COLD and Schedules and DH is Sick

It's going to be a VERY busy week this week, and DH is nursing a head cold. He's coughing and sniffling and I'm staying as FAR AWAY from him as possible because I am NOT having my upcoming breast cancer surgery placed in jeopardy because he's being stubborn. Although I would be solo at the shop toady, it's actually a really good day for him to stay home. Our current temp is -13F (-25C) and I doubt I'll have a ton of customers today. Minnion won't be happy staying outdoors in the parking lot either, but we'll carry on. If necessary, I can call Chickie to maybe come out for an hour or two. But I doubt it will be necessary. 

We usually don't get snow when it's this cold, so that's 
one thing to be grateful for. The mere thought of being 
outdoors, shoveling the driveway in this temp is NOT 
a good one. 

DH has a photography project that he's been working on so that we can put some of our items into various auctions. It's important - I fully understand that. But I think it's more important that he get over this head cold ASAP, and that's not going to happen if he's driving back and forth in these temperatures. 

I actually think I'll be OK on the MRI, but they 
will have Valium available for me if I'm 
totally freaked out by the closed-in feeling. 
Since there actually is an in-out that's not 
locked away, I'll probably be fine without 
the drugs. 

I'll be tied up on Wednesday, have my MRI on Thursday, and have things I have to do on Friday, so if he's going to be sick, today and tomorrow are his best bet because I'll be able to handle the shop today and I'll have Chickie tomorrow. I left him a LARGE note telling him to stay home. He won't pay attention, and I'll be really angry that he's endangering my labs and my surgery with his stubbornness. ARGH! MEN! Are all men this pig-headed? 

Pig-headed is the definition of DH, and right now 
he's worse than usual. His attitude is NOT helping 
me at all, though, although he claims it's all 
for me. BS! 

But, at least I got a good run on on the treadmill, I've got the battery for my electric vest powered up and ready to go, and I'm fully able to handle the temperatures. I won't LIKE being in them, but that's irrelevant. LOL I can do this - I live in Minnesota. (I assume it's probably even COLDER in Canada, but I think this is about as far North as I'm willing to live - LOL). 

Personally, I'd LOVE the opportunity to stay warm and 
cozy at home for the day. But I'M obviously the 
intelligent person in the family. *sigh*

Have an excellent Monday, stay warm and cozy if you're in the cooler climates, enjoy your heat if you're in the Southern Hemisphere. I'll trudge along and manage, somehow, to make it to the shop and back home again today. I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

Update, Medicines and a Look Towards Tonight

I finally made it to the Urgent Care Clinic yesterday morning and was the first person checked in when they opened at 8:00 am. Of course I would have rather seen my primary care physician, but she's a really popular doctor and is scheduled out for months. I was determined to get some help for what I felt was a bladder infection that was only going to get worse without some antibiotics. 

Allina Health Urgent Care takes the southern end of their very
large Bandana Square clinic, close to the lab testing department.
It's a comfortable space, geared to get people in to be cared for
as fast as possible and still provide a high level of care. 

Things actually went quite smoothly. After an hour, I had a prescription sent to my pharmacy for pick-up later in the day and was on my way home. I picked up the prescription late in the morning and after picking up the week's groceries, headed home to take my first pill. I grabbed a nap because I was exhausted and cold, then had a nice chat with Aearwen, made dinner, and took my night pill after my meal. 

I had a very nice MD, but it was a bit unusual for me, I
usually see female doctors. Still, he was very kind
and as soon as my labs were analyzed, got my prescription
going and I was on my way. 

I could tell the difference when the meds started really working around 3:00 am when I suddenly wasn't shivering with cold any more and was actually comfortable. I have six more days of meds to go, but I'm optimistic that I caught this quickly and I'll be fine. I took one more day off from the gym, but if I have a good day today, I'll be back on schedule tomorrow. 

We started Project Runway Season 18 with a lot of contestants, and
we're down to six tonight, four after tonight. It's been a great ride and
I'm looking forward to the last few episodes. 

