My Weblog

Warning sign

I have dealt with muscle cramps for decades. They're very painful and debilitating. Lately, I've had warning signs. I have a repeated twitch around my left eye. Also, I can watch the back of my right hand twitch. It feels like bugs are crawling on it, but there are no bugs--just twitches. Currently, what I'm doing, I have a pile of potassium supplements on my desk. Every time I get an eye twitch, I've been taking another potassium. I have experienced a really intensely painful muscle spasm, particularly as I try to sit down. 

When I was 8 years ago, I was hit in the tailbone by a boy practicing his batting stance. He hit me smack on the tailbone with his bat at full force. I was and am still thoroughly convinced the tailbone was "broken". I've studied the "normal" anatomy and mine certainly does not match "normal". Anyway, it's displaced in some manner. And the act of sitting down seems to cause a muscle in the immediate area. It seems to spasm around the "displaced" bony protrusion . I can't even begin to explain the pain. It comes on very quickly and very intensely. Horrific. But the increased potassium levels seems to help. 

lights out

I wasn't able to go to sleep at a decent hour so I was sitting here watching old movies on Amazon Prime when it happened. In fact, I just got done with Dante's Peak (thank God because I was sitting on the edge of my chair, worrying for Harry and Rachel). It would have been a tragedy to interrupt that! But, suddenly everything went black. And, I mean really black! I keep a candle on the corner of my desk, so my first action was to feel for a match book in the front right hand corner of my top desk drawer. Candle, meet match. Voila! A little bit of light. I REALLY need to go to the restroom which is not good news--not much light from one candle--bathroom at the far end of the hall. Came back (very carefully--my balance reeks in the dark) and grabbed a little LED flash light on a tray on my credenza. That helped just a little. Found my way to the kitchen and grabbed my normal sized flashlight from the kitchen table. Found the scented candle on my dining room table and got that lit. Then worked my way around the dining room table to the wall unit and pulled out some more candles and got those lit. Finally got the itty bitty flashlight and the normal-sized one and went back into the bathroom. Almost one whole wall in there is mirrored. Set the normal flashlight in front of the mirror pointed at the ceiling. Used the itty bitty to point directly at my book and read for a while. It was getting pretty hot in the house, but eventually, the dog started barking. My flashlights and I came out of the bathroom to see what she was barking at to find that the lights were on, the oxygen concentrator was pumping oxygen again, and so on. Glory be!

It is extremely rare to lose power around here. I don't even think we've had rotating blackouts or brownouts. At least if we have, I've not heard about them. So, strangely, my first thought in this lovely 2024 time frame was "what if it's an EMP?" And then, having seen many, many advertisements for solar generators, I thought of that ad that tells us that we have 55000 electrical hubs and an attack on just 9 will collapse the grid. I monitored my blood oxygen, and even sitting still and relaxing, i was seeing readings as low as 86 with pulse rates in the one hundred and teens. I am going to have to really think about the $90 to ship my portable generator to be fixed under warranty. And then, I guess I'll choose between food for months to come and a solar generator. Ain't life grand?...........

I guess my neighbors are watching me. Three days ago, there was a knock on my door in the late afternoon. It was a Las Vegas Metro policeman, conducting a "wellness" check. Nice guy, a believer of one denomination or another. Someone from the neighborhood, claiming he hadn't seen me in a while, requested it. Well, it's hotter than hades outside and I don't go out. The heat really places a strain on my heart. I go out for a minute or two every couple of days to put some trash or recycling in the bins. I might open the door to grab a grocery order or Amazon delivery. And I run an errand about twice a month which places me in my van. That's it. Really! And, I'm perfectly content!

The solar system, at last, is working full bore. I'm so grateful for that. Sadly, I'll still have 12 days with NO solar due to a "communication error". But, for now, I am not on pins and needles, waiting for a service call. Finally, they gave me a credit for all the months the system operated at roughly 50%. And, even better, the customer service department finally told the collections department that there was a credit and I no longer owed them anything. Thank you, Jesus..........

