The ways I felt better outnumbered the ways I felt worse today, but the ways I felt worse are not to be discounted. It seems the worst of the pain has migrated south, to the middle of my back. That’s worse, in my experience (and I do have experience with back pain). However: When I’m just sitting (or standing, or walking, or working out on the treadmill), I don’t have the pain in my neck that was so debilitating yesterday. I still have it when I turn my head to the left, which is why I changed my mind and put off going to the bank and the market for one more day (at least).

The other bad news is that the Ibuprofen is still making the aches and pains better. That’s bad news because the Ibuprofen also makes me feel logy and lethargic (and a little loopy). The ice is still helping, too, and there are no side effects, or at least none that matter. So I think I’m on the way to getting past this, which is good, because I really didn’t want to have to get treatment for it. Maybe next time, if there is one, but for now (knock wood), I feel as if I’ve dodged a bullet (or maybe just a stethoscope).

Because I was still out of food and money, I had to get creative. I scavenged the pantry and found enough different kinds of beans and tomatoes, and enough dried spices, to make a passable soup. It’s amazing what you can do when you really truly don’t want to go to the store. Now, however, the cupboard actually is bare, so I probably won’t put off shopping for another day. That’s what I thought last night, though, so who knows?