I’m discovering it’s harder & harder to be clever as the days pass.

I’d love to sit here & write a tale of Winter’s wretched backlash, of Spring’s mournful lament.

Something silly or something poetic.

But the words just aren’t coming.

Like the ripples of the rice field my mind just seems to be sputtering along.

[blip - blip - blip]

One blip after another…but nothing humorous, nothing poignant, nothing exciting.

It snowed.

A lot.

I’m distracted because I got a call from the Neurologist this morning.

No definite news – several of the blood tests aren’t back yet (including the one for Lyme disease), but it would seem that all signs point to MS.

And now I’m scheduled to go back to Seoul this coming Wednesday for a lumbar puncture.

So yeah…a little distracted tonight.

And desperately trying to remember that everything used to be this warm & green.

And that it will be again.

[apologies to my international readers who won't get the Lone Ranger reference]

Ahh…just when things were beginning to look up…it started snowing again.

Around 2pm.

And it’s kept snowing.

And it’s 10pm.

And yet it continues on.

With that much snow on the ground, I made the decision to walk to feed the black dog.

Through the snow.

At night.

Up hill.

Both ways.

And like clockwork, Libby waited at the door for my return.

Mooch was already upstairs on the couch snoring away.

As I was walking Libby the morning before last, I noticed Mr. Chong was out & about in his sheds.

You remember Mr. Chong, yes?

He lives next door to the Lumber Barons.

That would be Mr. Chong there on the left.

And his Rooster.

And he has a fresh new set of faces.

Momma Dog he’s had for a while.

The pups are new.

But different as night & day.

And yes, I know…the last thing I need is more pups.

But that doesn’t stop me from wanting to go pet & play with them.

Side Note: Did you know that Korean dogs don’t respond to the sounds us Americans make to attract our dog’s attention? They just sit there & look at you when you smack your lips…wondering if you’re going to eat them.

PS – Sorry to drop off the radar there for a bit. I got a pretty bad headache yesterday & thought it was back for good. But after a hard night’s sleep, I woke up without it. Now it only flares when there’s lots of chaos or noise.  And no, still no word from the Neurologist yet.

So let’s get off this whole ’some-ting’s’ in my brain train and talk about something else for a while.

Maybe you can help me out.

I’ve discovered a new favorite that they actually carry at the commissary.

And now that I’m eating it all the time, I’m wondering if I’ll be able to find this back home.

They’re a different kind of dumpling made by a company called Chew-Young-Roo.

It’s pork, green onion, ginger, leek & cabbage…and no MSG.

They come frozen so they should be in the freezer section of places like Whole Foods, Central Market…hmm, wonder what other big chains might carry it?

But they’re super easy to make.

And don’t believe the packaging – don’t try to boil them. Ugh.

Just put about 3 teaspoons of oil into a skillet, then turn the sucker on medium-high.

Dump in all the dumplings you can eat (this is for two, thank you very much) when the oil’s hot & they’ll begin to sizzle.

The trick is to stir the dumplings around a bit in the oil so they get coated.

Then pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of hot water into the pan.

The water will steam out, steaming the dumplings in the process.

You don’t want them to get anywhere near brown or even golden brown!

They’ll turn way too chewy.

You’re going for a nice medium translucent with just a hint of of gold starting to show.

Which should only take 4 - 5 minutes, maybe less.

But as soon as the water’s all evaporated, be sure to keep an eye on them or they’ll be overdone.

Then just serve ‘em up with some soy sauce with a little sesame seed sprinkled on top and a good giner ale.

Ok, maybe you’d prefer a white wine…I’ll take the giner ale, it compliments the ginger in the dumplings.

So do me a favor…

Would you look for these the next time you’re in the grocery store & let me know if they sell them?

[excuse me while I let my drawl come out]

Aunt Terri
Thank you so much for always kickin’ my butt & making me smile. : ) I’m tryin’ to hold on to my humor – for the moment, it’s all I got. But I am gettin’ some odd looks when it comes out…but I stop & think, ‘my Aunt Terri would laugh her butt off at that one!’