A reminder - tonight is a Project Runway night, and since they didn't dismiss any contestants last week, two people are going to be sent home today, leaving the Final Four to move on. It's going to be a fun episode to watch because the theme is "Avant Guarde". Of course I'll take notes throughout the show and if the photos are available, I'll post them tomorrow, Saturday if the photos are delayed. 

Have an excellent Thursday and enjoy your day. It's nice to be back - I missed my posting. 

Just A Quick Catch-Up

It's not like me to be quiet, and to not post my usual six days a week, but I missed yesterday and today will be short. I've been feeling a bit under the weather and decided a bit of extra sleep was warranted. I'm doing much better today, I'll probably drop by Urgent Care today to pick up a prescription for some antibiotics, but I'm fine. I did skip the gym yesterday, so I'm one day off this week. I thought about going to work out today instead, but decided a bit of rest before I jump into a very busy day was probably a good idea. 

I hope all of you had a wonderful Mardi Gras and a good Ash Wednesday. 

So, there you have it. No worries, but a bit of extra sleep that apparently my body decided I needed. I'll more than likely be back on normal schedule tomorrow, so I'll catch all of you then. Have a wonderful Wednesday. 

Golf and a Return to Normal

I'm ready to pick up with my life once more. After five days off, most of which were off because of an intestinal illness, I'm SO ready to get back to my normal. I'm off to the gym in half an hour and I'm really looking forward to some well-earned sweat. DH and I both came down with this crud, so we're going to eat lightly over the next week, before having a nice Easter dinner. My total weight lost due to not being able to eat much of anything: five pounds in five days. Not the way I want to lose weight, but I'll take it. 

Tiger Woods won his fifth green jacket at Augusta on Sunday. This places
him firmly into golf history, right between Arnold Palmer and
Jack Nicklaus. Pretty good compeny! 

I'm still not at 100%, but darned close, and it helped to have a full day off yesterday to do nothing more than play on the computer and watch The Masters golf tournament and then switch over to Stanley Cup Hockey playoff games. I've got to join the large chorus and congratulate Tiger Woods on an extraordinary tournament. He was steady, came through in the clutches, and really impressed. After fourteen years, Tiger won the Green Jacket once again, his fifth time as a winner. He is one of a select group of winners, now, having won one more time than Arnold Palmer, and one less than Jack Nicklaus. Augusta is a bear of a course and he ended up alone at the top with a final four-round score of -13! That's some excellent golf! 

Augusta National Golf Course is located in Augusta, Georgia. It's a
stunningly beautiful course, and is subject to weather like
any other course in the Spring. This year we got a day of
rain, and an extremely early start to Sunday's round to
avoid most of the bad weather that was coming to the area.
This is a photo of the legendary "Amen Corner". 

I always love watching The Masters in April. We usually have snow on the ground and to see the green grass, blooming flowers and leaves on the trees is a promise of our spring yet to come. This year the birds were going absolutely crazy at Augusta, and every commentator had a thrilling and musical background trying to drown him out. Rather hilarious. 

The fact that the azaleas are already blooming and so beautiful
while we are still looking out over our late spring snowbanks,
gives me hope for a future of warmer weather and colorful flowers. 

So I took it easy yesterday, and even went to bed 1/2 hour earlier than usual. But, enough is enough. I really miss the gym. I never get as long a workout when I'm at my Chiropractor every other Monday, but today I won't mind that slightly shortened time frame. I think I'll skip the elliptical completely and do a solid stint on the recumbent bicycle. It'll be a good "toe in the water" exercise for the first day back. I had built myself into 2+ miles on the elliptical, but I'll tackle that machine again tomorrow instead. 

Get those income tax returns filed no later than today (if you
haven't already done so). 

So, on that note, I'm wrapping this up and heading out. Just a reminder - if you haven't filed your income taxes (in the USA), today is the deadline so get it into gear. Try to enjoy your Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

I've Been Sick - I'm Determined That's Over & Done With Already!

