From Irene: Mornin'

The wind is howling and rain pummelling the house.  We still have power.  I've slept off and on, keeping an ear to tv for updated tornado watches.  Mama is downstairs with the kids, though I doubt she slept much.

Lights just blinked twice....gonna post this just in case.  But we have lots of flashlights.

From Irene: Bedtime

The kids are finally quiet downstairs on their sleeping bag pallets. We opted for downstairs because there is more space than in our room. Besides, if we have to move into the basement, which isn't comfortable for sleeping at all, it's easier from the first floor.

Mama and I are upstairs watching tv and reading computer maps. NYC sounds like a mutant version of itself--no trains, planes, and perhaps later even automobiles (I've heard they're considering ordering cabs off the streets). Here in CT, they've discussed closing all the highways, specifically the Merritt/Wilbur Cross with all its lovely and now menacing trees, and told people not to go out after dark. Otherwise, our governor seems rather . . . amateur. Or perhaps it's the individual character of the state with each town taking charge of preparations and decisions and the governor just saying (I paraphrase) "uh, evacuate if, um, your area has ever flooded." Right. You know, the last time we had a category 1 hurricane, because of course, you were living in the same place, right? Useless. At least our mayor seems on top of things. And we feel relatively safe in that respect, with the town shelter less than a mile away. We're absolutely expecting downed trees and power outtage and localized flooding (though we're relatively high).

Okay, I can't think of anything else to tell. Mama now has cellular service on her iPad so that if we lose power and wireless we might still be able to email through it. Which means I can blog on . . . .

Until then, wishing the East Coast the best possible outcome this weekend. Stay safe, my friends.

From Irene: She's Here!

Just the tendrils, mind you. But the sky turned dark and the rain really started. There's some breeze but not what I'd call wind. I imagine the wind and rain will come and go for a few more hours until we're in the thick of it late tonight.

Note to family: we already seem to be having some telephone static, to the point that we can't really hear, even on our regular wireless land-line phones. We're switching to an "old-fashioned" corded phone soon.

Live Blogging the Hurricane

Good afternoon from overcast, drizzly coastal Connecticut!

We've spent the last 24 hours doing everything we can think of to prepare for this storm. From health certificates for the cats in case we end up in a shelter to putting all of our important documents in plastic, from cleaning out our gutters to straightening up the basement, from charging all of our mobile electronics to unplugging all of the others and buying a land-line phone in case everything fails, from putting our grill and charcoal on the enclosed front porch for later to putting everything else from outside in the garage. At one point, Mama and the kids, with neighbor Mr. D's help, even moved the little plastic playhouse, jimmying it from side to side to move . . . and I couldn't resist singing the Wicked Witch of the West's theme from Wizard of Oz! We've chatted with all our neighbors and know who has a generator and who has a gas stove; all of them are staying put. Mama has sandbagged our driveway and our basement door and window to prevent the rain from pouring down the hill into our driveway and then into our house. We even made a last minute ice and Starbucks run this morning! Now we're finishing lunch, watching a movie (gotta enjoy the power while it lasts--the electric company thinks we'll be out of power for 2-7 days), consolidating all of our emergency supplies, packing to-go bags, putting our top ten valuables in a tub. Overreaction? Maybe. But I don't care. The current weather report has the storm making landfall not far from here, bringing 7+" of rain (on top of all the other inches we've gotten this month) and strong winds up to 70 mph, all lasting about 21 hours as the storm sits on top of us. I'd rather be over safe than extra sorry.

And we're not alone--a neighbor up the street has also sandbagged his house, having the same trouble as we do with hill run-off, and our next-door neighbor who has been here since the 1938 storm, I'd swear, had a tall sickly pine tree that hovered over both of our houses cut down this morning! Also, Mama's parents have been ordered to evacuate from the Rockaways--they've sandbagged their own house and moved safely into Queens with Goo. We're glad they're in a safer place but know it's stressful to be evacuated.

