Happy New Year's Eve! I had a tough night and a tough day. Lucky seems so sick and I keep thinking will she make it through the weekend. She is shaking and staring at me asking me to help her. It is a holiday so I don't know how to help her.
It isn't a happy day for the two of us. No fireworks or fun. Just going to bed at 8 pm to keep her calm. Lots of rain.
Last night Lucky feel off the bed. It was 4 am and bam! she fell off the bed when she turned over. I screamed she got up and shook it off. I know it had to hurt since I have fancy concrete floors. I put her back up on the bed and put a pillow as a barricade so that would not happen again.
In the morning the shaking was worse. Now I wondered if she hurt herself when she fell. Did she bruise her side or break anything? She was walking fine but I didn't know.
I packed her in a blanket and kept her close all day. She was making me nervous. She shook so hard at night the bed shook.
It rained again. Rain we need you but it is too much.
Until tomorrow...
Lucky has been shaking. A lot. Like little chihuahuas shake. She has never shaked like that before. She is making me very nervous. I am going to take her to the vet if it gets worse. She is up all night shaking and moving around. I am really tired.
It is raining. Raining and raining.
Until tomorrow...
The soil was moved to the backyard by two guys. They spread it around the backyard. Then they dug a hole for the water feature. I asked them very nicely to dig a little deeper so I could bury something under the water feature. They complied and I buried my previous bird, Baby. Baby was in the freezer since he passed away. (wrapped up and in a box) I placed him in the hole and asked for a minute and they all bowed their heads while I took a minute. It was sweet. Now the water feature will be his memorial.
The landscaper also put in the path to the standing garden and the bench. It is really coming together.
Until tomorrow...
There is movement on the backyard!
First there were huge bags of soil and rocks delivered. Then the landscaper moved the many rocks to the backyard. The soil will have to wait for tomorrow. You can see how many rocks he moved by himself. Better him than me! I think that is what Lucky is saying. The backyard is moving along.
Until tomorrow...
Today was my breast MRI. I do not have problems with MRIs since I have been having MRIs since I was 19 or 20 years old when I hurt my back. Beck them it was the old MRI machines where the circle you went into was really little. I learned to zen out when I was in there. Never open your eyes and just try to go to sleep or a deep relaxed state. The MRI today had music so I was able to listen to rock music (my choice.) The only thing I forgot was I hate when they say "3 more minutes", "now it is going to be 2.5 minutes". I would rather they just let it run until it is over. Their talking brings me out of my zen.
I will have the results in a few days or more since it is Christmas. You may be asking if I wore my special Tiara and yes, I did. Of course I got weird looks since the MRI department was moved during lock down to a larger building. I don't care. That Tiara has magical powers and was given to me by a friend who helped me years ago when I had my first breast cancer scare.
Until tomorrow...
I had a foster meeting today for my ex-foster kid. Then I went to the post office to get my mail and drop off a package. My final gift arrived and wrapped it and boxed it up to send it out. I was so happy to have all my packages gone. I need to rethink this next year. Definitely lighter gifts!
I contacted Amazon to return the headset I bought and didn't work with my phone system. Amazon won't take it back but refunded my money.
Until tomorrow...
I didn't feel that well in the afternoon again.
Earlier in the day I made Gingerbread Blondies with White Chocolate Chunks. They are really good. I will share a photo soon.
I decorated the house more and decorated the tree. I had a light situation. I tested the string of lights before I put them on the tree. It takes two strings of lights for the tree. I put the two strings on the tree. I plug it in and the top string doesn't light up. ERGH! I take the top string off and test another string of lights. It lights up. I restring the tree. I plug it in and, guess what? It doesn't light. The top of the tree is cursed! I gave up.
Later in the day I had to rig the angel on the tree. It is the angel from my childhood. I took a chopstick and attached it to the top of the tree so the angel can stay. Then suddenly the lights flash on. Now the lights work. I didn't want to move anything because the lights work.
Until tomorrow...
