In all my talks with other breast cancer patients, not one has been sent home directly after surgery, like I have, everysingletime -- excepting, of course, those who have been diagnosed in the pandemic year. Today I want to talk about GOING HOME DIRECTLY AFTER SURGERY.
It's because of COVID-19 precautions that so many dangerous surgeries have become outpatient. In October 2000, my mother was in the hospital for 5 days after her mastectomy. Nurses emptied her drains (plastic balloons that hang off your sides and fill up with blood and lymph fluid and must be emptied every four hours), and they monitored her vitals. They managed her pain. The doctor stopped by to discuss treatment, care, the future. She felt cared for.
Had to edit this photo bc someone flagged it as pornography even though 75% of my post-mastectomy-breasts were covered by at white rectangle. GRRR.
I've compiled a list of things I genuinely enjoyed having during my post-mastectomy weeks (I'm three-weeks out as I'm writing this). There will be a Round Two someday because I was also gifted some pretty amazing things from friends. Check back for the Mastectomy Gift Guide when I have the energy to write again.
I hope this list is helpful. Maybe you click all the links and buy all the stuff. Maybe you just read through and find that having knowledge of what to expect helps you feel a little more in control of your current situation. Most importantly, mastectomies are major surgeries. Allow yourself time to heal. Be kind to yourself. Splurge if you can. Life is short (don't we all know that by now)...
1. Mastectomy Pillow
I wish I'd remembered to bring this to the hospital with me. It would have been nice for the ride home, so my seatbelt wasn't so miserable. This pillow has notches cut out for your arms, which gives support and a great cushion to your chest. You won't be able to hug anyone properly for a while. Having a cushion helps hugs feel better, but also it's nice to just hug the pillow. This particular one has a great pocket in front to hold your phone or a pencil or airpods or whatnot.
These are Amazon links. I'm part of an affiliate program. Clicking on the links helps me. Thanks!
2. Button-up pajamas. Buy a few pairs of these, and wear one of them to your surgery, especially if your surgery is outpatient. You will not be able to raise your arms above your head for at least several weeks, so button-up pajamas (and eventually shirts) will be your best friend. Splurge on something soft. You've got cancer (or BRCA+) and it SUCKS and you deserve soft pajamas.
3. Button-up shirts
A close second to the soft pajamas. You might already have these in your closet (or can borrow from a partner or friend). When you finally feel like getting dressed for real, you'll still have limited range of motion in your arms/shoulders. Putting a shirt over your head is a challenge, so button-up shirts are everything.
4. Shirts that hold your drains.
I have two of these, and they were great. I just got my drains out, but I still like the shirts. They're really soft and have the perfect pocket for your drains. I could have clipped my drains or used a fanny pack, but these were much more pleasant. Also, the clips that came with my drains lost their clamping ability after a few days. The feeling of a drain falling down and tugging at your skin is painful and scary, and shirts like this prevented that. Also: SO SOFT!
5. A mesh bag for your drains
This was SO nice for the shower. One friend told me I wouldn't need them, and I totally respect that everyone recovers differently. My mastectomy was outpatient and I knew that showering would be difficult without help, so I got the bag anyway. And I LOVED it. I hate things around my waist, so having this around my neck was a lot more comfortable in the shower.
Also, check out local sewers, as this has become a popular item for people to sew. I had a mesh bag made in Louisville by Necessary Comforts. It was a gift from a Twitter friend.
6. Throat lozenges
General anesthesia is a beast. You'll have a breathing tube during the surgery -- for a few hours. Your voice will be really hoarse, sore, dry, maybe even painful the days following the surgery. Keeping throat lozenges by your bed helps mitigate that.
7. ChapstickMuch like your throat is dry, your lips will be really dry. Treat yourself to some nice chapstick. You deserve it.
8. Wedge pillow
I LOVE this wedge pillow. It's adjustable, so you can gradually get flatter. Sleeping with drains in is tricky, so I also lined my sides with pillows. When you are able to sleep flat again, keep this around. I used it for a rotator cuff surgery earlier this year, and my husband uses it for reflux. My kids use it to relax. I use it to read in bed. It's really helpful, and I see us living with it for years.
