Hysterversary

I had intended to write on Wednesday, but the week got away from me.

Even though I try to be very diligent about remembering birthdays (especially) and anniversaries, I don't generally pay attention to the exact days that things (particularly bad things) happened. I know that there are people who do, and I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with it, I think I just have so many things in my head at one time that there isn't room for everything.

Speaking of which, I read something today, and I can't remember now where it was, but it was talking about the benefits of making lists. It said something like how, once you start writing things down, it gives you a real feeling of freedom, and I have found that to be true. I used to lie in bed making lists in my head of all the things I needed to remember, and I'd drive to the store with my grocery list in my head. Neither of those things worked very well--I would always forget things at the grocery store, and I would continually wake up at night, going over my mental list, fearful I would forget something.

For several years now I've had a lighted notepad and pen on my bedside table, so if I wake up in the night and think of something I don't want to forget, I can write it down, and then I can forget it.

Every time I think of something I need to buy at the grocery store, I make a note of it in my handheld, and then I can forget about it until I actually get to the store, where I take the handheld with me and check off things as I pick them up.

I know there are people who feel like having too many lists is overwhelming, and that they feel hindered by them, but I feel just the opposite. Once I write something down in a specific place, I no longer have to keep a list in my head, and for me, that's incredibly freeing. But as Bob says, I have to remember to look at the list . . .

Anyway, the event I've been remembering this week is my hysterectomy, which took place a year and two days ago, on January 12. It doesn't really seem like a year ago, but on the other hand, it could have been much longer, because I really don't have any lasting effects from it at all. I feel fine; I haven't had any problems. The best possible outcome, really.

After I gave up on A Salty Piece of Land, I started listening to China Run, by David Ball. I just grabbed it at the library from the CD Audio shelf because it sounded kind of interesting, but I didn't really have high hopes for it. But it has turned out to be wonderful. I'm really enjoying it.

It's a story about several people who go to China to adopt babies. After they have had the children for a few days, and are waiting for the paperwork to go through, the Chinese authorities tell them that a mistake has been made, that they will have to give the babies back and get different ones. Not surprisingly, they are reluctant to do that, and some of the people in the group decide that they aren't going to, and they take off as fugitives, with the Chinese police not far behind.

It would never have occurred to me that this would be based on a true story, but according to some of the Amazon reviews, it is. It's very suspenseful, and very interesting.

It's read by George Guidall, one of my favorite audiobook narrators, and that might be part of it, too. A good reader makes a world of difference, and he's one of the best.