Desk Job

I found the giblets!  Fortunately they were in a bake-proof bag so that doofuses like me who bake them for three hours don't ruin their entire bird.  Of the 4 or 5 turkeys I've cooked in my life, I think I managed to remove the giblet bag exactly once.  This was my first turkey that came with the pop-up thermometer thingy, so that was pretty exciting!  I made the turkey in a bag that happened to come with the disposable pan, so it actually turned out pretty well without having to baste, etc.  The fact remains that I just don't really like turkey unless it's processed and cut into razor-thin lunch meat.  Last night I shredded some of the leftover meat and made turkey enchiladas that I definitely liked better than icky slabs of meat cut fresh from the bird.  Whatever, hopefully next year I'll be busy AT WORK and will donate the bird.

Speaking of work, I got some news about my foot that pretty much shattered my happy little existence.  Not necessarily bad news, but I was expecting and looking forward to going back to work on Sunday, December 16, and my doctor wants to keep me out until after the new year.  I am completely shocked at my unexpected reaction to this news.  Tuesday I kept myself so busy after my doctor appointment that I was able to pretty much suppress my feelings (though I did bombard my poor boss with a series of emails regarding sick time, vacation time, etc.)  Tuesday night I lost the rest of my mind and completely freaked out with the what-if's.  I REALLY expected my foot to be completely better by now and I have REALLY been good about not overdoing anything and doing my stretches and everything else.  WHY isn't it better?  What if it is never better?  What if I have to quit my job and find something else?  Wednesday morning I was whining to Gene and trying to figure out what else I could do.  Every. Single. Thing. I came up with involved being on my feet.  I realized that I have never even considered a desk job!  I mean seriously, to the point I don't even know what a desk job is!  The ONLY thing I could come up with was accountant.  What the heck?  I took the kids to school and then came home and slept most of the day and didn't get out of my chair until Gene got home from work.  That's probably enough feeling sorry for myself.  Today I will leave the house and keep myself busy (wondering what a desk job is...)  If you know, I'm open to suggestions.

My foot itself is not that bad.  If I walk around a big store with concrete floors it hurts.  I've been up and sitting in my chair for an hour and it aches a little bit, but probably only because I'm thinking about it.  I have a series of exercises I do daily- things like stretches and picking up towels and marbles with my toes.  The doctor casted me for new orthotics.  My doctor is acting like I'm being ridiculous- I'm not even two months out from surgery, I can't expect my foot to be perfect.  WHAT?  HE is the one who told me 8 weeks!  HE is the one who told me I possibly wouldn't have ANY pain after surgery!  HE was wrong!  HE also is a great guy and possibly the only doctor I've been to that I actually trust, like and respect.  He didn't spew lollipops and rainbows and I knew the risks and the iffy outcome.  I mean, duh, that's why I put the surgery off for two years!  Yeah, I'm depressed and beyond completely terrified.  I guess I need to be patient and wait it out before I continue to freak out, but all I can think of is desk job.  Desk job. Desk job. AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

On a happier note, I had a pretty awesome birding trip on Monday.  I did my usual loop of Banner Marsh, Emiquon, Chautauqua and Sand Ridge.  As is usually my luck, the west side of the river was teeming with birds and the east side was dead.  Banner and Emiquon were both full of ducks and other water birds.  I was scoping ducks at Emiquon and found a very unexpected pair of American avocets!  That was definitely the highlight of my trip.  They had been reported on the online bird boards I frequent, but that was a full week earlier and they aren't normally in the area in December.  Anyway, that was a year bird and I was pretty excited.  At Chautauqua I saw a few geese, a few mallards and a flicker.  Sand Ridge was full of juncos and blue jays, but I couldn't find the crossbills that someone had reported from the previous week.  I did notice that the bald eagles are back in force!  I lost count, but there were eagles just about everywhere I looked along the Spoon and Illinois rivers. 

Meghan and I are doing the Christmas Bird Count on Saturday.  I'm pretty excited because we have our own area (meaning we're in charge and not tagging along with others.)  The area is the same one I tagged along on last year and it's the area I live so I'm pretty familiar with everything.  I have my work Christmas party tonight.  I have some stuff to look forward to, so I guess I'll snap out of my pity party and do something.  Like researching desk jobs...