I was in luck!

I did a lot of mundane things this morning, pay rent, go to the hardware store, stop at Michael's, and then to Target where I usually get cash out of the ATM for my month's needs.  I had my debit card in my hand, but was also stuffing receipts from Michael's into my wallet so I could close it.  All of the sudden I didn't have my debit card.  I walked all the way back to my car and then tried to trace my route to the Target entrance; luckily I glanced to the right in the very spot the card lay on the ground.  I would have been in a world of hurt if I lost that card!  I was really ready to come home and relax.

My granddaughter Autumn's birthday is in the 3rd wk of December, so I shopped at Michael's for her present.  I ended up getting a set of oil crayons and a book with the proper paper to use for the oils.  I'm not sure about them, but I think you draw with them and then can smudge them with your fingers.  I think the result should be quite nice, and I can't wait to see what Autie does with them.  It won't be easy for me to not give them to her the next time I see her!

I'm getting a little motivated to get back to some kind of artwork.  You might remember I did a series of small canvasses of fruits and vegetables.  I have one more to go, and have already drawn an avocado on the canvas - it just needs to be painted in and finished off.  I think it's been a year or more since I've touched anything artistic, and I will be relieved to finish this one.  Then I'll have to decide about what I might do in the future.  I haven't tried water colors yet, or the oil crayons, and they might be something to look into.  I really think I would prefer to stick with the acrylics for now at least. 

I heard this afternoon that an earthquake hit in the Dover, Delaware area and immediately thought of my niece and her husband who live there.  I wrote my brother, and after trying to reach my niece for about 2 hrs they finally got her.  Everything is ok.   

I've always heard that the rocky ground transfers tremors differently than in the west.  Stories abound about the quake years ago that hit the New Madrid fault in Missouri; they said that the ground tremors caused church bells to ring as far away as Boston.  So I don't take reports of quakes in the eastern U.S. lightly (or in the west for that matter).   I've only experienced a slight tremor once in my life and it took me a minute to even figure out what it was.  I was sitting in a rocking chair when I had the sensation the seat was sliding sideways, back and forth.   It wasn't a strong event, but I can at least say I've felt an earthquake from a distance! 

So that's been my day - pretty much like many other  days for me.   But I feel pretty good, and am happy - what more can I ask for?



 

Visitors this morning!

I had a wonderful morning when d-i-l Meg came over with granddaughter Quinn to spend a few hours with me.  Meg brought pastries, and we talked nearly non-stop.  I hope we can do it again soon, and on a more regular basis.

I then went to the grocery and decided to just buy a deli sandwich for my lunch.  I don't do that very often and it was a real treat - pastries for breakfast and made-by-someone-else sandwich for lunch - can't get much better than that!  The Salvation Army was back so all is well with the Christmas season.  This year the bell ringer is a woman, something I've never seen before.  

What a beautiful day it is - cold in my house, as always, but the sun is shining brightly through the doors and windows.  

I've lost track of time today and wondered why the sun was getting so low in the sky.  Take care, and I hope to be back tomorrow.

 

Trip to the DMV

I had an appointment at the DMV this morning to get a new driver's license, and it went very well.  The line of people who don't get appointments stretches out the door, but I didn't have to wait but a couple of minutes.   The photo they took for the license shows how I've aged, but as someone recently said, as long as I'm on top of the grass it's good!

With all the gripes I sometimes have about California, the DMV here is absolutely wonderful.  From what I've heard other people say, it is the same  statewide - Los Angeles, San Diego, etc.  The employees there are always in a good mood, are as helpful and friendly as can be, and seem to really want you to be happy with your visit.   Now if they could only touch up my photo I'd be ecstatic!

I used my recently-cleaned oven today and was shocked to find bits of white baking soda on the floor of the oven.  I guess the heat made the residue come out of the nooks and crannies where they were hiding.  I didn't see any on my baked fish, but since it was only baking soda and water I didn't worry much about it.  Good thing I didn't use a chemical cleaner, which I've been considering since the soda wasn't the best cleaner - I think it will take at least another application or two and I'm not ready to do that right now.   I really don't want to use the chemical cleaner and would prefer to have a few spatters left on the oven if necessary.

