Today in Queen Bess's Life

King Erick XIV of Sweden

Elizabeth had many suitors.  And why not?  She was rich, articulate, accomplished, and the leader of the most powerful nation in the Western World.  Why do all the work when your wife can do it for you?  One of her most ardent pursuers was King Erik XIV of Sweden.

On this day in 1560, Elizabeth finally doused the flames of his love with the following letter:

Most Serene Prince Our Very Dear Cousin,

A letter truly yours both in the writing and sentiment was given us on 30 December by your very dear brother, the Duke of Finland.  And while we perceive there from that the zeal and love of your mind towards us is not diminished, yet in part we are grieved that we cannot gratify your Serene Highness with the same kind of affection.  And that indeed does not happen because we doubt in any way of your love and honour, but, as often we have testified both in words and writing, that we have never yet conceived a feeling of that kind of affections towards anyone.  We therefore beg your Serene Highness again and again that you be pleased to set a limit to your love, that it advance not beyond the laws of friendship for the present nor disregard them in the future.  And we in turn shall take care that whatever can be required for the holy preservation of friendship between Princes we will always perform towards your Serene Highness.  It seems strange for your Serene Highness to write that you understand from your brother and your ambassadors that we have entirely determined not to marry an absent husband; and that we shall give you no certain reply until we shall have seen your person.

Thought for the day...

If my car window is frozen shut, how am I supposed to get breakfast?

(This may be just a little bit of the reason for my current condition...  Just a little.)

Vicodin and Temper Tantrums

The week started out pretty okay...  Then went into the crapper pretty fast.

I found myself in a city two hours away with a freaking gallstone attack.  If you've had one, you know the fun of which I speak.  If you haven't had one, you do not want to know the fun of which I speak.

I don't even want to talk about the details because I've had to repeat them several times already to my boss, clients, loved ones, and the nurses/doctors.  I'm rather tired of talking about the details.  I'm rather tired, actually.

And not entirely proud of myself.  When I got to my doctor's office, I had the preliminary bs with the nurse.  She was not one of his two regular nurses.  In fact, I think she must be the spare that is kept in the back of the clinic to do paperwork because compassion and common sense are not in her skill set.

First she weighs me -- which always makes me hate the nurse for thirty seconds.  Although -- today -- showed I'd lost some weight.  yay.  Before she takes my vitals, she wants to know why I'm there.  Again, I don't feel like sharing all the details since all you need to know is that, by the time my fanny is in that chair, I've been dealing with this pain for ohhhh .... 33 hours (which I told her) and I've slept for maybe ohhhhh .... five hours during that 33 hours (which I told her).

Onto the vitals and the interrogation:

Nurse:  Wow.  Your blood pressure is high.  Do you take blood pressure medicine -- should we be looking at that, too?

SS: [sliding my bleary, red rimmed eyes to her and trying to desperately telepathically communicate to her that she is a stupid bitch]  I do not take blood pressure medicine.  Do you see that on my chart?  And wouldn't I have elevated blood pressure because I've been at a level 8 pain for 33 hours?

Today is National Margarita Day

There was a time in my life when I was known to make a very tasty margarita...  That was the same time in my life that I would dress in a turkey suit and smoke cigars on our front steps during our parties...  Ohhhh...  To be young and stupid...

That was back in the 'olden' days when there weren't many mixers on the market, so I had to do it from scratch.  Doing it from scratch is kind of a pain in the rump.  That's why I suggest using a mixer...  Or get a Margarita in a Bag!

I'm not sure how it tastes.  I don't think I want to know.