We're going to hang out the rest of the day, finishing our list of things while the kids play with the sticker and Lego sets they got on our outing this morning. They'll sleep in our room tonight, away from the giant tree, and Mama and I will somehow sleep while keeping an eye on the storm, which will really start whipping up here around 9 pm, as the current forecast goes. We're most scared of tornadoes and will have the basement ready if we need to move down there (and I mean ready: my great outdoor bench is there so I have a place to recline and there is now a little carpet to walk on too, plus our emergency kit, cat supplies, extra bedding, food, etc etc)

As I told Pop last night, I've had tornado/hurricane nightmares about once a month for as long as I can remember, really the only kind of nightmare I ever have. Must be all those tornado drills we had in school and the few hurricanes that came close to Houston when I was a kid: Alicia, that ripped up downtown and pummeled my grandparents in Galveston, in 1983, or maybe Allen in 1980 (see here for a history of hurricanes in Texas in the 20th century). Plus other storms that caused localized flooding, power outages, nearby tornadoes, and such. (Much less all the ones that have hit since I left--like Rita and Ike--creating long-distance worry.) Boy, could my folks and neighbors throw a pre-hurricane party! And I think they got some practice . . . I remember opening the windows in the false belief that you could equalize pressure and save your house. Dad even told me he remembered a storm eye passing over us and he went out despite all warnings to the contrary. Maybe that's the storm for which I packed my stuffed animals in the car and hid in the bathroom. So it's an odd sensation to be preparing for what I've only dreamed about. No doubt that doesn't help. Or it does, in a way, because we're doing all we can.

I'll blog when I can, though I hope there isn't anything to tell.

A Poem for Mama

To Be of Use by Marge Piercy

The people I love the best

jump into work head first

without dallying in the shallows

and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.

They seem to become natives of that element,

the black sleek heads of seals

bouncing like half-submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,

who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,

who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,

who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge

in the task, who go into the fields to harvest

and work in a row and pass the bags along,

who are not parlor generals and field deserters

but move in a common rhythm

when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.

Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.

But the thing worth doing well done

has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.

Greek amphoras for wine or oil,

Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums

but you know they were made to be used.

The pitcher cries for water to carry

and a person for work that is real.

Best Hurricane Advice

As overheard . . . .

"If a Weather Channel reporter shows up in your town, leave.

If it's Jim Cantore, leave fast."

The 8,000 Words (Or Less)

I've been trying to think of the best way to discuss and describe our fabulous 24-hour Times Square mini-vacation. And the best thing I've come up with are the lists of our favorite things, made at various times of the trip, in no particular order.

Before that quickly, the whole raison d'etre of our trip. When Mama mentioned going outside in Times Square at night, one of the kids asked, "Will we need to take our flashlights?" As a native New Yorker, Mama felt negligent and embarrassed that her own kids had no concept of Times Square!

From the kids, gathered by Mama during breakfast (my explanations in parantheses):

• Fun
• Harry Potter exhibition
• Ball drop (at the NYC Visitor's Center--the real ball is lit and "Auld Lang Syne" sung regularly)
• 1,000 taxi cabs (and Bud actually counted, out our 33rd -story hotel window)
• Lots of Broadway theatres (they liked spotting shows they knew, like Rent and Lion King)
• Lots of little shops and stores
• Love the fast fast elevators (we were at the Marriott Marquis and the computerized elevators are impressively fast)
• Makes you want to sleep (so tired after walking everywhere and staying up late to see the lights)
• The Amy before she was mine (Sis found a new, white bunny at Toys R Us, where Mama bought the original)
• Hot dogs (eaten at the TKTS bleachers, during the earthquake we didn't feel)
• New York City
• Times square
• Lots of people
• Ton of people
• Big big buildings
• Our giant hotel (they liked going up to the 48th floor to see the revolving restaurant, though we didn't stay)
• Makes you tired
• New wiggle penguin (Bud's NYC souvenir, with a tail you pull to make it dance)

