Surgery--Again

I rested from the first week in December to the first week in January. No work. No traveling back and forth to the hospital.

This was the best thing I have done for myself in a long time. I feel rested. Can't remember the last time I wasn't tired. My breathing is better. I'm sleeping well.

My doorman asked me how I'm feeling. I usually say eh. Today I said OK. He smiled.

I'm going to Bellevue tomorrow to see the throat docs. Hoping all will be well. I'm tensing up.

I'll let you know how it goes.

It's so good to hear that you're feeling so much better after that break, Roberta.
It was obviously what you needed.
All the very best for tomorrow!
Fingers tightly crossed for you that all goes well.

Did you smile too?

Hope all the traffic lights are green for you tomorrow. We'll alert the UN so they don't get in your way.

Maybe a stop over at your favorite deli on the way back?

Yay!!!!

The throat better not bother you is all I can say.

olga, Thanks for the good wishes. And don't get a cramp from keeping your fingers crossed too tightly.

Butrflynet, Ever since my tooth broke, I've been a little self-conscious about smiling. But sometimes I just smile. Can't help it. If the General Assembly is in session, I have two options. Take a helicopter or reschedule for next week.

Not gonna stop at my favorite deli. Foist, I can't bite into the kind of sandwich I like with a tooth missing. Second, I did some cooking last night. I have something good lined up for tonight.

Deb, My throat doesn't bother me. But the docs may not like how it looks. I'm prepared for a battle. After being told I need a biopsy and then I don't need a biopsy, you can be sure that I will not let just anyone tell me what needs to be done.

I don't like confrontation, but I can be very assertive. And I'm especially assertive at Bellevue.

I was just remembering one of my assertive moments with the neurosurgeons, which reminds me that I need to make an appointment.

Just remembered another semi-assertive, semi-hostile moment with neurosurgery.

(Smirking)

If you wanna know the moments I have in mind, let me know. Otherwise I won't bore you.

Will be thinking of you today Boida, and posivibing mucho with the throat doc appointment.

Love you from across the poind goil (((((((((((Boida))))))))))))) x

Back from Bellevue. OK report. No change. Throat looks like it looks.

Thanks to all the finger crossers, posivibers, hopers, and well-wishers.

Heaving a major sigh of relief.

And I waited only three and a half hours.

whew...

were the magazines any good?

Oh come on, you can't just leave it at that! Details, details.

What'd ya cook? What's the recipe?

Inquiring foodies want to know....

Hooray for good-lookin' throats!

RH, This is a public city hospital. There are no magazines. I bring my own reading material. Magazines! Hah!

Of course I want to know the moments you have in mind! I'm nosy.

Tonight I'm having chicken parmagiana. I make it good. And it's easy as pie. Well, easier.

Foist I make tomato sauce.

1 large can of pureed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
1 onion diced
2 or 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 handful (1-2 tablespoons, I think) of basil
1 handful of oregano
1 handful of salt
1 teaspoon of sugar

1. In a large pot dump the tomoto puree. Add about 2/3 of can of water. Stir.
2. Dump in the basil, oregano, salt, and sugar. Stir
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil.
4. Dump in the diced onion and chopped garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent.
5. The can of tomato paste is six ounces. Have six ounces of water standing by.
6. Add some paste to the pan. Add an equal amount of water. Stir until the paste is dissolved.
7. Keep doing this until the paste and water are all in the skillet.
8. Cook until the mixture is steaming.
9. Then dump the contents of the pan into the pot. Stir and cover. Cook for about 1/2 hour on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
10. Then crack open the lid of the pot and cook for another 1/2 hour. This thickens up the sauce.

This makes about six or seven single servings of sauce. I freeze what I'm not planning to use immediately.

Chicken parmagiana (one serving)

1. Pound the hell out of the chicken to soften it up and stretch it out. (This is my favorite part, aside from the eating part.)
2. You can dip the breast in a mixed egg if you want a crispy crust. I usually don't bother.
3. Add salt and pepper to the breast.
4. Cover both sides with Italian flavored bread crumbs.
5. Cook in olive oil until one side is brown. Then turn.

Note: You don't have to worry about the chicken being cooked all the way through. It's gonna cook some more. You're mostly interesting in browning at this stage.

1. In a small baking pan (with low sides) pour some sauce.
2. Place the chicken breast in the sauce so that the whole bottom of the breast is in the sauce.
3. Dump the remaining sauce on top of the chicken. There should be more than enough sauce to cover completely.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. When the sides of the sauce start to turn dark, it's ready.
5. Top with some slices of mozzarella.
6. Return to the oven until the cheese has melted.

Sprinkle some grated pargagiana cheese on top. Ess and enjoy.

I usually prepare two breasts at the same time. I refrigerate one and eat it the following day or two days later.

Robbie, I don't think you've ever bored any one of us on a2k and I assume not in what they call real life.

So, give us a recount of your assertivenesses, if you feel like getting them listed in one place. We'd enjoy it.

I'm glad as pie that your throat remains the same, relatively unremarkable.

On the helicopter, me, I think the UN could use your speaking there... telling them what's what. Perhaps not at the General Assembly to start with.
Not to flatter, just saying.

I'll have to give that a try. I have to pound the heck outta meats these days so BBB can eat them.

Been using a lotta boneless pork chops and chicken breasts and keep trying to come up with a different flavor variations. Haven't done the parmigiana yet.

You cook like I do. I have a real hard time cooking in small quantities. I'm always cooking for another two or three meals. Can't stand wasting all that energy on just one serving.

Ok, the moments. I'm pretty sure these came up somewhere.

It was several weeks after the surgery before I got to see the doctors. At least three weeks. When they came through the door, I said that I felt medically abandoned. They looked horrified and went to get the head doc.

I had to get the staples taken out of my head. A pipsqueak female doctor (and I use the term loosely) was assigned to destaple me. I'm sitting on a chair, and she is removing staples from my head like I'm a mannequin. I said ouch a few times. She said it didn't hurt. Right, lady. I say ouch just to see if you're paying attention. This woman treated me like I wasn't there. Like I was a chore. Hey, you bitch, you people drilled a hole in my head. How about treating me like a human? (I didn't say that. Probably shoulda.)

Then she had to check my reflexes. She puts her hand on each knee and pushes down. I push up. She does the same with my hands. Then she tells me to push her back.

She's a pipsqueak. I'm not. I'm debiliated from the surgery, but I'm pissed off. I pushed her back. She fell back and landed on her knees as she tried to right herself. She said I was strong.

Maybe this isn't a good example of assertiveness, but I love remembering it. It's better than pounding chicken. I've been assertive in other ways.

The medically abandoned I recall.

Good on ya with the rude pipsqueak.

chicken parmagiana soundsa pretty good...

I got a big pot o'beans soaking. gonna make the cabin smell good for a day.

then mebbe not so good for a few...

Just be sure to turn away from the wood stoves when you're emitting... better safe than scorched.

Osso, I'm sure that I must have bored somebody somewhere. As for me at the UN. Stand back.

(I get the feeling that you have a high opinion of me. I ain't such hot ****.)