many thoughts heretofore stored up

[serene]

Yesterday, our French Press (1-cup capacity) broke. someotherguy really really functions best with at least two cups of coffee in him. Getting a new coffee pot was a necessity, because going to the coffeeshop twice a day for coffee isn't really in the budget. We went to Tar-zhay and got this one, and then we passed by the other small appliances.

Now, if you know me, you know that I am fueled on hummus much the way someotherguy is fueled on coffee (yes, that's an exaggeration). I make good, cheap hummus, but I don't have a blender or a food processor that will do the job, so I've been going without or buying the cheapest I could find at the store. (The problem for me with store-bought hummus (typo cumin) is that it usually has cumin in it, and also some preservative or other that makes it taste off to me, but it's still better than no hummus at all.

Anyway, I got this, for quite a bit less than the price you see there. I still agonized over spending what I spent, but I can make a quart of hummus for half of what I pay for a half-pint at the store, so it should pay for itself in no time. Right? Say 'right', please. And I didn't have garbanzos cooked today, so I made the tahini to see if I could (at about a third of what it costs to buy it pre-made), then pureed some scarlet runner beans (the only kind I had already cooked) and garlic with it, and it made a Killer bean dip for my lunch for tomorrow. I love my new toy! (Candy-apple red, by the way.)

I may have to let go of seeing myself as a generally healthy person. I mean, I'm still a *happy* person, but I have all these damned *symptoms*, and I'm sick of them. Time, I think, to make an appointment with the doctor, and take a list of complaints. I hate the way that sounds, but I think I hafta.

Today was weird. At around 11am, I started seeing spots before my eyes. Then my vision started flickering as though there was a fluorescent light fixture behind my eyeballs. Not good. I drank a bunch of water and took a walk, in case it was all the jellybellies I ate earlier, and it went away gradually, over a couple of hours' time. I made it home okay and have been resting (that's why I have time to make a gargantuan LJ post), but I still feel a bit off. I know I have anemia. I know I have a thyroid tumor. What I don't know is where my new joint pains are coming from, or why my dizziness still persists, or what this vision thing today was all about. I hate not knowing, and even more, I hate knowing that often going to the doctor doesn't shed any light on things. Nonetheless, off I will go, because why else do I pay $340 to keep my health insurance every month?

A few months ago, someotherguy and I decided to get rings. We happened upon the perfect rings for us at a street fair. Hematite, which we both like, for three bucks a ring (we're not very sentimental about such things), and as you may have guessed, fragile. They broke within weeks, and we were ringless for a while. Then we bought a new one (I was gonna post pics, but I can't get an ftp client to stay on the iMac), which we both liked a lot. someotherguy lost his, though, and we bought another new one to replace it. And now sogwife and I have rings, too -- which I wanted to show you. *pout* We put them on at the flea market, the three of us, pronounced ourselves pervs, and went about our business. It's cool that we're all sentimental enough to want the rings, but not sentimental enough to make a huge deal over them. Cool to me, anyhow. (It's also cool with me that stonebender and I don't have rings. I feel wedded to all three of my partners, in different ways, and we all express that in our own ways, as well.) So anyway, the point is I have lots of wedding rings now. It's odd, but comforting, and I like them all a lot. someotherguy says "This one is my ring with someotherguy, and this one is my ring with sogwife, and this one is the one that signifies that someotherguy is a big forgetful doofus."

stonebender and his partner are having an open house to celebrate the completion of their house remodel. I'm so excited for them. It's been a long and noisy and stressful time for them, and I'm hoping it's mostly at an end, at least until the new bathroom goes in. ;-)

I'm gonna have visitors! intenselaura will be coming next month, and we'll finally get to meet, and then one of my very dearest friends may be coming, too, and I'm not sure zie's made that public, so I'll leave it at that. :-)

There's more stuff I wanted to write about, but I just ran out of steam.

Comments

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

That so much was a sensible purchase, rather than an extravagance!

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

someotherguy says "She's got your back."

:-)

[tesseract26.livejournal.com]

ohmiGOSH, yes. Not just hummus, but pureed soups and sauces are now yours with ease! In fall, if you are so inclined, you can make carrot-ginger-pumpkin soup, or potato-leek soup, or any of a million other lovely things. Immersion blenders rock! And they also make great noises. I like things that make fun noises. :)

[berkeleyfarm.livejournal.com]

/Two Fat Ladies ON/

Kitchen Vibratorrrrrr!

/Two Fat Ladies OFF/

I love my stick blender. I whipped cream with it before I had much of a kitchen, and still do, even though my mixer has been promoted to Permanent Counter Space.

When I went through a soup-making binge I rediscovered it; it's ace. I do possess a blender, but this allowed me to control the texture pretty closely. And look, ma, no washing the blender - just move it around the soup pot. With the newer models you don't even have to be quite as careful about always keeping it submerged (the better not to wear the cream, or the soup).

