Lori, Jason and the O.F. went to Ruth's Criss Steakhouse for Turkey dinner on Thanksgiving. The ambience was ritzy, the staff attentive, the food very tasty. We each ordered a different side and Jason went the extra step and ordered all the sides! For his kindness he noted a $30.00 charge for a side of green beans. They fixed it but we noted somebody else had the same problem. Kind of makes you go "hmmm." One difference between the commonplace and the ritzy is the quality of the "to go" bags. Although we were completely pleased with the taste of our food we all had the queasies the next day.A leisurely drive home on the A-1-A: Ft. Lauderdale to Deerfield made the perfect outing. We were among the last to traverse it as the high tides and storms washed part of it away along with big swathes of beach.
The war on the snails seem to be working. My nearly bare Bougainvillea bushes are already leafing out and getting showy. A little TLC on the other plants has them looking better too. My master gardener friend Sooz sent organic solutions for snail problems (beer salt, and tipped over pots). I am completely committed to organic solutions until I find a hole in a leaf-then the poison comes out.
Thayne called-he saw the mail lady was putting mail in my mailbox. The forwarding notice evidently didn't register. I thought it had because there was no shortage of mail here. It was crisp in Wyoming ad they were getting ready to bring the cows back from the mountain pasture. It has been very moderate weather here. Loving it
I have resumed my upper body workouts and only pay at bedtime. Tylenol is effective. We have resumed daily walks with the dogs but Hoey is wearing her pinch collar. I am not crazy about those collars but she is a strong willful girl and it is a matter of self preservation: it is this way or no-way. She seems to enjoy the walks as much as Buster. We still go to the dog park once or twice a week.
I got to Labcorp for my blood tests and should hear from Dr. Cohn before long. So overall I am doing pretty well. Mobile, and upright.
The Christmas decorations came out and were arranged and lit. I do like the shiny lights but I probably annoy with my largely secular or pagan displays.
Rich called a few minutes ago..He and Val are in Hawaii to visit Val's daughter, Melissa. found them a cabin in the forest with hot tub and abundant bird and vegetation life. They helicoptered to a volcano eruption site and followed the magma to the sea. Hawaii has a high altitude of 14,000 feet.
Greg and Lew called as they were pulling out of their hometown on their migration southward.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Life is Better
Saturday lunch at the Cove was a pleasant interlude. We drove and watched the boats pull up this time as opposed to our disembarking. I discovered the Green Market-it changes places every year it seems Afterwards Lori invited me to view the stuff that is going out the door as new stuff is coming in the door. I got some treasures though I pledge to keep it down-enough stuff here already. The remodel is coming right along-I can foresee the end result. I think it will be stunning.
The doggies at play in the backyard. They had a good outing at the dog park and came home full of beans.
Dog people are nice people. It is nice to socialize with them while the doggies do the same. They got their very first neighborhood walk this very day. The mornings have been on the brisk side so there was no need to beat the heat and I got the morning soreness out before we went. It went pretty well though there was some after-pain. I am able to do more and more. The yard is benefiting. Some of my plants needed some TLC. I went to Ace to see if there was something that would kill snails as they were devastating some plants. The helpful hardware man kind of creeped me out telling how he knows Bug-Getta works because he sees the snails foaming at the mouth. He was a little too gleeful.
Of course I have been reading,reading. reading as well as enjoying some football. The Ducks/Stanford game was a thriller, though I was rooting for the Ducks. Enjoyed the Steelers game for the drama.
Dog people are nice people. It is nice to socialize with them while the doggies do the same. They got their very first neighborhood walk this very day. The mornings have been on the brisk side so there was no need to beat the heat and I got the morning soreness out before we went. It went pretty well though there was some after-pain. I am able to do more and more. The yard is benefiting. Some of my plants needed some TLC. I went to Ace to see if there was something that would kill snails as they were devastating some plants. The helpful hardware man kind of creeped me out telling how he knows Bug-Getta works because he sees the snails foaming at the mouth. He was a little too gleeful.
Of course I have been reading,reading. reading as well as enjoying some football. The Ducks/Stanford game was a thriller, though I was rooting for the Ducks. Enjoyed the Steelers game for the drama.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Delightful
The weather in Wyoming is getting pretty chilly in my neighborhood-some 19's and 32's on the thermometer. Meanwhile Florida, in my neighborhood, has been almost magically temperate. The door is frequently open to admit dogs and fresh air and the air conditioner rarely kicks on at 76 degrees. A little rain a little wind but nice.
My aches are receding quite a bit and I can now do quite a few things around here. That is a real boost to the old attitude. I can see that falls for seniors have more import- I reflect on getting bucked off a horse onto my head and recovering in a few days, hanging by my ankle from a chain drive International dump truck-that required a cast, getting run over by a hay sled, and numerous bike and motorsickle rashes but nothing that has has hung on so long or been so dispiriting.
