REBUILD DAY 1

I can now see the sky from inside my house. The guys showed up today to work on the house and the first thing they did was tear off the small roof above where the leak was.  This was a multi-hour project. They tore off the wood underneath the roof to expose the downstairs. It is now an open ceiling and I can see the sky.  I was told that this is only going to stay like this overnight and I hope that's the case because it's pretty cold outside at night.

The guys worked all day and for the first time in months I stepped out on my upper deck but didn't go very far because there's no railing.

There is a plan now to replace all sorts of flashing, gutters, roof, wall, insulation and floor. I spent part of the day on websites choosing floor and eco insulation that has no fiberglass in it. No pink stuff. We are going to use a product called Rockwool. From what I understand it's a type of rock mixed in with wool to make a pretty solid product that also becomes a bit soundproof but it is super warm and not attractive to bugs and water repellent. They do not make denim insulation any more. 

It's been a big day and I have to get up at the crack of dawn tomorrow so good night.

Until tomorrow...

PROGRESS!

 Progress! The contractor showed up today after cancelling (because he ate bad food last night). He took measurements and we talked about flooring and insulation. He is coming back tomorrow to remove the current roof on the small section where the leak is. I know it is complicated but I have a main roof and a small roof that my deck was on. Then I have a tiny roof where a drain goes down. I only mention it because you would think the cost would decrease with each roof size. That is not how roofing works. It cost me just as much to get the small roof done as it cost to get the tiny roof done. The tiny roof is 3' x 2' and the small roof is approximately 15'x5'. Things like this make me crazy.

Anyway, that happened this morning along with a very long phone call with my ex-foster kid's worker to discuss things like summer school and such. 

I received my meditation stuff. I bought things to help me meditate better, or at least that is the hope. I am still waiting on my small rug. I have hard wood floors and I am not looking forward to getting down on them with no rug. 

I decided to volunteer for the flagging group. I figure the doctor wants me to be more social and this activity is outside so it is a win/win. My social activities are now attending a car show in a few weeks, flagging volunteering in a few weeks, co-leader of the arthritis group, and book club currently online. I think I am full for now. 

I have to say I love AGT (America's Got Talent). People come on with such funny talents. I am watching a dinosaur break dance. No wonder everyone wants to come to America! The audience went crazy. 

I just spoke to my friend and now I am going to sleep. 

Until tomorrow...

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

 Happy Memorial Day! I hope you had some time to rest. 

Lucky and I went to the park. We took a long walk in the freezing cold wind. It was beautiful. There were a bunch of dogs. We ran into a nice lady with two dogs. She had a newly adopted Shiba Inu and a tiny terrier mix. Lucky liked walking with other dogs. I think she had fun. She came home and zonked out. She slept for three hours. 

The contractor is supposed to start work tomorrow. Not soon enough. 

Tomorrow it is back to work. 

ANNUAL INDY RACE

Today was my annual tradition of watching the Indy 500. I got up early and watched the whole race. It had a wild ending where there had been crash after crash so they had to make the last couple of laps the end. If you know anything about racing, that isn't much time to pass another car. So it was an interesting ending. 

While I was watching the race I worked on my long lasting puzzle. I am determined to get this puzzle completed. I know most people would tell me to quit it and free up your living room for other things. This puzzle has been something I have worked on for two years. I want to finish it. Today I got about one-sixth of it done. I also found that the "missing" boarder piece was not missing at all. 

I started to clear out a space for my meditation nook. I need a place where I can meditate and I went through the current home and there aren't many spots available with the house in disarray. I chose a spot in the living room under my ficas tree. I have my meditation stuff coming in Tuesday. I just need my pillows and I will be set. 

Until tomorrow...

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND PASTA SALAD

I made pasta salad for the holiday weekend. It is a pasta salad I never made before. It is pasta with fresh snap peas, chickpeas, yellow squash, lemon vinaigrette and mint leaves chopped up. Yummy! 

I basically walked the dog, read my book and picked up around the place. 

Until tomorrow...

FIRST ACCUPUNCTURE APPOINTMENT

Today was my first accupuncture appointment. I will be honest, I have avoided most Eastern Medicine for years. I thought it was all "woo woo". I felt like it was not going to do anything for me. 

Then I went to Sedona and my thoughts of Eastern philosophy changed. People who knew nothing about me had me in tears over my trauma. But the most important thing I heard over and over was that I held too much stress. 

I went back to Sedona two years later and I heard again that I carried too much stress. 

I was converted. I believe in the mind body spirit connection. That is why I am trying accupuncture. If people have been doing this for 2,000 years there must be something to it. 

At the appointment the Dr. talked to me for about 40 minutes. She wanted to hear everything about me. Eating, sleeping, exercise, pain, current medicines, the story about my autoimmune diseases. Everything. 

Then I laid down on a table and she rolled up my pants legs and began putting the super thin needles in. I give myself injections weekly so I wasn't afraid of the needles but I was surprised that I didn't even feel 80% of them going in. 

Then she leaves the room. I have a panic buzzer just in case. It was funny because it was the same wireless doorbell I have on my side door. I laid there. I had a weird sensation in my left arm that felt like warm. My left wrist had a slight sting for about 10 min. Then I got some zings: the bottom of my left foot and the top of my right thigh. They didn't hurt but felt like the pain if someone punched me. Then I got restless legs on my right leg for about 10 min. 

Then she came to check on me. I said I was fine (and had almost fell asleep). The minute she left my nose began to itch. Of course I can't scratch it and the more I wriggled my nose, the mask tickled my nose more. 

I started fantasizing that I was on Survivor and I had to ignore the itch in order to win immunity. It got me through. I guess I won immunity. 

