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Funny Story

So, I took one muscle relaxer (SOMA) and it hurt so bad I pulled out the heating pad and laid on it. Finally, the pill hit and I slept. Then I woke up and it was somewhat better. My intention was to get up and stay up long enough to allow a 2nd pill to hit. I was watching a youtube video and someone mentioned the old TV show "Monk". Years ago I stumbled across this "new" TV show about a detective with OCD. My undergraduate major was psychology so I thought this story line would be interesting. So, I decided we'd check it out. Yes, I said "we". Joe was still alive.

What happened was kind of funny. I told Joe there was a new TV show I'd like to watch. I told him what I knew about the show. So we started watching it. He actually got mad. Somehow the OCD part of my description didn't sink in with him. He must have been expecting something entirely different. Anyway he turned the TV off in his anger. This was no detective show by his reckoning. I had to go back over the OCD part of the description. I talked him into turning the TV back on and we finished watching what was left of the episode. He actually finally got the idea that it was amusing and different. And he enjoyed it. And every week thereafter it was he who reminded me it was "time for Monk".

Forward to today: I found Monk with free episodes on Amazon Prime. Entertainment for me, along with nostalgia, for weeks to come.........

I've had Joe on my mind a lot the past couple of days. Two days ago, Facebook did one of those things where they revive one of your old posts and run it back through under the title "Memories". Up popped a photo taken 8 years ago, about 3 months before Joe's death. It brought back all sorts of memories. Most of the time I don't think about those days. They are gone forever and thinking about them is generally not productive. But the last couple of days, I've been thinking about how much I loved him and missing him all over again. I'm not sure if I should thank Facebook or blame them............

Up this morning with plenty of leftovers of yesterday's pain. I guess, for the physical pain, I'll start immediately with the non-narcotic muscle relaxer. Then, for the emotional pain, I'll get as busy as my physical pain will allow...............
                    

Hurting tonight............

It has not been a great day. I laid down after a late breakfast. And I woke up with pain on my left side. It runs from below my shoulder blade all the way down to my hip. I took one of the non-narcotic muscle relaxer. Of course, it hasn't had much impact. So, just a few minutes ago, I took the heavy duty muscle relaxer. I'm hoping that stops this nonsense.

An Unusual Day...........

First, the back behaved well enough that I made it through with no pain pills or ibuprofen or anything. I did resort to some allergy stuff because my eyes kept watering and burning all day long.

I had my second break around 2PM. When I came back in, I went into the break room to collect the uniform thingie that I am supposed to take off if I go outside. There was one of our employees unloading his locker while being watched by our LP guy. I knew immediately what was going on. As a manager I got this duty when an employee of mine was forced to resign or be fired. I had to watch him collect his stuff from his desk and escort him from the building. That is what I had walked into.

I don't really know what to think about it. I know that I have never heard a customer complain about him and I have heard, over and over, comments from customers about his expertise, his helpfulness, etc. What I have witnessed with my own eye would bear that out. On the other hand, I've been told by several people that he "was pushing management". Apparently, some folks believe he wanted to be fired. I'm told he "has a lot on them", them being management. It is my understanding he recorded exchanges with management and e-mailed the recordings as well as journal entries to himself daily. I dunno. I just know he'll be missed.

Within about 45 minutes I'm supposed to have a client come pick up a return. We shall see. She no showed earlier in the week.

About "bullet proof coffee". I've had it now several mornings in a row. The thing I've noticed so far is that although I come home from work tired and looking for a comfortable seat, I do not seem to be able to take a nap. For months, that nap after work has been pretty close to mandatory. But, now, I lie down and I do not manage to go to sleep. Half an hour, forty-five minutes or an hour later, I get back up, no nap. So I guess you could say that those medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil just might be working. It will be interesting to see if some of the other claims also hold true. I'm strongly considering switching from olive oil to coconut oil for most of my cooking. It's worth a try.

Anyway, that's my news for today. I hope your day has been BLESSED!

