My Weblog

My father always told me..............

"things done by halves are never done right." That was his usual commentary on whatever I had attempted to do/make. I interpreted that to mean I should do it "right" the first time. Of course, HE was the arbiter of "right".

Well, this time I am the arbiter of "right". Let me tell you I have done a thorough, high quality job on my back. No halfway measure this time! Based on how my back feels, I am tempted to say I will never again attempt to strip my bed, wash the linens, and re-dress the bed. That toothache in the middle of my back is real! Very real! It is popping in and out like popbeads, and everything in that area just aches. I was going to try vacuuming for just five minutes today, but that sounds like the height of foolishness. I was trying to do 10 minutes a day a few days ago and every single time, my back hurt by the time I finished. But, I thought maybe 5 minutes would be doable. Well, obviously not today.............

So, how about some good news for a change? Okay. Some of you may be aware that the IRS has been levying my social Security benefit for the last 3 years. This is the direct result of something Joe did and the fact that I trusted him to acknowledge that tax stuff was my area of expertise and to handle things in a certain way as he had promised. He did not keep his promise and because we filed jointly, when he died the complete liability which resulted from his earnings, his decisions, fell on me. Somehow that liability must have been paid off because my April, 2020, Social Security payment was $256 higher than it's been in 3 years!

Just today I received some correspondence from our friends at the Social Security Administration. They indicate I may be entitled to more monthly benefit. I have been drawing a benefit from Joe's account as his widow. At the time of his death, doing it that way meant I got more money. However, I've also continued to work. So apparently, drawing against my own account at my current age would pay me more, at least according to the letter I received today. I have no idea how much more, but I will be following up on that tomorrow.

And, finally, the stimulus check hit my account! I was beginning to think it might have been snatched because of the above mentioned liability, but all $1200 is in my checking account. Of course I have all sorts of places for that money, but just seeing that bank balance nearly made me cry--tears of joy, tears of relief.

Well, now I've gone and done it...........

I somehow got the idea it would be good to wash the bed linens. That, of course, entails a number of steps round and round the king sized bed, much bending, stretching, grunting and lifting. It turns out all that was not a good idea after all. And, I even took the easy way out and didn't wash the featherbed cover (which needs it badly). The thought of the struggle to remove that thing and then get it back on was more than my mind could fathom, and that was before all the other steps round and round, bending, stretching, grunting and lifting. Do  need to tell you that my back is now one giant pain, rather like an infected tooth? I thought not.

I've given serious thought to getting rid of the featherbed, though I love it. But I'm pretty well convinced it's the only thing that makes my very old mattress tolerable. I know that thing needs to be replaced, it's just that I don't happen to have a thousand dollars lying around.

And that brings me to another subject--I still am not "stimulated". I suppose it was too much to hope for. My highest paying client has apparently not declared herself out of self-quarantine. That will help..........

blast from the past

I went to bed very late last night and then I didn't sleep well. I spent hours prowling around on Facebook. I discovered my graduating class has a facebook page for our high school. First I ran into a fellow we'll call George. George was a short guy, not sprouted up like some of our guys, but he played on our high school basketball team. He was fast, smart, and ran rings around some of the big guys. Then I found a young lady we'll call Penny. She and I grew up in a little 'burb that was in essence a retirement village.  All in all, we accounted for one bus load of students out of a school of about 3000. She and I didn't get to spend a whole lot of time together because she lived beyond the boundary of where I was allowed to ride my bike. I still remember having dinner at her house one night--pork chops and sauerkraut. Her mom was a good cook and greatly influenced the way I cook sauerkraut today. It really was better than the way my mother made it. Then I found a guy who didn't even go to our school but who dated my other best friend. I always thought they were a strange pair. He was kind of a dweeb in my opinion. I never could figure out what she saw in him, but they're still together all these years later so I must have underestimated him.