9. Sleep mask
Sleep is everything to keep your mind and body healthy, but it's especially important when you need to heal. I had a stash of eyemasks from plane trips, but this eyemask changed me. Complete darkness. Soft. Room for your eyes to open but not brush against the inside of the mask. Luxury.
10. Earplugs
I typically despise when companies market things "for women," like when you see a pink drill "for women" or a pink pen "for women" -- like, only the color is different, that's dumb. But these: they are pink, which makes them easier to find when you drop one. Mostly: they fit beautifully in my tiny ears. Also: you need to sleep. A lot. These earplugs + the above sleep mask = pure magic.
11. Resistance bands for
at-home Physical Therapy
You may go to PT, or during a pandemic you may not feel safe there. Either way these small resistance bands are helpful to stretch your muscles and regain strength and range of motion.
12. Tablet holder - for bed
This was SO useful, especially when I was up in the middle of the night for no reason. Your arms will be weak and you will be tired. It's nice to put a pillow on your lap and put your phone or iPad up there.
13. Soft housecoat with POCKETS
I have become obsessed with housecoats. And they have pockets!! I had my mastectomy in October, so plush housecoats are my jam. I have two, and I live in them.
14. Witch Hazel wipes It might be difficult to poop after surgery -- it usually is. Once you do squeeze one out, you'll be glad you have these on hand. You're welcome!
15. Long phone charger
You'll be stuck in bed for a long time. You want to make sure your phone can reach the charger while you're lying in bed doomscrolling.
There are a lot of other items that I acquired, either gifts or painkiller-purchases (be careful about this ha ha -- oxycodone makes you LOOOOOOOPY and you might buy a 75" television if you're not careful), but I'll save them for another blog.
Other ways to support: https://linktr.ee/brigidkaelin (This has links to EVERYTHING, my website, my cancer updates, my Venmo, my Patreon, and all my social media! I've been a professional musician since I was a teenager. COVID has eliminated career, so I'm doing all I can do stay afloat. I so appreciate all my friends who have jumped in to help my family. We love you so much.)
You're in luck -- my January 25th send-off show at the Bard's Town is SOLD OUT, so you don't have to listen to me ask you to come to the show. And when my head isn't stressed out with MusicianAnxiety (also known as HostAnxiety aka will anyone come tonight will anyone show up will it be a totally empty room after all my hard work), I can instead focus on delightful little blogs like this one.
In recent years, we've seen more and more people work remotely or become self-employed, whether it's a CTO working from home on a snow day or a LulaRoe rep tweeting from the toilet (and you can easily reverse those situations -- we've all done it, right?), but I somehow STILL find it difficult. I had finally figured out good time management, and then I went and had kids: FOILED!
I'm not someone who thrives under structure, in general, but I am someone who NEEDS structure in my life currently. Today I'm re-examining ideas of how to provide structure to my work-from-home days.
Also, if anyone is procrastinating on your work by reading this, why don't you just come over and plug in your laptop in my dining room and be my office-mate for the morning? There is a toddler tickling my toes at the moment, but I will probably give into screen time soon, or letting him put a thousand crayons down the heat register.
My favorite work-from-home tips that I am writing today mostly to REMIND MYSELF:
Set a timer for small tasks.
Don't use a power cord on your laptop -- you won't have time to get distracted.
If you have some real goals for the day, then don't check email until you've conquered at least 2 of them.
If the house is dirty, then go to a coffeeshop. Otherwise you'll just get frustrated and spend all morning doing dishes. Alternatively, create an actual home office and shut yourself away from laundry.
Schedule lunch. (This does not work for me because I am always hungry and the REFRIGERATOR IS ALWAYS THERE, but I'm working on it.)
Make your ToDo list at the end of the workday. If you do it the night before (and you are me), you'll lie awake fretting about all you have to do. If you make it in the morning, you'll waste valuable time organizing and categorizing your list instead of actually doing things.
