Optimism

Wednesday was just wretched.  Prepping for the colonoscopy is like self-induced torture.  Fortunately, the stuff I had to drink was better than the concoction I used to have to drink...a gallon of.  (I'm leaving the grammatical construction, even though looking at it drives me crazy.)  Then I had to get up at 6:00 with no coffee.  No coffee!  At one point, I actually thought to myself, "I can't believe I'm mature enough to make myself get up and do this."

I was fully awake for the whole thing, which did not make me happy.  Nothing like being aware that some guy is sticking a camera up your butt.  I numbed out.  That works.  My surgeon doesn't like to do anaesthesia because it can cause a dangerous dip in blood pressure.  My blood pressure yesterday fell below 100 for quite a while, so I guess I should be grateful that he only sedated me. I should be, but I'm not.  The best news is that I didn't have any polyps, which means I won't have to have another test for 10 years.   

The trees are losing their leaves now and, outside my second-floor window at work, I can see my squirrel friend traipsing around through the trees.  It's one of the only things I like about fall and winter.  S/he was born in the attic of a church that's visible from the other window in my office.  I used to watch the litter come out and play on the roof.  At least I think it's one of those guys.  

S/he likes to take an afternoon nap lying flat on one of the branches of a tree.  It's amazing that it doesn't fall off.  It's also extraordinary to watch several of them playing chase through the trees.  

The squirrels that were at my parents's house used to take pears from the trees and try to bury them.  They would dig and dig, then roll the pear into the tiny hole.  Of course, they never managed to dig a hole even remotely large enough.  Sooner or later, they would just decide it was buried enough and leave it.  They were pretty dedicated for a while, though, and they never figured out that they would never be able to actually bury any pear.  Squirrels are just naturally optimistic, I guess.  That's probably why so many of them end up dead in the street.