I'm a mess..........

I hurt like the dickens and I am supposed to work 6 hours today. My back was very painful last night. So painful, in fact, that I went to bed at 9PM just to get away from the pain and to give the muscles a chance to relax (if they would.....). It doesn't seem to have helped. I did do a twist this AM and felt 3 "pops" back there. That's good. But, if you run your fingers down my spine, you can definitely feel that one, maybe two, vertebrae are still out of alignment. Hence, pain.

I would love to call work and say I am not coming in. However, we're still pretty thinly staffed, particularly in the mornings, so if I do that, everyone else will pay a price. And I do not want a reputation for being someone who cannot be depended upon. So, I'm going to dose myself up and drag myself in. The Lord and I (and ibuprofen and tramadol) are going to do this together. Perhaps if I take the ibuprofen now the inflammation will go down enough that whatever is still out of place might just go back in............Right now, though, NOTHING will move, darn it all. IF it goes back into place, it will still be sore, but nothing like what it is now.

For dinner last night I made what, in my family, is called "Chicken Pot Pie". Some folks would call it "Chicken and Dumplings". And, no cheating on the "dumplings" for me. No, I made them from scratch. Of course I didn't do a good job of storing it with my "I have to lie down" bedtime so I pulled it out, warmed it a little, and I'm bagging it up for later. I have to tell you it smells SO good I really want to have some for breakfast! Silly me............Looks like it'll be at least 6 servings for the freezer. And I still have a good bit of meat left from my little whole chicken purchased at $.49 a pound. Enough for some chicken sandwiches, or chicken salad, or maybe even some chicken enchiladas. Yummy no matter what. It's possible that bending over the table to roll out the dough was not a good idea.................

I have one extended tax return ready to go out the door. Printed it out and assembled it last night. I will be grateful to receive payment for that..........The return is for a client who was with me for the better part of 3 decades. He passed away in June of 2017. His daughter is taking charge of getting the tax return filed. She says she will pick up Friday evening.

That's it for now. My father would have said "your hair looks like you combed it with an eggbeater" and I have no makeup on and still a little of that "pot pie" to bag up and get into the freezer. I just needed a sit down so I decided to come say "Hi" to you. Have a blessed day. By the way, Democrat or Republican, please pray for Brett Kavanaugh's family. His wife and daughters didn't do ANYTHING to deserve all the crap that's landing on their heads.

 

 

Again?

Yup, my back is a booger again. In addition, I have some sore muscles for some reason...........AND, my oxygen level has been low. However, the oxygen level has come up to something quite respectable and I'm sure I can manage to get through the back thing with the Lord's help.

I went ahead last night and put the chicken carcass into the crockpot for broth. It's been cooking low and slow all night. I'm thinking I'm going to let it go til I get home from work, a total of roughly 20 hours. That should yield some very flavorful broth and hopefully those bones will have given up some of their calcium as well.

That's all for now. Just wanted to tell you those things............

Work-a-day world

I worked today. Phew! My back was pretty darned bad! I ended up taking a whole pain pill. I took half, as usual, and then, later, took another half. But we, the Lord and I, made it through the whole 6 hours. And, I'm surprised to say I didn't get loopy with a whole pill in my system. That's a very good thing.

I'm pretty proud of myself. Do you remember a few weeks ago I grabbed 4 whole chickens on sale for $.49 a pound? Well, I actually managed to pull myself together enough this AM to put one of them in the crockpot. My house sure smells good and I'm gonna have a good dinner. I rubbed a little olive oil on it and then sprinkled it fairly generously with some "Greek seasoning" for which I got a recipe from a favorite youtuber. I'm anxious to taste it. I think it's gonna be good. I am rarely together enough in the AM to do something like this. I hope this is the start of something good. I even had enough sense to immediately put the innards into a freezer bag and freeze them. Somewhere down the road, I'll add them to bones and make a nice broth from them.

