Yesterday afternoon we gathered with ‘old’ coworkers for lunch. For years we would all trapse downstairs in our office tower to chat over a coffee in the morning, or sometimes we'd travel as a group to a favorite restaurant for lunch (Thai and Chinese were our favorites). It was a great time to catch up on what was happening work wise, but also a time to create bonds that have lasted decades. I worked with some great people!
I worked with Deirdre on and off over the years but we were friends beyond work… horses were our common bond. In 1995 (oh gosh! is that actually 30 years ago - I had to get out my calculator cause I didn’t trust my math - it seems impossible!)... anyway, 30 years ago we each leased a horse at a run-down stable with a tiny indoor arena. We'd hack out down the roads that used to be sleepy country roads (they are now high speed throughways…). It was a great time that started me on my quest for my first Fjord horse. Then in 1996 we went on a cattle drive in Alberta. It was perhaps the most awesome 5 days of my life. I got to live, if only for a short period of time, my dream of riding through the prairie landscape.
Jo Ellen and Chris were part of the team that ran the databases for the government department that we worked for. Jo Ellen was a great leader whose support meant so much to me during and after the major depression that triggered me into full blown bipolar. She was a big supporter of Spike. Chris was a friend through almost my entire working career as he started just a few years after me. There were others on the team but my friendship with Jo Ellen and Chris has endured beyond our working years.
I kept it simple for lunch, just a hearty bean soup and freshly made focaccia. Oh, and the rest of the cranberry cake that I had made to take to my overnight visit to Mom & Dad's on Thursday night.
So backtracking one day to Saturday, we met up with Carm's old co-workers and their spouses for supper at a restaurant in town. It was old home week! Saturday was a whirlwind day with lots of cooking including a bit of a rush to get some cooking done for Sunday. Soup is always a bit better the second day so I made it ahead of time - also it made for a more leisurely Sunday morning for me. Thanks to Carm taking over the house cleaning, I was able to fit in my routine and still didn't have to rush around - thanks honey!
The day started off grey, but by the time our guests arrived the sun was shining. 😀
Thursday, Carm dropped me off at my parents after a quick (and expensive) shop at Costco. Kirsten and Shenna were also there for the night so we had a great time catching up. We even had time to go through a few boxes of dolls that Mom unearthed from her basement… neither Kirsten and I were keen on dolls as children so it wasn't a nostalgic journey into the past. But we did find the Colonel Custer that we got for Christmas in the early 1970s. The horses and chuckwagon that came with him must be around somewhere! Those are the toys that hold fond memories! Kirsten and I were animal crazy straight out of the womb…
Wednesday we clipped Lupa… she needs a haircut every 65-70 days as she gets pretty scruffy, especially in her face. She was reasonably good, thanks to Carm's steadying hand, but of course got the zoomies right after from the joy of being freed from the grooming table!
On Monday's we have Zumba (that's today too!) - last week I started to feel that I wasn't going to trip on my own feet but there were still times when I basically jogged in place because my feet could not fly like our instructors! Today was not much better… I was distracted and a bit stressed as I was going for a mammogram and ultrasound right after the class… several weeks ago I thought I felt something in my other breast, but luckily they didn't find anything. I'd managed to not think about it too much over the weeks, but it was on my mind this morning and I had trouble not awfulizing… the fear was real… gulp! But YAY - I got the all clear! The radiologist looked at the results while I was still at the hospital - I was grateful to not have to wait days or weeks to hear anything.
The experiment with tamoxifen has been somewhat successful, at least I think it has. I started taking it in the morning as soon as I got up, instead of bedtime… the mid afternoon mood crash was a bit improved although that might be wishful thinking… it did trigger many hot flashes through my exercise which is disruptive and unpleasant, so I've tried taking it afterwards which was maybe better. Will try for another week before I make a conclusion.
Mood wise, I've been pretty good in the morning and into the afternoon but still have a bit of a crash some afternoons… but I've really restricted social media and it is helping. There are a few email newsletters that I read in the morning which are informative but not too hyperbolic…
Spring is being stubborn… we had snow and freezing rain last week on Tuesday… more is forecast for this Tuesday… it feels like winter will never end…
Awesome!
“friends around the table”
“a sunny day today”
“getting a clear result without having to wait”
“new pants! (but the medium yoga pants are going back - they are like sausage casings for my legs!)”