I spent the day decorating the house more and resting on the couch watching Christmas Movies. I did not feel very well in the afternoon.
I did laundry and picked up. I cleared out the area around my workout area in the garage.
Until tomorrow...
It is Friday and a busy day for me. Early morning doctor virtual appointment. Then I had to take my car to get smog checked so I can register it for another year. I showed up on time but they were running late. I told the guy that I saw his advertisement on line and I got 20% off. I really didn't but I remembered from last year that he had one. Hey, I go to him every year. My car passed!
Then I had to rush home for a food delivery. My handyman cancelled because he was ill.
My client was supposed to meet with me at 1 pm but postponed until 2:45. It was supposed to be a 15 min meeting and it turned into an hour and a half meeting. On a day that I was not working. I was a little annoyed and tired when it was all done.
I started decorating the house. I set up the Christmas tree. It is a silver retro tree.
Until tomorrow...
I had my big dental appointment today. The dentist filled four areas on the side of my teeth where the gums receded and the nerves were exposed. The dentist said it was because of my grinding and tooth brushing. I need to use my electric toothbrush more. It is great seeing my teeth all white instead of my exposed ugly nerves.
I am going back in January to talk about Invisiline. My grinding has screwed up my teeth but mostly my bottom teeth. She said the Invisiline can fix it. I am going to be lots of fun to sleep with. A mouth guard on the top teeth and a retainer on the bottom teeth. This will be worse than when I was a teenager with braces and rubber bands. :-)
The landscaper was here most of the day. He and his assistant worked very hard moving dirt and lifting up pavers (slate). Almost all of the pavers that are being moved are lifted up now. The big mound of dirt is spread out. More work is being done in the next two days.
This afternoon when I was putting the four packages in the car to take to the post office, I took Lucky with me to give her a car ride. All of a sudden she started limping. Her front paw seemed sore so I took her back in the house to take a nap. She seems better now. I hypothesize that she stepped on something sharp that didn't leave a mark.
I only have one package left to mail. I am waiting for the gift to arrive. It is very annoying that the gift has not arrived yet.
Until tomorrow...
I managed to get some more decorating done today. The most important thing I got done was I figured out how to have my angel stay up on top of my tree and while doing that, I accidentally fixed the top string of lights. The lights either have a short in the wire or a bulb is loose but when I affixed a chopstick to the top of the tree in order to have something to put the angel on, I tweaked the cord and the lights popped on. I’m not going to touch anything.
I finished wrapping the gifts that arrived. I am waiting on three gifts. Once one more gets here tomorrow, I am mailing out three boxes. I have one more box and a small package to go.
I went to physical therapy to figure out my feet. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like the guy. He came highly recommended but he was so serious. By the end he loosened up. I have a plan of attack that includes riding my stationary bike, rollers, towels and heat. He isn’t quite sure what is wrong but says we will figure it out.
Until tomorrow…
I am trying to feel better. You know that feeling when you are trying really hard to feel better but you just can’t get there. That is me today.
It is still so cold here. It is so unusual to wear a turtleneck here but here I am wearing a turtleneck.
More Christmas gifts arrived for me to wrap and box up. The gifts I wrapped and boxed over the weekend were picked up and are on their merry way to their récipients. Now I remember why I started buying gifts online. It is harder to buy gifts, get them delivered to my home, wrap them, and then box them up and ship them out.
Until tomorrow…
I am not feeling better today. In fact I took another COVID test today. I didn’t think I had it but I wanted to make sure. It was negative. I am pretty sure it is just a flare of some sort. I am tired, sore, in pain and achy. I pretty much laid on the couch all day.
I finished packing up three boxes to ship and took for a walk. I took the lights off the top of the Christmas tree and put another strand on the tree and (yes,I did test them) they didn’t work once I got them on the tree. I’ll fix them tomorrow.
I just got lots of rest on a rainy day.
Until tomorrow…
There is lots of rain today. During a quick break in the rain I ran Lucky around the block.
