WHATCHA DOING TODAY?

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, you did very well.  And I feel for you about your neck. Mine is killing me right now. Pulling up on DH to get him to a standing position and trying to do other things around here has not helped my neck.  I am afraid I could have done something to it.  I have a plate and Godiva bone in it from C4 to C7.  I am thinking something has moved around that shouldn't have. So next time I see my family doctor, I am going to ask him to order an x-ray. My doctor did give me some muscle relaxers, but i try not to take them and when I do it is only at night. But now I am up and down with DH to much at night to take them. I am afraid he will try to get up with his knee going out and fall and I won't know it. So I just take aleve or advil for the pain for now. Going to use heating pad in a little while on it if the aleve does't kick in soon. 

 

Granddaughter 3 and her boyfriend came over this morning and helped me to find a home for our bed. We put the parts in attic and the headboard in small bedroom behind the double bed's headboard. We only use that room now for a pantry, so it works out and I can still clean and dust behind there with no problem.  They then also moved that two ton couch so I could clean up behind and under it and mop the floor before putting it all back.  Granddaughter wants to come back on another day she has off to help me clean the rest of the windows and some other things.  Now I can get the living room cleaned back up and things put away where they belong again. 

 

DH is doing a bit better today but he is now afraid of moving around to much because of his knee. it is one of those things where it goes out with no warning. I just hope it will not be a knee replacement issue as he has no pain in it and he is not strong enough for surgery. Don't think his heart could handle it at this time. So hoping there is a brace that will help him.. Still trying to get hold of the orthopedic doctor. Going to try early Monday morning. Seems all the doctors around here have changed their hours, making it a bit harder to get through to one.  

 

[Jeepers]

Sorry about your neck too. I also take Advil and use a heating pad. Those filled microwave bags are so nice too. They can conform to any shape. They just don't stay hot as long. I wish they made a half circle heating pad built into a foam wave pillow. Yeah right. Believe me I've looked. I wish there was a pain pill I could take on certain busy occasions. Just to get me through a day of cleaning or shopping. I can handle other days. I don't want to have to take something everyday when I only need it occasionally. Pain meds are hard to get now and doctors look at you with suspicion if you even mention it. 

 

I had that knee thing going on two summers ago. All at once I was down with no warning at all. A couple of times on the cement garage floor. Once I was pushing a cart at an outdoor nursery and just dropped down on one knee still holding on to the cart. Odd feeling. I bounced right up and went on my way like nothing happened. The cart is what saved me from rolling around on the ground.   

 

My doctors office still calls once a week. Now I get two letters a week too. One for blood pressure and one for mammogram. I think they are lonely and mi$$ me. 

[euphrasyne]

I am a redneck from a long line of rednecks so I tend to come up with creative solutions that may not be acceptable to everyone.

 

 

My husband has a lot of pain from an old army injury to his back/hip.  It makes him hurt all over and the heating pad is his best friend.  For the neck, he wraps the heating pad around him like a choker then puts  a C shaped travel pillow around his neck and sort of folds the heating pad back around it.  It works for us.  

 

[Mt_Rider]

Here is my DIY for addressing sore muscles or cold fingers.  I USED to have a heated grain bag.  Made it from a piece of cotton cloth...or a bandana...or whatever.  Fill with a smooth grain like rice.  Oat or wheat would work but it's more pokey.  Beans or lentils might work.  [probably not pop corn]   

 

Edited to add:  Don't fill so full that it's tight...needs to be loose enough to mold into shapes.

 

Tie off the ends of the cloth with string or knots, forming a bag so the grain/beans can't escape.  Heat slowly in low oven [microwave???]  or whatever.  I USED to set mine in a small SS bowl ...on top of a metal trivet...on top of our pellet stove in the winter.  In that specific location, the rice was always warm.   I'd tried different locations and that was the specific distance from the pellet stove to keep it at a nicely warm temperature.  Grain bags mold around the curves of aching human body.  OR it's great for warming up cold hands/toes. 