I'm having a problem with some sort of flare up of an old injury. When I was 8 years old, I got hit on the tailbone (coccyx) with a baseball bat. My parents declared themselves medical experts and determined there was nothing to be done. Hence, ever since, just being in a seated position aches. So, I have had problems with long car rides or an office type job. But, lately, the act of sitting, trying to get into a seated position, is horribly painful. I think it might be a muscle spasm, short-lived but intensely painful. I am getting to the point where I fear the act of taking a seat. Tonight I am trying doubling my usual anti-spasm dose of magnesium and we'll see if that helps. If so, it will be a cheap "fix" for a wretched, nasty problem.

So, the last thing to talk about today is my goofy dog. This dog eats anything. I've been doing a lot of freezing of vegetables and dehydrating them as well. She has eaten celery, and zucchini. Also, I ordered some multicolored peppers which I am chunking up and freezing. Guess who wants a bite or two or more of pepper! I have actually held back from giving this stuff to her for fear she won't eat it and it will be wasted. But, it's "pass the blueberries, Mom" around here. Is that strange or what? I just keep thinking about that commercial for The Farmer's Dog. You know the one that starts off "No living being should eat prepared food for every meal of its life" and I give her another bite of whatever I have............

We're getting close........

Yesterday the 2024 olympics in Paris opened with a demonic explosion. Featured: a bunch of transvestites posed as if they were at the Last Supper, a rider on a white horse, a golden calf, and men's costumes which exposed their testicles. It's not smart to mock God. Last night Paris experienced a total blackout except......wait for it......a church which was brightly lit for all to see. No streetlights, no lights in homes or in store fronts, just at one church on a hill, all lit up as if to celebrate Jesus in a sinful world. And today, believe it or not, in Paris, a place renowned for spiritual coldness, what broke out on the Paris streets? A worship service, a VERY well attended worship service. 

So, if you think God is dead, put that in your smipe and poke it. 

Inching forward

Last night I made a tuna casserole. I am not a huge fan of tuna casserole, but I've managed to get a pretty good supply of tuna stashed. I only know 3 ways to use tuna--tuna salad, tuna patties, tuna casserole. So, I made tuna casserole. I added a LOT of green peas. The only other ingredients were some macaroni pasta, mushroom soup, and some tuna. I didn't think it was over the top delicious, but it was an inexpensive dinner. The casserole actually made several extra servings for later, so it also will save me some work for a lunch or dinner in the future.

I just chopped another bunch of celery and got it into the dehydrator. I think this will finally fill my quart jar with celery for later work. I'm wondering now if I should keep on and make some celery powder or celery salt. I think I will choose a different veggie or even a fruit to dehydrate next. I had stopped doing much dehydrating, but I recently got a vacuum saver that works on jars. I've never been able to get the attachments on my countertop Food Saver to work so I am grateful for this new item.

I am not gonna go any further with this post. I am dealing with pain in my neck that runs all the way over to my left shoulder. It's time for a dose of Ibuprofen, I think.

The last couple of days

The other night I made a big pot of ground beef veggie soup. It was fast, easy, cheap, nutritious, and delicious. I opened a one pint jar of home-canned ground beef and browned it in its own fat. I added 2 15 oz cans of chopped tomatoes with the juice. I added 3 cans of water. I also added about 1/3 cup of freeze dried chopped onions, about 1/4 of a pack of frozen O'Brian style potatoes, a 2 pound bag of mixed vegetables. I added a heaping teaspoon of beef-flavored Better than Bouillon, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. I I left it on the stove long enough to cook the frozen mixed vegetables and frozen potatoes. I have eaten 3 servings of the soup after making it and frozen 6 hefty servings for future use. I put pencil to paper and came up with a total cost per serving of somewhere around $1.10. I didn't get creative with spices, but one could certainly add Italian seasonings or Mexican seasonings or Greek to change the flavor profile. One could also use chicken or pork or sausage in lieu of beef. It could also be garnished with sour cream or various grated cheeses to alter the flavor profile. All in all, I'm no Martha Stewart, but it was "a good thing". I know I don't eat enough vegetables and this soup was chock full of 'em. Good for me!

