Masquerade! and an update

[mamagotcha]

A few weeks ago, I read about a local historical group resurrecting a turn-of-the-century Kansas City tradition, the Priests of Pallas Ball. It sounded like fun, but the tickets were $85 a pop... so I called and asked if they needed any volunteers. I wound up helping at the ticket booth, and needed a mask for the event.

I tried a few different ideas, but the glasses were a problem. Finally, with help and encouragement from my friend Christina, I came up with this design:



It worked great, and I got to see plenty of gorgeous costumes and masks, plus quite a bit of dancing and carousing. I was there for six hours, and exhausted when I got home, but I'm glad I got to do it. It felt like a glimpse of how the upper crust (of KC, anyway) spends their time.

***********

Hmm. Let's see... the last time I posted was probably right after I came back from Denver. Three days after that, Bill's mom, Lorraine, came for a visit. She stayed with me and Linc while Bill and Clay took off to Chicago for one of his Clan Plaid LAN parties. It was Clay's first time at one of these things, and from all reports, he had a total blast. I think CP has a new member for life!

While Lori was here, we took advantage of some of the last few nice summerish days to get out and about. We took Linc to the Powell Garden's Spooktacular event (a LOT of walking, and plenty of wonderful Jack-o-lanterns and fairy tale characters to visit)... Linc was pretty cranky at first, but then gradually became enchanted with all the costumes and decorations, and was finally sold with that old toddler standby bribe, CANDY.

We also spent a whole day at the zoo. It was Sunday, and part of their Hoots & Howls celebration, so it was really crowded compared to when we usually go (when we sometimes have the whole train to ourselves!). Still, Linc didn't seem to mind sharing the train with other folks, and so we rode round and round the place. We took snack and walk breaks now and again, visiting the Discovery Barn and the carousel and the sea lions, but mostly it was all about the train. Linc got to ride a camel with his grandma, and had one little headbonk off a playground ladder. One thing that stuck with me was his empathy: when another boy, about his age, said that he was scared by the loud barking of the sea lions, Linc put his hands on the boy's ribs and said reassuringly, "It's OK, I got you, it's not scary, you're OK!" The kid actually seemed to appreciate Linc's concern, and soon they were running around like old buddies. Too cute!

It was fun cooking and knitting with Lorraine, and seeing her hang out with Linc (and Wiley, who really took a shine to her). I really managed to luck out in the MIL department this time around!

(Warning: girl stuff/TMI ahead) The day she arrived, I started a really heavy period... the first in about two months. Not only a heavy flow, but hellish cramps too. The worst was over after the first day, though, so it didn't wreck the visit. However, last week was all horrible headaches and mood swings and frustration... and today we're back at cramps again. ELEVEN DAYS! Only SEVEN DAYS from finishing the flow from the last cycle! Gaaah. Well, with some luck, once this one finishes up, I won't have to worry about anything again until right after Christmas (heh, the way things are going, I'll hit both Christmas and New Year's Eve).

I saw my doctor on Tuesday (fortunately right between Flow One and Flow Two, so she could get a clean Pap) and ran down a laundry list of things that had been bothering me. She explained or offered ideas on how to clear up each one, and it was a good visit. She spent almost two hours with me, and it was well worth the money spent (we had to pay out-of-pocket because she's not covered by our insurance, but I love her so we're sticking with her). She had an intern with her who coincidentally was also something of an expert on weights and fitness, so he had some really good feedback on why I wasn't losing weight yet with my routine. He made some suggestions that I've put into practice, and I'm hoping to see some changes (mostly he encouraged me to NOT do my cardio first, just do a warm-up to get the big muscles into a glucose-deficient state, then do the weights... mostly the big-muscle-group ones, not so much the isolation ones, and to slowly bring down the amount of time between sets, instead of waiting a full 30 seconds like the Marine told me... that working my big muscles while they were already a little tired would help recalibrate my metabolism and burn my chub faster than letting them get all rested... then go back to cardio and finish up).

The other thing my doc recommended was to start on Omega 3 again. I had tried that a while back, but HATED the fishy burps I got for the entire day following. She pointed me towards a liquid kind that didn't do that, and sure enough, it doesn't. It's expensive as heck, but if it helps out with what it's supposed to do (support my joints and help my poor wracked wrist heal) it will be worth it. She also said that she thought I had some sort of post-traumatic arthritis or tendonitis in the wrist, but that I probably hadn't reinjured it (she did a bunch of bendy tests on it). That was a relief to hear... I was nervous that I was going to have to stop the weights.