 

USED to have one......   Y'all might even be able to guess what happened to this marvelous DIY device.      In hopes of saving the 20# PAPER bag of flour from mice till we could get it into more suitable containers, I set the flour on top of the out-of-season pellet stove.  Grain bag was left on the hearth.  Months later I was clearing things away from the pellet stove... cuz we're getting chilly in CO!  I lifted up the SS bowl....and found the grain bag TOTALLY EMPTY. 

 

MtRider   .....dratted mice!!!   

Edited September 27, 2020 by Mt_Rider

[snapshotmiki]

Necks and knees!  I love the DIY suggestions!  I'm still ping ponging back and forth with sleep.  As long as I get some every two or three days, I seem to be ok.

 

Did video yesterday and helped a friend.

Up at 5 this morning, cleaned bathrooms, dusted house and did video.

Fed dogs, went to Church,  then did my and DH's meds and vitamins for the month, hard boiled some eggs and the rest is just puttering around stuff. Actually, the above is puttering too.

Have a good day, you all!

[Daylily]

On 9/22/2020 at 8:18 AM, TheCG said:

If it turns out I have to cut out alliums or dairy, I think I'm giving up on feeding everybody else at that point and just buying them flats of ramen and mac & cheese.. 

I had to give up dairy about 36 years ago when I developed lactose intolerance. Alliums were actually much more difficult for me than dairy. It took me about a year of pain and bloating to come to terms with  the fact that it really was hurting me! I missed them more than dairy too.

[Littlesister]

It is really hard these days for people with food allergies. So hard to find what we need and still trying to eat healthy at the same time.  I am going to just start eating salads for a while and just fix small portion meals for DH. He doesn't eat as much as he used to so that would work out great. 

 

Today I have done nothing but sit around all day.  Really tired today. I did watch our church service on face book today as I was able to get it later today, but still was hard to understand what he was saying.  I really do miss going to church but can't leave DH that long by himself yet. I was pushing it up to 2 hours but now with his knee, I am back down to leaving him for 1 hour.  I really want to get out of the house for a while and I don't mean by way of a doctor's office.  

 

Since i am free from going to a doctor both Monday and Tuesday, I am going to get busy and wash clothes and give the living room a good cleaning. I need to get the curtains down and washed and clean the windows.  As well as the hardwood floors.  Going to try to rearrange that room back like it was before it became a storage place for our bed and also to make room for DH to walk around the house for his exercise when he was having home therapy. They would walk him through the living room to kitchen to den and back around again. It is like one giant circle. 

I am thinking of getting a wheel chair for DH so I can get him out of house more. Maybe I could walk around the block with him in a wheelchair as he would never make it around the block on a walker.  At least it would get him out and about some. 

 

Granddaughter3 and her boyfriend came over yesterday and helped me to get the couch in den turned over to clean under it and to clean the floor. Then we got the bed out of living room. So the cleaning will begin tomorrow in living room. That plus washing clothes. 

[snapshotmiki]

Walked first, fed and walked dogs, went to Walmart for monthly stock up and Dollar General for what Walmart was out of.
Once home, washed rugs and swept house.
Tuna sandwich for dinner. Still need to put rugs back out and make rice for dogs food.

[Mt_Rider]

Yesterday we were able to cut the tree [pine, not aspen] into splitting lengths and stack them.  No chainsaws flew thru the air on this day.    Lugging log pieces up the hill ....sheeesh, this driveway is steep.  Used the sled to haul more/less trips.  

 

I also spent quality time ....stepping CAREFULLY with my foot....in the greenhouse.  More T-Rex tape to secure the north end and patch a few splits in the plastic.  It kinda snowed last nite ....just some big flying flakes as 2am when I woke up.  DH said we got down to 27*. 

 

ATE my first cherry tomato yesterday.  Yum!  May have to move them under lights in basement cuz....want MORE!  First ripe tomato at end of Sept is not boding well for a full harvest WORTHY of the effort/cost.      It was experimental. 