Separate your To Do List by category, and choose 1-2 items from each category according to priority. If you finish those, then go back.
Schedule your social media posts. This means you won't get sucked into a Twitter discussion or Facebook war, and you can plan your posts for the most effective time of day.
Schedule a break or exercise or a walk. Also something I struggle with, mostly because I don't have reliable childcare, but also because when I'm good at guilt-tripping myself into working longer hours.
Good morning from Heine Brothers! No babysitter/nanny/co-parent today, so I'm doing the best I can with what I've got. Anyone out there want to trade babysitting for piano lessons? Or guitar lessons? Or background music at your Christmas party? We had an quasi au pair for a while, but it didn't work out because our schedules never quite meshed. A professional au pair is a bit out of our reach, but someday ... someday.
I do have these visions of hitting the road with my babies and bringing along a nanny -- someone who is up for adventures at the drop of a credit card and who keeps a valid passport at all times. Maybe someone who wants to be an artist herself, but who could use the boost of free rent and flexible hours. I know, I know, I could ask at nearby universities, but I'm sort of hoping this situation comes about organically, much like it did for me when I was a live-in part-time nanny for a magical family in NYC. We were perfect for each other, and I was even able to maintain a full-time job at CBS News simultaneously.
In the mean time, I desperately need to find some sort of structure and routine to my wacky self-employed career, so I can properly balance it with parenting and coordinating babysitters. I'm very good at making lists, but I'm not so great at implementation these days.
Yesterday, however, I started a weekly video series in order to hold myself accountable to playing music for the public (all I do are private parties lately because THEY PAY WELL!):
Also, there is this -- have openings Friday October 6, Friday October 13, Sat. Oct 21 -- looking specifically for Shelbyville, Lexington, Berea, Bowling Green, so if you've ever wanted to host a concert in your home, please read this:
Currently reading:A Distant View of Everything by Alexander McCall Smith
Currently watching: Reign, Season 3.
Current mood: melancholy, like this song (but also, of course feeling heartbroken over the state of the world and donating to the Red Cross and ACLU because I'm not sure what else I can do):
Last time I did 5 things I was loving, but I'm not that creative today. Also, 5 Things is the name of a really great podcast that is, get this, going to be on of my 3 Things today, so let's try not to get confused.
It's a podcast! It's from Louisville! It's from TARA. Tara is a wonderful person and a wonderful interviewer, and I've been digging her podcast. She interviews all kinds of people for this, but I've got to plug the one with Dennis Ledford. He has been playing guitar and bass for me for a few years now, but he's been around the Louisville music scene for a loooooooong time. He's the real deal -- killer musician and great human being. He's got a story for everything, and I enjoyed his interview tremendously.
2. Amazon Echo.
We have had our Echo for about two years now, I think? My dad got one first, and we referred to it as his robot. Now my kids are growing up with it -- we have an Echo and 3 dots around the house. They function as everything from a white noise machine ("Alexa, play 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' on repeat.") to a joke-teller. Graham's stand-up routine consists of Alexa jokes. I like to ask it about the weather because that means I don't have to look at my phone and then be distracted by phone-nonsense.
fMy Kroger finally got this, and it comes with same-day timeslots, meaning I think I'm over the Instacart. Instacart was good, but their substitutions were a little pricey or wrong. Anyway, you can finally order groceries online, go pick them up and have someone deliver them straight into your vehicle. (I am excited to pull up into my Kroger with the wagon or my cargo bike!) Has anyone out there successfully gotten them to use paper or reusable bags? The amount of plastic is absurd, and I still like a good stroll through the market. But www.thefresh20.com + Clicklist is NICE and saves so much brainspace.
I'm not in the photo much -- but here I am!
