I spent last weekend in Vermont visiting some friends; they have a house in the mountains near Manchester, and we’ve visited them a few times in the last couple years. I love staying with them because we lead such quiet lives when we’re there: we eat, read, nap, and take walks; we play with the dogs, we sometimes visit local shops and markets, and we always visit Northshire bookstore, a great independent bookshop. It’s wonderful top relax at home, but even better to relax in someone else’s home. In between our reading/eating/napping, my friends talk about the novels they are in the middle of writing and we all talk about the books we are reading. Oh, and we drink martinis and lots of wine. Yum.
While I was there, I finished up Stephanie Staal’s book on feminism, Reading Women: How the Great Books of Feminism Changed My Life (review most likely to come soon) and I made my way through much of Scarlett Thomas’s novel This Tragic Universe. I don’t know what to make of Scarlett Thomas. She’s one of the most awkward writers I know, especially in this book compared to the other Thomas novel I’ve read, PopCo. I almost put the book down. And yet after a while I began to like it more and more, and now the main character is growing on me. I like Thomas for the ideas she works with, and while it took me a while to get into the ideas in Our Tragic Universe, now everything is coming together a little more. It’s still awkward, but likeably so.
I bought a couple books at Northshire, of course — I have to support independent bookstores! I got Tove Jansson’s True Deceiver after liking The Summer Book so much, and from the used books I got a biography of Mary McCarthy, Seeing Mary Plain, by Francis Kiernan. It’s a satisfyingly hefty book.
Since I wrote about my thyroid issues recently, I thought an update might be in order. After my radioactive iodine treatment two weeks ago, I’m doing mostly okay. Surprisingly normal, in fact. I feel, say, 80-90% normal most of the time. I’m a little tired and a little easily winded, and the lower part of my throat where my thyroid is is sore. I did have one bad episode last week, though: I woke up one morning and was so dizzy I could barely walk. It turns out a side effect of the medication my doctor gave me to stop heart palpitations is dizziness. It also turns out that my heart palpitations weren’t nearly as bad as I thought they would be. So I stopped taking that medication, and the world stopped spinning. I’m continuing to ride my bike, just slowly and for short rides. So … I keep waiting. If I continue feeling 80-90% normal until we get my thyroid medication sorted out, I think I will have gotten off easy.
And that’s kind of my life right now: monitoring my health, plus gearing up to teach a summer class online. My students are supposedly doing their reading and posting on the discussion board this evening, and I’ll be reading their posts over the next couple days. Hopefully, they will be brilliant!
Of Books and Bicycles 
Your Vermont weekend sounds absoluterly wonderful. Glad everything is going well with your thyroid too. Soon it will be a disntant memory.
LikeLike
Vermont sounds like a really nice getaway after your thyroid treatment and before your class starts! Did Muttboy get to go, too? 🙂 Sorry to hear about the side effects from the medication you were taking–that’s always the case–one thing is fixed and three other messed up! Hopefully you’ll be back on track soon, though.
LikeLike
I saw those tweets about your dizziness – glad it got sorted out by just stopping the medication. I sincerely covet your weekend of wine & bookish pleasures!
LikeLike
Your weekend sounds perfect. I can’t help but think that holidays are primarily for proper relaxation, and that they can only be enjoyed if enough proper relaxation takes place. I’m very glad to hear that you are feeling mostly okay. I’d take 80-90% of capacity! Dizziness is horrible, however. But I’ll bet all your bike riding keeps your heart extremely healthy, and that palpitations won’t be a problem for you. Keep on taking very good care of yourself!
LikeLike
Your stay with your friends sounds like a wonderful getaway from the daily grind. I want to come along 🙂
Continue taking care of yourself Dorothy and hope you hit on the right medicine combination for your health.
LikeLike
I’m so glad that you’re well on your way and I hope soon to hear that you’re back to 100%.
LikeLike
Stefanie — you are right that it will be all over very soon, and that’s a good thing. At least I can still ride! I have nothing to complain about!
Danielle — oh, yes, Muttboy went, and he had a great time. Our friends have a puppy whose about 6 months or so, so the two dogs kept each other company. Oh, and they have a cat, too, so there was plenty to entertain him 🙂
Emily — I’m so lucky to be able to have a weekend with friends in Vermont every once in a while! Stopping the dizziness was remarkably easy, so I’m considering myself quite lucky.
Litlove — I know, 80-90% is really quite good. And no palpitations, which is great. Overall, I’m feeling quite well for a sick person 🙂
Iliana — thanks! So far I’m doing well, and we’ll get the medication right eventually. In the meantime, I’m very grateful to be able to do things like take a vacation in Vermont!
Lilian — thank you! I will be very happy to report when I’m back to 100%, and that shouldn’t be too long from now.
LikeLike