I'm not sure what is going on but I'm pleased. I like the Assistant Store Manager who is in charge of the front end a lot. I think he is a very fair man. He is one of those "gentle giants". He's a big guy but VERY non-threatening. Anyway, the last couple of weeks he's gone out of his way to start a conversation with me on two different occasions. This pleases me. I'd love to think that in some small measure he regards me as a friend. Not that we will ever be bosom buddies. But, I'd like to be in a position where he knows I will come to him honestly and with respect for him as a person as well as for his position. Today he was asking me whether I like having "more hours". Yes, of course. I need the money. I feel that just having him ask me this is a blessing. It would be even better if it led to me actually getting "more hours". I wonder whether he might have something in mind. I'd be happy about that as well as long as it's something the Lord and I together can manage. I have noticed that it seems that some people have been shunted into positions along the way. Wouldn't it be a blessing if something like that were brewing?

I bought a little tube of graphite. The key fob for the van only works now and then. Actually, I have 2 key fobs and neither of them is dependable these days. My understanding it that if you buy a new one from a dealership it can cost $300 or more. Amazon sells some copycat models for about $20. I just haven't wanted to spend the money.........So, I've been using my key to get into the van some of the time and it really is not working all that well. So, I got a bit of graphite to lube the lock more or less. Hoping that helps.

I received notice today that my Instant Pot will be here earlier than expected. It was not scheduled to ship til 10/10 and was not expected to be delivered to me til 10/19. However, I was notified today that they will be shipping on 9/28. I'm really looking forward to having that tool available to help me eat better quality food more often.

I've been making "bullet proof coffee" again for early morning consumption. I haven't done that in a very long time but I bought a second hand book on coconut oil and the research behind how healthy it is. I've only managed to read a couple of chapters but I've read enough to convince me to do the "bullet proof coffee" again. You can add butter to the coffee as well as coconut oil. However, Kerry Gold butter is what's recommended and I don't have any of that. I have a stash of Kroger butter bought on sale in my freezer, but no Kerry Gold. I am not inclined to rush out and buy any either. I have decided it's a better idea to try just adding the coconut oil and see how things go. Today was my 2nd day doing this. Just a scant teaspoon of coconut oil added to my usual. Maybe that's why I had enough oomph to fix that crockpot chicken this AM????

That's it for now. By now, that chicken should be falling off the bone so I think I will rescue some of it and chow down.

My hope and my salvation...........

As I sat here last night, long after I'd normally have gone to bed, my left side began to ache. The longer I sat, the more it hurt. At this point, I'm pretty well convinced it was muscular though definitely not my usual. Usually, yes, there's pain. Moving is what brings on the pain. I shift my weight or straighten my back or try to roll over or even try to take a step and the muscle screams. However, it doesn't hurt if I manage to be perfectly still and literally "don't move a muscle". This, however, hurt no matter what. Just totally unrelenting, no matter what position I was in. The usual feels better if I lie down. Lying down doesn't fix it but it brings some relief. But whatever was going on last night was not lessened at all by lying down. Finally I took a SOMA and even that didn't help (Of course, I wanted immediate relief and it takes a while to get into the bloodstream). Then I managed to get myself out of bed, grab the heating pad, shove that heating pad under my left side and, slowly, the pain began to subside.

I've been vertical for about 3 hours and I feel the pain creeping in. It looks like I am going to spend my last day off doing the up and down thing. Get up for 3 or 4 hours, lie down for at least 3 hours, get back up for 3 hours, and so on........... I've taken one of the non-narcotic muscle relaxers but the pain is still worsening. I'm not having a lot of fun.

It's a matter of timing. There are things I want to do today. They're going to be difficult to impossible as things stand. My hope is that the Lord will intervene. I hate to lose out on doing the tasks I had planned for today...........

I just had a dream that woke me from a sound sleep. And it wasn't my usual wake up. Normally I take a good long while to be coherent and functional. Today I shot straight out of bed and came out to the desk to put pen to paper.