My list, written when the kids were wandering around with Mama while I was resting:

• I liked seeing the GWB and Intrepid on the way in
• Early check in--our hotel let us in at noon!
• Fancy fast elevators...computerized now. . . I remember when they weren't and guests stood around pushing each other out of the way to get to the rare arriving elevator
• Best view ever--all of Times Square, from end to end, from our corner room on the 33rd floor
• Chocolate stores--the kids loved the colored M&M wall (Hershey wasn't nearly as impressive, though it smelled more chocolatey)
• We were in a little independent film being made behind us when the kids were eating those hot dogs near the bleachers during the earthquake which no one noticed--we only knew where we were when it hit because we have a photo timestamped two minutes later
• I really enjoyed the NYC Visitor Center, which I swear is in an old theater where I saw Hunchback of Notre Dame years ago. I liked the colorful ball drop, the elaborate old theater, and the costumes from Into the Woods and Phantom of the Opera on view. And the shop is great, with a book called Only in New York which I devoured in my downtime. (Do you know why the NYPD caps have 8 points? The original 17th-century police force, the Rattle Brigade, had 8 members!). They also had smoosh-a-pennies!
• Juniors Cheesecake . . . and egg cream . . . and strawberry blintzes . . . and black and white cookie. Mmmmmmmmmm.
• Cel-ray soda--Mama got it and Bud liked it, bubbles and all!
• I liked walking around what I consider my old neighborhood (I lived at 44th near 6th). My old grad school building is now the swanky Euro Hotel Mela. They let us go up to my floor and it looks the same! Better carpet but same exact layout. Hope the leaky windows and mice are gone (but the grandfathered-in SRO tenants are still there!). In the area, the old pizza place (Belizzi's) and Thai place are gone, as is the old standby Ollie's, but the Belasco and Cafe Un Deux Trois are still there. And of course, Virgil's, where we got take out for dinner--mmmm, hush puppies with maple butter, sweet tea, greens, cheese grits, and all the rest (I know, BBQ in Times Square seems just wrong, but it made me less homesick when I lived there). I'm not used to those pedestrian zones, though it sure makes for more room on the sidewalk. The pre-theater rush just wasn't that elbow-to-elbow anymore. (And I'm not sure I heard the familiar pre-theater bell carillon.)
• Theater shop--Mama loves the little shop in Shubert Alley, with its posters and libretti and programs
• 5 fire trucks--it was like that kids' game of Rush Hour as the cars moved to make room for the trucks responding to what looked like nothing across the street
• Cartwheels down the hall--Bud learned cartwheels at kung fu camp and he loved doing them in the big, empty hotel hallway
• Times Square at night--no, you don't need a flashlight! You almost need sunglasses. At night.
• Not much to do in Times Square but shop--they liked Toys R Us and the Disney Store and their long hike to Legoland.
• Bright reflections like an urban aurora borealis on our ceiling at their very late 10 pm bedtime.
• Swatch watch--Mama bought a fancy one. Sorta an anniversary present.
• The Harry Potter Exhibition (the real reason for our trip!) was fantastic. The kids were a bit scared of the movie clips, especially the Death Eaters etc., and anything to do with the dark side (to use their Star Wars term). But they were fascinated by the sorting hat bit in the beginning, though neither volunteered. Since we'd just started the book, they were familiar enough with the characters and the culture and enjoyed seeing both film clips and movie props. Mama and I loved the costumes--especially those of Prof. McGonagall, Prof. Trelawney, and Prof. Dumbledore--and the props like the wands, Marauder's Map, canopied beds, trunks with personal belongings, Hagrid's hut, the Hogwarts Express engine, the candy like chocolate frogs, well, really all of it! And of course, the exhibition store. The kids now have wands and Quidditch brooms, which they've played with almost constantly since then.
• Late check-out--we didn't have to leave until 1, which means we were in NYC for 24 hours and 40 minutes.

