January 6-12 2008

This week I tried to get lots of stuff done before leaving for C’s niece’s wedding in Puerto Rico. But alas, I was curtailed by my fluctuating gastrointestinal health. I have been trying to go gluten-free (or at least as close as possible), because after charting my distresses, they tend to come most often after a string of gluten rich food choices. This week’s distress solidifies my feelings on the subject, because once again, after having a string of gluten rich foods, my GI tract went on strike. So, although the doc’s have ruled out Celiac disease, I think there is certainly some sort of intolerance going on in there.
Weigh in: 160 Miles on bicycle: 4.09
Sunday started with B’s dessert day. This is the premier event in the area, with over 30 desserts baked from scratch, all in one location. (A Mecca for gluten you could say). Once again this year I tried to eat one of everything, but could not make it around the table. We had lunch before we went, because honestly, you could go into sugar shock if you tried to go on an empty stomach. This leaves less room for dessert, but you have less of a crash after the event. The rest of the day I knitted, finishing a shell (that I still need to post on Ravelry), and deciding to finish my socks before I leave.

Monday K came to work for a few hours. We got all of my loose ingredients into the boxes they belong in and weighed out ingredients for things to make (so in essence I started making bath salts and bath fizzys- at least the start of the process). We also rearranged my cure room so better hold my new soaps for 2008 and those I have left from previous years too. And we counted and inventoried my organza bags. Now I know what I need to order. (always good to know what you need to spend money on, ehh?). I also called a friend who was going to teach K and I to spin this week, but she was feeling under the weather and had to cancel.
Since I expected to spend the day Tuesday spinning, I got quite a bit of things done that I didn’t expect to. I figured out my show applications and got some sent out, answered what seemed to be a ton of e-mails, labeled boxes in the cure room so I have some semblance of order in there, finished the order form for my upcoming soap sale, and did laundry. That night C and I had a late Christmas with B&M. The dinner was awesome- Chicken Paprikash (I am sure that is spelled wrong) and leftovers from dessert day- yum, moon cake….
Wednesday K, B, and I went to Ikea. I picked up a few bookshelves I needed for the workshop. I have to say this is the first time I was ever severely disappointed in Ikea. They have gone to mostly self checkout lines, and when we were there that is all that they had open. Even when B arrived, with her cane(!!), they did not open a regular checkout lane . Half way through her (and us) fighting through checkout they finally opened one. There has to be an ADA issue in this someplace. I would have been happy to just leave my purchase and go I was so mad, but K needed stuff for school and we just spend 3 hours walking around the joint, so suffice to say, they had us where they wanted us. We went for lunch before we went back home and I had some awesome Guava Lemonade. And then when I got home, it happened, the GI “strike” began….
Thursday I sat on the couch and slept, knitted, and generally was too ill to leave the house. I got a picture sent out for some custom gift baskets I am doing as corporate gifts this year, mailed out a gift for my secret Santa, and got some laundry put away. I knitted my socks too, almost done!
Friday was a whirlwind- groceries, post office, drycleaner, laundry, delivering gift baskets, working on my house journal (more on that in another post when it’s done) and trying to get some things on and off the I-Pod.
Saturday was filled with my least favorite thing in the world- shopping. This was a search for a dress for the wedding. I found one for the rehearsal dinner at least, and for only $3.74 at Boscov’s. We cleaned the house, and I got a box of lotion bar donations ready to be sent out to the lucky recipient. I also finished the socks- just need to graft the toes when I get back. But I hate to assemble, graft, or anything like that….(I’ll post them on Ravelry too soon)