Wow, Laura, I didn't know you'd been through all that. I"m so glad that everything you are doing now seems to be working for you health-wise.

Thanks, -t. I didn't know how much I talked about it here. It was a most horrific month or so! I do feel like I have taken charge of my health now. Really the weight is the only big thing now, and that should be easier to get under control now that I am not starving! Rx solutions and me just don't get along.

After I have been off medication for another couple months or so I will have the doctor do another 24 hour EEG and hope to get an all clear. Fun stuff, walking around with dozens of wires glued to your head for 24 hours! When I had the test done last year it happened on the exact same day that I had to move out of the house I had been renting for 4 years because it had been sold. It was a complete horror being all doped up on seizure meds, and not clear headed enough to realize the cough medicine I was chugging for a persistent cough was making me that much more dopey. And moving my household. It was overwhelmingly awful.

But in the Spring I said enough and began cutting down on the meds. Cut way back on my work load. Spent a long summer in the mountains relaxing and reading lots of fiction. Then back in Florida I stepped it up more by going off the meds completely and being insistent on not overdoing.

Granted my not overdoing is still working at least 12 hour days, usually 7 days a week. But I do take more breaks and do more of the things I enjoy. Cooking more. Reading more. Refusal to get caught up in family drama. I'm feeling pretty optimistic.

Granted my not overdoing is still working at least 12 hour days, usually 7 days a week. But I do take more breaks and do more of the things I enjoy.

Yay taking breaks and enjoying things, but dang girl, that's still a lot of work!

Damn, Laura -- that sounds like a terrible time! I'm glad you're on the other side of it.

I finished getting my package together for my Buffista giftee! This is most impressive to me.

Me too! Haven’t wrapped anything up or sent it out yet, but all has been ordered or acquired. I’m kind of stunned.

Giftee, I SUCK. I am trying to stay afloat, but stuff will come. I promise.

(As a prior Kat-giftee, I can say without reservation that she does not suck. HPF covets my block calendar. And is not getting it.)

As a prior Kat-giftee, I can say without reservation that she does not suck.

Ditto!! You have a lot on your plate, Kat. There is time to get this done after school breaks. Don't let it add to your stress. If you need any help let us know.

2014 can just go - the sooner the better.

My mother died in late August and, since I wasn't sufficiently devoted, my sister has cut me off. Doesn't answer phone calls, mail is sent back unopened.

Work has been stressful. One of the people above me in the organization has taken me as her personal serf. She refuses to review anything electronically, so draft of electronic newsletter, mass emails, and web pages she review ... she prints them out and leaves a mark-up (with unreadable scribbles) for me to correct. She also ignores a lot of her emails. And, just to make this more fun, she tends to approve things to go out (new releases, newsletters, emails) and then, when the final version goes out, starts giving me more edits. Since she refuses to work electronically, she refuses to learn to look up addresses in our database ... and tells me to look it up for her and give her address, etc. Since she insisted she not be given access to the admin. site for our website, any web pages have to be printed for her review ... and, since she doesn't understand how HTML works, I have to explain that, no, it's not possible to do what she wants. She also has a tendancy to go through the website and insist that certain pages be deleted or be significantly changed ... without consulting the people in whose areas they fall. Right now she's insisting that the Board of Directors for 2014 be removed and replaced with the 2015 Board ... because she promised that the 2015 roster would be up on the website by the middle of December (having a temporary page for 2015 that would become permanent in January isn't good enough for her).

To make life complete, my phone died. I'd been nursing my old rotary dial phone along; it's hardwired to the wall (yes, it's old) but a while ago a friend was trying to call me and it didn't ring. I got a new phone and will try plugging it into one of the phone jacks but I suspect I'm going to have to have the place rewired ... which is going to cost. Meanwhile, since I can't get a cell phone signal in my apartment, I have no phone service at home.

I'm just hoping 2015 is better ... doesn't even have to be a lot better.

Oh, man, Toddson, that is a lot. I hope 2015 brings a lot of ease for you.