10/31/2013
Yes, it's trick or treat time tonight. Since we live at the top of the hill that in the big scheme of things has a small number of houses, we don't get too many goblins showing up at our door. Even so, you do have to be prepared and we stopped this week at WalMart to purchase several bags of candy (the kind we like just in case we have leftovers)!
Benjamin is Dracula this year and old Dracula was never this cute! But then again I might be prejudiced but I don't think so. He's cute, what else can I say!
If you want to think about something that is scarier than Halloween, this weekend is move your clocks back an hour! So it'll be dark earlier and short, dark days is not exactly my friend. Thank heavens I have a SAD lamp that I can turn on when I'm typing to try and boost my mood. This time of the year it's dark by the time you get home and that makes me want to do nothing. I hate walking around outside in the dark because I'm always afraid that I'm going to stumble over something and fall.
It's off to the day program this morning for another day of talking. Truthfully, I am exhausted by the time I get home in the afternoon and in no mood to continue chatting (which I know you are having trouble with that concept)!
Since I am going to the program on Friday also, I get to take Saturday off (can you say sleep in)? The dogs will sleep on the bed until practically forever - or until the alarm clock is turned off! Once the alarm clock gets turned off and I remove my CPAP mask, all bets are off. The dogs turn into whirly devils until they are fed. After their tummies are full, they are perfectly content to curl up and sleep the remainder of the day away!
A grandmother pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween (Erma Bombeck)
Enjoy today and tonight eat candy!
P
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Volunteer
10/30/2013
Thanks to a schedule change for the adult day program I attend at the hospital I have today off. Going forward I will attend 3 times a week and sometimes 4. But no more weekends, which makes me happy. Before I left the program yesterday I talked to my counselor and we discussed the possibility of my looking for volunteer opportunities. If I volunteered then I could be doing something useful with my time that would benefit another person(s) and force me to get out of the house, which would benefit me.
The local county website has hundreds of volunteer opportunities to choose from and some of the ones that interested me the most were either working with animals or senior citizens. I also checked out the local Methodist retirement community's website and they have an actual volunteer coordinator. I have written to this individual expressing an interest in volunteering. Now it's wait and see time. In all of my hospital stays this year (and there have been more than a few), I find that I gravitate toward older people - hence my thought that I might be useful in a retirement community. What I do know is this: I have reached out to someone which is the first step and a big one for me. It would be much easier for me to stay inside the house and isolate - which hasn't been so healthy for me in the past.
I'll keep you posted on my success with volunteering which is something I have never done before. I'm hoping that I can be useful to somebody.
Happy Wednesday.
P
Thanks to a schedule change for the adult day program I attend at the hospital I have today off. Going forward I will attend 3 times a week and sometimes 4. But no more weekends, which makes me happy. Before I left the program yesterday I talked to my counselor and we discussed the possibility of my looking for volunteer opportunities. If I volunteered then I could be doing something useful with my time that would benefit another person(s) and force me to get out of the house, which would benefit me.
The local county website has hundreds of volunteer opportunities to choose from and some of the ones that interested me the most were either working with animals or senior citizens. I also checked out the local Methodist retirement community's website and they have an actual volunteer coordinator. I have written to this individual expressing an interest in volunteering. Now it's wait and see time. In all of my hospital stays this year (and there have been more than a few), I find that I gravitate toward older people - hence my thought that I might be useful in a retirement community. What I do know is this: I have reached out to someone which is the first step and a big one for me. It would be much easier for me to stay inside the house and isolate - which hasn't been so healthy for me in the past.
I'll keep you posted on my success with volunteering which is something I have never done before. I'm hoping that I can be useful to somebody.
Happy Wednesday.
P
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Paperwork
10/29/2013
Last night after dinner but before television watching, I sat at my desk surrounded by ten months of medical bills that I was supposed to put in some sort of order so that we could get reimbursed for our out-of-pocket expenses.
After working for two hours shuffling papers back and forth, I was exhausted and had made no real progress. What I was trying to do was send "x" bills off to my health care spending account so that I could get some of my money back Sounds simple doesn't it? Well I can assure you that simple is clearly not the word to describe this particular chore. And chore doesn't really an adequate word for this paperwork shuffling process.
First you have to have the medical bills that you want to be reimbursed for in hand. Now that sounds easy doesn't it? That is merely step one. Step two is finding the explanation of benefits for each bill from the insurance company and matching the "EOB" and the bills together. I have in my health care spending account $2,500 that I need to use up by year end. This in theory is a piece of cake because all I would need to do is send in is one of many hospital bills and the money would be spent in a New York minute. So what's the problem? I have the EOB for each of my hospital stays this year but don't actually have an itemized bill that I can send in with the EOB in question. In order to get my money back I have to produce the actual bill along with evidence that the insurance company has paid all they are going to pay - and then - and only then - will I be able to submit my medical bills. If you're still with me, then I'm sure you're exhausted just reading the lengthy and mind numbing process that is involved.
So last night I did what any person in their right mind would do - I shut down my computer - and shuffled the papers off to the side to be looked at probably tonight. After that I retired to my sofa and turned on the television remote! I watched several episodes of storage wars - New York and Texas. These shows are not great television by any stretch of the imagination, but they sure are fun to watch. I keep thinking that if I was involved in some sort of reality show (and that ain't ever going to happen), I would have a hard time behaving naturally in front of television crews and cameras. So maybe this inability to act normally is just a condition that I suffer from - but I don't think so.
Well it's Tuesday and time for me to get ready to go to the hospital for my program. I hope your Tuesday is a good one. Take care.
P
Monday, October 28, 2013
Monday all over again!
10/28/2013
Yes folks in case you're just tuning in - it is MONDAY - AGAIN!! Why does it seem that Monday rolls around more often than necessary? Could it be that we just don't want to begin another week? That makes perfect sense to me. And, as temperatures begin to drop it is so much easier to remain in bed with the covers pulled up to your nose! And if you manage to make it out of bed and get in the shower to get your heart started then the next possible deal breaker is getting out of a warm shower into the cold air of the bathroom.
Jeff spent Sunday at Andy et al's house and worked on odds and ends. It's a brand new house so there is always plenty to do. If you did nothing but mow the grass that would take up several hours. I enjoyed several hours of uninterrupted television (cheesy stuff according to Jeff) and made chili for dinner.
Well much as I would love to sit here and type random words which might (hopefully) make perfect sense when I'm done, I need to get my fanny upstairs to get dressed and ready to go to my program.
I hope you have a perfectly wonderful Monday with as few snags to your schedule as possible.
P
Yes folks in case you're just tuning in - it is MONDAY - AGAIN!! Why does it seem that Monday rolls around more often than necessary? Could it be that we just don't want to begin another week? That makes perfect sense to me. And, as temperatures begin to drop it is so much easier to remain in bed with the covers pulled up to your nose! And if you manage to make it out of bed and get in the shower to get your heart started then the next possible deal breaker is getting out of a warm shower into the cold air of the bathroom.
Jeff spent Sunday at Andy et al's house and worked on odds and ends. It's a brand new house so there is always plenty to do. If you did nothing but mow the grass that would take up several hours. I enjoyed several hours of uninterrupted television (cheesy stuff according to Jeff) and made chili for dinner.
Well much as I would love to sit here and type random words which might (hopefully) make perfect sense when I'm done, I need to get my fanny upstairs to get dressed and ready to go to my program.
I hope you have a perfectly wonderful Monday with as few snags to your schedule as possible.
P
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Happy Sunday
10/27/2013
This is the only day of the week where I can (a) sleep in; and (b) do anything that I want! On the agenda for today besides the usual laundry and vacuuming chores, I'm going to make chili this afternoon. Jeff is going to spend the day with Andy et al and if I make chili then he can eat when he comes home and I can eat when I'm ready.
After the Saturday program at the hospital, Jeff and I drove out to Andy's house. Jeff went out to work on the generator and/or mow the back 40. I got to spend time with Benjamin and I brought all the ingredients to make pumpkin bread. Andy cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner and dessert was the pumpkin bread. When we left for the night, I left a whole loaf behind for Andy et al to feast on. (Warmed up pumpkin bread makes for great breakfast food - slathered, of course, with butter)!
It was good to see Benjamin (as it always is) and it does my heart good when he "walks" me out to the fire pit after dinner for s'mores. Benjamin has a very kind heart and I hope that he continues to be kind as he gets older.
Before heading out to Andy's house we stopped by the library and I loaded up my week's supply of books to read. I have already marked up the tv guide so I will sit down this morning and make sure that the tivo is adequately programmed. The trickiest day to program is Sunday because of the football games, which run into the evening programs that we watch. Solution, of course, is to change the recording time of the last Sunday night show by three hours. Guaranteed to not miss any of our regular shows by doing that.
The temperature outside is a bit on the chilly side today, which is one of the things that I love about fall. Sweaters and light jackets feel good when you're outside and the fire in the fireplace feels good when you're inside. Mother Nature can hold off on snow/ice for a bit longer, since I'm not a fan of winter precipitation (unless of course it snows so much that nobody leaves their house to venture out).
