Awoke an hour earlier....
..This morning I awoke another hour earlier--4.30. I am taking care of correspondence (some by email), and photos for my blog.
I'm pleased that the university library has chosen to order the encyclopedia I was involved in.
~~~
9.25
I soon went back to sleep at 5, 5.30 and slept for another four hours. This waking up early is difficult! I wonder why I have disrupted sleep?
Labels: blogs, email, encyclopedia, library, photos, school, sleep
Ascension Thursday 2010
Last night I helped Maureen write letters for her school. We had fun looking at Facebook afterwards.
This morning I went to morning Mass for the Ascension, and did my winter laundry/wash.
This afternoon, I met with a student to look over the final results, went home for a nap, and will have a snack.
~~~~~
21.15
Maureen and I walked to the burgers and fries joint for dinner after she attended six o'clock Mass. We enjoyed our meal, walked back in the cool dusk, commenting on how this is what it would be like an hour later in London at midsummer. I met up with Mom and Dad, spent some time chatting with them, and then they are attending Mass nearby.
It's quiet here in Mom and Dad's place, now. I think I'll have a glass of juice. (Red).
Just got in touch with Pratima at the top of the hour. Ellen's been wanting to talk to her, as well.
Labels: biology, blogs, celebration, dine, dining, friends, Mass, sleep, student, work, writing
Continued Birthday Celebration 2010
I told Uncle Sonny about my continued birthday celebration (just like Ati Atihan! he countered) into today (Saturday).
I awoke to WQED radio's strains of Offenbach's duet, followed by a rousing Divertimento by Telemann performed by MAK. This morning's program was Saturday Morning Classics with Lynn Warfel. I performed my morning ablutions and made my way to Mom and Dad's place. I greeted Dad, checked email, took an ever-so-brief nap, and then blogged (currently). I'll grade this morning before my continued birthday celebrations.
Maureen, Christina, and Regina will join me for lunch today out at Station Square, then I will join the rest of the family for celebration at Monroeville for Solomon's birthday.
Labels: biology, Birthday, blogs, celebration, dining, email, family, family-Marissa, music, niece and nephew, patient, radio, school, sleep, work
Good Friday 2010
So, I had my usual breakfast this week of half a banana. After lunch I watched the last 2/3's of the Seven Last Words of Christ with Mom and Auntie Chi, as Dad was volunteering for television ministry. Then I left to go home to pick up a few things before I stopped by Mom's home. I took an dose of Imodium upon Mom's urging, got my choir folder, and brought some diluted CVS electrolyte replacement beverage to choir. The guys were practicing "Into Your Hands I Commend My Spirit" on the choir landing when I arrived.
Good Friday service was different, as Fr. Breier and Fr. Goetz celebrated Mass instead of the Bishop, who was in the hospital with a kidney stone today.
The music ministry provided:
Silence for the Entrance
Psalm 30: "Into your hands, Lord." (C Waddell)
Gospel Acclamation: "Glory to you, O Word of God.." (R. Proulx)
Passion Narrative: "Jesus, Remember me" (J. Berthier)
Intercessions: "For the Sake of your Son.." "Have Mercy, Lord."
Presentation of the Cross: "O Come, Let us Adore" (J. Foley)
Veneration: "Were You There?" select verses, Pie Jesu (A. L. Webber)-sung by Christina and Karen R., Crucifixus (R. Farrell)
Collection: O Sacred Head Surrounded
Communion: Attende Domine
Choral Meditation: De Profundis (W. A. Mozart)
Silence for the Closing
After Good Friday service, Auntie Chi and I went shopping at Waterworks Mall. I got keychains, Dad's newspaper, and adaptors for Europe. Just Adaptors.
After dinner I picked up Kelly at William and Marissa's home (where she was playing hide-and-seek with Beata and Solomon) to go meet Charles and Susan and their friend Jan in Friendship for a gallery crawl. Turns out Jan went to architecture school with our schoolmate Peter K, who was last recycling automobile materials for architectural uses in New Mexico. We got a few pictures from the evening, and Charles and I decided that Kelly is the most entertaining of my siblings and me.
I dropped off Kelly and headed home, and here I am typing so you can read this story.
Labels: art, blogs, Choir, dine, Faith, family, friends, health, niece and nephew, photos, shopping, singing, travel, Zubik
O Rats!
I just spent the past 3/4 hour reading emails and uploading photos to this blog for the PCM post.
