Part IA, Part UP

IA: Spent 90 minutes (of a 60 minute lunch) running around trying to find very basic things (pie tin, rolling pin). Failed miserably (unless you count the option to pay £120 for a pie tin at John Lewis, which I don't).

UP: At least since I arrived back at work so late (and still hadn't eaten, so took time to do that), it's almost the end of the work day?

UP: The event the pie plate is for! 

IA. I have bought a couple new pairs of jeans that fit but are a bit on the loose side though.

UP. I bought a couple pairs of jeans a size smaller I can get into them an done up but are a bit snug I'm ok with that & they were on sale as well half price!!   

I've got two:

UP: Towels off of heated towel racks! MMMmmm, love and happiness and everything that's good about winter, in my bathroom.

IA: Brushing up against said heated towel rack while hanging up one's towel. Owie.

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UP: I seem to have lost weight!

IA: I only know this because I can now take off all of my tousers without undoing the buttons - even when wearing long-johns. I guess I should figure out where I left my belt...

IA:  Finally removed the nail polish from my last pedicure, trimmed my nails & somehow managed to trim part of a toe in the process - ouch!  It was like the clippers just came from nowhere & bit me! 

UP:  Get my all new shiny Christmas pedicure in just three weeks!    (not that anyone will see it with my feet encased in these thick warm hiking socks that I end up wearing all winter long...ahem, well I do wash them...rotating pairs  )

I live in hiking socks, too 

Today marks 1 year of living with MS. (While knowing that's what it is anyway.) My feelings are so mixed that I can't really even separate my thoughts. It's a relief to know what it is, and it's hard to know what it is at the same time. The name of the disease has a very bad connotation. But for me, it's just become part of my life and the words don't mean anything anymore. It's just the name that I can give to the problems I have been suffering with for years.

I often get down when I am feeling tired or achey, or when I get home from work and just collapse on the couch and know that I can't do anything else, even around the kitchen, for the rest of the day. But at the same time, if I felt like that pre-diagnosis I would think "God, why am I so lazy? Look at all the things other people do when they get home from work." And would push myself too hard. I have learned a lot about listening to my body as a direct result of my diagnosis, and it has made a big difference in my life and how I view myself.

I've always known that my DH is supportive and wonderful, and different from anyone I've ever known. But after my diagnosis he really jumped into action. He helps me up the stairs when I'm tired; he always jumps in and reminds me when I'm expecting too much of my body; he tells me to lay down after work when I've had a particularly rough day, making and bringing me dinner in bed; he does my injection half the time and decided to not use the auto-inject anymore (watched video training to do this) because he thought it might hurt me a bit less... I certainly never forget how lucky I am to have him.

Not to mention, if I was still living in the USA, I would be living without a diagnosis and without treatment. I have gone 15 months without a relapse. Without my free medication that is delivered to my door every month, that Americans with MS pay thousands of dollars for every months, I would have a much different life.

Thus ends my rambly post.

Thus ends your lovely reflective post. 

IA: DH's business is having the busiest manic Christmas Season yet.

UP: DH's business is having the busiest manic Christmas Season yet.

IA: Tube strike.

UP: My trains ran on time, weren't as packed as I thought they would be and I wasn't really affected at all.

IA: Tube strike as well.

UP: My buses weren't crowded at all, really, I got a seat both ways.

IA: Came home to find myself unable to unlock my door (think the cold has altered the lock somehow so the key won't turn.)

UP: Was able to get in through the window door, so at least I'm not stuck out in the cold.

My super promised to fix the leak in my bathroom while I was on vacation.

Up – He forgot and I didn’t have to clean my bathroom at 11 pm after my flight while feeling rather ill.

IA – I still have a leak in my bathroom.  Going on 2 months now.

IA : Due to weather, brrrrr cold temperatures, crappy roads- etc- the chorus was only about 1/6 of its normal size tonight.  And all of us were sneezing, blowing our noses, squeaking, etc - it was pretty amusing to say the least

UP: My sight-reading was on top form tonight, despite being squeaky and having to blow my nose every 4 seconds- I was rocking out singing!


IA: No matter how many times I sing the Hallelujah chorus, I always revert to the tenor part (I am not a bloke and I sing second alto!) - thanks to that being the trombone part in the brass quartet/quintent arrangement (and was the first part I ever learned).  Always have the tenor part in my head!!!

UP: Singing holiday music makes me happy!

IA: No matter how many times I sing the Hallelujah chorus, I always revert to the tenor part (I am not a bloke and I sing second alto!) - thanks to that being the trombone part in the brass quartet/quintent arrangement (and was the first part I ever learned).  Always have the tenor part in my head!!!

UP: Singing holiday music makes me happy!

The Hallelujah chorus is my favorite thing to sing! We always did it at our holiday concert in high school, so I have it memorized. I always sang the soprano part, but I find myself singing the alto part occasionally because it's more fun! 

The Hallelujah chorus is my favorite thing to sing! We always did it at our holiday concert in high school, so I have it memorized. I always sang the soprano part, but I find myself singing the alto part occasionally because it's more fun! 

It really is fun, isn't it? 

I always get made to sing the Soprano part because I can, but I love the Alto part. "and he shall reign, and he shall reign and he shall reign...." Altos rule.

IA: No matter how many times I sing the Hallelujah chorus, I always revert to the tenor part (I am not a bloke and I sing second alto!) - thanks to that being the trombone part in the brass quartet/quintent arrangement (and was the first part I ever learned).  Always have the tenor part in my head!!!

UP: Singing holiday music makes me happy!

I love this one too! Sang Soprano in Church...I'd love to belt it out right now but it's too early and this cold has absconded with my voice and I'm WAAAYYYYYY out of practice to even try! Would scare the neighbours!