As Sis and Bud agreed, "Don't you just love traveling?"

Laughing Instead of Crying

Bless children, they can be so oblivious sometimes. Luckily, today was one of those days. While I was fielding phone calls and checking forecasts, making lists and checking them twice, the kids played and played and played. They know we're having a storm, with rain and wind, though we haven't called it a hurricane around them. But they are singularly unperturbed. I envy the innocence.

And so several times throughout the day, I joined in. We played Harry Potter. A lot. Inside and outside. Sis is Harry. Bud is Hermione. And I vacillate between Hagrid and Ron. We shop on Diagon Alley, ride the Hogwarts Express, practice potions, and play Quidditch.

Later, they did a long dance and dramatic arts performance for me, complete with multiple costume changes, as well as a multi-verse original song accompanied by bongos that goes something like "Something or that,/Something or that/There's a monster with a towel on its head." The last line changes. And no, I'm not sure exactly what it means.

So, thanks to them, we laughed instead of getting stressful and had a good day despite the storm both literally and figuratively swirling around. I hope we can all continue in that light the rest of the weekend.

Good luck, East Coast! I'll blog when I can, depending on power, batteries, and network connection. And of course, Harry Potter playtime . . . .

Our Friend, Hopefully Not Our Enemy

Hi P.A.!

To all my relatives sitting on my parents' bayhouse porch shooting the breeze and enjoying the "nicest part of the day," thanks for humoring my phone call about hurricane preparedness and evacuation. Just needed to confirm that I had all my tasks right (I did) and check what else my dad, a.ka. Phi Beta Papa, would do (i.e. when he would consider leaving here, if he were us). He saw that the track of the storm takes this hurricane practically into our backyard and he is most worried about trees for us (we're about 5 miles inland and maybe 50'+ above sea level). Specifically, the gorgeous, gigantic old silver maple we have out back. It stands 50 feet high, easily, with a spread of 30'+ and not that far from the house, which means that if it falls, it's going to crash right into Sis and Bud's bedroom. It's about 90 years old, the age of the house, with shallow roots, as all silver maples have, which makes it vulnerable to wind. One tree man shook his head wondering why anyone would've planted it so close to a house. Which is what worries Pop. The storm comes in during the day, most likely, which means we can be downstairs, in the front of the house, away from the tree; otherwise, they'll sleep with us. So with all that in mind, we're as ready as we can be.

First An Earthquake, Now This

Yep, a possible hurricane. The Northeast very rarely has hurricanes (the last was Gloria in 1985) and, when it does, they are usually only Category 1.

But this weekend we could be staring down a Cat 2 or even a Cat 3, depending on . . . well, depending on all those variables that hurricanes always depend on, which means we won't know. Which also means we could prepare and nothing would happen or we could not prepare and the worst could happen. Or somewhere in between.

Which means we'll prepare and hope for the best.

After living in Texas for 20+ years and then watching hurricanes that threatened my family for 20 more, I have some advice for my Northeast friends and neighbors, a la my uber-cautious dad. Now, the official advice can be found here. This is my unofficial advice, based on years of hurricanes (thankfully, with very few direct hits and no lives or much property lost--but my mom's family did lose a bayhouse to Carla in 1961 and my dad's print shop has suffered through several storms. And Alicia scared my grandparents, then in Galveston), as well as our experience of having a tree land on the house during a powerful storm (more advice from that day here). The biggest threats from hurricanes are wind, water (storm surge), and tornadoes. For most of my friends here in Connecticut, who aren't directly on the coast, our biggest worries are probably downed power lines/loss of electricity, falling trees, and flooded basements.

