The Pedicure

In a previous post, Three Out of Three Doctors Agree, I talked about my upcoming appointment with the surgeon's scalpel --or to be more precise, my tonsils' upcoming appointment with the scalpel. The day was fast approaching, way too fast, tomorrow in fact. I wasn't ready. Really, would I ever be ready?

The Synchronicity of San Diego

This is a tale of two visits to San Diego. Before this latest weekend at San Diego, I last put on my traveling shoes, packed myself and the dog up to go to San Diego the weekend before I was laid-off. I remember it as one of the most relaxing weekends I had had in a long time. I only went to the beach once and that was to go down to Ocean Beach's Azucar to get a Cuban coffee con leche. The rest of the weekend was spent outside in my sister's backyard, reading, resting, watching the two dogs (my dog and his cousin) tear up and down the lawn. I was carefree. I was laughing. I was weightless.

Leaving San Diego

Leaving San Diego is always hard. I don't know why, but I feel like I am leaving home. I don't live there, I have never lived there, but it feels like home. Maybe because my sister lives there, maybe because of the vacation atmosphere. No demands on my time, no stress, no worries. I suspect it is more than that.

Life's a Beach

I know I always say that Life's a Beach when I come to San Diego, but it never fails to be true. I seem to sleep better, I wake up feeling refreshed. I made the drive over day before yesterday, and it is more than leaving the heat of the desert behind. The air changes, becomes less heavy. The air here is alive, dancing. The air doesn't smother, but beckons, with an outstretched finger, enticing me in to the outdoors. Breathing the moist air saturates my cells, my being and I don't dread taking Marlowe out for his morning walk. There is a newness in the air.

Traveling Shoes

I have decided to take the rest of the week before the surgery, my tonsillectomy that I talked about in my last post, and head off to San Diego. I often flee the heat of the desert to the comfort of my sister's place in San Diego. I even have my own bedroom, the blue room. I enjoy the drive over the mountain. In fact I just like going for a drive, period. Marlowe likes going for a drive, too. Sometimes I think he thinks he can drive. As soon as I start packing, he knows we are going on a trip. He waits by the front door, waiting for me to open it with the first load then he'll scoot out. I'll always find him in the same place--right beside the car on the passenger's side, in expectation, waiting for me to open the door, the magic door. He loves sitting up front, looking out on the world. Getting ready for the trip is easy for me-- I keep a bag packed so I can head out to San Diego at a moment's notice. I can walk out the door and be on the road within fifteen minutes. Getting Marlowe's things together is a whole different story. I don't have that down yet. I don't have the science of getting Marlowe packed and out the door down to the last detail. But then having Marlowe as a companion is still new and we are still getting used to each other's routines.

Three Out of Three Doctors Agree

I had been putting it off, no question about it. The standard excuse, I am too busy. But the truth was, I was scared. One of the things that I was doing during the past few weeks was getting all my doctors appointments out of the way while my health insurance was still paid for my old employer. I had until July 6th before I had to cough up a whopping $654 a month to pay for my COBRA-- my health insurance--thanks to the info in my manila folder. At each doctor's appointment, they all said the same thing--isn't it time to get your tonsils out, we've been telling you to do it for the past five years.

Filling the Day

It's the beginning of the third week of trying to fill the days. I am finding that sleeping is a good thing, and I am sleeping a lot. I don't know if this is an avoidance response or if I am truly that tired. Perhaps it is a combination. I had only been sleeping about six hours a night before, and for years. So this is a chance to catch up. I am enjoying the afternoon naps, just a brief lie down. I don't know if it is because I can, because I am tired, or because I am bored. I am genuinely tired. I have been--or had been--pushing myself to the limit. Even my sister noticed it on our vacation in Kauai. She commented on my driving skills, and lack of reflexes. I was not as sharp as I usually am. Toward the end of the trip, after all the de-stressing that only Hawaii can bring, I was back on track. But then, unfortunately I was also back at work and the stress was back.