Blog Archives
A Box and Some Plans
I research, plan, change my mind, become obsessed and repeat when I’m working on projects… from home stuff to sewing, cooking to gardening. Last night I actually bought what I had been planning.
Hence, the box:
Brad has yet to realize that when I say, “Here take my picture” it’s going to appear in a blog…
The box contains a piece of furniture, it’s not terribly exciting but that will wait until another day. I stopped on my way home last night to pick up my box, fully expecting to be drenched by the derecho somewhere in the process. I figured I would spend a rainy evening assembling its contents. I was half right… I assembled the contents but it remained a reasonably nice weather evening and didn’t start to storm until much later.
As you can see, the box is about a head shorter than me, and I would approximate it’s weight at about 45 pounds. Not terrible, but awkward. Since I stopped on my way home, I was wearing the above outfit, plus a cardigan and wedges. I took my box out to the car in a cart, popped open the hatch and laid down one of the rear seats. I then proceeded to slide the box out of the cart while trying to keep the cart from dinging the car and the box from hitting the ground. This was not a graceful process.
Once I had closed up the car, I noticed a little old man in a car parked in a handicap space, watching me and chuckling. All I can say is that I hope he was impressed by my small, yet mightiness!
Anyway, onto the plans… Read the rest of this entry
Probably Rachel Just Got Shorter
Rest assured, I did not shrink (that would be bad news), the URL to get here shrunk. I’m now the proud owner of probablyrachel.com.
The “old” URL will still get you here, but if you want to shorten any links you have to me, go for it!
This blog has looked pretty much the same for a couple of years and I like it, but I’m considering making some other changes that extend beyond my address and picture. If that happens, you’ll know. The content that you know (and hopefully love) will continue.
I haven’t said thanks to you all in awhile, so thank you for being wonderful! I appreciate the conversation, shares, support and time with your eyeballs that I get.
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Blog Action Day: The Power of We (in the DOC)
My First Full Year with Diabetes
This year felt like it flew by! 2012 has been my first full year of living with Type 1 diabetes, this month’s DSMA Blog Carnival prompt spurs a long summary of a short-feeling year.
The prompt:
Take a moment to reflect on diabetes in 2012 – on a personal level, on a community level, on a technological level, anything you can think of. What things stand out to you the most? What did 2012 and Diabetes mean to you?
Community
- I made a lot of friends this year online
- I had the pleasure of sharing thoughts with members of the community and a company that makes my life better every day
- When I had questions, people answered
- I was able to advocate and educate those around me more this year
- I’ve been able to celebrate successes with friends online and offline when it comes to their health
Technology Read the rest of this entry
Doomed But Still Thankful
My boss had a cold last week. My husband developed a cold last week.
I was doomed to develop a cold this weekend.I’m currently a sniffly, coughing mess.
Now that you have that mental image… I’m still being thankful. With Thanksgiving being THIS week, I think it’s important to keep acknowledging both the big and small things.
1. My Home. It’s beautiful, safe, warm and ours. We finally received our deed in the mail so it’s “officially official” as Brad would say. Back in April when we first saw it, I thought it was a place I could be happy, but it’s so much more. It really is home and I love it.
2. My Education. It was expensive, it was stressful, it serves me every single day. The classroom learning, the life lessons, the internships, everything that happened in college on campus or off either served to increase my knowledge… or make an excellent story.
3. Parents. I had excellent parents. They weren’t perfect, but no parent is perfect. Now that I’m all grown up, I value my relationship with my mom more than ever. I’m sad that my father’s last conversation with me took place on the phone with both of us in hospital beds, miles apart but I’m thankful that I was able to have him here into adulthood.
4. Good advice. I’ve received some good advice in the past couple of weeks that I’m glad I took to heart.
5. Insulin. I wouldn’t be here without it. Read the rest of this entry
Friday Five: Things I Love Right Now
1. Hummus. Brad doesn’t like hummus so I don’t get it very often, but I decided to pick some up for me the other day and it’s tasty! A good low carb snack with some carrots (also good with pita chips!)
2. Pinterest’s new secret boards. Don’t tell anyone, but I have a secret board for pinning gift ideas. I like keeping track of things using Pinterest so now I can keep ideas on there without worrying that the potential recipients might see them.
3. Tights. Warm, covered, cute legs make me happy. Now that I’m wearing dresses and skirts more, I like being able to keep that going in the winter. Also, the pods and I are making a fashion statement.
4. Seat heaters. Nothing like a toasty bottom in the morning. So much better than freezing it off on cold leather. The really lucky drives (*cough*cough* Brad*) have heated steering wheels. Read the rest of this entry
Week Two of Thanks
Normally thankful stuff is reserved for Thursdays… but I’m going to shake things up! For the rest of the month, Tuesdays are thankful days.
One thing for each day. What I’ve been thankful for in the past week:
- Humor. Jokes and general fun make life much more enjoyable. Being able to laugh with people I love is truly a gift.
- Grocery stores. Everything I need/want is waiting on a shelf for me to take home. It’s a convenience that is often taken for granted.
- Good conversations. Nice catch-up sessions with friends and family are always wonderful. Topics ranging from weddings to politics and wine to technology.
- Quiet weekends. Having a day at home without a massive to-do list is very relaxing. Weekends are supposed to provide us rest and we often choose to spend them running around or working. A break is nice.
