Parenthetically speaking

[cleolinda]

So my stepfather's family is having a 75th family reunion or something, I don't even know--they are very big on the reunions--and we're now hosting a dinner (more of a grill-out, really) the first week of August as part of the festivities. Originally about ten or twelve people were going to come, but now we're looking at thirty-one, and my mother is PANICKED. My parents are having to do a lot of stuff to the house, partly because our house is just a money pit like that,* but mostly because the dogs wrought hell on it the year they were puppies. So we're having to replace the den carpet (the dogs chewed it up), the kitchen wallpaper (the dogs chewed it up), the slatted door into the foyer (third verse, same as the first), and the ferns the squirrels ate (variety!). Also, we've already resodded the little backyard (again: dogs) and replaced the gardenia and camellia bushes they wrecked (the dogs used to run run run run runnnn around them in tight little circles, and then, when they were done, pass out and nap against them) with azaleas (MY PRETTY SCENTED FLOWERS NOOOOOOOOOOO). And, of course, the Angry Jasmine, which has been buzzcut twice and only come back wrathier, and the yellowjacket nest within that had to be zapped. Oh, and the countertop in the kitchen has a huge crack in it for some reason, and one of the burners on the stove died, so we're replacing both of those (hence the helpful delivery guy with the dishwasher advice). My stepfather's out back sanding out the claw scratches on that slatted door and repainting it, and my mother and I just got back from buying incidentals at Wal-mart--extra pans for the banana pudding, foil pans to keep fifty hamburgers warm in the oven, a few wooden folding table-trays, new towels for the hall bathroom...

* Did I ever tell you that we recently found wadded up newspaper instead of insulation in the house walls? Yeah. I remember when this street was being developed and the houses were being built--my best friend at the time moved here--and apparently our neighbor's ex-husband cut all damn kinds of corners. There's a reason he's her ex now, let's put it that way. God bless this house, I love it to death, but we've had to redo it by brick and stick over the last eight years.

And then... we went to Hobby Lobby. Mom needed to replace some of the raggedy silk flowers by the front door. My God. That is one of the most dangerous, terrifying places I have ever been. We wanted to buy everything. I wanted to start doing crafts I had previously not even known existed. All I needed was craft-safe sealant/varnish and some cheap paintbrushes to improve the sparkle* of a certain vampirus scintilla minimus; I was very good and only splurged additionally on some Glue Dots, but I had to be forcibly removed from the doll furniture aisle if we were ever going to get home. In theory, my mother only needed silk flowers and artificial moss for the artificial tree** (guess who tore up the old moss). That... is not what she left with. All I know is, I hope my stepfather likes $10 Murano glass giraffes, because we've got some now.

* As a point of ever-so-little interest, here's what the previous Secret Life installment looked like before our sparkle got rained out (I never actually tried to take the pictures described). Honestly, I think the version posted turned out better, but there's a nice mental image that got left behind.

** Every single time I pass the fake tree, I make sure to greet it à la Wahlberg. "Hey, tree... you're looking good. You been working out? Say hi to your mother for me."

Meanwhile, I tried the new full 200 mg Lamictal dose on Wednesday. Mid-afternoon, I suddenly felt like crying. Not a good sign. Sounds like it's time to start cutting the pills to get some approximation of a 175 mg compromise--which I hate, because you lose some of the dose what with the crumbling and all. Maybe I'll just cut a bit of the end off (it's a diamond-shaped pill) and call it a day. Right now, though, I've gone back to my normal 150, because I've got something that has to be finished ASAP and I don't have time for this crying shit. On the other hand, I've been feeling a bit manic, which can't be good either. Maybe it's just the panicked OMG REFURBISH energy in the house right now, I don't know.

Comments

[soleta-nf.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the party preparations. That is ... intense.

[mamapduck.livejournal.com]

When we bought this house in October it had a sprinkler system. It still has most of one, but the wires connecting the control box to the system at large are gone. (The dog chewed it up.) Family room carpet, bathroom door, several dozen rolls of toilet paper... I totally understand the cheerful path of destruction they amble down.

[deza.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to replace the hallway carpet before my knee surgery thanks to my pup.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah... and ours are fifty pounds each now. The problem is that they're too strong to take outside on a leash except one at a time (in case a cat or a neighbor or a car comes by). I mean, if there's only one person to do it. So while one's outside, the other one's inside going WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM AND NOT MEEEEEE? *CLAW CLAW CLAW*

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Yeah, pretty much. Most of the major replacing (carpet, counter, stovetop) will be this week, so my mother's running around in circles at the moment.

[sunbrae.livejournal.com]

Maybe I'll just cut a bit of the end off (it's a diamond-shaped pill) and call it a day.

My Lamictal is shaped like a shield with a scored line down the middle, which makes breaking it in half very easy. Does Lamictal come in 50 mg so you can break them in half? I don't know, because I take 400 mg daily, so I just pop two 200s. I hate the wonkiness that comes when you adjust your meds. I feel so off-kilter and hyper-emotional. However, and I realize this is crazy talk, I sometimes think dropping the meds for a day or two so I can bring about a manic phase (and, therefore, have the energy and motivation to accomplish some projects) is a good idea. I haven't actually done it, but it's convenient when the mania comes, because you have so much energy. Anyway. I hope things even out, because the hypomanic shifts really suck.

Jasmine and hobby lobby

[amaya-kumiko.livejournal.com]

I heard on NPR one day that if you want to trim something down a lot, you need to trim it a little bit every week. Otherwise the plant thinks that it has been ravaged by animals and needs to replace what has been eaten. I think he said like 3 inches a week for a a couple months. So tell step-papa to try that. I know you don't want anything done to it, but the small trimming might calm it down.

