May 30, 2013

It's Thursday and hot and humid here in DC.  I guess summer has arrived and the drone of air conditioners fills the air, mine included.  Luckily, we have a two zone a/c system so we can keep the lower floor so/so temperature wise and the bedroom can be Arctic cold, which is the way we like it.  After all isn't that why blankets were invented?  And heavens know I keep a bunch on my bed all year round.  No out of season cold front will catch me unaware!

Benjamin came to visit us this week and we shared him with Auntie Kim.  Kim is super active and as you suspect, I am not.  Kim ran him hard during the day and we took turns having him at night for book reading and super cuddle time.

Last night Andy and Stacey were coming to Frederick to pick out blinds for their new house so Jeff and I took Benjamin to dinner and then we loaded him and the carseat (no easy task) into the plane and flew around Frederick for an hour.  We didn't bring a set of child headphones so I gave him my set and I listened to the drone of the engine which under certain circumstances, will put you to sleep!

Today I don't have an appointment of any kind so if I find myself motivated (ha), I will try and pick up the crayons before they get mushed into the carpet and clean the kitchen.

After months of not using my library card to reserve books, I finally figured out how to use the online services and have put a hold on several books.  One of the books I have reserved is about a child's account of Heaven which I'm very interested in reading.

No big exciting news from the Bassett house.  Jeff and I, but more Jeff, are treading water as fast as we can so that we don't go under financially.

I'd love to stay and chat but my house calls me - to do something - anything!

Stay cool.

P

My Weekend

5/26/2013

I know that the weekend isn't really over; but, I decided to share with you some of what I've done so far.  Yesterday, a friend came and got me (I'm not allowed to drive) and we went out to lunch and I brought half of my sandwich home with me.  That half a sandwich will make an excellent bite for my lunch today.

We drove to the library and armed with my list of books/authors I wanted to read I scoured the aisles trying on books for size.  When I select a book I always look at the cover page (I like a nice cover), as well as the inside flap.  I never buy or borrow a book without reading the first page and I look for bigger print type because I don't see as well as I once did.  Who does come to think of it?

I'm new to this handicapped lifestyle and I find it tedious to juggle my purse which weighs 5 pounds, the cane and in this case a bag of books.  While I fought the use of the cane initially, I use it almost constantly.  The biggest problem I have with the cane is finding it every day.  I put it down and then of course can't remember where it is.  I need some kind of locator device that would beep to tell me where the blasted thing is.  Yesterday, Jeff found it inside a closet where I had been shuffling some paperwork for the now defunct battery business.  I was bored with the chore and didn't notice that I had put the cane in the closet while I was working and then wandered away.

Scott came over in the afternoon and we drove to the shop because everybody loves driving around the beltway to visit a warehouse!  Because it was Saturday there was a small blessing in that traffic was minimal.  We took Scott to 5 Guys after dinner where many french fries went to their death.  Scott brought along his dog, a Neapolitan Mastiff who is a big dog, actually more of a gentle giant, and she attracted a lot of attention.

Went to bed a bit late but was up, as usual, bright and early.  Today we are driving over to Andy's houe to bring Benjamin to our house for a few days.  Actually, neighbor Kim and I will split time with Benjamin.  Kim is active (and I am so clearly not) that Benjamin has a better time with her as far as playtime goes.  Mom Mom (that's me) is more of a reading, watching a movie and cuddling before bed.  When you think about it Benjamin has a perfect world.

Now that my blog is being put to bed I will retire to the sofa (Jeff is still sleeping) and start lining up tv shows for the next week.  It's a big job put somebody's got to do it!

Enjoy your day.

P

Ideas

May 25, 2013

Ideas

Ever go to the store, or perhaps on line, and see something that catches your eye, and perhaps your wallet too, and wonder why you didn't think of it?  Of course you have.  Let's just think about a few inventions from our past.  Okay this is where anybody under the age of say 30 will begin to doze off - but the baby boomers should stick around.

Remember when pantyhose came out in the 60's?  No more garter belts unless you were trying to put some spice in your game.  And then we had little plastic eggs stuffed to the brim with a pair of pantyhose.  Somebody thought of that great little gimmicky product and for years millions (okay maybe thousands) of women bought "eggs".