I haven't been to the gym since Wednesday. Yes, you read that right. I'm not on vacation, I'm still in the same place, same house, and within a couple of miles of the same gym, but the last time I was there was on Tuesday. Now, someone who doesn't know me well might think "OK, so what?" Those who do know me, though, and the fact that I'm at the gym six days each and every week no matter what, know that something was seriously wrong. It's been a week of it, and I'm quite ready to start anew on Monday. 

I'm ready to stop feeling crappy and rejoin the human race
once more. I don't make a good patient. Staying in bed is
a luxury I simply don't have. 

Wednesday and Friday I was awakened at 2:00 am with intestinal flu and grabbed more sleep because I didn't have any. Each day I dressed in my gym clothes, and each day I took them off and switched to my work clothes because I just couldn't dream of exercise when just moving was an effort. The toilet was my best friend and I was NOT happy. 

Minion's battery was dead. The tech got it started, but said I'd probably
have the same problem when I wanted to leave work that night. Since
the battery was five years old, I decided to just replace it with a new
one. I think it was a good decision. 

On Thursday, I actually felt OK, got dressed and put my gym bag into the car, and the car didn't start. The battery was dead. I waited until DH was awake two hours later, but he wasn't entirely amenable to giving me a jump and told me to "Call AAA. It's what you pay them for." So I did call AAA, who came out, jumped me, did a battery check and my battery (which was five years old - so at the end of it's lifespan) was truly dead - at least two dead cells. I had them put in a brand new battery, and I made it to the shop with five minutes to spare. Chickie and I opened in record time despite falling snow and icy roads. I was impressed. 

Sometimes we all need a weekend to recover, or to recover
from a weekend. I need a weekend to recover, but I'll only
get one day. That's OK, I'll live with it. Next week it's
back to normal routine - at least that's the goal. 

Today I'm feeling OK, but it's been such an exhausting few days, and I'm still on the edge with this intestinal thing, so I decided giving my body the weekend to recover would be wise. In the meanwhile, DH has now come down with the intestinal crap. He's a terrible sick person - think five-year-old in a bad mood. Oh well, I won't have to listen to him complain because I'll be at work. 

It's getting bad when dry toast with jam is looking like
a real luxury meal to me. I'll be happy when I can
eat my oatmeal again. 

I haven't eaten much over the past few days, so that combined with the runs have equated to an eight-pound weight loss over the past four days. Not the way I recommend losing weight, but that's at least one positive aspect to being sick. I think one more day of minimal food might do it. I'm hoping so, at least. I'd like this to be over with - it's really boring to not feel well. 

Have a great weekend and stay healthy! I'll be back on Monday, and it's back to the gym for me next week - I'm determined! 

Project Runway - Luxury Streetwear and Dapper Dan

From last week's forest to this week's streets, fashion has to meet many criteria. This week's Project Runway challenge is Luxury Streetwear in a super-short one-day challenge. The challenge revolved around Dapper Dan (Daniel Day), known for having revolutionized hip-hop fashion in the early 90's. His footprint on fashion came about with logo fashion - having a fashion house or a or name logo that would be associated with high class without the high-end price tag. The diamonds and glitz of the 50's and 60's, reinvented in the blazing logos of the 90's, and made more affordable by a wider section of clientele. 

Dapper Dan grew up poor in Harlem and still lives and works there.
He took the bling that was unaffordable and mutated fashion to
make urban lux streetwear. He's a legend in fashion. 

No trip to Mood this episode. Instead, the workroom was loaded up with lux fabrics for the designers to use. They have until midnight to work, with the Runway show the next morning. "Dap" will visit the workroom and give design feedback on the morning of the Runway, but he won't be a judge. 

Rakan Shams Aldeen made a street look based
on the farmer's wives outfits from his native
Syria. It totally didn't work for me. 

