spend 27 minutes. What a waste!

Starbucks Update

Remember my recent post: "I Never Knew?" about my Starbucks card being hacked? Well, it's been a huge hassle. I called and thought it was all straightened out. I patiently (okay, not so patiently) waited for my new card with my $97.00 to come in. the gist of it was that the old card was cancelled and the new card was on the way. It never did arrive.

Since I didn't have the card, I wasn't using it---and therefore not even getting credit for the drinks I did buy. I went online---just for the heck of it---and---you've probably guessed---it was HACKED AGAIN!!! I guess by the same person.

I had to call back a second time about a week and a half ago. At first I couldn't get through---I kept getting disconnected---three times. Someone would answer, I'd launch in to my story and then, disconnect! You know how aggravating that is. I went back online and sent an email that way. Before you can submit your question/problem you have to put in your account number. I NO LONGER HAD THE CARD!!! And, I had deleted it from my Passbook on my phone. I was really frustrated, but somehow, I got my email through and someone emailed me back. Apparently, Starbucks has good records because they referenced my first call. The email told me that someone would be calling me within 24 hours---and they did! Yeah for Starbucks.

When I answered the phone, I thought, "Great, I have to go through all of this explaining again!" But, no. The person on the other end already was up to speed on my situation. She said that what happened is that my first card somehow was NOT cancelled and the $97.00 was reloaded on to it. That's how the criminal was able to scam them for another $97.00. This representative said that finally that card was cancelled. She had me change my password on my account. Of course, it's not one I can easily remember anymore---uppercase, lowercase, symbol and number---you know the drill. I did it and wrote down the new password in my handy-dandy password keeper.

The card was supposed to arrive in 3-5 days. Well, I was pretty sure they must have been using the pony express because a week later, it still hadn't arrived. Come on, all the way from Seattle? Mail has gotten really slow when it takes two days here in town these days. Still, I waited.

Yesterday made it 10 days. I told myself that if it didn't arrive, I was going to have to call back again. Of course, I said that on day 7, 8, 9. But this time I really meant it. Lo and behold---it came!!! I was one happy convalescent! That plus that fact that my friend, Karolyn---who NEVER even does Starbucks---stopped and picked up my favorite "ventiicedblackteashakenwiththreeequalsplease!" I was so happy! It's the little things.

I waited until today to register the new card. It's not like me at all to have negative thoughts, but I was just sure it was going to be difficult. Nope, it was easy as pie. Starbucks knows their stuff! I even got the new card back on my Passbook on my phone. I'm all set. It'll be awhile yet before I can use it, but I'm ready.

You woulda thought that the criminal would have at least been earning stars for me. The way I figure, I should have had at least two free drinks coming. Hey wait a minute. If I took those free drinks, I guess I'd of been a thief too.

Good not to have been tested.

More Layouts

 Beautiful churches in Great Britain

 #THAT didn't last long

 Pedal Tavern

 We NEED to be Together

bushwacking

 Communication Problems

 I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with the BEACH

TOTALLY ORGANIZED