- If you're in a car singing along to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and doing the requisite dance moves and the people in the car next to you see you, they may point and laugh.
- They may also then join in.
- Because Michael Jackson is universal.
- If you are a dedicated race fan and you think hard enough, you will figure out that crawling out of your second story window and stretching out onto your roof to clear the snow and ice from your satellite dish will restore the signal so you can see the ARCA race.
- You should NOT tell your mother that you did this.
- A fun way to pass a snowy morning is to score neighbours on their ability (or inability) to clean their snow-covered car and shovel their car out. Ideally, have Ria as a judge to help score; she's very fair at this.
- When needing to girl talk, it's good to have four people with slightly different perspectives and styles to give advice.
- It's also good to have friends who understand that disagreeing with them doesn't mean you haven't listened to them.
- Maple syrup can be substituted for vanilla extract.
- Grass will blow your hood up.
07 February 2010
Ten Things I've Learned Recently
05 February 2010
Thyroid Update
I saw my endocrinologist today for the first time in two years. Since my last appointment, I'd mostly been euthyroid, meaning that my thyroid decided to start acting like a normal thyroid and do it's job properly. Then suddenly last year, it decided that, no, it was tired of that shtick and would be a slacker again, thank you very much. So we'd been keeping in contact via phone calls and faxes.
Since I worked at a hospital and had easy access to a doctor, I got the doctor in my department to order the lab tests I needed and got the blood draws I needed while I was at work. Then I just faxed the results to my endocrinologist. She'd called me, let me know her thoughts, adjust my meds, etc. Lather, rinse, repeat.
It wasn't SUPPOSED to be two years lag time between appointments, but her office is out in the 'burbs, not easily accessible via public transit, and she's kind of a pain in the ass to get to. But, you know, not having a job kind of made that easier. Yay, I guess. Heh.
My thyroid levels are great, and my thyroid itself (she always does an ultrasound) is small (which pleases me in a ridiculous kind of way) and abnormal, but in a normal kind of way, given the kind of thyroid disease that I have.
However, she's worried about my sugar levels. I had a random mid-day glucose level several months ago that was 144 (normal is under 100). So she had me do a fasting blood test last week. This one came back as 98. But my HA1C (this gives you a six-month history of your blood sugars) was 5.7 in July. The range for at-risk for diabetes (what the CDC used to call "pre-diabetes) is 5.5-6.4.
So since I'm JUST under the norm for glucose AND I'm in the range for "at-risk for diabetes" AND I'm in one of the high risk ethnicities for diabetes (hello, one of the downfalls of being Asian) AND we don't know my family medical history, we're choosing to be very conservative about this.
As soon as she said this, I said, "Yes, I need to weigh less, watch what I eat, and exercise more." She smiled and said, "Clearly, you've heard this before." I said, "I have, but Doctor, here's the thing. It's very frustrating. I worked REALLY hard and lost 14 pounds before I even met you. Then I got the thyroid problem and gained it all back plus two pounds. And I won't tell you that word I used when that happened, because it wasn't polite. And that's how I got diagnosed thyroid. Then you stabilised me. I joined Weight Watchers, and I lost 10.4 pounds. Then I suddenly gained it all back. That's when I realised my thyroid problem was back again. I'm not trying to avoid responsibility for my health or my weight. In fact, I've tried REALLY hard and worked REALLY hard to BE responsible, but I feel like my thyroid sabotages me EVERY time, and that's really freaking frustrating."
So she told me that for awhile, since my thyroid is erratic, we're going to test my thyroid levels every three months to keep a closer eye on it. So instead of being REactive, we can be PROactive. So instead of gaining 10-12 pounds and then knowing that my thyroid is acting up because I'm gaining weight, we can know that my thyroid levels are off and that I MIGHT gain a couple a pounds if I'm not careful in the coming weeks. And she talked to me about taking control of my thyroid and not letting it control me.
In the end, I felt like she really listened to me and that we made a plan together that made sense.
WIN!
Since I worked at a hospital and had easy access to a doctor, I got the doctor in my department to order the lab tests I needed and got the blood draws I needed while I was at work. Then I just faxed the results to my endocrinologist. She'd called me, let me know her thoughts, adjust my meds, etc. Lather, rinse, repeat.