"Look at the community in which you live," was Dapper Dan's recommendation. That recommendation pushed the designers to look at their neighborhoods, current and past, as well as what is popular and upcoming in societal pathways. One designer, Lela Orr, wanted to do something based on the recycling triangle and the color green. Kovid, our India designer wanted loose-fitting harem pants and a shirt reflecting the Latin community that accepted him as well as the Indian community he grew up in. 

Jamall Osterholm had visions of quilting and
floral prints in a modern-day armour-styled
dress. No. ... Just no. The dress was totally
unfinished - no hem, the sleeves still rough-cut,
and the print he chose? Totally 1950's
tea party. Bad choices, bad style. 

The designers were all over the place with this challenge. The fabrics might have been lux, but some of the designs seem pushed and a bit tortured and not streetwear at all. But ... it's difficult to look into the future - in fact, it's next to impossible. So maybe something that's looking like a disaster in the workshop will walk the Runway and be on-trend. 

Kovid Kapoor came up with this mish-mash of
styles and fabrics that just didn't mesh. He was
all over the place in the workroom, and despaired
of managing a successful design. He was right
to despair. 

Additionally, the challenge is a "Flash Sale" challenge, i.e., the designers will photograph their looks on the street and the general public will be able to vote for their winning design which will be sold on-line. The very first challenge, won by Tessa, was a "Flash Sale" challenge. 

Garo Sparo came up with these pleated pants
and top cinched by an easily adjustable corset
made of sweatshirt-type material which
carried through into the truncated neck. My
husband liked this look the best, and I actually
thought it was pretty nice too. Of course,
it doesn't hurt that Mimi is my favorite model. 

As always, there are designers who step up to the plate, and designers who float. This is a competition, and those who think they are floating will drown - no question. I'm getting more and more impressed by Hester, even though she still drives me a bit crazy. Her visions are clear, fashion forward, and inclusive. She might have big ideas that don't totally translate to time frames, but she does a great head to toe look, and that's super important. 

Venny Etienne made his model Asia shine
in this fitted dress with mesh sleeves and
panels of different fabric types. His dress was
based upon sneakers he had wanted as a
child but couldn't afford to own. I liked
this look a lot and Asia looked fierce. 

"Streetwear transforms people," Dapper Dan said as the designers and models line up for the Runway show. Although there were a few designs he wasn't crazy about, there were several designs or aspects of designs that he really loved. It's going to be an interesting Runway, since it wasn't just a challenge for designing Streetwear, it was also a challenge for time management. Those who could handle the pressure and apportion their time the best would probably do the best on the Runway too. 

OMG, I loved this look. Bishme Cromartie
pur together something that borderlined on
fast food waitress with this magnificent
jacket that celebrated his personal heritage.
He had his initials on the front and the
street where he grew up in Baltimore,
Maryland on the back. This could be
customized in so many different ways. 

My Runway opinions:  my personal favorite on the Runway was Bishme's look. Since I'm writing this before the judging actually occurs, we'll see if he at least gets into the top three. Jamall's look, on the other hand, is a train wreck. Venny did really beautifully and I could see his audience and that the fashion would be sellable. Rahan just played it safe, staying with his Syrian roots but not pushing them into modern-day fashion. Garo's pleated pants and sweatshirt fabric corset was very chic and my hubby's favorite look, whereas Kovid pulled together an assortment of looks and fabrics that didn't seem to go together at all. So, you've seen the photos above, what do you think? (If you want to see photos of all of the designs, here's a link for you.) 


SPOILER BELOW - STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE EPISODE YET!


The winner - Bishmi, with Garo in second place and Venny in third. Going home - Kovid. It was his third time in the bottom looks, so it was time. Jamall got lucky - very lucky, and the judges agreed with me - yes, Rahan played it safe. So, the designers are down one more and next week we'll push again and see who makes the cut. I'm still feeling under the weather, so I'll take another hour or so of sleep and brush off the gym for day 3! Have a wonderful Friday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Day Off = Sick Day & Errands Galore

I have a touch of the stomach flu today and a very busy schedule. So I'm skipping the gym and going back to bed for a few hours more sleep, then I'll dive into my day. Short post, and I'll be just fine, it's just an upset tummy. Happens sometimes. 

