Migraines

     This is more sort of an entry for me to keep track of how things are going. You can read it if you like, but I won't be offended if you skip this one.

    I've been getting migraines for about fifteen years now. They weren't too bad at first. I'd get one every couple of months. It'd last for a few hours then sort of fade away.  Then I started working a lot during the summers in un-airconditioned theatres and I noticed the heat made them worse. Much, much worse. I started to get one a week. And it'd last for a few days. 

   And they got worse from there. 

They'd calm down a bit in the winter when the weather cooled. I'd still get one if I didn't get enough sleep or if the planets aligned just right or whatever decided to set it off that particular time. As I got older, they got worse. 

There was a two month stretch ending about a two weeks ago where I got them every day. 

About a month ago, I finally got in to see a neurologist. He put me on a new cocktail of meds and vitamins: 100mg of prescription Topomax (once daily, taken before bed,) 400 mg of Magnesium (once daily) and 400 mg vitamin B2/Riboflavin (taken as 200mg twice daily.) 

In addition, I have to make sure I'm eating regular meals. This is surprisingly hard for me. In my childhood, I was a good meal-eater. I rarely skipped breakfast as a kid. I ate lunch at school, dinner with the family. When I was in college, things got a bit off kilter. I started skipping breakfast in favor of a snack around mid-morning. Dinner went by way of a quick something after rehearsals or a show. As an adult, breakfast has been replaced altogether by coffee. And now the Topomax decreases my appetite to the point where I don't think to eat anything until about 3:00 in the afternoon. Evidently, the drop in blood sugar is a contributing factor to the migraines. 

So, regular meals to keep the blood sugar up and regular exercise to keep the sugar-filled blood flowing. The exercise isn't too hard, once derby gets back in season. (In the meantime, if anyone local is looking for a gym buddy, I'm available.) 

My clever, high-tech doctor suggested a couple of fun iPhone apps to track the suckers. So I have yet another anal retentive time suck in my life. 'Cause I needed that like a hole in my head. 

The results so far: Better.  I've improved from migraines every day to one or two a week. They've gone down from lasting two to three days (or more) to a day or so.  

The neurologist says to give the vitamins a good four months to really kick in. I have another appointment with him in April. So we'll see how things stand then. I'm hoping for enough improvement by April where I don't have to change anything.  I'll keep you posted. 

Thanksgiving Traditions

      When I was a kid, we had the usual Thanksgiving traditions: lazy morning spent watching the Macy's Parade, hectic afternoon spent in a flurry of cooking, boisterous evening surrounded by too much family, stuffing our bellies with too much food, and a slightly uncomfortable night recovering from it all.

     Now that it's just the two of us and we live 5 hours away from one side of the family and 8 hours away from the other, we spend Thanksgiving at home, just us.  One or the other of us usually has to work the weekend after, so we don't have enough time to make the long drive to either family.
     It's actually quite nice. The first year I realized we had to spend the holiday without family, I'll admit I cried a little. But it turned out to be really fun and relaxing.
     We're not really tradition sort of people, but we are creatures of habits. So even our holidays tend to have the same basic rhythm.  We sleep in and laze around in the morning. I still watch the Parade (forcing The Boy™ to watch), calling Sister when the Rockettes come on. We oo and aah over their costumes and loveliness, then wish each other a happy holiday before getting on with our days.
      Since it's just us, we don't have to worry about pleasing a lot of varied pallets for the meal itself. We usually make a meatless turkey alternative, mushroom gravy, potatoes (white and sweet,) roasted root vegetables, stuffing, bread, cranberry sauce and a vegetable of some sort. And of course pie. Half an apple for him and half a pumpkin for me.

     After dinner, we chill out. The years we can afford cable, we watch Punkin Chunkin on Discover Channel (which, if you've never seen it, is the BEST part of Thanksgiving Day. Check it out this year. Seriously.) Otherwise, we just watch whatever looks good.  Sometimes, if we're not passed out from food coma, we'll play a game or two. Since we don't have to drive home, or wait for gaggles of relatives to leave, we can go to bed whenever we want. Usually on the early side.

   Whatever your Thanksgiving traditions, I hope you have a happy one.

Eric

     Since we're on the topic of my brothers (we sort of are, from the last post,) I'll share with you my favorite memory of my other brother.) 

     

      Eric is sixteen months older than I am. To say we fought from the day I was brought home from the hospital would not be an exaggeration. Not that we had a terrible relationship, but siblings that close in age are prone to rivalry. 

    This particular incident occurred when I was three years old. Maybe four? The event revolves around a sippy cup, so I wasn't any older than four.

Probably this type of Tupperware Sippy Cup. Note the lids.