I'm going a little stir-crazy not having a record to tour and promote -- it's still one bass part away from finished, but time is conspiring against me. In the mean time, I've been doing ALL I can to promote my own self-care. Life is tough now, and there are a few things that have kept me sane:
1. Yoga. I'm not sure if it's the endorphins of exercise, the mindfulness of breathing, or the simple fact that with yoga I get an hour without anyone grabbing my nipples, but I leave feeling better. When I find I've gone a few days without going to the studio (simply doing a podcast at home does not have the same effect, as you might conclude from watching the time-lapse video of my toddler grabbing me while I'm bending), I am irritable and not a great parent -- not a great person, honestly. I'm moody, negative, and can throw a tantrum over a crushed Cheerio on the floor or a 4-year-old who decides it's Naked Time.
2. The Fresh 20. I've been using this meal planning site for going on two years now. Whenever I stray from planning, the family suffers. We spend more than we should at the grocery, or we order takeout because there's nothing to eat. We also eat less nutritious meals, or we end up just grazing all week. Or it's breakfast for every meal. I tried out multiple meal planning websites, and TheFresh20.com is the only one I remotely enjoyed. It's probably an 80-90% success rate on the "Would I order this at a restaurant?" scale by which we judge recipes. I've only had one meal the whole time that I straight up did not like. We subscribe to the Vegetarian annual plan. I don't put ANY thought into dinner now, and I know that I have the ingredients on hand to cook a well-balanced meal every night. It helps that my kids are not picky eaters. The shopping list also means I can send someone else to the store for me. I haven't used Kroger ClickList yet, but I've got a good friend who combines TheFresh20 with the Kroger ClickList and declared it a life-changer.
3. Journaling. Writing has always been the single-most important thing to my sanity. Since having a baby, I simply have not had a good routine and haven't been able to journal. I like doing morning pages -- something I got from The Artist's Way many years ago -- but my kids get up too early for me to do anything in the morning. I've taken to arriving at yoga 15 minutes early and bringing my journal. I sit there, ignore everyone, and just write -- mostly nonsense, occasionally lyrics. I am sure that I look like a jerk with my pen and my notebook in my corner, but it helps immensely. I am actually able to empty my mind a little during the poses because I got a lot of the To Do list out in my morning pages. Also, if I don't go to yoga, I don't write. Then I really am a jerk.
4. Antidepressants. I should have led with this because if we are being completely honest, it's the Prozac that got me enough willpower to sign up for yoga and then leave the house in the first place. I've never had a problem being honest, so I probably should have made this my #1. But I just thought about it, and I don't feel like re-ordering my list. Because it's a blog, and I'm not going to edit if I'm not getting paid.
Me, playing a German polka gig.
5. Work. I'm gigging a lot. Not as much as I would like. But my work is my passion, and I am renewed when I do it. Music is probably the only thing that allows me to zone out and be in the moment.
6. Pinterest. I can check all the other social media apps on my phone, but when I open Pinterest, I actually feel my heart rate slowing and myself relaxing. I think it's like opening a trashy magazine on an airplane. I just look at things -- pretty things, good ideas, lists made by other people. I have no false dreams of crafting tiny hats that look like vegetables, but it makes me happy to see photos of other people's good ideas. Talk about distraction.
7. Novels. Whether it's an audiobook or a late-night Kindle purchase, I am a novel fiend. When I'm not doing great mentally, I like to read really easy books. Now that I'm a mom, I somehow like mysteries -- total #mombooks. I also really enjoy British chick-lit, though I wish there was a better name for it. What else ... Maisie Dobbs and Agatha Raisin books have been perfect distractions over the past 4.5 years since the first wee boy was born.
8. A cuppa. Tea. Oh, how I love tea.
I confess that I was a "you-have-dirt-on-your-forehead" clueless person when I went to college, despite having ex-Catholic father. As an accordion player, however, I've grown rather close to Mardi Gras and thus Ash Wednesday too.
Lent, however, has always been about hitting as many Fish Fry Fridays as possible (purely for the fries, obviously). I'm not a religious person, and I don't care for the idea to give up things for the sake of giving them up -- and purely for 40 days.
I do, however, totally support the idea of attempting to do something for the next forty days.
