I have referred to The Man Diet several times in various places as something I have done and recommend. After explaining it several times, I finally wrote it up and put it on my web site. The article is a bit aged now, so I’m updating it and moving it to the blog. Of course it got a little longer in the updating
The NaBloPoMo prompt for today:
What is the first thing you see when you walk in your house?
Right now, the first thing anybody sees is Sam’s desk. No, that isn’t precisely right. If you’re looking straight ahead at the wall, you see a collage by Katie, which is much lovelier.
The NaBloPoMo prompt for today:
How do you feel when you return home at the end of the day?
I’m not sure I should have answered this one, as I doubt that my answer will be in sync with the intent of the question. I don’t leave home every day to go to work, or leave home every day, period.
However, when I do leave home, how I feel when I return depends on many factors. How did I feel before leaving? How long was I gone, and how much physical, intellectual, and emotional energy did I have to expend while I was out? Did I have to deal with anything unexpected, good or bad? How many people was I around? Were they strangers or people known to me? Did I encounter them all at once, or in small groups of one or two at a time? Was Sam with me as a buffer? fHow’s my blood sugar? Am I well hydrated? What was the weather like? Did I remember to take my regular medications? What about taking breakthrough pain medication, anxiety medication, or a muscle relaxant before I found myself in a state where they wouldn’t work very well? Did I use my scooter if there was much walking? How noisy was the environment? Was it drafty, or overly hot or cold? Did I have to drive? Was I out to do something I wanted to do, or was I doing something I had to do?
Frequently, I’m so dog-tired that I can barely drag myself in the door. I have actually fallen asleep sitting in the car, in the driver’s seat, more than once. (There are plenty of reasons that I do not drive much any more.) Dealing with the security system seems an intellectual challenge designed for Einstein. I’m easily confused and my memory is beyond poor. Even if I am dehydrated or I need to eat, I’m too tired to be interested in food or even water. If I was out for too long, or if it was a particularly stressful period, I get a fever and my body reacts as if I’m in shock. I feel like I’m freezing, no matter what the actual temperature around me is, and I start shaking badly.
So that’s how I feel most days when I return home at the end of the day, if I’ve had to leave home. I think that should go a long way towards explaining why I’m such a homebody these days! I am fortunate in that I have Sam, Katie, and others in my life, so I am able to have a fulfilling life without being very adventurous.
The NaBloPoMo prompt for today:
What was your favourite part about returning to school?
That’s not an easy question. It wasn’t cool to acknowledge being happy to return to school each year, of course, so while I was glad, I didn’t really acknowledge it to myself. As a result, it is more difficult to access those memories.
Even though I knew there would be endless amounts of review each year, I was always excited about the possibility of learning something new. After we left Gadsden, I was able to look forward to school library access, too. (The elementary school I attended in Alabama didn’t even have a library, and back then, the Gwinnett County Public Library wasn’t the award winning facility that it is now.)
I also had a secret hope that maybe this would be the year when I would meet someone like me. Someone else who didn’t fit in. Someone who preferred books to most people, who either didn’t go to church or was only there because his or her parents forced the issue, who would be willing to discuss the questions brought up by all the contradictions in the Bible and various church’s teachings (and how preachers and other church leaders actually lived). Someone who didn’t think it was bad to be intelligent, maybe even someone who would admit to daydreaming and making up new stories about people they’d read about, or completely new stories of their own. The kind of people you didn’t run into just because your parents bought houses in the same neighborhood, or went to the same church, or worked for the same company.
I did meet someone who became a dear friend in the first week of my Junior year, on the bus, in fact. She even lived in my neighborhood! I continue to be amazed by the fact that I said something to her first, as she’s far more extroverted than I have ever been. Dorothea is a treasure, and I will always be thankful for meeting her.
I spent most of today with my family at my parents’ house. It was a wonderful visit!
I got to meet my youngest nephew, Eli, for the first time. I was ill every time my brother and his brood came to town after his birth last fall (turned out I had pneumonia — I really should learn to go to the doctor instead of trying to ignore should things). He’ll be a year old next month, and he’s such a doll! He looks a lot like Matt did as a baby, but even more like his older brother, Jack. He’s sweetly ticklish even though he is teething a bit, and I got to nibble on his toes! (He gnawed on my hand a bit too, so it all evened out.) He has a very strong grip and is at the “grab everything” stage, but I anticipated that and didn’t bother wearing earrings. I’m glad that I got my hair cut short again this week, as it left far less hair for him to pull at.
Seeing Jack next to my sister’s boy, Will, though, is a trip — they look more like brothers than cousins! Jack’s twin, Sadie, is beautiful. She reminds me of Katie at that age in some ways, but she’s very much her own person, with very strong opinions. Matt and his wife have lovely, well-behaved children. And just in the last year, Will has gone from looking like a little boy to, well, not! And he’s only 7 years old! Although he says, “I’m seven now, you know,” with a gravitas that makes it sound as if he’ll be joining the military any day now. He definitely lives life at one speed, and that is full ahead!
Mom and Dad cooked way too much food for breakfast — SOS, biscuits, eggs, lots of fruit, sausage, bacon, hash browns, and I can’t even remember what else. Later on we had cakes and ice cream, of course (yogurt for those of us who don’t do ice cream so much). I wimped out and trying both cakes, but I was being daring enough to have a small slice of one. Then Mom told us that Daddy had been cooking all day Saturday, using the smoker! I rode up there with Katie and her boyfriend, who had plans for later today, so we left before anyone else did. I don’t think I could possibly have eaten another bite, but I hope the others stayed for another meal. I know the food certainly smelled good.
Even though the kitchen and dining room tables are huge, we filled both of them. Unlike the holiday meals of my youth, we didn’t separate into adult and children’s tables. Per Will’s wishes, we had the “men’s” and “women’s” tables for breakfast, but ended up all mixed for cake and ice cream (he was so disappointed). From that I figured him to be at the “girls have cooties” stage, but apparently boys and girls don’t necessarily go through such a stage any more. Who knew?
I took an iPad, because I was asked to review an app and needed help from children. I had absolutely no idea just how popular it would be! We could have kept several more busy. On second thought, if there had been several more available, it might not have been as fun. After the boys discovered the camera function, there was a lot of silliness. I was glad the gadget has a case, but for further family occasions, I think it needs one that’s more child-grippable. Maybe something rubberized? In any case, the device is even more fun with kids. I feel much younger now as a result. We played silly games, colored, took pictures, and played more silly games. I should have loaded up some Trout Fishing in America and other good music. I will certainly do so for future occasions!
I gave the twins their copy of Clean Water for Eli Rose by Ariah Fine, and they must have liked it. They each had each of their parents, Mom, and me read it to them at least once that I know of in less than an hour. They may have also gotten Katie and my sister to read it to them, as well. It looks as though it’s going to be in heavy story time rotation for a while. I could see some wheels turning for Sadie, so I’m hoping she’ll get more than just a story out of it. If she asks questions, Jack will definitely follow.
It was the best family day I can remember ever having. I’m getting the photos off my phone and the iPad. I hope they came out well, but whether they did or not, we’ll have the memories.
