Busy Weekend, Busy Week Ahead

This is going to be a busy, busy week. Hubby is heading out of town for a couple of weeks, at least. Actually, I don’t know exactly when he’s leaving and I don’t know exactly when he’s coming home. Nor do I know exactly where he is going. It looks like I’m going to be carving a pumpkin by myself (this is where you go, awwwwwww, poor baby. Go ahead, I’ll wait). But I think packing will go easier this time—he’s already decided which suitcase he wants to take (the big one).
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Since he’s going to be gone, I’m heading home for a visit. It’ll be a whirlwind tour considering how many people I want to see while I’m there, plus there are some festivals I want to go to. I emailed one of my closest friends and college roommate, A, to tell her I was coming into town. She’s very excited and said she’s none to happy to have to share her time with Mom and Jay. Isn’t she cute? It’s nice to be loved.

Now I have to figure out what to pack! The biggest issue is what knitting project can I take that everyone can see me working on. Oh, I know I could tell them it’s for someone else so that I won’t ruin the surprise, but I am the worst liar. Really. I don’t even play poker because I’d be terrible at bluffing. Well, that and I’d have to use a cheat sheet to remind me of what beats what.
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We went to a Chili Cookoff this weekend. We got there late and didn’t get to taste much chili, which is fine because in all humility I must say that I make one helluva batch of chili. By the time we got there, many of the booths were packing up to go home and they were starting the “Shoot and Holler” contest—take a shot of tequila and holler. Apparently, length of holler is an important quality. Also, the Mustang Club was having a car show, so we walked around that. Al had a Mach 1 that he and his dad restored when we were in college and we’ve had a couple of Mustangs since then. That’s what happens when you marry a car guy. But there were more new Mustangs there than anything, all with their hoods up. I just don’t get that. It was like being at a dealership instead of a car show. Here are a couple of pics of everything:







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Had some good news on the MS front last week. They have decided that it’s OK to use a shorter and thinner needle to administer the Avonex now. Yeah! OK, really good news would be that they’ve approved an oral medication, and really amazing news would be that they’ve suddenly found a cure, but I’ll take what I can get. So, instead of the needle being 1 ¼ inch, 23 gauge, it’s now 1 inch, 25 gauge (larger gauge, thinner needle). When I was diagnosed, the nurse told me when she first showed me that horse needle that it has to be long because Avonex has to be administered in the muscle. I guess it’s still long enough, even at an inch. She also said that it’s the breaking of the skin that hurts, so it’s not any more painful with a larger needle. Uh huh.

I haven’t called about getting a prescription yet, but I will this week. Even after giving myself that shot once a week for over 6 months now, every time I take the cap off, I think, “Holy Shit, that’s a big needle. I can’t do this.” But I do. I even have a little routine. I take it out early so it can warm up, take some ibuprofen, and get everything set up. When it’s time, I put the pre-filled syringe under my arm while I wash my hands so that the medicine will come up to room temperature and I won’t feel it going in. I swab my thigh with alcohol, get the band-aid ready, put the needle on, then decide where to aim the shot by stretching the skin tight (as opposed to subcutaneous shots that are under the skin, you don’t gather up some skin). Then I try to relax that muscle and say “one, two, three” but I don’t plunge it in yet. I never do it the first time; I don’t know why. And sometimes, I have to count to three a few times. Well, you try plunging that huge needle into your thigh on purpose—it ain’t easy. After two or three counts, I get frustrated with myself and just do it. It hurts less if you just jab it in, rather than going slowly. It takes 5 minutes, tops. And now, hopefully, it will be even easier and a little less painful.
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My horoscope for Tuesday says:

Your mind is sharp and your wit is sharper, therefore, there is absolutely nothing you can't think your way out of today! Your brains will beat anyone's brawn, so don't shy away from confrontations if one presents itself. Fresh ideas have a way of disarming people anyway -- when a new idea hits their radar, they don't know how to react to it because they've never had to react to it before. Have fun blowing people's minds with your 'out-there' ideas.

“Out-there” ideas. Actually, that could be true. I’m going to quilt group tomorrow, and I never fit in these groups. The fact that I’ve been married this long and don’t have kids confuses most women. The fact that I’m a liberal confuses most military people. The fact that I still like to have sex with hubby after 17 years of marriage confuses most wives—not because they want to have sex with someone besides their husbands but because they don’t want to have sex at all. Yes, it’s amazing what we women will talk about when you put us in a group.