I need to go to bed soon as I have an ambitious list of jobs to do around the house tomorrow, plus a visit with my chiropractor in the afternoon.   I  notice that when I relax and start to work the daily crossword puzzle I often get drowsy, but if I can just hold on for a little while, the drowsiness goes away.  It's so much better when I don't need to sleep the day away!  That's about the only benefit I've noticed so far with the thyroid meds and B-12 shot.  I will get my next shot in about 8 more days.

Nothing done today!

I mostly sat around today after not being able to sleep well last night.  I kept waking up with the worst leg and foot cramps I've ever had.   I've been trying to cut back a bit on how much water I drink during the day so I won't have to get up as often during the night.  Also, I hope the salt doesn't wash out of my system.  I'm enjoying the V-8 juice I drink every day as the cardiologist suggested I do because I need a little extra salt.  I don't spare the salt in my cooking so I don't know why I'm low in it.  I think maybe I haven't found that magic spot between too much and too little water, and that might cause the leg cramps.

Ara flew back to Philadelphia last night but will be back in December for Autumn's birthday and Christmas.  It's sad to see her go. 

We've had some heavy rain today so I didn't venture out.  The only time I went through the door was to retrieve my newspaper.   It was packed with Christmas ads and I knew all the stores would be crowded with people looking for bargains.  I'll make a trip to Costco on a weekday morning and should be ok.

Have a good week - next weekend will be here before you know it!

Market day

I haven't been to the farmers' market for two weeks and had only one egg left.  The organic eggs from free range hens are so good I won't even buy them at the grocery store these days.  I also got the biggest bunch of chard they had on hand - it took me a while to clean it and get it ready so that I just have to dip into the bag and pull out how much I want to cook.  (I actually had enough to fill two large plastic storage bags).  I normally don't cook the stems but I cleaned and cut up a bunch of stems as well.   A few grapes, apples, and lemons rounded out my purchases.  There were less than half the normal sellers there today, and no live music from dismal folk singers who try to recreate the 1960's.  I like folk music, but some of that stuff was just plain bad.  I'd rather not have to listen to it while I shop.

Yesterday I wrote about the supposed dangers of eating raw flour, and today there was another article in the paper about it.   And now some study has come to the conclusion that 3-4 cups of coffee a day are good for you.  I've known that for years!  But just wait for a while and the opposite will suddenly appear in the news - don't drink coffee, it's bad for you!  I say use your own judgment because a study can "prove" anything that it sets out to prove (or to disprove).   Be careful of eating raw flour, though!

I don't recall Sacramento having this many weeks (actually months) of such cool weather.  It's cool for Sacramento, at least, with a high reaching about 67 today.

I have often mentioned that I have no trouble sleeping at night, but last night I tossed and turned in the middle of the night and finally got up at around 3am.   I stayed up for about an hour and then went back to sleep.  I wonder how this will affect my afternoon and evening. 

I hope you are enjoying the weekend, and that at least some of you shoppers are patronizing your local merchants.

My chicks are safely home!

They arrived safe and sound and happy yesterday morning.  We all gathered at Jeannie's house, except for Sarah who stayed home to sleep after being awake for 41 hours straight!  Thanksgiving dinner was a feast, especially to me who never cooks anything that takes time or effort to prepare.

The kids enjoyed their week at St. Lucia so much that they booked for next year before leaving.  Donald took a lot of photos which he showed on their huge TV screen.  I think they are all taking the kids next year, and the following year want to go to Jamaica!  They stayed at a Sandals resort where you prepay a set amount and then don't have to pay for anything during your stay - no tips even!  You can eat any time your want, and drink anytime and anything you want.  I would have been inebriated  the entire time, although I would have probably fallen asleep after the 2nd drink!  It looked like fun for  younger folks - street parties every night and a lot of activities.    I miss a lot of things about getting old, but partying isn't one of them - and I loved to party when I was young and single!