At the moment, it does not look hereditary. Just an odd luck of the draw for me.

I’ve thought about contacting my old doc from back home…but this really isn’t his field. He’s a family practice doc. Ironically, what stopped my Neurologist & made him a little more personable was the fact that he used to have a Bullmastiff. His whole demeanor shifted as we talked dogs.

And yes…tryin’ to take it slower. Made myself take a nap this afternoon…got a whole whoppin’ 30 minutes before someone rang the bell & Libby had a fit.

[now leaving my Texas accent - from here forward words will actually in with 'g']

H-Girl
Thanks for the cyber hug. The Neurologist actually gave me his office number – so I didn’t have to ask. (A good sign.) And yeah, lots of people have been asking about getting a second opinion. But seeing as how he’s the only Army Neurologist in the country, I’m not so sure how possible it is. I would need to find out if Tricare (our military insurance) would allow me to see an Air Force doc – if they have one. I’m not sure they do, though.

Tee & Sondi
Thanks so much for all the words of encouragement. It’s very much appreciated. The good news is that the Neurologist prescribed me pills for my blood pressure. And yeah, he wasn’t so sure that the blood pressure isn’t somehow connected.

Lone Star Queen
Thanks for the thoughts from home. I’ve been enjoying reading your posts about Fort Worth history. All the images of the stockyards make me a bit homesick. Have you ever eaten at the Lone Star Cafe’? Not sure if they’re still open or not – but a great dive for a great steak.

Gen
Well, the reason (at least my educated guess) why Asian’s don’t really have big gyms – they don’t need them. For the folks in the countryside, they’re getting their exercise through farming. For the folks in the city, they have outdoor equipment.

And yep, the migraine marathon finally ended. I still get flare-ups, for lack of a better word, every now & then. But nothing like the pain before.

I saw the trailer for Hachiko. I read the background story & it sounds like a great movie. But I just can’t do it. I can’t do animal movies – especially dogs. The inevitable loss at the end of the movie just kills me. I mean, really kills me. Weighs on me for days. So, no…no Marley & Me, no Where the Red Fern Grows. But Libby is a Jindo – or a Jindo mix. They’re in the same line as Akitas, but smaller.

Amy
Hey Girl! Long time, no talk! Thank you SO much for thinking of me. I’ve been thinking of Williamsburg a lot lately. It was always so pretty in the spring. And please thank your church for praying for me, too.

Scott
Ok, so I take what I said to my Aunt Terri back. I know YOU would get my humor. ; )

I did ask if there was anything preventative I could be doing…nope, nothing. But I’m going to the gym – so at the very least, my blood pressure will be better.

Val
Thanks so much for keeping me in your thoughts. If it turns out to be sarcoidosis, I may be asking you lots of questions. But I’m glad to hear it’s manageable.

Ethel
Hi! Welcome!…And thank you for the prayers. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the blog. At the moment it’s my sanity release, but hopefully when things start to warm up I’ll be getting out more, taking more pictures & sharing more about life in Korea.

Sandra
I know Cynthia’s been keeping you in the loop. The doc gave me some blood pressure pills that, yes, I’ve been taking. The blood work the flight doc ran back at Hump included a thyroid panel. Turns out I have high blood pressure, a low thyroid & ’some-ting’ in my brain. So yeah…basically I’m falling apart. Would it be ok if I emailed you about the blood work tests as they start to come in?

Matthew
Hello to you, too! Red Cloud, huh?…Yeah – I imagine there’s a LOT less to do up in Area I. Is there a shuttle that runs down to Yongsan or Osan or Humphreys that you can hop on the weekend just to get out?

Yeah…it’s nice to be married, but only when you find the right one. Can’t tell you how many guys I over-hear complaining about wives left at home who’ve either spent all their money, are off cheating on them or both.

Hang in there. You officially make male number 4 who reads the blog. Whoo hoo!…Movin’ up in the world.