You've probably heard how it takes 21 days to form a habit. Pushing it to 40, one would think, would mean that the last 19 days are just routine rather than effort.
As a music teacher, performer, and parent, I've got my own list of things I'd like to do for forty days in a row. I thought I'd throw some out there for you:
Ideas for what to do 40 days in a row:
1. Sing to your child. Everyone talks about the benefits of reading to your child. It's possibly the single-most important thing you can do for her -- other than providing the basics, obviously. But playing music with your child also provides brain stimulation, releases oxytocin and helps your child stay musical her whole life. Singing isn't just for bedtime routine. Try 40 days of singalongs -- even if you think you have no musical talent.
2. Get your 10000 steps. Yes, I'm obsessed with my Fitbit (this #fitbitch says, "I have more steps than you!"). This snowstorm is putting a damper on it, but wouldn't it be just good habit to start walking to the grocery instead of driving that half-mile? Or just changing a few car-trips into walking-trips? I would love to see 10000 steps a day for the next 40 days.
3. Home-cooked meals. Don't think of it as a moratorium on eating out; think of it as expanding your cooking repertoire. Eat real foods made in your own kitchen for 40 days in a row. (This might be the most challenging thing of all for me.)
4. Practice your instrument. If you're already taking lessons, then let these 40 days force you into a good routine. If you don't have a teacher anymore (or yet), then practice on your own. Practicing is hard -- even for a professional musician like me -- if you don't have a deadline or a goal. It is so satisfying to get a solid 30 minutes of practice a day. And so effective. My current goal: Mozart's Sonata V in G major ... just because I haven't played Mozart in ages. I should hold myself accountable by assuring you a YouTube concert after Easter. We'll see...
5. Learn a language. DuoLingo is free, and it's fantastic. 40 days in a row, and I suspect you'd be conversational. Seriously -- imagine that in just over a month, you could actually be able to speak another language. Why not do it?
I am on Goodreads. I don't advertise this because I have been in a fiction rut -- to the point where I've been reading mysterious, beach books, and novellas. One could say that I've been slightly embarrassed about my choice of books, but this probably stems from my competetiveness with my dad, who never reads a book with fewer than 900 pages and could be a talking head on the History Channel considering all the history tomes he has read. Even when he reads fewer books per year than I do, he triples my page count.
Anyway, last year was not a proud year of reading for me, but I did manage to finish 32 books -- 11131 pages. Here they are, and no judgment, otay? Otay.
favorite book of 2014 - Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith
You know, I said it wasn't a proud year, but there are a few books on this list that were beautiful and moved me to tears. My favorite of all them was probably Trains and Lovers by Alexander McCall Smith. I've said before that he is my favorite (favourite) author. Next time I'm in Edinburgh, I'd like to buy him a cuppa and just talk and see what musings he spouts. I could maybe bring up that his daughter has seen me naked (she was my GP after my son was born, but "your daughter has seen me naked" is perhaps a better hook).
I also loved "Paris: A Love Story," but I adore Paris and I used to babysit for the author's family when I lived in New York. So it was easy for me to picture the family members mentioned in the memoir. Anyway, I'm hoping to push 40 books this year. Although, honestly, I was looking at my stats ... the years that I read the most books are the years that I made the least music. Maybe I should reevaluate. But fiction ... escape ...
I took my 18-month-old to Europe for a month, and all we took was one carry-on suitcase.
I don't have a lot of useful skills, but I can pack like nobody's business. Travel is my forte, particularly airline travel. Road trips mean you can toss anything in at the last minute, no matter how lightly you are traveling -- a roll of paper towels, a huge bag of snacks, a few extra sweaters. Airline travel is different, and I love its limitations.
Remember that I am a professional musician, and I have traveled for months at a time, staying in everywhere from tour vans to couches to swanky hotels. I have picked up a lot of tips from my adventures, and lots of it is easy applicable to traveling with a toddler. I'm also not a zillionaire. I love public transportation, and I don't like pre-planned-vacation-packages. I plan out only what is necessary (plane tickets) and keep my options open. This means things usually go as planned because, well, there isn't much of a plan in the first place.