The newspaper had a couple of interesting items this morning - "Many say Black Friday has lost its thrill as day of big bargains".  I could have predicted it would be run into the ground after a few years.  But what are people doing in its place?  Shopping online, what else!  Does anyone else remember the old days (before cell phones) when you went Christmas shopping, enjoying the ever increasing number of parcels to carry from store to store?  The Christmas music playing from the speakers in every store?  The friendliness of folks to absolute strangers, and a "Merry Christmas" to everyone you met?  Ah, but shopping online is going to be so much easier and you don't have to leave your house!  That was always one of the good things about it - leaving the house and getting the Christmas spirit!    I lost the spirit of Christmas a long time ago for several reasons, but the sheer over-commercialization of the holiday is what finally did it in for me.

Another article warned that one should never eat raw cookie dough - it seems there can be devastating effects from consuming raw flour???  Flour, of all things?  I remember being warned about raw eggs, but that never stopped me from eating raw cookie dough - especially chocolate chip dough!  I used to make big batches of chocolate chip cookie dough, bake a couple of trays which I let the kids eat as soon as they came out of the oven, and saved the remaining dough in the fridge in a bowl covered with aluminum foil.  Every single one of the kids and I would sneak to the fridge periodically, lift the foil and spoon out a big chunk of dough.  I would always tell my kids sternly that I didn't want them to get into the dough, but we all did it.  I recall once being very careful to be quiet, but the damn crinkle of the aluminum foil must have given me away, as I heard my oldest quietly tell the other kids "She's into the cookie dough"!  None of us ever died or even got sick from consuming raw flour I'm glad to report.

Thinking about the holiday spirit, I made a quick trip to the grocery this morning and realized there was no bell-ringing from the Salvation Army volunteer.  I thought they always began the day after Thanksgiving.  They used to position themselves inside the store, near the exit, but sometime during last season they were relegated to being just outside the store.  I hope no one would complain about them being inside the store!  They certainly are not pushy, seem grateful for whatever you put into their  offering container, and is one organization that gives what they collect to the needy.

I think I've rambled on for more than I probably should.  Happy post-Thanksgiving weekend to you all.

Life at Warp Speed!

I just can't believe how the days and months are passing by so fast.  Tomorrow will be another Thanksgiving Day, and we will be ringing in another year soon.

My kids arrived back in the U.S. early this morning and will be in Sacramento tomorrow morning.  I will be relieved when they step off that plane.  For having been such a world traveler in my lifetime, I hate to see my kids leave the country, or go anywhere by plane for that matter.  Times have certainly changed.

The western sky is so beautiful right now - that last few minutes before the lights go out in the west are lovely.  So many colors and they make a perfect backdrop for the palm trees.

I did a bit of shopping at Target this morning, but my feelings about that store are deteriorating rapidly.  I can't say what it is, but I can no longer find merchandise I want, and I seem to waste a lot of time.  The employees at the cash register are very friendly, which makes the trip end well, and as the old saying goes, "All's well that ends well".

The woman in line ahead of me must have bought some kind of alcohol because they had to verify her birth date, which was in 1974!  I laughed and said they never ask me any more, even in jest.  When I was checked out with a 6 pack of Sam Adams in my purchases, the cashier smiled at me and said he put "1996" .

Have a good day tomorrow!

Something took over me!

I don't mind saying that I am not big on housekeeping, and many people would agree that I've become quite lazy in my old age.  

Yesterday evening I watched a number of    youtube videos including 3 or 4 on cleaning an oven.  All were fairly similar (3 videos were made by women, and 1 was a man) and I decided to try it.  So before going to bed I mixed up some baking soda and water, and spread it all over my oven, bottom and sides.  I couldn't really do the top of the oven as it is electric and there are elec. elements I didn't want to work around.

