Chocolate Does Help...

Bookmarks Festival

Chad was a dear to go with me to this year's Bookmarks Festival. It was a rather overcast day, but at least it didn't rain!

I wanted all the books but forced myself to less than 5. Here's what I bought:

150th Anniversary Edition, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
The Lost Daughter
Serafina and the Black Cloak
I Love You...Now Hush

This is what's in the truck. 

A Night At The Theatre, "Stop Kiss"

Last night Chad and I went to go see Spirit Gum's production of Stop Kiss.

It's a challenging script in that various scenes are presented out of order, and there are great many scenes in this show.

I thought the guys were terrific. Michael Ackerman brought an honesty to George, the main character's friend with benefits. Ken Ashford was great as Detective Cole. Nick Zayas played the quietly seething, but still in love role of Peter.

Nichelle Wright played dual roles of Mrs. Winsley and a Nurse. Sarah Jenkins played the main character of Callie and Becky Hill McLaughlin played Sara.

I had great expectations for Sarah Jenkins, but unfortunately her performance never acheived the depth necessary for the story. I never quite believed her inner struggle. Becky was very sweet in her protrayal as Sara, which didn't really work. As a matter of fact, I felt the show would have worked best had Becky been cast as Callie and Sarah cast as Sara.

Overall it was a good production and I'm so glad this important piece of theatre was produced locally.

A Night At The Theatre, "tick, tick Boom"

I've been in love with tick tick Boom's music for as long as I can remember. The songs "See Her Smile" and "Why" and "Louder Than Words" are on the Top Played on my iPod. The music is absolutely outstanding.

Triad Stage did a wonderful production several years ago that Sam and I attended. When I heard Threate Alliance was going to do it, I was going to pass on seeing it. That is until I heard David Joy was going to be playing Jon.

Ken loves to tease me about my crush on David and he even gave me his comp ticket to see the show. He also reserved a seat which would offer prime David Joy viewing. I knew I'd be in for a very enjoyable night of Davi theatre.

Crush aside, David was absolutely fantastic as Jon. David has a great rock-n-roll voice so "No More" was especially kickin'. He can tear your heart out with his ballads and "See Her Smile" brought tears to my eyes. If ever there was a role David was born to play, this was that role.

Kaylee Gonzalez played Susan and other various characters. While she wasn't new to Theatre Alliance, I'd not seen her before. She certainly held her own with David. James Crowe played Michael and other various characters.

Overall, it was a great show. I was so thrilled about the production that I didn't even realize my boss was also in the audience. I didn't find out until this morning's training meeting. She also has a crush on David so we spend the first 15 minutes talking about him and the show.

A Son Day on Saturday

Merger related training, etc. have been keeping me incredibly busy. As such, I've been working long hours and haven't seen much of Cade so far this summer. This morning I asked if he wanted to go to breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised that he agreed.

We went to our usual haunt for pancakes and eggs. We had nice conversation, both bringing each other up to speed on what's going on in our lives. Cade and I have always had great conversations, and I relished every moment during breakfast.

After our meal I figured he'd want to go home so he could return to his PS4 games, so I tentatively asked him if there was anything else he wanted to do. I was somewhat shocked when he asked if we could see the Minions movie. Maybe he was missing me as much as I had been missing him? I immediately jumped on Fandango to see the movie times and the movie was starting within 45 minutes.

We headed over to the Wynsong. Since we'd just had breakfast we didn't get any popcorn. We got into the theatre, which was pretty crowded. We were able to get seats on the aisle.

Honestly, I don't remember much about the movie's plot. It had some silly moments and it tied in very nicely with Despicable Me. For me, it wasn't about the movie. I was enjoying Cade's laughter and I was almost brought to tears simply watching him watch the movie.

Supreme Court rules same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states

From Justice Anthony Kennedy in the closing paragraph of today's historic opinion:

"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is reversed. It is so ordered."

A Night At The Theatre, "Abundance"

Yesterday was a big theatre day for me and Chad. Not only did we see Pippin but the Cissna's invited us to see Triad Stage's production of Abundance.

My attention was captured from the moment the lights went down until the final cast bows. The story itself is riviting, the collective talents of the cast the show was fantastic, and the staging was inventive and beautiful.

I loved everything about the show!

An Afternoon At The Theatre, "Pippin"

My only exposure to Pippin was the movie version and I only watched it because I liked William Katt. (Remember him from The Greatest American Hero?) I was aware that the Broadway revival was hugely popular, so I was looking forward to seeing the show with Chad.