For many years, I'd hoped to retire to my mother's home in FL after she passed. That hope was dashed when her home was sold a few years back. But, in my dream today, I was there and it was mine. I saw the wallpaper and walked the whole house. Her furniture was gone and mine was in place. I had to come out to play with the numbers to see if there was any way I could possibly manage it if the house were to go up for sale again. Of course, I don't see how. Her home was in a "park" so there would be lot rent over and above the cost of the property.

One of these days, this circumstance will stop being a great sadness to me. I hope it's sooner, not later.

A day off, September 23

Oh, blessed time off! I haven't accomplished too much but it has been good to rest and to just veg out.

Early in 2018, I got my hands on 4 pineapples at $.98 each. I canned them (though I do admit to significant "taste testing" along the way). I had never opened them until today. I devoured an entire pint of canned pineapple. Oh, my, was that ever good. If such a deal ever comes round again, I might be tempted to try to make 12 or so trips to the store for 4 pineapples per trip. I'd sure love to have more than 6 jars (well, 5 now) on my shelves!

I have got the bare bones of a grocery list done. And I've got the worst of what was in the fridge turning green taken care of. I had some celery in there that was edging toward the end and I sliced that up and dehydrated it. I've made some strides toward getting the kitchen cleaned up. I stripped the bed and washed the bed clothes. And, I've sorted through seemingly endless papers........And worked on cleaning out e-mail files.

Not much accomplished unless you count one very much needed, long nap. We'll see what tomorrow brings.........

Another day, September 20

Work today was good. Customers were pleasant and I got to tease a bunch of them and get them laughing. I hope I lightened their day just a little bit. I worked another 6 hour shift with one more to go tomorrow before 3 days off.

My schedule for the week of October 1 came out. I'm not in love with it. Yes, I did get 4 6-hour shifts. BUT, one shift is at 8AM, one shift is at 1PM, and two shifts at 10AM. As it is, working retail, one loses track of whether it's Wednesday or Saturday. If the shifts start jumping around all over the clock, I will be a mess, LOL. I used to keep a printed copy of my schedule hanging over my desk and it's starting to look like that will be necessary again. This stresses me some because I am constantly double checking to make sure I've got it right.....It's hard to know you've got your schedule for the next 4 days firmly fixed in your mind when you don't know what day it is!

Today, I learned that one of our most senior people is leaving the company. When I started she was a cashier and basically ran the customer service area. Then, somehow, she got promoted and went into the install office where they coordinate between installers and customers to make sure jobs get done in a timely manner. Recently, we've had a woman out on maternity leave. She was the one who was relied upon to fill this position in customer service before she took her maternity leave. The senior lady (she's not senior in age, but she's been with the store for 12 years and is very experienced) has been back in customer service and, as far as I knew, was covering while they were short because of the maternity leave. Now I am wondering if perhaps she volunteered to fill in. There have been some staffing changes in there and maybe she wasn't happy. In any case tomorrow is her last day. She is taking a secretarial position with an architectural firm. She'll be making more money and, no doubt, she'll get the chance to sit down from time to time. Nevertheless I'm still surprised because her live-in boyfriend of several years works with us. It's going to be interesting to see how they juggle all this..........particularly between now and October 1 when the lady on maternity leave comes back.........

After work, I went and got a haircut. Believe me, I was past due. I was getting shaggy! We'll see what I can do with what's left tomorrow morning, LOL.

I laid down and took a nap and was awakened an hour later first with a charley horse in my right calf and that was quickly joined with another in the arch of my left foot. I walked off the one in my foot very quickly, but the one in my calf hung around for a long time. I am not sure what brought all that on as I've been VERY faithful on my potassium and magnesium. In fact, the magnesium is more or less in a milk of magnesia base and I took an extra last night to help settle my stomach. When the smaller muscles start to spasm, it sometimes does not bode well for what comes next. The Lord and I will have to talk about that tonight.

Now I'm going to get going around here. I have a few hours to devote. I hope you had a BLESSED DAY. I did!