I hope you all have a perfect Sunday filled with whatever floats your boat - even if that does mean football!
Be well. P
This is the only day of the week where I can (a) sleep in; and (b) do anything that I want! On the agenda for today besides the usual laundry and vacuuming chores, I'm going to make chili this afternoon. Jeff is going to spend the day with Andy et al and if I make chili then he can eat when he comes home and I can eat when I'm ready.
After the Saturday program at the hospital, Jeff and I drove out to Andy's house. Jeff went out to work on the generator and/or mow the back 40. I got to spend time with Benjamin and I brought all the ingredients to make pumpkin bread. Andy cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner and dessert was the pumpkin bread. When we left for the night, I left a whole loaf behind for Andy et al to feast on. (Warmed up pumpkin bread makes for great breakfast food - slathered, of course, with butter)!
It was good to see Benjamin (as it always is) and it does my heart good when he "walks" me out to the fire pit after dinner for s'mores. Benjamin has a very kind heart and I hope that he continues to be kind as he gets older.
Before heading out to Andy's house we stopped by the library and I loaded up my week's supply of books to read. I have already marked up the tv guide so I will sit down this morning and make sure that the tivo is adequately programmed. The trickiest day to program is Sunday because of the football games, which run into the evening programs that we watch. Solution, of course, is to change the recording time of the last Sunday night show by three hours. Guaranteed to not miss any of our regular shows by doing that.
The temperature outside is a bit on the chilly side today, which is one of the things that I love about fall. Sweaters and light jackets feel good when you're outside and the fire in the fireplace feels good when you're inside. Mother Nature can hold off on snow/ice for a bit longer, since I'm not a fan of winter precipitation (unless of course it snows so much that nobody leaves their house to venture out).
I hope you all have a perfect Sunday filled with whatever floats your boat - even if that does mean football!
Be well. P
Saturday, October 26, 2013
It's Saturday
10/26/2013
Well folks we have made it through another week, which is reason enough to celebrate. I am off to the day program at the hospital this morning. The good part about the Saturday program is that there only a handful of people who attend, which makes the groups a bit cozy.
Yesterday I was scheduled for an ECT treatment but began having chest pains so instead of getting a treatment I was shuffled off to the emergency room and hooked up with monitoring equipment. By dinner time I was getting antsy and wanting to go home. After several discussions, I was released to go home against doctor's orders. The chest pain sometimes just shows up for no particular reason but I understand that doctors have an obligation to take the pain seriously. But every test they conducted came back within guidelines and it was clear I wasn't having a heart attack so I was determined to go home and sleep in my own bed - which I did.
After the day program ends this afternoon, I think Jeff and I are heading out to Andy's house for a visit with Benjamin et al and Jeff wants to work, probably on the generator or perhaps mowing the lawn. Jeff likes going to Andy's house partly because he likes being out in the country and also because there is so much to do.
It's pretty chilly out this morning and I want to be sure and dress in layers. The room where the day program is held is really cold all the time and everybody complains about the cold but the temperature doesn't ever change. I guess it's our job to wear long underwear under our clothes in an attempt to stay warmer.
I don't know if you guys watch Shark Tank but there was a couple on the show last night that were selling a stuffed elephant in a box to help partners communicate. The theory was that often times people refer to the "elephant in the room" If you needed to talk to your partner you were supposed to give that person the elephant. The kicker is that the elephant in the room would set you back $60.00. Do you know how many elephants or even other stuffed animals you could buy for $60.00? A lot. Besides their elephant was really quite small Cute idea but I doubt that they will be able to sell very many elephants.
I do enjoy seeing what creative ideas people come up with that they are willing to try and sell to the sharks in exchange for money. For every one really great idea there are five more that are just a waste of the shark's time and likely will never be successful with or without the shark's money.
Time for me to get moving. I hope your schedule allows for you to sleep in this morning. I know I would if I could. Have a great Saturday and enjoy the fall nip in the air which definitely gets you moving, and that's a good thing!
P
Well folks we have made it through another week, which is reason enough to celebrate. I am off to the day program at the hospital this morning. The good part about the Saturday program is that there only a handful of people who attend, which makes the groups a bit cozy.
Yesterday I was scheduled for an ECT treatment but began having chest pains so instead of getting a treatment I was shuffled off to the emergency room and hooked up with monitoring equipment. By dinner time I was getting antsy and wanting to go home. After several discussions, I was released to go home against doctor's orders. The chest pain sometimes just shows up for no particular reason but I understand that doctors have an obligation to take the pain seriously. But every test they conducted came back within guidelines and it was clear I wasn't having a heart attack so I was determined to go home and sleep in my own bed - which I did.
After the day program ends this afternoon, I think Jeff and I are heading out to Andy's house for a visit with Benjamin et al and Jeff wants to work, probably on the generator or perhaps mowing the lawn. Jeff likes going to Andy's house partly because he likes being out in the country and also because there is so much to do.
It's pretty chilly out this morning and I want to be sure and dress in layers. The room where the day program is held is really cold all the time and everybody complains about the cold but the temperature doesn't ever change. I guess it's our job to wear long underwear under our clothes in an attempt to stay warmer.
I don't know if you guys watch Shark Tank but there was a couple on the show last night that were selling a stuffed elephant in a box to help partners communicate. The theory was that often times people refer to the "elephant in the room" If you needed to talk to your partner you were supposed to give that person the elephant. The kicker is that the elephant in the room would set you back $60.00. Do you know how many elephants or even other stuffed animals you could buy for $60.00? A lot. Besides their elephant was really quite small Cute idea but I doubt that they will be able to sell very many elephants.
I do enjoy seeing what creative ideas people come up with that they are willing to try and sell to the sharks in exchange for money. For every one really great idea there are five more that are just a waste of the shark's time and likely will never be successful with or without the shark's money.
Time for me to get moving. I hope your schedule allows for you to sleep in this morning. I know I would if I could. Have a great Saturday and enjoy the fall nip in the air which definitely gets you moving, and that's a good thing!
P
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Thursday
10/24/2013
Another week is beginning it's descent toward the weekend. Last night we participated in our neighbor's youth group's scavenger hunt. Since we are a house with pretty much everything the kids were well on their way to completing their list when they left our house. Our biggest challenge was finding a tiny plastic container that would hold olive oil.
The cooler temperatures rolled in our area yesterday and after dinner we pressed the on button for our new gaslog (which puts out a lot of heat). Neither Jeff nor I miss the dragging firewood in the house, rolling up newspapers for kindling and then eventually having to clean out the ashes afterwards. Nope all we do now is press a button and lovely blue and yellow flames appear. As we get older there are some things we're just not all that interested in doing and tending to the fireplace is one of those chores.
I go to my day program this morning and then tomorrow I will have another ECT treatment. You know you have been at the hospital too long when the nursing staff knows your name when you check in. Reminds me of frequent flier miles only called frequent patient miles!
I think we're going out to Andy's house this weekend. I think Jeff is going to work on the generator some more and I'll get to spend time with Benjamin and Stacey.
Time to get ready for my day - have a nice Thursday.
P
Another week is beginning it's descent toward the weekend. Last night we participated in our neighbor's youth group's scavenger hunt. Since we are a house with pretty much everything the kids were well on their way to completing their list when they left our house. Our biggest challenge was finding a tiny plastic container that would hold olive oil.
The cooler temperatures rolled in our area yesterday and after dinner we pressed the on button for our new gaslog (which puts out a lot of heat). Neither Jeff nor I miss the dragging firewood in the house, rolling up newspapers for kindling and then eventually having to clean out the ashes afterwards. Nope all we do now is press a button and lovely blue and yellow flames appear. As we get older there are some things we're just not all that interested in doing and tending to the fireplace is one of those chores.
I go to my day program this morning and then tomorrow I will have another ECT treatment. You know you have been at the hospital too long when the nursing staff knows your name when you check in. Reminds me of frequent flier miles only called frequent patient miles!
I think we're going out to Andy's house this weekend. I think Jeff is going to work on the generator some more and I'll get to spend time with Benjamin and Stacey.
Time to get ready for my day - have a nice Thursday.
P
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Driving Again
10/23/2013
Stop the presses. One of our cars in for repairs and yesterday I went with Jeff to pick up the car and drive one home. This was huge people. I pretty much haven't driven in ten months and never liked driving to begin with - so for me to willingly get behind the wheel of a car is a big step for me. Just for the record I did fine and when I got home washed the car because it had gotten so dirty.
For a treat Jeff brought home Popeye's chicken which is so tasty and I'm guessing super bad for us (at least in the calorie department). Even knowing this didn't stop us from enjoying the chicken and there were no leftovers!
Our weather here is going to start turning cooler - somewhere in the 50's which will definitely require a sweater when you go outside. The room in the hospital which the day program uses is super cold all the time and everyone has resorted to layering their clothing in an attempt (which isn't working) to stay warmer.
