yearoffunsarah

Nov 01 2012

Day 38: Bucket List

Its the first time I’m doing a suggested activity from a reader! I have received several very exciting and good ideas from people reading this blog, and I fully intend to do as many of them as I can over the year. The days that I have the hardest time coming up with something to do are the ones where I work until almost 8:00pm. Usually I don’t do the fun thing until I get home and, at that point, I am usually quite tired so going back out to do something is not a great option. My sister sent in a suggestion for something the hubs and I could do together that would also work for our no devices time: make a couple’s bucket list.

We sat at our dining table and started thinking of things we want to do together as a couple. The first thing we came up with was “buy a house.” We put it on the list, but I wanted us to get more creative, to dream a little bigger and maybe even challenge ourselves. I suggested everything from “go in a shark cage” to “climb down a volcano” just to get our minds brainstorming. We then came up with seven less terrifying things to add to our bucket list that is written in the last page of that new notebook.

This whole time, my new shot (Enbrel) was sitting on the table. If you take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before you do it, it is less painful (something about it being cold or not). Instead of sitting and staring at it, waiting to do a shot, I was engaged in a creative and fun activity with my husband. Even while I was going through all of the steps of the injection–of course I was focused and made sure to do them properly–I was thinking of new ideas. It took my mind off of what can be an intimidating and anxiety producing activity and for that, I am very grateful.

Once I finished, we made it a goal to have 10 items on the list, so we came up with the final two, both excellent, but I am partial to “Go to the Super Bowl.” We can surely add to it if we think of more things we would like to do. I am thinking of it as a continuation of the Year of Fun. We probably won’t get to most of the things on the bucket list this year, if any, so they will keep us (me) going after this year is up. Thanks sis for the suggestion (you should do it too)!

Oct 31 2012

Day 37: It’s Halloween

So here are a few reasons why I don’t really “do” Halloween.

I don’t understand why women have to sexify potential costume choices. As they say in Mean Girls, “In Girl World, Halloween is the one time of year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.”
I only like to wear a costume if a theme party is involved and everyone I’m with is highly committed to said theme.
I don’t have children.
We don’t get trick or treaters.
I get scared VERY easily.

That being said, I like candy and Fall things andIt’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, so my celebration of Halloween tonight included all three! The hubs and I ate the last of our cider donuts from Didier Farms and washed them down with apple cider (what else) while watching that 1966 Charlie Brown classic. (“There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and The Great Pumpkin.”)

Oct 31 2012

Acupuncture Update

Today I went back to Lincoln Square Acupuncture for a second treatment. I wanted to give the first one some time, just to see how I felt. Since then I have gotten a lot of questions from people about what it was like and if it worked.

First, it totally had an effect on the knuckle joint in my left thumb. It may seem small but I feel I can use that hand in a whole new way as a result. And I’m left handed!

Second, we focused last time on my left side and since then I have noticed that my right side feels more stiff or painful than the left. Hmmm…

So today, I told her both of those things and she went to work. She focused on my right knee, which is now more enflamed than the left. She also put two needles in my right hand that “might hurt a little.” These felt like a quick pinch or sting like when you get a regular shot but only felt that way going in.

The sensations I experienced this time were different than the first time. I relaxed and closed my eyes, letting my mind wander. Then I noticed that my fingers felt strange. I knew they were on the arm rest of the chair but instead of feeling the arm rest, I felt nothing. Like they were floating or, and this is going to sound weird, not there at all. Also, my head started getting really heavy and I think I might have almost fallen asleep but at the very moment I was starting to doze, I felt a zing go up my thumb. Needless to say this startled me but it was very quick and did not happen again. The muscles in my shoulder twitched a few times, but I was less anxious about all of these feelings and just kind of let them be.

After she took the needles out, she asked if she could put an herbal liquid on my knee to draw the heat out. I told her that was fine. (I’m sort of up for anything when it comes to this place. It feels good to be that adventurous and spontaneous)! The liquid smelled like a mix between Vicks Vaporub and Bengay and was brownish in color. She said people use it for asthma too so maybe it was exactly that.

I made another appointment for next week and will update again after that one. Please feel free to post any questions. At this point though, I do recommend trying it.

Oct 30 2012

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Fun for Couples, Games

Day 36: Haiku

Since our no devices night was so successful, I have been thinking about some more things my husband and I could do together that would be fun, romantic, silly, funny and maybe kind of weird but that definitely do not involve phones, TV, iPads or computers. Tonight, I proposed we write haikus back and forth to each other. He was a little skeptical but then perked up when I suggested we just write one line and pass the paper back and forth, adding as we go.

I got out a fresh notebook (I have several empty journals just ready and waiting) and began the first page with “thank you for the tacos.” When I got home tonight, he had tacos waiting for me. What better way to say thank you than in haiku, which, if you need a reminder, is a short poem that simply follows a syllable rule: 5 – 7 – 5. Poem. He followed with “you’re very welcome my love.” Aww. I finished with “husband and wife team.” It might not be the best haiku ever written but we did it together and it is cute. And it will live forever in the front page of my new notebook. Along with the two others we wrote.

Oct 29 2012

Day 35: Dog Shaming

dog-shaming.com is a website on which you can post a picture of your dog with a sign that says what he or she did/does that deserves shame. Usually these pictures include the thing the dog did for which it should feel the shame. And it’s usually pretty hilarious. Like, move over cats, dogs are taking over the internet hilarious.

So, after dealing with a puppy for a little over a year, I find looking at this website really comforting in a my-dog’s-not-so-bad kind of way. But it is also a guilty pleasure in that it is so darn cute! (Which is why we forgive and love dogs for committing even the most shameful of acts).

After looking at it for a while, I decided I should actually make a picture of my own with Elphie. So here is my dog shaming as well as a few of my favorites from the site today.