Look for the silver Lining!

There always is one......pollution levels are falling drastically in large cities, because of the work cut-backs from Covid-19. Our skies are cleaner....and that is wonderful. 

We're staying indoors (or sitting on the porch when weather is warm) and away from people. Only our baby daughter has come into the house, and she wears gloves and a mask when she is here.  

One silver lining is that my check book amount is staying at a moderate level, since I am not out buying anything. As long as our Social Security payments stay intact, we'll be fine. We buy food on-line through Instacart - which has been great.  I don't have to go out and the food is delivered and left at our door.  It's much easier than loading it all into the car and then unloading at home. We were shorted on some food items, but our daughter went to the store and found chicken and ground beef for me, so we're good for a while.  

We miss our grandkids, of course, but they can't come to see us. One went to KY for work, one is in NYC, one is in Greensboro and another is in Dunn. One is in Chapel Hill and her sister is in SC. I pray they will all be safe and not catch the virus, but it is up to them to shelter in place and be safe.

I am spending too much time on the phone and the computer - but that's a good way to stay in touch with friends and family. Lots of funny email is passing around and I've had a few "face time" calls - which is nice. I miss all my family so much. 

I was supposed to see my doctor today, but the children did not want me to go there and take a chance on catching a germ. So, the doctor called me and we talked for a while and she says it sounds like I am doing well. She has re-issued my scripts for 1 year, which is good, just in case we have a shortage related to the virus. And I promised her that I would come to the office for lab work as soon as the crisis is over.  

I am playing lots of scrabble, WWF and Lexulous during the down-time, and I am so grateful for all the games to distract me from being stuck at home.

What are you doing these days?

I'm going to be as big as a house....

Staying home and being sequestered makes me want to cook and eat.....never a good thing....for my figure, at least. 

Two days ago I baked a small turkey breast; made gravy and mashed potatoes with green beans and cranberry sauce. We had it for dinner and it was very satisfying - definitely comfort food. The next day, I made hot, open-faced turkey sandwiches for lunch and again, we feasted. As good as the night before.  As soon as dinner was over, I made a small pot of soup with the left-over turkey. I added onions, celery, carrots, fresh thyme, dried basil, Ms. Dash, a bit of salt and pepper.  Today at lunch, I ate a bowl of it. Hot, savory and very good for me - I think. However, I need to stop that now...lol

Tonight, beef tacos are on the menu. I ordered Taco shells, and they sent spicy ones, so I am not sure how that will go over with Jim. I do have a few old, regular ones, so I"ll make them available too.  

Tomorrow, I will put a chuck roast in the crock-pot, with carrots, onions, potatoes and spices/herbs. I  hope it doesn't shrink too much, as I"d like to get 2-3 meals from it. If I keep this up, none of my clothes will fit, and with the looming recession, I may not be able to replace them....so I had better practice some restraint. Think that will happen?

Annus Horibilis - Part Two

Annus horibilis, Part One

Did you ever think that we would be faced with a global pandemic such as coronavirus? I cannot imagine having to go through this after such a bad 2019 (at least personally).

We in America have not had good leadership since being faced with this virus; first it was dismissed as a hoax and a political ploy. Then we remembered that the current president had disbanded the pandemic response team that had been put in place by President Obama, so we have no infrastructure to get us going when we needed advice about what to do next. Watching the news has proven that the white house is a "cluster-f**k" of massive proportions. No one there is equipped mentally or emotionally to handle a national crisis, so we are in deep doodoo. The only voice of reason seems to be Anthony Fauci and we would all do well to listen to his statements and heed them!!

We have been advised to stay home and keep away from shopping and anything that would put us in a crowd of people - especially if we are over 65. I am confounded by the fact that people are still gathering together, even though some of it cannot be helped. I saw pics of the chaos at O'Hare airport yesterday, where hundreds if not thousands of people were herded together in a small area. It is unthinkable  how many might come down with the virus due to that close contact.  

We are self-quarantining, although I have to go out later to pick up some medicines. I will wear a mask and gloves to do that. I am not used to being cooped-up inside all the time, and surviving this episode in my life may be difficult. It has been good for my Scrabble games, however. People are playing more on line and playing more frequently and I am loving it. 

What are you doing to stay clear of the virus? And how are you handling it emotionally? 

The New Scrabble GO

Since when did Scrabble start to be like a tinder date search?  

I have been playing the new Scrabble GO that was just released. They offer a chat possibility with those whom you are playing. I wish I could just turn chat off completely; as it is, I have to "mute" each individual person who texts me.

The game offers challengers the opportunity to play with many more people then I'm used to, and like a good citizen - I accept all challenges. However, I am beginning to rethink that, especially if the challenger is a man.

