thinking out loud

[cafe]

sleep
I've been getting eight hours sleep, but I still feel sleepy during the day. I could go back to sleep right now. I won't because I'm happy with myself for going to sleep before eleven and I don't want to ruin it.

yard
I bought an electric weed eater at Walmart for $20 a few days ago. D is supposed to come cut the grass today and I was going to see if he could help me figure it out. It's going to require putting together and I've never even used one before. I also need to find the giant extension cord.

cooking
I have four homemade meals in the freezer and one in the fridge. I have two more meals to make double of this week. I'm finding that if I cook a few days a week at midday, I don't mind so much. Doubling the meals makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something and it gives us something easy to have on days I don't cook.

I hope we're saving money, but I haven't really gathered the data to know for sure. I'm assuming the food is slightly healthier than prepared foods. Regardless, I'm enjoying the food because I like my cooking.

fretting, etc
The economy has me feeling nervous. Food and fuel are expected to continue to rise in price. Our income is unlikely to rise. Our expenses are fairly low for a family of six. We could lower them further, but cutting much will effect our quality of life and I'm not willing to do that at this point.

Since groceries are our single biggest expense, I'm wanting to start a garden. I'm going to need to get hold of a tiller somehow and get someone to run it. If I haven't figured anything out before, I'll rent one and Don will run it for me. I'd rather borrow one from a neighbor and have D run it. If I can get myself to do it, I'll have to ask around.

I've also considered raising rabbits and/or chickens. I'd prefer chickens because you don't have to kill them to get food out of them, but I live in town and I'm not sure if it's legal to have chickens in town. I'm pretty sure my neighbors do not want to hear a rooster crowing all the time. I haven't seen a yea or nay in the city codes and I have looked.

I am lazy, so I really don't want to take care of more critters than I have to. This year, I will see how the garden goes. If it's great and I love it, I will consider doing something more. I have doubts that the effort I'm willing to expend is going to make any marked difference in feeding my family.

Still want to get another fruit tree or two and to try blueberries and grapes again, though.

 

[heart]

yes, the economy makes me concerned too. If you are making double batches of homemade meals and actually eatting/using them, then you are bound to save money and like you say more nutrition. My friend uses pureed carrots in all the stuff she makes like that even tomato sauces, to add value.

One of our neighbors has a rooster here in the city limits, it is crowing all the time, drives me crazy.

I have been sleeping total of 14 hours or so a day now and still exhausted, don't know about where you are, but here pollen counts are high right now.

 

[cafe]

Allergies would make sense. I get sinus headaches this time of year, too, especially when it's going to rain.

 

[Geoff]

Cafe : that's air pressure sensitivity, mostly. Quite a common cause of headaches. Like the inside of many people's head is a busted barometer.

 

[cafe]

I wish my head would realize I can access the forecast on my computer so I don't need it to try to play barometer anymore.

 

[heart]

Allergies would make sense. I get sinus headaches this time of year, too, especially when it's going to rain.

I get this really bad, on the left side, down into my throat and into my chest sometimes, but the worst behind the left eye, feels like a freaking ice pick. This is a new development in my thrities by the way. Not all the time when the barometer changes, often enough! :steam:

I had a steam generator that used to help me A LOT, but it broke and my husband doesn't want me to get a new one because he says he can (and should) fix it, but he hasn't gotten around to it yet.

 

[Geoff]

What I find helpful is to gently use the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver

Basically.. pinch your nose and gently push the air through into your ears (might make them pop)... also can gently suck in so that the air is pushed through... the idea being to just get a bit of movement in the blocked tubes. I find this really helpful when this kicks in due to bad weather.

With luck, releasing the pressure like that a few times on and off on a day of near-ice-pick experience can keep it from ever really kicking on and triggering a migraine like experience.

Having said all that, I'm going to the doctor on thursday to see if he has any bright ideas (I might have a deep seated sinus infection, as I keep getting headaches, and my allergy screening came back clean except for grass pollen which isn't the cause)

 

[Jae Rae]

I also get pressure headaches and the icepick-in-the-eye pain from time to time. I was able to nip most migraines in the bud by doing biofeedback 25+ years ago; I've had only one or two since then. But these other headaches and pains are different. Thanks for the tip about the valsalva maneuver.

Jae Rae