We watched Blacklist last night and it is an action packed hour of television. I highly recommend it. To fill out my television watching I add in lots of cooking shows. Watching cooking shows sometimes gives me a good idea of what to make for dinner or dessert.
To be perfectly honest, I will watch just about anything on television as long as it deals with cooking, fashion or even reality shows. There is a show about two clothing designers who only dress the super wealthy, high end clients. It is amazing to see how much people are willing to pay for a dress (and yes, in case you're wondering there is a comma on the price tag)!
I hope you have a fantastic Wednesday and get to do something fun or at least isn't work.
P
Stop the presses. One of our cars in for repairs and yesterday I went with Jeff to pick up the car and drive one home. This was huge people. I pretty much haven't driven in ten months and never liked driving to begin with - so for me to willingly get behind the wheel of a car is a big step for me. Just for the record I did fine and when I got home washed the car because it had gotten so dirty.
For a treat Jeff brought home Popeye's chicken which is so tasty and I'm guessing super bad for us (at least in the calorie department). Even knowing this didn't stop us from enjoying the chicken and there were no leftovers!
Our weather here is going to start turning cooler - somewhere in the 50's which will definitely require a sweater when you go outside. The room in the hospital which the day program uses is super cold all the time and everyone has resorted to layering their clothing in an attempt (which isn't working) to stay warmer.
We watched Blacklist last night and it is an action packed hour of television. I highly recommend it. To fill out my television watching I add in lots of cooking shows. Watching cooking shows sometimes gives me a good idea of what to make for dinner or dessert.
To be perfectly honest, I will watch just about anything on television as long as it deals with cooking, fashion or even reality shows. There is a show about two clothing designers who only dress the super wealthy, high end clients. It is amazing to see how much people are willing to pay for a dress (and yes, in case you're wondering there is a comma on the price tag)!
I hope you have a fantastic Wednesday and get to do something fun or at least isn't work.
P
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Tuesday Already
10/22/2013
By now you have probably gotten out of bed and have flipped your calendar over to show a brand new day. The beginning of a new day is filled with endless possibilities that are available to you. I'm going to be at the hospital participating in the day program.
I don't know how it is where you live but there is a definite nip in the air this morning. Let's put it this way wearing a sweater around the house feels good. Ever so slowly winter is descending on us. Have you noticed how early it becomes dark now?
We have at the moment still have a number of windows open but the weatherman is predicting a drop in temperatures by the end of the week which will likely cause us to shut the windows. As much as I hate being hot, I'm not too crazy about being cold either. I'm basically a 50/50 gal who has trouble making up her mind. I want to be warm enough or cool enough for comfort.
This blog is going to be short because I don't really have much of anything to say and I don't feel like standing on a soap box to spout my believes.
Have a wonderful Tuesday and hopefully you are enjoying nice weather where you are.
P
By now you have probably gotten out of bed and have flipped your calendar over to show a brand new day. The beginning of a new day is filled with endless possibilities that are available to you. I'm going to be at the hospital participating in the day program.
I don't know how it is where you live but there is a definite nip in the air this morning. Let's put it this way wearing a sweater around the house feels good. Ever so slowly winter is descending on us. Have you noticed how early it becomes dark now?
We have at the moment still have a number of windows open but the weatherman is predicting a drop in temperatures by the end of the week which will likely cause us to shut the windows. As much as I hate being hot, I'm not too crazy about being cold either. I'm basically a 50/50 gal who has trouble making up her mind. I want to be warm enough or cool enough for comfort.
This blog is going to be short because I don't really have much of anything to say and I don't feel like standing on a soap box to spout my believes.
Have a wonderful Tuesday and hopefully you are enjoying nice weather where you are.
P
Monday, October 21, 2013
Checking In On Monday
10/21/2013
It's early evening and I am late getting around to my blog. There is something about having to go to the hospital in the early morning to get your brain zapped (for my well being I am assured) that makes it hard to blog first thing in the morning.
The treatment was flawless and I have no rational reason for getting myself in a tizzy just prior to going to the hospital. There is no pain, so I have no idea what there is about the treatment that gets me so upset. I am now scheduled for treatments twice a week (double the fun)!
When I get home I'm a little bit fuzzy and have zero energy. Sitting on the sofa and watching mindless television shows seems like a perfect way to spend the day. This afternoon Jeff drove me to the library and I was able to find 10 books that appear to be good books. I know you can't judge a book by it's cover, so if I bring home a book from the library and it's a dud - no worries - just take it back to the library and find a replacement.
This afternoon Jeff blew all the leaves in a big pile and I'm the official "picker-upper". We filled one of the very large lawn bags. I really love oak trees but you also have to love the mess they make at this time of the year.
There was a television show last night on PBS all about Hampton Court and it was interesting and entertaining. I think next weekend they are going to do a show about the Tower of London (I already have that in the tivo queue).
Tomorrow it's back to the day program at the hospital. I must say that the days do really zip by and I do so much talking that I'm worn out by the end of the day.
Dinner is over, the dishwasher has run through its cycle and needs emptying now. I hope you have a good evening.
P
It's early evening and I am late getting around to my blog. There is something about having to go to the hospital in the early morning to get your brain zapped (for my well being I am assured) that makes it hard to blog first thing in the morning.
The treatment was flawless and I have no rational reason for getting myself in a tizzy just prior to going to the hospital. There is no pain, so I have no idea what there is about the treatment that gets me so upset. I am now scheduled for treatments twice a week (double the fun)!
When I get home I'm a little bit fuzzy and have zero energy. Sitting on the sofa and watching mindless television shows seems like a perfect way to spend the day. This afternoon Jeff drove me to the library and I was able to find 10 books that appear to be good books. I know you can't judge a book by it's cover, so if I bring home a book from the library and it's a dud - no worries - just take it back to the library and find a replacement.
This afternoon Jeff blew all the leaves in a big pile and I'm the official "picker-upper". We filled one of the very large lawn bags. I really love oak trees but you also have to love the mess they make at this time of the year.
There was a television show last night on PBS all about Hampton Court and it was interesting and entertaining. I think next weekend they are going to do a show about the Tower of London (I already have that in the tivo queue).
Tomorrow it's back to the day program at the hospital. I must say that the days do really zip by and I do so much talking that I'm worn out by the end of the day.
Dinner is over, the dishwasher has run through its cycle and needs emptying now. I hope you have a good evening.
P
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Quiet Sunday
10/20/2013
It's a quiet Sunday at the Bassett house. Jeff got up pretty early this morning, grabbed coffee and perhaps a piece of cold pizza and then hurried off to the airport for a day of flying. I"m sure he told me where he was going but I, of course, have forgotten the details. Oh well.
I am enjoying the quiet of the house. The Christmas music is playing away, dishes are washed, laundry is sorted and ready to be washed, the newspaper has been read and the tv section of the paper has been colorfully highlighted so that I don't miss any shows this week that sound interesting.
I just finished updating my "Who's Who" phone list for the house. I like to update the list every few months or so to make sure that everyone who is anyone is on the "list". Some people are always on the list and others not so much.
When I'm finished blogging, I need to get my heart started and actually start a chore or two - anything besides just writing about them. If all I do is write about chores - then it stands to reason - that none of them will get done! But we all know that housework is a supreme drag and by the time you finish "choring" it will only take a few misguided minutes to return the house to its original condition (pre-cleanup)!
I am having ECT again tomorrow. They are now doing the treatments twice a week in hopes that if they "zap" my brain enough times something in the dark recesses of my mind will be jogged positively. I now I have nothing to lose but hate the treatments just the same and wish I didn't have to do them. Wouldn't it be wonderful if a magic wand could be waved in my general direction and the burden of being depressed was lifted. Were that it was that easy. It's a drag being me and probably, if folks were truthful, a drag just being around me.
"Auntie Kim" kept Benjamin this weekend and while my house isn't as much fun as hers is, Benjamin did come over last night long enough to watch a Dr. Seuss movie with me. He didn't want to stay the night and I'm not about to force him to stay - perhaps he'll want to stay with me next time.
I beat one of my challenges into submission this past week. I had managed to lock myself out of our health care spending accounts and the passwords needed to be reset. It was a lengthy wait on hold while the support person untangled the mess, which I hope never to duplicate in the future. You could spend a lifetime waiting to be helped, which is why I always have a cup of coffee at my side!
I hope it's sunny where you are and that you get to go outside and play. On the east coast it's leaf picking up time and thanks to the oak trees we have a lot of leaves - and squirrels! Of course the squirrels are encouraged by the dried corn cobs we put out in the yard - so if they stick around it's our fault!
Happy Sunday.
P
It's a quiet Sunday at the Bassett house. Jeff got up pretty early this morning, grabbed coffee and perhaps a piece of cold pizza and then hurried off to the airport for a day of flying. I"m sure he told me where he was going but I, of course, have forgotten the details. Oh well.
I am enjoying the quiet of the house. The Christmas music is playing away, dishes are washed, laundry is sorted and ready to be washed, the newspaper has been read and the tv section of the paper has been colorfully highlighted so that I don't miss any shows this week that sound interesting.