In November I had solar panels installed on the roof. The array is supposed to be big enough to cover more than 100% of my usage. I did it on a lease contract wherein I pay a monthly fee and the company that installed them gets the tax credits. (My income has been so low for years that I've paid no tax against which to claim a credit.) When all this started, i didn't have a good understanding of how solar worked. It was winter with many days of overcast skies. So, when I didn't see credits arising on my power bill, I didn't think too much of it. However, over May and June, it has heated up substantially with unremitting sunshine. In June I got a power bill of $66 dollars, and I am due to pay $150 in a couple of days. On May 31, I began trying to get someone to come out and figure out why my system is barely performing. I was supposed to be generating more than 100% of the power I use, yet I've only seen anything being given back to the power company on 2 of over 200 days. I've called customer service several times as well as e-mailed the "customer service case manager" 3 times. Apparently my last e-mail got her attention. It was the e-mail wherein I explained that I could not afford to continue to pay for a flawed system and negligence on their part with regard to service. I explained that the system performing somewhere near what It should be (as specified in the contract) on 1% of the 200+ days it's been in existence meant I had already paid for the 1% benefit I've received for a cost of $1470. I now have a company scheduled to come out and see what's up tomorrow somewhere between 7:30 and 9:30 AM. 

It's 110 degrees outside today. And we're under an "excessive heat warning" from now through 11PM next Wednesday. I can't imagine what size bill the local power company will present me with payable the first week of August..........I have learned that the normal bill for someone with my system should be somewhere around $19.00. I have also learned that if it is light outside, overcast or not, solar energy should be being generated and captured by this system. I am very careful with my usage. I have LED bulbs throughout. I am careful with when lights are turned on. I have most things either unplugged or plugged into power strips that can be turned off to minimize phantom usage. I do not use the clothes dryer. I wash dishes only when the dishwasher is full to the gills. I limit myself to 1-2 loads of laundry a week. Two of the rooms in my house are closed off. I have solar screens and/or solar film on all the west-facing windows and blackout curtains or blinds elsewhere. These days, my thermostat is set at 79 during the day and 77 at night. I generally have a fan blowing on me to help me stay cool and I'm not above wrapping myself in a damp towel if necessary. I cook with gas. I avoid using the hot water unless I need it to cut down on the cost of running the pump to the gas hot water heater. What more can I do?

Well, anyway with my crazy insomnia, I'll probably have to stay up all night to be ready to receive the guys who will show up at my door tomorrow morning, but I will be looking forward to their appearance. And I promise, I will be monitoring the system via the internet daily. 

I receive mailers from T-Mobile about once a month, announcing the availability of prices lower than what I am paying AT&T. I went to a T-Mobile facility the other night and it was all bad news. I don't use a cell phone like most folks do. Part of the reason for that is that I have an old 4G flip phone. I can go a week at a time with neither an incoming nor an outgoing call. This is especially true since I learned how to block telemarketers' numbers from making incoming calls. I don't have texting on my plan. If I want to watch a movie, I watch it here at my desk on my desktop computer. So, there is very little usage on my phone. But, T-Mobile would actually cost me more than I'm paying AT&T. Apparently, since my phone is so antiquated, I have some sort of low cost program grandfathered in from AT&T. Oh well, I tried. Praise God for the grandfathered rate. 

 

Yesterday was grocery day; today is......

Do you know how that title ends? If you guessed produce day, you get the big green banana. Congratulations!

I have been working on filling one quart jar with dehydrated celery. I can no longer tell you how many bunches of celery that has already taken and my jar is just over half full. Celery is very high in water content. So, when it's dehydrated, you end up with tiny little chunks. It takes a lot of tiny little chunks to fill a quart jar. But, I'm going for it again today. Yep, I got another bunch of celery delivered yesterday. Today, I am chopping it and getting it into the dehydrator. I'm sick and tired of needing chopped celery for something I'm making only to find out the celery I thought I had is brown and mushy. Produce day is a better option, particularly considering my budget!