Growing up as a teenager in the 60's,  back when music was at its absolute best, in my humble opinion, my music came from a a teeny transistor radio (remember those?).  It ate up batteries and unlike the radios that came after the first round of portable music, was cheap, and not worth stealing which made it the perfect companion for a day at the beach.  Of course that initial transistor played more static than music - but it was portable and everybody had one.

I eventually convinced my Dad that I needed a radio for my bedroom that ran on electricity not batteries.  We went to the store and I told Dad I needed the biggest radio my money could buy.  My new purchase was so big that it almost didn't fit on my desk.  The antenna was a wire that I taped to my wall which brought me "music" after a fashion.  I didn't mind that I heard bits and pieces of music coming out from Chicago because I really did love my first electronic purchase (okay for those of you who rely on accuracy in reporting), it wasn't really electronic but you get the gist of what I'm trying to say.

We now have power seats in our cars, collapsible side mirrors.  Where were these mirrors when I was learning to drive I careened my little Rambler into a parking lot pole!  Did a lot of damage partly because when I made my initial contact I kept on going forward.  Big mistake!

The invention of microwaves made it possible to fix dinner when you didn't leave something out to thaw.  When we moved from California to Maryland in 1986 our rental house (while our home was being built) didn't have a microwave and I forgot about dinner in the general mayhem of getting everybody out the door in the morning.  Luckily for loose brained people like myself, hot dogs can actually be cooked on the stove!

I have thought of two things that would be beneficial to people.  Actually, one invention would be beneficial to thousands of people - a retractable IV cord.  While I was in the hospital almost every day the nurse would come around and find me wrapped around the IV cord and unable to move!  My brain wasn't working at it's max capacity so the solution which was unwrapping myself was beyond my brain. 

I now walk with both a walker and a cane depending on my move.  Both of these devices some in black (cane) or gray for the walker.  They are necessary but frankly ugly.  I came up with an idea to decorate the cane.  My thought was to provide people with accessories for their canes.  I would call the company Patti Canes and would have some kind of stretchy (think small hair scrunchies) which then you could glue or pin some kind of jewelry to.  There was another patient in the hospital who had a cane just like mine and we were forever mixing up the two canes.  If I had a Patti Cane accessory my cane would be unique and there would be no confusion between "caners"!

My neighbor has just invited me to go out to lunch and is going to take me to the library today.  Other than getting my head "shrunk" twice this week I haven't been out of the house much so it will be good to sniff fresh air and load up my library bag with reading for the next week.

Enjoy your day and the long weekend.  We are going to pick up Benjamin tomorrow and we'll keep him overnight and he'll then spend a few days with Auntie Kim and her family.

P

OCD, Bugs and Varmits

May 24, 2013

How to describe my OCD?  As anybody who suffers from OCD, which is a nasty bit of annoyance, we have routines that must be followed or our "crazy" sets in!  And I promise you that you don't want to see us when we're freaked out about locking car doors or making sure we didn't hit a pedestrian who was walking 3 blocks away.

I, for example, have to double (nah triple) check to make sure that my car doors are locked when parking in a parking lot.  Now in reality I know that the absolute worse thing that could occur while I'm off doing who knows what - is that the car will be missing when I return.  That's it.  See how simple that sounds, no big deal.  Except for me and perhaps others a missing (stolen) car would be devastating and then I'd have to quadruple check my doors!

Before I can go to bed at night I absolutely must check to make sure that the garage door is closed.  It doesn't matter that Jeff has done it and reported in - I MUST see for myself.  In theory we're back to the what is the worst that could happen.  The door remains open all night and a family of squirrels move in to eat the dogs kibble and fight for their place in the garage.  Squirrels are destructive but cuter than those tacky little meeses that continually crop up in my house throughout the year.  And don't get me started on those ugly and huge buggy cicadas due to arrive on my doorstep any day now.  I know people eat them and have pronounced them tasty and the paper will soon be filled with cicadas recipes but count me out.  I'm not fond of bugs so the thought of eating one or perhaps more is not even remotely on my radar.  I may be odd but I prefer my food to be dead before eating. Unless I'm eating pretzels or potato chips I don't want to hear a crunching sound. 

