bunsofaluminum's journal

[lydia]

I have been noticing your graph going down steadily...fun to see after a bit of a plateau. You are on your way......

[bunsofaluminum]

Hi Lydia

thanks...love your name, btw. I am going to MAKE my daughter name one of her daughters Lydia!

This is cool:I made a big batch of SactoBob's cabernet roasted potatoes, and shared them with a good friend of mine, who is trying to eliminate animal foods from his diet to help his diabetes and to lose weight...and he is a chef. As in, a degree in culinary arts, with a career in restaurant kitchens. like, he knows his stuff, right?

i gave him a serving of those roasted vegs, and he thought it was good! he did put salt and pepper on it (I add zero salt while cooking) Veddy good

Good day today. Lots of outside time on the job. It's so cool, how the little birds stick around even in the cold, and I heard a song sparrow singing his heart out up in a tree. Also, lots of little chickadees flittering around in a bush.

the Hallowe'en decorations in people's yards are lots of fun, we walked for two hours in sunshine and cool air with a bright sky and bright trees all around us. loved it! Then we made cupcakes for treats: tomorrow is the hallowe'en party at work. I am NOT eating the cupcakes. but my client wanted to make treats, and he helped put it together then coffee with my sister, then I ate a baked potato and some corn with my friend, while he ate the roasted vegs i brought him ... next time, i bring enough for both of us, eh? maybe that "primavera with creamy tomato" recipe that is in the food and recipes forum. *drool*

yeah. A terrific day! i am blessing the Lord for all the wondrous ways He has held me, guided me, and filled my life with abundance and joy. amen!

[kirstykay]

Sounds great, Buns! Hopefully your friend will get on board and find his way to health like you have! I love reading your journal. You're enthusiasm is contageous! Keep it up.

[bunsofaluminum]

kirsty, I hope so too. I like him a whole lot, and would love him to have the same energy that I'm experiencing...so he can keep up with me!

Ah, yesterday.

Yesterday we had a Hallowe'en party at work. Pizzas and lots of sweets were brought, and everyone enjoyed themselves, including ME, who brought quinoa and roasted vegs.

I hadn't got much sleep on Thursday night: to bed at 10:00ish, and being waked up by my phone making a blip sound at 1:30 and NOT getting back to sleep. Finally said "screw it" and got up. Showered, had my time with God,...got my morning going. This sleeplessness was from some stuff my friend Bill and I had talked about...and worrying that the friendship is going into a "heart" realm that it isn't ready for. I like him SO MUCH, but really and truly want to see him get a handle on his health. Anyway, that is the ONLY red flag. Otherwise, he's a pretty awesome guy. And I don't want to fall in love with him, but...ah, I am getting very attached to him.

well, anyway that kept me from sleeping deep, so I went to work rather sleep deprived. Job coaching my main client was good. He was dressed as an Evil Jester...Mr S is mute, but he has this evil cackle down pat and he was demonstrating it for his co-workers. He works at shopko, and I found a cute little felt witch's hat head band with braids that is extremely dorky looking...for two bucks, I figured why not.

Back at the center it was a party, and I crept into the side room and crashed on the bed there...until a coworker came in to put on gloves: Mr C had smeared all over the bathroom...and she took care of that the last time he did it, so I got up and dealt with it...

Then it was time to take another client to the hospital for a treatment, so I left...on the drive down, I was still smelling poop. Got into the hospital w/Mr E and glanced down...there were three streaks of brown on my sleeve! yes. Poop on my clothing. thankfully, I was dressed in layers and could take that off. Ugh. I'm kinda tired of adult poop, you know? This past two weeks, we've had FOUR "Sh*tty Days" what with accidents and this smearing thing is getting OLD.

After the hospital appointment and a long, rush hour drive home, it was the rescue mission, where I have made some friends for SURE. I knew it was going to be this way. I got the strongest sense that I would be making friends there, and having fellowship with people in that group, and I have. Bill, chief among them. But there's also Delbert, Carl, Jeff, Kyler, Cassandra, Nate, Berlin...some in the program, some volunteers like me. They are lots of fun...well, it's cool working alongside others in service. It brings me a lot of joy, doing this and I'm very glad that God directed me into it.