Truthfully, all you really need is your passport and a credit card, right?
I'm working on another blog about sightseeing and other travel tips, but for today, I'm going to focus on packing.
A few bits of background info:
We traveled from mid-March to mid-April in France and the United Kingdom.
My kiddo was 18-months on the day we left Louisville.
The weather averaged from mid-50s to mid-60s (a few days colder), so cool but mild.
Tips:
Our Ergo was the best thing I packed.
Think different when it comes to diaper bag. From a thrift store, I brought a turquoise hobobag with three large compartments. It doesn't look like a standard diaper bag, so it felt less frumpy on the streets of Paris (where everything can feel a bit frumpy compared to French women). It looks more like a purse than anything.
A small nylon backpack bag. You know what I'm talking about -- those little bags that are given away at fundraisers and such? I packed two of them, folded flat, for when I wanted a backpack or didn't want to carry the whole hobobag.
A baby carrier. When he was little, we loved the Moby, but we've been an Ergo family since he turned one. He can ride on the front or the back, and he sleeps in it. I wore him most of the trip, even though I had brought along a stroller too.
Ditch the stroller. I brought a stroller, and this was my big mistake. I did use it a few times, but I think in the end it was more trouble than it was worth. It was just a small umbrella stroller, but those wheels are horrible on the ancient and busy streets of Europe. The days where I just strapped him on my back were a lot easier for me -- even though he was 27lbs at the time. The Paris Metro is not stroller-friendly, having sometimes over 60 steps (yes, we counted them because every moment is a learning moment). We climbed Sacre Coeur with him in the Ergo, and it was spectacular. It was nice for talking and bonding because he was at eye level with me rather than facing the opposite direction in a stroller. Anyway, next time I might consider buying a cheap stroller once I arrived to a place I would be for a while. But I value my one free hand more than I value the stroller.
Lace underwear. Obviously, this was not a romantic trip, but lace underwear nonetheless. For you, not your kiddo:) I brought 5 pair, which is 2 more than my suggested minimum. Why? Lace underwear is easy to wash in a sink and dries very quickly.
Only pack diapers for the first day. I only brought 10 diapers with me for flight. There are babies all over the world, so obviously you can buy diapers when you arrive at your destination.
Reusable stickers we bought at the airport.
Rent an apartment, not a hotel. Use Airbnb or VRBO or a similar site to find an apartment. Odds are it'll be cheaper, better located, and more equipped (read: a washing machine!) than any hotel.
Don't bring many toys. We brought two small toy cars (he was really into playing "WRECK!" at the time). At the airport, we bought a pack of reusable stickers. The newness of the stickers held his attention, and it didn't take up much room. You'll want to buy souvenirs on your trip anyway. Speaking of...
Check a bag on the way home. We bought a dufflebag from a thrift store, so we weren't worried about collecting souvenirs. We actually ended up bringing an entire Thomas the Tank Engine train set home that we bought used from the 7-year-old boy who lived in the apartment next door. (He also loaned us LOADS of great toys while we were there.)
Black or brown. More on packing clothes later, but choose black or brown. Stick to that color scheme when you are packing, and everything will match.
Wear your biggest clothes on the plane. I brought some knee-high boots. They would have taken up half my carry-on. Wear them on the plane. Yes, you have to take them off at security, but it's not a big deal. You're already the one with a toddler, so you're not in the Expert Travel line. I also wore my coat on the plane, which was good to use as a pillow/blanket while trying to catch some sleep.
Extra shoulder luggage strap. My hobobag didn't have a large across-your-chest strap, so I brought a detachable one. This meant I could strap my toddler in the Ergo, roll the suitcase behind me, place the purse/diaper-bag across my chest, and still have one hand free to roll the stroller (that I wish I had never brought). There is probably a way to strap the stroller to the carry-on without using duct tape, but we weren't able to figure it out (despite several attempts).