I did enjoy the overall show. I'm not a fan of the storyline and there are some memoriable showtunes. What I liked best about the show was the circus theme. I loved watching the circus performers.

A Night At The Theatre, "Southern Hospitality"

 Myla and I attended Stained Glass Playhouse's production of Southern Hospitality. If it hadn't been for the fact that April was in the show, and knew we were coming, we would have left at intermission.

The director, Justin Bulla, did what he could with an awful script and the varied acting ability of his cast.

An Evening At The Theatre, "Disney's Beauty and the Beast"

Last night I had the pleasure of attending Mt. Tabor High School's production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. When Chad told me he had chosen this musical for his spring production I was hesitant. I need not have been.

Seanna De Vine was an excellent choice for Belle. Not only does she look like Belle, her voice was absolutely beautiful. Brie Vaughn was fantastic as Mrs. Potts. Sarah Rivers played a very (appropriately) frisky Lumiere and Ben Keen was quite animated as Cogsworth.

The townspeople/enchanted objects were wonderful in their own right. The most precious performance was by Zachary Lundquist. He handled a malfunctioning "torch" with aplomb.

The best performance was Ben Gardner's Gaston. He embodied his character so thoroughly that during his numbers I felt like one of the swooning Silly Girls. Kudos to him also for not missing a beat when the bench he jumped up on teetered and fell over.

The kids worked hard under Chad's direction and the overall quality of the show was impressive. It's the best show I've seen at Mt. Tabor in a few years.

Thank You, Teagan

Spring affects me the same way every year. It's the one time of year that gets me into a full blown "I'm going to organize the entire house" mood. It usually only lasts for one weekend, and usually it's only contained to one area or room of the house. This year it's Sam's old room.

What usually weighs me down in these types of endeavors are the walks down memory lane. And Sam's room is full of memories! Some things I can't deal with or part with. Some things I can and am willing to do so. 

I found a ton of stationary in one of Sam's desk drawer. Now I could have recycled it, but Sarah Hasty, one of our variable instructors, has a daughter named Teagan. Teagan is cute as a button and will often come into our Newhire Classes to sing a song or two. She was the first person I thought of for the mound of stationary.

Today a letter was laying on my desk. A thank you note from Teagan. My heart smiled for the rest of the day!

 

 The Easter Bunny was good to all of us!

Birthday Cards

 

 

Birthday Cheers from Kathy

             Hope you have a great day!

 

Kathy Bockhoff

An Afternoon At The Theatre, "A Bright New Boise"

"We plop you down in a break room in Boise, Idaho for a little over four days and you watch a story unfold in which five characters' lives change forever. Their stories include polarizing topics, unexpected behavior and unfinished business."

Thus begins the director's notes in Paper Lantern's production of A Bright New Boise, which Chad and I saw earlier today. I'd not seen the show or read the script before so I had no idea what I was in for.

The first thing you notice is the incredible set designed down to the tiniest detail by John Bowhers. The lights go out and you are immediately transported.

The entire cast: Lee Spencer, Beth Ritson, Phillip Wright, Taylor Murphy Hale, and Emily Mark gave outstanding performances. There wasn't a weak link anywhere on that stage. Amy da Luz did a fabulous job of directing the production.

This production was as good as any Broadway show I've seen.

Surgery, My Scars Are Healing

March 6

March 12

March 15

March 17

March 20

More Post Surgery Update

From: Cheryl Ann [mailto:cinberry@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 1:21 PM
To: Gamble, Gloria
Cc: Boles, Larry; Fitzgerald, Catherine
Subject: CAK Update

I had my post op visit today. The incision is healing very well. My blood pressure is fine. The pain meds (and the diclofenac and gabapentin) were what was causing it to dip a bit. It's in a normal range now so nothing to worry about. 

I asked about the fatigue and that too is normal for recovering from surgery. 

I did ask if I could go off the gabapentin. I don't like taking it because it blurs my vision. We did make a plan to ween myself off it. 

I have been cleared to return to work on Monday, part time hours for 2 weeks. I was surprised by that. I did get a little lecture - while the incision is healing well, the muscles need time to mend too. 