I started decorating for Christmas. I put the shiny silver Christmas tree up. I put some lights on it, I tested them first, and once I got them on the tree, part of the strand didn’t work. Ergh!
The landscaper was supposed to come and bring dirt but it is raining.
I received some Christmas gifts and wrapped them so they can be put in the mail first thing Monday.
Then I started to not feel very good. Just tired and achy. I went to bed at 8pm.
Until tomorrow…
What a day! It started with the termite people coming. That was a bit of a fiasco because the inspector was not a good communicator and the guys that showed up to do the work were confused. The work was completed.
Then the roofer came to look at the leak in my roof. He went up om the roof and found five small cracks that need to be patched. He has to wait until it stops raining.
Then the landscaper arrived and worked for the rest of the day. The backyard will never look the same.
I finally got to sit down around 6 pm. I was exhausted. But happy the backyard is finally getting started.
Until tomorrow…
I am a horrible cousin. I forgot to call my cousin for their birthday. We talk all the time. I knew it was their birthday but I didn’t want to call during work hours and then it slipped my mind. Then it was too late to call. I did text and post a Facebook post so I didn’t completely ghost them. I just felt badly.
I had a handyman here today doing a bunch of work. He was here all day doing various tasks such as cleaning out my dryer duct, bracing my fireplace, fixing a wall, fixing a lock, moving stuff and taking junk to the dump. So much stuff got taken care of.
While he was doing that, I was making appointments to get my car fixed, my car checked, and the termite guys coming. It was a busy day.
Until tomorrow…
I got a good report on Lucky. She went on a walk and she ran! It is her final day of the medicine and she no longer breathes with a snort from her stuffed nose. She is still sleepy but no longer stuffy.
Today is St. Nicholas Day. In the United States, one custom associated with Saint Nicholas Day is children leaving their shoes in the foyer on Saint Nicholas Eve in hope that Saint Nicholas will place some coins on the soles.
The American Santa Clause, as well as the British Father Christmas, derive from Saint Nicholas. « Santa Claus » is itself derived in part from the Dutch Sinterklaas, the saint’s name in that language. However, the gift giving associated with these descendant figures is associated with Christmas Day rather than Saint Nicholas Day itself.
Until tomorrow…
Today went by in a blink. It started with me bringing Christmas decorations upstairs. I only brought the light things upstairs and I am hoping my handyman will carry the heavy bins upstairs. I am going to purge.
Then I got a message that my free VR game is going to expire if I didn't claim it today so I had to figure out how to claim and install it. Once I did that, I watched a VR documentary on blindness. It was very interesting and educational. There were many parts that I closed my eyes to feel what it would be like to not have sight. At one point it added sound from a playground one sound at a time. It is amazing how much we hearing folk take the amount of sound in our daily lives for granted. I learned when you can't see, those sounds are so frightening and some are threatening. A car door closing is a scary sound.
Using my VR game was all a way to avoid doing work. I had to finish invoicing clients, my most hated task. I am trying to get better at it so I don't get behind. I finished this evening.
I had to make dinner for the week and decided to try a quick curry. It is okay but I should have stuck with my regular curry. I put broccoli, sweet potatoes and chard in the curry.
I had to get ready for my rheumatoid arthritis doctor appointment tomorrow morning. I have my script of what I want to say to her about my last appointment. Wish me luck!
Until tomorrow...
It rained again today. It is SO cold again today. Those two things are miserable together. Lucky does not want to go for walks. I finally got her out between rainstorms and she only wanted to go around the corner before she ran (and I mean ran!) back home. She is also not too happy about her new coat. I think she is happy she has it on when she is out in the cold but she doesn't like putting it on.
Update on Lucky: she is growling more which I am taking as she is feeling better. When she was not feeling well she never growled. Now she is much more feisty! Back to normal.
I did almost my entire Christmas shopping today. I had some ideas of what I wanted to buy for some folks but I had to research for others. I think I have some fun presents.
Until tomorrow...