First thing when I got up this morning I went to the oven and started cleaning off the soda/water mix, and then sprayed the surfaces with vinegar.  I expected to find a bright shiny oven but it wasn't like that.  I had to scrub a little bit and there are still a lot of little burned on grease spatters that remain.  It was difficult getting around the electric elements and connections inside the oven and I just tried to work around them.

It took a long time to get all that baking soda mixture out, and there is probably still some hidden in corners, nooks and crannies.  The oven looks fine to me but it took a bit of elbow grease and a lot of fussing with it to get it cleaned out this much.  I will live with the spatters that are left and they certainly won't bother me.  I might add that my oven wasn't nearly as dirty as the youtubers' ovens were, but I only bake in it, usually a fish filet, or maybe warm up some dinner rolls.   I don't have a clue how it got to be as soiled as it was.  Also, the youtubers all had gas ranges and it seemed to be much easier for them to get at the grime.  Almost all the youtubers said they will follow up with a chemical oven cleaner to get rid of the remaining spatters.

It was an experiment and I probably won't do it again.  Maybe I should quit watching so much youtube so I don't start these projects in the first place.  If I had TV I would be watching a lot worse!

About an hour ago I heard something electric being used near my house that sounded like a leaf blower.  It turns out my neighbor took care of all his leaves and then did my driveway and in the front of the house.   I couldn't ask for better neighbors! 

I may need a nap today to compensate for my oven cleaning spree at 8am this morning.

Enjoying 3 of my granddaughters

My granddaughter Ara is in town for 2 weeks, and it is a treat to spend time with her.  She had moved to Sacramento but could never find anything like the satisfying job she had back east.  She is with an organization (Camp Hill, which is in many locations) that provides housing and care for autistic people of all ages.  (I may get this a little bit scrambled, but I'll explain it as I see it.)

Ara was working at Camp Hill before coming to Sacramento, and they asked her to return to take over for a woman who was on maternity leave.  Even though it was a temporary 3-month position, she agreed to do it.  At the end of the term she was offered a very good management position which she accepted.    She is responsible for the management of two houses and oversight of the employees who work there, plus the overall needs of the residents and their care.  She isn't directly involved with hands on care of the residents now, but is in more of an oversight and management position.

The three girls came over to my house this weekend and the younger two enjoyed using my art supplies while Ara and I caught up with each others' lives.  I ended up giving them many good items out of my supplies, and when I went over to their house yesterday Autumn was busy painting small canvasses for Christmas presents, and Arianna was sketching animals in a sketchbook.   I went with the girls on Saturday night to dinner at Spaghetti Factory, and yesterday morning went to their house to drink coffee and work the NY Times Crossword puzzle with Ara.  We did quite well but missed Jeannie's participation.  Jeannie and Donald are gone for a week to an island with Joe and his wife, celebrating Joe's 40th birthday. 

So this is why I haven't had a chance to post an entry in my blog for the past few days.  I'm really enjoying the company of all three girls.

It has been overcast all day with drops of rain now and then.  I hear the  drone of planes overhead although I can't see them.   I thought they were spraying poisons to cause it to rain, but we really don't need help with that today.  Sorry to harp on that but I hate it, it will come to no good, and it sets my nerves on edge.

 On a happier note, my youngest granddaughter, Quinn, will be one year old this week.  Time flies!

 

Rain, rain, rain!

It poured down throughout the night and has been falling all day long.  I have a couple of leaks - the ceiling ventilation fan in the bathroom for one.  The other one is at my bedroom window, which faces south.  The rain is coming from the south and blew against my windows all night long - it looks like it came through the screen on the right side, filled the channel below the screen, and from there flowed over to the stationary window.  I sleep with my bed against that wall, and woke up with water dripping on my head!  Until I get that fixed some way I will just have to check it whenever I wake up, and keep a roll of paper towels next to the bed.  