Yesterday I spent the morning navigating (unsuccessfully) Marissa and the children to a children's play place in the South Hills. We ended up at a great Eat N Park for lunch, I went to Mom and Dad's for a very brief nap, and then walked to work to dissect animal models (rats) for the students next week. Heather prepped them for Paul C. and me to dissect. We finished before the meeting for the other biology class completed. I went to Mom and Dad's, chatted with them, had an early dinner of lumpia and rice, and turned in soon after I spoke with Maureen on the phone.
I awoke about 3/4 of an hour ago and will crawl back in bed shortly, if only because it is the middle of the night.
Labels: biology, blogs, dining, email, family, friends, phone, photos, sleep, work
Snowbound 7 Thursday
This is the first day the University of Pittsburgh will resume normal operations.
I went to morning Mass this morning. Fr. Utz celebrated the Mass, Fred lectored, John served at the altar, and Don provided music ministry. Approximately ~24 people received the Eucharist in the congregation. I talked to Don after Mass about choir practic, travel, travelling the roads, and preparedness for snow storms.
I plan to stop by campus today.
~~~
19.15
After breakfast, I promptly went home and took a long nap. Auntie Benita woke me up with a phone call. We chatted for a bit, mostly about being snowbound.
I went to M + D's to make some photocopies before heading to campus with Maureen to drop off my students' papers and to notify them of that fact.
We dropped off my DVDs at the Carnegie public library, and then we looked for travel books and DVDs. I saw and said hello to Kathy, head of the music library, and chatted for a bit with her and HK, one of my students who was glad that we were off from class this week.
Maureen and I peeled off our boots/clogs to warm up (with the help of some tea), and then I asked her to take some of my magazines. We headed out, she to her home and me to meet Charles for dinner.
Charles and I enjoyed dinner and I a coconut smoothie at the pan-Asian restaurant. I gave him a keep-the-house-warm housewarming gift, and we chatted for a while.
I stopped by Mom and Dad's place, and am checking my email and catching up on my blog.
Labels: blogs, Carnegie, cold, dining, email, library, Mass, music, school, seasons, traction, transportation, travel, weather, work
Gentle Ball Exercises
It was below freezing this morning, so I took the bus to work.
After teaching my lab, I started office hours with Heather, Lyndsay, and Tiffany and ended them with Marnin. I shared an email from Ken about "The Mousetrap" with Marnin, whose name means "one who creates joy."
I wrote a little of a student's reference, worked on grade sheets and attendance sheets, walked home, took a nap, had a small dinner, and then walked with Maureen to the gym, where I bicycled ~ ten minutes, then did three ball exercises for a total of fifteen minutes. Maureen and I walked together, I attended a chinwagging poetry meeting (where we discussed "Invictus", poems by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Blake, Wordsworth, Shakespeare, etc.) Now, I'm blogging...
Labels: biology, blogs, cold, email, exercise, name, poetry, walking, weather, work
Yearly Check-Up
I rode the bus to my doctor's office, and had my yearly check-up. "No Complaints," I declared, and also gave her my current list of prescriptions and nutritional supplements. My BP was ~135/75, and my BMI indicates that I am overweight. I told her about my procedures this past year, and the good outcome of them (she was there, visiting me in the hospital after my surgery)! I asked for a script for a procedure tomorrow, gave her a Christmas card for herself, family, and staff, and was on my way.
After my appointment, I made my way to a 24-hour computer lab on campus (the adjacent building had a power outage) and found the doors locked. Went to the computer lab/libe. Am printing out some work.
Labels: BAD, blogs, Christmas, computer, email, health, surgery
Shadyside Arts Festival 2009
After lunch, and after watching the memorial Mass for Ted Kennedy (his sons gave moving tributes to him right before Barack Obama's eulogy) at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica, I took the 71C bus to the Shadyside Arts Festival. I saw one of my former students, Rachel K., on the bus, and we chatted. I met up with Maureen and Karina, and we had a grand time there. I also took photos of the clouds, which were beauteous today, after the rain had cleared.
We stopped by Maureen's place to check the dance schedule, to search for a crucifix for her mom, and to see my blog.
When I returned home, I found out William was not feeling well, and read on the Internet the peak in swine flu cases with returning students on campuses. I decided to rest, and to forego dancing.
Labels: American history, art, blogs, dance, family, farewell, health, photos, Pittsburgh., school, sleep, student
Dancing Boys
I asked for dancing boys, but I didn't expect this, with bread!
