No, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I have been dealing all week with that same health problem I have posted about in recent days. After an emergency doctor visit and various medical tests, my doctor has sent me to physical therapy for the extreme pain I have been in. That's why I have not been blogging. I went to my first physical therapy appointment yesterday with Lisa, a pelvic pain therapist. I didn't know there was such a specialty in the world of physical therapy, but luckily for me--there is.

Lisa treats women for pelvic pain caused by all sorts of problems. One of her jobs is to figure out what is causing the woman's pain. It will be a big job in my case because several doctors now have not been able to determine the cause. Exercise doesn't help; resting doesn't help. Heat doesn't help; ice packs don't help. I pretty much survive from pain pill to pain pill. The pain tends to get worse at night and often wakes me from a sound sleep with a jolt. During the day, the pain comes and goes. If I could figure out what tended to make it worse, I would avoid doing whatever that was, but I just can't figure it out.

Anyway, I am scheduled to work with Lisa over the next month and she will be trying different therapies and exercises with me to try to reduce my pain. I am a conscientious patient and will work hard to follow her directions, because I want to feel better. Also, I miss blogging and want to get back to interacting with my blogging friends. I am going to post this same post on my other blog. I will probably not be posting again until I start to feel better. In the mean time, I will check my blogs each day to read any comments any of you leave and I appreciate hearing from you, particularly if you have experienced any similar problems. Thanks, friends!

(photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_room)

New York Trip Family Photo

Not much to say today. Here's a photo of my brother, my sister, my nephew, and me, dining at Tavern on the Green when we were in NYC a few years ago. Shortly after this photo was taken we were on our way to see Wicked, my all-time favorite Broadway musical.

Have a great Sunday, everyone!

German Pizza

I gave my hubby Milt a choice of several recipes I had found online the other day, and he chose German Pizza. I selected this recipe because it was different, easy, and could be cooked on the top of the stove rather than in the oven (it's just too hot to turn on the oven!).

It turned out pretty tasty, although I would suggest to anyone who plans to make it, that the suggested five potatoes are far too many. It would cook better, be easier to slide out, and be more crispy, if you used four--or even three potatoes!

German Pizza

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter

5 potatoes

1 onion

1 lb. ham cut in thick strips

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

salt and pepper

3 eggs

Slice onion and potatoes

In a non-stick skillet, melt butter. Place 1/2 of potatoes, 1/2 of onion, and 1/2 of ham in the skillet. Salt and pepper to taste. Repeat layers. Do not stir.

Cover and fry 25 to 30 minutes on medium-low heat. In a separate bowl, lightly beat eggs with a fork and pour over top of mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and let melt. Cook until eggs are done, about 8 minutes.

Slide out of skillet and cut like a pizza. Let me know if you try it!

Grocery Shopping--Our Way

Our method of grocery shopping is probably different from that of the typical household. I'm the wife, but I never shop for groceries. My husband Milt does the shopping (and he prefers it that way) twice a week (Wednesdays and Saturdays). We have a running grocery list which sits on our kitchen counter that we add to each day. When Milt heads out on his shopping forays, he grabs the list and makes the rounds of at least three grocery giants in the area.

Milt is a grocery shopping expert. He has polished his skills over many years--first as a bachelor and then married to me, a woman whom he discovered to his delight hated grocery shopping as much as he loved it. He knows each store from one end to the other, from Aisle One to Aisle Fifteen (if indeed there are that many aisles in a grocery store). He knows which store has the freshest produce and which has the tastiest deli treats. He knows where to find the best deals.

When he is out on his shopping trips, he takes his cell phone along and calls me at frequent intervals with pointed questions. For example, I just fielded a call from him regarding my request for a tea sampler. He was calling to see if I approved of the specific flavors of tea included in the various samplers on the shelves. He is very accommodating that way. He aims to please.

He also restocks my library when he is out shopping. As I read two or three novels a week, he typically picks up several new reads for me at least once a week. When he calls about selecting books, it usually involves him reading the blurbs on the book jackets to me so that I can make a decision. He knows the genres I prefer, but he lets me make the final decisions. I'll have to admit, it's getting harder and harder to find mysteries that sound appealing at most grocery stores. I usually do better ordering them from Amazon.com, but unfortunately, I tend to run out at inappropriate times, and Milt's shopping trips are at least regular.