- Excellent deals. Good prices that make things we love but don’t need acceptable to bring home are always nice.
- Seasons. Not everyone gets the variety that we do in Northeast Ohio. The vast range of temperatures from below zero to above 100 added to the various types of precipitation makes us very resilient and versatile people. Each season carries its own unique loveliness that I would miss living somewhere else.
- Insurance. After being afraid of a lapse in coverage between plans, we received our cards and didn’t have even a day without it. Not everyone appreciates insurance, anyone with a chronic health condition understands the importance of being covered.
What thing(s) are you thankful for this week?
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Thankful in November
There are a lot of people posting daily one thing that they are thankful for. I haven’t been one of them, seeing as it’s November 6th, I think I can catch up a little and spread some thanks once a week.
- My husband. It’s a typical number one on the list, but for very good reason. I write about him a lot so you probably already have some idea why. I’m thankful for the past six years that he’s been in my life (even though he told me it was seven the other night) and I’m thankful for the future we have together.
- Electricity. I’m thankful that we have this amazing thing to power our homes and lives. I’m especially thankful that we were able to keep ours throughout the storm and that many have had theirs restored. I hope that those still living without, have it back soon.
- My kitties. It’s no secret I love animals, by Holmes and Watson really turn on the charm. They’ve shown many people already that not all cats are aloof and give affection to anyone who we welcome into our home.
This picture would be better if he were actually sitting with a Sherlock Holmes novel
Stormy Weather
I’m sure you’re all sick of hearing about the storm, but it’s at the forefront of our minds right now.
I woke up this morning in a warm home that had power. I made the drive into work to a warm office that has power. Considering what things are like for the rest of Cleveland and those on the East Coast, I’m very blessed. Before I launch into some new grown up things I’ve learned from being affected by a hurricane all the way in Northeast Ohio, let me first say a couple of things.
1. Drive with your headlights on. Not only is it safer it’s the law. In Ohio, if you have your windshield wipers running, your headlights should be on. It’s been a few days since we’ve seen the sun here, so turn them on so we can see you! Seriously. Be safe.
2. Traffic lights that are out become ALL WAY STOPS. Got that? People get hurt when you ignore traffic laws, so be patient, be considerate and follow the law please.
Last evening we went out in the weather and got our normal weekly groceries and made our normal monthly stop at Costco. When we returned home, we had some very anxious kitties. They didn’t like the wind blowing, the rain hitting on the windows or the other strange sounds. They seemed much calmer after we’d been home for a bit.
Being first time homeowners, we made some plans of what to do if we lose power. We charged up our phones and laptops, then before heading off to bed, Brad took a walk around the house and checked all of the windows and doors for leaks. We haven’t had crazy storms since moving in, so he figured after a couple of days of rain, it’d be worth checking out. He found a minor leak in the glass block beside the front door that can be easily fixed once it’s dried out.
I didn’t get much time to assess for damage this morning. We have a disconnected downspout, but the downspout is still attached, my pumpkin is still sitting on the front porch so I suspect not much has blown away. This morning was supposed to be trash collection so all of the bags and cans that were put out last night blew down the street. That’s probably the most annoying thing is being careful of garbage in the streets.
Some schools were canceled, but being an adult means that you get in the car and go to work if you can. Brad woke up to an email informing him and his colleagues that today would be business as usual. The commute in was rough, not entirely due to the weather, but due to the other drivers who got confused by traffic lights not working. There were downed branches and street closures, half of the traffic lights on my route were dark and there were about half as many cars on the road than usual.
It’s a quiet day in the office, but things are getting done. I know it’s not over. Watching the live stream of Lake Erie waves tells me that it’s not over. But I’m hearing about people already getting some power back, so I’m hopeful.
Stay safe, warm and dry friends.
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Fall Weekend: Pumpkins, Recipes, Vampires
I’m writing one of those rare weekend wrap up posts. I had a pretty busy fall weekend.
FRIDAY
We went over to our friends’ apartment to split a pizza. I helped my friend with her wedding invitations and our guys played Call of Duty. Nothing screams “Wedding!” like the sounds of fighting zombies in the background.
SATURDAY
We had lunch at my mom’s where I enjoyed chili for the the first time in my life. (Enjoyed, not ate.) My mom made her chili with black beans and unnoticeable onions, so I actually liked it.
Saturday even called for pumpkin carving. Something that I had NEVER done before! When we were kids we got to paint pumpkins and now that I’ve carved one, I can see why my parents didn’t carve pumpkins with us. They would have done most of the work! I did completely clean and carve my own pumpkin. My friend had templates, but I don’t think I was quite ready for anything complicated, so I drew a K on my pumpkin and carved away.
The expert pumpkin and the beginner, all lit up
After the carving fun, we settled in to watch a not-scary Halloween movie. We watched Dark Shadows, I found it pretty funny.
SUNDAY Read the rest of this entry
Fun Fact
May 24
Posted by Probably Rachel
Here’s a fun fact for your Friday, courtesy of the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms (3rd Edition):
Knowledge
I was looking up a technical term to solve a capitalization question (my life is thrilling, right?) When I was flipping through, I stopped on this page and the word “diabatic” jumped out at me. Sounds like it would be describing a batty person with diabetes… but nope, just thermodynamic stuff.
Have a wonderful Friday!
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Write what you mean
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Posted in Commentary, Type 1 Diabetes
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Tags: Blogging, Diabetes, fun fact, science, words