 

As to the TOMATO CONTEST:  Me:  1.5 oz   .....  DH:  0 oz     

 

Also used energy washing/drying hair.  A few other things so today I'm not doing much.    Foot is fine but fatigued.  Gaining on foot recovery.   

 

MtRider  

Edited September 28, 2020 by Mt_Rider

[Annarchy]

Congrats! Mt_Rider!
 

Started the day early, read, tucked DH in & dug up 6’x6’ section of the garden, planted the fava beans, soaked.  Transplanted the volunteer tomatillos, that sprouted in the mulch. Filled 8’x3’ area.  And, I missed a potato, it’s growing exceptionally well.  
 

Then, we were sitting on the swing, taking a break, and I noticed something digging up dirt around the edge of the garden, where I dug, mulched & planted the fava beans.  I thought it was a bird, thresher, but, when I saw ears, nope, not a bird!  It was a rodent that was staying around my pomegranate tree, antagonizing the dogs, but had only recently started moving into the lawn.  But, to get into the garden, the same day, I went through all the trouble of turning the soil, adding mulch & planting!!??!  
 

I stood up, trying to think of how to get it, asked DH, “Do you have your pellet rifle?”  He asked why, then, watched the brat, scoop out another mound of dirt.   He went into the house, as I watched the critter mounding up my soft, tilled soil. He came out with his ultra pellet rifle.   I expected to see him come out with his Red Rider BB gun, not his Marauder .22.  The other one is a .177.

 

 

He set up, took aim, and waited.  Pop!  Nothing.  I asked him if I could check, because “I” thought he missed.  Got a flashlight and... there it was in the hole, about a foot underground, not breathing.  He hit just under the skull, on the spine, instant.  Little brat was after the easy digging soil and my plants.  
 

Hopefully it was the only one in our yard.  If not, will try to trap any others.   

[Littlesister]

Today I got DH an appt. with the orthopedic doctor. But it won't be till Oct. 9th.  He has to get labs tomorrow and then Wed. it's off to Norfolk general for the CT scan.  I cancelled all the rehab appts till further notice. Told them DH's knee had to be addressed before he uses the bike for his leg exercises. That could be making the knee worse but hard to tell.  Then on Friday the repair man for the dryer comes. On the 6th he has appt. with heart doctor in Norfolk and I am hoping it will be a phone conf.  After we find out about the knee, we will get the rehab set back up again.  Gee, no wonder I am so tired. Trying to clean house and do all the paper work for these doctors, insurance mess, and you name it. I have stacks of paper work to get done.  Trying to figure out how I put in a Medicare appeal decision that I did not put in but I have it for a date they say he was in hospital and he was not in hospital on those 2 days. So I need to call them as well as for a bill that the insurance paid and they are trying to get me to pay also. So got to call insurance company  about that as well.  Never a dull moment around here. The paper work for the kidney doctor is something else. Lots of paper work there also. I really am tired of doing paper work. That doesn't even count the regular stuff like the bills to pay. 

 

Washed clothes, worked on the paper work,  cleaned kitchen after dinner and now I am tired.  Might go to bed early tonight if I can get DH settled. he never goes to bed before midnight. I am ready now. Also got a call from plumber about they pipe under house that has to be replaced but not sure yet when he will be out.  

[Annarchy]

I don’t have a link, but, DH said, 9-1-1 is down for most of the country.  
 

[Littlesister]

USA Alerts:  monitoring ongoing 911 outage (call & SMS) in states across the U.S. If in need of emergency  assistance use direct dial numbers.  Add'l. alerts as warranted.  That is all the USA alerts had to say at this time. I am sure more will be coming though. Will try to keep you posted as I get data from the USA alerts system.

[Mt_Rider]

https://www.newsweek.com/911-system-down-after-nationwide-outage-authorities-plead-people-avoid-test-calls-1534773

 

Quote:

The system that carries 911 emergency calls suffered a temporary outage Monday night. Calls in Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, Ohio, Arizona and Delaware were affected with Minneapolis police claiming the loss of service in the U.S. affected the entire country.

