mistressofmuses | Misc post:

Kind of a catch-all post!

Alex had an MRI last week. This was to try and find out exactly what's going on in his neck, causing a lot of pain and occasional numbness. The results came in quite quickly. Basically they all validate "yup, this shit is fucked." I think that's the official medical terminology. Pretty much every individual vertebra has problems of some kind, though some are only "mild," though most are "moderate" with a few "severe." Pretty much what Alex was expecting, but it is a bit vindicating to have the thing that says "yes, medically, this stuff is just so fucked up."

Greenbean II (one of the katydids) passed away yesterday. She made it quite a bit longer than either of our katydids from last year did, and longer than Three. She also left behind many eggs, so we'll see if we can get another generation.

Clickbait is still going pretty strong. I'm impressed! Fingers crossed that he keeps wanting to eat his beans and make noise at every crinkling package in the kitchen.

I am still struggling post time-change. I don't know why I've had such a bad time adjusting this year! I'm still getting tired an hour "early" at night. This mostly gets frustrating because the end of the night is when I try to get my reading done, and so currently I've been reading more slowly than I was, because I fall asleep instead. Getting off of work after it's already been dark for an hour+ also sucks.

I did start kind of looking at my TBR list for next year (and the rest of this year). I've got nine books that I'd really like to finish by the end of the year, though we'll see if I can manage it.

For next year, my initial tentative goal is to read 50 books. I've managed more than that this year, and it'd be great if I could do it again!

More specifically, my goal is to get through some of the “classics” that I feel I *should* have read, and then put off reading out of misplaced guilt over not having read them yet, because anxiety is stupid: The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, Ursula K Le Guin, and Terry Pratchett. The Hobbit/LotR is technically a reread, but I barely remember my first read through and I didn't enjoy it. For UKLG I planned to start with the Earthsea stories, and for PTerry I planned to start with the Watch books.
I also want to read the queer-themed ebooks from the charity bundle I purchased.
I also want to read the Up and Under novellas.
I also want to reread the Murderbot Diaries in preparation for the new one that comes out in May.

Then I actually did the math on that list: 4 Tolkien + 7 Earthsea + 8 Watch + 14 queer ebooks + 4 Up and Under + 8 Murderbot (including the new one) + 4 new releases for ongoing series that will be coming out next year = 49 books. So. Only one other TBR book for the whole year, if I'm aiming for 50??? (Not even taking into account any books I read with Alex or Taylor, or any of my "brain candy" side reads.)

Oof. Gotta realign some of those expectations.

Currently my plan is to prioritize LotR and the Murderbot reread. For the queer ebooks, the UKLG books, and the Terry Pratchett books I will make sure they're in a regular rotation of the TBR list, but I'm not going to worry about whether I get through all of those within the course of the year. Time is fake; as much as I like having a nice even spot (like the new year) to wrap something up and start something new, it's not illegal for me to carry my same goals forward into 2027.

Assuming we're all still here and not in a smoking crater, ha.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's great Alex has the information, but it's not great information. Is there anything they can do about it?

RIP Greenbean II. I'm rooting for Clickbait!

You're getting tired an hour early because that's the time you would've normally been going to bed if we hadn't changed the clocks. 7pm is the old 8pm. I've been having that issue, too, though thankfully not every night. And sometimes I even give in to it and Pip finds me already under the covers when he comes in to bed.

Right? It definitely confirms what he already knew in terms of something being wrong with his neck, but it also still sucks. Not sure what treatment plan they may try to aim for. They're reluctant to give him any additional pain medication, the one time he tried a steroid shot it did not help the pain and gave him horrible side-effects, and about the only other thing mentioned has been surgery. But he's understandably reluctant (as is his doctor) to jump to spinal surgery, which leaves everything at kind of... a big, frustrating question mark.

Fingers crossed for Clickbait! He's still going strong!

That's exactly it, I'm still getting tired at my "usual" time, which just happens to now be earlier on the clock... I just don't know why I haven't adjusted by now! I'm not waking up an hour "early", lol.

All of those books sound nice to read! Currently I'm reading books I'd like to re-home. Try to let my book shelves breath a-little. I've read the hobbit years ago but I'd like to read LotR someday.