Other than my questions, everything is fine. Blood pressure, heart, lungs, skin, eyes, ears, all look great (though she said she could do a hearing test, she didn't have time that day... I'll probably find someone on our insurance to do that, though, and save a few bucks). Also, she pointed out some docs on our plan who could help me get a sleep study done, and she seemed to approve of how I'm using the Provigil (not on a daily basis, and at half-dosage).

Other news: Linc is in the midst of potty training. Our method was mostly nudity, but now that it's FINALLY getting chilly, he's put on the toddler-sized boxers (today for the first time, yay!). Very few accidents, though he asks to put on a diaper now and again. I really need to get another potty for the first floor. He also needs some more long pants; no way can he wear any from last year! He's a solid 4T, if anyone out there has hand-me-downs for sale...

He's doing pretty well in Monday gymnastics (like his big brother!), and also enjoys the little UU playgroup we go to on Thursdays. There's a tumbling thing he likes on Wednesday afternoons at the Y, and he's doing the kidcare for about an hour or 90 minutes on M-W-F at the Y while I work out. We do the pool at the Y on most Fridays, and he also asks to go to the zoo and/or the train museum (Union Station) at least once a week, so we keep pretty busy.

He refuses to wear a costume for Halloween, although he's intrigued by the pumpkins and lights and decorations. So I guess he'll be a toddler this year. Clay wants to be a starving artist, and is planning on doing one more year of trick-or-treating. He's taller than me, though, so maybe he should take Linc along as bait...

Clay seems to be doing OK in his classes. He's loving the art class (that's my boy!), enjoying the psychology, but struggling a bit in nutrition. We're talking about whether he'll take classes next semester or not. I'm toying with the idea of hitting the road again, this time doing advance PR for braiding classes and trying to earn gas money as we go. It would be easier if Clay came to help with Linc during classes, but if he wants to stay in school then that's what he'll be doing. It's up to him, and we're going back and forth on it. I'd love to see more of Canada, but it would be winter and possibly not a great time to take a road trip there. Really, though, anywhere will do!

If we do leave, we'll have to arrange something for Bill to drive... we're heading into cold-and-ice season, and he hasn't even been wanting to bike on the sunny days... I can't expect him to start when it's nasty out. I've seen some long-term rentals (or short-term leases, depending on the site) and maybe if I'm earning money on the road, we could do that.

Bill's got some job applications out, and we're keeping our fingers crossed. You know I'll tell you more the second I hear anything!

He'll be heading off to the Board Game Geek convention in Texas this November (an early Christmas present), and then again to Spokane (and Seattle, I hope) right after Thanksgiving to see his folks with Lincoln. Hmm, that means I'll have a few days in late November/early December with just me and Clay. We'll have to do something fun!

I'm missing Cord and Julia a TON these days. Thinking about Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the little things we do around the fall: make leek and potato soup, carve pumpkins, rake leaves, put up the window covers, hang out in the living room with the fire going, plan road trips... this place is so much quieter and less chaotic, but it's also got less excitement and good energy. Hearing Julia tell about her super-busy days at school, or what goofy thing happened at work, or watching Cordell teach Japanese, or play with the cat... I know they're still doing lots of cool stuff, I just really miss hearing about it on a daily basis. Julia's Internet connection is gone, and although Cord will talk to me when I see him on AIM, it's not the same as having them here. I don't think either one is planning to come back to KC during the holidays, either. I guess it's good that neither of them need me, but jeez... sometimes it's hard.

You want them to be independent, and then when it turns out that they are, you want them home again!

I guess that's about it for now. Nothing earthshaking, just plodding along day by day here in Cowtown.

Comments

[genderfur.livejournal.com]

haven't even read the writing part yet, and I just have to say: what a *great* mask!

[mamagotcha.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was fun to do once I finally got the method figured out (fabric stretched over wire with a heavy paper backing, all attached with a glue gun)... I'd stressed on it all week, trying this and that and the other, with weepy spells and headaches punctuating the whole process, but once I got into the flow it felt great. I only wish I'd had more time to futz with the little jewel things... maybe run 'em around the edges. Still, I love how it turned out, and it was easy to wear all night (didn't press on the glasses hard enough to give my nose an ache).