Huh. This is also cool: jamming on guitar with Bill. My habit on Saturdays for the longest time has been to get some housework done in the morning, then get on Facebook and play Bejeweled Blitz while listening to a couple of radio programs I enjoy...and I'd be bummed by the end of the day, because I hadn't done anything cool on my day off. Again.

now there's Bill, who has made money as a musician. he's teaching me lots of things about guitar, and we've done some jamming together, practicing for Open Mic Nights...and THAT'S what I'm doing today! going down to the mission w/my git fiddle and hanging with my buddy Bill.

I also have songbooks to collate today, after guitar practice. And gotta GOTTA GOTTA get the front room tidied up. sheesh. and some yard work is needed, as well. but I have the energy for it for sure. thank you, MWL, SactoBob, Mrs D, Debbie, ETeSelle, and all who have challenged me this past month! you ROCK!

[nomikins]

YOU ROCK!

And what's wrong with falling in love?

[kirstykay]

I totally agree with nomikins!!!! You deserve it, Buns! And you have a good head on your shoulders...God will guide you and you'll know if this is right. I'm really happy for you, you are an amazing woman!

[sksamboots]

This is too cute. Maybe you can have another mcdougaller in the making? Your a strong influence buns. Keep on keepin on

[bunsofaluminum]

oh, I can't imagine getting it in my HAIR!

"What's wrong with falling in love"...well, first of all, I have "issues" in this area. I usually fall in love pretty fast once a mutual interest is evident. I've never had a romantic relationship that started out as a friendship. it's always head-over-heels-in-a-hurry and then it's over in a few months...I just don't want that to happen with him.

Anyway, this guy is interesting, intelligent, funny, passionate about life, compassionate towards others, and we have much in common. He draws me out, which I love. Basically shy, I need someone who is easy to talk to, and Bill is. He also tells me he is more open with me than with any woman he's ever met.

He is VERY tall at 6'8" and very overweight, with serious diabetes and he smokes. He is the head cook at the rescue mission, where he is enrolled in their drug rehab program. Those are kinda big red flags, but the diabetes is the biggest one.

that said, he reports that since he started cutting back on the fats and animal proteins, he's had three days in a row with his blood sugars in the low 200's from a usual reading at the end of the day in the 400's...this makes me happy. I'd LOVE to see him conquer it, as so many have in McDougall!

so, anyway. The very best thing right now would be to allow this friendship to develop as a friendship and see where it goes once he's completed the program he's in. it seems that it would be healthier and more natural to be friends first and see if we are really suited...meanwhile, I'm having fun. Playing guitar together, going and looking at the colors of the trees, lots of good conversation... I'm praying that things will go along as a good friendship, and develop from there.

[nomikins]

Sounds like you are off to a good start with Bill. I wish you all the best, no matter what direction this takes (and I speak for many here, I'm sure, when I say I hope it's a good one).

[bunsofaluminum]

well, my ratatouille is a hit with my friend Bill. He has made a career of being a chef, and he knows from cooking, and he said it was wonderful!

His blood sugars are going below 200, he says for the first time in months, which makes me happy. After serving at the mission, we sat and visited for awhile and I found out some cool stuff...such as, he wrote a song and sold it for $22,000.00 dude, that is SO COOL! The more I learn about him, the more impressed I am with what his life has been.

I'm blessed to have a friend such as this person. He is exciting and interesting, easy to talk to, funny...*gulp* ...

eating is going wonderfully. I made ratatouille, enough for a few days SLURP and it's funny, but a plate of it really filled me up for the night. Is that the eggplant? or what? And I have half a baked spaghetti squash to serve it over tomorrow for lunch. YAYAYAAY! Ratatouille! yay!

Tomorrow for brekkie, I'll break away from the oatmeal to saute my chard w/some garlic and eat with a plate of rice...and maybe the oatmeal, too. But I do want to eat those greens, for sure. Maybe with some quinoa

and that's all she wrote.

bedtime

[nomikins]

Glad things are going well for you in so many parts of your life! YAY!!!!!!!!