I was one of the "smart" kids--the ones who took the accelerated classes, but I really worked for my grades. Some of my compatriots never cracked a book, or so it seemed. I had heard that one of the smartest guys was killed in Viet Nam and that really upset me then. It seemed such a terrible waste. However I discovered last night that was untrue. He really did get to have a life! Sadly, he's gone now, but at least he made it well past the 60's. I always believed he had the ability to do great things. Couldn't find anything more about him...........There was another guy on whom I had a raging crush, also a basketball player. To me he was SO handsome. Red hair, freckles, brown eyes. Wore his hair in a style I can best describe as a combo flat top/buzz cut. Flat on top but short like a buzz cut. One of my big memories from high school was the day I passed out in chemistry class and woke up in his arms as he was carrying me to the school nurse''s office. Sadly, that was as close as I ever got to him..............He was one of the popular kids and I definitely wasn't. I also ran across a guy with whom my parents were impressed--my dad knew his mother. They frequently updated me on how well he was doing financially. I never had much to do with him--I thought he had a face like a slightly squashed bug. Finally, I ran into a guy who was impressively smart. I think his dad was a professor at the local university. I always struggled with math and nearly lost all hope when I took physics. This dude had all the answers. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew the answers before the teacher knew the questions. Growing up in central Florida, I figured he'd end up as some sort of fancy aerospace engineer. Instead he apparently majored in college in English and French. Who knew the boy had hidden talents?

Finally I ran across the 4th and final girl my age from our little 'burb. Her dad owned the only barber shop in a village with about 1400 men, all old enough to believe in weekly hair cuts. They lived in a fancy BIG brick house (ours was about 1000 square feet and plain old concrete block). I was allowed to ride my bike to her house but I did so infrequently. She would hit me or otherwise abuse me so I rarely had the urge to go there. I discovered she grew up to be a deputy sheriff. I used to ask my parents about her. But, even  though my Dad continued to go weekly for a haircut, first with her Dad and then with her brother, they never seemed to have much information about her. They would mumble something about her having some sort of job in Orlando. I always thought that was kind of odd, but since she and I were never really close, I never pursued it. Apparently she was married because she has kids and a different last name, however, either she got a divorce or he passed away. She is now married to a woman.............Can't say I'm surprised, more surprised she's "out".

37 weeks pregnant

Having taken that immodium yesterday, I can truly empathize with any woman who is 37 weeks pregnant WITH TRIPLETS. I have been downright miserable since last evening. My lower abdomen is distended and sore. The little bit of bounce from walking makes it worse. This always happens and it is the reason I will often choose to suffer with diarrhea rather than take immodium. The cure is at least as bad as the disease, and lasts days longer.

I signed up for a Sam's Club membership this morning. It finally hit me that I don't have to actually go there because they ship. If you sign up for the "plus" membership, the shipping is free. And there are several locations relatively near me so shipping should be no more than a day or two. Obviously I don't want to go there and try to walk around that big ole warehouse so shipping, especially free shipping, is important to me. Remember I'm the lady who hurts just walking to the driveway and back...............Besides, there isn't one located anywhere near my usual stomping grounds. I might drive over there once a month to buy gasoline. But, I've found a place just about 6 blocks from the house that has a consistently low price, so that won't be a big draw.

I was more motivated to do this because of my recent experience with Amazon. They do not have stock in a lot of things. If they do have something in stock, it's made by some no-name manufacturer. To me that's like buying "a pig in a poke" as the old saying goes. This is a particularly poor option when you can only buy a large quantity. Who wants a large stash of something you hate because the quality is not there? And, even if you are willing to take a chance on the quality, you can't get it delivered quickly enough. The local Office Depot beat Amazon's shipping on several items by days during tax season when the need was urgent.

So we'll see how this goes.

Not feeling stimulated............

I double checked. Still no stimulus check for me. I'm SO ready...........