A Saudi-American foodie pal showed me that it was ace for making hummus. So I made a lot more hummus after that. Just make sure the beans are well cooked. I usually use canned, as does the Saudi-American foodie pal, but will probably experiment with the fresh ones from B Bowl at least once.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

The dried garbanzos worked really well -- haven't tried it with fresh yet -- but I think maybe the keeping-it-submerged thing might be a good idea for me, at least until I get the hang of this. *sheepish grin*

I hate to keep harping on the cost of all this, but the dried garbanzos I used to make a couple of quarts of hummus cost me less than a dollar, so I'll keep canned garbanzos around for when I don't have time to make fresh, but I think fresh is the way to go from here on in.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

How do you make tahini? (Might be different than how other folks do. :) )

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

Just grind sesame seeds (I use the black ones) with enough olive or peanut oil to make a paste. Some people use salt, but I don't, because I never know what I'm gonna use it in. How do *you* make it? :-)

Vision Probs

[ptigris.livejournal.com]

Sounds VERY much like pre-migraine symptoms. VERY much. Next time (pray that there's not one) drink some Coke or a Jolt.

Re: Vision Probs

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

It's nothing like the precursors to my migraines, but I'm gonna try that anyway, just in case. Thanks. (And my head never started hurting, short of a tiny bit of a pressure thing behind my eyes that I assumed was either part of the cause or the result of the weird vision thing.)

Re: Vision Probs

[kightp.livejournal.com]

The vision thing may well have been an ocular migraine, which (despite the name) isn't a precursor to a regular migraine. I get them every few months, and after being thoroughly freaked out by them, I've accepted my ophthalmologist's assertion that they're just One Of Those Things that happens sometimes to the aging eye, and not signs of something dire. Mine usually go away in 20-30 minutes, but for about five minutes of that time I might as well be blined. Unsettling.

Re: Vision Probs

[intenselaura.livejournal.com]

I'm with Pat on this. My mom gets these too.

Please do take care of yourself and get thee to a doctor.

Oh, and you've given me a hummus craving. :)

[pyrzqxgl.livejournal.com]

I've definitely had periods of making/eating lots of hummus-related stuff -- garbanzo spread with tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, hot curry powder, that kind of thing.

I hope you can find some answers on these new health issues.

The rest sounds fun.

[vito-excalibur.livejournal.com]

I may have to let go of seeing myself as a generally healthy person.

Shit, this sounds terrifying. :( Good health vibes to you.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

"This one is my ring with someotherguy, and this one is my ring with sogwife, and this one is the one that signifies that someotherguy is a big forgetful doofus."

I love this. Sorry you're having health woes. I miss talking to you the way I used to be able to.

[hobbitblue.livejournal.com]

I've never encountered hummus with cumin in, most of the store bought stuff here is pretty good, I actually like one low-fat brand which is handy, find the regular stuff way too rich these days.

No clue on the weird eye thing but I tend to find when I get similar the best thing is to lie down with eyes shut for an hour or so just to let things settle, resting my eyes seems to help a lot, though its tedious when i have Things To Do instead.

Love the rings thing, tis very cute and sweet *huggles*

[artemii.livejournal.com]

if i were you (which i clearly am not ;)), i would start with seeing an eye doctor. as it's not typical of your migraines, if it's not a new migraine symptom it could be some early stage eye issue that would probably be easily treatable at this point.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

good idea; I'll mention it to the doctor. thanks.

[firecat]

Google suggests that dizziness is a symptom of thyroid problems.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The weird thing is that, except for the benign tumor in my thyroid area, I don't *have* any thyroid problems. My thyroid levels are consistently so normal that they sometimes check them again. It's frustrating, actually.

[firecat]

Ah, it's good that your levels are normal. (I think that tests for thyroid must be pretty poor, thought because lots of people who exhibit typical symptoms of low thyroid come out normal on the tests.)

Anyway, I hope the doctor has some answers for you, and the treatments are easy.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the encouragement and the info. I keep making a list of things I want to mention to the doc. I have a habit of going in there and mentioning one thing and forgetting all the rest.

[firecat]

I always bring a piece of paper with a summary of my history, current meds, and all my questions. I can forward you a template of it, if you'd like.

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

No, thanks, but that's a great idea! -- I have it in my task list on yahoo, so I can update it whenever I'm online.

[lcohen]

someotherguy says "This one is my ring with someotherguy, and this one is my ring with sogwife, and this one is the one that signifies that someotherguy is a big forgetful doofus."

should that second someotherguy be "serenejournal?"

you absolutely should have gotten the immersion blender--you'll use it on all sorts of things!

[serenejournal.livejournal.com]

should that second someotherguy be "serenejournal?"

No, he was pretending to be me. :-) I'm the one with all the rings. (He has two, I have three.)

[lcohen]

ahhhhh.

now it makes a lot more sense.

(i just realized that i have three wedding rings, too. all in the safe deposit box. or four, depending on how you count.)