[Anna Green]

Buns! I look away for a second and you get a boyfriend? Girl, I'm checking your journal everyday! You have to share. Some of us have to sidle up to men in grocery stores because we are forgetting what they look and smell like.

You sound lovely. And oh my, 6'8", that's alotta man!

Just a tiny word? The general recommendation is one year clean before new serious relationships. Don't know how long he's been in but that is probably what he's being told.

So impressed with your progress.

[bunsofaluminum]

Buns! I look away for a second and you get a boyfriend? Girl, I'm checking your journal everyday! You have to share. Some of us have to sidle up to men in grocery stores because we are forgetting what they look and smell like.

You sound lovely. And oh my, 6'8", that's alotta man!

Just a tiny word? The general recommendation is one year clean before new serious relationships. Don't know how long he's been in but that is probably what he's being told.

So impressed with your progress.

Hi Anna...yeah, we are keeping things at a friendship level until he is thru with his program, which will be in June. We've talked about it a lot, and he is adamant about getting his life in a better place, before taking anything to a deeper level. I think him being in rehab is a good system for keeping the brakes on so it doesn't get too "serious" but we still have good conversations and are getting to know each other under the "safety" of his program. He isn't doing 12 steps, though. It's through the rescue mission in my town.

Meanwhile, I just found out that my client, Mr E, has disappeared without a word. I've been working with him since April of 2008, three times a week. Gotten to know him well, and consider him a friend. His mom also...

He lives with his mom and dad, who got into serious financial and physical health trouble over the past year or so. They lost their home to foreclosure, and were squatting in the house after their eviction notice was served. Because they were in a precarious place, on the verge of possibly being homeless, the agencies that are involved in Mr E's life sent up the red flags, and APS was called.

The bottom line is, Mr E is a vulnerable individual. Social service agencies are in a position to help such people, and ultimately, "we" weren't going to watch him go homeless. When APS showed up, they picked up and moved without telling any of the agencies that are part of Mr E's care...and one of them was my employer...and me.

I showed up at his house for my afternoon hours with him, and they were gone. This has me feeling sad. A little bit stressy. They have family in NV, and that's probably where they went. Bye, Mr E.

[Silver]

Buns. Sorry about your missing client. I personally know how stressing that can be. You think you're really reaching and helping someone and then poof! They're gone. I was trying to help a homeless girl that used to go to school with my daughter. I offered her a job and I thought things were going well for four weeks; she was going to enter school, etc. Then she just up and left. I got the police involved and reported her as a missing person because you always hear about people on the fringes of society missing and they're never reported because no one cares. It became a real mess. It's been about two weeks now and I have still not heard. I don't know if I ever will. I hope that she is OK.

I enjoy reading your journal.

[bunsofaluminum]

Hi Silver, thanks.

I woke up thinking about him, actually. He's in a wheelchair, in constant pain. His bed at home has this handle over it, that he can grab and adjust position...with them not home, how and WHERE is he sleeping? and his mom with severe health problems, who must sleep in a recliner to get any rest from her fibromyalgia...what is SHE doing?

how on earth is their running away AT ALL good for the guy, or his mom? what are they THINKING? I can only picture his confusion and exhaustion in this situation. and it makes me extremely sad.

But my boss says, until they call our company and cancel services, I'm still considered on the clock for at least an hour, when I go to their house and check to see if they need me...whatever. I guess if I work with human beings in crisis, I have to expect such stuff once in awhile...not often, I pray.

Feels like I'm doing real well in the food department. November's Unprocessed Food challenge is quite different from October's, but I'm doing it, whatever anyone else is doing. The punkin seeds at the beginning were a weird mistake, sort of even invisible, or at least not on my radar as something I was eating...even though I WAS eating them. But I stopped on the 5th and now my weight is down a pound. I'll continue this way for the month.

Will I make Thanksgiving a feast day? hmmm. no meat, I think, but possibly some stuffing from inside the bird. We'll see.