Category Archives: Solitary Fun

Oct 20 2012
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Fun for Couples, Solitary Fun

Day 26: Hocus Pocus

I had planned to go out for a drink after a two-show day at work. But, as is wont to happen, I was extremely tired when I got home and not interested in going anywhere. The plan was for my husband and I to go meet one of his friends in from L.A. so he just went without me and I decided to watch a Halloween movie from my childhood: Hocus Pocus.

This 1993 classic stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy as the Sanderson sisters, three witches who were hung during the Salem witch trials when they were discovered sucking the life out of children to remain young themselves. However upon their death, they vowed to return and seek their revenge upon Salem when a virgin lights the candle in their old house, which is, in the present, a museum. The candle gets lit by a California cool guy new to Salem trying to impress the pretty girl. The sisters come back and are perplexed by modern life, things like the city bus, television and Halloween costumes. Meanwhile, with the help of a 300 year old talking cat (he is really a boy who tried to rescue his sister from the witches) California guy, his little sister and pretty girl fight to get rid of the sisters once and for all.

What I like about watching movies from childhood is that I can both remember how the movie made me feel when I first watched it (terrified) and how it makes me feel now (silly, delighted). I can also appreciate some of the elements in a whole new way. For example, Winifred’s (Bette Midler) Emperor-like ability to manipulate people with lightning that shoots out of her hands, the cat/boy getting totally flattened by a bus and then re-inflating, er, coming back to life, and the rousing musical number that leaves all the parents totally incapable of helping in this crisis (I Put a Spell on You).

Whether its Hocus Pocus or some other gem, I highly recommend revisiting a favorite childhood movie if only to laugh in wonder at how you could fall for such childish foolishness. And then maybe do it again.

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Oct 16 2012
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Pamper/Beautify, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 22: Acupuncture

Ever since I was diagnosed with RA, people have been telling me to try acupuncture. When I worked for the local veterinary hospital in eighth grade, one of the vets, who performed acupuncture on dogs, even offered to do it on me. Until today, however, I never entertained the thought further than, “That might be interesting.”

For my appointment at Lincoln Square Acupuncture, I was told to wear comfortable clothes, pants that could roll above my knees and a shirt that could roll above the elbows. When I arrived, I filled out a form on an iPad and then was instructed to take off my shoes and pick a chair in the communal acupuncture room. Three other people were already inside relaxing. No one seemed to notice me, so I tried a chair, didn’t like it and moved to another, more satisfactory one.

When the acupuncturist came in, she and I discussed quietly my needs and what I should expect. She noticed my hands and left knee, feeling them for heat. Somehow she decided where I needed the small needles and started with a spot right between my eyes. It didn’t hurt at all. I just felt a tingling sensation. Then she put more needles in various parts of my body, mostly on the left side. I sat totally still and closed my eyes trying to both relax and pay attention to what I felt.

Throughout my half hour I felt all of the following; tingling, heat, aches, heaviness, and movement. That last one was tricky. I felt like my back was moving or rocking yet I was absolutely certain it was not. When the acupuncturist came and took my needles out, she told me all of those sensations meant it was working and my energy was flowing. She recommended I come three more times over the next two weeks to help with my pain.

I paid for my appointment (they offer a pay-what-you-can between $30-$50 for the first appointment and $20-$40 for any subsequent appointments) and did not make another one. I decided to wait to see how I felt the rest of the day before making a decision. Mostly I felt relaxed and calm all over. My left hand, where I felt the most weight during the treatment, has progressively felt lighter and lighter throughout the day. Now it feels as if something has been released or a weight lifted in the knuckles of the thumb and first finger. It’s a pretty amazing feeling!

I plan to go back a few more times to see if it progresses. Who knows? This may become an integral part of my care.

Oct 12 2012
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Fitness, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 18: Dog Walker

About 10 months ago, over a period of about a month, I would walk our dog every day around midday. I was not working at the time, so it was a good way to help keep me (and her) on a schedule. Plus I enjoyed the exercise even if it was winter in Chicago. When my husband (then fiance) came home at night, I would tell him where we went and what we saw. Yet, after having a lymph node removed in January, I had to stop walking. I was recovering, and my arthritis was inflamed–it was one of two turning points for the worse I can identify (the other was at the end of last May). We got a professional dog walker and I have not attempted to walk her since.