So these are my broad tips, but I'm also going to tell you exactly what I packed in our carryon and some tips on the actual folding, etc. Apparently people out there don't believe it's possible to travel for a month for themselves in just a carry-on, much less a toddler's things too. This blog is long enough though. When I finish the What We Packed blog, I'll post a link here. Now, start daydreaming about taking your next vacation.
I am obsessed with the barter system. I think I first learned that term back when I was mastering "Oregon Trail." (Click the link if you want a nice flashback to elementary school ... if you were in grade school in the 1980s, that is.) It's been a while since I partook in the wild west way of doing things, but lately I've been trading a few swim/piano/guitar lessons here and there for some things I need or want (childcare, massage, website help etc). And don't worry, mother, I pay taxes on them at the appropriate rate, unlike probably everyone else who works on the barter system.
There is a Timebank here in Louisville that's a great idea -- anyone a member? Basically you rack up hours offering your skills and can then start collecting help other people in kind. The website has too complicated/long of a sign-up process for my taste, though, and I haven't gotten past the home page. (Maybe I could trade someone piano lessons for someone signing me up?)
Here's my list of current things I daydream about. Anyone want something I've got?
Adirondack chairs (seriously, I don't know why I'm so obsessed with Adirondack chairs)
Rain barrels
Refinish my hardwood floors
Plane tickets to Paris (hey, I have to dream, right??)
Art. I want to start owning original art.
private pilates lessons
That's all I can think of at the moment. My wants aren't too crazy ... but I shouldn't be too greedy. My lesson schedule is full with a wait-list at the moment anyway. But I might be able to find some more time in the day for some custom Adirondack chairs...
I know pride is a sin and all, but, hey, I'm not really into labels. That way I can be proud of myself for completing my 2011 GoodReads Challenge. It's a self-imposed book-reading goal and has been a fun way to keep track of books and pages that I read. I read a total of 58 books last year (though I only listed 54 -- 17,000 pages --- on GoodReads because I don't want you all to know about all the smut I've been reading). My dad read just as many books (53), but wayyyyyy more pages (25,000). Okay, okay, so one of my books was Daisy Miller. It's not exactly a tome, but at least it's a classic. I totally admit to reading lots of guilty-pleasures. There's nothing better when you need an escape. But I guarantee you, not one of my dad's books was a "baby book," as he likes to refer to my reading list.
This year, I set my GoodReads goal to 60 books. That seems like a lot, but consider that George W. Bush supposedly read 95 books during 2006. Ninety-five. Yes, there are loads of jokes ready for the making, but still ... give pause and think.
I've read two books so far in 2012 (2% ahead!) -- one trashy fiction and one thoughtful non-fiction. Now I have a massive list of things I need to read. Still, I'd love nothing more than to be in the middle of a novel-I-don't-want-to-end. Anyone reading one of those right now? I'm envious...
Anyway, back to vacation.
It's not surprising that I have over-committed myself during my supposed year of leisure. Maybe I'm jealous of David's syllabi (oh, wouldst that someone would write ME a syllabi!) or maybe I just can't be still. Of course, it's both. I want to take time to write and create, knowing that this is probably the only year I have an excuse to really do that ... unless I succomb and join a PhD programme or something.
This week I've got two articles due for actual publications and one for a travel blog, which I suppose is also a publication of some sort. Between the prose-writing, I've got: 12 piano lessons to teach, 10 songs to memorize 4 rehearsals for... 3 different bands, 2 performances (you should come to the cabaret on Thursday at Voodoo Rooms), 1 ceilidh-calling lesson to attend (it's for a band I'm singing with), and 1 show to watch of this other band I'll eventually be singing in.
Not to mention all the fabulous blogs I need to write to keep you riveted by our adventures, a local tweet-up I want to attend, or tours I need to finish booking, or songs I need to write. Ah, the problems of an artist. All is well, friends.
Because I'm saving my Sweden photos for a proper Sweden blog, I now give you a photo of David drinking a Newcastle in ... Newcastle! So post-modern, I know. I hope your brain doesn't explode from such deep thoughts.