Hobby lobby is the devil in craft's pajamas... or something like that. I always need to force myself to leave before i come out with 80 needlepoint kits that i won't ever finish, 30 paint by numbers, and the beginnings of a train set.

[deza.livejournal.com]

My mother has a tendency to downplay the pain I'm in from my arthritis. Yesterday I let her see what happens when I don't take the narcotics. That should buy me about two weeks before she starts in with the "all in your head" nonsense again.

[evilsimon.livejournal.com]

What I do for 175 mg is one 150 mg and one 25 mg. Unfortunately, that way leads to two copays.

Edit: Of Lamictal, I mean.

[farasha.livejournal.com]

Oh my Lord, your house sounds like our house. I swear to Christ that the last person to own our house watched far too much MacGuiver.

I think the crowning jewel was what he did to the formal living room. He had decided to cover up the wallpaper (not that I blame him - red and green plaid on the bottom, floral chair rail, pink and green floral on top) with two different shades of off-white paint - only he didn't seal the wallpaper first, so the seams began to buckle. And when the seams buckled, he just slapped joint compound on the seams and painted over it again. So when we redid the room we had to strip it all the way down to the sheetrock and float the wall again.

Nightmare. Augh.

[mokeyhokey.livejournal.com]

Did your dogs ruin the grass from running/digging or was it burnt from pee?

[raberbagirl.livejournal.com]

The draft was good, but the final is definitely better. The "in"convenient rain made me laugh my head off, and I was also wondering if you'd waited for a rainy day to take the picture, or had someone pointing a hose at the window or something. The fact that the moment was genuinely spontaneous makes me admire it all the more! :)

[ailaes.livejournal.com]

Hobby Lobby is evil I tell you. EEEVIIIL! I have to be careful I don't get lost, because you will never, never be able to drag me out.

I liked the first draft, but prefer the posted entry. Somehow it makes more sense.

[mamapduck.livejournal.com]

Our Lily is a 50 pound American pitt/labrador mix (sweet, destructive and dumb as a post) and I'm 5'2". I could not possibly manage walking two of her. The dog run has saved us because there are times we just can't have her leaping all over the house.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heh. "Take two jasmine and call me in the morning."

[carolinajoy.livejournal.com]

What I came away with from your post is...

Banana pudding! Extra banana pudding!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heh, thanks. I was actually sitting around waiting for a sunny day after a week of rain and was just like, "To hell with this, we're falling way too far behind if we're ever going to get to [Plot Development]."

[wenelda.livejournal.com]

I'm suddenly thankful I've a miniature schnauzer. Though he still manages to pull me on a leash, which amazes me because he's under 30 lbs and I'm over 200. (He is pure muscle, though, but still that must be hurting his back or something, and yet he doesn't stop. SIGH.)

[colleenpowell.livejournal.com]

Aww, my Paige is very much like your Lily except we think there is some greyhound mixed in. Our major repair: rewiring the septic tank. Twice.

[ahirutwin.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain, believe me. D': You think your house had corners cut? Ohhhhhh, I have a story for you. XD

Remember when Hurricane Ike hit last year and the winds got carried all the hell over the country? Yeah. They hit especially bad in my area and caused massive damage. We're talking chimneys being blow off, trees being uprooted, HOUSES LEANING OVER strength winds here. They were so powerful, they literally ripped the siding off my house. And guess what we found?

Nothing. Zip. Zero. Gueeeeeess who didn't even have newspaper? So there was a gaping hole in our house directly to our attic (which thankfully is relatively empty and is only used for storage).

All I have to say is thank God for the insurance company because they saved our asses.

Anyway, good luck with your home improvement. Once it gets started in full swing, it'll become more bearable. :D

Lamictal

[emerybored.livejournal.com]

Have you been on the generic (diamond-shaped) lamotigrine long? Because I always found the transition between brand and generic tough. You may already know this, but while the active medication is exactly the same, the way the original manufacturer makes the pill is different from the way the generic manufacturer does. This sometimes leads to very slight differences in absorption of the medication. I find this particularly true for hormones and psych meds. If you're just switching from brand to generic, give it a little while to settle out.

Also, you didn't mention your previous dose, but if you're going from 150 to 200mg, have your doctor prescribe some 25mg tabs. That way you can titrate up the dose to 200. A jump of 50mg for Lamictal is a lot at once.

I share because I care, and have had my own major experiences with Lamictal. Good luck.

[meredith-mae.livejournal.com]

My parents decided they needed the downstairs lavatory redone (which had last been redone in 1967) a few weeks before hosting the annual Christmas party for my dad's family. It turned out awesome, with custom closet doors and cabinets, new floor, all that jazz. But the guy was still there the morning of the party, finishing up. It was nerve racking.

[kalliopeia.livejournal.com]

And then... we went to Hobby Lobby. Mom needed to replace some of the raggedy silk flowers by the front door. My God. That is one of the most dangerous, terrifying places I have ever been. We wanted to buy everything.

I just got back from there. I went to buy one ball of yarn that costs $2.79. My total before I got out? $40.10.

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

Oh man, craft stores are ev0l. Knitting! Crochet! Woodburning! I can't actually do any of that, but I want the supplies!

[mamapduck.livejournal.com]

Is Paige a power chewer? We're going nuts and broke trying to find toys that Lily can't demolish in under 30 minutes? So far the Kong Extreme line and one toy out of Tire Biters (the tire) are all we've found. Well, and the kitten, but Lily doesn't really *chew* her. :)