Post Surgery Update

-----Original Message-----
From: Gloria
To: Cheryl Ann
Cc: Larry; Cathy 
Sent: Fri, Mar 13, 2015 10:06 pm
Subject: Re: Hello

Wow that is a lot.  It is amazing how bad not doing much can make you feel and the drugs play havoc on your mind and body.  The blood pressure issue is a little worrisome though.  At least the pain has subsided.  Take care and take it easy and keep us posted.  We'll be glad to send you some work if you get bored with all that other stuff!!

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 13, 2015, at 12:07 PM, "Cheryl Ann" <cinberry@aol.com> wrote:

It's been more than a week since I came home from the hospital. 

As far as I know, the surgery went well. At least that's what Dr. Hnilica told my family. Lol. He updated them that the herniation in the L5 lumbar was worse than originally thought. This is what was causing the, at times, severe pain down my left leg/foot. The cartilage between the L4 and L5 discs had "exploded" and was "squeezed" against the nerve. He removed the cartilage and "spot-welded" the rest of the disc together. Again, that's what he told my family. I saw him for 5 minutes in the holding room, as he drew dots on my back. I was in the OR for less than 2 minutes before I was out.

I did stay overnight. Ruth, Tamara, Marcia and Johnetta took very good care of me. It was difficult to sleep with the leg compression thingamajiggs squeezing and the IV machine beeping. I think I slept all of 3 total hours! I mostly flipped TV channels as I didn't think to bring a book. 

Allan and Cade brought me.home around noon on Wednesday and I went straight to bed and slept the rest of the day, aided by my good friend Oxycodone.

On Thursday, my mom came over and made beef stew. I did a couple of very slow laps around the inside of my house, took my Oxycodone and again mostly slept. Oh yea, and Mom taught Cade and I how to knit hats on a knitting loom. 

On Friday Mom came over again and brought a blood pressure cuff. She was worried because I still looked really pale. She also changed my bandage. I wasn't feeling the greatest as she was peeling off the super duper suran wrapping they put on me in the hospital. Since I can't really see the incision, I asked her to take a photo of it. She bandaged me up, I looked at the pic (a small angry looking scar) and then we continued to talk for about 10 minutes. After that I got really light headed and asked her to walk with me to my room so I could lay down. Apparantly, as I got to the side of my bed, I passed out. Luckily I face-planted right in the middle of my bed. Now, I am puny when it comes to blood, scars, and all that icky stuff, so it's quite possible I passed out due to seeing my own incision. (And on an iPhone no less!) It's also possible I passed out due to low blood pressure. 

I've been tracking my blood pressure ever since and it has been low for me. I'm experiencing dizziness and blurred vision, which may be from low blood pressure. It can also be from the gabapentin. According to Marcia, narcotics (Oxycodone) can also cause low blood pressure. But I was taking the gabapentin and oxycodone before surgery and my blood pressure was normal during my pre-op. I haven't been taking the oxycodone much this week, mostly at night so it won't hurt as much when I turn over.

I've read 3 books, knitted 4 hats, played tons of games of Trivia Crack and am on Season 2 of House of Cards. I'm trying to stay up, either sitting in a chair or walking my house, but I do get tired easy. I also can't twist, bend over or lift anything over 10 lbs. (Fun fact, a gallon of milk is 10 lbs.) Also, I'm just not feeling "right." Yes, the pain in my leg is gone (whoo! hoo!) but I still feel off somehow. This and my low blood pressure are on my list to discuss with Dr. Hnilica during my post-op. It's currently scheduled for 10:30 on 3/20, though I'm on the list to call if something comes available sooner. I originally thought I'd be able to return to work on Monday, but I have to wait until after my post-op visit.

Cheryl Ann

-----Original Message-----
From: Gloria
To: Cheryl Ann
Sent: Tue, Mar 10, 2015 4:09 pm
Subject: Hello

How are you doing?  

Surgery, Slow Recovery

I've been tracking my blood pressure ever since last Friday and it has been low for me. I'm experiencing dizziness and blurred vision, which may be from low blood pressure. It can also be from the gabapentin. According to Marcia (one of my post surgery nurses), narcotics (Oxycodone) can also cause low blood pressure. But I was taking the gabapentin and oxycodone before surgery and my blood pressure was normal during my pre-op. I haven't been taking the oxycodone much this week, mostly at night so it won't hurt as much when I turn over.

I've read 3 books, knitted 4 hats, played tons of games of Trivia Crack and am on Season 2 of House of Cards. I'm trying to stay up, either sitting in a chair or walking my house, but I do get tired easy. I also can't twist, bend over or lift anything over 10 lbs. (Fun fact, a gallon of milk is 10 lbs.) Also, I'm just not feeling "right." Yes, the pain in my leg is gone (whoo! hoo!) but I still feel off somehow. This and my low blood pressure are on my list to discuss with Dr. Hnilica during my post-op. It's currently scheduled for 10:30 on 3/20.