It wasn't SUPPOSED to be two years lag time between appointments, but her office is out in the 'burbs, not easily accessible via public transit, and she's kind of a pain in the ass to get to. But, you know, not having a job kind of made that easier. Yay, I guess. Heh.
My thyroid levels are great, and my thyroid itself (she always does an ultrasound) is small (which pleases me in a ridiculous kind of way) and abnormal, but in a normal kind of way, given the kind of thyroid disease that I have.
However, she's worried about my sugar levels. I had a random mid-day glucose level several months ago that was 144 (normal is under 100). So she had me do a fasting blood test last week. This one came back as 98. But my HA1C (this gives you a six-month history of your blood sugars) was 5.7 in July. The range for at-risk for diabetes (what the CDC used to call "pre-diabetes) is 5.5-6.4.
So since I'm JUST under the norm for glucose AND I'm in the range for "at-risk for diabetes" AND I'm in one of the high risk ethnicities for diabetes (hello, one of the downfalls of being Asian) AND we don't know my family medical history, we're choosing to be very conservative about this.
As soon as she said this, I said, "Yes, I need to weigh less, watch what I eat, and exercise more." She smiled and said, "Clearly, you've heard this before." I said, "I have, but Doctor, here's the thing. It's very frustrating. I worked REALLY hard and lost 14 pounds before I even met you. Then I got the thyroid problem and gained it all back plus two pounds. And I won't tell you that word I used when that happened, because it wasn't polite. And that's how I got diagnosed thyroid. Then you stabilised me. I joined Weight Watchers, and I lost 10.4 pounds. Then I suddenly gained it all back. That's when I realised my thyroid problem was back again. I'm not trying to avoid responsibility for my health or my weight. In fact, I've tried REALLY hard and worked REALLY hard to BE responsible, but I feel like my thyroid sabotages me EVERY time, and that's really freaking frustrating."
So she told me that for awhile, since my thyroid is erratic, we're going to test my thyroid levels every three months to keep a closer eye on it. So instead of being REactive, we can be PROactive. So instead of gaining 10-12 pounds and then knowing that my thyroid is acting up because I'm gaining weight, we can know that my thyroid levels are off and that I MIGHT gain a couple a pounds if I'm not careful in the coming weeks. And she talked to me about taking control of my thyroid and not letting it control me.
In the end, I felt like she really listened to me and that we made a plan together that made sense.
WIN!
04 February 2010
Beef and Tater Bake
Yet another recipe brought to you by Taste of Home's Simple and Delicious. This purported to be a frugal $0.90 per serving, but, again, I had some of the stuff on hand already, so I can't add it up to tell you if that was true in my case. Seems reasonable, though
4 c. frozen Tater Tots
1 lb. ground beef
1 16-oz package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of broccoli soup, undiluted
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 can (2.8 oz) french-fried onions, divided
4 oz. shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1/3 cup 2% milk
1/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t pepper
1. Place Tater Tots in an ungreased 13X9 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400ยบ for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the broccoli, soup, tomato, 3/4 cup french-fried onions, 1/2 cup cheese, milk, garlic powder and pepper; heat through. Pour over Tater Tots.
3. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining onions and cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Yield: 12 servings.
Variations: I didn't use the tomato because I didn't feel like paying January prices for a tomato. I thought about buying a canned chopped tomato, but, frankly, I forgot to put it on the list. I forgot to put in the milk - oops. I put in more broccoli than it called for. I was going to put in fresh mushrooms, but my mushrooms didn't smell quite right; sad. The recipe also suggests using a bag of Italian-blend veggies or frozen stir-fry veggie blend instead of broccoli.
My mom said when I was kid she used to make something like this but used cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of broccoli soup.
4 c. frozen Tater Tots
1 lb. ground beef
1 16-oz package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cream of broccoli soup, undiluted
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 can (2.8 oz) french-fried onions, divided
4 oz. shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1/3 cup 2% milk
1/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t pepper
1. Place Tater Tots in an ungreased 13X9 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400ยบ for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the broccoli, soup, tomato, 3/4 cup french-fried onions, 1/2 cup cheese, milk, garlic powder and pepper; heat through. Pour over Tater Tots.
3. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining onions and cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Yield: 12 servings.