Time change this year was really rough! I had trouble with it, too (for some other reasons as well but yeah...). I hope your body can get some R&R and you'll feel better soon. I've found the older I get, sometimes the harder it is for my body to bounce back.

I'm excited for everything I hope to read! I'm really happy this year with how many books I've made it through, since for so many years before that I struggled to get much of anything read.

It would be worthwhile for me to probably do a book rehoming... my shelves are SO full. I am often a re-reader, so there are plenty I know I want to keep, but there are also some that could definitely move on to a new home.

I know I never enjoy time change, but this one has hit me harder than I remember previous ones doing. And very true: I definitely don't bounce back as easily as I used to. (When I was a teen/20-something, all-nighters were nothing! They were fun! I'd stay up on purpose because I was having fun doing something or spending time with friends... and now that basically destroys me, haha.)
I'm sorry it's been a struggle for you this year, too. Hopefully everything lets up and you also get the chance for some very needed rest.

Do you have those free little libraries around you? I like giving my books away to those when I can.

Isn't it strange how that works with our bodies as we age? We get wiser upstairs but our bodies take a beating! ^^;;

Thank you. It's been a-lot but I'm trying the best I can. Change is difficult when it comes to our parents.

We do have a couple Little Free Libraries! There's one in a park not too far from here; that may be where I drop off some of my books. I may also see if one of the used book stores in the area wants any of them, since they'll usually offer store credit. And then I can get new-to-me books, to utterly not solve the problem of having too many, haha.

But ugh, yes! I know that "youth is wasted on the young" is such a terrible cliche that I've always hated, but I also have started to get it! I miss my all-nighters and fast recoveries!

Change is always hard. Especially with our parents. They're such a constant when we're young (if all is working as it should, at least), and when that starts to change, it's a lot.

Hey, it's like recycling books which I don't think is an issue at all! ^^;;
Every time I'm out and about and I notice new books to me it's so tempting to take some and give some back from my car so I try not to even look as of lately... :-p

I miss that energy. too! One saying I like is that getting old isn't for the weak!

Thank you for understanding. :-) Yes, it is strange - us then starting to take on the role and care for them as they age. I've been taking a-lot of deep breaths lately.

Right? As long as a few books are leaving, that makes plenty of room for a few to join the shelves...
I am unable to *not* check the little free library that's at the park if we go there, and I almost always end up picking *something* up. (And sadly always forget to bring things to leave! I'll need to make a trip over to do that, specifically.)

Getting old is NOT for the weak! My dad also reminds me of that one, frequently, haha.

Yeah... suddenly moving into the caretaker role is a weird shift. Deep breaths are a must.

Happy little library looking then! :D That's nice! It is always fun and you never know what you will find - like a thrift store!

Thank you. I think I will be taken off some of the big legal paperwork roles and that is fine with me. I was feeling a-lot of pressure.

Awwwww! I'm sorry about Green Bean II! That's a shame, but I'm crossing my fingers that you guys get little babies out of all those eggs. Hopefully, Clickbait sticks around longer!

Will that diagnosis for Alex help him to get disability so that you guys won't have to penny pinch so much?

Alas, poor Green Bean II. I hope she enjoyed her cushy, bean-filled life, haha. She certainly made it longer than any of the outdoor katydids - we stopped hearing them a few weeks ago. It would be nice if we could get the eggs to hatch! We'll see what happens.
Clickbait is still going strong, which is very impressive!

I would hope that with the updated MRI for additional evidence that they would approve his disability. I think we're on appeal number 6? 7? Though each appeal takes at least 18 months, or sometimes a couple of years. His most recent they never even had a hearing for, just denied him by mail. The one before that, their own findings said they agree he is incapable of holding a steady job, yet still was a denial. It's so frustrating. My hopes aren't high for this round, either.

it is a bit vindicating to have the thing that says "yes, medically, this stuff is just so fucked up."

Totally understandable. <3

I'm sorry to hear about Greenbean II. :(

Poor Greenbean II. I am glad she had a long (for a katydid) life, full of beans on demand, haha.

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