Can't get moving

There were several things I wanted to get done today, but still haven't gotten dressed.  I keep putting it off and will now wait until I get into my gym clothes late this afternoon.  

After reading Barney's comment yesterday about contributions, I checked the web for information, and found that the page in our monthly booklet was probably copied word for word from Snopes.com.  I got a comment today from Shadowmoss that also referred to Snopes, although it sounds like she and I read different parts of that website.

I guess it depends on how much you trust Snopes - although I have no reason not to trust them.  They have become well known as a source to turn to in determining whether a widespread rumor is true or false.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Overcast skies

I sure haven't been blinded by the sun today.  The streets got wet now and then but no rain to speak of.  Now it looks like Sunday may be the magic day for rain.

I finally visited the dental office that my daughter and her family go to, and discussed my situation and made an appointment to get started on dental work.  I think that is what is ultimately causing most of my physical problems and it's time to take care of it.  I know I'm going to lose some lower molars but so be it.  

The lady at the desk told me that she had Donald make a birthday cake for her son, and that it was an incredible work of art, plus tasty as well.  They also had my name in their system from back when I was visiting CA from NC a number of years ago.  Sometimes doctors and dentists can't take new patients, so I feel good about getting an appointment.  I've already filled out the paperwork and was told if I have any pains in the meantime, to call night or day.  Donald's mother also goes to this dentist and her name is Martha, so I will have to get them to call me Marty - I guess Gypsy wouldn't be appropriate in this case!

I can't imagine what it will be like to get some energy again - I'm looking at having to do a major housecleaning if that happens, just in time for spring.

Thanks to the readers who commented on yesterday's post regarding contributions to charities.  It's a shame when good people are taken advantage of by scammers who don't care about helping anyone but themselves.

Personally I am a complete sucker for a homeless vet with a sign at the street corner.  I know that most people will say it's not a good idea to give them money, and maybe it isn't.  But I keep a supply of $1 bills in my wallet and if a guy looks to be close to my age and probably a Vietnam vet who is homeless, then I don't care.  And once that $1 leaves my hands I don't know or care what they do with it - that is their issue and it's passed beyond my control.  If I was homeless I might drink it or smoke it, and I won't ever judge a down-on-their- luck person in that situation.

Well I may have stirred up some controversy on that subject, so fire away at me, but please be nice about it.
  
 

Rain, finally!

We are finally getting some rain and it looks like there will be more off and on for the next few days.  I hope it's enough to make at least a small dent in our water situation, and that it reaches the Sierra in the form of snow.

I started out to run some errands this morning but just turned around the block and came back home because of pain.  This is so aggravating as it can be as bad as a gallbladder attack.  All I had for breakfast was two slices of french toast with maple syrup - not exactly what I would think of as a meal high in fat.  I'm really stumped as to what I can eat and what I can't.

I don't have much in the way of blogging material today but I did read some interesting info in the monthly magazine and newsletter provided by the mobile home park.  This has to do with donations, and something to think about before you make your contributions. You may be as surprised as I am.

American Red Cross:  The President/CEO's salary for the year was $651,957 plus expenses.

March of Dimes:  The president receives a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits.

UNICEF:  The CEO receives $1,200,000 per year ($100k per month plus all expenses including a Rolls Royce.  Less than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause.

GOODWILL:  (This I found shocking).   The CEO and owner profits $2.3 million a year.  You donate to his business and he sells the items for PROFIT!  He pays nothing for his products and pays his workers minimum wage!  $0.00 goes to help anyone.

Salvation Army:  The Commissioner receives a small salary of only $13,000 a year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization.  96% of every donated dollar goes to the cause.

American Legion; VFW; DAV; Military Order of Purple Hearts; Vietnam Vets Assn:  All of these organizations' National Commanders receive a $0.00 salary and your donations go to help Vets and their families and youth!

Make a Wish for Children's last wishes:  100% goes to funding trips or special wishes for a dying child.