• Have batteries and know where your flashlights are. Remember, you can't dig through closets easily in dark to look for them! Have cell phones charged and a battery-powered radio, too.
• Have food you won't need to cook--bread, snacks, fruit, whatever you like. Recommendations are usually for 3+ days.
• Don't open your fridge, which can maintain its temperature for 24 hours. If power is not back right after the storm, start cooking all that frozen and refrigerated stuff out on your grill. (Read here about Houstonians cooking out for weeks after Hurricane Ike in 2008). REVISION: apparently, most things in the fridge aren't good after 4-6 hours, especially the milk products and cooked foods, if the fridge reaches over 40F, but uncut fruits and vegetables, as well as hard cheeses, are usually okay, as are condiments with vinegar--but not mayonnaise!--and jams/jellies with sugar; also, things in the freezer last 24-48 hours depending on how full the freezer is (the fuller the better, which is why it's good to fill the freezer with bags of water/ice before the storm hits) and the food is good if ice crystals are still visible and thawing hasn't occurred. When in doubt, though, throw it out!
• So have extra charcoal/propane to cook out after the storm.
• And do not go near downed power lines. If you can, report them to UI at 1.800.7 CALL UI.
• Have water on hand. And not just bottled water for drinking. Fill your tubs with water so you have extra for other needs, like flushing toilets.
• Don't forget your pets--be sure to have extra food on hand for them. And in case of evacuation, know which hotels take pets (in general, Homewood Suites does).
• Fill up your cars with gasoline in case a). you have to evacuate or b). gas supplies get disrupted/gas stations aren't working.
• Get cash in case ATMs or credit cards aren't working immediately after storm.
• Unplug major electronics, like computer, DVD player, televisions, during storm. (Seriously, we've lost electronics to surges, even on "protectors.")
• Secure outdoor furniture and toys, birdfeeders and windchimes, etc etc etc.
• Know how to reach your insurance company, in case of damage (and remember, you might not be able to Google their phone number without power). Take pictures.
• Hurricane myth: taping windows helps. No, it doesn't. Don't bother. Now, if you have plywood . . .
• Tornado myth: opening windows equalizes pressure. No, it doesn't. Don't bother. If a tornado is coming, get in your basement.

Any other tips from my Texas readers?

Good luck!

-=-=-=-=-=-

Some additions from various sources:

• Some great unusual supplies to have on hand, from This Old House: baby wipes for cleaning, solar-powered fan for when it gets hot, gloves for clean up, fishing line for tying down all sorts of things, vinyl tablecloths (cheaper than tarps)
• The Red Cross before-during-after list
• Mentioned on the Weather Channel: freeze bags of water to turn your fridge into an igloo after the power is out.
• Use solar powered sidewalk lights inside after "soaking" them all day.
• Buy your emergency supplies before they're talking about your storm 24/7, or the shelves will be empty.

Worth 8,000 Words

The Best 24 Hours

...in a long, long time.

Yep, we've had our mini-vacation in Times Square. 

And not even an earthquake (which occurred while we were wolfing down hot dogs near the bleachers at the TKTS booth, though we didn't know it at the time) could mess up our trip!

Much more later....

Happy 14 Years!

Or 17, or 6, or 3, depending on how you count!

I love you very much, Mama Hungry!

We're All Good

A 5.9 earthquake hit the East Coast today.  We are all fine and didn't feel a thing.  Which is good because the idea of an earthquake really scares me.

Things to Do For School

1. Bus route--checked; unfortunately, none of their bus pals from last year are on their bus this year

2. Homework--finished, though I actually thought I'd thrown it away for about 3 days. Talk about panic.

3. Bedtime and wake up shifted--oh, no, not yet. In fact, it seems to be going the wrong way.

4. Morning routine chart--all in my mind. Wondering what time the bus will be here.

5. Uniforms--last year's have been tried on and still fit! They just need a freshening wash.

6. Breakfast options--tested, but they didn't like any of the options.

7. Central location for backpacks--probably the same as last year, which is wherever they drop them.

8. Sign reminding everyone what to take--we'll make this once we know what day library is

9. Lunch ideas--oh, I have lots of ideas, but none of them will be eaten, I'm sure. At least we have the little Laptop Lunch boxes.