I just finished updating my "Who's Who" phone list for the house. I like to update the list every few months or so to make sure that everyone who is anyone is on the "list". Some people are always on the list and others not so much.
When I'm finished blogging, I need to get my heart started and actually start a chore or two - anything besides just writing about them. If all I do is write about chores - then it stands to reason - that none of them will get done! But we all know that housework is a supreme drag and by the time you finish "choring" it will only take a few misguided minutes to return the house to its original condition (pre-cleanup)!
I am having ECT again tomorrow. They are now doing the treatments twice a week in hopes that if they "zap" my brain enough times something in the dark recesses of my mind will be jogged positively. I now I have nothing to lose but hate the treatments just the same and wish I didn't have to do them. Wouldn't it be wonderful if a magic wand could be waved in my general direction and the burden of being depressed was lifted. Were that it was that easy. It's a drag being me and probably, if folks were truthful, a drag just being around me.
"Auntie Kim" kept Benjamin this weekend and while my house isn't as much fun as hers is, Benjamin did come over last night long enough to watch a Dr. Seuss movie with me. He didn't want to stay the night and I'm not about to force him to stay - perhaps he'll want to stay with me next time.
I beat one of my challenges into submission this past week. I had managed to lock myself out of our health care spending accounts and the passwords needed to be reset. It was a lengthy wait on hold while the support person untangled the mess, which I hope never to duplicate in the future. You could spend a lifetime waiting to be helped, which is why I always have a cup of coffee at my side!
I hope it's sunny where you are and that you get to go outside and play. On the east coast it's leaf picking up time and thanks to the oak trees we have a lot of leaves - and squirrels! Of course the squirrels are encouraged by the dried corn cobs we put out in the yard - so if they stick around it's our fault!
Happy Sunday.
P
Friday, October 18, 2013
Library
10/18/2013
Here's the deal. If you're reading this on Thursday night then you know this post was/is intended for Friday. Since I tend to get a bit worked up before an ECT treatment I thought I had better pound the keys tonight so that I didn't leave my faithful followers wondering where I've gotten off to.
Since Jeff and I are tightening up our budget belt this year, just casually ordering books on Amazon is a thing of the past. And I do love Amazon - a lot. I'm sure they miss my business but pretty sure they will continue to thrive.
Nope I have returned to an old and faithful friend - the library. I read all the book reviews in magazines and then log on to the library's website and put holds on the books that I think I want to read. Sure there is a waiting period for some of the books that I want but you can't beat the price - free!
I absolutely love book stores and libraries. Who wouldn't? I keep a list of authors I think are worth pursuing in my purse so if I'm just browsing at the library, I at least know which authors I'm interested in. Truthfully I try and stay out of book stores - too much stimuli. All of the books in the store call to me. I love to run my fingers across the dust jackets and I'm always in awe of how many books are really out there, and how few of them I have actually read.
Sadly, books are expensive and hardbacks are really pricey. You see the hardbacks selling for upwards of $20.00 and I am loath to spend that kind of money because I know I will only read the book ONCE. I have made one exception to my one read rule and that was for "The Ladies of the Club" which I have read several times. The Ladies of the Club book is so big and heavy that you could easily knock someone out cold if you hit them with the book (which I don't recommend). I loaned out the "Ladies" book once to a friend and she brought it back to me several days later and said she just couldn't get into it. After that I just keep the "Ladies" on the shelf. I have no plans to ever part with the book and do appreciate that it could be a dull read for some people, particularly if you're not into lengthy descriptions.
Enjoy Friday.
P
Here's the deal. If you're reading this on Thursday night then you know this post was/is intended for Friday. Since I tend to get a bit worked up before an ECT treatment I thought I had better pound the keys tonight so that I didn't leave my faithful followers wondering where I've gotten off to.
Since Jeff and I are tightening up our budget belt this year, just casually ordering books on Amazon is a thing of the past. And I do love Amazon - a lot. I'm sure they miss my business but pretty sure they will continue to thrive.
Nope I have returned to an old and faithful friend - the library. I read all the book reviews in magazines and then log on to the library's website and put holds on the books that I think I want to read. Sure there is a waiting period for some of the books that I want but you can't beat the price - free!
I absolutely love book stores and libraries. Who wouldn't? I keep a list of authors I think are worth pursuing in my purse so if I'm just browsing at the library, I at least know which authors I'm interested in. Truthfully I try and stay out of book stores - too much stimuli. All of the books in the store call to me. I love to run my fingers across the dust jackets and I'm always in awe of how many books are really out there, and how few of them I have actually read.
Sadly, books are expensive and hardbacks are really pricey. You see the hardbacks selling for upwards of $20.00 and I am loath to spend that kind of money because I know I will only read the book ONCE. I have made one exception to my one read rule and that was for "The Ladies of the Club" which I have read several times. The Ladies of the Club book is so big and heavy that you could easily knock someone out cold if you hit them with the book (which I don't recommend). I loaned out the "Ladies" book once to a friend and she brought it back to me several days later and said she just couldn't get into it. After that I just keep the "Ladies" on the shelf. I have no plans to ever part with the book and do appreciate that it could be a dull read for some people, particularly if you're not into lengthy descriptions.
Enjoy Friday.
P
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Blogging Block
10/17/2013
I don't have writer's block - I do have blogging block - which is pretty much the same thing. What to write about? What topic can I take on? It needs to be more on the light side, I don't want to write about politics (partly because I don't understand very much of what happens in Washington). Or to turn that around maybe the truth is not much DOES happen in Washington. I'm sure the people who have had to work reduced hours or not work at all would agree about the not much happening.
I doubt that the senators and representatives are hurt financially with an unapproved budget. In their world, they don't have to live paycheck to paycheck. Their cars, I am sure, are some kind of high end vehicle and possibly some of them may even be driven to work.
They don't have to make a can of soup or spaghetti stretch to feed an entire family. They don't have to worry about how they are going to pay for daycare for the days that an employee has to go into work. They don't fret about losing power or paying for necessary medical care. It is almost as if the politicians live in a bubble. Actually they do exist in a bubble filled with all the things that money can buy. And they have a lot of money and probably very few financial worries. Must be nice.
I think it would be nice if, just once in a while, a politician thought about the regular folks that put him/her in a position of power. The regular folks need a paycheck (a full paycheck) so that they can meet their obligations which is a lot more serious than balancing the federal budget.
Many years ago I didn't have a lot of money and I remember having to go to the grocery store and counting every penny that I was spending. I only had so much money and didn't have the luxury of freely spending money any which way I wanted. When you are on a budget, and particularly a tight budget, you focus on the big picture: rent, groceries, childcare, medical expenses and stuff like that. It was a long time ago but if I remember correctly $25.00 was the allotted amount to be spent on food. Those days are past me now but with the circumstances that have occurred this year and the lack of a regular paycheck for me, we are once again on a budget of sorts. Gone are the trips to have my nails done, or spend hours browsing through Amazon looking for the next best book and I don't even want to check out what's for sale on Ebay. The library works for getting books, just not always in a timely fashion but it's free so I'm not complaining (too much). I do miss Amazon but you have to do what you have to do.
Happy Thursday everyone.
P
I don't have writer's block - I do have blogging block - which is pretty much the same thing. What to write about? What topic can I take on? It needs to be more on the light side, I don't want to write about politics (partly because I don't understand very much of what happens in Washington). Or to turn that around maybe the truth is not much DOES happen in Washington. I'm sure the people who have had to work reduced hours or not work at all would agree about the not much happening.
I doubt that the senators and representatives are hurt financially with an unapproved budget. In their world, they don't have to live paycheck to paycheck. Their cars, I am sure, are some kind of high end vehicle and possibly some of them may even be driven to work.
They don't have to make a can of soup or spaghetti stretch to feed an entire family. They don't have to worry about how they are going to pay for daycare for the days that an employee has to go into work. They don't fret about losing power or paying for necessary medical care. It is almost as if the politicians live in a bubble. Actually they do exist in a bubble filled with all the things that money can buy. And they have a lot of money and probably very few financial worries. Must be nice.
I think it would be nice if, just once in a while, a politician thought about the regular folks that put him/her in a position of power. The regular folks need a paycheck (a full paycheck) so that they can meet their obligations which is a lot more serious than balancing the federal budget.
Many years ago I didn't have a lot of money and I remember having to go to the grocery store and counting every penny that I was spending. I only had so much money and didn't have the luxury of freely spending money any which way I wanted. When you are on a budget, and particularly a tight budget, you focus on the big picture: rent, groceries, childcare, medical expenses and stuff like that. It was a long time ago but if I remember correctly $25.00 was the allotted amount to be spent on food. Those days are past me now but with the circumstances that have occurred this year and the lack of a regular paycheck for me, we are once again on a budget of sorts. Gone are the trips to have my nails done, or spend hours browsing through Amazon looking for the next best book and I don't even want to check out what's for sale on Ebay. The library works for getting books, just not always in a timely fashion but it's free so I'm not complaining (too much). I do miss Amazon but you have to do what you have to do.
Happy Thursday everyone.
