Whew, close one! You almost got me, internet!

As you may know, I've started the search for a roommate for the fall. I've been inspired by That Girl's ongoing series, "My Myspace Man," to share some of the ridiculous spam I get in response to my Craigslist post. Here's the latest, titled "Message you left":

Good day. Lonely girl is waiting! :(

My personal email is bourgeois.darla3090@gmail.com

His lawyer calls him "intellectually challenged. Ooh one more night, cos i can't wait forever. in Newburgh where the conspirators gathered, according to a criminal complaint. Give me one more night, give me just one more night. Shiho Fukada for The New York Times.

This string of nonsense is a lot different from past spam messages, which have include a long story written by an ideal-sounding tenant about how he won't be in the country until the move-in date but he needs me to go pick up his big screen TV. All he needs from me is a bank account number he can confirm - for his own security, of course.

Another email came from a woman who described her profession as follows: Am a medical humanitarian nurse, have been doing this for the past 8 years back, our work is to take care of motherless babies, homeless one and all of that...

How could I pass up living with such a compassionate person...and all of that? The weird thing about this one was that it didn't request anything of me. What's the point? I suppose if I had responded they would have my real email address. But is this really the most efficient way to collect information? I highly doubt it. Ah well, internet scammers, who am I to doubt you? Clearly you're getting something from it, or you would have stopped by now!

Lou Makes Things!

Lately I've been getting impatient with my physical limitations. Combined with the nice weather this week, and I'm downright antsy. Prime time for a new project!

Last night I was perusing the DIY section of Design*Sponge when I found this great project! At first I decided it would be a project for another time since I don't need any "key hooks" but then realized they would be perfect for hanging my light-but-bulky necklaces, a challenge I've been trying to solve for some time now!

I found the unfinished wooden squares at Michael's (only $0.59 each!), and the hooks were in the framing section. I always have paint kicking around from past projects. I thought I had some extra silverware I could re-purpose, but decided the handles were just too plain for this. I checked out Recycle North and was surprised to find they had only ONE spoon in the entire kitchen section!! The trip was redeemed, though, when I found a fork that matched the spoon. I picked another fancy fork, and headed home with my treasures.

I set up shop on my sunny porch - with the Little Sir closely supervising - and put a couple coats of paint on the squares. While the paint dried, I tossed the utensils into a pot of boiling water to soften and bend. I had hoped to get more of a curve into the bend, but at last reached results I was happy with.

I finally gave up trying to keep dog hairs out of the paint job (ahem, Roger) and attached the hooks to the back. The hardest part, by far, has been affixing the silverware to the squares! Gorilla Glue stays slippery for a while before it sets, so I had to come up with creative ways to keep the odd shapes firmly weighted in place. Rubber bands, canned goods, rolled-up paper towel, and everything else within arm's length finally yielded results.

So far, I'm very pleased with my efforts! If anyone is interested in a spoon hook of their own, just let me know and I'd be happy to oblige.

Post-op Play-by-play

It's been a long time since I've updated! Here's the short version:

•My ACL reconstructive surgery on April 10th went smoothly, complete with lovely pain meds. Thanks to a "nerve block," I had almost no pain for that first day! Being prepped for and then rolled into surgery was scary, but then all of a sudden I was in the recovery room with my parents, so then everything was okay.

•The Roger Walkers were wonderful, appearing each morning and evening to take the often less-than-willing Little Sir for his walk. As time went on, he got worse at letting others take him out, but they didn't give up! Thank you all very, very much.

•The pain was well-controlled with pain meds, but no one had warned me about the boredom! I watched lots of movies, did a whole book of crossword puzzles, and the days blurred into each other. Barely being able to get around my apartment - or even shower - took its toll.

•Ten days out, I had my first post-op appointment to remove the staples and open the brace - hooray!!
(Also, whoever decided that comparing the staple removal to "bee stings" would be comforting should be stung by 12 bees in a row).

Since then, I've been going to physical therapy three times a week at Long Trail PT, working hard to regain my range of motion. It's been very slow and painful, and each additional degree of flexion is a victory. Keith, my PT, is awesome and I adore his energy and encouragement.

I'm a little behind where I should be in regaining my range of motion, but Keith keeps telling me that by the 6-month mark everyone is at the same place. Up to 78 degrees so far! The type of reconstruction I got (tibial ligament) is said to be the most traumatic in terms of recovery, but the strongest in the long run. At this stage, I can certainly attest to that first part!

At this point I can drive short distances, walk Roger short distances unassisted, and walk as far as Speeder's on Pine aided by brace and one crutch. I'm greatly looking forward to summer fun as my mobility increases. Next weekend's Field Day will be a spectator event for me, but hopefully I'll be back in action before too much of this nice weather passes me by!

Mothers Everywhere

"Oh! Good, you're up. Happy Mother's Day Loulou, let's snuggle."

I'd like to wish a happy Mother's Day to my mom, who is one cool lady. More than just my mother, she's my friend. She's the inspiration behind my love of gardening, home improvement projects, and the color blue. She came and took care of me after my surgery last month - fed me, carted me around to doctor appointments, and even walked Little Sir;

Happy Mothers Day to my friends with their own little ones running around - Jessica and Jessie; Happy New Mother Day to Erin;

and Happy Mother-to-be Day to Carmen, who has a little one on the way!