While still a little angry looking, my scar is healing. I'm able to view the picture without passing out!

Back Surgery Get Well Cards

 

  

 

Book Review, Scar Girl

I read The Scar Boys because a friend of mine, the drama teacher for Mt. Tabor High School in Winston-Salem, NC was working with his Advance Theatre class on adapting the book for the stage. Len saw the show and provided the cast and crew with advanced copies of Scar Girl. I liked both the book and the show and asked if I could borrow an advanced copy.

First off, the title is misleading. It's not Cheyenne's story, it's all their stories. It's more a sequel of the first book. Cheyenne's arc, which I predicted at the end of The Scar Boys, angered me. I'd have loved for Len to pen a more realistic "resolution" than taking the lazy way out.

The interview concept and format just didn't work. There are interview questions at the beginning of each "part" (i.e. Who do you admire?) then a picture of headphones. The text after the headphones is the contiuing saga of Harry, Richie, Cheyenne and Johnny as told in each point of view, save one. To make sure you know which character is talking, their names preceed their paragraphs. Helpful, yes, but it definitely interrupts the flow of the book.

None of the characters are likeable. Wait. I take that back. Richie is the only likeable character, but he's more of a fringe/comic relief character. We are never really introduced to his story, only how he reacts to Harry's, Cheyenne's and Johnny's arcs.

It doesn't take long to figure out where the story is heading and honestly, I wanted to give up on the book multiple times. I wanted to like this book. Len is such a great guy and The Scar Boys was a good book. But, for me, this book was one big cop-out.

Since I've a geat deal of time on my hands while I recuperate from back surgery, Mom taught me how to loom hats.

Here's my first customer.

Isn't he a cutie?

Surgery Scar

As far as I know, the surgery went well. At least that's what Dr. Hnilica told Allan and my family. He updated them that the herniation in the L5 lumbar was worse than originally thought. This is what was causing the, at times, severe pain down my left leg/foot. The cartilage between the L4 and L5 discs had "exploded" and was "squeezed" against the nerve. He removed the cartilage and "spot-welded" the rest of the disc together. Again, that's what he told Allan. I saw him for 5 minutes in the holding room, as he drew dots on my back. I was in the OR for less than 2 minutes before I was out.

I did stay overnight. Ruth, Tamara, Marcia and Johnetta took very good care of me. It was difficult to sleep with the leg compression thingamajiggs squeezing and the IV machine beeping. I think I slept all of 3 total hours! I mostly flipped TV channels as I didn't think to bring a book. 

Allan and Cade brought me home around noon on Wednesday and I went straight to bed and slept the rest of the day, aided by my good friend Oxycodone.

On Thursday, my mom came over and made beef stew. I did a couple of very slow laps around the inside of my house, took my Oxycodone and again mostly slept. Mom taught Cade and I how to knit hats on a knitting loom. 

Mom came over again today and brought a blood pressure cuff. She was worried because I still looked really pale. She also changed my bandage. I wasn't feeling the greatest as she was peeling off the super duper suran wrapping they put on me in the hospital. Since I can't really see the incision, I asked her to take a photo of it. 

I looked at the picture and tried not to be too grossed out. Mom and I continued to talk while she bandaged me anew. Still thinking of the picture of my scar, I got really light headed and asked her to walk with me to my room so I could lay down. Apparently, as I got to the side of my bed, I passed out. Luckily I face-planted right in the middle of my bed. Now, I am puny when it comes to blood, scars, and all that icky stuff, so that's probably why I passed out. It's also possible I passed out due to low blood pressure, which is why Mom brought over the BP cuff. 

Pre Op

Today was my pre op appointment. This is what the nurse did to my arm when attempting to draw blood. I am hoping and praying the surgery goes better than this did.

A Movie Watching Afternoon

Happy Chinese New Year

Laminotomy, Discectomy

Once again I couldn't go back to sleep after making Cade's lunch and sending him off to school. In this case it was a good thing. Forsyth Brain and Spine called to reschedule my appointment. After asking when the first available appointment was, I held my breath. Due to a cancellation, 9:20a today was available. I was in the office within 15 minutes from the time she called me!