P
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Privacy
10/16/2013
Privacy. Everybody wants to be in control of their personal information and has the right to decide who gets that information or who doesn't. We have a large shredder here at home and all unsolicited mail goes into the shredder. Likewise, some enclosures that come in the mail that relate to our medical (for instance) claims goes into the shredder.
Believe me when I say that we are not so over the top that we shred everything that comes into the house that is not needed or wanted. If we did that we would need a much bigger shredder than the one we currently have. But we do shred a lot of things and over the course of several years have burned up more than a few shredders. To buy an office-sized shredder capable of going through paper at a super speed costs a lot of money. I suppose by the time we added up the cost of all the shredders we have bought it is likely that we could have bought a commercial shredder.
I remember, and likely you do too, when mail that wasn't necessary or solicited just went into the trash much like the morning coffee grounds. Then somewhere along the way people began to seal identities and wreck havoc on innocent lives. Hence, the shredder. The fewer pieces of paper that are circulating around with our name on it the better it is. Of course when the shredder is full then comes the messy part of emptying the bin. This is ideally a two man job, one person to hold the large plastic bag while the other person dumps in the contents. Does some stuff land on the floor? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. It's not more than a vacuum can handle, it's just the final step in shredding.
I know in the office people become masters of pushing down the contents of the shredder bag in hopes that their documents will not overfill the bag and require them to bother with emptying the bag and cleaning up the residual shredded papers that seem to go with the territory of emptying the shredder. Eventually of course some brave soul has to tackle the problem and just the mere act of dragging the bag out from the bin sends random bits of paper flying. Those random bits require clean up and I used to use packing tape to get the paper picked up.
Happy Shredding.
P
Privacy. Everybody wants to be in control of their personal information and has the right to decide who gets that information or who doesn't. We have a large shredder here at home and all unsolicited mail goes into the shredder. Likewise, some enclosures that come in the mail that relate to our medical (for instance) claims goes into the shredder.
Believe me when I say that we are not so over the top that we shred everything that comes into the house that is not needed or wanted. If we did that we would need a much bigger shredder than the one we currently have. But we do shred a lot of things and over the course of several years have burned up more than a few shredders. To buy an office-sized shredder capable of going through paper at a super speed costs a lot of money. I suppose by the time we added up the cost of all the shredders we have bought it is likely that we could have bought a commercial shredder.
I remember, and likely you do too, when mail that wasn't necessary or solicited just went into the trash much like the morning coffee grounds. Then somewhere along the way people began to seal identities and wreck havoc on innocent lives. Hence, the shredder. The fewer pieces of paper that are circulating around with our name on it the better it is. Of course when the shredder is full then comes the messy part of emptying the bin. This is ideally a two man job, one person to hold the large plastic bag while the other person dumps in the contents. Does some stuff land on the floor? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. It's not more than a vacuum can handle, it's just the final step in shredding.
I know in the office people become masters of pushing down the contents of the shredder bag in hopes that their documents will not overfill the bag and require them to bother with emptying the bag and cleaning up the residual shredded papers that seem to go with the territory of emptying the shredder. Eventually of course some brave soul has to tackle the problem and just the mere act of dragging the bag out from the bin sends random bits of paper flying. Those random bits require clean up and I used to use packing tape to get the paper picked up.
Happy Shredding.
P
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Socks
10/9/2013
What's the deal with socks? Well for one thing they go missing a lot. How many times have you put "x" pair of socks in the washing machine and after washing and drying end up with only "y" socks. Ever wonder where the missing sock went? I do. Does the washing machine or dryer gremlins steal them? Are they stuck underneath the agitator never to be seen again? And you'll notice that it's not a pair of socks that are missing - just one. Because if an entire pair of socks went missing, it's likely you wouldn't even miss them, particularly if it was a pair of socks much like several others you own. As a sock owner then the dilemma becomes do you or don't you throw out the remaining orphan sock. One part of you rationalizes that the missing sock is sure to show up SOME DAY, so it stands to reason that if you toss out one sock, then you are guaranteed to never have a pair. Personally, I have found that a missing sock remains missing. I used to find socks heavy with static clinging to the underside of a t-shirt that would sort it's self out eventually when the shirt in question is worn. Now with all the new products available, static cling isn't much of a problem anymore. Now if I was a smart person, I would gather up all of my socks and put them in a mesh bag before washing. It seems unlikely that socks would go missing if they were all huddled together for laundry day.
I don't know about you but I have a sock cemetery beside my bed. I generally go to bed each night with a pair of socks on, and during the course of the night become too hot and take the socks off. Some of the socks actually make it to the floor where they gather in a pile for my future use. Those socks are easy to find. Others get tangled in with the bedding and are harder to find partly because I don't have any desire at bedtime to rummage around in the bed to find an orphan sock (or two).
The trick is to always wear odd socks - the missing ones come creeping out of hiding and back into the drawer if totally ignored! (Author unknown)
So spend some time today rummaging around in your sock drawer and see how many actual pairs you now have.
Happy Wednesday.
P
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Pay Phones and Mail Boxes
10/8/2013
I have noticed in my travels around the county that the old blue mailboxes that there is a scarcity of them. When did that happen? Where did they all go? And don't people still need mailboxes? We do have a mailbox in our neighborhood and I do use it and I may be in the minority. I grew up, and maybe you did too, with the mailboxes and nobody ever thought, at least back then, that they, for the most part, would cease to exist. Does nobody send real mail anymore? You know and I know that eventually those boxes that stand on street corners will probably be removed. Do you use the mailbox in your neighborhood? Or is it more of a hassle to get out of your car, walk around to the box to deposit your mail?
Payphones. Do they exist? And if so where are they? When I was a teenager my Dad would give me a quarter before every date so that if things weren't working out, I could always call home. Of course, if you could find a payphone now, it would cost much more than twenty-five cents. It seems like everybody has a cellphone and can't bear to be separated from it for even a few minutes.
I have a cellphone but it's not activated. It was once but I always forgot how to use it, never turned it on and couldn't figure out how to answer it. Technology has certainly left me in the dust and on some level I'm okay with that. We have already established that I really don't enjoy chatting on the phone, would never answer the phone if I was driving and see no good reason to make a call when I'm away from home.
Of course the less I grab on to modern technology the farther I get behind. It's the nature of things. I'm still clinging to some outdated things because they are comfortable and don't require me to have a masters degree to operate! I know this sounds like the grumbling of an old woman - and I guess it is.
So if I'm going to make an appointment I do it the old-fashioned way - paper and pen! This system, by the way, still works. My biggest problem with doing this is I have to remember where I put the paper so that I can put it on my calendar once I get home. But even having to do this is a minor inconvenience for me and one I gladly deal with.
Call someone today. Everybody will answer you except me - not that I don't want to hear from you, I'm just not connected!
Happy Tuesday.
P
Monday, October 7, 2013
It's Dark Outside
10/7/2013
I don't know if you're an early riser, but if you are it's dark outside. At 6:30 this morning I could have easily convinced myself it was the middle of the night. Clearly we are marching towards winter even though my air conditioners would beg to differ as they hum nearly constantly (for which Pepco thanks us)!
I didn't have a real exciting weekend. Just did the usual things: laundry, vacuum, scheduled a week's worth of television and went and got groceries. You should never grocery shop on an empty or near empty stomach. Your cart fills up quick and you may be surprised when you get home with what you actually bought. I put putting away groceries right up there with folding and putting away laundry. Hate it. Reason? Have no earthly idea. I just know that it's an unfavorable chore for me. I am guilty of taking the clothes out of the dryer and folding them and then leaving them on top of the washer for a few days (or longer).
Another little known fact - I hate unloading the dishwasher and for many years have never really taken everything out. I generally leave a cup or glass inside and they get to go through many wash cycles. Why? Because in truth I'm just a bit on the lazy side when it comes to some chores and emptying the dishwasher is one of them.
I keep my cookie sheets inside my oven partly because it makes such a fine storage place for them. I have been doing this long enough to know that you don't turn the oven on without removing the sheets first. I suppose I could make room in my cabinets for the cookie sheets but I don't bother since the oven does such a nice job of holding them.
For some chores around house I need some prodding! I will never win a "Suzie Homemaker" award and that's fine with me. There is more to life than doing laundry and dishes. Yes I know that both chores have to be done - but they don't have to be done timely. I generally put the clothes away when I run out of clothes and I unload the dishwasher when there are no clean dishes in the cupboard! Working this way makes perfect sense to me. I get done what needs to be done right now and the rest of the stuff will wait until I get around to it.
By the way I started the book "The Racketeer" by John Grisham yesterday and I had a hard time putting the book down all day. I was constantly running back to my chair to get a few more pages read. It's just that good.
What little (or big) chore do you put off hoping that eventually somebody else will do it for you? You do this even though you know there is no magic fairy in your pocket that is going to help you out.
Smile - it's Monday and it won't return for seven days!