When he arrives home with his bounty, he has a very systematic way of unloading and shelving the groceries. Our kitchen is a masterpiece of organization--a place for everything and everything in its place. I suppose there are some women out there who would be offended to have a husband who usurped what they considered their rightful wifely shopping duty, but I'm not one of them. I love my shopper husband and I feel blessed!

Who does the grocery shopping in your house?

(photo from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grocery_store)

Doggie Update

Here's an update on the health of our 15-year-old Pomeranian Coquette. Several weeks ago I took her to a chain veterinarian for her annual shots and check-up and got, what I felt, was a huge run-around (and I posted about it). On Saturday, I heard back from the vet with the results of all the lab tests they had conducted on her. Supposedly, she has the beginnings of kidney disease, although the vet was very unclear regarding just how far along this disease had progressed. She noted that at Coquette's age, most all dogs develop some kidney problems.

The bottom line is that she recommended starting Coquette on some specialty food and a new medication to treat the kidney problem. She said that the medication wouldn't cure the kidney problem, only delay it somewhat. Ultimately, Coquette's kidneys will get worse and she will start to pee more often. The kicker is that if we start the medication, Coquette will have to have regular (like weekly) blood tests to monitor her kidney function from here on out. The vet said the decision as to what to do was up to us.

Milt and I discussed the situation and we have decided to forego the medication (and the accompanying tests) but to try the specialty food. Our goal is to maintain Coquette's comfort and happiness. We believe that having to subject her to taking medication and regular blood monitoring would be more trouble and pain for her than it would be worth, particularly considering that nothing will actually cure this problem.

She is an old dog, but she is our old dog and we intend to make her as happy and as comfortable as we can for as long as possible. Some readers may disagree with our decision and believe we should be more aggressive in treating Coquette's illness, but we are content that we are doing what's best for Coquette.

What do you think?

"Julie and Julia" Cooks Up Sweet Memories For Me: Recent and Old

How much did I love the new movie Julie and Julia starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep? Beaucoup! This delightful bio-pic about a young blogger who cooks her way through every recipe in Julia Child’s monumental cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and then posts about her experiences, grabbed me in every way possible. The script is charming. Amy Adams is adorable. The stories of the two women (the young blogger named Julie and the older, famous chef Julia Child) are woven together seamlessly. You will laugh. You will cry. But mostly, you will smile, because Julie and Julia is as sweet as the pear tart that Julie concocts from the recipe on page 642.

But the central focus of this gem of a film is the performance of Meryl Streep as Julia Child. I’m trying to remember what the real Julia Child was actually like now, because I was so thoroughly taken in by Streep’s very believable portrayal. Trying to capture the essence of a character is difficult enough for an actress, but when that character is based upon a real-life individual, the job is twice as daunting. For Streep, however, Julia never becomes a caricature and the famous cook’s warmth, humanity, and femininity blossom as the film progresses.

For me, Julie and Julia brought forth many memories. Some of those memories were quite recent. I empathized with the young blogger and her attempts to increase her traffic and to find time to post. It made me feel ever so much like a blogging insider when she and her friends discussed the merits of Paypal. I agonized with her when she tried to decide whether or not to post about a fight she had with her husband, knowing it would improve her post, but eventually deciding against it, because her husband asked her not to write about their personal life.

Julie and Julia also made me recall some memories of my distant past. I remember becoming enamored of Julia Child back in the 70’s and getting my own copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking just as Julie did. I still have my copy although it’s covered with drips and spills from the many recipes in it that I have tried. Today MTAOFC sits on my kitchen shelf right next to my copy of Irma Rombauer’s The Joy of Cooking, another recipe staple. (Look for a scene in the movie where Julia Child meets Irma Rombauer and asks her for advice on getting her cookbook published. It’s a hoot.)

In addition to the outstanding acting of Streep, Adams, and the supporting players, the city of Paris is a major part of this movie. Paris, France, and the entire French culture seem to imbue all the scenes in which Julia learns to “master the art of French cooking.” Seeing the way the filmmaker presented this Paris, this France, brought back many memories for me because I spent the summer of 1980 in Paris (studying language—not cooking--at the Alliance Française). Here’s a photograph of me way back then standing outside my little hotel in the heart of Paris. It was on this trip that I learned all about café au lait, French bread, wine, and other things.