Next order of business is broccoli. Yes, you can dehydrate broccoli. But, in my opinion, it's really kinda nasty when it's been dehydrated and I'm not a fan of how it rehydrates. So, my broccoli mission will be cutting it up, blanching it, cooling it down in cold water, flash freezing it, and, finally (phew!) bagging it up and freezing it. Broccoli is one of my favorite veggies and my local Kroger affiliate advertised broccoli crowns for $.68 a pound. Compare that price to the cost of a 10 or 12 oz bag of pre-frozen broccoli. Quite a savings. I tried to buy 5 pounds of it, but they were out so they substituted not a bunch of broccoli, but somewhere between a bunch and the broccoli crowns they advertised. So, I do have some stems to deal with. I will just chop the stems, dehydrate and grind into an addition to my jar of "green powder". The stems are less fun to eat, but as green powder, they'll still add some nutrition to soups, stews, sauces, and maybe even casseroles. Or, I could fill some capsules with broccoli powder and use those capsules as supplements to my not so great diet.

I'm still sort of betwixt and between on the broccoli. I hate to start boiling large pots of water in the heat of the day. That will do nothing but make my HVAC system work harder. But, it's sort of a long drawn out process and I really don't want to still be working on it at midnight or beyond. 

I also am the proud owner of some spinach that is going in the dehydrator. Dehydrated spinach rescues my menu plan over and over. Spinach spoils rather quickly. I keep a stash of pre-made frozen entrees in the freezer for all those days I "just don't feel like cooking". So much easier to nuke something pre-made than having to do the whole big production of making dinner from scratch. And just a few days of putting it off and I've got spoiled fresh spinach on hand. It sure helps to have some of the dehydrated stuff around. Spinach, too, can be ground into powder and added to the green powder jar. But, spinach is much more acceptable when dehydrated, in my opinion, than broccoli.

I am amazed to report that Instacart actually got my order right yesterday. Sure, there were substitutions, but they didn't do anything stupid and costly. So, kudos to them this time. Last time I received a pack of corn tortillas and a loaf of bread for free. This kind of thing--free stuff--has happened before and I've attempted to give the stuff back to the store or to have them add the additional cost to my bill. They don't want to be bothered. So, these days, if it happens, not knowing what else to do, I just thank the Lord for the blessing. 

Speaking of my not so great diet, I have been working hard on upping my game. I have been eating blueberries every day for about 2 months now. I love when I can get them on sale. I've learned, however, that I am eating 1/2 cup a day and a "serving" is actually a full cup. I have to marry a well-off, well-preserved gentleman before I can indulge myself in that many blueberries a day. They were on sale this week at $.99 for a 6oz package. I bought 3 but I should have bought 20!

Well, that's it for now. Miles to go before I sleep..........

putting it off til tomorrow

It has been ghastly hot in Nevada for several weeks. We had a full week of "Extreme Heat" warnings. It is finally cooling off a little today. Can you imagine--a high in two digits? Hard to fathom given recent experience. While I will grant you that 97 beats 107, it's still hot. And getting my van going is a challenge. It sits in the sun and is thoroughly oven-like for a good `15 minutes once the A/C starts pumping. So, today the high was 97. But, tomorrow it's only supposed to be 90! I need to pick up a prescription, but I think I will wait one more day. 

Also, I figure I have one more day's work on the "devil tree". That should enable me to take it down all the way to the ground. That darned thing is on the west side of the house so there's no shade to be found. I think I will wait 'til tomorrow on that as well. Then I will drown the stump in vinegar, hoping to kill it completely. If that doesn't work, I know there is some sort of stump-killer poison I can get at a nursery or even at Lowe's. Then, I will go back to work on the hedge along the entryway which is, fortunately, in the shade most of the afternoon. 

I have complained here in the past about the trash guys mishandling my weekly pick-up. Because I am certified as "disabled", I am eligible to have them get the trash bins from the front of the house, empty them, and return them to the front of the house. It took me 6 months and several phone calls to the route supervisor but they are finally getting it right. Because of the "devil tree" project, I have a 3rd trash bin out there which I am using for cuttings off that evil tree. I line the bin with a contractor's bag and use binder clips to hold the bag in place. This keeps the bag from slipping down and, therefore, I don't have to risk bloody holes in my arms from fishing for the top of a bag that has slipped down. These guys who took 7 months to get the basics down have been pulling the bags out of that bin and getting rid of them for several weeks now. I'm really grateful for that as sometimes it gets quite heavy. My complaint is that they keep taking my binder clips. I suppose I could have complained about that too, but I decided that since they are going the extra mile, I would just buy more binder clips for me to use and them to subsequently enjoy, LOL.

