Stress

I know I haven’t actually written anything for a while so I'll remedy that now by explaining why.

It's been a week:

1) Sugarbaby went into the hospital again. She started throwing up and that always spells trouble with her. She probably ate some mushrooms or something so now we have to watch her like a hawk. After spending a few nights in the hospital she's home and much better now. No biscuits though, just in case it's a new food allergy.

2) My grandmother went into the hospital again. She started feeling dizzy and that always spells trouble with her. She probably ate some mushrooms … wait, back up… actually she was bleeding internally from a source as yet undiscovered. They probed her backwards and forwards (literally) and came up with nothing definite. She's on blood thinners for her heart which adds greatly to the spurting volume of any wound but to take her completely off of that might result in a stroke. Lovely. So she gets to choose: Have the family worried that she's going to bleed out from something relatively minor; or have the family make fun of her when she can't move one side of her body or speak correctly. Hmmm. Let's see. Can I see behind curtain number three? After several nights in the hospital she's back home feeling much better now but we aren't going to give her biscuits either.

3) This was the week of the advanced CIT training. I gave a 45 minute presentation on self-injurious behavior. Thanks to CP and all the rest of the folks who gave me input. You are the best! The officers I taught at least have an understanding that this is a coping issue not a suicidal ideation. I was anxious leading up to the presentation because I have never spoken in front of officers and certainly not 50 officers, but it went quite well. I neither lost my mind nor wet my pants. Both I consider victories. Plus I feel a little more comfortable around officers now (it only took 10 years). Before I always felt like a spy in the house of love. Nobody likes dispatchers. Waaah! Okay, I'm being dramatic. Anyway, that created stress until after it was over.

4) The portable hard drive I got as a birthday gift just crapped out on me. It's not a huge deal (I didn't have a crash and then lose my backup too) but it pisses me off. I don't think I have a receipt but I'm pretty sure Costco will take it back. It's just a few months old.

5) I can't drown my sorrows in candy and/or ice cream. Well I suppose I can but I am perilously close to having significant blood sugar issues so I am off the evil white powder and all its forms for a while. I made my bed but that doesn't mean I'm not going to bitch about it.

I've read a lot of books lately (well, listened) and I'll recommend some. I have been attempting to learn to do caricatures in polymer clay. Hopefully someday you'll see your likeness on my blog. Ha! Creating stress in others is much more satisfying. I've got a long way to go. I started with Don Knotts and I'm not nearly there. My guy looks like a guy (which is a good start) but he doesn’t look like Mr. Furley yet. Either way the things I'm learning about sculpting the human face is actually pretty interesting and will apply to other forms of art if I feel so inclined. Just finding out that the eyeline is in the center of the face (from top of head to chin) sort of stunned me. I never noticed that before. Try it, it works. Next is Abe Vigoda. After that maybe Angelina Jolie. I'm looking for interesting faces to start with.

Any suggestions?
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cartoon: www.jwolfe.clara.net/Humour/WorkStress.htm