Today I made the decision that starting in 2023 I am going to a four-day work week. I have been on a trial for the past few months and I quite enjoy it. I feel more productive and like having one day to do administrative tasks. I do handle emergencies if they come up and if I am working on special project, I have time to work on it uninterrupted.
As a favor, my neighbor came by to check my oil and antifreeze. He works on old cars. He said my oil and water were low. I have no fluids at my house because I always go to my "car husband". A car husband is a bit like a "work husband". My car husband works at my dealership and is my friend. I have known him for way too many years (hint: this car is 20 years old and I had another car before this one) and he has always checked my oil and antifreeze and put air in my tires. I know that sounds spoiled but if you had someone who (such as a car husband) who did these things for free, would you do them yourself? When my neighbor told me I needed to drive to a store and buy oil and antifreeze, I called my car husband and he said to drive over. He dealt with it in 15 minutes. Then he put air in my tires. I just stood there and chatted with him. I know spoiled.
When I was younger I had a very inexpensive car and I did everything myself. I even bled my own brakes (with help). I was a wiz with duct tape! I feel like I did my time!
Until tomorrow...
The landscaper came by to double check everything. I put a string around where I thought the pavers should go. It was helpful so we are now on the same page. He gave me an estimate and we agreed on a start date. He said it could be done by Christmas but I looked at the weather report and I think that is optimistic. I think by New Year's is more realistic.
Lucky's new coat:
Until tomorrow...
The landscaper was supposed to come today but he begged off. He changed it to tomorrow. It rained so hard today and the temperature dropped. It looks like it is going to rain a lot in the coming days.
I just got a notice that my book club will not be meeting in December because a person in charge forgot the date of the meeting is during their time off. The book we are reading is pushed back until January. I think that is good because I am not finding my free time during the holidays to read. All those Christmas Movies to watch!
Until tomorrow...
December is a busy month for me. There is Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year's Eve. I also have a few birthday's and anniversary's. Lots of cards and presents this month. I have to get ready and organized.
I bought a new monitor for my computer. I have been sitting at my desk instead of my couch. It is hard to look at a laptop on a desk with bifocal type glasses and sit up straight. A monitor is needed. I also had to get a webcam and wireless keyboard and mouse. I think this will help my neck issues. I just have to remind myself to straight up. I am working on not slouching.
Until tomorrow...
Lucky's new coat has arrived. I tried putting a coat on Lucky when she was a pup but that did not go too well. I got the coat on her but she attacked me every time I tried to get it off her. When I finally got it off her, I returned it to the store.
Until tomorrow...
I am feeling better but not 100%. My new Oculus VR showed up yesterday and I have been playing with it. I walked through Anne Franks house and virtually fished. I find it super interesting.
I am working my way through the Christmas Lifetime movies. They put me in the spirit.
Until tomorrow…
I am not sure why I feel so crappy. I have pain in my rib cage and I am a bit coughy. I tested and it isn’t Covid. I am laying around and watching Christmas movies. I did a couple of loads of laundry.
Until tomorrow…
I had a busy day. I had the landscaper guy coming to discuss the backyard. We talked about the plans and after a bit of time we decided to change the plans a bit. I wanted more green space. It looks like the work may begin soon. I had almost given up thinking it would happen this year.
I had another appointment and wouldn’t you guess both men showed up at the same time. I had to juggle the appointments. Both men were nice about it.
Then in the afternoon, I had my third try to get a pneumonia shot. Here is the play-by-play: I showed up and they told me they weren’t sure they had the vaccine. Then, once they found it, they asked me my birth date and said I was too young to get the vaccine. At this point I am frustrated since this is my third time going through this. Then I filled out the paperwork and was given my vaccine. This all took 25 minutes. As I was leaving one of the phlebotomist told me goodbye and « see you next time » . I’ve had more vaccines this year than I’ve had since I was a baby.
Until tomorrow…
I decided to spend Thanksgiving at home. I had a lazy morning and then took Lucky for a walk. While watching the Dallas game I cooked mashed potatoes, stuffing, delicata squash, cranberry sauce, and Brussels sprouts. It was a vegan feast.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Until tomorrow…
I have been months behind in invoicing my clients. Today I finally caught up. It is a great feeling. Getting all that work done is such a weight off.