I have been working on doing a COMPLETE fridge cleanout. I'm coming along pretty well considering that bending is pretty painful so I can't accomplish a whole lot in any one session. I've ditched some green and black science experiments and come to the conclusion that I am well-stocked on pasta sauce, salsa, and better-than-bouillon. It's an old fridge but it seems to remember how to sparkle. It makes me very happy as well to have more order in there as I've reorganized everything as I go along. It's lovely how much more room is in there when one eliminates the science experiments and organizes the contents. 

Summary for the day: I am definitely no speed-demon, but I am making progress! Thank you, Lord.

Proud of me

Remember the "devil tree"? I have continued to work on that nasty thing. It's been so hot here--we've been under an "excessive heat warning" for more than a week. So, I have to wait til after it cools down a bit, after 7PM, to go out. And , of course, I only spend about 10 minutes at a time out there. But, a bit at a time, I am getting that tree gone~ I figure I should have it down to ground level with just 2-3 more days' work. Then, I guess, I start on some of the other very unwelcome desert vegetation that's growing up around here. I'm aware I'll never get it all taken care of, but maybe I can get to the place where I can keep pace with it..........

I have been dealing with Mt. Washmore here in the house. I've done 5 loads in the last few days. I figure I've got about 2 more loads to do and I can ease off on laundry for a while. I still have a backlog of things to put away though. All of that laundry has been hung to dry on my little drying rack. No dryer/no boost to the gas bill for me!

My back is doing better. I am attributing that to the potassium/magnesium supplements with which I dose myself every day. For years now I've been taking 2 tablets of each every day. A few weeks ago I upped that to 3 of each a day and that seems to have made a difference. I still hurt in the mornings, but, by afternoon, I can walk upright without pain. Unfortunately, I'm still hurting when I bend which is a barrier to my "gardening" work. But, just being able to walk from one place to another without pain is a blessing. I'm also getting additional potassium/magnesium from moringa which I've added back into my daily routine. I'm also making an effort to eat some fruit daily. Mainly, I'm trying to eat 1/2 cup serving of blueberries every day. 

I just got my car insurance bill for the next six months. Darn if they didn't raise it another $20 a month. I figured it out the other day--It's increased 79% within the last year. That's insane if you ask me. It's especially insane in that I drive no more than about 20 miles a month. I have one errand I run every tow weeks. That's about 5 miles round trip. And then, I do have to go to the drugstore to pick up prescriptions 4 times a quarter. Each of those trips is about 5 miles round trip. So, I'm being generous then i say I'm driving about 20 miles a month. And still the cost goes up!

 

Some small achievements

Small, but still important to me. I have taken Moringa for years, primarily because of its nutritional punch. Lately, however, I have found myself buying this supplement and that supplement, and that has gotten pricey. Simultaneously, I was frustrated with trying to make my moringa capsules. I had ordered capsules from a company called capsuline. With the capsules, I also got a little thing to help me make the capsules. The little "thing" was not functioning well. It was "eating" capsules. And, besides, it would only make 24 capsules at a time. I want to take 2 a day, at least, and with only 24 at a time, I'll be spending a lot of time getting everything out, set up, used, and put away. And too boot, I won't be happy with the results as this thing tends to break numerous capsules.

I saw an ad on the internet for a new and different capsule maker by a company called Herb Affair. I didn't love the price, but I'm thinking enough moringa may substitute for some of the other supplements I'm taking. That would quickly make up for the expenditure. Anyway, this piece of equipment makes 100 at a time, a vast improvement over 24. However, it has multiple pieces to be used in the process. To tell you the truth, I didn't even want to try to make it work. But, they send detailed instructions with very clear pictures. Long story short, I now have 100 Moringa capsules ready to go. I had 3 capsules that didn't turn out right. Quick solution to that problem: swallowed them quickly before I lost the powdery substance inside. 