Dr. Hnilica and I talked briefly about the pain I was experiencing. He then took me back to his office to go over the results of the MRI. 

There has been some further deterioration of my L5 vertebrae and due to the herniation, it is poking into my S1 nerve. Since the pain shots are no longer working, plan B, and his recommendation, was surgery. He went over the benefits and we spent a great deal of time going over the risks.

Now, I've been petrified of surgery. I was terribly afraid something would go wrong and I'd be paralyzed for the rest of my life. I saw Dr. Hnilica's PA back in December and he addressed some of my fears. The surgery I would need is very routine. It requires a small incision in my back (as opposed to having my entire spine exposed, like in my worst nightmares). He also told me that Dr. Hnilica had done the same surgery on him. The fact that he was walking and talking went a long way to allay my fears.

I've been in chronic pain since mid-November and I absolutely suck at dealing with it. Pain shots are no longer working (or as in the most recent case, are exacerbating the problem). I've been out of work for 2 weeks during a very busy time and I feel I'm letting my manager and coworkers down. And Cade. I feel like I let him down every single day. Chronic pain + poor emotional state = facing surgery fears. 

So, on Tuesday, March 3, I'll have a laminotomy, discectomy on my left lumbar L4/5.

I'll be in the hospital for one night and then spend up to two weeks recovering. My mom will be coming in from Key West to help.

I'm relieved that it's been scheduled. Don't misunderstand, I'm still nervous. But, for now, the idea of being pain-free is greater.

So, I got a call from Forsyth Brain and Spine. (Actually, the call went to voicemail. The meds really knock me out and my phone buzzed way too early this morning.) 

My appointment for Friday, the first available appointment when I called back in mid-November, the one I've been desperately awaiting since then, has been cancelled. 

That's right, folks. C.A.N.C.E.L.L.E.D.

I haven't returned a call to them as of yet. I'm afraid they'll tell me the first available appointment won't be until May. And I'm not sure I can last until then.

I'm having a very difficult time keeping things together. 

Tonight's Feature

Usually the books are better than the movie. Usually. Life of Pi was an exception.

Don't get me wrong, it's still the same long, labourous and boring story. The difference is the movie is beautifully filmed. The colors of India simply popped, some of the ocenic special effects (the whale, the jellyfish) were gorgeous and I loved the floating green island.

Having seen the movie, I wished I had skipped reading the book!

A Book Review, "Life of Pi"

For the past few years, I've had a goal to read X number of books from the BBC Book list. I've never achieved this goal, which is why I didn't add it to this year's goals.

As I opened the DVD envelope from my Netflix queue, I had to laugh. You guessed it, it was Life of Pi. I took that as a sign that I should finally read the book.

This was actually the second time with the book. The first time I just could not get into it. This time around wasn't much better but I forced myself to persevere. There were some nice moments and even some exciting things happened (green floating island, the "real" story). Ultimately it was long, labourous and just this side of completely boring. I was really hoping Richard Parker would just eat him so the book could conclude.

A Book Report, "Ask The Dark"

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a 46 year young woman who loves to read YA novels. I think it's partly so I can keep up with what my teenagers are reading, though a lot of the books are extremely engaging. This was the case with Ask The Dark.

I was sucked in by the description: "A compelling tale of redemption and tour-de-force YA debut, Ask the Dark is an absorbing first-person thriller about Billy Zeets, a 14-year-old semi-delinquent in a deadly tango with a killer."

I was both saddened and amazed by Billy's fortitude. He's had a rough life which has led to some poor choices and he is very street smart. It's those keen observations that gets him involved in a string of murders in his hometown.

It's a very engaging book and an easy read. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

I received this book through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I Love This!

Goodreads Voice: Little Free Library

By Goodreads Staff | Published Feb 03, 2015 01:35PM

Painted red and shaped like a miniature one-room schoolhouse, the first Little Free Library—built by Todd Bol in Hudson, Wisconsin, in 2009—launched what would become a worldwide movement in just a few years. Now more than 23,000 mini libraries exist in the United States, Canada, and other countries, including Haiti, Ghana, Vietnam, the Netherlands, and Italy. Often custom painted by local artists, these tiny book collections are outfitted with the cheerful motto "Take a book, return a book!"

Believing that no one should have to live in a book desert, the nonprofit Little Free Library needs donations to keep the movement going. Find out how you can help place a Little Free Library in your hometown and in cities across the globe. You can also get involved by becoming the "steward" of your own library by ordering one ready-made or designing your own!