Memories, memories. Thank you, Julie and Julia. Hmmm. Maybe I’ll make coq au vin tonight. Then blog about it tomorrow!

Have you seen Julie and Julia? If so, did it bring back any memories for you?

(photos from www.julieandjulia.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Child)

Thank You, Geek Squad!

Yes, my PC was infected--and near death. After two hours, however, of major surgery this morning, she is back to her old self--thanks to a talented young man from the Geek Squad. Not only did he cure her virus--he saved all of my data! The entire process took two hours, but PC is humming along like new. Hubby is relieved because he no longer has to share his MAC with me. All is right with the world. Starting tomorrow, I will be posting regularly on both of my blogs (this one and Communication Exchange) and no more whining about broken computers. I promise!

Adjusting to Mac

Well, here I am again in the basement, blogging on Hubby's Mac.  He actually left me alone with it today while he went to the Post Office.  He's becoming more trusting.  Yesterday and the day before, he stood over me like a protective father.  I don't know what he thinks I'm going to do to it.  I would never intentionally hurt his baby. (Of course, in his mind, I killed my Dell desktop, so I can't be trusted with equipment).

Luckily, this scenario only continues for a few more days.  The Geek Squad is scheduled to arrive Thursday morning to revive my computer (I hope).  I'm really worried about it.  The "blue screen of death" that I got when it died was one I had never received before.  Hubby and I use our computers like crazy but we know nothing about how to fix them (I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies!).   Who knows?  I will keep you posted.

Is your computer your baby?  Have you ever entrusted your baby to the Geek Squad?

Computer Down--Apologies

Yesterday my trusty Dell desktop computer died.  RIP, old friend.  The EMTs from the Geek Squad will be coming to perform resuscitation, but not until Thursday.  So, until then, I'm relegated to emergency computing on my hubby's Apple in the basement.  He allows me a brief period for basic e-mail checking and quick blog checking and updates.  He set his Apple on "privacy protection" mode because he thinks my wild computer behavior (read Entrecard dropping) is what caused our PC upstairs to die in the first place.  

Please, everyone, accept my apologies in advance for any failure to respond to your requests between now and Thursday.  Also, please accept my apologies for what will be a sudden decline in the number of Entrecards I will be dropping until "Old Faithful" PC is up and running again.

Do You Remember Steak-Umms?

The other night I sat bolt upright in bed, dreaming of Steak-Umms, a strange frozen, thin meat-like product that, when fried, was somewhat tasty. Do any of you remember Steak-Umms? I wasn’t even sure if they still made Steak-Umms so I sent my trusty personal shopper (my husband) out looking for them. He discovered that the Steak-Umms brand still exists but now they apparently only make hamburgers (at least that’s all he found at the three grocery stores he visited). He did find another product called Philly Gourmet Steaks that appeared to be similar to the original Steak-Umms. Being the incredible and conscientious shopper that he is, he bought both products for us to try.

Last night, I attempted to cook the Steak-Umms double—the Philly Gourmet Steaks. They did look and cook just like the Steak-Umms I remember. That is, they pretty much shriveled up when cooked into almost nothingness. What started out as a frozen chunk of meat substitute, about six inches wide by twelve inches long and about a mere one sixteenth of an inch thick soon became little brown curly cues when I cooked it. Even so, the Philly Gourmet Steaks tasted much like I remember Steak-Ums tasting, and dressed up with lettuce, tomato, relish, and mustard, on a toasted French Roll they were quite yummy.

One final thing, please, if you haven't already done so, please stop by this site and vote for these great bloggers for the Most Influential Blogger Award. Today is the last day. Thanks!

I Stole This Post From Lola

Lola from Lola's Diner is so smart. Like me, she signed up her blogs to be available for subscription on Kindle--Amazon.com's electronic reader, but unlike me, she had the foresight to realize she should promote this new service by getting her blogs reviewed on her Kindle site. Her promotion idea is so nifty that I immediately accepted her offer. Not only that, I decided to copy her post from yesterday verbatim--substituting my particulars for hers (for all my former students, this is NOT plagiarism because I'm giving credit to the original source--Lola).

