Dear Carrie…..

Good morning dear Carrie………

I’m once again behind the eight ball with my email. 71 unanswered and unread tomes wait for me in my inbox. These are 71 emails that need actual answers. Imagine all the journal and diary friends I am not reading much less noting not mentioning replying to personal friends.

At least I got the business list stuff done before dawn. You are the first of my friends to find an actual email in your inbox from me. I apologize deeply. I don’t just owe you one note, but I see I owe you three. I think this makes my lack of response three times worse.

Diet: I have once again begun Weight Watchers this time at 220 instead of the 232 I was at a year ago. Of course, I obviously need to be going to OA meetings along with all the other things I do, but there is only so much time in a day. Chocolate calls me from everywhere, and I’m unable to refuse the calls in places like the movies. M&M’s have nothing on Ghirardelli’s, but still I eat those M&M’s.

Exercise: Perhaps I thought I was one of the good ol’ boys last week. Two large and muscular men plus me helped push a Suburban out of my lot last week. Their reverse didn’t work. When we got it out beyond the locked fence and I let go, I couldn’t close my right hand. By yesterday the agony was much diminished, and today I think I will live. The doc is unable to tell me why my tendons stretch out and don’t ever properly recover, so I guess I will just have to be aware of this thumb tendon and work through it.

Congratulations for going to the gym with such regularity. You inspire me. I’ll be starting back today…probably only on Monday’s and Wednesdays in the beginning. It has proved very hard for me to do the gym on days I work. Now I get to officially be at work at 073 to boot up that recalcitrant computer in time for the opening hour. Bed at nine. I don’t even have time to cook on those days much less go to the gym.

Speaking of cooking. I finally broke down and bought that gigantic vegetarian cook book they had at Costco. We had a wonderful potatoe gratin on Saturday night with fresh steamed green beans and a sliced ripe tomatoe. Desert: A few tablespoons of sugar free sorbet. Last night we had a low fat sweet potatoe and apple soup with a gooey salad. More than delightful. That one is more than a keeper. Let me know if you want the recipe.

G: I worry lots. Thank you for including him in your prayer list. He’s fine if he doesn’t do a thing. And thanks to the holidays and vacations, he has been unable to get into physical therapy with a recommended therapist. He should know something today from the Workman’s Comp carrier.

And he’s isolating again. It’s a part of the disease of alcoholism, but in him it has been reinforced. I only just woke up to how bad it has gotten this time. I’ve made jokes about it, but the actual consequences only rang alarm bells this last week.

He has only one friend he made on his own, and this friend, like any others in his life, doesn’t correspond. He doesn’t even write his brother. The ruptured disc has drawn him into almost total isolation off work right now. He’s been drawn into a vicious circle of keeping to himself, even from me. Not good.

He did want to go to the Auto Show yesterday. That was fascinating for me, and he hopped in and out of cars and trucks with his new techniques so there was no back pain. Progress. GM put on the biggest show with flashy new models that made you want to buy, buy, buy….until you saw the price. Scion was a delight. The PT Cruisers were the eye candy of the show….offering a convertible with a roll bar. Nissan had some new designs too. We are truck people, and the Chevy/GM or Toyota full size trucks seemed the best.

The trip: Wonderful. It’s a most amazing ship. I know you have seen my journal entries and photo albums. And yes, there is one more album coming. A two day stay is just about right to see the ship in relaxed comfort. It differs dramatically from that of a modern cruise ship, in purpose as well as design. In no way would it ever meet the modern SOLAS 2010 regs. All those beautiful woods everywhere. I’m so sorry that most of second class and all of third are gone now. Recreations don’t quite make the point as well as seeing the actual cabins.

Retreats: I like your calling your few days off a vacation. I take mini vacations to rebuild and restock my inner larder. We all need a bit of a retreat to take stock of where we are and what we need for the upcoming times. I need more people and in a more ordered fashion. My writing class is a good thing for me, but I think more small things like lunches with good friends are needed this upcoming year. Stir me up. Make me aware I’m in balance. I fall into the isolate trap with G too easily. I never did that before and don’t like it at all.

Brunch: None this year, darn it. Ruben’s and its adjacent floating restaurant are closed forever according to a sign on its door. Our collection of PJ’s were sadly not needed this year for the usual PJ buffet. We didn’t see D or M because of this, and we missed them and all their news. Double darn it.

How delightful you two took those books up to the Julian book store. Thank you. Even more delightful that you both took the wrong road and ended up down in the Imperial Valley and a long trip home. Yes, isn’t that drive something else again. I loved going from the lushness of the mountains to the drama of the starkness of the rocky desert. Hope you two stayed warm all the way.

Christmas: I hauled the ladder around, and G took the lights down yesterday. We usually leave the tree up until G’s birthday. Perhaps it is in reaction to both our parents having only a few days of the holiday every year. I had a week as a kid, but I think G had less. Now we leave it up till the 26th. It’s a delight that a few others do too.

I’m off to post this to you and the journal, then check and see if the Midway is any nearer to the coast. It appears the tug broke an oil line and the arrival has been delayed until three. I’ll check up with the rangers at the top of the point after the gym. Then I’ll take my reading to the bay this afternoon. Yes, I’ll take my camera too.

Many hugs to you….
I hope you feel refreshed after your peaceful retreat.

Georgette