Labels: blogs, dance, international culture, TV
This I believe
Found a web log this morning called "This I believe." I went through some of the various headings, in this order:
Respect
Love
Science
Disability
Empathy and Compassion
My favorite posting was one I read under "Empathy & Compassion."
Labels: accessibility, blogs, dreams, international culture, love, philosophical, science
...results in MORE pain
At about five thirty this morning I awoke with my propped-up legs (propped by two pillows) feeling the pain of insufficient pain medication: I actually felt pain in the soft tissues of my left leg, 1/ at and below my knee, as well as 2/ groin pain. This is probably due to 1/ exercises on my tummy (the knee curl-ups), which irritate the iliotibial muscle (which was operated on) and referred inferior muscles, and 2/ aggressive straight leg lifts soon after surgery.
I got up, took another half dose (from the one at four o'clock this morning) along with a biscottus and some chips. I now find myself typing at the computer.
Labels: BAD, blogs, computer, exercise, pain, surgery
Sleep is Good for Healing
I know that sleep is good for healing. I often feel tired after my dosing of pain medication...until about an hour before my next dose. This makes it tough to do much but sleep.
I often find myself falling asleep in front of the computer screen while typing: while writing my blog, sending email messages, reading email messages, etc. I also find myself dozing off whilst reading a magazine.
My two choices for reading material during my recuperation period were very very short vignettes/stories: Lives of the Saints and a Dictionary of Quotes by the Saints. I told my friends while I was still in the hospital that I wouldn't be able to read anything longer than those abbreviated chapters.
Okay, now, time for a nap before my lunchtime medicine dose.
Labels: blogs, email, health, read, sleep, St. Lucy, surgery
Pre-Operation 2009
Talked to the pre-operative nurse this afternoon.
Just sent my date & time of operation to my family and friends by email.
Have been revisiting my blog posts I wrote post-operative from 2008....and am currently working on one that has instructional websites. I am currently trying to do virtual R hip surgery...but the website is slow.
Labels: blogs, email, patient, surgery
Sunny Sunday Afternoon
I'm typing while listening to a Tchaikovsky piece on the radio from Balanchine's Jewels ("String Serenade" Serenade for strings [or piano, 4 hands] in C major, Op. 48). The late afternoon summer sun is streaming into the west-facing window. After a three-hour-long nap, this typing with a slight delay in appearance on the computer screen is fine---a slow, sleepy end-of-day.
Chatting with Christoph about his research is enlightening and makes me realize how common across the sciences and health sciences research issues are.
~~~
Dinner follows, and a sit in front of Mom & Dad's television set...a movie with Debra Messing and the beginning of Titanic...a check of my email, with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra playing "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky as orchestrated by Ravel, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.
Labels: blogs, Choir, dance, friends, music, phone, PSO, Ravel, research, Tchaikovsky, TV, writing
Up Early
So, I'm up early today---listened to the morning interview of Lois Lowry on the early Sunday radio show, headed to Mom & Dad's to do a few errands and to review my work for next week, and to check my email (nothing new since late last night)...I think about the friends and family I spoke with yesterday: Auntie Chi and Uncle Sonny, Luce (and her upcoming visit), Nancy (and our plans for Wednesday, Saturday, and then for Friday), Grace Y. (and our plans for Jenny to visit), Maureen (and our plans for after Mass); and the message not left for Anjali (including the thoughts of her---by many alti and soprani in choir---upon singing the conclusion of Bob Farrell's "Crucifixus")...and I write of these thoughts here.
I think of Mom and I watching "Dancing with the Stars" last night, our pleasant dinner with Dad after they returned from shopping...I think of the stars as I travel between Mom & Dad's home and mine early in the pre-dawn: The Big Dipper/ Big Bear/ Ursa Major visible from our urban outposts...and I heard little birdies in the trees twittering to each other as I travelled between our two locales early this morning.
I think of our friends, Rita, Elaine, and Mary Lou, to whom I delivered slices of homemade chocolate cake last night---and how Kevin and Rich in the garage turned down cake(!)
~~~~
After choir practice and singing in the choir during Mass Maureen and I drove to the Chinese buffet in Monroeville to meet my parents there. We enjoyed lunch there, and then I drove Maureen and I to the Monroeville Mall for some shopping. We went to Panera Bread near her home for a snack. Then I headed home and brought her to the Oratory for Eucharistic Adoration late in the afternoon.
