The Raleigh Hand Center (finally), a mortality check, newsletter rat race, and dancing…

Today’s affirmation from the mother of iwc41:

I don’t have your snail mail address so I can’t write you immediately to tell you what a delight you are and to thank you for your gift. (If you will send address by return e-mail I will tell you in writing how much I appreciate it and you.)

In the meantime I am enjoying it immensely. Many thanks. You are such a dear, special person and I am so grateful to have you as a young friend.

Thank you again for being YOU…………………Love, M


I had my long-awaited doctor’s appointment at the Raleigh Hand Center, which turned out to be a lesson in mortality, which sucks.

For about a year now, the small finger on my left hand has been hurting, as well as the tip (from the first joint to the nail end) has been slowly curving inward, and slowly contracting so that it hangs down a little when left totally relaxed.

My GP took a look at it on November 7th during my physical, and, well you can read what she thought at the link, and referred me to the Hand Center.

I’ve had to wait this long for an appointment as they didn’t start taking Cigna insurance at this place until 01/01/07.

I had to wait for about five minutes or so before being called back. Two guys came in after me, and they went “right to the back.”

When I did get called back, I was surprised to see this huge room back there with all kinds of hand and finger therapy machines with people in front of them rubbing, squeezing, and pinching things (like clothespins) together. Who knew?

So, after more questions that one could possibly imagine could be asked about a little finger, and some x-rays, the diagnosis was severe osteoarthritis. Chronic pain. Love it. Not.

I left there feeling a good dose of immortality.


I stopped by Service-Learning, where I made the final edits to the STC newsletter, printed and filled out the requirement competition paperwork, and headed over to FedEx Kinkos to print copies.

After placing my order, I asked the lady if she was going to run one, and show it to me, since this is what they’ve done in the past, but she said, “No, I’ve got it. It’ll be ready in about 20 minutes.

I ran across the street, grabbed a little lunch, and returned as she was finishing up.

She brought the order to me, and it was all wrong. She had stapled in the upper left. I wanted them folded and bound.

“That’s called ‘booklet style’ for future reference,” she said, and then dumped the entire order into the trash.

In another 20 minutes, the order was ready, and correct, and then it took an act of congress (and way to long) to get the NCSU discount. Grrrr!


I stopped at home, put the required copies in manila envelopes, addressed them, and then dropped them off at the Avent Ferry Post Office.

Postmarked by January 10. Amen.


I met with Patti, Myra, and Dani for about an hour-and-a-half on the Engaged College project. It was an interesting, productive meeting, and I left feeling good about what I can contribute, and about the team I’m working with.


Robert and I had Shrimp Chow Mien for dinner, which was pretty good.


We came dangerously close to not going dancing, as we were in the bed, and both nodding off.

We finally did get a move on, and got there between 9:15 and 9:30.

It was a decent night of dancing. Geromy had a friend there named Hazel, who was from Bermuda, and visiting here. She’s an old friend of Geromy’s, and had been on the cruise with him that he was just on.

We left at a reasonable hour.

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