Even small quantities...

It's amazing, feeling the change of seasons. Southern California doesn't get Fall the same way New England does, even the same way Nevada does... I can feel the autumnal energy in the air in Las Vegas more strongly than I can here in Pasadena. But we've definitely turned the corner, we're heading to the Next Phase... the season of Metal. Metal... is my friend. Has always been my friend, has always been a very special friend. I can use a friend like that, right now. (Who can't?)

A good acupuncturing today. Nice poetic points... the Gate of Life; the Spirit Storehouse; Constricted Muscles—well, that's not particularly poetic, but it's supposed to relieve constriction not only in the muscles but in the spirit—and one of my favorite points, the Intermediary.

Leg muscles are weak, and showing no signs really of any kind of improvement at all. Standing is especially difficult... sometimes, emptying the dishwasher just plain takes too much out of them. My legs do not enjoy standing for long at all, and they're given to tottering and sometimes they come very close to collapsing under me. One of them often does... fortunately, I haven't dropped anything or hit the ground yet, and with luck, won't. But I come much closer than I'd like, too often. Way too often.

But, at least I'm getting stuff done, this evening. Rather than even attempt creative work, something I'm not quite ready for at the moment, I proclaimed it an evening of Handling Stupid Stuff. Fill out some forms. Find and if possible photocopy the other forms the aforementioned Forms are requesting. Empty the dishwasher and, if enough leg strength persists, take something out to the trash. The whole point of this is to get said Stupid Stuff out of the way so that maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to do something creative tomorrow. (I do have to call someone on the Other Coast tomorrow, about one of the Forms, but that'll be one of the only Stupid Things that'll eat my creativity time tomorrow.)

On the list of Not Exactly Creative Things That I Still Gotta Do Tomorrow is also... pick up some B-complex vitamins. My doctor is going to get me some injectable B12, but he says I need Other B Stuff. Which, fortunately, I won't need a needle for. Yes, I know I see an acupuncturist all the time, and you do NOT want to hear about where he has to stick me sometimes, but at least the pain stops when the needle is removed, unlike an injection that can continue hurting for a week. Or more.

And... if I've got enough energy... while I'm looking for B vitamins that aren't full of crap (it's quite hard to find "nutritional" supplements that aren't full of additives that, at the bottom line, are basically just plain crap), I'd like to pick up a carrot so I can make some namasu. I picked up the necessary daikon at the Japanese market on the way home from the acupuncturist's... this stuff is wicked easy to make, especially when you have a mandoline to do all the hard stuff (julienning the veggies), and it's much better for you to munch on than salt and pepper chips, much as I like them. And, for those of you inclined to international cooking, you can use it as a sandwich garnish, it's a nice addition to bahn mi, or heck! You can just put it on a hot dog instead of sauerkraut.

Y'know, I've spent years on the zero-dairy-ever-and-that-means-ZERO diet, and I'm not exactly enjoying eating a lot, right now ... haven't enjoyed eating for months. When you find something you can make and actually enjoy eating, even in small quantities... that's nice.

And who knows, maybe tomorrow I'll create something. Having not been able to do that for weeks now, several weeks, far too many weeks... creating something, even in small quantities... that'll be nice.