Today must be my day for walking out "with God, all things are possible". Sometime ago I bought one of those Saker mini saws. My idea was to use it to clean up my yard a bit. I tried it once and scared myself. (I probably had some help in that scary thing from Satan). I have been working out there since January, but pretty much what remains is not going to be taken care of with pruners. So, I had to face it: It was time to break out the Saker. Well, the first thing I learned is that I either have very small or very weak hands. I knew my left hand wasn't up to snuff, but I thought my right hand would do okay. However, in order to make that thing run, you have to push a button with your thumb, and squeeze a trigger with the rest of the hand. I can't do that. I think I could make it work if I could get the pad of my thumb on the button and still reach the trigger well enough to squeeze it, but I can't reach.  So, very carefully, calling on God for help, I pushed the button with my left hand and squeezed the trigger with my right. I sawed off 6-8 branches or pieces of branches and got everything into the trashcan. In that I am being very careful, it will take me maybe a week, but I should soon have that nasty, thorn-ridden thing down to the ground level. I'll be so glad when it's gone. Those thorns are sharp and long, and all over that thing. Nasty!

So, 2 achievements today and I am proud of myself. And, of course, very grateful to the good Lord for His help..........

 

old dog, new tricks

Slowly I get a little smarter as I go along. I've been trying to dehydrate a bunch of celery. I never seem to use celery while it's still good and when I want to use celery in something I'm cooking, I don't have any that is usable. I decided to work on this project a couple of days ago. Of course, about 1/3 of what I had went straight into the compost pile as it was too far gone to use. I did manage to save some, thank goodness. Hey folks, I do NOT have the money to be throwing away food. Yesterday, I got groceries delivered including more celery. Today I got it all chopped up and into the dehydrator. It finally occurred to me this is the way to go. I do not eat celery just to eat celery. I only ever use it in cooking--usually when I make soup. So, it makes sense to chop up the celery ASAP. I do not need celery stalks in the fridge! Lesson learned.

I had solar panels installed on a sort of lease program last year. They went live in November. At the time I signed up, I was guaranteed 100% coverage. In other words, I should be receiving credits, not bills, from Nevada Energy. But, I just paid a $66.50 bill. A few days ago, I called the power company again to make sure I understood their internet reporting. So, yesterday I called the company that bills me for the system. I called for half an hour and couldn't get through. So, I logged onto their website and took advantage of their live chat feature. I was connected with a very helpful, very friendly young lady. She looked at my account and immediately saw a problem. She got me all the information I'd requested. Additionally, she got their tech people on the phone and had them take a look and they agreed there seems to be a problem. Long story short, I should have the company that installed the system crawling around on my roof next week. They will find and fix the problem and my contract guarantees remuneration for the charges I've been experiencing. Phew! What a relief.

I've been monitoring the craziness going on in our "justice" system. I've paid particular attention to the NY fiasco. When I heard the verdict, I was disheartened, for so many reasons. I mean, I've prayed over this thing. Everything I've heard indicated to me that a juror of average intelligence would thumb their nose at the prosecution. But, a conviction? Never considered it. I firmly believe that God has anointed Trump to right this country. When the 2020 election happened, many of us began to pray that God would reveal the evil. Well, we've had 4 years of "revelation" and we're suffering the consequences now. But, I believed that perhaps we were done with revelation. I kept telling myself that the Bible says "touch not my anointed". Well, I'm just glad I'm not related to any New York attorneys or judges. If I were, after this I sure wouldn't hang around them......... Anyway, I turned to the Victory Channel to watch Flashpoint. They always bring us back to God's Word and God's promises. I was listening when I heard, within myself, "It ain't over 'til it's over." That's been rattling around in my head ever since. No, no one wrote it on my wall. And, no I didn't hear an audible voice. But, I firmly believe God dropped that into my spirit to comfort me. But, do I have to tell you, I want it to be OVER!