10. Snack ideas--ditto.

11. Notes for lunches--have the notecards and stamps.

12. Schultute and good luck poster for first day of school--Mama was getting the little school gifts today but the kids wanted to go with her to the store. Who wants to bet they come home with Legos?

14. Homework chart--waiting to see what the assignments look like; they'll have about 15 minutes of homework a night (only M-Th), by BoE policy.

15. Bedtime routine chart--pretty sure we'll need to move bedtime, but the routine will be the same, with lots of reading and SQUIRT time.

16. Email to the teacher--I like to email the teachers in advance to say hi. And tell them that the kiddos have two mommies. Don't want any weird surprises the first day of school.

That'll keep me busy for 10 days. Especially because I didn't mention any of the fun things we want to do.

Doctor Restored

A few days ago, I really questioned the the knowledge of my OB/Gyn. I've come to revise my opinions somewhat because she called me the next day and we spoke for 25 minutes about the situation. Her latest reference book didn't mention the progestin-gestational diabetes research, but she was open to the research I'd found online and totally agreed that I shouldn't take the medication because of the tripled Type 2 diabetes risk. She said she follow my research leads and get back to me with anything else she uncovered. While I could say again that I'm not impressed that she was not up to date, I was impressed with her willingness to listen, her talking to me at length, and her to desire to get to the bottom of the most current state of research. Still, I'm glad I double checked.

Weeping Like a Camel

If you are a mom, or if you love animals, or ethnographic documentaries, I highly recommend The Story of the Weeping Camel. When Mama ordered it from Netflix, I was more than a bit suspect--a story about a Mongolian family's camel herd and one neglected colt? But the film was mesmerizing, touching, even cathartic, as you saw three generations of one family try to encourage the reluctant mother camel to suckle her newborn colt after a very difficult birth (yep, you get to see it here). You can just see the post-partum depression in this camel and totally empathize with her. They go to great lengths, even sending the young boys of the family to the local town center to find a violinist to conduct a musical ritual after the lamas' prayers have failed. You see how the family takes care of each other (in their brightly-decorated yurts), how the camels take care of their young, how the mother camel is so distraught. Of course, we checked how it ended before we watched. And while there will be tears--yours and the camel's--all's well that ends well.

The Book That Lived

We started it this morning, with the immortal first chapter titled "The Boy Who Lived."

Yep, we're reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

The kids have been begging for a few months now. Please please please. They know we love the stories and movies and they wanted in. They already knew about sorting hats and Quidditch, Albus Dumbledore and Hermione (the characters, not our cats!), owls and Hogwarts, Dementors and Voldemort. In fact, they know more than I wanted them to--that Dobby the house elf dies, for instance--I want them to come to the book as unknowing as possible so that the books are a magical revelation. Which is why we haven't let them see the films yet (besides that they are pretty intense). But it's impossible in this day and age to not know details about the books, especially in this house with its Lego Hogwarts and HP calendar.

And so after much begging, Mama and I researched the reading levels of the series and recommended ages to start. And I re-read sections of it to remember the writing and the plot. (I was surprised to see that I had received the book as a birthday present 12 years ago, from my Uncle W. I couldn't recall how or when I'd started reading the book but knew we'd done so by the first movie, which we went to see for my birthday in 2001.) Turns out that 6 is on the younger side for starting book one. But not impossible, especially because our kids are experienced listeners, absorbing numerous chapter books read by me or on audio. They can remember plot points and wait between readings. They don't necessarily need pictures, even if they like them. Sure, there are some scary bits--like Voldemort drinking unicorn blood or confronting Harry from the back of Quirrell's head--and sad bits like the death of Harry's parents. We had told the kids that we had to be sure they were ready for these books with their sometimes intense, sad, and scary bits. Truth is, I think we were ready for them to begin their HP adventure.