Variations: I didn't use the tomato because I didn't feel like paying January prices for a tomato. I thought about buying a canned chopped tomato, but, frankly, I forgot to put it on the list. I forgot to put in the milk - oops. I put in more broccoli than it called for. I was going to put in fresh mushrooms, but my mushrooms didn't smell quite right; sad. The recipe also suggests using a bag of Italian-blend veggies or frozen stir-fry veggie blend instead of broccoli.
My mom said when I was kid she used to make something like this but used cream of mushroom soup instead of cream of broccoli soup.
27 January 2010
Pronto Paella
One of the Christmas gifts I got from my Grandma was a subscription to Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious. Last night, I tried my first recipe from there, and I'm SO pleased with it, I thought I'd share it. The magazine tells me that this recipe is a frugal $3.63 per serving, but as I already has several of the ingredients on hand, I'm not sure what I spent on the ingredients, so I can't tell you how accurate that was for me.
1 pkg (6.09 oz) rice pilaf
1 1/2 cups ready-to-use grilled chicken breast strips
1 medium sweet onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t. Cajun seasoning
3 T. butter
1 can (11 oz.) Mexicorn, drained
1 pkg (9 oz) frozen baby peas, thawed
1/2 lb. cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Microwave rice pilaf, according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the chicken, onion, garlic, and Cajun seasoning in butter until onion is tender.
Stir in the corn, peas, shrimp, and prepared pilaf; heat through.
Yield: 4 servings.
Substitutions I made: I forgot to get the Mexicorn at the store yesterday, which made me sad. I didn't have Cajun seasoning (which is weird), so I threw in some cayenne pepper, some black pepper, and some red pepper flakes. Finally, I didn't have garlic cloves, so I put in a crapload of ground garlic.
Oh, one other minor substitution - instead of the chicken breast strips, I used canned chicken from Trader Joe's because I had a can leftover from something else I was going to make one time. Actually, I'd probably do this every time I make this since I prefer cubed chicken to chicken strips, anyway.
I'm still sad about the missing corn, though. :(
1 pkg (6.09 oz) rice pilaf
1 1/2 cups ready-to-use grilled chicken breast strips
1 medium sweet onion, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t. Cajun seasoning
3 T. butter
1 can (11 oz.) Mexicorn, drained
1 pkg (9 oz) frozen baby peas, thawed
1/2 lb. cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Microwave rice pilaf, according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the chicken, onion, garlic, and Cajun seasoning in butter until onion is tender.
Stir in the corn, peas, shrimp, and prepared pilaf; heat through.
Yield: 4 servings.
Substitutions I made: I forgot to get the Mexicorn at the store yesterday, which made me sad. I didn't have Cajun seasoning (which is weird), so I threw in some cayenne pepper, some black pepper, and some red pepper flakes. Finally, I didn't have garlic cloves, so I put in a crapload of ground garlic.
Oh, one other minor substitution - instead of the chicken breast strips, I used canned chicken from Trader Joe's because I had a can leftover from something else I was going to make one time. Actually, I'd probably do this every time I make this since I prefer cubed chicken to chicken strips, anyway.
I'm still sad about the missing corn, though. :(
25 January 2010
Happy 101 meme
Ria over at Short Attention Span Theatre as awarded me the Happy 101 Blog Award. And it seemed easier to comply than to try to come up with a blog post about something other than I've sat in the same spot on the couch and cried for the last three days (oops). Besides, no ones really wants to hear that. So, on to the fun!
This award comes with the following rules (what's with the rules? This was supposed to be FUN!):
2. List who gave the award to you and use a link to her/his blog (or hyperlink).
3. List 10 things that make you happy.
4. Pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know!
10 Things That Make Me Happy
(in no particular order)
1. Oscar
2. Felix
3. My mom
4. Friends
5. Reading
6. Knitting (well, when I'm not experiencing Epic Fail)
7. Music
8. Laughing
9. Sports
10. Food
11. Volunteering
12. Quality television shows
(Yep, more than ten. Sue me. I dare you.)
Tag! You're it:
aminuteafter3
anatomicalheart
dragonintherain
frenchnewwave
aminuteafter3
anatomicalheart
dragonintherain
frenchnewwave
23 January 2010
Joining the Ranks of the Unemployed
As some of you have already heard, I got laid off yesterday.