Lucky’s sweater showed up and it was too small. I’m returning it and I bought another one in the correct size.
The chimney people came this morning and I got some unexpected news. My fireplace back wall up in the chimney is loose and some of the grout has come out between some of the brick. That means the fireplace is no longer useable. On the positive side I didn’t use it and asphyxiate myself or burn my home down. They could not clean out the dryer vent either for a complicated reason. So they were gone in 20 minutes.
I began researching electric fireplace inserts. I am going to have a fake fire in my fireplace. At least it will be warm.
Until tomorrow…
The Vegan Lavender Blueberry Cheesecakes taste delicious. They look so vibrant. The inside is vanilla and cocoa butter and the outside is lavender and blueberry.
I showed up for virtual book club but they were having technical issues. It didn’t hurt too bad because I only read about 1/ 5 of the book.
Until tomorrow…
I was planning on baking today but instead I decided to spend my day off being, well, off. I did a whole lot of nothing. I am not very good at doing nothing. I sit and think about all the things I could be doing. I am trying to teach myself to be okay doing nothing. Or not much of anything.
The pneumonia vaccine saga continues. To catch you up a few weeks ago when I received my flu shot I was also supposed to get my pneumonia shot. I didn’t end up getting the pneumonia shot because the pharmacy didn’t know which shot to give me. I found out which shot to get and today was my appointment. I got there (I am starting to be a regular there) and the phlebotomist said they ran out of the shot I needed. He needed to order more and he made me a new appointment. Let’s give it a third try.
I walked Lucky twice and ran into a couple of neighbors. I invited them over this weekend to sit outside and catch up. It should be fun.
Until tomorrow…
Lucky went with the dog walker today. She was excited to go to the door when he arrived but then tried to back out part way down the stairs. I shut the door and made her go. The report was that she walked the whole way (almost 2 miles) but was at the back of the pack. Much better than last time when she only walked 1/2 way, was slow and had to be put back in the car for a nap. I was told that her ID charm on her collar may be too heavy so I ordered her a new one that is super light. I have noticed that it drags lower than before. I usually take her collar off in the house since she has been sick. But overall a good report. She came home and immediately looked for food and fell asleep. Then she ate a big dinner and wanted to play.
I worked all day. No time for anything else. It was non-stop. I don't think I signed up for this but suddenly everything has gone crazy. It is good to feel needed.
Until tomorrow...
I got up and had a plan for the day. It was sent into a bit of chaos when the wifi went down. I had to make another plan for a while.
I made the icing for my cookies and it didn't come exactly like I wanted. It was more like a glaze than icing. I made due but it wasn't ideal. The cookies look cute; especially the leaves.
There are acorns, pumpkins, squirrels, and leaves. They taste good and that is most important.
I took Lucky for two walks today. The second walk which was around dinner time was the fastest. She practically ran around the block. I don't know if she was cold or hungry but I was gasping for air. I contacted the dog walker and told him she was ready to go with him again.
Until tomorrow...
I wanted to sleep late today but my left eye is having issues. This time of year my eyes are a mess.
After paying bills, I took Lucky for a walk and mailed the bills. When we got back, I baked some cookies. I plan to ice them tomorrow. After making the cookies, I needed to lay down a bit. Then a client called and I had to do something for 15 minutes. After eating dinner, I called it a day. I watched TV and tried to clear out my DVR because it is time for 25 movies of Christmas. I love Christmas movies. Last year I watched all 25 movies.
Until tomorrow…
Happy Veteran’s Day! I decided to take the day off or so I thought. I had a client make an appointment for 11am that I needed to attend. It was a really good meeting but I wanted a day off.
I was supposed to take Lucky to the vet to get tested to make sure her UTI was all gone but I called and since she is now on more antibiotics they want me to wait. The antibiotics mess up the test.
