Bunny Hop

When the boy moved to Chicago, his lovely little Honda Civic came with him. He's been chauffeuring me all over in this cute little reliable car since he moved here in August. Why? Because I don't know how to drive a stick shift. Or I didn't until yesterday.

Finding an empty parking lot in Chicago is not an easy task. Finally I thought of a big high school with a decent sized parking lot that would likely be empty on a Sunday afternoon. It was. It even had a few speed bumps.

I've been so nervous about learning this. I don't own a car so I never drive. The last time I've driving was probably when I was home for Christmas last year. And before that? Who knows. So not only was I nervous about learning this new technique, I was also nervous about getting behind the wheel again period (of the boy's lovely little car no less!).

I get behind the wheel. Pull the seat WAY forward so as to push the clutch all the way to the floor. And then we're off. And I *wasn't that bad*! Granted, we had a few bunny hops (as the boy referred to them) and I certainly stalled the car a few times, but over all I got the hang of it.

Now it's on to the streets. Of Chicago. *ahem*

Stop. 1st gear. Stall. *HONK* repeat.

The double check

Last Sunday I was sitting down to breakfast after a friend's wedding in the Amana Colonies in Iowa. I was at 98 upon waking up and hadn't eaten anything or taken any insulin. It was about 2 hours after waking up that I check my blood sugar again before eating. 354.

First it's the wave of anger. OVER 300?! How is that even possible?!

Second is the wave of disappointment. I must have done something wrong. Did I eat something that I'm not remembering? Miss a bolus?

Third is the doubt. The doubt hit me when I was just about ready to press the ACT button, sending way too many units of insulin into my system to correct the high and cover my meal. The doubt stuck. I hit escape and licked my finger. Did that taste sweet? I check another finger and ring in at a lovely 94.

Fourth is the relief. Oh man that could have been bad. But it wasn't because I caught it just in time.

In other news: I've decided to drive back home to surprise my sister for her 30th birthday party next weekend. It's a Halloween theme so I'm thinking of a costume that'll be better than Velma from last year. And the boy has to think of one too. I came up with an idea and shared it with my dad, who thought it was the funniest thing in the world (it's not, it's actually kind of silly). I'm going to dress as a chef, with an apron and a chef hat. Then I'm going to carry around a mixing bowl with a spoon in it and it will be filled with little cotton ball clouds, lightning bolts, rain drops, tornadoes etc. I'll be cooking up a storm....

Ba dum CHING!

Snow!

I love the fall. I love the changing leaves and running through the dry crunchy ones on the sidewalk. I love the smell and the pumpkins on doorsteps. I love curling up under my big comforter when I go to bed without getting too hot. I love a nice hot to-go cup of coffee keeping me warm on my way to work. I love the anticipation of the holidays, the family visits, the food!

But it snowed this morning. October 12. Snow. Wind chill: 22 degrees. *ahem*

It sure looked beautiful, but I'm not ready yet! Give me my fall back!

Why oh Why Have I Waited So Long!?

I have used an One Touch Ultra Smart meter since the day I was diagnosed in April of 2004. About a year ago I switched to the Multi Clix lancet, which is lovely. But I've never even thought about changing meters, mostly because my pharmacy would automatically mail me test strips for this meter every 3 months, and I was too lazy to change.

But at my last endocrinologist appointment (which went well) I asked my doctor for a script for the FreeStyle Flash and strips. Oh. My. God. After opening the package yesterday I just kind of stood there with this tiny thing in my hand and thought "I'm an idiot." I'm so behind the game it's embarrassing. Just the tiniest drop of blood is all it needs. It fits in my cute little kit much better than the giant Ultra Smart. And that little light at the end that shines on the test strip? Ingenious.

And now for something completely different: the eye sight in my left eye is getting worse. I wear contacts. I don't have terrible eye sight, but things are fuzzy if I don't wear them. But lately I've been noticing the fuzziness in my left eye when I'm wearing my contacts. It's time for my annual eye exam, so I've got an appointment in two weeks. *sigh* I'm going to just assume that it's normal, not diabetes related. But it still makes me nervous.