I watch these tv shows where the host goes around the world eating gross icky stuff and he declares, almost without exception, how tasty the head, or other body parts, of a particular animal is.  I wonder what his wife fixes for him when he's home.  And while he has indicated how tasty squirrels are - don't expect to come to my house for dinner - and eat anything but beef or chicken.  And I'm sure that this same gentleman would tell you that squirrel tastes just like chicken apparently tastes a lot like alligator, rattlesnake as well as many other animals that are not directly related to a cow or pig.

So as soon as I'm finished with my cup of coffee and wishing you all a happy three day weekend, I'm going down to the basement (also called the hole) to forage in the deep freeze for something for dinner tonight.

P

Ironing on Tuesday

May 21, 2013

Ironing on Tuesday

When you think of the days of the week, Mondays are special (but not necessarily in a good way) because it starts the week.  Wednesday, everybody knows, is hump day.  You have managed to hang in at work for three days and happily slide down towards Friday and the weekend.  Fridays, are of course, wonderful just because they mark the end of your regular work week and then you have two days on your own to do all the wifey stuff - groceries, laundry, paperwork and maybe you even iron (though I can't imagine why).  I own an iron and it's somewhere in the house but if I was offered a million dollars I don't think I could easily put my finger on it.

Growing up one of my weekly duties was the ironing.  How I hated it.  My mother made me iron the pillowcases, handkerchiefs (remember those) and of course my own clothes.  Long sleeve blouses were the easiest.  When she wasn't looking I simply ironed the collars and sleeves since most of the time I wore sweaters over the blouses.  Easy.  If she noticed, she never said anything.

One of the most dreaded ironing tasks is pleated skirts.  I guess the care of pleated skirts has greatly improved but I wouldn't know because I haven't owned one since I left high school.  I was so traumatized by trying to get the pleats done correctly that I actually allowed one of my skirts to become moldy and then hid it in the trash.  Mom always sprinkled her clothes in advance and rolled them up and covered everything with a towel.  Well the skirt in question was stealthy removed from the basket and sat in my closet until it was no longer an attractive, or wearable skirt.  Again lucky for me that Mom never asked about the skirt.  I wasn't a very good storyteller and she swore that she could tell when I was lying.  Anyway, the secret is out but since my Mom has passed away I can't be ratted out by my siblings.

When I came home from school on Tuesdays there was the dreaded wicker basket filled with damp clothes that needed immediate attention.  I ironed my brother's uniforms when he was working at Kraft Foods (icky job both for me and him).  I wasn't allowed to go out and play (even though in high school we didn't really play, we just hung out) until the ironing was done. Curses.

Of course in between ironing and trying to fix dinner and watch my sister I was also supposed to get my homework done and keep up my grades.  By the time I got married at 18 (big mistake) I was already used to running a house.  The difference between my parent's house and my tiny dingy apartment was they had money - and I had none.

Even though today is a Tuesday I have nothing to iron so I'm going to sit around and continue working on paperwork even though I have zero motivation to do so.

Enjoy Tuesday whether you are at work or sitting behind an ironing board!

P

Thanks

May 20, 2013

Today I want to acknowledge the many people who took such good care of Jeff while I was away.  I know that Jeff really appreciated company and conversation that didn't center around doctors and the mounting pressure from the now defunct battery business.

I want to thank the many people who sent me cards, called me, visited me, sent flowers, plants and balloons.  For someone who was feeling so down on herself it was rewarding beyond words to see the expressions of love and caring.

I am making progress though not quite as fast as I would like.  I dress and put on shoes every day JUST in case the opportunity to go somewhere pops up. 

Yesterday it was a trip to Costco in the afternoon and because I had suffered from chest pains all day and a general funky mood, Jeff took me out to Andy's for a visit with all of them - which included dinner at the restaurant called "Andy's".  At the end of dinner I told Ben that I was going home and that I would see him next week.  We did the extended hugs and kisses routine but he went willingly home with Andy and Stacey.

Today is put away the laundry day.  I'd give almost anything to never have to do that particular chore again.  What a drag.  My assignment for today is to continue typing on my story "The Inside of a Suicide".  I might share it with my doctors.

Enjoy Monday.  Next Monday everybody can sleep in!!