Part of the problem is that these older model mobile homes have no gutters.  There is a small curved channel around the roof line, but in a decent rain the water just fills that tiny channel and rolls over - down the windows and walls of the house.  The channel is absolutely worthless.  If I ever replaced the roof I would have actual gutters installed, but to fix just the really necessary items on this house would be extremely costly and I'd still have a crappy 1962 model mobile home.  

I'd like to go into an apartment but rents have gone up exponentially in the last two years.  I like the area I live in but I may have to move to a different location to find a decent apartment.  My biggest problem is that I don't want a tenant above me, and there are very few one-story rentals unless I rented a duplex, which again, is more than I can afford.

I decided today that the table next to my chair was a total mess, so I took every thing off it and got rid of a lot of junk.  It is a two tiered table, and the bottom layer was the worst.  I still have a few small piles of junk that I need to find a place for or throw away.   It seems also like my coffee table top has provided a temporary spot for the items I took from the chair side table.  Why am I such a packrat?

I refuse to complain about the rain just yet, as we have had a long dry spell.  This is typical California winter rain, although it has begun a bit early in the season.  I think the climate engineering going on has a detrimental affect on the entire weather system, but those planes keep flying!

I think I will go see what I can find to eat.  I'm not very hungry yet, but if I wait much longer I will lose any appetite I have.  Have a good day/evening - whatever it is where you are located.

A Gloomy Day

It has been a very gloomy day, overcast the entire time with intermittent rain.

All day long I've heard planes going by overhead - large ones from the sound of it.  It's unusual because there isn't much air traffic in my area or in a path over my house, and the ones dropping the poisons from their planes seem to fly high enough so I don't hear a lot of engine noise.  I don't know why or when it happened, but I started seriously disliking planes and the noise of jets a while back.

I need to start going back to the gym on a regular basis.  I notice my legs hurt when I stand up, and today I just don't feel right.

I just went out to get my mail, which is discouraging.  Every single day I get several pieces of mail, ALL of them requests for donations, subscriptions, etc.  I just throw them unopened into the recycling bin.

I hope you all have had a good day, and I will hope I have a better one tomorrow.  That said, I'm just glad to still be able to stand up!  

And I have great insurance!

I can't even imagine how someone with less coverage would fare!

I decided with the potential for cancer looming in the background, I didn't think I should have to wait until after Christmas to get this checked out.  The original appointment was requested in August, which would be a 4-month wait at that.

I called the clinic to see if I could get an appointment sooner, even with a different doctor.  The person at the clinic said I was on the list to be called anyway, as the doctor was going to be out of the office for the holidays.  It looked like February would be the earliest I could reschedule.  

She found a different doctor at the main hospital location and I have an appointment on Dec. 5.  I swore off ever driving back in that area again, and I'm fortunate my son Steve has planned to take me since Jeannie won't be able to make it.   I just hope the change in dates will fit into his schedule.

This isn't a run-of-the mill hospital folks, and as I have said my insurance provides complete coverage so it can't be that.  I don't know what has happened in this country, but I'm sure we are not at the top when it comes to health care.  

On the other hand, this has turned out to be a beautiful day weather-wise.  I have been in the greatest mood all day long, and won't let the scheduling problems get me down.  Whatever the outcome, what will be, will be.  I'm ok with that.

I wish I had something more positive to write about.  Actually I'm feeling a lot better today than I have for a long time.  Just maybe I'm going to feel even better tomorrow?  I hope so.

One appointment out of the way

I saw my cardiologist this morning - she is the best doctor, in my memory, that I have ever had; in addition, she knows how to "handle" me and convince me when I get balky!  

I have an upcoming appoint with a hematologist/oncologist the day after Christmas, and have been thinking about cancelling it.  The cardiologist looked at all my medical records and explained things to me that my regular doctor or the endocrinologist didn't explain.   The Cardio definitely wants me to keep the appointment as she says I have a problem with blood marrow that isn't too bad yet, but could turn into cancer if left untreated.   She said it's a matter of taking a pill for it if I start it soon.  She also said it is very possible that symptoms I thought were thyroid (total fatigue) could be due to the bone marrow problem.

