Dear, stop swearing so frikkin loud and quoting Garth Brooks songs.

I'm going to clear out the kitchen now.

There's just got to be some combo of losing weight and exercising more that will make this stop happening.

That's a lot to expect with a baby and a novel-writing career, plus freelancing. Unless you can figure out some way to hook Annabel onto a miniature Ferris Wheel that's powered by a stationary bicycle that powers your PC.

I'm swearing because I can't punch pillows, dear. And what Garth Brooks am I quoting?

Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)

I love that song.

Susan, fwiw, the thing your shoulder probably most needs is rest. Plus anti-inflammatories. And some of that heat/cold combo thing I hear all the old kids are doing.

But going on a house cleaning binge is contraindicated.

Okay. You can put a dust-mop on your butt and scoot around. But that's it.

Err... I was out of the Both Kinds of Music Closet, right?

I didn't just accidentally out myself or nothin'...

That's a lot to expect with a baby and a novel-writing career, plus freelancing. Unless you can figure out some way to hook Annabel onto a miniature Ferris Wheel that's powered by a stationary bicycle that powers your PC.

She'd like that.

I do need to do something about living healthier, though you're completely right that I'm too busy to fit in a really fancy exercise program or spend a lot of time cooking. But I've got too much of a family legacy of diabetes/heart diseases/cancer to not take better care of myself. And I don't want to look all plump and jawless and shlumpy in my author pictures once I sell.

And I don't want to look all plump and jawless and shlumpy in my author pictures once I sell.

One thing at a time, darlin'. Once you get that big juicy advance you can hit the gym.

Err... I was out of the Both Kinds of Music Closet, right?

Shall I cue the Hank Ketchum for you?

I'm swearing because I can't punch pillows, dear.

Uh, couch? Love seat? Throw pillows?

Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)

I love that song.

I never would have guessed that. That's just... extremely surprising.

Susan, fwiw, the thing your shoulder probably most needs is rest. Plus anti-inflammatories. And some of that heat/cold combo thing I hear all the old kids are doing.

I'm resting it already, if not quite the best I can, a good bit. I lie around a lot. PBS babysits Annabel. I take 600 mg ibuprofen every 6 hours in the day, plus a flexeril and a tylenol 3 at night (don't want to do those in the day because I'd doze off on Annabel). I've been icing it, but not using heat, because my PT was all "ice, yay! heat, boo!" with my lower back thing.

That's the frustrating part. It's not like I'm cruising through normal life expecting it to get better on its own. I'm doing the right things and they're not helping.