I got an e-mail from Big Lots that they had rope lights for $6.50 a strand and since my last year garden lights are mostly toast and were causing the breaker to trip I went up there. Found a Kay Scarpetta book for $3.00- a big fat hardback that revealed how spoiled I am by the Kindle experience. Not handy at all for reading while dining, requires bright light, and is heavy. On the other hand, books don't need to be charged up. The Kindle reader resides on all of my "devices" so it goes everywhere and I always have something to read and always on the page where I left off..
The kids went to Charm City and brought yummy burgers for lunch the other day. Between their sickness and remodeling stuff, I have not seen much of them so the visit was a treat. They are mending and making progress.
Next time I will have done something interesting-I promise
My aches are receding quite a bit and I can now do quite a few things around here. That is a real boost to the old attitude. I can see that falls for seniors have more import- I reflect on getting bucked off a horse onto my head and recovering in a few days, hanging by my ankle from a chain drive International dump truck-that required a cast, getting run over by a hay sled, and numerous bike and motorsickle rashes but nothing that has has hung on so long or been so dispiriting.
I got an e-mail from Big Lots that they had rope lights for $6.50 a strand and since my last year garden lights are mostly toast and were causing the breaker to trip I went up there. Found a Kay Scarpetta book for $3.00- a big fat hardback that revealed how spoiled I am by the Kindle experience. Not handy at all for reading while dining, requires bright light, and is heavy. On the other hand, books don't need to be charged up. The Kindle reader resides on all of my "devices" so it goes everywhere and I always have something to read and always on the page where I left off..
The kids went to Charm City and brought yummy burgers for lunch the other day. Between their sickness and remodeling stuff, I have not seen much of them so the visit was a treat. They are mending and making progress.
Next time I will have done something interesting-I promise
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Election Day 2012
The pundits are nattering about nothing as the ballots are counted. I voted in Wyoming. I'm not sure what the fuss is about-we have a choice between a Democrat wimp and another clueless Republican. The result in either case: we are screwed. The media reminds me of pow-wow announcers-no dead air even if you have to speak in tongues.
Honey found a big ol' poison toad this evening and I had to rinse her mouth and wash her gums with a microfiber cloth. She seems fine but I am not her favorite parson right now. We did get to the dog park yesterday. It had been closed for 8 weeks due to storm related swampiness. They enjoyed their time and slept well. The dog park is one left turn and one right turn-then a straight shot down Highway 1.
Today Amazon via Fedex delivered a steering wheel knob. In the olden days we called them "necking knobs" because they allowed you to steer and have one arm around your girl (waaay before bucket seats). I had checked West Marine for one, checked the $70.00 price tag and hit Amazon. I wanted one that flipped down like my brother had in his old Chrysler sedan. I couldn't find one exactly like it but finally ordered one billed as "Folding steering knob for beginners and Korea girls." ($22.00) I installed it 3 times given my gimpiness but it works fine and I can turn left and right without whining with pain. I am glad to have some (auto)mobility back.
Truth to tell I am getting a little bummed-cabin fever due to the aches from the fall. After the major left arm pain lessened, the ones on my hip and right wrist emerged. Hurt to sit, get up, etc. but that is much better. My left arm is some better but is still very painful-can't slice an onion, can't lift my coffee cup, have to reach across to close the car door, and worst of all, I reach a painful spot before my fork gets to my mouth.
But life goes on and I have done a lot of little puttering around tasks. The vacuum cleaner works right-handed. Jason and Lori have a bug but I got it together enough to put some homemade chicken soup together (no sliced onions), put the crock pot in the van and steering -knobbed myself all 8 blocks to their house.Kept my distance. Bless their hearts-their house is still in disarray but coming right along.
Honey found a big ol' poison toad this evening and I had to rinse her mouth and wash her gums with a microfiber cloth. She seems fine but I am not her favorite parson right now. We did get to the dog park yesterday. It had been closed for 8 weeks due to storm related swampiness. They enjoyed their time and slept well. The dog park is one left turn and one right turn-then a straight shot down Highway 1.
Today Amazon via Fedex delivered a steering wheel knob. In the olden days we called them "necking knobs" because they allowed you to steer and have one arm around your girl (waaay before bucket seats). I had checked West Marine for one, checked the $70.00 price tag and hit Amazon. I wanted one that flipped down like my brother had in his old Chrysler sedan. I couldn't find one exactly like it but finally ordered one billed as "Folding steering knob for beginners and Korea girls." ($22.00) I installed it 3 times given my gimpiness but it works fine and I can turn left and right without whining with pain. I am glad to have some (auto)mobility back.