St. Jude Hospital Research:  100% goes toward funding and helping children with cancer who have no insurance and can't afford to pay.

Ronald McDonald Houses:  All monies go to running the houses for parents who have critically ill children in the hospital.  100% goes to housing and feeding the families.

Goodwill makes it so easy to drop off donations, but there are many more deserving local charities, many of whom will pick up items from your residence.  When I lived in Sacramento in the 1980's I regularly bagged up clothing and household items for Americans for Retarded Citizens.  I will definitely look for an alternative to Goodwill in the future.  I believe Salvation Army will send a truck to pick up household/furniture items, although I haven't used that service.  

Note that I am passing along what was in a local booklet, and I can't verify the information.  It is something to think about though.  Comments welcome.

The Aging Brain

I read an interesting article today which implies that older folks don't remember things as quickly because their brains have so much more stored info than do younger brains.

" who has the better memory: the young person who knows a little and remembers all of it, or the older person who has learned a lot and forgets a little of it?
His research, published in the January 2014 issue of Topics in Cognitive Science, argues that studies on memory ask the wrong questions. It could be that older, wiser heads are so chock full of knowledge that it simply takes longer to retrieve the right bits. (It's important to note that the research is aimed at healthy, aging brains, not those afflicted with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, which rob the brain of memory and other abilities.)"

I think this makes a lot of sense and no doubt all you readers who have so many things crowded into your brains will agree.

I visited my doctor this morning who determined I have bronchitis, and put me on the "Z-Pack" antibiotics. She went through all the blood test results from yesterday and explained why some might be on the "low" side.  There was nothing she seemed to worry about.

She spent a lot of time discussing diet, things I can eat, how often, things I might avoid to begin with at least.  I don't think anyone expects me to pop back up soon after surgery, and the recovery will go on for a while longer.  I'll get through it.  Just driving downtown this morning and two trips to Costco (the pharmacy didn't have my meds the first trip) should have me pretty wilted, and I am tired but I will make it.

I'm back on the daily low dose aspirin, so it won't be long until I look like a battered woman.  It's been so nice looking at my arms and hands clear of bruises.

I sympathize with commenter Nancy1340, and am glad her aunt recovered from the effects of the flu shot.  I worry about getting the shot, but feel I have no choice in my run down condition, as well as the fact that I'm around my little grandchildren quite a lot.  They bring things home from school and of course they pass it on.  I could not deal with the flu right now - so I'm between the proverbial rock and a hard place!

After a run on beautiful sunny weather I believe we are in for a few days of rain, which we need desperately.  I hope the mountains get plenty of snow pack, as that ultimately becomes our water source.  Folsom Lake reservoir is so low that the old gold rush town of Mormon Island has been uncovered.  (I just checked the weather widget on my computer and it looks like they've cut the expected rain days down to just one.  Not good.   

I did leave the house today

After getting dressed I decided I didn't feel like going anywhere, but then got a message from my doctor that I could go to the local clinic for my blood tests and flu shot, no appointment necessary.  Since I have an appointment to see her tomorrow morning, I wanted the lab results to be available, so I left the house in a hurry!

I was really in pain a couple of hours after dinner last night - I think I ate too much ice cream too soon after eating dinner.  Usually I have the ice cream shortly before I go to bed.  I took the maximum dose of extra strong painkillers, which did nothing to ease the pain.  It disappeared after I lost everything in my stomach.

So I am not going to count calories or try to stuff more food into myself than I feel good with.  The heck with it - I am very disheartened, but I just give up.

That flu shot hurt more than I remember from last year.  Maybe next year I'll be really healthy and won't bother to get one.  Isn't that something to look forward to?

Do-nothing Sunday

At nearly 1:30 in the afternoon I still haven't showered or gotten dressed.  If I decide to stay as I am, I can just crawl back into bed tonight as I am!