I am sensing a pattern.....the guy asks to start a game, I comply and after a few plays, he sends a text. The wording is similar in all of them....something like "Hey, pretty lady, I am enjoying this game with you. Where do you live?"  It's scary to be targeted (even though most of them will deny it.)  I was answering "Please do not text me again.", and their inevitable reply is "Why? I just want to get to know you better." 

If I didn't "mute" them immediately, as I have, I would answer this: 

I am not playing Scrabble to meet men or get to know anyone better. There are better places to do that, if I were so inclined (dating sites)  I can assure you I am not.  I simply love the game. 

The funny part is that one of two things happens.... They resign the game immediately, or they keep texting me, in the hopes I'll answer. Then I mute them. But I wish I could just decline all texts in advance - instead of having to do it with each person. 

Hey Scrabble GO.....any chance of that being added soon?  

To be fair, I'll add that only one woman has texted me and I declined her texts; after which she immediately resigned the game. So far, I estimate that I have had to mute about 30 guys. So, I'll say "give it up, guys....at least with me!"

You Don't Say?!

I have had Achilles tendonitis in my left foot for a few months now. I finally went to the foot doctor; who put me in a black cloth and plastic brace for 30 days - which did nothing to help. Then he tried an air cast (a huge boot), and a script for prednisone for 5 days. 

I went back to see the doc last Friday, and after telling him that my pain level was the same as it had been in the beginning, he said I"d need to take a longer course of prednisone, and he would call in a script to my local pharmacy. After checking the pharmacy twice and finding no script for me, I called the office and asked them to please fax the order to my pharmacy ASAP.  

Meanwhile, I received a voice mail and a text stating that a script was waiting for me at a pharmacy in Bemidji, Minnesota. That seemed odd....but I called them to get details. She said the doc had sent the script to them because they had coupons.....and if I could qualify...my meds would cost a lot less. I asked how much and she said $75. 

SO.......I asked how much it would be without coupons, and she said..............

wait for it........

$11,000.00.....

So, I laughed and laughed and called the doc's office to say he had better come up with an alternative medicine.  I got a call back saying another script had been faxed in for me.  

The car has become the carapace, the protective and aggressive shell, of urban and suburban (wo)man.

I got my car inspected today....I wasn't sure it would pass....and I am very glad it did. Of course, it needs some work, but I have known that for 4-5 years. So far, it hasn't failed me.
They always tell me it has an oil leak and a power-steering fluid leak. I add oil and power-steering fluid - and all is well.....at least so far it has been.

I'd love a new van, but I wouldn't love a car payment, so I keep on keeping on with my old van; praying every time I get in it that I will get back home safely, without incident. Do you talk to your car too? 

Nothing new...

Today is my sons' 54th birthday. It hardly seems possible. I remember it as if it were yesterday. Rainy and cold (like today), my water broke at 12:30 am while I was watching

Johnny Carson on TV. I woke Jim up to tell him to get ready to take me to the hospital; he put on his bathrobe and turned on every light in the house - as if that accomplished anything.  LOL.  He called the doc and we dressed, and got in the car. He was running red lights, and even though it was 1 am, I was worried that a cop would stop us. He said we might get a police  escort to the hospital. 

We arrived and checked in, and a volunteer took us on the elevator to the delivery room floor. She talked non-stop about cats and we couldn't wait to get out of there. I guess she was trying to allay our nerves, but it had the opposite effect.

When the doctor arrived, he had on rumpled clothes and an old golf hat, and Jim asked about his ability to be a good doctor.  LOL. I told him I had the utmost faith in this doc and his clothing at 2 in the morning had nothing to do with his abilities. 

I remember being taken to the delivery room - but nothing after that. They knocked me out cold (which I didn't expect) and I was mad when I woke up. He was born at 4:50 am.  I had expected to be able to see the baby immediately, but it was later when they brought him to my room. I was still woozy from the anesthesia....and singularly unimpressed with the baby (at that moment.) Later, when I was fully awake, they brought him in for a feeding, and I inspected all his fingers and toes, etc. I was in LOVE!  My tiny baby. It's wonderful how that feeling of total love overwhelms you; at not first (for me, but second sight. 

He was so tiny; 5 lbs. 14 oz., 19" long and now, at 6'3" - it hardly seems possible that he started life as such a tiny being. Of course, he didn't stay tiny for long. He grew very fast and by 14 months, he was so chubby that people said he looked like Winston Churchill. I know a lot of babies fit that description!

We celebrated his birthday last night, with one of his girls and his S.O. Pizza, salad and chocolate cake. His favorite is pineapple upside-down cake, but I was not up to making one this week.  Maybe next year! Happy birthday, Sonny Boy, we love you more than life itself.