P

Telephones

May 19, 2013

Telephones

Okay I'll let you in on a little secret - that frankly most of you already know.  I don't like talking on the telephone.  Those long lazy chats during high school with my girlfriends is now just a thing of the past.  Why I wonder?  With the advent of all the new cellphone technology should be easier than ever.  So why do I think it's a pain in the rear.  There is nothing to hold on is one issue.  Give me a phone with an actual receiver that I can grab onto.  These new phones is just a palm size piece of plastic that I have trouble operating.  Have the time I don't even remember where I laid down my little cellular piece of communication.  You have to hold this small device up to your ear and more times than not I let the phone slip off my ear OR I push the wrong button and end up talking to Hong Kong!  Or calling my sister at 3:00 in the morning and then discovering my error and hanging up.  I have been forgiven for the early wake up call and after that incident in the hospital kept my cellphone in the locked security closet!

Half the time when I manage to find my phone, I"m short on battery life which bothers me not a bit. I am not a huge telephone user.  And my phone is not permanently attached to my hip or tucked safely inside my purse (which I can't find half the time either)!

The new phones are small and powerful and allow the entire population to reach out and "touch" someone with the press of a button.  But if you're having rather frequent brain cramps (like me), then the phone is no longer friendly or useful.  More times than not I have to yell upstairs to Jeff to help me get myself re-oriented with all the screens and options.  Truth is that Jeff has told me numerous times in the past two weeks how to use the phone and I absorb very little of what he tells me.  Frustrating for both of us.

So to my friends and family who don't receive phone calls from me, it's not that I don't love you or think about you.  Just the technology is, at the moment, overwhelming for me and I'm adverse to using it.  But it isn't just the telephone that gives me trouble - I'm also having trouble running my Tivo remote successfully!

P

It's Friday

May 17, 2013

It's Friday people and I don't know about the weather where you live but it's pretty near perfect here in Gaithersburg.  The grass is green, the trees are fully leaved out and the zicadas haven't arrived yet.  These bugs - while they won't hurt you - make me nuts.  They are noisy and if you step on them they make a loud crunchy sound.  Once they begin to arrive, the paper will be filled with recipes for eating these buggy critters.  I'm sure they are just as tasty as peanut butter but I'll pass just the same.  There's a reason they live underground for 17 years at a time and I'm pretty sure they don't surface just so we humans can eat them.

Yesterday Jeff and I went to see a new doctor re: my mental health.  He was very direct, which is a good thing if you are dealing with me.  I told him that while I don't see myself as a liar per se, others would disagree.  Anyway, we talked about communication, or more precisely lack of communication especially on my part.  You would think that as much as I love to talk that communication would be easy for me - well the truth is, it's not.

Both of us liked the new doctor and will return to see him.  I need all the help I can get.  Don't kid yourself you can get in a hole that becomes so deep you can't even see a way out.  That would be me in a nutshell.

After dinner we took the zippy "z" out for a spin and enjoyed the fresh night air and then returned home to enjoy the air conditioning!

Next week for my Tuesday cooking "class" I am making a hamburger casserole that Mom used to make all the time.  I am also making a frozen yogurt pie.  The ladies should enjoy both dishes.  While I'm prepping and cooking I feel just like Martha Stewart - only difference is I wear white socks with black shoes (horrors).

I have managed to make a dent (small) in the overly large stack of battery business paperwork.  I'd love nothing more than to shove all this paper into the fireplace!  Since I doubt that most of the paperwork will ever become relevant again I'm just packing the papers up in boxes, seal them and shove them into the bowels of the basement.  

Don't forget the Preakness horse race this weekend.  For the Derby I made myself a mental bet that Orb would win - and he did. Of course he would have lost if real money (mine) was at stack and right now I can't afford to incur any other bills.

Time for me to tend to some chores with my cane by my side.  If I get tennis balls for my walker I could trade off between my two personal "vehicles" of transportation!

Enjoy Friday

P

Appliances

May 14, 2013

Appliances is the subject of today's aggravation.  Actually, it's not appliances per se but more the follow the leader attitude when one appliance is having a melt down.  Ever notice that when an appliance goes on the fritz it seems to generate a universal wave of destruction among it's peers.