I'm also SO sick. Nothing serious. Just very painful stomach cramps and diarrhea. Of course, I had to pick up a grocery order I place 4.5 days ago and I didn't honestly think it was safe to leave the house. I took an immodium around 3:30. Here it is, 5:15 and the cramps are still cutting into me something fierce. The long run down the hall is still happening. I'm also a little bit nauseated, just enough to be thankful I haven't eaten much today. With much prayer and good timing I dif get my grocery order--what they had in stock or could substitute for. Oh, man, this hurts.

I have been making that fudge recipe that only requires chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. More's the pity, Smith's had no chocolate chips! Isn't there something un-American about that?

The immodium seems to have finally hit but it took a solid 2 hours...........

One down, One to go

On the front of my garage, there are two lights. I HATE these lights. Why? Because changing a light bulb is quite the ordeal. Essentially, changing the bulb entails removing 6 screws from the top of each light. And, the top of a light is just about as high as I can reach. So, I have to spend however long reaching up and I cannot see what I'm doing. These two lights have needed the bulbs replaced for a while. I decided today was the day.

I hunted down my stash of spare bulbs and put one in each of my pockets. I grabbed my little Rubbermaid stepstool and headed outside. Now, if you've been around here for long, you know that climbing is NOT my strong suit. It took me several tries to step up onto that thing because I had trouble finding something to hold onto. I need to be able to use my hands to help pull myself up and to steady myself. I finally got up there only to discover I was still going to have to work blind. Even with the stepstool, I could not see the top of the light.

I managed to remove the six screws. Getting the burnt out bulb out was harder. I think, once the screws are removed you are supposed to be able to pop the whole top off. However, I couldn't make that happen. So, I had to unscrew the bulb and try to pull it out through a hole just barely bigger than the bulb. In the middle of all this, one of the new bulbs fell out of my pocket onto the concrete driveway and shattered. Of course, I cut my thumb trying to pick up the biggest piece of the broken bulb.

I finally got a new bulb in place and managed to reassemble the light, tightening 5 of the 6 screws in place. I never did manage to get that last screw back where it belonged. I have now made up my mind--I WILL be buying new fixtures that allow bulb replacement from below. But, in the meantime, there's still one to go.........

I don't like tuna fish

but, I do own some. Odd, I know, However, it is a form of canned protein that is very available, it's affordable, and it has a long shelf life. I decided to make a tuna fish casserole last night, the first time since January, 2011. Joe loved tuna fish casserole. I was convinced there was something wrong with his taste buds, but I made it for him from time to time. So, last night in memory of him, I ate tuna fish casserole. I had a large can of tuna fish on the shelf and egg noodles in the cupboard. I stocked up a while back on mushroom soup, and I have plenty of freeze dried peas. I also happened to have some shredded cheese in the fridge. It actually tasted better than I remember, but that might just be because I hadn't eaten much during the day.

For months now, my left shoulder has been bothering me. I didn't say much about it, primarily because I couldn't figure it out. I do have one position I assume consistently when I sleep on my left side. I thought it might have something to do with that. I was alright raising my arm in front of me, but raising my arm to the side hurt badly enough that I had to steel myself when I needed to do it. I am thinking that I somehow dislocated my shoulder and didn't know it. I know, that sounds like a freakish statement, but read on. On TV sometimes we see that the hero has dislocated a shoulder and it has to be put back into place. And, on TV, we learn that even "heroes" scream, moan, or cry out when that happens. How then could I dislocate a shoulder and not know I'd done so? I don't have an answer for that. But, last night, as I was stretching (in a way I've probably done 300 or 400 times since this thing started), suddenly I experienced a lot of pain and heard/felt something in my shoulder "pop". I didn't scream, moan, or cry out. I did have a sharp intake of breath. So, does not screaming make me a "hero"? Do I get my own TV show/movie now? Probably not............. Anyway it is less sore this morning and possibly on its way to recovery. I sure hope so...........