 

The outage lasted less than an hour.

 

Our policy is not to delete tweets, but we've pulled down the tweet about 911 being down. It been restored and we do not want people to falsely think it is still down. Please do not call 911 to test the system, as it may interfere with real emergency calls getting through.

 

— Hennepin Sheriff (@HennepinSheriff) September 29, 2020

=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=end quoting =-=-=-=-=

 

MtRider   Red and Bold is mine

Edited September 29, 2020 by Mt_Rider

[Mt_Rider]

I'll bet that was a mess for a while!!!

 

MtRider 

[Homesteader]

10 hours ago, Littlesister said:

 So I need to call them as well as for a bill that the insurance paid and they are trying to get me to pay also. So got to call insurance company  about that as well.  Never a dull moment around here. The paper work for the kidney doctor is something else. Lots of paper work there also. I really am tired of doing paper work. That doesn't even count the regular stuff like the bills to pay. 

 

 

I feel your pain on the paperwork nightmare.    I was behind on getting my mom's cable TV equipment shipped back to Charter. Suddenly, she receives a collection notice in the mail. She was very upset and wanted action (mine) right away. She also wanted verification that her credit wasn't affected. I have no idea how to do that, and with her living with us and about to sign up for Hospice, I'm not taking the time to check her credit.  I did get it cleared right up with ONE email to the credit company with all the facts, ship date, etc and they wrote right back and said that Charter had a  $0 balance on mom's account. Everything is so delayed with this Covid mess. No wonder people are taking their own lives from the stress.  I just reminded myself this morning that I haven't balanced our checkbook in months.  Thankfully, incoming is more than outgoing because we don't shop anymore. 

[snapshotmiki]

I wonder what was up with the 911 outages.  A test?

 

After feeding dogs, I will go to a graveside funeral for a friend's mom. I have directions in my phone and it is about 35 miles away. After that, I will go to a salvage grocery store and a pawn shop that is in the area. Then head for a closer town to a day old bread store and another pawn shop.

Finally home, go for my walk, start laundry and make cucumber salad. Not sleeping much the past couple of nights. Maybe tonight!

[Annarchy]

WHATCHA DOING TODAY? 

 

Checking the forum errors....  hmmmm...... 

[snapshotmiki]

Walked this morning and took care of dogs.

Second load of laundry drying. Par boiled some chicken and will finish on the grill. Might wash dogs today and maybe that will wait for tomorrow.

Company is leaving tomorrow  or by the weekend. I haven't been in their room with the cats since they got here. I'm a little anxious!

[Annarchy]

Miki, I hope it isn’t as bad as your fears. 
 

Mowed & edged the lawn, edged the fire pit, rested before coming here & reading, reading & reading, instructions, html, css, etc....   After closing my own website, I completely and promptly forgot everything I used to know, however, the net has changed, coding has changed and I am trying to catch up to date....  Especially, for us here, and because I managed to re-acquire my old domain name.  IDK what I’m going to do with it, but, it’s an adventure in learning.  

 

euphrasyne, DH wants to know if you named her after River from Dr. Who or Firefly. 

[Mt_Rider]

On 9/29/2020 at 7:32 AM, snapshotmiki said:

I wonder what was up with the 911 outages.  A test?

 

Well...it could have been a simple glitch....

 

or operator error....

 

It might have been one of us testing....  

 

It might have been someone NOT US testing.......

 

or practicing waddya call it ... warfare with Internet systems.....  EDIT:  "Cyber attack" ...that's the word! 

 

It might have been someone NOT US actually setting off a mini crisis with purpose.....

 

or for practice .....

 

MtRider     

 

 

  ....adding that I tried to look up the term I couldn't think of....but every term I could think to bring it up  [computer warfare, techno warfare, modern warfare] ....those were a names of computer games!!!!   I got no where.    

 

....DH told me the term....   Where does my brain store these simple, common terms??