I tried to find out where is the Quebec River, as I mentioned in yesterday's blog.  Can't find a trace of it!  Maybe it is called by a different name now, but you would think the internet would have some reference to it.

Barney commented on my doctor's advice that folks over 65 shouldn't take NSAIDS.  I did look up a couple of websites that sort of support that view - the American Geriatric Society warns that NSAIDS can lead to decreased kidney function as well as cardiovascular disease.  The AGS report also warns of Tylenol in that it can cause liver damage.  So I guess seniors are between a rock and a hard place if the AGS is to be believed.  Their conclusion seems to be that doctors might prescribe opioid pain relievers - which is what I so diligently quit using when I found them to be just too delightful!  I guess what one takes to relieve pain is between the doctor's recommendation and a personal choice.  The doctor doesn't have to live with the results of the pain or the side effets of pain relievers.

I found a packet with 4 Mucinex tablets left over which supposedly expired in 2012.  I took one and the effects were remarkable, so I've taken the rest of them, 12 hours apart.  Now I'm out of them and should go buy another package of them.  But then I will have to get dressed!  Rats!

My ice cream stash is going down a little at a time.  Last night I had several scoops on top of a slice of cheese filled crumb coffee cake.  I don't think this is exactly what I should be eating but it sure tasted yummy.

I'm enjoying my book - the English cozy - they always make me think of how nice it would be to live in a small English village.  Although in reality, living in an old small village anywhere has its down side - you are forever considered to be an outsider unless you were born there, and gossip is rampant.  I know that was true in Ireland, and I just let it roll off my back.  I can't complain though, as I was very well accepted by the folks who mattered to me.

Saturday morning errands

I decided to go to the library this morning to pick up some CD's and DVD's if I could find anything of interest.  I found 4 CD's that I will listen to and possibly download some songs into my iTunes, and one DVD that is a travelogue sort of thing.  Also got a book in large print - an English "cozy", meaning a mystery in an English village setting, with no graphic violence.  Just a fun little mystery story.

I stopped at Rite Aid to get a small bottle of Tylenol.  I've been told by a doctor that I shouldn't use NSAIDs (motrin, ibuprofen, etc.) since I'm over 65 and they sometimes lead to liver damage, (or maybe it's kidney damage, neither  of which I want).  He recommended Tylenol which I've never liked or used up until now, but sometimes ya just gotta go with the flow.  I can try it anyway, but I was shocked that every single item in the department comes only in huge quantities and for huge costs.  What happened to the little tin of 12 aspirin or other pain relievers?  I don't need 250 of anything, except maybe the vitamins and supplements I take.

Several people mentioned my 3 mile walks along the American River.  Let me tell you it doesn't seem like 3 miles at all when I'm walking with my son and talking all the way.  We get to a halfway point and stop at a rest area with picnic table, and then start back after a brief rest.  I always wonder when I'm starting out if I will make it at all, but it's pretty easy once I get going.  Much easier than walking along the streets in my community, or on a treadmill, both of which are terribly monotonous.

Coming back home I drove through the old neighborhood I lived in during the 1980's, called Sunriver, where all the streets are named after rivers.  In my travels across the country I've crossed over or driven alongside many of these rivers, so when I get bored I'll pull out some of my large state maps and check the rivers against my list to see how many I've connected with.  I don't need an excuse to pull out my maps, but this is certainly a fine excuse if I did need one.  A few of the rivers are outside the U.S., such as the Tiber, the Yukon and the Quebec rivers.  I know I've never seen the Tiber or the Yukon, but will have to check a Quebec Provincial map to see if I've been anywhere near that one.  I always loved the study of Geography, and the streets in that subdivision were so evocative of near and far away places. 

I got on a scale yesterday that registered 109.2, meaning that I've gained 5# since my post op.  I was mildly disappointed that the number wasn't higher.  I am already sick of trying to eat constantly and wish I could go back to eating when I'm hungry and stopping when I'm full.