     I was across the street at a friend's house for lunch. I recall her mother having a rule: if we finished our lunch - including the juice in the sippy cups - we could have a piece of gum. This must have been a real treat for me; I don't recall my own mother allowing us to have gum at that age.  

    We had finished our lunches, but were still working on the juice. I had no interest in juice. I wasn't thirsty, I wanted a piece of gum.  We were out in the front yard and my brother came over. I don't remember what I did or what I said to indicate there was a problem, but he asked me what was wrong. I explained to him the juice/gum problem.

     "Oh, that's easy." He said. "Here's what you do." He showed me how to take the lid off the sippy cup and dump the juice out onto the grass.

     "You have to dump the juice on the grass and not on the driveway," he explained, "They can see the wet spot on the driveway and you'll get in trouble." He put the lid back on the cup and gave it back to me.

     Well, folks, I was absolutely astonished. I had no idea the top came off the cup (don't ask me how I thought the juice got in the cup in the first place. That was Adult Magic.) My brother just performed some kind of sneaky miracle. We had just pulled a fast one on the grown ups and we were going to get away with it!

    That little incident sums up pretty much all you need to know about my brother Eric. That's his way of thinking and doing things in a nutshell, for better or for worse. 

A Halloween Story

Today is Halloween. I'd like to share with you my favorite Halloween memory.

In my family, Halloween of your 13th year was the last year you were permitted to go trick-or-treating. My mother had pretty firm ideas of what was too old to be dressing up and begging other people for candy (and as an adult, I can't say I disagree with her. But I digress.)

I was in a pretty serious car accident when I was 13, and got out of the hospital about a week before Halloween. I was on crutches and still in quite a bit of pain when October 31st came around. Needless to say, I was going to miss my final year of trick-or-treating.

That year was one of the really crappy Halloweens you can get in Western, NY - cold and wet. Not just rain, but this awful sleety icy stuff that drove most kids inside after only one or two blocks. 

My brother Andrew set out with a group of his friends to a neighborhood that had a bunch of housing developments all in a row.  One of the benefits of growing up in the suburbs.  I stayed at home huddled under the blankets, watching TV with my parents.  The boys were out for HOURS.  When they finally came home, cold, wet, laughing at the craziness of it all, they bore with them enormous pillowcases FULL of candy. Never before had I seen any of my siblings return from trick-or-treating with such loot.

Andrew dumped his candy out on the living room floor so Dad could "inspect" it for razor blades (and take a piece or two for himself, as was tradition.)  I looked longingly at all the chocolate spread before me from my chair. 

With barely a glance in my direction, Andrew cleaved a line through the pile of candy on the floor, dividing it neatly in half. 

"That's for you." He said to me, gathering the rest back into his pillow case. He left the room with his friends, off to do whatever it is boys do for the rest of Halloween night. 

Leaving me to awe over the generosity of my big brother.

Happy Halloween.

What's Keeping Me Busy Right Now

In list form.

1. Work

My new day job is Art Center Coordinator (office manager) at an art gallery/art school. So far, so good. I get to utilize my skills as an Artist Wrangler, and they're leaving me alone to pretty much do my own thing.  Ultimately, the board wants me to just take the position and run with it, so they're letting me do what I want (within reason.) I'm happy there.

2. Shows

 I'm booked through the end of the 2012-2013 season. Right now, I'm in rehearsal for Stop Kiss, where I am both stage manager and scenic designer. Pretty soon, I start rehearsals for both Odd Couple (where I am also stage manager and scenic designer) and Eurydice (just stage manager.) I finish out the season with a version of MacBeth which, I am told, will feature zombies. I'm rather looking forward to that. 

3. Derby

Bouting season is over for the year. While we're not quite on a break, things have slowed a bit for the off-season. We'll be training like mad through the winter for next season. My little team is growing and changing and it's all very exciting. We're looking at probably having two teams in our league next year, which is awesome. I personally will be working like a madwoman this winter to maintain my position on the A team (travel team) to get to go to different places and see different towns and teams next summer.  I'm also working hard with PR committee in getting our name out there and getting community support.

4. Other Projects

I do have my various other projects that are taking up time. I'm spending a lot of my free time (what free time I have) knitting up Christmas presents for various people. I'll get pictures up here after the holidays (so as not to spoil the surprise for people.) I'm also reading a lot and working on some personal enlightenment.

So that's my life right now. I will try to get back here and update more often. 

Drive-By Posting

Yeah, so I haven't been here in a while. And I swear I'll be back soon for a proper update. 

But in the meantime, this is just a quick stop to let you all know my gorgeous friend Grady has a blog.

You can find it here. 

I seriously recommend following her. 

She's kind of the shit.