Clark County, Nevada's # of COVID cases continues to climb, as does the death toll. Two days ago we were at 2882/133 and yesterday we were at 2940/137. Today's numbers have not been posted yet. It appears, however, I don't go back to work until May 2. Will I be safe then? Only as safe as my prayers can make me............Cashiers from numerous big box chains have tested positive. Four as of early last week. I know my co-workers are scared and I don't blame them. If it weren't for the Lord, I'd be downright paralyzed with fear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extended leave?

I found out last night from a coworker that I had to formally reapply in order for my "emergency medical leave" to be extended. Thank God for Facebook Messenger. I was also supposed to get new approval from my manager. She was not in, but her boss was. So up the chain of command I went. I think I have now dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's. It will be interesting to see if I get a written response this time--I never got one on the first request.

I made an excursion to the bank. The last time I went to my usual branch, the ATM machine was missing. I had to use the old pneumatic tube drive up window. This branch is in a very busy strip mall which is one reason I bank there. Within 3 miles of the house there are 3 more branches. Two of them don't have drive through ATM's and the other requires driving further on a very busy thoroughfare. I asked the teller what happened to the ATM. Apparently someone managed to remove it from its base and tried to get into it. According to the teller, they don't expect a replacement for a month.

So today I went to one of the non-drive through branches. In spite of the burgled ATM, I felt less secure having to get out of my vehicle and enter the foyer of the bank to get to an ATM. However, it was urgent I get it done. My bank account was down to $1.29 and I had bills to pay. Fortunately I had a few tax checks here on my desk. I just hope they're enough. In any case, I'll be paying bills. Tried to do it today but Chase won't allow me to access the funds til tomorrow. I can't even do the entries on the bank's website with a disbursement date of tomorrow. This bank has very few fees and they've never really hassled me about anything, but their service doesn't match up to some of the big boys. Another example is that in their on-line banking system, I can't pay a bill on the weekend. I can do the entry, but there will be no disbursement til the following Monday. That policy, coupled with my bad memory, has cost me a few late fees..............

I am still having trouble adjusting to the time change which is complicated for me by the lengthening daylight hours. Just a short time ago, if the natural light in the house was this low, it was after 4PM. Now it's after 6. Strange...........

Food fatigue...........

Ever hear of it? It's when absolutely NOTHING in your house appeals to your tummy. I've got a dandy case of it. I've searched the inside freezer, the fridge, the rolling pantry, the built in pantry and the outside freezer. Oh, and I shouldn't forget my home canned goods. My stomach just kinda does flip flops no matter what I look at. I can't even think of anything I could buy that appeals. Frankly, my taste buds tell me that everything I own tastes just like something I've recently eaten. Ugh! I can see I'm going to be in hard times if we have a SHTF situation.

I think I am going to make one of those Bisquick Impossible Pies--the cheeseburger one. I haven't eaten much beef or cheese. Maybe that will work? I can always cut the leftovers into single serving size, freeze and save for another day.

 

EDITED TO ADD:  It was a good decision. I just went and got seconds--very enjoyable. I recommend this recipe. Just go to the Betty Crocker website and search for "Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie". Not many ingredients, easy to put together, and tasty.

I miss ibuprofen........

According to the internet, COVID-19 is worse in folks who have taken aspirin oe ibuprofen. So, for now Ibuprofen has been eliminated from my life. Today I have some arthritis pain for which I'd love to take an ibuprofen, It's not horrendous but it's bothersome. It's in the lowest joint of my right thumb and it only really hurts when I move the thumb. Life is not as easy without an opposable right thumb, LOL.

I had a rough night. I went to bed at a reasonable time and I must have dozed for a short time. When I woke up about an hour and a half later, I had a splitting headache. I came out to the office and took my blood pressure. Holy Mary, it was 178/100! Fortunately I have medication for such times. It took a while, several hours, but eventually it settled down. Just as I got up from my chair to go back to bed, I got hit with diarrhea. Finally I did get back to sleep, but I did not get my "quota" so I feel a nap coming on..........