Then a client contacted me and said I needed to do some paperwork someone today. Ugh! Then another client emailed that I needed to invoice by the end of business today so they can bill someone else. So I spent an hour getting that completed. There went my relaxing day! The struggle is real when you are a small business owner.
I decided order food to be delivered. I was tired. I got Mediterranean food. It was so good. I got tofu and veggie kabobs with rice pilaf and hummus. This one is going on repeat!
Until tomorrow…
Work has been non-stop. Busy every day, all day.
I waited for two days for Lucky’s medicine and it didn’t show up today. I called the company and found out that a few weeks ago they were bought over and when their databases merged, some customers addresses got messed up. Her medicine got shipped to another address. I will get it tomorrow.
Lucky wanted to play tonight. She grabbed her toys and we played her favorite « catch me, catch me ». Where one of us runs around and the other tries to catch the other. I think she had fun.
Until tomorrow…
I woke up early so I would be ready for the tree trimmer. I have a large white birch in my back yard and every couple of years it needs to be thinned and shaped. I have a tree guy who used to be a forest fire fighter come and cut it. His guys do a great job. Anyway, I waited and waited and they didn’t come. It was raining on and off and I kind of thought they might not come but I got no phone call. I finally called and he said didn’t you get my message? He left a message at some random house where some people are probably very confused.
The tree guy ended up coming later to see the tree in the rain. He remembered the tree once he arrived. He wanted to charge me X to trim the tree and I said WHAT? You charged me Y last time. It was $200 less. So he said okay I’ll charge you Y. He is coming back on Thursday.
I called the chimney sweep while I was on a roll. I also asked about their drier vent cleaning. He said he would charge me A. I said how about you charge me B. He said how about we meet in the middle? Basically I saved $250 between the two services!
It was such a cold and rainy day. Lucky stayed inside.
Until tomorrow…
Today was all about taking care of Lucky and doing Laundry. All the "L"'s.
Lucky is doing better today. She slept a lot but is not making that noise as much. It was rainy so I kept her inside. I also cancelled the dog walker for tomorrow. I think until she gets her medicine she should stay stationary.
I did three loads of laundry and washed dishes. Big fun here! I tried to relax since my neighbors had a fire engine at their house at 5:45 am. I got up to make sure everything was okay. I could not fall back to sleep and of course it was Day Light Savings Time so it was SO early.
I made vegan chili for dinner. It is very good but it was too watery. I ate it with rice so the rice soaked up the liquid. I guess I should have cooked it longer. I was in a hurry.
I took Lucky for a walk between the rain drops and I thought she was doing good but 3/4 of the way around the block she got ill. I carried her home. Then she seemed fine! I can't wait to get her medicine. I think she has been licking her legs and paws and that made her sick.
I did errands today like putting away the Halloween decorations (they needed to dry from the rain). Once I got those tasks done, I decided to cut my own hair. Don't get too excited. I just gave myself a trim. When I went to see the hairstylist down my block she said I needed a trim and then my hair would look better. I have cut my hair many times before when it was short so how hard could it be?! I watched a youtube demo and bought the right items. I got in front of a mirror and I did it. I won't say it is perfect (there is a piece in the back I do need to trim a bit more) but it looks pretty good. I only took about 1-1/2 or 2 inches off. It looks healthier now. Those inches will grow back quickly. My hair grows very fast. In 2 years it has grown past my shoulders from a haircut that was about 2-1/2 inches long. If it looks healthy I am happy.
Until tomorrow...
I took Lucky to the veterinarian again. I was so concerned with her heavy and loud breathing even when she was awake and sitting still. The vet said she has an upper respiratory infection and needs antibiotics. The antibiotics need to be ordered from a dog pharmacy and will take a few days. Meanwhile I am giving her human cough meds. It seems like it is the same type of infection she had before.
It was a busier day than I expected when I a client called with an emergency. Even though I am trying not to work on Friday's, I will take emergency calls and emails. I got other emails and responded that I would respond back on Monday.