So this morning, bright and early, we started "Year One." I had forgotten much of the beginning, remembering the movie better (gasp)--so much about the Dursleys, so long to get to Harry himself much less Diagon Ally or Hogwarts. I did my best to read the various voices--read aloud expert Jim Trelease says HP is challenging for readers and listeners--trying not to try to do the actors (not that I could do Maggie Smith or Robbie Coltrane or Richard Harris/Michael Gambon if I wanted!) , knowing I'm no Jim Dale (who does the audiobooks brilliantly). The kids didn't seem to mind.

They perked up upon hearing about the stern, still tabby cat--"That must be McGonagall!"--and all the owls flying around--"Those are messages!"--and people in brightly-colored cloaks--"They're witches and wizards!" And were excited when Dumbledore and Hagrid make their appearances. They asked me if the snake part at the zoo was my favorite, knowing very well it wouldn't be.

And when I stopped after two chapters they begged for more.

All of which tells me, today was the perfect day to start reading Harry Potter.

To the Point

In the spirit of trying everything, I went to see an acupuncturist on Friday. I've never had acupuncture, or even visited a naturopath before; this doctor was both and highly recommended by friends and certified, etc.

From the music in the waiting room and free herbal teas to the light incense and Thai and Chinese embroideries in her office, I knew this was a different kind of doctor. We talked for more than an hour about my last 6 years, from gestational diabetes, umbilical hernias, and ovarectomy/c-section to herniated discs, scoliosis, and all those other musco-skeletal oddities, to NSAID allergies and hyper-reactive skin. She wondered about my body's inflammation, thought about various supplements, and then we finally got down to the acupuncture.

I'll readily admit to much trepidation. Needles near my spine make me scared. I've had some--they hurt or are uncomfortable, sting or pinch or exert lots of pressure. But she showed me her little sterilized needles-in-an-envelope and they were more like thin, flexible wires--no chance really of breaking off or anything like that. Still, she was patient and understanding and so we started with one on my hand. I couldn't look.

Luckily, the others were all on my back, behind my knee, and at my ankle. The second insertion, which I could barely feel, caused a lightning flash when she wiggled it. I thought she hit a nerve; she said it was the Qi, or the energy flow. And sometimes she would wiggle it more than once for people. I didn't like it at all so she didn't do that to me. The others were fine, no lightning energy flow, though there was warmth and tingles. I was supposed to relax for about 10 minutes, hard to do with needles in me as I was perched on my side propped up with pillows. But I managed to count breaths for a bit.

And then it was over. Needles out, supplements bought, next appointment made. I was wobbly some the rest of the day, as if I'd exercised too much. Mama Hungry, who accompanied me through the whole thing, of course, noticed right away. And I was so tired. That feeling of exhaustion and over-exertion lasted well into Saturday and is apparently a not-unknown side effect. One website related it to a kinked hose that, when unblocked, gushes forth strongly.

Does my back feel better? No. And I'm not surprised--everything I've read says that, while acupuncture can be good for necks and knees and ankles and infertility, it is not specifically helpful for lower back pain. I'm also at a point in my cycle when my back rarely feels good. It feels less bad than it could, though. And I don't know if that's the acupuncture, the supplements (one for women's cycles, one for GI inflammation), or just my walking routine and weight loss. Oddly, my left ankle that had been tight is feeling a bit better. But that must be a placebo because she didn't fiddle with meridiens for that.

Yep. Qi. Meridiens. Energy. Do I believe it? I don't know. Yeah, it sounds incredibly magical and mysterious. So much so that Western medicine can't explain much less evaluate it beyond saying that some people find relief and help. However, it's been around about 2500 years--what Western medical practice or drug, beyond maybe aspirin, can we say that about? Would it have survived that long if it didn't help? Mama Hungry's grandfather, who must be 96 or so now, swears by acupuncture and goes to the Chinese doctors in Bangkok when he needs treatment . . . and he is almost 100. All of which is to say that at this point, after a year, I'm open-minded and willing to try various things.

Because like the acupuncture itself, it doesn't hurt.