Today, the doctor at the Spine Program told me I didn't need to come back unless I have problems. He said my leg strength had improved since the last exam, even. Everything works except moving my foot to the outside and moving my toes up.

As long as I can walk and garden, I'm good.

I admit, I was a bit worried a first. A taste of the brownie batter left a distinct green bean after taste in my mouth, but the finished product tastes pretty good.

I now have two friends who are allergic to wheat, hence the experimentation. I want to try the recipe with rice flour and with wheat flour, for Sean and I.

Thankfully the pan of brownies are a gift, as is the devil's food cake. I'm not anticipating leftovers, which means I can have a taste at work and not have the sweets haunt me for days at home. :)

Chicken & sausage couscous jambalaya (sub. buffalo brats)
Chicken, spinach & black bean enchiladas (sub. buffalo patties)
Taco soup (sub. buffalo patties)
Peanut butter cookies (flourless)
Salsa pasta salad (for lunches)
Tropical couscous salad (for lunches)
Classic brownies (with gluten-free flour for coworkers' birthdays)

All recipes save brownies from Holly Clegg's Diabetic Cooking. Brownie recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

February is our official start for better eating. Wish us luck.

At least I know why this time: bad eating and the reflux it inspired. I've already warned the husband that this is the week I try to wean myself of chocolate, sweets, etc., just in case I turn inexplicably mean. Time to start acting like the diabetic I am, darn it.

Plastic Farm Report: I penciled half of page four after posting the progress photo. I'm having fun. That's key; keeping it on the fun side of line and making sure it doesn't cross into the work zone.

My boss and peers must be satisfied with my performance since I'm inheriting projects that they don't have time for. (We're a person short on the team.) And it's a big project, too! Part of overseeing the project is getting copy from a writer in New York and coordinating input from LR, all while keeping the user's needs in mind.

oi.

Plus finishing another project, plus helping out on a massive data release.

I'm finally feeling useful. ;) Unfortunately, that combined with this dogs-awful heat wave, have been wiping me out. :p Looking forward to a weekend indoors cleaning and drawing comics, plus Monday off and a trip to IKEA for organizational stuff. Yay! I have to take measurements and make a plan...

Also saw the spine doc this week. I'm scheduled for another injection next Wednesday because of a cancellation. That should resolve the residual pain I've been suffering since bouncing off the side of the tub before landing on the bathroom floor. (owch!)

More when I have it.  

1.  At the end of last year I was so frustrated with my employer that I had fantasies of setting certain people on fire.
2. About the time I got over it, the place had no work for me anyway.
3. When the place did have work, my back went out. (ER trip, totally couldn't walk for almost a week due to numbness and loss of strength in my right leg, two months to learn how to walk again.)
4. Meanwhile, my husband is also completely fed up with our employers and is looking for a new job.
5. My birthday happens in May, yay!
6. My husband gets fired ten days later.
7. Man, now I REALLY want to set my former employers on fire. (Needless to say, I quit as soon as he got home that evening. I called the co-workers I cared about and let them know.)
8. Much panic ensues.
9. Insurance runs out at the end of May.
10. No second spinal injection to control pain and increase mobility because of no insurance (AND no $$$ because of working for jerk former employers for 2 years. Can you say "sweatshop"? I know I can now.)
11. I send a resume out 5 days after quitting.
12. I get called that day.
13. Exactly a month later i start a real job with a real salary and real benefits.
14. Hope glimmers.
15. Sean gets a new job just under two months later.
16. Now things start to role.
17. Giddy happiness ensues as we go back to non-stressful work  and actually making enough money to work on our debt and pick up anime and manga every now and then.

That's our story so far, for the year to date. I've had a major life shift, but it was necessary. I'm now in control of my own insurance and I have fantastic retirement benefits. Will i be kicking out as much comics, art and other stuff? Well no, but considering I didn't have enough money to buy toner cartridges earlier this year, it's a trade off I'm comfortable with.

Most importantly, I'm happier now than I think I've been in just about a decade.

That was entirely more excitement than I needed...  

I missed the solstice, but hey, they're still new pictures. ;)

Today I'm working on getting more tomatoes into pots.

Oh, and for the record: I had my first official fall in the garden last night, while wearing the official damn brace. feh. Just strained my shoulder and made my sciatic nerve a bit cranky.