In which Erin finally returns to give an update

First, an apology to my loyal readers (if I have any left). I was very surprised to find that it has been a month since my last post. A few things have been keeping me occupied, though. Here's a brief summary:

1. Family stuff. My grandmother broke her hip, and has been in the hospital and now a care facility while she heals. The break was such that they were able to do a "simple" hip replacement, so it's the least bad it could have been, but it's still not great. I've been to see her a few times, and I know I should go more often because she's bored and anxious to go home. You might think, if you've never been in the hospital, that it sounds rather nice to lie in a bed and watch TV and have people visit and bring you food. But it gets boring awfully fast. When I had my gallbladder out a few years ago (yes, apparently I'm now a seventy-five-year-old woman--but seriously, it's genetic and it runs in my family), I was looking forward to a few days of pampering, but I surprised myself (and the doctor) by dragging out of my hospital bed and walking around unaided on the same night of my surgery. Some unconscious part of me just couldn't stand lying there. I didn't see that coming.

2. Work, work, work. Part of my job involves assisting with a new citizen committee, and they meet once a month in the evening. That sounds simple, but putting together binders, ordering food, reserving rooms, etc., takes a lot more time than you would think. Not to mention attending the meetings, which work out to an extra half-day of time for me. I have the option to bank the overtime hours for later use, but this month I was so tired by the end of that week that I took Friday afternoon off instead. Which was wonderful: I came home, ate a leisurely lunch, took the dog out, and then had a nap. Perfect day. There were about fifty things I needed to do, but I did none of them. "I did nothing, and it was everything I thought it could be."

3. Orchestra. We're now in rehearsals with our third tryout conductor. The second one was...interesting. We had two concerts with him at the end of February. They went okay, but I just don't think he is the best fit for our group. He spent a great deal of time in rehearsal on very small passages and on developing a "sound", often working with one section at a time and leaving the rest of us sitting there staring at our shoes, and we were dramatically underpracticed on the very ambitious symphony he selected for us to play. The third conductor is very nice and has a quirky sense of humor, but the music he picked out is...well, it's just too easy. Some of it I played in high school, and we weren't an especially advanced high school orchestra. I'd rather be bored than stressed, I suppose. But I really think the first guy, from last fall, is going to be it. He's lighthearted but passionate about music, and he doesn't treat us like a bunch of amateurs (which we are). We're voting in May, after our next set of concerts.

4. Sam! My sweet dog and I have survived two months of confinement, with very few scars on either of us. (One night in mid-February, I sensed he must be feeling better because he was acting bored; I came home from rehearsal to find that he had gone through my office trash and chewed up two near-empty pens I'd thrown away, and he had gotten blue and black ink all over the carpet in my office. It looks like someone beat up my rug.) This week, he has been for walks every day but one. You should see him on a walk now. He's so happy. He trots along, pulling at the leash, his tail wagging and his ears up. Today we went to the park for the first time in two months, and he had to sniff every single bush and tree; as I was telling my parents, obviously he's trying to catch up on two months of news that he missed.

The next step for Sammy is a second heartworm test, which will be August. The new protocol calls for testing six months after the last injections. There's a small possibility (10-15%) that this treatment won't work. So what would we do then, you ask? We would start over, and go through the whole treatment regime again. But I am trying to keep a positive attitude about it. He seems to feel so much better already that I hope the treatment worked. If the August test comes back negative, Sam can run and play as much as he wants.

5. Housecleaning. I really hate cleaning the house. Or I guess I must, because I put it off as long as possible every time. My desk at work is fairly neat, but that's because I can't get anything done if I don't have a surface to work on. At home, I can always go in another room if I can't stand the mess. Until all the rooms are messy, and then I finally have to bite the bullet and clean. The problem is, there are two separate stages of cleaning: first, there's the tidying and clearing of surfaces, wherein I sort the big pile of mail on the counter, take out the recycling, and hang up my clothes. Then, there's all the vacuuming, dusting, mopping, and bathroom-scrubbing. It usually takes me two days for the two stages, and if I start all this on a Sunday--as I usually do--I end up doing the intensive cleaning on Monday after work. Which is what I did this week, for four hours on Monday night. No wonder I have been experiencing....

6. ...General malaise. I don't mean to complain, and please don't think this is about to turn into a medical blog (just tonight's edition), but I've been feeling really run-down this week, for no good reason. I have been sleeping as much as I ever do, exercising again with the dog, and eating well. But I have been very tired and a little weak. Not sick enough to stay home, just not quite right. It'll pass, I'm sure, unless it's bubonic plague or tuberculosis or mono or something.

In a related note, this afternoon I decided to have a little nap on the couch for a few minutes. I had just started to drift off, when I was jolted awake by a low wolf-growl behind me, from the dog I thought was asleep on the floor. Sam shot past me to the window. I sat up to see what horrible menace was in the area--hitman? rabid pitbull? burglar? A few moments later, here's what went by on the path: a little old lady, walking a white poodle in a pink sweater and a toy Yorkie. My dog sat at the back door and growled threateningly at them. Way to protect the house, Sam.

7. Entertainment. I don't watch that much TV (isn't that what everyone who likes to watch TV says?), but I do follow a few things, and all of the shows I watch have had new episodes lately. I read that February sweeps got pushed back to "March sweeps" this year because of the digital switch, but then the digital switch got bumped to summertime, so we were stuck with reruns in bleak February anyway. So, since I know you're curious, here's what I'm watching this season: The Office, 30 Rock, House, Scrubs (but only because I want to see how it comes out--I am so over that show/Zach Braff), and Brothers & Sisters (which I watch with 75% attention while I wash the dishes, change my sheets, and get ready for bed on Sunday nights). And RIP, Pushing Daisies. I couldn't even bring myself to watch the last couple of episodes of that, because I knew that there was some kind of major cliffhanger coming that would never be resolved. Sigh. Oh, and I've got an endless supply of movies and TV shows (except the second season of Monarch of the Glen, which I just finished season one of on DVD) from Netflix. So there's lots to do. Not to mention books. I just reread Julie & Julia, which I highly recommend for anyone who likes to cook. Or anyone who doesn't. And then I get two weekly magazines. Etc.

8. Financial fun. I turned in my grad school application at the end of January, and then I had to do my FAFSA. But to complete my financial aid paperwork, I had to do my taxes first. Which was all just so exciting. I should hear from the school of my choice in "late April", whatever that means.

9. Friends from distant lands. Two of my college friends, who are married (to each other), were visiting from eastern Washington with their young son, and I spent an evening with them. Also, my friend who's been living in Egypt is in Portland this week with her husband; I will see her tomorrow, which I'm very excited about.

So, that's about it. How have you been?