Random Dots of Monday

• My dear parishioner died on Sunday evening. Bless him, he was ready to be done with the unbearable pain of metastatic cancer. His wife is dealing with metastatic lung cancer. Heaven help her....and the good parishioners of the parish will help her, too, doing as much as she will let them.

• Finally (FINALLY! after four months) got the meds that the insurance company was fighting me on. Here's the difference: on Saturday, in between trips to the hospital, I could do nothing but take a nap. Today, having had the meds, I've been rocking and rolling and getting things done. Take that, MS fatigue!

• Book group today was wonderful. We were talking about the January chapter of "The Year of Living Biblically," and it segued into a fascinating discussion of Biblical translation. I pulled the concordances off the shelf as well as pulling up my BibleWorks software, so we could explore whether the 10 Commandments say "kill" or "murder" in that commandment.
  

• It is 86 degrees here in Richmond, and we also have very high winds. I expect we'll have storms later tonight. This is very warm for this time of year, after a week of cool dampness. It feels sort of good, getting the chill out of the bones, but I'm not a hot weather person, so be prepared for me to whine about it in three months or so.

• Doug is back from his conference - it went well, despite several opportunities for it to go flop-bot*. Good to have him home again.

• Went for my annual physical early this morning. Like Monty Python's parrot, I am not dead yet. Not pining for the fjords, either. Numbers aren't bad, although triglycerides are a bit high. I get to wait another year for my colonoscopy since I had one at 50. That's just fine, thank you very much. I did have to make another appointment for my "well woman" checkup (read:Pap and breast exam). Why this couldn't be done as part of the regular physical heaven only knows. I should have asked if the guys get a separate "well man" checkup with the prostate palpation and the testicular exam. Somehow, I doubt it.

• I may try to get some more writing done tonight - I've got a couple of projects that need attention - or I may fade early. I went to the Advanced Weight Circuit Training Class for the first time this afternoon - I've been going to the intermediate one - and I am proud to say that I got through today's workout without puking or otherwise embarrassing myself. Average heart rate for the entire 45 minutes was around 152. That should generate some calorie burn. It may also generate an early bedtime.
  

• Time for the annual eye exam, too. Should I re-up on the contact lenses (expensive, a pain in the @rse but more attractive than specs) or just admit that I am une femme d'une certain age and just wear eyeglasses?
  

That's plenty enough dots for one day. Talk to you later.

*ref James Herriot's "All Creatures Great and Small" and the infamous Pekingese Tricki-Woo, whose owner, Mrs. Pumphrey, described his malady as "gone flop-bot." Use your imagination, friends.