Until tomorrow...
It rained today again. I worked most of the day.
At about 5 pm I asked Lucky if she wanted to go for a walk. It had stopped raining. She jumped up and practically danced to her leash. We got outside and she ran down the sidewalk. We ran into a friend and I thought she would be excited but she just wanted to keep running around the block. Run she did. I was gasping for air. Then she came inside and ate. It it was good to see her snapping back a bit more.
My eye was worse this morning. Luckily the eye wash arrived. The medicine should arrive tomorrow.
My scissors also arrived today. I bought scissors to trim my hair. I was going to go somewhere to get my hair trimmed but then I found a website that shows me how to trim my own hair. I bought two pairs or scissors and one pair didn’t come as advertised so I am sending them back.
More rain tomorrow.
Until tomorrow…
Happy November!!
I woke up with a blocked tear duct. My eye was scratchy for the last few days but I thought if I used my eye wash I could beat it. It didn’t work and my eye lid is swollen and itchy. I checked the eye wash and it is expired by a few months but I need to use it until I can get some more delivered.
I called the eye doctor and ugly the medicine refilled. That will be delivered in a couple of days. I also made a eye doctor appointment. I need new lenses.
It is raining so Lucky does not want to go outside.
Until tomorrow…
I made some great soup today.Tuscan Kale Soup. I used Chard instead of kale. I swapped around some other items because I have to make a soup I like. It is really good.
I am starting to get an eye problem. I get these eye problems because I do not make tears and have dry eye. I went to get my solution and it expired two years ago. I have to get more ordered tomorrow. I tried to get something’s done today:read my book, invoice clients. I did a little of each.
I’m just super fatigued. I got into bed at 8 pm.
Until tomorrow…
I am back working on my vegan cooking course. If you are paying attention, there are a bunch of numbers missing on my title count. During my Staycation, I did not write the count of what day I was on for the cooking course when I made all those cheeses.
Today I started the Vegan Raw Desserts chapter. It is set up differently than the other chapters. The other chapters give you an overview and then a break down of different recipes with corresponding videos showing you how to make them. Some are even dishes or meals with all the steps laid out.
This chapter has a few recipes but they are only on the video. There is no corresponding written recipe with the video. There is a handout that has some recipes but also different ideas. Example: mini cake can be made with pecans or hazelnuts. It can be topped with caramel, fruit jam, or glazed. It can be filled with jam, caramel, compote. You get the picture? They give me many options rather than one recipe to follow.
I wanted to start out slow so I made Dark Chocolate Mini Cakes with Caramel Drizzle. It would have been really good had I had vanilla ice cream. It tastes like an amazing brownie with decadent caramel on top. It was fun to make and now I have more confidence to make another dessert.
Today was my scheduled flu and pneumonia shots. I arrived early for my shots when it was explained to me that they had no record of me having a pneumonia shot previously. The pneumonia shots build on each other. First you get a lower numbered one then you get a higher numbered one. I swear I got a pneumonia shot years ago but my doctors office has no record of it. I had to wait around while offices were called and discussions were held. In the end I was told I should wait and only get the flu shot. I got my flu shot and went home.
I took Lucky for a walk and ordered Chinese food for dinner.
I think a flare is coming on. We shall see.
Until tomorrow…
I went to see my new Rheumatoid Arthritis doctor. I really liked her when I met her virtually. We got on great. Today when I saw her in person I got another vibe from her. Maybe she was having a bad day? I don't know. I am going to see her again in December and I am going to see if she is the same way.
My labs came through and everything was in the good range. That is fairly typical for me. Especially during COVID since I am alone most days and masked all the time.
I am still processing the appointment because she told me things I was unhappy hearing. She had a completely different plan about my meds than we spoke about on the video call. Instead of adding a medicine she wants to completely change my meds. We all know what that means: potential flares, insurance problems, etc. I am not willing to go through that. The holidays are coming up. Things are not great now but they aren't "horrible bedridden flare" bad. I told her no. She wanted to put me on Gabapentin and take me off Orencia. I said no. Maybe Orencia is not working well but I am not a fan of gabapentin. I give it to my dogs and they have horrible side effects.