Fortunately my daughter was with me and will remember details I often forget.  I also signed papers that she can give or receive all information on my behalf.   I have always remembered a column written by the late Erma Bombeck, entitled "When does the child become the parent, and the parent become the child."

I was so hungry after I got home I fixed myself a ham & chicken sandwich.  It was so good I then fixed a second one.  That's 4 slices of bread, plus 2 slices from the egg sandwich I had for breakfast.   Not the best thing I could be stuffing myself with.   I have to see the chiropractor this afternoon, and will be waddling into his office!

What a start to my week.  I hope all readers have a great week ahead!

Thanks to the Vets!

My thanks go out to all the military veterans out there.

I didn't go anywhere today except to take a basket of laundry across the street to the dryers.  I need to wash a load of towels but have been putting it off because I hate the thought of not line drying them.  I know I won't do that because of the stuff being dropped from the sky (climate engineering).   I have two sets of summer sheets to wash and dry and store in the back of my linen closet.

I  pulled some frozen chicken breasts out of my freezer a day ago and cooked them, and today made the most delicious chicken soup.  There was so much meat I was able to save enough for a chicken sandwich plus load up the soup.  After all the discussion about how I hated garlic, I realized a small amount of it for flavoring was pretty good, so I bought a jar of dried garlic flakes and added a bit to the soup.  Never say never - I should remember that!

The weather right now is beautiful and sunny although it will be getting dark in about an hour.  I didn't go anywhere today.  I need to store up energy for Monday when I have a cardiologist appointment in the morning and see the chiropractor in the afternoon.  

Believe it or not I'm starting to have stirrings of a desire to get back to acrylic painting.   Whether or not I will actually do that is still a big question.  I wanted to paint my bathroom before I did anything else, but looking at it seriously, there is no way I can reach the ceiling over the shower.  I thought of putting my 3-step ladder into the tub but don't know if it might be too wide to fit.  If I don't do it there is no one else who will, however beautiful their intentions to be helpful.  My kids all have their own families and homes to attend to, and I won't ever ask them for help unless I absolutely need it.

This is really difficult for me, who was always a driven person.  If I wanted something done I wanted it done ASAP, and done well.  That usually meant that I did it myself.  I just can't do that anymore, but getting older does have the advantages of being able to ignore things that you can't change.

Well, that's my philosophy for today.   Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Black Squirrel

Although I don't recall ever seeing a black squirrel, I'm sure I have but just don't remember.  I was standing in my kitchen looking out the window and saw a man with 2 dogs go by.  It looked like a black kitten or some other small animal curled up in the limbs of the tree, but when he started moving around I realized it was a squirrel.  I watched him for quite a while and he was quite an interesting sight.  He did the squirrel tail-waving thing until the dogs were well out of sight and then came down from the tree.  Later I saw him romping across the street, so maybe he lives around here.

Squirrels have never been one of  my favorite animals to watch as they constantly stole the bird seed out of the feeders on my trees in North Carolina.  They were really bold and I realized I could never defeat one when he set his mind to something.  It was constant war during the time I lived there.  But I apologize to cat lovers, and will say I really never did like cats either.  I think one has somehow found a way into the crawl space under the house as I saw him go in there yesterday.   If he is making a home in there I would like to get rid of him but don't really know how to go about it.  Another job for son Steve the next time he comes over. 

My trip out into the world this morning was to Costco, and I spent enough to keep me out of the store for the next two weeks!  

My granddaughter Ara moved back to Pennsylvania about two months ago - she took over for a person who was on maternity leave and I knew the organization would offer her a good permanent job to keep her there.  Well, they did and she is going to make a very fine salary as well as be in an administrative position.  I am really looking forward to seeing her - it didn't take long to get used to having her around when she first moved back to Sacramento.   I think it's very difficult to choose between being close to family and developing a career that has great satisfaction and future, and I'm glad she has made the decision.  She has to work too many years ahead to not get the best job she can, and she has always loved working there and living in the vicinity of Philadelphia.