     One of the many shows I'm working on right now is a very modern production of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens.  It isn't one of the more popular plays (I had never even read it until I was asked to stage manage,) and people find it rather a challenge to produce.

     However, we are having a very good time with this show thus far. We are a week and a half away from opening and trying to raise money to finish the last bits of things we need to do.

This is where you come in.

Our fearless leader has created a Kickstarter campaign to help raise some money to cover production costs.  You can find information on the campaign here.  Even if you don't live in the area and cannot attend the show, there are a number of fun gifts you'll receive for donating.

Aside from the fuzzy feeling you get for helping a cause and supporting live theatre.

Thank you. 

Amish White Bread

For Aunt Beebe:

A few weeks ago, you asked me for my Amish White Bread recipe.  I sent you the link on Facebook.  While I was making it again today, I thought I'd take some pictures of my process and then give you an illustrated post about it.  I hope this helps ....

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water

2/3c white sugar

1-1/2 tbs active dry yeast

1-1/2 tsp salt

1/4c vegetable oil

6 cups bread flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam:

2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. 

It will look like this after three cups.

It will look like this after six cups.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. 

It will look like this when it's done.

Place in a well oiled bowl and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about one hour. (I preheat my oven at this point - to 350 - and let it rise on the stove top. My kitchen is chilly and this heats it up and helps with the rising.) 

Covered and rising.

Uncovered and doubled in bulk.

    

3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes and divide in half. (I use the kitchen scale for this -- it doesn't have to be exact, but it should be pretty close.) Shape into loves and place into two well-oiled loaf pans (don't skimp on the oil here.) Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above the pans (I get the cloth damp and cover them again.)

4. Bake at 350 (F) for 30 minutes or until golden brown and delicious. (They should turn out of the loaf pans immediately upon removal from oven. If not, let them bake longer.)

Yum!

Warning: Nerdity Ahead

I was listening to NPR on my way to work this morning, catching the tail end of Culturtopia just as I was pulling out of the driveway.  They were talking about the things that made them happy this week. Someone said something that made them happy was the poet James Tate.  

He read a poem.

It made me happy.

I hope it makes you happy.

Teaching the Ape to Write Poems

by James Tate

They didn't have much trouble

teaching the ape to write poems:

first they strapped him into the chair,

then tied the pencil around his hand

(the paper had already been nailed down).

Then Dr. Bluespire leaned over his shoulder

and whispered into his ear:

'You look like a god sitting there.

Why don't you try writing something?'

Moonbase

     I'm all for space travel and exploration.  I'd love for future generations to colonize the moon and other planets. I'm an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy and things about outer space.

But Newt Gingrich is an idiot.

I submit to you first Neil Degrasse Tyson, everyones favorite astrophysicist:

Linky

I submit to you second the argument that an American Moonbase is against the law. Not just any law, mind you. It's against SPACE LAW! 

I submit to you third that even Warren Ellis thinks he's full of bullshit.

I don't normally get into politics on this blog. However, I hold firmly the opinion that Newt Gingrich is an idiot. It's nice to know that smart people like Neil Degrasse Tyson and Warren Ellis agree with me.

Grumpy Post

[Beware: snark ahead]

I hate it when people say "When I was a kid we didn't have [enter name of modern concept or technological device here]" 

Edison's kids said the same thing about electricity. 

It's called progress folks.  Move with the times.

[end rant]

Stop SOPA

Confused by what's happening today or what all the fuss is about?

Reddit, Wil Wheaton, and Warren Ellis (for those of you outside the US) - among many others - have pretty good explanations. 

Go. Read and inform yourself.

Then hie thee to Wikipedia, type in your zip code, and tell your local representative not to support S.968.

Thoughts in January

     It is approximately the middle of January. While we have only recently gotten our first snowfall of the season (thank you, global warming,) typically by this point in the winter we've been covered in snow for about two months.

     I hate it.


     I know, living in New England as I do, I should be used to the snow and the cold and everything New England winters bring. I'm not. People tell me I ought to take up skiing or snow boarding or some other winter sport.  I don't.


     I try to be more optimistic about it. Winter helps us enjoy summer more by comparison, right? And it's pretty, in a way.  For a little while.  Until it gets dirty and slushy and disgusting.  And we get to have nostalgic, Norman Rockwell Christmases.

 
     Norman Rockwell Christmases are over-rated.


    I try to keep my head down and trudge along in January.  Try not to think too much about it.  In February, I'm grateful for the short month; March I spend trying to catch whiffs of Spring in the air; April, I scan the forecast every day for warmer temperatures.

    There is very little to keep my hopes up in January.  Just the idea that I have two and a half more long months (at least) to get through until Spring.