Enjoy
P
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Television and Books
10/6/2013
On Sunday mornings I get to do two of my favorite things. I get to sit in my chair, drink coffee and have toast while I peruse the paper looking for this week's must see (at least in my world) television. I also scan the bestseller list for this week so that I can make note of books I want to read, which I will order from the library.
On the bestseller list, the books that I'm most interested in reading are: The Racketeer by John Grisham; The Forgotten by David Baldacci; also by Baldacci is Hit; Mirror, Mirror which has stories from five authors on fairy tale classics such as Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. In nonfiction a book that has me interested is Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey Into the Afterlife by Eben Alexander. You might also want to read Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo, which is the story of a little boy who supposedly went to heaven and was returned. Even if you don't believe in heaven, the book has a lot of beautiful descriptions of what this little boy saw and I enjoyed the book a great deal.
Here's what's going to be recorded at my house this week:
Sunday night shows: As you can see Sunday night recording requires a bit of maneuvering to get all the shows we want to watch. Some of the shows on Showtime, for instance, are available later in the week and that gives me some room for other broadcast shows.
Sixty Minutes
Masterpiece Classic at 9:00 on PBS
Masters of Sex on Showtime
Alaskan Women Looking for Love
Homeland on Showtime
The Good Wife
The Amazing Race
The Mentalist
Secrets of Highclere Castle on PBS on Tuesday
Movie on Hallmark: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - Saturday night
MasterChef on Friday night
Survivor on Wednesday
After I review the tv guide, then I sit down at the television with Tivo remote in hand and try to juggle the best night of television - which is Sunday night. Everything is on and generally delayed thanks to a football game. I have to allow for the game to go past it's allotted time so I always allow at least an extra hour to be sure that I get all my shows.
The above shows are "must see" television. I can then junk up my television schedule with Chopped; Say Yes to the Dress; The Real Housewives of ..... ;Cutthroat Kitchen; Storage Wars; Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives; and Mystery Diners and any and all kinds of cooking shows.
I will confess I am a reality show junkie. I loved the Bachelor or Bachelorette when they were on and I love the Real Housewives. These shows are not great television but they are entertaining! If somebody wants to go on national television and make a fool out of themselves, I'm generally willing to watch.
I will go to the den, marker in one hand, Tivo remote in the other and plan out my week of television. Lucky for me Jeff doesn't have too many opinions about what we watch. He may give me grief for all the reality and cooking shows, but he's fine with them as long as he doesn't have to watch them!
Have a relaxing Sunday.
Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless. ~Bill Watterson
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Saturday
10/5/2013
I'm typing in front of my light box, drinking coffee and a warmed up waffle. Yesterday after my ECT treatment, we went to the battery warehouse and with the help of the wholesaler managed to move two more vans to the auction site. Since you can only drive one vehicle at a time, the entire afternoon was eaten up with trips back and forth. There is now only one vehicle that needs to be moved and maybe we can take it to the auction next Friday.
Unfortunately for you the reader, I don't have very much to say today. Shocking I know. We leave in an hour to get me to the hospital in time to begin my Saturday groups. There was only 12 of us on Thursday and I'm pretty sure that fewer folks show up today. I know I wouldn't drag myself out of bed early on Saturday if I had a choice.
We are supposed to go out to Andy's house this weekend and check up on Smokey (the cat). Andy has had Smokey for years and seeing her actually walking around the house is akin to seeing a UFO - very rare.
I am packing a small bag for my groups today - some hard candy and cold grapes for snacks. Oh and some pages from one of my puzzle books to work on during downtime.
Once I get home this afternoon maybe I"ll have some news or an opinion to share.
I wanted to find some funny quote about Saturdays but while there are some, they just didn't tickle my funny bone this morning - so I have spared you!
Have a great Saturday.
P
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Tomorrow's Blog
10/3/2013
If you are reading this Thursday evening my intent is for this to be my Friday morning post. I am leaving to go for an ECT treatment early tomorrow morning and will not be in the mood for blogging or even talking. I decided it would be better to write an evening post rather than leave any of my faithful followers wondering where I am tomorrow morning. I tend to get a bit worked up prior to these treatments even though I know exactly what to expect, but it never seems to make a difference in my irrational mind.
Today was my first day at the partial hospital program at the local hospital. When we checked in I said that my anxiety was a 10 (not good). In the afternoon at check out time I had my anxiety more under control and had a good day. The hospital gives us a prepaid card of $6.00 to use in the cafeteria for lunch. My lunch came to $5.68 and that included a cookie! I will have to skip tomorrow's groups but will be back on track for Saturday.
The big news for Friday is that Sam (terrier) will turn 13. Even though he has cataracts, he still manages to chase furry things out of the yard. He sleeps a lot but still knows when the UPS or Fed Ex trucks are on the street and barks to make sure we know their on the street. Interestingly, he allows the lawn people to come into the backyard with nary a bark. He's not a very good watch dog, but we'll keep him anyway.
Tomorrow Scott will be closing on his new house and I know that he and Jackie are very excited. Who doesn't love a new house? The game plan for tomorrow is that after my treatment and I get fed some sort of breakfast - McDonald's comes to mind, Jeff and I will head down to their house and see what kind of assistance we can offer. I suspect that my contribution will be reading a book and staying out of the way. I know better than to be a pushy mother-in-law and that every woman already knows how they want things done in their house. I remember when we moved into our house all of the "assistance" that we received while well intentioned didn't speed up the process of moving in at all. If anything it slowed things down because you can't be in two places at the same time and tell people how or where you want things.
So pretend this is Friday, have a nice weekend. It's possible that my blogs may be a bit scarce over the weekend but I'll try to at least get something written in the evening.
P
Wild Life Refuge
10/3/2013
I live in an urban area where there are more roads than sidewalks. Where nobody, except for the super fittest people, walk to do their shopping.because it's a hike. And nobody wants to drag home bags of groceries when the car is just sitting in the driveway doing nothing.
For the last twenty plus years our house has become some kind of wild life refuge. Under our porch lives a ground hog or hedge hog - trust me I don't know the difference. What he's doing under there all day I probably don't want to know.
We have a number of oak trees in our yard and the biggest one is in the front and has proven to be a squirrel's paradise. The little furry creatures scurry up and down the oak tree all day long and have become so bold that they don't always run away when we come out of the house. At this time of year we buy dried corn cobs (I know this exacerbates the problem but we feel like somebody has to feed them )and put one or two out in the front yard every other day or so. I know, I know, once you feed something they will never leave. We do enjoy watching the squirrels and like the critter that lives under the porch probably don't want to know where they take their naps. Who knows it might be a pretty busy place under the porch,. I'm hoping that they burrow under the house rather than try and get in the attic. I hate the sound of scurrying feet over the top of my head.
Deer live in our neighborhood and while it's rare they occasionally get brave enough to saunter on a front lawn and they want to nibble on the flowers and plants that they find. Since I don't have a Better Homes and Garden yard filled with delicate flowers, I don't get too worked up about nibbling deer.
Then there is Chip and Dale (and I don't mean the kind you automatically thought of). We have two little chipmunks that also apparently live under the porch. Who knows maybe there is a whole city down there. Now Chip and Dale are fast creatures and the only time you see them is when we open the door which surprises them. By the way these guys are fast - they can get out of the yard, across the driveway and over to the neighbor's house in a nano second.
Even knowing that a whole city of animals may be eating the concrete that holds up our front porch (which isn't likely), it is more likely that there is an intricate living arrangement down there. Since we humans can't get under the porch, we'll just have to surmise what and who live on our small piece of land.
During the dead of winter when snow and ice cover the ground that is when we are very likely the people who are throwing out bread and any remaining corn cobs to feed these wondrous creatures, who in the big scheme of things, don't bother us at all. One of the advantages of having squirrels in the yard is that it gives Sam (the terrier) some much needed exercise while he races around the backyard trying to catch his prey. He never does of course but once he has spotted a squirrel he winds up his high pitched bark (neighbors love that so much - not) and
proceeds to run around like crazy. Maggie (the lab) who is too big to cut corners like Sam does lags behind. Half the time I don't think Maggie even knows what she's chasing - just playing follow the leader!
Off to my day program this morning. Have a great day.
P
I live in an urban area where there are more roads than sidewalks. Where nobody, except for the super fittest people, walk to do their shopping.because it's a hike. And nobody wants to drag home bags of groceries when the car is just sitting in the driveway doing nothing.
For the last twenty plus years our house has become some kind of wild life refuge. Under our porch lives a ground hog or hedge hog - trust me I don't know the difference. What he's doing under there all day I probably don't want to know.
We have a number of oak trees in our yard and the biggest one is in the front and has proven to be a squirrel's paradise. The little furry creatures scurry up and down the oak tree all day long and have become so bold that they don't always run away when we come out of the house. At this time of year we buy dried corn cobs (I know this exacerbates the problem but we feel like somebody has to feed them )and put one or two out in the front yard every other day or so. I know, I know, once you feed something they will never leave. We do enjoy watching the squirrels and like the critter that lives under the porch probably don't want to know where they take their naps. Who knows it might be a pretty busy place under the porch,. I'm hoping that they burrow under the house rather than try and get in the attic. I hate the sound of scurrying feet over the top of my head.