This week, for instance, I put two (literally) things in the dryer and sat down on the sofa to watch one of my cheesy tv shows and an hour later finally realized that the dryer was still running.  Odd I thought.  Odd indeed.  Those two items and one of which was just a sheet was still wet, as in fresh from the washing machine wet.  Grrr.  I hate laundry piling up and I hate wet clothes that I can't do anything with even more.

Okay so that's one thing.  While I was in the hospital our behemoth commercial grade shredder gave up the ghost.  Shredders in our house have a very short life span because we shred everything and shred often (as in every day).  If you're keeping count that's number two.  Fixing the shredder isn't an option - once it fails to slice and dice it's out of here.  Jeff has already replaced the shredder with a bigger, faster machine.

Then there's the microwave.  Also during the last week or so the built-in microwave unit went on strike.  Since it's built in to the wall unit tossing out isn't really an option.  Emergency repairs will have to be performed in an effort to save it's life.  Luckily, at the same time as it was dying, so was the battery business.  We had bought a small but effective microwave for the drivers and it's now perched in my kitchen and doing a fine job of heating coffee and cooking bacon.

Now I wouldn't put my failing kitchen appliances in the same category as somebody's roof being blown off but when it's happening to you, it's a big deal.  I don't want to jinx the remainder of my appliances by suggesting a general work stoppage.   Our house is getting older, like it's owners, and while we're slowing down too, we haven't stopped entirely.

I feel like printing out a picture of a NEW dryer as an incentive to jumpstart the dryer's heart. The good news, if there is any, when Jeff pulls the dryer out, I might find some errant socks hidden among the dust bunnies!  Of course they will have been underneath so long that they are nearly an archological treasure and will need washing!

You see the cycle never ends.  Dirty clothes require washing and drying.  When one of the major appliances in the laundry room is broken, the circle that is known as laundry breaks down causing a backup in the clothes' hampers.  Reminds me of a traffic jam here in Washington.

P

Life is good!

May 13, 2013

I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend.  And that all of you ladies received the recognition you deserve.  

I spent the majority of the day prepping and cooking dinner to take to Andy and Stacey's house and everything turned out quite well if I do say so myself.  Scott came over yesterday morning and I invited him to join us for dinner and - he accepted!  

The really big present for me was seeing Benjamin after 5 months.  He hadn't forgotten me and he has really shot up.  He may be 5 now but he hasn't gotten too big or too old to sit and cuddle with Mom-Mom.  

Jeff helped Scott and Andy with some "manly" things in the basement probably having to do with wires.  Benjamin and I sat on the sofa and it wasn't long before he went to sleep and I followed suit shortly after.  

Today I must get a handle on the ever growing pile of paper that doesn't seem to decrease. If anything the stacks seem to get bigger. The task is overwhelming (to me) and it is making me reluctant (or perhaps I'm just lazy) to make much progress.  I think the best way, at the moment, to handle the paper is to box up all the battery company paperwork and shove it in the back of the basement and in a few years shred everything! Not the best method of filing but it will help me keep my sanity by getting it out of sight, for the moment.

It's a beautiful morning and the air is a bit crisp which really beats air that has a "bit" of humidity (and we know there is no such thing as a little humidity around here).

Have a great day. 

P

Happy Mother's Day

May 11, 2013

I know that most of you Moms will be reading this blog later today after lounging in bed with a breakfast tray - complete with a rose!  Or perhaps you will be doing "brunch" with the family and enjoying a glass of bubbly.  Option three isn't as glamorous but works for me - I popped a frozen waffle in the toaster and washed it down with day old coffee.  Truth is I should have made a fresh pot but was just too lazy and besides it's "my" day for whatever that's worth.

We are taking dinner/lunch down to Andy's house today.  Scott is already left and will join us which is a nice bonus for Jeff and I.  I have made spaghetti, garlic bread, coleslaw, a jello salad and a white cake filled with strawberry jello and topped with vanilla pudding.  Light and yummy.

Truth is I'm looking forward to having both boys around today and as an extra bonus I'll finally get to see Benjamin.  I will probably nap on the way to Andy's house because I'm feeling a bit tired but it's a good tired.  I even put one little piece of cake in a separate dish just for Ben - so we can have a tea party.

