tai chi

did the first 6 steps this morning! i really need to do another class, and learn the rest properly. i always mess up the one after "repulse the monkey."

yay for physio

three cheers for angus, who miraculously had a cancellation this morning, so i was able to see him right away instead of having to wait forever for an opening! my shoulder has dropped almost back into "normal" position, and i can turn my head to the right again. whee!

note to self: do more flossing! and get back to the tai chi for general posture help!

bah

well, this isn't good.

i woke up in the wee hours this morning because my back is wrecked. i must have slept funny, because it happened while i was asleep, but i woke up with the old "my spine is melting" feeling and struggled to get back to sleep because nothing is comfortable. my shoulders are whacked, i can't turn my head to the right, and my left arm is going tingly with the odd stabby moment. waah.

worse luck, i am trying - and failing! - to remember the name of the painkiller i took that worked. i remember a few that *didn't* but i don't remember what *did.* i think it had a "c" in the name, and i couldn't take ibuprofen while i was on it. beyond that, i've no clue.

argh!

while i try to look up the old drug, i've left a message with my old physio angus that i need to see him NOW.

waah.

eta: arthrotec! i think that was it?

good news, bad news

the good news is, i rode my bicycle to work today! the ice is gone from the roads for the most part, so the bicycle lanes are back to their full width. (last week, they were barely 15cm wide at some points due to mounds of ice and snow filling the parking area, causing cars to park in the bike lanes.) felt good! got blood pumping! i definitely need the exercise.

the bad news is, this temporary crown - which was supposed to be good at least until the end of april, seems to be splitting/peeling off. if that makes any sense. boo, boo, boo. happened this morning during breakfast (1 fried egg, 2 slices bacon).

Getting better all the time

Except for continuing to be ravenously hungry, things are getting better here. Probably related to the days getting longer.

I saw my dentist, and my gum has healed enough that he was able to give me a temporary crown until I get the bridgework done. So, hallelujah! I’m still a little shy about chewing, but a hundred times more confident than I was before.

Haven’t been able to ride my bike (where is my headlight?? argh), but I have been walking to & from work this week, and it feels good! Weather is finally getting useful for outdoor activities again (although this morning we were hovering at the treacherous zero mark—lots of slippery patches).

And, best yet, I haven’t (knock wood) gotten the spring allergy/sickness! Stopped taking the antihistamine (too much drowsiness) but haven’t gotten sick.

Now, I just have to be more diligent about remembering my vitamins!

argh!

i can't believe it.

after all my cautious behaviour, today my filling pooped out. again.

that's - what, the third time? fourth? one hundredth? i've lost count.

i can feel a pain starting in near my temple though. bleah. advil time.

baked sago pudding

not necessarily the healthiest, but i loved this pudding as a child, and it is easy to eat!

baked sago pudding

1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbs white sugar
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sago
2 tbs butter
2 tsp brown sugar
cinnamon for sprinkling

combine first five ingredients in a small saucepan; cover and leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

simmer the soaked sago for 10 minutes over a medium flame. stir in butter and stir till melted through.

pour into 2 ramekins and place in a bain-marie; bake at 350 for 30 min.

sprinkle the tops with brown sugar and cinnamon and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sugar is melted and forming a crust.

pâté

flavourful, comforting!

pâté

2 small onions
4 oz mushrooms
¼ lb butter
½ lb chicken livers
fresh tarragon
salt and pepper
¼ cup sherry

mince the onions and mushrooms as finely as possible. sautée gently in butter over low heat until soft. Turn up the heat just a bit, and toss in the chicken livers and minced tarragon to taste, tossing until the livers look just cooked.

throw into a blender with the seasonings and sherry, or chop as fine as possible and try to force through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and then beat it all together. pack into a dish (this recipe fills two individual-size soufflé dishes), and chill several hours before serving.

if you want to make it nice, top with whole tarragon leaves and a thin layer of clarified butter.