Edited October 1, 2020 by Mt_Rider

[Jeepers]

2 hours ago, Mt_Rider said:

 

Well...it could have been a simple glitch....

 

or operator error....

 

It might have been one of us testing....  

 

It might have been someone NOT US testing.......

 

or practicing waddya call it ... warfare with Internet systems.....  EDIT:  "Cyber attack" ...that's the word! 

 

It might have been someone NOT US actually setting off a mini crisis with purpose.....

 

or for practice .....

 

MtRider     

 

 

  ....adding that I tried to look up the term I couldn't think of....but every term I could think to bring it up  [computer warfare, techno warfare, modern warfare] ....those were a names of computer games!!!!   I got no where.    

 

....DH told me the term....   Where does my brain store these simple, common terms??

 

Bolding mine up there. Hasn't Annarchy been doing a lot of testing and re-learning lately? Working on hacking updating this site and her own? I don't know. What I do know is she is smart and computer savvy. Hummm. Just saying...

 

 

[snapshotmiki]

11 hours ago, Annarchy said:

Miki, I hope it isn’t as bad as your fears.

 

Thanks, me too!

 

Will walk in a bit and feed dogs. Will wash dog blankets and dogs today. My company was testing electric and now I have my stovetop and no oven. Yikes! Have 6 pounds of apples to dehydrate, 4 butternut squash to bake and a bunch of jalapeno poppers to make also. Electrician friend won't be here until next week, so I have less to do this week. Should be a lower key day!

[Ambergris]

The new job is taking up more time.  I'm working some ten-hour days, but mostly 8.5 to 9 hours.  I couldn't have tolerated the old job with these hours, but the new job has different rhythms, less intensity, and so far I'm okay with it.  We were running down to the end of my 90 days, but a few things in the news made me think I'd be renewed to the end of the year, and today I was asked if I'd have any "strong objection" to staying on the temporary post.   Oooooooh noooooo!   Might have been insulting, how eagerly I agreed.  I am going to ask if I can work shorter days and longer weeks, adding Saturday mornings, if they pile on any more cases.

 

The grain bags also work with corn.  The advantage is that when you heat them, the corn starts popping before it gets dangerously hot.

[Littlesister]

It has been a long day today.  DH just not doing as well as he should be by now.  Had appt. with kidney doctor. This was his first appt. I like this doctor. He was very informative about the fluid pills and how I need to experiment with them to get him to where he is not dehydrated nor having to much fluid on him do to the cong. heart failure. So I am going to try skipping the fluid pill tomorrow as he has put out way to much urine today and not drinking like he should. Then I am going to start the following day cutting the pills in half and giving him half a pill for a few days to see how he does. Then we can take it from there. I have to weigh him daily as it is, so more than 3 pounds in a day would mean a full fluid pill for that day. He's not eating well either. I am having a hard time getting him to eat more than what he is eating. He is not allowed to take Advil, or Aleve. Nor anything else of that nature as it is bad for the kidneys. He is stage 3 kidney failure which is not a big deal as people over the age of 70 for the most part are in stage 3 with no issues. He will be 83 this month. 

 

Went to pick up RX and shopped some sales in Harris Teeter today after DH's appt.  Filled in some gaps I was low on. They had butter for $1.77 for the 4 pack stick butter. Limit of 4. So I got 4 of them for freezer. I use it in baking and with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner. I wanted to get ahead on that. Granddaughter 3 already told me I have to make the sweet potato casserole as mom doesn't make it like I do. What can I say. All my grandkids have something they want me to make them special.

 

Tomorrow the repair man for the dryer is coming. Just hope it won't be a new dryer.  Though I think it is just the rollers that the tub turns on that is worn out. That won't be to bad.  He is coming in the morning, so after he leaves, I have got to get this house cleaned up. Seems like every time I start cleaning something else comes up.  I need to get more done besides just cleaning bathrooms, washing clothes and mopping floors. And the kitchen of course.  I am beginning to wonder if our lives will ever get back to normal again. 

 

You know you are getting old when you have more doctors than friends.