Upset tummies aren't rare, but I don't get them very often. This one hit
me hard in the middle of the night. I think I'll just try and sleep it off. 

Since I'm not feeling 100%, I'm asking for positive thoughts sent out to two friends of mine in need. 

My friend Katie's truck was hit as she was driving back to Illinois from Nevada. She was airlifted to the hospital and after a couple of very anxious days, she's been released with a broken arm, lots of contusions and stitches, and no truck. She's flying back home and the truck is totaled. 

Katie's truck was hit by another vehicle, but this photo caught my
eye. Here's a construction truck destroyed by a huge
construction vehicle. A total OOPS! situation. 

My friend Aearwen has a serious illness in her family and this one doesn't look as positive. I know she could use support and hugs, and she'll appreciate all of them whether she responds directly or not. Many of you know her from years gone by as a prolific and very talented fanfiction author. This is a tough one for her and her family, so positive thoughts will be appreciated. 

On that note, I'm plugging in pictures and going back to bed for another 2+ hours of needed sleep. Have a great Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

I'm Back Home Again!

I'm home. My bags are unpacked, the laundry is done, I only gained two pounds, so not bad at all, and I'm almost over my chest cold. I guess I'll find out how bad it still is when I'm in the pool in less than an hour. It took forever to get my emails from the week culled, so I don't have a magnificent "Im Home" post today, but it's really good to be back. 

Next year's show is June 2-9 and I'm already starting
to save. It'll be a pricey one, because there's actually a
Master Class that I want to take. Those classes are
multi-day and usually EXTREMELY expensive. I'm
starting to put aside my pennies and dollars right now. 

The show (my annual "vacation" at the Bead & Button Show if you forgot), was way fun. I had three excellent classes and will hopefully have a pic or two to share with all of you over the next day or so. I still had that damned chest cold, but the advantage of being in a room of my own was being able to set the climate conditions where I wanted them. I set the room temp high and left housekeeping a note at the thermostat telling them I was getting over a cold and wanted the temp to stay hot. They didn't touch the temperature setting, and I left them a tip every day. It was a good exchange. 

This time I was on the 10th floor, at the far end. It was an
extremely quiet room and I really appreciated that. The Hotel
gifted me with a free appetizer card on them for the years
I have stayed with them. That ended up being my dinner
on the first night. Bar-b-qued chicken wings - a winner. 

Going back to the Hyatt is always wrapped up in seeing friends who have worked there for years and years. Andy and Koty took great care of me in the bar. I had a chance to catch up on what they've been up to, their pets and their kids and their various building projects. I was introduced to other members of the bar's crew, and I had to force the guys to accept a tip or two. Maria, in the restaurant, was a strong hug and a "So good to see you again" at breakfast. There were a couple of other waiters who also were long-time friends. Strong coffee and good food - a winning combination. 

The Bistro 333 bar is where I'm usually sitting after classes before
I go back to my room to veg out and sleep. It's a comfortable
place to spend time, and Andy, Koty and Adam treat me
with extraordinary kindness. 

I got a hug from my waiter at my favorite Thai restaurant when I went there for dinner on Thursday night. I explained how he had convinced me to do my Volcano Chicken last year, and how good it was. He laughed, and then we repeated the order for this year. It was just as good, it was just as spicy (just a hair less than in tears, spicy) and it was magnificent. The best thing about it is that I get two meals from it. I took the second half back to the hotel, put it into my mini fridge, and had it for dinner again the next night - just as good on the second day. Heaven on a plate. 

I love the Volcano Chicken at "The King and I" Thai restaurant. It's
located right across the street from the hotel, and it's excellent food. 