This is short because we need to leave.  Happy Mother's Day to all my friends and family.

P

It is good to be home! working back towards "normal"

May 10, 2013

For those of you keeping track it’s Friday and your resident blogger is up and at ‘em early this morning.  By my clock it’s 5:00 in the morning – give or take fifteen minutes.  I developed a farmer’s habit in the hospital of going to bed really early and getting up while it is dark outside.  My theory is simple: IF you get up with the chickens then you are ENTITLED to have a nap after lunch.  Our farming grandparents were smart.  Get your work done and then rest.

Since coming home on Monday yesterday was my most  outstanding day. After getting myself dressed and eating breakfast (raisin toast anyone I had many options to choose from as to how to spend my day.  Contrary to popular belief while I do love a good long sit between chores, I do try and actually get something done between my many coffee breaks!  Problem is my chores at the moment are tedious and depressing.  There is nearly 5 months of filing to deal with and somehow and I am not enthused about tending to something so dreary.  Course it has to happen and the pile of paper isn’t getting any smaller. I know you’re not supposed to put off until tomorrow (or next year) what needs doing but delaying is so compelling.

Yesterday we went down to the warehouse and met Stacey and her Dad.  We then went to the police station to pick up the paperwork for release of one of our recovered vans from a towing company.  So $500 later we are back in possession of a stripped van with a lot of body damage.  The van will not get us much money when we open up the warehouse for our “fire” sale! 

Between Stacey, Jeff and Stacey’s dad we managed to jockey vehicles around until the vans were safely parked back inside the warehouse.  Of course this large amount of maneuvering took quite a long time.  By the time we got home and had a bite to eat it was time for my nighttime pills and bed. 

This morning I went outside and played in the hose and attempted to pick up all the helicopters that fall at this time of the year from our oak tree.  One thing that I’ve noticed since being home is that my attention span is really short and while I may wander around the house I’m pretty sure I’m not ADD.

 I cooked some steak this week and it came out closely resembling the tread on the bottom of my shoe.  Today Jeff chopped up the meat – I added eggs, celery, mayo and relish and lunch is ready whenever we are.  There has been some suggestion that we go after lunch out to the new estate (Andy’s house) and take them out to dinner.  Tomorrow I’m cooking and baking in anticipation of lunch with them on Sunday.

That's it for today - more tomorrow

May 11, 2013

Happy almost Mother's Day.  Sorry Dads you will have to wait for your celebration next month.  Perhaps you'll get breakfast in bed - NOT.  That breakfast in bed stuff looks so wonderful in the movies but in reality I don't think it's that much fun.  The coffee will spill, crumbs in the bed and forget about eating frosty flakes while reclining like Cleopatra.  

Yesterday was more paperwork and I am now truly sick of paper.  Problem is that 5 months is a very long time to not file and the task is now overwhelming.  I have stacks literally all over the floor.  I leave them there due to a lack of interest on my part.  Easier to shove everything in a box, tape it shut and shove it down the stairs into the bowels of the basement.  And never to be heard of again.

Picked up my car which was getting an oil change and a x-mile checkup and discovered that we need not one but four new tires.  Pricey but necessary.

We drove out to Andy and Stacey's house last night and the house is lovely.  We ate dinner out with them and then came back and attempted to be of help in emptying some boxes.  Came home at midnight and fell into bed exhausted.

Today is cooking and baking day.  I am making orange sicle cookies for Benjamin's tea party that he is having with me.  Prepping for spaghetti to serve tomorrow and a cake that calls for liquid jello to be poured on the top of the cake while it's still warm.  Top with cool whip and you've got a great dessert.  And you can almost kid yourself that it's not calorie laden!

Chores today includes a trip to the credit union and the grocery store to get the required food(s) for tomorrow. Gonna try and get a nap in there sometime today.  I've been doing very well about moving around.  My reverse steps causes me a great deal of trouble.  I get dizzy not to be confused with ditzy which is a completely different problem and one I am likely to suffer from every now and again!

This is short today - MomMom has got some serious baking/cooking to do today.  To all my lady friends and relatives - Happy Mother's Day.

P

I AM BACK!