Here's my version of Lola's post from yesterday:

Show me some love! (I hope you'll want to leave me a 5 Star Review!) Leave me a review on Kindle and earn 50 Entrecard Credits per review. Offer is for a limited time. Limit of 2 reviews (one for each of my blogs--click for Subjective Soup and for Communication Exchange) per person. Leave me a comment with a link to your review on Kindle, or leave your Amazon name so I can find it. If you've got your blog on Kindle, let me know and I'll be happy to write a trade review. Just leave me a comment with the Amazon link for your blog.

Thanks, Lola, for the great idea. I don't know if we bloggers can help each other promote our blogs on Kindle, but it's worth a try. I only know of one person who even has a Kindle (my friend Marilyn from my Curves gym) but as few people at my gym know that I blog at all (for many of them, blogging is akin to devil worship), I can't really suggest to Marilyn that she subscribe to my blog on her Kindle.

I would love to get a Kindle but they're simply too expensive now for me (almost $300). I'm waiting for the price to come down, but it shows little signs of doing that. My friend Marilyn loves her Kindle and I think the idea of having a device that allows you to download a book instantaneously for less money that it would cost to buy it and ship it, is great. I also like the idea of being able to hold the Kindle in your hand comfortably like a real book and be able to read it lying in bed or sitting in a cozy armchair. I just can't justify the cost.

Do you like Lola's idea? Are you on the Kindle bandwagon? As an Kindle owner? As a Kindle blogger?

Thanks to July Visitors

A great big thank you to all the wonderful people who visited Subjective Soup during the month of July--especially those Entrecard members who stopped and dropped their business cards. Here is a list of the Top Ten Entrecard Droppers for July:

A Simple Life
Mommy's Little Corner
Life's sweets and spices
Guitarbench.com
The Modern Mom
The Way I See It
moms..... check nyo
Yummy-as-can-be
Jean sQuared
atenean101 @ Blogspot

You guys are great! I hope you will continue to visit my little blog!

Pet Scam?

I'm still reeling from my trip to the veterinarian's yesterday for our Pomeranian Coquette's annual check-up. You can catch the particulars on my other blog. Most commenters seem to agree that some of the large vet chains may encourage unnecessary tests and procedures that most pets actually don't need. That certainly seemed to be the case yesterday.

I took Coquette in a healthy happy dog. When I left two hours later, she had already undergone several lab tests, an ultrasound, a blood pressure check, and various other in-office tests. Her drawn blood will be sent out for testing for a variety of other possible ailments. I was given two prescriptions for medications that I have to administer to her over the next few weeks and I have no idea what they're for. I am just swimming--emotionally and mentally--confused and angry. The total for all of this is almost $600!

I have experienced scams before (see my post on the Craig's List scam I avoided recently) and am happy to report I have generally been able to recognize and avoid them. This one, however, caught me off guard. I guess it's because for most of Coquette's life (13 years of it anyway) when we lived in Louisiana, she was treated by a country vet who lived just down the street. He checked her out once a year and that was usually all he did. Once he gave her ear drops when she had an ear infection and once he cleaned her teeth. But his philosophy seemed to be--if the animal is comfortable and pain-free--leave it alone!

The chain vet I visited yesterday (it's Banfield, by the way) seems to have just the opposite viewpoint. They seem to be looking for things wrong with the pet so they can treat it. Last year when I brought Coquette in, they tried to talk me into an expensive heart surgery (that she may or may not have needed and that she may or may not have survived!) on the off-chance that it might solve some minor problem. I said "no" to that. I guess that experience should have raised the red flag. I should have brought my husband to the appointment yesterday so we could have presented a united front against the onslaught of "pet guilt" that the chain vet creates if you have the gall to refuse their suggested treatment. Foolishly I didn't and I was a sucker for their persuasive techniques. I'm kicking myself today.

I should have stuck to my Louisiana vet's philosophy--if the animal is comfortable and pain-free, leave it alone! I'm sorry, Coquette. for putting you through all of that torture yesterday. I'm sorry, hubby, for wasting so much money on needless procedures. Now, I'm wondering if I should cancel the follow-up appointment scheduled for two weeks (where I'll find out the results of the lab tests). I'm wondering if I should actually even give Coquette the prescription meds.

Have you ever been scammed by a chain veterinarian? What's your view on medical treatments for pets? What would you do if you were me?

(photo by ranjit @ www.flickr.com)