Thursday, January 24, 2013

A Healthful Life

This small local cafe has changed its name again. I haven't been here in a few months. Truthfully the internet is too slow to make this the best work location. I'm not known as the most patient of workers. Now I know that's because the ADD makes me want to shift my attention too quickly.

It pays off in other ways though, so I'll just live with it. (The ADD, not the slow internet. That's just annoying.)

I do like this cafe. It's pretty and it's in a great location. I like the view from the huge windows, especially on a cloudy day like today with drizzle threatening to arrive any minute. It's only a few minutes from yoga, so it's convenient to drag myself over here after class while I'm still in my yoga-stupor of relaxation and release and probably shouldn't be driving on the freeway yet. :)

Today the cafe is crowded. I'm surprised. I only got a table because some nice older gentlemen left as I walked in. There's almost too much of a hum in the air, and it's a bit stuffy in here. Uh oh. Could I be getting used to working in silent isolation? The horror! How will I make my next set of friends if I only linger in my own kitchen?

I can't decide if my writing spurt here is an uptick in my productivity or pure procrastination. If I'm not going to find funders, I should at least work on a story or two. Or find markets for the ones I have in my files. But it's easier just to stay here, word by word, and my brain craves the easiest and fastest reward.

I did find a new vein of funders I'll need to mine today. I counted them up and I'm still looking for about 45 more for 2013. So I've got to get a bit more creative and find new pools to tap. (mixed metaphors - oh well).

I didn't work at all yesterday but that wasn't my fault. My whole day got focused around medical care. My older daughter has a crazy rash at the nape of her neck. I took one look at it and called the doctor. That scared her a bit. I almost never take anyone for medical treatment. My standard line is, "give it time, your body can fix it." But this spot looked weird and beyond my experience.

Turns out that it's nummular eczema. Which is pretty much fancy Latin for "circle of itchy, red skin." So I spent the rest of the day researching that, its causes, which no one knows, and its treatments -- steroids in conventional medicine, dietary changes in the alternate world. There's some good evidence that the anti-inflammatory effects of Oolong tea are good for all kinds of persistent eczemas. So next I'll pop off to the store and get some. I did not know this, but Oolong is between black and green teas in processing level. Like all tea, it's super good for you. Might help with weight loss, blood sugar levels, healthy heart, and preventing ovarian cancer. As well as skin reactions. And it doesn't have any side effects beyond the impact of the caffeine. In my opinion, EVERYONE should be drinking tea every single day. As well as about two cups of coffee. There's just tons of benefits to the brewed botanical ingredients. Plus it's yummy and soothing.

My sister-in-law called. I filled her in on J, and she said that she has persistent eczema on her hands. So I told her about the tea. But right away she said, "Oh, I CAN'T drink caffiene." I suggested she might want to try to build up some tolerance, see benefits listed above. But I learned long ago that most people don't actually want any help with their problems. They've worked hard to get those problems, and they want to keep them. You're just supposed to listen and sympathize. It's sort of disheartening but we seem to be getting to the age now where everyone I know except our family is developing ongoing medical issues.

Anyway J will be fine. I'm sure the tea will help. Probiotics and active yogurt are good for all kinds of immune issues too. I try to eat yogurt every day as well, although I'm not as good at that. J's doctor is dreamy-gorgeous and so smart and kind. We all kind of couldn't believe how long it had been since she had been seen. He had to look it up on the computer records, and turns out it was a year and a half. I haven't been to the doctor in more than a year, and B probably hasn't been for two years or more. We just don't get very sick that often. All J's vitals are great though, so I think we're doing fine. I guess I should get a physical this spring just to check -- it's been almost three years since I did that intensive testing for the kidney-thing.

So, yeah. I guess I'll find some funders now.

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