My boss gave me several reassurances that this was absolutely not a performance issue, so much so that she and the Director of HR apparently spent the last couple of weeks trying to "reposition" me within the hospital. They thought they had something for me, but it didn't pan out. They gave me a list of the open positions in the entire system (we have several hospitals and organisations) in case I saw something that interested me or thought I might be qualified for that they didn't see. They made sure that I knew how to get ahold of the HR Director and the Director of Employment Services in case I apply to something so I can let them know.
My boss said that she and another higher-up had also fought really hard on my behalf, but clearly it was for naught.
My boss also pulled some strings so that I didn't get the typical "here's a box to pack and we will escort you out in an hour" treatment. She had apparently told them quite firmly that I take public transit to work every day and she was not putting me in the position of lugging a box home on the subway, and that if I needed to come back next week to pick up the rest they would not give me a problem with that.
I spent the rest of the morning with my boss showing her what I do, how to do my job, trying to give her as much of the knowledge that I store in my head as I could, etc. There was a funny moment when I was giving her a rundown of monthly deadlines and who I distribute monthly data to on a regular basis that she wasn't aware of; the look on her face was PRICELESS. At one point, she told me she had no idea who was going to do the monthly graphs from now on, and I wished her luck.
I went online last night and looked at the job descriptions/qualifications of the listings they gave me that were remotely interesting, but they've either been pulled or filled (guess which one I suspect given that I was one of several casualties this week at the hospital). I've been poking around looking at some other sites and jobs that are open, but I'm taking SOME time, considering that I desperately need to finish my PhD applications and I've been toying with the idea of retaking the GRE, which I can now do any day of the week and not have to wait for a Saturday testing day (and have ample time to study).
I have severance and they're paying out my vacation days. They said they won't contest my unemployment (big of them), and gave me all of the information I need to apply. They explained my COBRA benefits, which actually aren't TOO painful, given that I HAVE to have health insurance. My provided insurance will last until the end of February and then I'll start COBRA-ing in March.
I am in such shock and disbelief. And I am so VERY thankful for the outpouring of support I've had since 11:08 a.m. yesterday morning when the first IM went out. And REALLY grateful for the Ben & Jerry's Brownie Batter Ice Cream and several hours of company last night, Kirsten! That cardigan's going to be great!
My boss gave me several reassurances that this was absolutely not a performance issue, so much so that she and the Director of HR apparently spent the last couple of weeks trying to "reposition" me within the hospital. They thought they had something for me, but it didn't pan out. They gave me a list of the open positions in the entire system (we have several hospitals and organisations) in case I saw something that interested me or thought I might be qualified for that they didn't see. They made sure that I knew how to get ahold of the HR Director and the Director of Employment Services in case I apply to something so I can let them know.
My boss said that she and another higher-up had also fought really hard on my behalf, but clearly it was for naught.
My boss also pulled some strings so that I didn't get the typical "here's a box to pack and we will escort you out in an hour" treatment. She had apparently told them quite firmly that I take public transit to work every day and she was not putting me in the position of lugging a box home on the subway, and that if I needed to come back next week to pick up the rest they would not give me a problem with that.
I spent the rest of the morning with my boss showing her what I do, how to do my job, trying to give her as much of the knowledge that I store in my head as I could, etc. There was a funny moment when I was giving her a rundown of monthly deadlines and who I distribute monthly data to on a regular basis that she wasn't aware of; the look on her face was PRICELESS. At one point, she told me she had no idea who was going to do the monthly graphs from now on, and I wished her luck.
I went online last night and looked at the job descriptions/qualifications of the listings they gave me that were remotely interesting, but they've either been pulled or filled (guess which one I suspect given that I was one of several casualties this week at the hospital). I've been poking around looking at some other sites and jobs that are open, but I'm taking SOME time, considering that I desperately need to finish my PhD applications and I've been toying with the idea of retaking the GRE, which I can now do any day of the week and not have to wait for a Saturday testing day (and have ample time to study).
I have severance and they're paying out my vacation days. They said they won't contest my unemployment (big of them), and gave me all of the information I need to apply. They explained my COBRA benefits, which actually aren't TOO painful, given that I HAVE to have health insurance. My provided insurance will last until the end of February and then I'll start COBRA-ing in March.