I took a break from cleaning my kitchen so I'd better get back to finishing the job before I just say "the heck with it".  It's another Friday, so I wish everyone a great weekend!

What happened to my appetite?

I don't have any idea why but my appetite seems to have lessened somewhat the past few days.  I usually eat all morning long and through half the afternoon.  I can't believe my medication has anything to do with my reduced appetite, but it's a possibility.  Speaking of the medication, I'll say I'm feeling a lot more alive lately, but I'm still no dynamo!

I got my hair cut today.  It's a bit different style for me, and I think it makes me look a bit younger.  It was not a good drive for me because of the overcast skies, but I made it just fine.
 

Tomorrow is my daughter's (Jeannie) birthday.   Any of the family who can make it will meet downtown at a Thai restaurant that features some of the best food I've ever eaten.  I'm not necessarily into Thai food, but this is special and I'm looking forward to it.  

I stopped at the grocery today and remembered to pick up some beer - I got Sam Adams Boston Lager.  I haven't had a beer of any kind for a while, and it's been even longer since I've had a Sam Adams.  Wow, it is so good!

 It looks like we will have a lot of rain tomorrow which might clear away some of the dirt and dust in the area.  I hope you all have a good day, and I'll let you know if the Thai food is still as good as I remember it from about 6 months ago.

Good days ahead

I certainly am looking for good days.  I called the clinic this morning to make an appointment to get the B-12 shot, and they told me to come on in.  They didn't take long and I was soon out the door and on my way back home, wondering when I might notice some results, and at the same time thinking about some of the things I've been wanting to do when I got some energy.

I was told that I might not notice any effects of the B-12 right away, and that it is a cumulative thing, so each month it should make me feel better.  Maybe it's just my mindset and determination to be positive about this and the thyroid pills, but I'm definitely noticing a difference already.  Give me another week and I'll be recounting all the things I never thought I would care about doing again (cleaning my house is one, and the jury is still out on that one.)

I have gotten so much blood drawn over the past few months, but can't remember the last time I had a "shot".  I always relax as much as I can when they bring a needle toward me, and this morning I totally relaxed.  I could barely feel it, and told the person who administered the injection, "You are really GOOD".  She seemed pleased and I was pleased as well.

My son Joe is going to come over and put the cover back on the swamp cooler so I don't get cold drafts or rain through it, .  Speaking of cold, it is actually warmer outside than it is inside my house!   I got the winter sheets out and on the bed, and switched over to the down comforter.  At least I will be warm at night. 

He picked up the two girls at school and they came over for as long as it took him to set up the ladder and wrap the cooler.  The girls played "Go Fish", which always has me wanting to laugh.  One will ask for something like the "Three of clovers", and refer to spades as a heart with a stem in it.   They were hungry but I didn't have a thing they would eat - all I buy is healthy stuff!

I'm relieved that I don't have to worry about the rain dripping into my house, if we get much rain at all.

I'm getting hungry and wish I could just drive over to Chipotle or someplace like that and buy something already prepared.  But I have an easy supper planned so I'll just stay home.  Wish I had a beer right now!

Time change

I just wanted to say hello and ask if anyone really likes the tampering with the clocks.  It's only the 1st day of standard time and I'm totally confused.  My computer tells me the current time but so far I haven't changed any of my clocks.

Even though I took a nap today I will try to go to bed earlier so I can have more time to enjoy the morning, which I always mention is my favorite time of day.  I need to drive over to the clinic tomorrow and schedule my B-12 shot.  They wrote me I can call for an appointment but I am not sure where to find the phone # for the clinic.   

