Tag Archives: headache

Well, I Tried

It was SUPPOSED to be warmer today. I had all kinds of Mohawk Valley adventures planned. Oh well, I guess it was warmer. The temperature reached double digits, in fact, it was 17 degrees the last time I looked. Heat wave!

I did venture out this morning, when it was still single digits. I had a bit of what I thought was a sinus headache but as usual hoped for the best. After all, the sun was out; that made everything better. Or did it? The bright sun reflecting off all the snow put my headache in high gear. At the first STOP sign I dug my prescription sunglasses out of my purse. They are polarized. Phew!

My most pressing task was to put air in my tires, because the tire pressure indicator light was on. Isn’t it the damnedest thing that just when you want to put air in your tires, so does everybody else? I did my other stuff first.

I patronized two local businesses and had a lovely visit to a library. That should be good for at least three blog posts, right? Well, the headache only got worse. I blamed the frigid temperatures (and, please, anybody who is experiencing sub-zero temperatures, do NOT tell me I don’t know what cold temperatures are)(that’s a good topic for some half-baked philosophy next Lame Post Friday: perspective and the advice to quit whining). Where was I? Soon I had a full-blown migraine with nausea.

Naturally I did what any self-respecting 21st century woman does: I went home and posted on Facebook about my misery. And distracted myself by seeing other people’s problems, political opinions, kids’ pictures and jokes. I love Facebook. And yes, I know, I am not a real 21st century woman. For one thing, I’ve never used the word “hashtag” in my life, except to say, “Why are you calling a pound sign a hashtag? What’s that all about?”

And now I’m getting all distracted by nonsense. My headache is better, but my head is still kind of vague. I put some peppermint oil on my temples, which is supposed to provide intellectual stimulation. Perhaps I have nothing up there left to stimulate.

In my defense, by some calculations the Christmas season lasts until January 6th. Let’s pretend I’m still on vacation.

At Least I Left the House

I know, running errands is not the same thing as going running. I’m impressed with myself that I left the house at all, so those that are more dedicated and tougher than I, oh well, it’s nice for you, that’s all.

I think my stupid cold is reaching its climax and I will begin the slow road back to health tomorrow. I had a dreadful headache for most of the day. the worst thing about being sick was that I had several potential Mohawk Valley adventure waiting for me. A sleigh ride in Meyers Park, a craft fair and bake sale in Mohawk, an open house at Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts, the Herkimer County Historical Society’s gift shop open on Saturdays for December, and the annual Roast Beef Dinner at Christ Episcopal Church. All to be enjoyed by people other than me!

I watched a movie and crocheted, practiced “feed a cold,” and tried unsuccessfully to nap. At last I took a hot shower, and that seemed to help. I hadn’t meant to do anything, but I actually felt like putting on real clothes and making the attempt.

My plan was to get out of the house, pick up a prescription that was waiting for me, and make it to the roast beef dinner for take-out. When I saw that my beloved schnoodle, Tabby, was waiting for me on the landing of the stairs, I reconsidered. It seemed too cold to let her wait in the vehicle while I did my errands, so I thought it was not unreasonable to take her for a walk before I left.

The sun was just about to go down after a cloudy day. I don’t mind the gloom. I enjoyed the neighbors’ Christmas lights as usual, as well as the sight of bare trees against the grey sky. We only went around the block (Tabby’s idea). I grabbed my purse and got out the door before I could change my mind.

My errands did not take me long. I was especially happy about the roast beef. For one thing, I like to support the church. Even more importantly, Steven went back to work after lunch thinking I would not make it there, and I didn’t have any other bright ideas for supper. Won’t he be pleased, especially when he finds I even got dessert?

Yes, Another Damn Headache

Dear Reader,

Please excuse Mohawk Valley Girl from making a blog post today. She has a very bad headache.

Sincerely,
Mohawk Valley Girl

OK, that was really lame, and it is not Lame Post Friday yet. I would like to spout out some half-baked philosophy regarding the contention that a foolish blog post is better than no blog post at all. But, again, half-baked philosophy is for Lame Post Friday. What I am really hoping for, however, is I Don’t Have a Headache Friday.

Interesting phenomenon: I dragged myself from my sickbed to write just a couple of lines so that I’ve posted something, and I can’t seem to stop typing.

OK, now I can.

Beyond Lame

It is a rare day when I can’t even seem to write a post about Why I Can’t Write a Post Today. Then again, it is Lame Post Friday. How lame is it to not even be able to write a lame post?

In my defense… oh, never mind my defense. It’s just more kvetching about my ill health. What in the world is the matter with me anyways? All I do is complain. Then again, the more you complain, the longer God lets you live, according to an older sister of mine.

That is pretty much what I wrote at work. Then I worked on my novel, so at to ease my guilt, and wrote a letter, because I like to write a letter. My usual method while at work is to think about my blog post while working then write it on a break. I had other things to think about today. I’m going wine tasting with the girls tomorrow. That is, the girls in my family. I could go into some half-baked philosophy about how hanging out with your family is both more and less pressure than hanging out with friends, but quite frankly, I’m afraid some of my family might read this. Probably they won’t, but you never know.