Deer live in our neighborhood and while it's rare they occasionally get brave enough to saunter on a front lawn and they want to nibble on the flowers and plants that they find. Since I don't have a Better Homes and Garden yard filled with delicate flowers, I don't get too worked up about nibbling deer.
Then there is Chip and Dale (and I don't mean the kind you automatically thought of). We have two little chipmunks that also apparently live under the porch. Who knows maybe there is a whole city down there. Now Chip and Dale are fast creatures and the only time you see them is when we open the door which surprises them. By the way these guys are fast - they can get out of the yard, across the driveway and over to the neighbor's house in a nano second.
Even knowing that a whole city of animals may be eating the concrete that holds up our front porch (which isn't likely), it is more likely that there is an intricate living arrangement down there. Since we humans can't get under the porch, we'll just have to surmise what and who live on our small piece of land.
During the dead of winter when snow and ice cover the ground that is when we are very likely the people who are throwing out bread and any remaining corn cobs to feed these wondrous creatures, who in the big scheme of things, don't bother us at all. One of the advantages of having squirrels in the yard is that it gives Sam (the terrier) some much needed exercise while he races around the backyard trying to catch his prey. He never does of course but once he has spotted a squirrel he winds up his high pitched bark (neighbors love that so much - not) and
proceeds to run around like crazy. Maggie (the lab) who is too big to cut corners like Sam does lags behind. Half the time I don't think Maggie even knows what she's chasing - just playing follow the leader!
Off to my day program this morning. Have a great day.
P
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Tattoos and Piercings
10/2/2013
This is a subject of which I know little and frankly am glad that I'm ignorant. I grew up in a time (oh like a hundred years ago) where it seemed as if nobody, at least nobody I knew, had a tattoo or multiple piercings. What I am seeing now is the number of women, and men too I suppose, that have multiple tattoos and piercings. With regard to piercings I'm not talking about one earring per lobe - nope I'm talking about piercings that go all the way up an earlobe. And some ears have gigantic earrings (I'm talking really big) in the lower part of the ear. Then there are the piercings on the side of the nose or by the belly button as well as the lip. Yikes all I can say is ouch. I know from my one experience twenty plus years ago that I thought the business of getting an ear pierced was painful and not something I want to do over again. I have two pairs of earrings, both on the dainty side, there are my emerald studs and my diamond studs. That's it. I have never worn, and likely never will, wear dangling earrings. I think they look lovely on other women but frankly the swinging motion against my neck would drive me crazy (and we know that's a short trip)!
As for tattoos it seems like more and more women have them, on their ankles, back of the neck, arms, legs and you name it. Also tattoos aren't confined to the young anymore, they are appearing on older people as well. Tattooing is so permanent and I'm betting painful, probably more so than having your ears pierced! I don't want to wear my loved one's name on my arm, or anywhere else for that matter. I have seen the television show Tattoo Wars where people come in with some pretty awful tattoos and want them converted into something less controversial. So as far as body accessorizing goes I am definitely behind the times and intend to stay that way. I don't judge because it's their body and they can do with it as they please. As for me I'll just stick to being pretty much unadorned. Disclaimer: I do now wear more than one bracelet every day, which is something I wouldn't have thought about a few years ago. I'm such a rebel!
I hope it's sunny where you are - it certainly is here.
P
This is a subject of which I know little and frankly am glad that I'm ignorant. I grew up in a time (oh like a hundred years ago) where it seemed as if nobody, at least nobody I knew, had a tattoo or multiple piercings. What I am seeing now is the number of women, and men too I suppose, that have multiple tattoos and piercings. With regard to piercings I'm not talking about one earring per lobe - nope I'm talking about piercings that go all the way up an earlobe. And some ears have gigantic earrings (I'm talking really big) in the lower part of the ear. Then there are the piercings on the side of the nose or by the belly button as well as the lip. Yikes all I can say is ouch. I know from my one experience twenty plus years ago that I thought the business of getting an ear pierced was painful and not something I want to do over again. I have two pairs of earrings, both on the dainty side, there are my emerald studs and my diamond studs. That's it. I have never worn, and likely never will, wear dangling earrings. I think they look lovely on other women but frankly the swinging motion against my neck would drive me crazy (and we know that's a short trip)!
As for tattoos it seems like more and more women have them, on their ankles, back of the neck, arms, legs and you name it. Also tattoos aren't confined to the young anymore, they are appearing on older people as well. Tattooing is so permanent and I'm betting painful, probably more so than having your ears pierced! I don't want to wear my loved one's name on my arm, or anywhere else for that matter. I have seen the television show Tattoo Wars where people come in with some pretty awful tattoos and want them converted into something less controversial. So as far as body accessorizing goes I am definitely behind the times and intend to stay that way. I don't judge because it's their body and they can do with it as they please. As for me I'll just stick to being pretty much unadorned. Disclaimer: I do now wear more than one bracelet every day, which is something I wouldn't have thought about a few years ago. I'm such a rebel!
I hope it's sunny where you are - it certainly is here.
P
It's Wednesday
10/2/2013
Does anything really ever happen on Wednesday? I'm not sure that I can think of a Wednesday holiday. Three day holidays only ever involve Friday or Monday, but never a Wednesday. Even the Thanksgiving holiday leaves Wednesday out in the cold.
So what's happening at my house on this brisk fall day? For starters, I had to set my alarm clock for the first time in nearly ten months. This is big people. I was so sure that I would oversleep (I know that the alarm was set) that I woke up several times during the night to see how much time I had left for sleeping. And every time I woke up I was genuinely satisfied that I had "x" hours left of the night. Interestingly, these periodic moments of being awake did not disturb my overall sleep at all.
After breakfast and a shower, Jeff and I leave for the hospital where I will begin my partial day hospitalization program. I will go 6 days a week from basically 9 to 3, which will put some much needed structure into my day. I'll get group therapy all day long and then be able to come home for the evenings. I will do this program somewhere from 2 to 4 weeks. So while it was a drag getting up this morning, I know it's for the best.
I watched the tv show Pioneer Woman yesterday and she had a simple, and I do mean simple recipe for peanut butter cookies. Buy refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough and after you slice it, cut each slice into four pieces. Put those pieces, without shaping, into mini muffin tins and bake. When they come out of the oven, put an unwrapped chocolate and peanut butter candy in the middle of each cookie. They looked so good, and who doesn't like chocolate and peanut butter? Forget the wonderful combination of flavors, I loved the ease of it.
Andy et al are on their way this morning to Disney World and I know that Benjamin is ubber excited. I know they will have a good time and will ride everything at least once, if not twice. Gone are the days where you bought books of tickets (Disneyland) that was your entry to rides, some rides better than others. Now Andy et al wear colored wristbands which I assume is their entry into rides.
This Friday Scott is closing on his new house in St. Mary's county. He posted on Facebook that he is looking for volunteers to help with moving. So I'm sure once my Saturday program is over that Jeff will offer to help out. I'm not much use in the moving department and for sure am in the way when it comes to unpacking and putting things away in somebody's else's house.
In case you're wondering (and I doubt that you are), I'm still typing in the mornings with my SAD light on. Does it help me? I don't know, but what I do know is that it doesn't hurt me.
I'd love to sit around and chat but duty calls. It won't do for me to be late this morning and you never know about rush hour traffic around here.
Will all the hubbub about medical plans, including Obamacare care I'm unsure what we're supposed to do, if anything. I do know that Jeff and I will soon have to make a decision about medical care for the upcoming year. It has always been easy. Our medical insurance was provided through IBM and I only carried disability insurance, which as we know, came in handy big time this year. Guess we'll have to do some research and figure out the next step.
Have a glorious Wednesday.
P
Does anything really ever happen on Wednesday? I'm not sure that I can think of a Wednesday holiday. Three day holidays only ever involve Friday or Monday, but never a Wednesday. Even the Thanksgiving holiday leaves Wednesday out in the cold.
So what's happening at my house on this brisk fall day? For starters, I had to set my alarm clock for the first time in nearly ten months. This is big people. I was so sure that I would oversleep (I know that the alarm was set) that I woke up several times during the night to see how much time I had left for sleeping. And every time I woke up I was genuinely satisfied that I had "x" hours left of the night. Interestingly, these periodic moments of being awake did not disturb my overall sleep at all.
After breakfast and a shower, Jeff and I leave for the hospital where I will begin my partial day hospitalization program. I will go 6 days a week from basically 9 to 3, which will put some much needed structure into my day. I'll get group therapy all day long and then be able to come home for the evenings. I will do this program somewhere from 2 to 4 weeks. So while it was a drag getting up this morning, I know it's for the best.
I watched the tv show Pioneer Woman yesterday and she had a simple, and I do mean simple recipe for peanut butter cookies. Buy refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough and after you slice it, cut each slice into four pieces. Put those pieces, without shaping, into mini muffin tins and bake. When they come out of the oven, put an unwrapped chocolate and peanut butter candy in the middle of each cookie. They looked so good, and who doesn't like chocolate and peanut butter? Forget the wonderful combination of flavors, I loved the ease of it.