My classes were wonderful and I learned a lot. I saw old friends, and got lots of hugs from lots of people. By the end of my five days, I was feeling better (still not over my chest cold, but vastly improved), I had one completed project and two in process, I had twenty carrier beads beaded (every chance I got I was beading another bead in the series), and I had three new sets of pliers and one beautiful cabochon stone from my favorite stone guy. 

So yes, despite the work that I know is waiting for me, and the weight I need to start getting back off, it was a glorious few days away from work. I consider the backlog of work awaiting me to be a total win/win, balanced with my trip to Milwaukee. I'm home now, and it's time to see how I can apply what I learned. It's all good. I hope your days were just as good as mine, and I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with some photos. 

It Was A Lazy Sunday and Beading Carrier Beads

Yesterday's goal was to pack, and I did ... a little bit. I got the suitcase out from storage and put it into a larger room, and I did make sure that the last few items needed for my classes had been gathered together, ready to go. But I didn't pack clothes or cosmetics/shampoos, etc. Guess I'll be naked? Well, not quite. But it's not a huge trip - only three days at the conference and two travel days, so I won't need to pack a lot. Additionally, I'm still low energy right now because I've still got this damned chest/head cold. So I spent most of yesterday beading instead of doing anything more constructive. DH played his computer game and had the TV on the baseball game. It was a really quiet and boring day. 

I've been spending my time working with carrier beads. These
glass (or plastic - I use the glass ones) are two-holed tablets
which are sized to be covered with Delica beadwork patterns. 

Today kicks off a week where I'm only working Monday and Tuesday because I leave for Milwaukee on Wednesday. I'm really looking forward to getting away for a few days, but also am hoping that I'm more recovered before I leave because I'm a bit dizzy (that's dizzy, not ditsy), and I don't like to drive distances if I'm not 100%, even if it is an easy drive that I've done for years and years. Tonight and tomorrow night, I guess I'd better pack for real. 

For example, here several beaded carrier beads have been
assembled into a fun bracelet. 

I spent Sunday beading carrier beads. Carrier beads are a glass or acrylic shaped 2-hole bead (think shaping similar to a bed pillow) that is sized to be covered with a small beaded cover sewn with Delica beads. The patterns usually are either 6 or 7 beads across and 48 to 50 beads long, so they're very short and easy. I'm having fun with them and playing a bit, something that I haven't indulged in for a while. I've peppered this page with carrier bead projects from others so that you get a small idea of what I've been working with. 

Here, a variety of patterns still look harmonious because
they use a basic palette of colors to form the carrier bead
necklace components. Each bead takes 30-60 minutes to
bead, depending on pattern and the beader's skill. 

I'm off to the Chiropractor today. Usually I'd be swimming first, but the WBL pool is closed for two weeks while undergoing cleaning and repair work. So I gave myself an extra 45 minutes to sleep, and I'll drive to my Chiro directly from home without dropping off at the YMCA first. Have a glorious Monday and I'll be back tomorrow (hopefully with some clothes in my suitcase). 

Reality TV Is Hitting High Stride

Just a quick post today since I leave for the pool soon. I'm feeling a bit better, thanks to all of the "get well soon" messages from many of my readers and on-line friends. I purchased a different medication yesterday and it seems to be working much more effectively. I'm still exhausted, but tomorrow I can sleep in. 

City qualifying rounds are usually held in several cities
throughout the nation. This year's event started with the
Dallas, Texas qualifiers last night. The setup was at the
Texas State Fair grounds, a place known for fun and crowds. 

Did anyone catch the beginning of the current season of American Ninja Warriors last night? It was the start of the city competitions and a lot of fun to watch as athletes went head-to-head in Dallas to cull down to the top 30 contestants. I don't know how many regional competitions will be held for this season, but it's always a treat to watch the contestants try and beat the course. 

Face-Off Battle Royale, season 13 of the popular show, will
begin on Tuesday. I've enjoyed the show since its' first season
and will be sorry to see it go, but it's always fun watching the
contestants make phenomenal transformations with their
make-up skills. 

