crowdog66

Today I went to see my psychiatrist and reported that the combination of medication and exercise seems to be working in the long term: I still have crashes, but my overall mood has improved markedly. Based on that, he gave me a note permitting me to return to work at Ipsos-Reid on Saturday, April 1st, starting with four-hour shifts and increasing the length if I seem to be able to handle it.

Watching him write that note, I felt a surge of pleasure so intense that it caught me by surprise. I wasn't sure how I'd feel when we reached this point (after I've been off work for over a year), but I expected there to be more fear than this. Instead I feel that it's the right time to go back, and that I'm up to taking on the challenge. Surprising AND amazing.

He also informed me that the Risperdol (antipsychotic) I've been taking as part of my daily medication mix might have something to do with the difficulty I've been having controlling by blood sugars. I'm seeing my GP tomorrow, and the psychiatrist suggested that I tell him to hold off putting me on diabetes medication for at least a couple of more months, until the psychiatrist can step me down off the Risperdol (assuming I remain stable). This was a great relief.

On the way down to I-R to drop off that note as well as the one letting me off work until the end of the month (which I'd gotten three weeks ago but just hadn't taken in yet), I stopped at Coles, the bookstore in CityPlace, and ended up picking up a hardcover gilt-edged copy of Jane Austen: The Complete Novels for the excellent price of $30 -- including some marvelous Victorian illustrations by Hugh Thompson. A victory present for both myself and George, since I've been meaning to read more of her works for quite some time.

At I-R, I presented the notes to an HR person who informed me that the head of HR wanted to meet with me on Thursday at 10 am to discuss my reintroduction to I-R and how best to run my core retraining, since I've been off work for so long. This was not unexpected, but still has me a little nervous.

And today in step training, I did a full 30 minutes of workout (including abs and upper body with weights) for the very first time.

More about the Full Moon ritual later today, or perhaps tomorrow. Right now, Hardy Boys is calling my name.

Got up at 8 am, groaned and drank a lot of coffee, then hopped on a bus in the cold morning sunshine for the 50-minute trip out to my GP's office. Arrived a bit early, only to be told that my appointment is actually on DECEMBER 28th. >.<

Swallowed the impulse to scream. Instead, sat down in the waiting room until my mother arrived. We went for breakfast, after which I hopped back on a bus and went down to Polo Park to get some step training equipment.

Except that not. A. Single. Store. In. The. Mall. CARRIES. Step. Training. Equipment. No, not the department stores, and heaven forbid, not the actual sports stores! Cue the second >.< of the day, as I realize that I'll have to hop a cab and ride 10 minutes out to the nearest sports warehouse store that actually HAS the equipment I'm looking for.

$53 later, I emerge with step training equipment -- and no videos to go with it.

Back to Polo Park via cab. (Cab fees are now in the $18 range, btw.) Check out their HMV, which (surprise surprise) has NO step training videos. They call the Portage Place store, which also comes up empty. They can order it in 3-6 weeks, however.

Third >.<. I say "fuck it" and hop another cab home, because the box of step training equipment is pretty damned heavy and godawfully awkward.

Total cab fees: $28. I am, however, home more than early enough to actually relax, have a glass of Diet Coke with Lime, and start phoning video, audio, and sports stores.

Aaaaaand apparently there is not a step training video to be had in the entire city of Winnipeg.

So I say "fuck it" for the second time and go to wonderful wonderful eBay, where a Kathy Smith step training video which has garnered excellent reviews is up for $9.25 US. Sure, it'll take a couple or four weeks to get here, but that's still a better bet than what HMV was promising, AND it's a little bit cheaper besides. Guess who'll be out mailing postal money orders tomorrow (since we still have to pay for our new monitor)? MEEEEEEEEEEE! Before the Witches Meetup Round Two, of course.

Oh, and the Hardy Boys editor just sent me an OMGPAGEZAREONTHEFTPSITENOWCNUDOTHEMRIGHTAWAYKTHXBYE! email. Bastard! I still have two pages of Marvel Masterworks sample flats to finish, plus the Joe In The Future artist starting to leave nervous phone messages asking if we've started the job yet (we haven't). Gahhhhhhhhh, oh fuck, and >.< unto infinity.

George thinks I should still go to the bellydancing class tonight. *laughter* It IS the last class, so there are arguments both for going and for skipping. Feh...

ETA: Used the Wise Mind skill to take an internal poll, and came to the conclusion that not going to the class tonight is the best thing for me to do at this time. The day has just been too full already, and I don't have that many spoons left. Phoned the instructor, however, and left a phone message thanking her for the class and her hard work, and letting her know how much I enjoyed it and that I'm considering the intermediate course in the future.

I'll download the Hardy Boys pages tonight and work on those Marvel Masterworks flats instead. Then, hopefully, I can get up early again tomorrow and get in a day's work before the Witches Meetup in the evening.

ETA II: How could I have forgotten to mention the Tupperware cream and sugar set I picked up at Polo Park today from a Christmas kiosk? They're dark blue plastic, the creamer is covered as well as the sugar, and they'll be damned near impossible for Emmie to break.

Also got a $5 bill in my cab change today that is registered at Where's Willy?. If you've never heard of Where's Willy, you're missing out on something special... because Where's Willy tracks logged bills across North America and beyond. For example, the bill I got today travelled 10 kilometers since it was first logged in on September 27th -- at an average speed of 0.16 kilometres a day over 61 days, 21 hours, and 44 minutes. Woot!

This link might or might not work to show you one of my bills and how it's been tracked so far.

And check how far THIS one has travelled!