Truth to tell I am getting a little bummed-cabin fever due to the aches from the fall. After the major left arm pain lessened, the ones on my hip and right wrist emerged. Hurt to sit, get up, etc. but that is much better. My left arm is some better but is still very painful-can't slice an onion, can't lift my coffee cup, have to reach across to close the car door, and worst of all, I reach a painful spot before my fork gets to my mouth.
But life goes on and I have done a lot of little puttering around tasks. The vacuum cleaner works right-handed. Jason and Lori have a bug but I got it together enough to put some homemade chicken soup together (no sliced onions), put the crock pot in the van and steering -knobbed myself all 8 blocks to their house.Kept my distance. Bless their hearts-their house is still in disarray but coming right along.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
How's the Weather?
We left Florida in July with hurricane Isaac impending and here we are hoping that Sandy will give us a miss. The huge storm systems have effects beyond their destructive core. The rain falls at a 45 degree angle at times and the winds gust, riptides make the beaches unsafe, schools close and events are postponed. My chickee hut stays pretty dry. I have been watching carefully because I have, of course, extended music equipment out there.
My left arm is coloring very impressively from wrist to shoulder- lemon yellow to deep purple. Happily, range of motion is greater and pain is less though as the day goes on, the aches increase. I have been reading incessantly as it focuses my mind on something else. Besides, I enjoy it and have discovered a couple of $3.99 Kindle series that I like. I have read Rowling's A Casual Vacancy and liked it. She is always humanistic even when she takes apart genteel society in rural England ala Grace Metalious (Peyton Place).
Lori has gone to Texas for 10 days. Jason has been a brick-checking on me and making a grocery run. He has a full plate with tilers, carpenters, painters and awning people to supervise. He also has a new business. He thrives on it until he doesn't and debilitating headaches set in.
The poor dogs are bored but that is what they get when they injure the leader of the pack. Juneau comes to visit and he gets them going-or vice-versa. They do play in the house and yard but the weather hinders that somewhat.
I have things on my to-do list but they will wait until I can hold a screwdriver, drive etc.
My left arm is coloring very impressively from wrist to shoulder- lemon yellow to deep purple. Happily, range of motion is greater and pain is less though as the day goes on, the aches increase. I have been reading incessantly as it focuses my mind on something else. Besides, I enjoy it and have discovered a couple of $3.99 Kindle series that I like. I have read Rowling's A Casual Vacancy and liked it. She is always humanistic even when she takes apart genteel society in rural England ala Grace Metalious (Peyton Place).
Lori has gone to Texas for 10 days. Jason has been a brick-checking on me and making a grocery run. He has a full plate with tilers, carpenters, painters and awning people to supervise. He also has a new business. He thrives on it until he doesn't and debilitating headaches set in.
The poor dogs are bored but that is what they get when they injure the leader of the pack. Juneau comes to visit and he gets them going-or vice-versa. They do play in the house and yard but the weather hinders that somewhat.
I have things on my to-do list but they will wait until I can hold a screwdriver, drive etc.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Florida Surprises
Hurricane Isaac although hundreds of miles away spawned some nasty weather on the east coast of Florida. My patio canopy and my RV canopy were among the casualties. Lori thought a genuine Seminole Tiki hut would make a nice surprise. Did it ever! It is amazingly cool and cozy under the sheltering palm fronds. Somehow, the whole neighborhood knew about it and kept it a secret from me. It is glorious and I am practically living in it. Having some fun fixing up a "bar"-it has been rain tested and stays pretty dry. Y'all come-I'll make margaritas.
The trip was pretty good-very little night driving but I made good time and we were without negative incident. It was as enjoyable as a 2600 mile drive can be. That is a long way to drive.
Not so nice surprise: Thank goodness for "hillbilly heroin." Walking the dogs the second night here, using the retractable leashes. They were being good and there was considerable slack in the leashes. They caught sight of a cat and I went splat. Bloody gash over my eye, face first on the sidewalk. I collected myself for a minute and a nice young man came over to help. I got up under my own steam and retrieved Honey. Buddy had snapped his collar. I went on home with blood dripping down my face. Then the arm injuries became apparent-incredible pain. Jason took me to the nearest urgent care. I had X-rays and caught a glimpse into the economics of urgent care. Blood tests? $100.00 tetanus shot? "Come back tomorrow"-more X-rays? The pain prescription the doctor gave me the first night could not be filled- too rare and dosage too small. Made it through the night with Tylenol and no sleep whatsoever. The PAC who saw me the next day raised her eyebrows at the prescription and ordered some heavy duty Percocet which is good for the pain but puts one in La-La land. A major ingredient is oxycodone which is hillbilly heroin in West Virginia. So I have spent a couple of days swinging from comatose to yelps of pain. The thumb on my left hand is useful only as a handle for my right hand to move my arm. Still, I am recovering; I can move the mouse if I grit my teeth and move slowly. Looking forward to being able to drive someday soon. .
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