I am in such shock and disbelief. And I am so VERY thankful for the outpouring of support I've had since 11:08 a.m. yesterday morning when the first IM went out. And REALLY grateful for the Ben & Jerry's Brownie Batter Ice Cream and several hours of company last night, Kirsten! That cardigan's going to be great!
19 January 2010
Knitting Update
So I'm back in the knitting groove.
On Sunday, I took the Alternative Knitting Styles class with Margaret at Loop. Craig, the owner, taught the class, and as things turned out there was only one more student. It worked out nicely since he had us stand behind him for parts of the class so it was easier to actually watch what he did. I got to learn how to both Continental and Portuguese styles, and he also gave us a Combination Knitting demo, though we didn't actually have time to practice that one (although it was pretty easy to grasp... well, in theory, anyway).
At some point last year, I also joined the Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry. The theory of the group is pretty genius. Designers can get their patterns tested free by several knitters/crocheters, and knitters/crocheters can score free patterns by agreeing to test knit and provide valuable feedback (sometimes including WIP and or FO pics) to the designers. A few weeks ago, I became one of the admins/moderators of the groups and, thus, have become much more active in the group.
And despite JUST getting over all of my Christmas deadline knitting, I found myself signing up for two test knits earlier this month. One of them I just finished literally about half an hour ago (whew! the deadline was tomorrow!), and it is a lovely pattern! I can't post pics of it since it may be published but I'm very pleased with how mine turned out, even with my infamous "Golden Globe" error in it. Yeah - so, I got a little excited whilst watching the Golden Globe awards and got too cocky with "Oh yeah, I got this all memorised." Oops.
The other pattern - well, if you saw my Twitters today about gauge, you know how that's going. I tried a gauge swatch yesterday and it didn't go well. I was supposed to get 30 stitches to 10 cms and I managed to get 34 stitches to 8.75 cms. So that's awesome. I only need to go up, like, a floppity jillion needle sizes. I mean, I know I'm a tight knitter, but DAMN! lol But at least some of the other knitters in the same test thread have commented that they moved up from fingering to DK yarn, etc., so I don't feel left out. This test knit is due next week, so I'm not TOO stressed about it... yet.
This Saturday, Veronik Avery will be at Loop, so I'm going to try to fit that into my schedule. And the following Sunday (not the day after, but the weekend next) is the local SnB. So, see? I really AM back into my knitting groove!
On Sunday, I took the Alternative Knitting Styles class with Margaret at Loop. Craig, the owner, taught the class, and as things turned out there was only one more student. It worked out nicely since he had us stand behind him for parts of the class so it was easier to actually watch what he did. I got to learn how to both Continental and Portuguese styles, and he also gave us a Combination Knitting demo, though we didn't actually have time to practice that one (although it was pretty easy to grasp... well, in theory, anyway).
At some point last year, I also joined the Free Pattern Testers group on Ravelry. The theory of the group is pretty genius. Designers can get their patterns tested free by several knitters/crocheters, and knitters/crocheters can score free patterns by agreeing to test knit and provide valuable feedback (sometimes including WIP and or FO pics) to the designers. A few weeks ago, I became one of the admins/moderators of the groups and, thus, have become much more active in the group.
And despite JUST getting over all of my Christmas deadline knitting, I found myself signing up for two test knits earlier this month. One of them I just finished literally about half an hour ago (whew! the deadline was tomorrow!), and it is a lovely pattern! I can't post pics of it since it may be published but I'm very pleased with how mine turned out, even with my infamous "Golden Globe" error in it. Yeah - so, I got a little excited whilst watching the Golden Globe awards and got too cocky with "Oh yeah, I got this all memorised." Oops.
The other pattern - well, if you saw my Twitters today about gauge, you know how that's going. I tried a gauge swatch yesterday and it didn't go well. I was supposed to get 30 stitches to 10 cms and I managed to get 34 stitches to 8.75 cms. So that's awesome. I only need to go up, like, a floppity jillion needle sizes. I mean, I know I'm a tight knitter, but DAMN! lol But at least some of the other knitters in the same test thread have commented that they moved up from fingering to DK yarn, etc., so I don't feel left out. This test knit is due next week, so I'm not TOO stressed about it... yet.
This Saturday, Veronik Avery will be at Loop, so I'm going to try to fit that into my schedule. And the following Sunday (not the day after, but the weekend next) is the local SnB. So, see? I really AM back into my knitting groove!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)