Thursday, February 11, 2010

Blue Orchid

Randomness

This being sick thing is so last week. I'm not one for daytime TV soaps since the plots are recycled over and over and over again. The soaps are EXACTLY the same as when my mom watched them 25 years ago - Victor Newman is still on The Young and the Restless - I checked. Blogger Jill pointed out that there's only so many times you can watch H&G TV before you feel like your house is a total dump, but she said it with more verve. I worked out on Monday, and it was difficult, even though the exercises presented to me weren't that hard. Coughing between sets of any exercise adds to the caloric burn, I suppose. I'm not working out or running for the rest of the week. I might go for a walk, though. I'm coughing less, but the fatigue can be overwhelming. There's almost no more head pressure, but the lung is still whistling. I create my own music just by breathing. I have asthma and never wheeze like this. I was finally able to read a book without falling asleep after the first paragraph, so that's progress.

I had jury duty on Tuesday. I showed up with big bag of Sugar Free Hall's Cough Drops and a book. This was the very first time I didn't have to go through the jury selection process. My name was never called, thank goodness. I'm sure they would have excused me anyway, with my "mentholyptus" scented breath and chronic cough. I really didn't cough that much, and probably just as much as anyone else there. By the way, the book I read while waiting in the Juror's Lounge was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

The sun came out yesterday. I put on my Uggs and a light jacket over my PJs and sat on the back porch to read a book. All of my critters (three cats and one dog) sat out with me, and no wars broke out.

I'm craving carbs, and not the good for you ones, either. I'm craving Stacy's Pita Chips, toast, bagels, chocolate chip cookies, Cocoa Puffs, pretzles, Pub Mix, and so on.

Check out a Runningskirt.com giveaway at blog: Endurance Is Only Physical.

Check out a Champion giveaway at blog: Shut Up and Run.

Blogger Laura gave me a "Sunshine Award." Thanks, Laura. Everyone needs sunshine in their day, and this made mine sunny. I'm supposed to bestow this award to 12 others bloggers. I think I'll save it for another blog post next week, since I need to find 12 bloggers who Laura didn't already mention. :)

A few weeks ago, blogger Julie (Juls - Keeping Pace) wrote about her orchid plant, how it's nice and green but it hasn't bloomed in a year. I responded that I have orchid plants with nice and glossy leaves but no blooms, and that I actually stuck fake orchid flowers in one of the plants just so I could pretend it grew. I have 4 orchid plants with beautiful leaves but no blooms, not since their first blooms or buds when I bought them years ago. Julie's blog post got me to get up and take a good look at my orchid plants. I went and took a peek. This is what I saw:

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." -- John Lennon

I never notice the buds before. I did a happy dance because this is the FIRST TIME, ever, that an orchid plant I own produced buds a second time. I did nothing special to get this plant to produce buds -- no fertilizers or special filtered water. Other than a little water once a week, I did nothing. If it matters, my orchids sit in a west-facing window in my kitchen. The funny thing is that I was resigned to putting more fake orchid flowers in with the live plants. I guess I should have more faith in my plants and in what ever green thumb I may have.

Yesterday's Song:
Steep - Phish

PEACE

10 comments:

Unknown said...

You deserve the Sunshine Award!

I loved your carb craving list but you left off Cheetos, Cheeze Its, and chips! That's okay, I'll work on those myself!

I Run for Fun said...

See...even being sick has its uses!

I really enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees.

Yay for your first orchid flower. I cannot get cactus to grow, let alone a delicate orchid plant. But I rejoice in others' horticultural successes.

Jill said...

Here's to fellow sickies uniting! I saw that Victor was still on the Young and Useless; in college we all used to gather at noon and check on his biceps. Fast Forward 25 years and I can't believe he's still there. I made it to work yesterday only to stay half a day home today. But hey, I did find out that if you sneeze constantly for 10 minutes, you get a GREAT ab workout!!! My abs still hurt. Maybe that works the same for coughing, too!?! Major score on getting out of jury duty!
Hope you feel better soon (I downed some of my $52 meds, that you also bought, and did go for a quick run. Fresh air never felt so good!!).

Anne said...

I still watch The Y&R, all these years later. Yes, Victor will always be on it (can't tell you how many times he's "risen from the dead") but the soap is still tops in my book.

I hope this exceptional cold is a sign that this is the last of it for the year. Onward and upward, Irene.

iJuls said...

My orchid has new growth. I don't know if it will result in blooms or not. I'm the meantime, my rose tree went kaput.

Unknown said...

Being sick is not fun. GEt well soons.

Exciting about a bloom. I'm anxious for some of our new plants out back to do something....anything...

Anonymous said...

Hope you feel better soon!!! Maybe the sunshine and blooms will help. My mom and sister watch ATWT -- my mom has been watching it since it started in 1956 and is very sad that this is the last year.

Anonymous said...

"Blogger Jill pointed out that there's only so many times you can watch H&G TV before you feel like your house is a total dump"...LMAO so true!!!

ugh I got the same cough/sick thing going on too...0ne week down and feeling a tad better now. Hate how that cough just lingers. I'll probably have it for the next month blah. Feel better soon!

Roo said...

Hey hey - hope you are feeling better. I had to laugh as I have always though of Halls cough sweets as being a very English thing, and never thought that they would so global, and I always used to kid people at school that they where made by my family! ( surname is Hall) It's funny what you remember suddenly.

I've been meaning to ask, you ok for me to link back here?

Take care, wrap up warm,and go on, just one carb treat.. dare you ;o)

Pink Granite said...

Hi -
I'm sorry this illness has been such a long, hard slog. Glad you are continuing to improve.
I have never been confident enough to try my hand at orchids. Congrats on the buds!
;o)
- Lee