Holiday Update aka Victims of the Almighty Sarlacc

You know all those letters you get in your holiday cards from people with the exciting stuff like "and our son just got accepted in a Doctoral program at Oxford." Yeah well, this isn't one of those updates...

It's been a "growth and development" year at the LRN's household.

Slick's job is absolutely nuts. Filed under "be careful what you wish for" Slick started 2008 looking for new career challenges and found them working on the development of a new product for her company. Of course, the project was "inherited" in an already precarious state wracked with uncontrollable and utterly unforeseeable setbacks. She with the support of her new boss has helped to guide the damn thing from the brink. My analogy has been that the new product was Han Solo trapped in carbonite. They've gotten to the point where they've rescued him from the carbonite. Currently, Slick is now stuck in chains and everyone's about to be fed to the Sarlacc.

Of course, things aren't all that bad from my end. Remember what Princess Leah was wearing at that point in the film? ...

Oh, I'm so dead for writing that.

Oh, it was so worth it!

Honestly, from my limited view, things are going exceptionally well. Sure, she's stressed as hell. Sure, she's working like mad. Sure, there's that whole Sarlacc thing. BUT she's been "noticed" at work for all the right reasons. And, I honestly think they are going to succeed. They just need to watch out for Bobba Fett.

Bobba Fett? Where?

As for me, it's all about putting one foot in front of the other. After another year of living with Fybromialgia, I'm still missing out on a lot of my "old" life. The new medications are providing hope, but they've also contributed to my re-gaining 5-10 lbs.

Hey, it's not the 50-extra I started with and it's better than being stuck in carbonite!

In a lot of ways, it's been a bad luck year for me. The intestinal infection this spring took months to get over and forced me to start over with a lot of my exercise program. This fall has been all about changing medications and dealing with side-effects. Every change has meant new adjustment periods. Yet, I honestly see myself moving in the right direction. My energy, my symptoms, my worst days are still never as bad as they were the year I stopped working. I still need to get to the "next level" - whatever that means - but it's still progress.

Let go your feelings...

I accept that dealing with a "life-altering" condition isn't about taking some pills and going about my day. These things take time. If nothing else, these last few years have taught me patience & acceptance. Those are big - HUGE - lessons for me.

Hmmm...size matters not...

I really wanted to do a lot more in the garden this year. I wanted to plant some shrubs, work on the lawn, start a veggie garden. None of that was really possible. So, I compromised with the indoor garden. Our house-plants are really happy with me. I'm enjoying it. It's baby-steps. Again, patience & acceptance.

I sense much spaz in him...

The Moose is currently barking at the kids playing outside. Turning 6, he's no longer "young." He's still a spaz at times, but he's a generally happy & healthy dog. His new thing this year is that he's learned to pull back the covers and make a nest in our bed. He also likes to snuggle up with his head on a pillow & tucked under the blanket with Slick when she goes to bed. This is fine until I want to go to bed.

I know I tend to be overly optimistic around New Year's, but I'm really excited about 2009. I mean, what's the worst that can happen? Well, I suppose my fybro could get really bad, Slick could lose her job and thus our house, & the dog could find a skunk or get lost chasing a deer.

Because if I think of the worst thing that can happen, things usually work out much better and I stay happy.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year & above all watch out for intergalactic bounty hunters!