In the meantime, my headache is back, so to avoid more tiresome kvetching, I will end this post. Just barely over 200 words. I say it’ll do.

Did I Mention I Have a Headache?

I started to write a post about a wonderful Mohawk Valley adventure Steven and I had last night. I was writing it at the laundromat, not exactly an adventure, but in the Mohawk Valley so I technically could have written about that. The writing was not going well, because I have one of those debilitating headaches I get sometimes.

I thought no problem, I have all day. A nap will probably fix me right up. It did not. Steven came home from work at 2:30. A cup of coffee would no doubt help. It did not. We went to the Ilion Farmer’s Market anyways, yes, something else I could write a post about. But I still have a headache.

We came home. I fixed supper, which I suppose I could write about, but it was a mere recombination of leftovers in a not especially innovative way. Still, when has that stopped me? Unfortunately, you see, there’s this headache.

So I guess it’s a blogger’s sick day, because I’m not even up to writing about how I can’t seem to write, another subject I have often gotten a post out of.

Many years ago I wrote a paper for a Shakespeare class in which I kept saying things I could have gotten into, but the paper was not long enough. The professor wrote a note that he found it frustrating that all I kept talking about what I wasn’t going to talk about. He still gave me an A on the paper, so you see, I have a long history of being rewarded for folly. I hope to see you again on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

I Whine, Then I Write

A few days ago, when I was taking kind of a blogger’s sick day, I speculated that had I stayed home and napped, drunk tea and read all day rather than going to work, I would have felt better and been able to write a better post. Today I had the opportunity to test that theory.

If you’re guessing I discovered the answer was not so much, give yourself a pat on the back, if you are able to do so without dislocating your shoulder.

Yes, I am still ill. Tuesday will make a week, but I think I will make bold to call my primary care physician on Monday to book an appointment. In the meantime, I need a blog post for today. Naturally I did not go running. I did not even feel up to a slow, gentle stroll with my schnoodle, Tabby. As I made my way upstairs and waited for the computer to get to the right page, all I could think was, “I can’t write a post! What can I write a post about? All I can say in a post is that I feel sick and I can’t write a post!”

Boohoo for me. Sorry about that.

The fact is, now that I am typing and words are appearing on the screen before me, I feel somewhat better. Still headachey, still light-headed, but insensibly somewhat better. Could it be the magic of writing? Or has the caffeine from the tea I just drank kicked in?

No matter, I am over 200 words. I have long decreed that an acceptable length for a blog post. But this somewhat better feeling is so interesting, I may go downstairs and try to write something else.

I’ll report on it tomorrow, on Wrist to Forehead Sunday.

Maybe Next Time with Peas

People share all kinds of good advice on Facebook lately. Decorating ideas, recipes, security concerns… and some health suggestions.

My cousin posted a rather silly looking picture of a girl sitting crouched over on the edge of her bathroom sink. To cure a headache, the caption said, sit with your hands and feet in warm/hot water and put a bag of frozen peas on the back of your neck. It went on to explain how this worked, but I don’t read all these things any more than I pay attention to all the plot points on cheesy horror movies.

My first thought, which I immediately posted as a comment, was that I could never do this as there are never frozen peas in my house. I hate cooked peas, always have. I like to eat raw peas straight out of the pod, I add for the sake of pea lovers who might be inclined to cut my acquaintance. My sister suggested I purchase one bag of frozen peas for just such a purpose. I thought this not a bad suggestion, as I would be disinclined to cook and eat any vegetable that had spent an appreciable amount of time on the back of my head.

Of course I did no such thing.

However, suffering from yet another headache this afternoon, I thought I would try the technique, as best as I could. I did not sit on the edge of my bathroom sink. For one thing, I’m far too lazy to clear it off for such a purpose. For another, I really do not need to know whether my fat ass will or will not crack marble (I’m hoping not, but why put it to the test?) (oh, I know, back on the South Beach Diet for me). I sat on the edge of my tub. A frozen gel pack substituted for the peas. Nobody took a picture for Facebook and other embarrassing purposes, so if anybody had their hopes up, sorry.

And I am sorry to report: it did not work for me. Maybe I had the wrong kind of headache.

On the brighter side, I thought it would make an acceptable blog post for a Non-Sequitur Thursday. Hmmm… I guess nothing particularly non-sequiturish about it, but it will have to do. I hope to see you (figuratively speaking, of course) on Lame Post Friday.

At Least I Have Clean Socks

I was going to put “Underwear” instead of “Socks,” but felt certain some wise ass would say, “TMI!” my most loathed and abhorred thing to hear (except, possibly for “We have to talk”) (and now I’ve given myself the heebie-jeebies, just thinking of those two things).

My computer is telling me “heebie-jeebies” is misspelled, but the dictionary says it is correct (I was going to put that in the above paragraph in parentheses, but feared having too many parenthetical comments) (oops).