Labels: biology, blogs, Choir, dance, dining, excited, laundry, music, seasons, singing, Songs, St. Paul Cathedral, stars, TV, writing
Spring Break 2009 II
Spent the morning going through old slides, catching up on correspondence, eating breakfast, and going to physical therapy. Stopped by on campus to get a little work done, and added my photo to my professional blog. Had a croque monsieur on half of a sun-dried tomato bagel, and green salad for lunch with mom and dad. What fun! Just watched a WQED special, Masters of Glass, about the Pittsburgh Glass Center.
~~~
After tuna noodle casserole and greens salad for dinner, I completed the necklace Dad and I started from the glass rosette/floral piece (which I bought with Karina). Dad helped me to get the jump rings onto the chain to attach the magnetic clasps, and I worked on the pendant.
We're watching Dancing with the Stars tonight.
~~~~
Tuesday 10 March 2009
I sent my City Tax Form (2008) out today. After lunch, Marissa, William, Beatrice, Solomon, and I went to the Pittsburgh Toy Lending Library. Neither William nor I had been there before, and upon entering, Beatrice headed directly for the far end of the room and the castle. We played in the room with the balls and with various items there, including a car and gas pump. We also watched Beatrice paint in the art room, and she and I cleaned up together afterwards. Solomon and Marissa moved toys from the top floor of the doll house throughout the house, whilst William, Beatrice, and I had fun with the various hats (astronaut helmet, construction worker, etc.) We were certain to use the hand sanitizer on the way out. I thanked Beatrice for inviting me to join them today.
I found the talented picture of me "and a balloon" Beatrice drew for me. She is very observant and talented when it comes to faces. Maybe she will be like Lolo, whose high school classmates dubbed "the next Michelangelo."
I stopped by Lolo and Lola's place to share the picture with them, and have made earrings for the floating glass mirror necklace I made first. I will work on designing another necklace this afternoon.
~~~~~
Wednesday 12 March 2009
Yesterday evening I went to the PNR meeting---it was a small group that night. We spoke mainly about questions Maxine Bruhns had about design issues, and how we would address them. The meeting lasted about 2-3 hours.
Today, Karina and I dined with Maureen at Victor's restaurant. The buffet was great, then we walked to the public library for Karina to drop off some books. A stop in the bead shop was in order, and Karina repaired the clasp part of a bracelet I had purchased.
A nap followed, until choir practice.
Labels: art, blogs, Choir, citizenship, cleaning, dance, dining, email, exercise, family, games, glass, jewelry, library, painting, photography, photos, PNR, TV, water exercise
Voting: Decision 2008
I took the bus to go the doctors office and pick up a prescription. On the way, I saw a T-shirt under a student's sweater, that seemed to read, "Bush's last day 1-20-2009." I told her that my undergraduate advisor has a website that counts down the SECONDS.
I voted today after stopping by the pharmacy to pick up a new prescription. I took the bus there and saw Mary T. and her daughter. I picked up some items at the bake sale, and then voted..."You're welcome," I sang out, reading, "Thank you for voting," from the computerized voting machine.
I stopped back at work, making photocopies of data from today's presenting student group on respiration. Tom and I shared some brownies and cupcakes before he taught. Oscarlitoria stopped by the lab, too, and we told the students that we were having a party.
I had some carry out sushi from down Craig Street for dinner.
Election News on NBC is currently being shown....preempting Mom's favorite show, Jeopardy!
At right before 7 am I spoke to Mom and Dad right before they went on their first walkabout Istanbul today.
Labels: blogs, excited, international culture, Pittsburgh, politics, TV, walking
MM fave new blog, Hilarious link from K
M's fave new blog is written by an 82-year-old woman. Check out her blog!
And a while ago K sent me this link to SP in the Oval Office (eeK!) with the note, "Speakers 'on." Click on items around the room."
Labels: blogs, family, music, politics
376 West adventures...
This morning I recorded my grades, prepped for lab this week, sent my students a mass email, and went to choir practice for noon Mass.
This afternoon, after noon Mass, my parents and I drove to Monroeville for Chinese buffet. Dad had left the lights on, and I called AAA for a jump start. We then braved Rodi Road and Penn Avenue to get home, as the parkway inbound was bumper to bumper from about Churchill onwards...
I read my email, sent a newsletter update to FAAP for the Holiday Open House, and took a nap. I visited Tina and Joe W. to help them with their computer problems, and told them about campus computing.
Labels: adventure, biology, Blind, blogs, Choir, Church, computer, dining, email, family, friends, international culture, Mass, Pilipino culture, PNR, St. Paul Cathedral, transportation, work
