mom

Mom sounds good. She's tired of being in the hospital, and her blood
pressure dropped so low last night that they're now forbidding her from
getting out of bed, but she's joking and feeling fine. No pain or
anything. They gave her saline to get her blood-pressure back up, and
she's amused because they have her on a salt-free cardiac diet. And she's
complaining that she's bored. And she's complaining that they won't give
her coffee. And she's planning on how to smuggle some in. :-)

They're still talking about a pacemaker, and mom isn't worried or scared
about either that or dying. Apparently, her internal pacemaker isn't
sending the right electrical impulses. I did some research on that, and
it's not unheard of in people her age.

Today's Munchkin The Elder's birthday, and mom is bummed because she's
missing it, but the Munchkin won't mind waiting a day or two for the real
celebration.

oh, YUM

My co-worker made fresh tamales and brought a few in.

Just a few.

I got one.

I am lucky happy Serene. And my tummy is even happier.

Oh, my goodness.

altfridayfive

From the altfriday5:

1. Are there any foods that you eat or don't eat for ethical reasons?
Why?

Veal. Because I can't get past the cumulative suffering of the cow and the
calf.

2. Are there any foods that you eat or don't eat for health reasons?
Why?

No, not really. It's more like I try to eat lots of healthful stuff, and
that doesn't leave room for as much junk, but I like the junk, too, so I
eat it when I want it, as much as I want.

3. Are there any foods you don't eat because they disgust you (perhaps
because of the taste, texture, or method of preperation)?

There are things I haven't tried because they gross me out (balut,
brains), but if I were served these foods at a dinner party, I would try
them.

4. Did you ever fight with your parent(s) about what to eat? Are there
any foods that you hated as a child that you like now?

Constantly. And no, it's the other way around -- there are a lot of things
I ate as a kid that I don't like now.

5. What, in your opinion, is the biggest thing wrong with our current
methods and systems of food production and distribution? What is the
biggest thing right with them?

Wow, this is a big topic. I may tackle it later in its own entry.


The Questioner says: Don't forget your links!

haiku

random LJ Haiku:

Haiku2 for serenejournal
lovely loveless masses are not able to see me it's not unheard
@ aboutmylife.netblogger.comblogs.gnome.orgblogspot.comdeadjournal.comgreatestjournal.comlivejournal.commyspace.comspaces.msn.com
Created by Grahame

( And here are a bunch more that I found fun. )

Funniest phrase on my friendslist today:

"Hillel the Mormon"

tonight

Gonna spend some of the money I've been saving up for Tokyo. Gonna spend
it on laundry and dinner out. I deserve it. What a week.

quiz time

I'm making this up as I go. My answers in a later post. Comment here or
move it to your LJ, or both.

Standard disclaimer: Only answer what you want to. Skip or change the ones
you don't like.

1. Name up to 5 LJ communities you read *and* post to.

2. Name up to 5 non-LJ blogs that you check regularly.

3. Tell about a time you felt really competent.

4. Tell about someone in your life who has a quality you want more of.
What's the quality? How would your life change if you had that quality?

5. Who is the next loved one you will see?

6. Where is the next place you will go to that's more than 50 miles from
your home?

7. Name 2 or 3 admirable qualities of yours.

8. Tell about a time you talked yourself into feeling better when you were
feeling bad.

9. What is the best acting performance you've seen recently?

10. If you could pick anything you wanted, what would your next meal be?

That quiz

( Survey-y goodness )

It is good to be the temp

Just spoke with an organizational consultant the management called in
here. She asked me questions about how things work here, and I answered
frankly. I like it here, but there are things I see as problems in the
office, so I told her what they are. Sometimes being the temp makes me
less afraid of consequences than I might otherwise be, and I think being a
relative outsider to this place might possibly make me a useful voice,
though I might have been happier being overlooked in this case.

(no subject)

Nothing I can talk about in public, but I may be getting some improved job
security very soon. That would be very nice.

(no subject)

After we spoke today, mom had a few scary episodes of her heart stopping 7-10 beats at a time. She scared the shit out of the nurse, who ran to get the doctor, who couldn't rush her into surgery because she'd eaten already. So they ran emergency leads down into her heart (mom said it was fascinating watching that on the tv screen) and tomorrow they'll put in a real one under general anesthesia.

I'm a little shaky, but fine. She sounds fine, and spent a fair bit of time making sure I was okay ("I'm fine, mom, it's okay to take care of YOU right now, okay?")