Where was I? Ah yes, another post on Why I Can’t Write a Post. In today’s case it is another Blogger’s Sick Day, though, because I have a dreadful headache. I will take time to share two things that made the end of my day a little bit brighter.

As you may have guessed by the headline, we did laundry. And we didn’t plan ahead enough to have something in the crock pot waiting for us when we got home. And we didn’t have our act together enough to order something for pick up on the way home. And I was hungry enough to get irritated (oh, all right, I’ll admit it doesn’t take much) (there I go with the parentheses again).

Enter my wonderful husband, Steven. I was going to grudgingly accept the idea of sandwiches when he suggested taking some good rye bread we happen to have and some deli ham and cheese and making grilled sandwiches. How good did that sound! Yummy! How does such a little thing as some time on a frying pan transform pedestrian, blah, at-least-its-food into a tasty treat suitable for blog mention? I don’t know, and it’s not the day for half-baked philosophy, so let’s just enjoy. I did.

I went to check my Facebook notifications before making my blog post and discovered… I won a Croghan Bologna contest! I LOVE Croghan Bologna! I’ve been scheming how to talk Steven into a road trip to or through Croghan, NY to get me some. I know it will make a great blog post.

So my headache is still with me, but my day is brighter. And perhaps by tomorrow my blog will be more interesting. As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

Oh, Just Write It!

Is cooking conducive to writing? Discuss amongst yourselves.

I am not exactly cooking as I write this (by hand in a notebook, standing at my kitchen counter). I am popping popcorn (on the stove in oil, as God intended) (it’s JUST an EXPRESSION! Sheesh!).

I wrote that much and got stuck. Still, I got the urge to open the notebook and start writing as soon as I got the oil in the pot. I thought that was interesting.

You know, I think Wrist to Forehead Sunday is becoming even more deeply ingrained into my schedule than Lame Post Friday. Actually, this morning, I am more inclined to put the palm of my hand or my cold fingers on my forehead, because I have a dreadful headache. Partying too heartily on Saturday night, you ask? Well, I don’t know about that, but I did stay up later than normal.

Be all that as it may, what is a blogger to do when a post must be written (according to my rules, anyways) but her head is aching and she wants nothing better than to retreat into the TV watching and crocheting portion of the day (I got some new yarn especially for the purpose)? What I did do was eat the popcorn and think about it (Steven was hogging the computer anyways), then pour myself some blue Gatorade (for some reason good for headaches) and get onto the computer to Write The Damn Thing Anyways.

We did go for a most enjoyable walk with Tabby earlier (before the headache had kicked in). It was still cool out, not too sunny, which was good since I had forgotten my Crazy Old Lady hat. We stopped and chatted with some neighbors who were having a garage sale (didn’t buy anything for once). We discussed our respective flood experiences, what we’d heard about who lost what, and had anybody gotten any money from insurance or the government yet. We concluded that we had been more fortunate than some others.

Well, look at that, word count over 300. I call that respectable. Don’t worry (if you even were), I won’t be too lame in the coming days. We saw an awesomely cheesy movie last night (when I may or may not have been partying too heartily), and I hope to do some bloggable cooking today. As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.

Wish I Had Written That Spare Post

I think I was really onto something with the idea of “In Case of Emergency Hit Publish” (or else I was on something, I think the saying goes). However, the sad truth is, I have not written any other spare posts. Could be a problem.

This morning instead of writing my post, I started writing another play. I haven’t quite finished the last play I was working on, but it has gotten to the point where I need to type in the first draft, print it out and ponder my options.

There I was, scribbling notes on a Christmas play. I wasn’t really nuts about it so far, but I persevered. And I had my reward, because in the midst of my note making, I came up with something I liked. Ha ha ha (satisfied chuckle). I hope nobody feels frustrated that I can’t share it with you, but I think I’ve mentioned how it is a mistake to talk about a piece of writing before it is finished. In fact, I’ve said too much already.

Still, I thought, Non-Sequitur Thursday. How hard can it be? Moreover, it can’t be too long of a post, because I have a dinner meeting of Ilion Little Theatre tonight.

Here’s a grammatical note, just to veer into Stream of Consciousness Thursday instead: I think the proper construction is “too long a post,” but I seem to like better the sound of “too long of a post” when I say it in my head. I always say things in my head when I write them. Sometimes after I write them I call Steven upstairs and say them out loud.

To continue with my Thursday story, as the day wore on, I developed a rather severe headache. I think it has something to do with the weather, but I’m not a doctor, so what do I really know? I was in pain. I did not write further on subsequent breaks.

Now I am at home and the headache has subsided. The result of the Equate Migraine Relief? The blue Gator Ade? Being home with my husband and dog? The coffee Steven made for me? No matter. I’m good to type, if only I had written something to type in.

And just like that, I have over 300 words. Oh, I love this blogging hobby. Tomorrow I will attempt to forgo Lame Post Friday and come up with something real to write about, but I can make no promises. As always, I hope you’ll stay tuned.