Today, Elphaba and I made our triumphant return to the streets of Chicago at midday. It really is a lovely time to go out in our neighborhood. There are very few people out, and the people you do see are either moms with strollers, postal workers and other dog walkers (aka people who say hi and smile). Sometimes the children at the Catholic School up the block are at the park behind their church for recess. It’s especially lovely now because it is fall–crisp air, leaves on the ground. It is just perfect for walking.

And Elphie (which is what we call her for short) is a pretty good walking partner. Her leash walking skills are OK. I would say average just because she still likes to pull from time to time and can sometimes get too distracted by people/dogs/trucks/leaves to listen to what is being asked of her. At a year and half and thirty pounds, she is not capable of pulling my husband down the street when they run/walk but she somehow managed to catch me off guard twice today. Once was because she saw a house with that fake spiderweb stuff hanging from the fence. It moved in the wind. This is something that terrifies her so she tried to sprint in the other direction. The other time she just smelled a place in the grass she really wanted to get to.

I will admit that when our dog walker texted me today to check in, I was tempted to say please come, as I have all week, even though I have been and would be home. Instead I said we would not need him today and then found myself putting on my old dog walking gear; nice walking shoes, an athletic jacket, leggings, scarf and sunglasses. I was nervous about how long I would be able to walk and how far from home we should go, so I decided to stick to nearby streets and just take my time. While I was focused on Elphie and her walking skills, I was also paying close attention to mine. Having some relief from all the swelling and pain I had been experiencing in my left knee made the walk easier. I kept reminding myself to bend that knee. “Walk normal. Walk normal. Walk normal,” was my pace and mantra. And for the most part, it worked!

We were gone for 25 minutes and went about one mile, with stops for dog business and photo ops of course. When we got home, I felt great. Like you do after a good workout, strong, confident and hungry. And it was a workout for me. I have literally not exercised in 10 months but hopefully this is the beginning of a new period of activity for Elphie and me.

Oct 11 2012
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Chicago Specific Fun, Solitary Fun

Day 17: Foursided

One of my very favorite stores in Chicago is called Foursided. It’s at Clark and Catalpa in Andersonville. They are a framing shop but also sell cards, art, candles, and lots of other cool decor and printing items. My favorite time to go is in the Fall because their front window items change from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas.

It has been a while since I have ventured out for a shopping trip. This is something I love to do whether the goal is clothes, presents, or groceries. Because of the injection I got on Tuesday, I was able to go and shop around. I did not feel rushed or worried that I would get too tired being on my feet. It was really a great feeling to go out and do something I love on my own!

The loot: I got a scrap metal statue of a dog that reminds me of my dog, Elphaba, three small soy candles that smell like “heirloom pumpkin” and a pretty glass pumpkin that will probably be the only Halloween decoration I buy. Thanks Foursided for some great stuff and for being so cool. See you in about a month for Christmas decor!

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Oct 10 2012
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Around the House/DIY, Fun for Couples, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Solitary Fun

Day 16: Daily Life

This might not seem like fun to a lot of you, but today I got so much done around the house before I had to go to work. I was able to do three loads of laundry, pick up all the little piles of “stuff” around the house, finish our thank you cards (finally), order a replacement for a clothing item that was recently chewed up by our dog, conquer my fear of killing and flushing a giant centipede, start a memory board project that I will probably blog about later, organize desk papers, Lysol all the knobs, handles and light switches in our condo, and make a list of future cleaning and home projects, all because the shot to my knee had me moving around like a new person from the moment I got up this morning. Honestly, I felt like-well not really a new person-more like an old me I remember fondly.

A me who likes everything to be clean, organized and in place. Who likes starting projects, working on projects and finishing projects. Who likes going from room to room seeing what needs to be done, making a list and then checking things off the list. I’ve found that if I am not satisfied with some part of my life, cleaning and organizing my living area makes me feel better. It gives me such a sense of accomplishment and relieves my stress. To quote Clueless, “It gives [me] a sense of control in a world full of chaos.” (Ten points to whomever knows what does this for Cher in the movie).

For so long, I have not been able to do any if this. Sure, I would tackle an occasional project here and there but really, because of my arthritis and almost constant resting, my husband has been in charge of the household. Don’t get me wrong, he does a good job, but I actually like cleaning and organizing while he does it because it has to be done. Note: husband, if you are reading this, this does not mean that I will no longer expect you to clean 🙂

I guess I also just felt more like an active participant in real life today. And that felt just great.

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