potluck...

Nihongo is a no-go for next semester, I know. The vital energies are just being demanded elsewhere, it turns out. In fact, I’m about out of juice already in the mental kana generator. Oh, for sure, I’ll keep it from totally rusting with a bit of Rosetta Stone here and there, but sometimes you’re like a shrub, hunkering through the dry season, and you’ve gotta know where to lop the excess branches.

Now I’m trying to figure out how to sleep. I’m pretty good at the basics, mind you, but the game is getting a bit more complex, what with aging equipment challenges, and I’m finding myself faced with decisions other than just how early to bed and how early to rise. I was a stomach sleeper up through the child-bearing years. As a kid, balling up face down gave me a sense of virtual carapace, and stuff (you know, stuff) couldn’t get me. When my back started to hurt, I compromised and went with side sleeping. A 5 foot body pillow has been my helper for years, but now the shoulders say no. Bursitis? Rotator cuff? I don’t know, but a little online research suggested that by careful placement of 3 pillows, I could fashion myself a sort of arm and shoulder channel, thereby taking the crunch off. Tried it. Maybe it’s just that I’m in an acute phase with the shoulder pain, but it still hurt. The best solution seems to be on my back, 2 head pillows, and a chest pillow for my arms, to keep the shoulders in unstressful alignment. As for the gradual segue to more “vulnerable” positions, (back up, side up, belly up?) I guess I may have to just get a scary pillowcase for my chest-top pillow.

Here’s what’s funny when your person is in the Medicare Part D “donut hole.” You go into the pharmacy requesting the bare minimum of pills to carry you through to January 4 (the first business day of 2010, when the health plan resets,) and even though you’re only trying to obtain a month and a half worth, the counter lady still looks at you pityingly, because she knows how much each of those stinky little pills costs. And you explain that it’s okay--that’s why you’re only getting the bare minimum, and not 3 months worth.

Highlight of the day: The owners of the Good Life Organic Market now have daal and rice on the hot bar! It was lunch. Yum.