Salamander
Fire Walking

Back to the grind.
Fri Dec 27 2002

That's the bad thing about the holidays. They have this annoying tendency to end before you've given them permission to. And so yesterday I found myself back behind my desk, wondering what happened to my lovely day off. It doesn't help that I have to work tomorrow. Christmas is over, the weekend is truncated, and it's nearly time to throw myself a pity party.

Speaking of parties, the woman who asked me when the baby was due at The Socialist's department Christmas party has sent The Socialist and me an invitation to a party at her house in late January. It's a "Hoogie Party". I have been notably unsuccessful in discovering what a hoogie is. There is a rather popular Scottish band that goes by that name. There is some famous swimmer who goes by the nickname of "Hoogie". There is some Cajun song called "The Hoogie Boogie". I doubt any of this has anything to do with the party, however. I wondered if she simply misspelled "hoagie" (aka "hogie) but the card is quite neatly printed, and I think it unlikely that it's a mistake. When The Socialist returns from the west coast I shall have to nag him into finding out from her husband exactly what this is, and what, if anything, is expected from us when we come.

In other news, I got my new MELD score, based on my most recent blood tests. I'm still at 18, which is unchanged from the last score. I suppose I should take this as good news, since it indicates that I'm holding my own and not getting any sicker. I almost wish my MELD were getting larger, though. The thought of spending years looking like an egg with toothpicks for arms and legs is rather dismaying. It's only been a little over five months since I was told I'd need a transplant, and less time since I've officially been listed, so I don't know what I'm getting so impatient about. I think most of it is vanity. Shopping for superfat clothes is a blow to the ego, regardless of why I need them. Going out into public places looking like a zeppelin in search of a tether is a blow to the ego. Looking at myself in the mirror is one hell of a blow to the ego. OK, let's all say it in chorus together now:

Get over it, Pali!

heh heh - At least I have prominent cheekbones now. They suit my face.

Wednesday, at the urging of my sister, I left all my presents at her house. Since the weather was so bad, it made sense to deal with boxes and bags at a later date. The Younger Sister offered to bring them over to my apartment on Saturday for me. On impulse, I invited her and the Elder Sister to dinner, and they accepted. What was I thinking? I work on Saturday. The place needs to be cleaned. I have to go shopping to get dinner ingredients. I have to COOK! Ack! Ack! Ack!

I spent my break this morning trying to come up with a low sodium recipe that looked edible. I ended up with what looks like a decent recipe for chicken cacciatore. I already have most of the ingredients at home, though I'll need to get the chicken. I'll make it tonight, and just reheat it tomorrow. Serve over rice, make a salad, and I'm there. The cacciatore recipe only has 707 mg sodium in it total, and it feeds eight, so if this works I'll have found a definite keeper. If it doesn't work, I'll send out for pizza for the sisters and eat the salad myself

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