Andy et al are on their way this morning to Disney World and I know that Benjamin is ubber excited. I know they will have a good time and will ride everything at least once, if not twice. Gone are the days where you bought books of tickets (Disneyland) that was your entry to rides, some rides better than others. Now Andy et al wear colored wristbands which I assume is their entry into rides.
This Friday Scott is closing on his new house in St. Mary's county. He posted on Facebook that he is looking for volunteers to help with moving. So I'm sure once my Saturday program is over that Jeff will offer to help out. I'm not much use in the moving department and for sure am in the way when it comes to unpacking and putting things away in somebody's else's house.
In case you're wondering (and I doubt that you are), I'm still typing in the mornings with my SAD light on. Does it help me? I don't know, but what I do know is that it doesn't hurt me.
I'd love to sit around and chat but duty calls. It won't do for me to be late this morning and you never know about rush hour traffic around here.
Will all the hubbub about medical plans, including Obamacare care I'm unsure what we're supposed to do, if anything. I do know that Jeff and I will soon have to make a decision about medical care for the upcoming year. It has always been easy. Our medical insurance was provided through IBM and I only carried disability insurance, which as we know, came in handy big time this year. Guess we'll have to do some research and figure out the next step.
Have a glorious Wednesday.
P
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Tonight's Dinner
10/1/2013
Tonight I'm pretending to be a contender on one of my favorite shows Chopped. If you're not familiar the contestants are given specific ingredients for each course that they must use to make an appetizer, an entree and dessert and they are timed. I have always found it fascinating how the chefs can take the weirdest ingredients and make something that generally is edible. I say that the judges find the food, most of the time, to be edible. I, on the other hand, think the food looks grim but what do I know, I'm just a meat and potatoes kind of gal.
Tonight I am going to make one of my one dish wonders that are never the same because I generally don't have the same ingredients available when I concote my meal.
So here's what I'm throwing together tonight:
I'm browning hamburger and then adding green pepper. Meanwhile I have some pasta that I'm going to cook which will be combined with the finished product. I will add some black beans, cans of Ortega green chilies and tomatoes, dollops of Salsa and corn. I also have some leftover peas from last night's dinner and it's likely they'll end up in the pot too.
Once the pasta is cooked and drained, into the pot it goes. The finishing touch is putting cheddar cheese on top which will get nice and gooey. Add canned onion rings if you have them available.
Basically, that's it. You could add or leave out certain ingredients. You could add Orgega's HOT chilies and tomatoes if you like heat. If I was making it just for Jeff then I would definitely drag out everything hot that I could find.
Oh and just before serving a dollop of sour cream on top.
That's it. Enjoy
Tonight I'm pretending to be a contender on one of my favorite shows Chopped. If you're not familiar the contestants are given specific ingredients for each course that they must use to make an appetizer, an entree and dessert and they are timed. I have always found it fascinating how the chefs can take the weirdest ingredients and make something that generally is edible. I say that the judges find the food, most of the time, to be edible. I, on the other hand, think the food looks grim but what do I know, I'm just a meat and potatoes kind of gal.
Tonight I am going to make one of my one dish wonders that are never the same because I generally don't have the same ingredients available when I concote my meal.
So here's what I'm throwing together tonight:
I'm browning hamburger and then adding green pepper. Meanwhile I have some pasta that I'm going to cook which will be combined with the finished product. I will add some black beans, cans of Ortega green chilies and tomatoes, dollops of Salsa and corn. I also have some leftover peas from last night's dinner and it's likely they'll end up in the pot too.
Once the pasta is cooked and drained, into the pot it goes. The finishing touch is putting cheddar cheese on top which will get nice and gooey. Add canned onion rings if you have them available.
Basically, that's it. You could add or leave out certain ingredients. You could add Orgega's HOT chilies and tomatoes if you like heat. If I was making it just for Jeff then I would definitely drag out everything hot that I could find.
Oh and just before serving a dollop of sour cream on top.
That's it. Enjoy
Technology
10/1/2013
Ever think about the good old days? Remember princess phones and every girl had to have one. Never mind that they were a booger to use - too lightweight which made it difficult for dialing. But oh the colors - pink, turquoise and of course the old lady colors - white, beige and black (blah). I had a princess phone but pretty sure my folks didn't let me get away with anything other than white (because it goes with everything). The 60's we were all about matchy-matchy. We were not rebels, we didn't wear white after Labor Day and our shoes ALWAYS matched our clothes. But I digress. Back to technology.
Growing up with had dial phones and I'm sure you did too and even party lines when I lived in Illinois during my high school years. If you were polite, when you picked up the phone and heard a conversation, you were SUPPOSED to hang up and try again in a few minutes. But we're human and the urge to listen in is strong and who knows you might pick up a juicy piece of gossip!
Fast forward to today and some, not all, of the modern technology has left me feeling a lot like a dinosaur and unable to adapt to the new cellphones, as only one example. I have a cellphone but my ability to make or receive calls has been turned off. Why? Simply because I can't ever seem to get the right sequence of buttons for answering and I don't care how many times you show me, it just doesn't stick. As for outgoing calls I learned my lesson while at Hopkins and did have the ability to make calls, I called my sister in California during the middle of the night. To be fair I was confused about the time but gave her a scare. After that the phone was locked up and my phone was reduced to receiving emails. Can't screw that up too much. I don't like talking on a "real" phone and really don't like using these tiny phones that don't have a real receiver. My fear is that someday real phones will become extinct and everyone will be forced to use these itty phones whether you like it or not. Keeping my fingers crossed that it never comes down to that.
Another technology challenge is passwords. I assume that you, like myself, have at least a zillion passwords to just as many sites. Remember you're not supposed to write this stuff down but then how in the heck are you going to keep track? And then there is the tried to log on too many times with the wrong password and you get to go to customer support to try and untangle that nest of worms. I speak from experience about this. Ever since the first of the year when my brain became scrambled, passwords are just annoyances to me and end up making me feel deficient.
For my Tivo I know there are three buttons to turn it on and off and I have spent many days practicing so that I don't have to keep hollering up the stairs for Jeff to come and straighten me out AGAIN. He swears he doesn't mind and I'm sure that's true. But I mind and I mind a great deal.
It's lunch time and my allotted hour of daytime television. I may be behind the times with music and telephones, but I do love and have mostly mastered how to use the television which after 39 years of marriage is a whole lot bigger than the television we started with!
“Technology is anything invented after you were born.” ― Alan Kay
Ever think about the good old days? Remember princess phones and every girl had to have one. Never mind that they were a booger to use - too lightweight which made it difficult for dialing. But oh the colors - pink, turquoise and of course the old lady colors - white, beige and black (blah). I had a princess phone but pretty sure my folks didn't let me get away with anything other than white (because it goes with everything). The 60's we were all about matchy-matchy. We were not rebels, we didn't wear white after Labor Day and our shoes ALWAYS matched our clothes. But I digress. Back to technology.
Growing up with had dial phones and I'm sure you did too and even party lines when I lived in Illinois during my high school years. If you were polite, when you picked up the phone and heard a conversation, you were SUPPOSED to hang up and try again in a few minutes. But we're human and the urge to listen in is strong and who knows you might pick up a juicy piece of gossip!
Fast forward to today and some, not all, of the modern technology has left me feeling a lot like a dinosaur and unable to adapt to the new cellphones, as only one example. I have a cellphone but my ability to make or receive calls has been turned off. Why? Simply because I can't ever seem to get the right sequence of buttons for answering and I don't care how many times you show me, it just doesn't stick. As for outgoing calls I learned my lesson while at Hopkins and did have the ability to make calls, I called my sister in California during the middle of the night. To be fair I was confused about the time but gave her a scare. After that the phone was locked up and my phone was reduced to receiving emails. Can't screw that up too much. I don't like talking on a "real" phone and really don't like using these tiny phones that don't have a real receiver. My fear is that someday real phones will become extinct and everyone will be forced to use these itty phones whether you like it or not. Keeping my fingers crossed that it never comes down to that.
Another technology challenge is passwords. I assume that you, like myself, have at least a zillion passwords to just as many sites. Remember you're not supposed to write this stuff down but then how in the heck are you going to keep track? And then there is the tried to log on too many times with the wrong password and you get to go to customer support to try and untangle that nest of worms. I speak from experience about this. Ever since the first of the year when my brain became scrambled, passwords are just annoyances to me and end up making me feel deficient.
For my Tivo I know there are three buttons to turn it on and off and I have spent many days practicing so that I don't have to keep hollering up the stairs for Jeff to come and straighten me out AGAIN. He swears he doesn't mind and I'm sure that's true. But I mind and I mind a great deal.
It's lunch time and my allotted hour of daytime television. I may be behind the times with music and telephones, but I do love and have mostly mastered how to use the television which after 39 years of marriage is a whole lot bigger than the television we started with!
“Technology is anything invented after you were born.” ― Alan Kay
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