May 9, 2013

Be excited - I'm back (yup truly it's me).  Back from the world of am and pm pills, constant blood pressure checks, nurses checking on you during the night to make sure you're asleep!  And if you were - well too bad - you're awake now!  Oh and let's not forget the hideous overhead light that bothers nobody except those poor souls who are asleep or want to be asleep!  Such is the business of running a hospital. Kind of reminds me of that old saying "damn the torpedoes - full speed ahead"!  So you can substitute torpedoes with the word patients and you get the idea.

Hospital food - gruesome is the kindest word I can come up with.  We had chicken 3 times a week and it was awful every time it was dished up.  The other two days we ate fish.  Correction - some folks ate fish and chicken.  As for me I stuck with mashed potatoes and ice cream. Not healthy but with enough butter on potatoes could get them down.  Ice cream needs no additional endorsement - it's kind of like jello - and tastes better!

Good news is that by my own restricted diet which went against all medical guidelines I managed to lose around 30 pounds.  Can you say new wardrobe?  If I keep this up I will be bikini (NOT) ready by summer.

In addition to morning meds, eggs that aren't real and taste like it, patients are subjected to something called mini mentals each day.  You are given 3 words to remember and while trying to grasp those three words the doctor has moved on probably in an attempt to see how much I can actually remember, which generally wasn't much.

Then to finish up making you feel completely incompetent you get to recite the date, where you are, what city and what floor we're on.  Piece of cake you say?  Not so easy when there isn't a calendar around which makes cheating impossible.  I would always get the year right but seldom anything else consistently. In a pill induced mental fog, at least in the beginning, I couldn't even remember what month it was so you can forget all about knowing the date.

I was on the geriatric floor so in the big scheme of things I was a "young-en"and in true Bassett fashion took care of the elderly ladies.  I helped them with their trays and ended up adopting several grandmas which was very rewarding.

Jeff "sprung" me on Monday afternoon and the transition initially was difficult for me. I was agitated and nervous.  I would sit in my favorite reading chair for a few minutes and then would bounce up and go do something else.  Yesterday was better.  I went to my neighbor's house and sat with her and her mother-in-law.  We ladies had a chat and I enjoyed myself so will probably go to the coffee klatch again next week.

Every day gets a bit better.  I have had my hair cut (thank goodness) and as soon as I get my chinny chin hairs waxed I'll be back good as new.  I am now less agitated but still very restless and am having trouble completing a task.  Mind you the tasks (all paperwork) are boring and who wouldn't want to get up and wander around!

Today Jeff is taking me to the battery warehouse to meet with Stacey who is taking one of our vans home to help with the move that will occur this weekend.  Jeff and I will for sure be going to the new house on Sunday and I'm bringing dinner. I think I'm going to make spaghetti.  Stacey doesn't eat beef so I will set some spaghetti aside before I add the meat.  For dessert I'm going to make a gelatin poke cake which is light and super duper easy.  Oh and cole slaw because it goes so well with spaghetti.

I have a orange dreamsicle cookie mix that will make awesome cookies for Benjamin. The scheduled tea party that Benjamin wants to have has been postponed until I can get around to making party cakes!

I'm loving the ease of showing in my bathroom with the large shower and having my favorite scents at the ready.  Let's hear it for Chloe dusting powder which I have used religiously for more years than I can remember.  My routine is such that after I "do my toilet", I dress including socks and shoes.  I now am sporting all of my jewelry except for my initial necklace which is the next (and as it turns out last) piece of my jewelry.  Correction - last piece of real jewelry that I own.

Because it's nearly August (I know you're laughing), I am typing today's missive while enjoying Christmas songs.  Jeff and I own about 50 Christmas CD's and they never get boring.  I have my favorites (Elvis anyone?)  By the way Rocking Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee is playing now.  Great song. 

Today's necessary chore is put away the laundry.  And then just in case I am really bored, there is PLENTY of battery business paperwork to process and file. Since the business is shut down the accuracy of the filing is not hyper critical.  I have a big box where I can stuff all this random and ultimately not going to be necessary paperwork.

Well, this is enough for now, please check back regularly for the next installment.

It's good to be back

Thanks to Jeff for being such a faithful guest blogger.  He still has a lot on his plate but blogging is one thing I can take off of his plate!

Enjoy.

-P-