I am piggybacking from home on my beloved mac laptop (I wish I could afford my own wifi connection). I am just going to free-associate here for a few minutes for those of you who are interested to read such random things. One random thing I wanted to mention is that it has been 115 days ago when I was first hospitalized, for those of you who keep track of such things -- just to put some perspective on things.
I have discovered one typographical error on a label for my medications that could cause me some real problems by triggering a manic episode, but I am smart enough to figure things out on my own to prevent such an event from occurring (are you reading this doctor M??). I will admit to feeling like a walking medicine cabinet at this time, and I am truly grateful that I am not taking mountains of pills as some other of my fellow inmates were doing, because the likelihood for my "compliance" diminishes rapidly with each and every pill I have to take.
I just took a bath and cut my hair so it isn't in my eyes all the time, shaved my armpits -- no dreds there! -- and just finished downloading a bunch of software upgrades. The only annoyance I am dealing with right now is a neighbor's cigarette smoke that is floating into my open bedroom window such that I want to blast him with a fire extinguisher.
But my fellow patients and the staff know that I am far too polite and soft-spoken to ever do such a terrible thing!
Now for the bad news. My apartment is infested with mice and rats to an astonishing degree. It was shockingly filthy when I returned, so I actually spent several hours cleaning and scrubbing the kitchen and bathroom, but I still have to clean my bedroom and the living room where my birds (those that are still alive) reside.
My parrots did remember me despite all my obsessive worrying that they would not, but they were cautious and skittish about my sudden presence, as they are with all changes in their routine, so I left them alone and just went about my business cleaning up the apartment.
I can already see that cleaning this apartment will take most of the weekend -- a truly depressing thought. It isn't as though the place is a disaster because I had a wild party or anything fun! I also need to purchase some serious mouse and rat traps, along with peanut butter to act as a lure. Hopefully, the pests will be more attracted to the peanut butter than I am, otherwise, I am going to have some bloody fingertips.
I have decided that tomorrow is the day I will get dressed up to spend the afternoon and evening at my special watering hole on the UWS of Manhattan. (don't worry, they have free wifi there, so I'll still talk to all of you). I have a special little black thang (a small sexy black dress) that I will wear, a pair of heels that should have my head scraping the roof of the subway, and hopefully a coat or something so I don't freeze to death -- did I mention that the day before I was hospitalized, it was 115 degrees in NYC, and today, the day of my release, was merely 10 degrees, with the wind chill factor? Needless to say, I have been very cold and need to get my hands on a decent, warm stylish coat that will go well with a little black thang.
Mink, perhaps. Or sable.
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How the heck did this nuthouse story get started in the first place?
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Welcome home! Know that from the Far Side, we are concerned about you and your continued success. Feel free to drop a line if you want a chat. Wish I could do more, but nobody willingly goes to New Jersey (that is your homebase, right?) from Australia. I did it once, but got out in time...
So glad you're out and your birds remember you! Take care of yourself - lots of us are sending you love.
Welcome home!
Soooo glad your home on your own turf! Peanut butter or a sm. piece of bacon works well,I've caught 2 shrews this last month. From one blonde to another: We look GOOOOD in black!! Enjoy your freedom,have fun and settle back into the life of the unpredictable. :o)
Congrats on surviving your wild ordeal! And of course your birds remember you. They're rather clever animals, they are. ;)
Good news (rodents aside). Look forward to seeing you in Phoenix in a few weeks ... where it wont be 10 degrees!
uh oh!! be careful about cleaning up after the rodents!! if you breathe in dried poo you risk catching hantavirus, which can be anywhere from flulike to very severe. this is actually quite a hazard. please make sure to be very careful when cleaning up...
http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/hantavirus/fact_she…
I know you don't post pictures of yourself because you want to maintain some degree of anonynimity... but surely you could post pictures of your birds!
-Rob
Welcome home! It's good to know you survived 115 days of exile.
Woo Hoo!! Your home, your safe. Breath in that fresh air (such as it is) and enjoy! (Glad to hear you are a Mac user btw!) Keep up the good fight. You can - and will - make it.
Welcome home, sweetie! Sorry to hear your place was so messed up when you got home. The last thing you needed was to walk into a death pit.
I know what you mean about the walking medicine cabinet. I'm only on 4 meds, but even after 11 years I still forget to take them occasionally (not good, because my blood pressure goes through the roof on the rebound when I miss one of them.....luckily I know when I forgot, because by mid-afternoon I get woozy and my head feels two sizes too small for my brain, so I go back and take it). A good friend of mine has physical as well as mental health issues, and at last count she was up close to 20. We joke about counting the calories in them.
Sorry I don't live up there in NYC; I'd be more than willing to come over and spend a day or two helping you shovel out the rat s***.
Once again, hang in there. I'm thinking of you.
Hang in there! Follow the treatment that you were told to follow. It's a tough problem but there is a solution!
Make sure that the people who give you your meds are familiar with Bipolar disorder.
Congrats on getting out :)
I don't know if they (the hospital staff) told you to expect feeling odd and disconnected after few days of "freedom", but I hope they did. My kid sister was in situation like yours few years back and she said that getting out of the hospital was joyfull bliss but only for few days. You seem to have a good social network, try to stay in touch with them, even if you might not feel like you want to. Hospitals tend to fuck up your daily routine and getting back on track might be kinda difficult.
Hm.. This came out too depressive but I hope you get what I mean. Anyways, congrats again and I hope your birds are not too shocked :)
Congratulations - free at last! And you didn't have to use your armpit hair to make a rope to escape.
Enjoy the shopping and getting watered, and good luck cleaning!
Bob
I'm so happy to hear you are home and that your beloved birds remembered you.
Welcome Home!!! Glad the birdy-birds are not rebelling. Those little beaks are quite sharp.
I'm glad you're home with your beloved birds and your computer! Take good care of yourself, stay warm, and be well.
Hedwig, I'm so so so happy you're HOME sweet HOME!
Congratulations! Good luck cleaning the apartment, but do stick to it until it's done, because regardless of traps, those vermin will stick around until you do finish it. And when you do go out, it'll be so much nicer coming back to a clean apartment!
Welcome back to the world. Harvey and I
have missed you. If you ever feel up to
visiting we loved to see you again.
Please remember that we love you very much.
RLH & Allison
WELCOME HOME...
Have fun tomorrow evening, you certainly deserve it! About the mink, good choice for a few months, maybe ;) Hang in there, and best of wishes to you and your birds. As far as the mean lady with the $2,500 demand, what is up with her?
Bill
welcome home. 8)
I'm glad to hear you're home. The birds will remember you. Parrots are SMART, especially about social stuffs.
W00T! Welcome home! We're tickled that you're out and home safe! We've been so worried about you.
Stick to your meds, and savor your freedom. This is the best news I've had all day.
Glad to hear that you're home. Sorry to hear about the mess in the apartment, but that can be cleaned.
Welcome home, and good wishes from England.
Welcome back, GS!
Nothing clever or witty to say. Simply glad you're home. Always remember that many of us have you in our thoughts.
Jesus, what an ordeal. Get your place cleaned up. Enjoy some privacy. Consider yourself older, wiser, and probably a lot tougher.
Being from western Washington, you doubtless know varied thrushes. Hang around here in the soggy heart of winter. Incongruously colorful in the gray winter landscape. Thrilling, spooky call. I tried to get a photo this afternoon but my meager camera skills were outmatched by rain and dim light. So, by way of a get-well card here's someone else's photo: http://www.enature.com/fieldguides/enlarged.asp?imageID=17492
Very best wishes from the cold and drizzly Northwest.
Welcome home and congratulations!!!