[cheesepuppet.livejournal.com]

I love your mask!

I also smiled at "toddler sized boxers". I had no idea they even made those. All I've ever seen are briefs.

[mamagotcha.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

Re: the boxers. Soothes those rusty bumpers! I really try to avoid character clothing as much as possible, but it was either these or Spiderman... and frankly, the Spidey shorts looked just a little bit scary, at least to be tucking your privates into. So Speed it was.

[cheesepuppet.livejournal.com]

*laugh* Miles LOVES his Spidey briefs, they're the ones he picked out himself. I'll have to see about boxers, but right now he doesn't even like briefs because he's afraid his equipment will fall out the hole, so I imagine boxers would drive him nuts.

[via-lens.livejournal.com]

Does your doc have you taking Coromega? You don't mention by name. I swear by the stuff for Omega-3, and Logan will even take it as long as he gets it down quickly. It's orange-flavored with a weird aftertaste. There's a bit of sticker shock on it until you realize each box is a 90-day supply. (I think I pay around $20/box for it, and buy when it's on sale.)

The 10-minute cardio warmup followed by large muscle weight work is what definitely worked wonders for me when I had a trainer. And it's okay to do just weights on days when you're pressed for time. It adds up. One thing my trainer was really strict about was working to the point of "burn" but not to the point of shaking. Over time I was able to find that spot, and to determine how many reps I could do with a brief rest in between, without ever getting to the shaky stage. Now that I'm cycling every day I'm amazed at how much benefit I got from just a little bit of weight work each day (sometimes just squats across the living room for 10 minutes).

[mamagotcha.livejournal.com]

The one she recommended was Nordic Naturals, and it's got a lemon flavor. There is a teensy aftertaste, but I must say it's the texture that gets to me. I pop an Altoid right after, to get the juices flowing and wash it all away. Brrr. A bottle was $30 on sale, but it'll last a while.

I've never gotten to the point of shaking from exertion (except when in labor, and it felt awful). I get an aching sensation (is that "burn"?) when I'm getting close to the end of my limit of reps, where I just can't do any more. If I rest a moment, I can do a few more, but not the whole set, so that's supposed to be where I stop and work on another set of muscles for a while.

The intern mentioned squats, too, but I've got a knee that will lock if I push it past 90 degrees (not all the time, no, it will surprise me when I least expect it). So far, it hasn't locked on the leg press, but I'm setting it so that I'm just barely going past the 90 degree point... I don't want to treat the entire Y to my yowls when it happens. I can get some of the same benefit from yoga, though, so that's what I'm doing on my "off" days.

[via-lens.livejournal.com]

Coromega has a pudding/yogurt texture, and comes in what looks like a ketchup packet. I often mix mine into my morning fruit smoothie, but it does make that aftertaste last a while longer.

The "shaking" is not shaking all over, but rather when the muscles begin to quiver at the apex of the lift. The 'burn' is kind of an ache, yes. To me it's always a distinct sensation of increased heat and tingling.

One of my favorites: If you have a big ball (if you don't, get a burst-proof one, I've had one burst on me and it's no fun) you can use it to do a modification of squats that will let you keep your knee within limits: rest your lower back on the ball with your knees bent and hold a single barbell weight (I go with 10 pounds). Then slowly lower yourself forward as if you were squatting down to a range you're comfortable with, and then push yourself back up (rolling the ball a bit) to nearly straightened out, leaning back on the ball. This helps not just with the squat muscles but also with your core muscles to keep you balanced.

[mamagotcha.livejournal.com]

Yes, we do have a ball! It WAS burst-proof... until my darling PhD decided to put the cat on it, "just to see what happens." He very kindly bought me another one.

So when I'm resting the lower back on the ball, am I essentially lying down on it? I'd sit down, lie back, and roll forward?

[via-lens.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to find this exercise on various pages online without success. I guess my trainer taught me something. =D

If you go here: http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/l/bl_core.htm and scroll down to the "Butt Lift" exercise, it shows something close to the starting position. However, instead of starting with your butt on the floor, you'd have the ball slightly lower on your back with your knees bent at greater than 90 degrees and your butt off the floor. Hold the weight central over your abdomen (you can cross your arms over a barbell weight or hold two 5-pound hand weights with your arms akimbo so the weight rests centered over your abdomen).

