Suzanne Calling

Soon after I started at my current job, we celebrated my boss's birthday by visiting Thai Ruby. I was there with 7 other coworkers and they handled such a group without batting an eye, with impeccable service and fantastic food. I ordered my meal that day 'Thai hot', and they delivered exactly that. What was cool is that three coworkers are vegetarian, and the menu was friendly to their dietary preferences: I ordered the L-15, Chicken Green Curry. The luncheon specials start with a soup and rangoon. The soup was a very light chicken and rice. The broth was obviously started from bullion, but wasn't salty at all and had an undercurrent of sweetness. The rangoon was crispy, if a little cooled off. The beef filling reminded me of Laab na, slightly vinegary and savory. In no time at all, my entree was placed in front of me. The coconut curry sauce had just the right balance of sweet and savory, the coconut milk giving it a nice creamy richness. The red...

Ed and I joined Brass Tap's Brew Crew, as mentioned last week. Thursdays are ladie's nights, so the lure of discount beer reeled us in. I had two winners, Anderson Valley Summer Solstice and Lost Coast Tangerine Wheat. We're both 4/300...

The things wrong with this, let me count the ways: 1. Pink bottle 2. Peanut butter banana chocolate donut vodka Need I list more? This sounds like people will be puking.

Those of you who usually read my blog are probably thinking "ANOTHER Greek place?" Yep. Especially when this one is a stone's throw from work. The beauty of this place is the freshness of the ingredients. The salads are made to order, the pitas soft and fresh, the fries thick cut wedges, wonderfully marinated meats and crispy gyro loaf slices. They have wonderful rice pudding and baklava-which I understand is made for them at Hellas in Tarpon Springs. Everything is prepared to order, so there may be a few minute wait. It is worth it. They do a rewards program and according to my points, I've been there 8 times. Fresh, high quality Greek food will draw me every time. I've enjoyed Souvlaki, that Gyro platter, Greek salad, Pastitsio, and both desserts. Not one thing has disappointed. The platters have been big enough that I usually have leftovers to enjoy the next day. I understand there are 5 locations with more franchised locations coming. They ...

I made the call for the neuro appointment. There needs to be confirmation and a treatment plan for this spread of the RSD. It is one thing when my leg is f'ed up and limits how much walking and standing I do, but it's quite another when it has the potential to keep me from working because I can't feel a mouse. Thankfully, I know a few people who also have RSD. None of us present exactly the same way, heck, we all have different locations. That said, all of us have an understanding of the basics of each other's pain. We ask each other 'does the A/C kicking on make you cringe, because the air moving will HURT?' and other things along those lines. At a time like now, when a spread is suspected and pretty much confirmed before going to the doctor, the others can both sympathize and encourage. Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe there's a more effective medication that I'm not allergic to. Maybe it won't progress beyond what it does right now. ...

Relative or friend, if I have to visit the local hospital to see someone I care about, I get anxious as soon as I cross the threshold. While it is concerning that the person in there now doesn't have health insurance, he generally takes very good care of himself-this will not be a frequent flyer situation. I just want them to stabilize his issue to send him home...

In September, 2012, I had a spinal fusion and laminectomy of the C5 and C6 vertebrae to resolve pain, a herniation and numbness in my hands. It's been several months since I've updated my progress and since there have been some developments of late, figured it is time to place it on the blog. Pain: My pain has been greatly reduced. Prior to surgery, most days were around a 6 on a 1-10 pain scale, with the few months immediately preceding the fusion at regular 7, 8, or 9s for me-and I have a very high pain threshold. Now, I spend most days at a 2, some at 3 and a rare day at a 5 or above. One thing that has gotten worse is back spasms. I have medication for them, but it makes me incredibly sleepy, so I do my best to avoid using it by using heat packs and stretching when I seem to be headed for one. Part of this is because I sit at my desk all day, then tend to sit doing schoolwork many nights. I'm waiting for a clearance for exercise, because I think it would be ...