She also wants to change my diagnosis after 20 years. I was like "what???" I was so upset about that. It is like telling someone they are a Texan for 20 years and then all of a sudden they are told no we lied, you are actually not from Texas, you are from Philadelphia. Or telling a vegan that you have been feeding them dairy products for years. How do you change something that you have told someone for years and they have been taking meds for and living? It was an upsetting day. I am choosing to ignore her until she gets to know me better. How do you make a decision like that after knowing me for 30 minutes over video conference? Four other doctors can't be wrong.
That was my day and I had a hard time concentrating on anything else. Then an earthquake hit on the West Coast. That was all anyone could talk about.
Until tomorrow...
I got up early and spent two hours cleaning , dusting, sweeping, organizing, and putting things away. I started in the kitchen by organizing it. Then I cleaned it, swept it and dusted it. Tomorrow I am going to mop the floor. Then I moved to the bathroom where I cleaned and swept it. Then I dusted and swept my office. Then my two hours was over and I sat down exhausted.
I read my bookclub book for a while and then had a few phone calls. I took Lucky for two walks.
I wanted to watch a new show but I fell asleep at 9 pm. I was so tired.
Until tomorrow...
I had another day that didn’t go as expected. I started out working.
Then after lunch I called to get the lab results for Lucky. The doctor asked how she was doing. I told her that Lucky was fine last night and this morning but now she is like a rag doll. Usually Lucky follows me everywhere but she just sleeps. The doctor said the labs were great. Nothing was concerning. Even the things they have been watching were either the same or better. The are still saying they think it was a case of either dehydration or when she vomited she caused herself to get overwhelmed and she fell over. I still think it is the medicine she takes. I convinced them to let me stop the medicine, I think is causing it, for the time being. Then we can see if that is the cause.
Thé doctor said that Lucky was much better today than yesterday. She was much more « feisty » which is a good sign. She actually barked today for the first time in days. They gave her more fluids and nausea meds. When she got home she ate food, played her treat game, and went for a short walk. Let’s hope she is on the road to recovery. I cried an ugly cry this morning because I was scared. I don’t want her to be in pain.
That was my day.
Until tomorrow…
Well, mystery book club was great. They were a real nice group of people. It was a small group and I didn't get to ask if this was the regular group or if it had shrunk due to the lockdown. We talked about the book and how our lives were like the book. The meeting went exactly one hour. That part was nice. My old book club would drag on for over two hours. Ugh. It's a book how much can you talk about? I have my book for next month. It is very different but still a mystery-ish.
I spent over one hour clearing off almost everything on my dining room table. I don't know about you but my dining room table became a place to drop things and it was out of control. I got rid of empty boxes and a ton of junk mail. I can see the table top and only have about 20 thing left on it. I will work on it again and get rid of them.
I wanted to watch the Dallas/Eagles game today while I made soup. (yes, they lost.) I could not get the remote to work so I put new batteries in. The remote still did not work so I tried to get the battery out and the twirly metal part of the remote where the battery is stabbed the battery. The battery got real hot. I panicked. Could the battery blow up? Catch on fire? I called my brother and then another brother. He assured me it would not blow up. (yes, I googled it. You google it and see what you get. It will confuse you and not tell you what to do.) He told me to take it outside and use some pliers to get the battery out of the remote. The remote was toast now and the battery was no longer hot. I guess I need to buy a new remote or I can not change the volume with out doing some sort of yoga to reach the TV that is mounted on the wall. Luckily I can push a button on the TV to turn it on.
I made the soup Curry Butternut Squash Lentil. It was so delicious. It has spinach and carrots in it too.
My neighbor moved today. I am a little sad. She and I were just becoming friendly more than the "hi" type of neighbors. She just rented her place so maybe she will be back. I gave her some of the cookies I made for the road trip.
Until tomorrow...