Then, instead of lifting your body and keeping your shoulders in the same position on the ball as pictured, you would keep your weight in exactly the same position on the ball (central/lower back), and straighten your legs and hips to roll the ball backward slightly. Then bend your knees/hips again to get back to starting position, and repeat. Hope that helps!

(Remember not to crane your neck -- keep it in a relatively straight position without straining.)

[mh75.livejournal.com]

You can also put the ball between you and the wall, and lean against it. The do the squats that way. (Basically, you lean against the ball so it takes some of your weight, and helps keep your weight back, and then it rolls so you can squat smoothly.)

Other things about squats -- make sure your weight is back, so your knees are directly above your heels (never crossing in front of your toes), AND, only going down to 90 degrees is ok.

Maybe i should work out with Sheryl - she seems to have good ideas.

[mamagotcha.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see now. Yeah, I was imagining something pretty different from that. Thanks for the visual, it helps a lot.

[jedusor.livejournal.com]

I miss you too! I don't think I've made it through a single Bay Area social event without someone asking after you- you are well loved here. Jeffrey said he'd help Grandpa figure out the wireless connection, so hopefully I'll be back on AIM soon, but you can always call. Look on the bright side: at least now you don't have to make three different versions of each meal!

That mask is awesome. Keep posting about Link- I kind of miss the little bugger.

Regarding Clay and classes... it's not necessarily a bad idea to keep his credits down while he's young. I've got way too many, and I suspect it will pose a problem as I transfer.

[lunacow]

You got *two hours* with your doctor?!? Wow, that's great, I'm glad you have a doc who gives you the time you need.

Good to hear updates from you!

[mamagotcha.livejournal.com]

Yep, she's great. She doesn't do insurance at all... if people want to submit to their insurance, she has office help to support that, but she doesn't deal with the companies herself at all, which leaves her able to really connect with her clients. The first time we saw her, right after Linc was born, her services were partly covered, but now we have a different plan that doesn't cover her at all. I love her philosophy, and she seems to like me, too (she noticed and commented on a letter to the editor I had printed the week before I saw her last month!).

Looking forward to your NaNo progress reports (and, of course, the new novel itself)!

[mh75.livejournal.com]

Linc put his hands on the boy's ribs and said reassuringly, "It's OK, I got you, it's not scary, you're OK!"
Awww... thats awesome.
(mostly he encouraged me to NOT do my cardio first, just do a warm-up to get the big muscles into a glucose-deficient state, then do the weights... mostly the big-muscle-group ones, not so much the isolation ones, and to slowly bring down the amount of time between sets, instead of waiting a full 30 seconds like the Marine told me... that working my big muscles while they were already a little tired would help recalibrate my metabolism and burn my chub faster than letting them get all rested... then go back to cardio and finish up).
fascinating. Cool suggestions.
He'll be heading off to the Board Game Geek convention in Texas this November (an early Christmas present)
Heh. Wish i could send Josh. Maybe i'll look to see when it is. Probably too close to his project deadline.

sounds like your kickin' right along. Keep it up.

[hosterman.livejournal.com]

Sound like things are going well. Hope you can make it out this way for a road trip soon! I miss you!

On the potty training front... I've been thinking about starting with Matthew but have been intimidated by the whole process. I was kind of thinking I'd hold off until he started being dry at night sometimes, but we're TOTALLY NOT there yet. *sigh* I even had to get oversized diapers for nighttime or we have a big wet mess in the morning. Anyway, enough about that.

I was just thinking... we got these toilet seat covers (which I haven't installed yet, but anyway) that attach to the toilet between the seat and the lid so you can still put the lid up and down (http://www.safety1st.com/product/detail.asp?ID=114). Matthew likes to sit on the big toilet (probably because then he gets to flush) he is just totally not interested in training pants and I'm not brave enough to put him in regular undies or have him run around naked. Guess we'll just have to wait a while.

Oh, and that is totally an awesome mask! And, I'd be happy to pay you to braid my hair if you came to Seattle. =) *bribe, bribe, bribe* It is a little shorter now but still long enough to braid.