I can really relate to the old doctor I read about today - I think they took his license away because he never learned much about using a computer.   He sounds like a doctor I'd prefer to go to.  Now most of them are facing their computer screens and typing away while talking to you.  Multi tasking might sound like a good idea, but I've read that it has many more negatives than positives.    With all the hype I've heard lately about EMP attacks and completely losing our power for a long time, that old guy will still be able to talk to patients.  He probably still writes prescriptions in longhand and tears them off the pad to hand to you.

I am really happy to be alive, but will always wish that some of the old ways had been retained.  Many of them were better than the ones that replaced them.  I am beginning to sound like my grandpa!

Finally!

Yesterday afternoon I received a msg from my doctor saying she sent a prescription for thyroid medicine to my pharmacy; also she is ordering monthly B-12 shots for me.  I have to call the clinic and schedule those.

I went to the pharmacy and picked up the Rx, even consulted with the pharmacist, which I usually don't do.  This time I had a few minor concerns and just wanted to get all the info I could before starting the meds.   She recommended taking the pill with a glass of water an hour before eating or drinking anything else, so I was up at 6:30 this morning, took my pill and then went back to sleep until 8 am!  I'm told I might not notice an improvement for up to 2 weeks, or it could be sooner, and I could have a few side effects.  I'm committed to the mindset that this is going to help me, will change my life for the better, and do so without any bad side effects.  I didn't think my B-12 was low enough to warrant the shots, but I'll take those with great hopes as well.

It's been raining pretty heavily this morning but I might try to drive over to the market.   I ate the last egg in my fridge for breakfast this morning so I need to get another dozen.  This is going to be a good day to stay indoors and enjoy looking out at the rain.

I just wanted to tell you my good news that maybe I might be on the road to feeling better.  When I got the dr's msg I was so happy I felt like cleaning my house!  Fortunately, I talked myself out of that one.  I will do it soon, but a little at a time.   And I still have my bathroom painting project staring at me.

Take care folks - this is a good weekend to just stay inside and relax.

No more ads!

You know how upset I was when all the ads began to appear on my computer a few days ago.  Every single application and website was affected, so I started searching for an ad blocker.  My Firefox had an ad block feature but they must have installed an update that no longer has it.

I found something that I could try for free for 7 days - I'm on day two now - and if I continue it I'll have to pay something like $5 a month.   I don't have any choice as the constant and infuriating ads were ruining my day.  They appeared everywhere!  So I will probably pay the $5 and continue the service.   

The white grapes that I love so much are just about out of season now, so I bought dark purple ones.  They aren't as sweet as the white, but as I love grapes they will do.  I believe I've mentioned that I freeze them  (spread out on a small tray) and then transfer them to ziplock bags for freezer storage.  When they thaw they taste just like fresh grapes.  Many fruits seem to lose their crispness after being frozen and thawed, but I haven't found this to be the case with grapes.  If you like them as I do, buy some while they are available and try freezing them.  Costco carries grapes in boxes of 4#, so freezing half of them is ideal for me so they don't go bad before I can eat them all.

The sun is shining brightly for the first time today at nearly 5pm.  It has been a bit dreary for most of the day and rain is predicted for tomorrow and Saturday.  

I hope you all have a good evening - coming up on another weekend again.  They  seem to appear out of nowhere!

Early start today

I like getting an early start in the morning, but that doesn't mean I want to go anywhere that early.  I slept longer than I intended and barely had time to get dressed and ready to go to my chiropractor appointment.  I treated myself afterward when I stopped at BelAir to pick up a couple of items - they have a small cafe-type area, so I enjoyed a cup of coffee, a donut, and a delicious pastry!

It is still cold outside and will stay cold in my house all day, although it sure beats the hot days.  I think we are in for some rainy cold days which is fine with me.

The bathroom is still waiting to be painted.   When I get some energy and drive, I will use the Kilz on the ceiling, but haven't yet bought the paint for the walls.  It will happen eventually.

Not much is going on here - I'm just trying to stay warm.