One of my favorite reality competition shows will return for it's final season beginning on Tuesday. Face-Off, a featured special effects makeup competition, will feature some of the best of prior season's competitors as they battle head-to-head. I've loved the show since the beginning, and although I'll be sorry to see it leave, it should be a great competition with which to say good-bye. Check your schedules for Tuesday on the SyFy channel to catch this one. 

Battle Bots pits one fighting robot against another and
parts go flying on occasion. It's hard action and way fun! 

Have you been watching Battle Bots? This engineering competition always is a fun one to watch. The current season is a few episodes in, but it's always great fun. It's on Friday nights on the Discovery channel, so if you haven't been aware that there's a new season ongoing, now you know. 

On MasterChef this season, each chef will mentor eight
home chefs they feel may achieve the ranking of
MasterChef. It's going to be an interesting head-to-head
between the three masters. 

Finally, MasterChef started it's newest season on Fox earlier this week on Wednesday. In a different twist, each of the three judges - Gordon Ramsey, Aaron Sanchez and Joe Bastianich  - have eight aprons they will award to home cheft they feel have the skills and the drive to make them the winner of MasterChef. If a contestant is offered an apron from more than one chef, they can choose whose apron they want. The apron promises mentorship by that particular chef for the eight contestants he has chosen. 

So there's lots of reality TV taking up the front half of my summer and that makes me very happy. I might not be competing in the events, but I can watch and enjoy them. I'm heading out to the outdoor pool and I wish all of you an excellent weekend. I'll be back on Monday. 

I Hate Being Sick

I hate being sick and I don't make a good patient. I don't have the time or patience for it, I get grumbly when I don't feel up to snuff, and I'm fuzzy - decisions aren't as fast to arrive and errors creep into work. I'm in process of beading some smaller items - a fairly simple design element, but last night's effort was put down when 3/4 finished because I had to pull out yet another error and I'm also short on thread - something that rarely happens. It's sitting in front of me as I type this, mocking my inability to do a simple patterned strip of beadwork, less than two inches long. Pfah! 

I've been a beader for decades. This project, "Homage to Bastet", was
done in the late 1990's, but still looks great today. I wear it
every now and again. 

I took yesterday off from swimming and sat in the sauna for 15-20 minutes instead. I was hoping the hot moist air would help loosen some of the crap in my lungs. I'm not sure if I succeeded, but today is my lifeguard, Rachel's, last day and I want to be there to say good-bye. We had a little party for her last week, and we're all really happy for her because she's expecting a baby boy in the fall, but she's a long-time regular, knows us by name, knows who swims in what lane and where new people should go. She even cares enough to have a phone listing of her regular swimmers so that she can contact us if the pool is unexpectedly closed. We're going to miss that level of care. So I'll try to swim today and see if I can manage it. 

The sauna at the YMCA isn't quite this nice, but it's kept in
good repair and gets used a lot. It was helpful to sit in
there for 20 minutes or so yesterday morning instead of
swimming. 

DH was going to put a chicken-wire cage around the turtle nest yesterday, but he's starting to come down with this chest/head cold too, and ran out of energy. Hopefully he'll get it up today. The eggs won't hatch until late July/early August, and sometimes baby turtles remain in hibernation until the early Spring, so there's really no telling when/if we'll see little baby snapping turtles. He says that the nest looks undisturbed, though, so that's good. 

I'm living my life with the following right now - lots of
tissues, throat lozenges, ibuprofen and cough syrup. I
need new cough syrup, so I'll make a quick stop at
the pharmacy before heading over to the shop today. 

I guess I'm going to try to do what I can, today. This chest cold is really getting me down - lack of sleep because of coughing and a fuzzy brain are not great things to have at my doorstep as I start a new month. It is what it is, though, and I'll muddle through. Have a wonderful Friday. I think I'll try to swim today, but if I don't manage my usual mile I'm OK with that. At least I'll get some exercise and feel a bit less like a bump on a log. Enjoy your day!