Big Changes

I decided at the end of October to leave my job.  Perhaps I should say the decision was made for me, since I was overcome by the strongest urge to simply bolt, an urge that had me in tears my last working day, and almost paralyzed me with dread and fear until I sent my resignation by e-mail.  I would like to say I was filled with a sense of relief that carried me through the many weeks until I was working again, but that would only be partly true.  I was relieved to be away from the rudeness of certain coworkers and the ineptitude of the so-called managers, but I am a realist, so I was also very, very stressed out as only non-employment and the job search process can make me.  I traded one set of stresses for another, but ultimately and deep inside I knew that the decision was correct.

The job I found after three solid months of searching and worrying is an accounting position with a property management company here in town, one I can walk to, and with hours I like (8:00 to 4:30).  My first week was filled with plenty of learning and also plenty of praise for my efforts.  I have a boss that I like just as much as my primary co-worker, both of whom have been immensely helpful in getting me up to speed.  Finally, I can exhale.  Friends of mine have proven to be a blessing, offering emotional as well as financial support, and I love and thank them.

Dad just turned 87 and sounds very happy and healthy.  He is comfortable in his new apartment, and for that I am very grateful.  It's good to know that there are people near who can help him when he needs it.  I really don't think he has Alzheimer's or even dementia, just the forgetfulness that comes with age.  Hell, those of us in our 50s tend to forget why we walked into a room or logged onto our computers, and we're not ready to be shipped off just yet, thank you.

When I turned 30, I did nothing to mark the occasion.  When I turned 31, I took a trip from Grand Rapids to Chicago with Jamie Scenna for four days of fun.  When I turned 40, again I did nothing.  When I turned 41, I booked myself a flight to New York to hear Rosanne Cash debut at Lincoln Center on my birthday, which was the first of many times seeing her.  Last year when I turned 50, I gave myself a little trip to Boston, but that didn't really count, and you can see the pattern here ... I am running out of time to do something for 51, which will be next month.  It's possible I'll go to see Ms. Cash yet again, but this time at Metropolitan Museum of Art on Valentine's Day.  It's a few days after my day, but it will be a nice way to wrap up a decade of good shows and to give myself a treat.

P.S.  The Dar Williams and Paula Cole shows were excellent!  Wow.

Some Updates

I'm so neglectful of my little blog.  Here are some tidbits:

Foot is still sore after May surgery for bone spurs.  I'm a bit dismayed that it's taking this long to get back to normal ... or will I?

Last Saturday, I finally made my way to a place called Jonathan's Ogunquit (in Ogunquit, ME), which is a restaurant and entertainment venue.  Judy Collins was the attraction that night, and let me tell you, folks, the woman has still got it!  She is a singer of great beauty, feeling, and control.  She can hit those high notes and is so smooth throughout her wide range.  I was very impressed.  The music venue was not so good, better suited for a wedding reception.  Luckily I have a favorite place to go, which is...

Stone Mountain Arts Center!  Next week Friday will be Dar Williams, who I saw last February at a place a block from my apartment.  I've been so craving her performance at SMAC, and now she is coming back (my first time seeing her there)!  Tickets have also just been purchased for Paula Cole, who will be at SMAC November 22.  Woo hoo!  The 50th birthday gifts to myself just keep coming and coming.

Dad is now in assisted living, and seems content, which is surprising after 55 years in the same house.  Maybe he is enjoying having fewer responsibilities.  I'll travel to Detroit to see him next month, and also see some friends in Detroit and Grand Rapids.

Triglycerides, cholesterol, and glucose levels are all in check.  How the hell did I manage that?  I have made some changes to my diet, but I've been concerned that those changes were pitifully inadequate.  Now to get more walking in (but don't hold your breath).

Summer Fun

About my toe:  after a week, some soreness began, as well as muscle stiffness from not using all foot muscles as normal.  Today, there is some soreness still and I have been managing it with a few changes to my diet; walnuts seem to have the best effect on the inflammation.

Summer has been beautiful this year in Maine, and I've managed to get one trip by bike out to Peaks Island.  Earlier this month, I saw Rosanne Cash perform in Portsmouth, NH, followed six days later by Mary Chapin Carpenter at Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield, ME.  Both great shows!  I've just purchased tickets for my friend Perry and I to see Judy Collins in Ogunquit at Jonathan's Restaurant (my first time!) in September, and then in October it's back to Stone Mountain for my second Dar Williams show of the year.  A whirlwind of great music and food!

Surgery

It's been nearly 48 hours since my foot was sliced open and some small bone spurs removed from my toe joint, and I really feel good.  Doctor discovered that I have about 40% cartilage loss there, however.  There isn't much swelling, and the pain has been managed well with just Naproxen.  I used oxycodone early on, but haven't needed it for at least 24 hours, so that's good.  I think I'll be back on my feet sooner than anyone would have imagined.  Woo hoo!

In the meantime, I am still expected to keep my foot elevated above groin level, so that means even more couch time than I am accustomed to.  I've been bouncing back and forth between DVDs and this huge book on Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Progressive Era, "The Bully Pulpit" by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  When I do get up and about, I find that the crutches are a hindrance, and that I am pretty comfortable without the clunky boot.  Shower time went well with my special leg bag. 

Gimpy

Well, kids, it took just 10 days of being 50 before the old age shit started to hit the fan.  My large toe joint screamed out in extreme pain, my doctor and I thought it was gout, and I was asking for elective amputation.  Yesterday's x-ray and consultation with a rheumatologist revealed two tiny bone spurs on an otherwise healthy joint, so I have decided that the long term solution is best -- buzz those babies off!  I'm hoping recovery from this type of surgery will be relatively quick, so I can get back to being 50 again.  :)

Meanwhile, I'm finding that the 20somethings annoy me more than ever, what with their yelling at each other (normal conversation to them) and the noise they create in my building.  But should I be upset with them or my own generation?  After all, we raised these brats to be the inconsiderate, self-centered young "adults" they are today.

Thanks.  I feel a bit better now.

The New Era

So far I see no mention whatsoever that today is the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival in New York.  No HuffPost, no NYT, not even the Google page.  People!  This was the beginning of a new era in music!  I don't say this as a fan of the Beatles, particularly, because I really am not, but I do recognize the enormous contribution they made to popular music.  Are we saving up our enthusiasm for Sunday, which is the 50th anniversary of their first appearance on Ed Sullivan?  Maybe that's it.  TV trumps all, after all.

On my way to Boston for a few days of museums and relaxation, and to turn 50 on Monday.  :)

Twenty Fourteen

Farewell to a rather dreadful year, and good riddance.  In the state of Maine, we will -- we WILL -- replace Paul LePage with a sensible governor who is elected by a majority of citizens, and who does not have an appetite for his own foot.

We will -- we WILL -- see a similarly sensible replacement for Rick Snyder, the current governor of my home state of Michigan.  I implore the fine folks there to also replace the majority of their legislature.

We will -- we WILL -- see Wendy Davis succeed in her bid to become governor of Texas.  Even they have had it with stupidity.

I will -- I WILL -- move into a new job where I can make a difference.

I will -- I WILL -- turn 50 and be so, so grateful for it.  And I'll look pretty damn good, too.