I came home and drank tons of water and sat outside and read my book in the sunshine. 

I go back next week. 

Until tomorrow...

GOOD NEWS FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY

 I finally heard from the insurance company about my home. The woman called and said that the company feels terrible that I was treated so poorly the first time the inspector came out and they are covering some of the damage. We are in negotiations to cover the rest. It felt good to hear an apology about the way I was treated. 

The builder called and he is ready to start work on Monday or Tuesday. I can't wait. I told him to do what he needed to do. I want it done before my parents visit. 

I had another physical therapy session this morning. I have been in a lot of pain in my neck and shoulder. Seems that by trying to fix my shoulder, my neck got tweaked. Now we have to stop the pain in my neck before we can work on the shoulder. Ugh!

Thought you might like to see Lucky in her new bed. I started noticing that her old bed was smelly so I bought a couple of new beds and she seems to really like them. They are soft and kind of furry. 

Until tomorrow...

ORIENTATION TO MINDFULNESS COURSE

Tonight I had my first mind body stress reduction course. It was really the orientation to the course. I am really looking forward to the 8-week course and learning how to decrease pain and stress. It seems that I'm going to have a bunch of homework to do. Mostly practicing meditation and different forms. One of the forms they showed in a film was giving everyone in a group each a raisin and have them eat it mindfully. One lady on the video said she almost walked out the door at that point. But at the end of the eight week program she noticed such an improvement with her outlook on life. 

So I am trying this program/course and I'm going to see where it takes me. I already have homework to accomplish before the first class starts in 2 weeks. So I'll be getting that completed this weekend.

I have been keeping up with riding the stationary bike 30 minutes a day. Today I had to ride it early in the day so I could attend this course. Normally I ride the bike after dinner.

I spoke with the contractor and we are set to begin fixing my home, hopefully next week. He is promised me it will be completed before my relatives come and visit. I know what they say about contractors price double the time but I hope he can do this relatively small project in one month. We both agreed this should not take more than 10 days of work. 

Until tomorrow...

GARDEN PROGRESS

 I did it. I went to Lowes and bought a tomato plant, rosemary plant, and soil. I felt comfortable at Lowes because the gardening center is mostly outdoors and the rest is quasi outdoors. Most of the people there (customers and staff) were wearing masks. I lugged a big bag of soil out to my car, into the trunk, out of the trunk, and down the stairs to the backyard. I certainly got my workout in. 

I planted the tomato plant in a giant planter that took ages to fill with soil. They didn’t have the tomato plant I usually buy but these beefsteak tomatoes should be fun. The rosemary will be happy in the large pot I put it in. Then I looked over at the squash and two of the seedlings are popping up through the soil. I did a happy dance! My giant salad is coming together! Lettuce, cucumbers, green beans, tomatoes and squash. Now I just need my carrots to come up. What a super salad this will be. I can also add strawberries and blueberries if they grow fruit. 

The herbs are not doing as well. I see a little bit of dill popping up and I just planted the rosemary. I already have mint and oregano. I am waiting for the parsley, thyme and basil. Patience. 

I have become a farmer! I can’t believe I am getting this excited about growing veggies from seed. The landscaper texted me today to see how everything is going. He was excited to hear the progress. I need him to come and fix the drip system so it waters all the plants. 

Until tomorrow…

BENCHES COME IN DIFFERENT SIZES

It was a sort of sunny day today so I went out and measured my bench. The bench is quite hard so I wanted to purchase a cushion. Interestingly benches come in different sizes so there are many different size cushions. It took me awhile to find a cushion I liked and that fit my bench. I finally found one and it should arrive on Wednesday. 

Tonight I got the invite to be the co-facilitator of my local arthritis support group. I guess I am in! 

Lucky went on a walk with the dog walker for the first time in two weeks. Since she fell off the bed. I just bought her a bed rail so she can't fall off the bed again. She did good on the walk but the dog walker takes her on a flat area. He says he is getting nervous that a bigger dog might knock her over and hurt her. She is getting more frail. We are going to give it a few more weeks and talk again. She would miss him terribly. 

Until tomorrow...

BOOK CLUB ATTENDANCE EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T READ THE BOOK

 I finished reading the MCI book and one of the items it said was to make sure you did a few things each week. One was physical activity, then cognitive activity and lastly social activity. It suggested keeping a log to make sure you are doing enough each week. I started mine yesterday. The only goal I may have an issue getting to will be social activity but I am going to try. 

I did not read the book for book club this week. I found it hard to read and sort of boring. Plus I wanted to read the book on MCI. I emailed the book club organizer and told her I did not read the book and said that maybe I should not attend. She said I should attend even if I did not read the book. I attended and it turned out it was only the organizer and myself. We talked a little bit about the book and then we talked about other books. She also told me I can get my books from the library and put them on my Kindle. I tried it after the meeting but I have to have a newer Kindle. Next months' book seems a lot better. 

Yesterday I watched the Preakness and the horse I wanted to win, won. National Treasure. 

Until tomorrow...

BOOK ON MCI

Today I woke up and it had rained a bit last night. I was hoping my seeds would show after the rain. No luck. 

I finished a book I have been read about MCI. It is titled Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment. It was very interesting and had some great information. It goes into great detail to explain MCI and then gives examples of how to work on memory. I have a bunch of pages bookmarked. 

Until tomorrow...

TABLE ARRIVED

My new backyard table and chairs arrived today. It was a giant box weighing 175 lbs. I had the delivery guy drop it in my garage so I could unpack it in safety. I proceeded to unpack the box and unpack each chair. One of the things I love about this company is the lack of packaging they use. The packaging they do use is just about all recyclable. 

I'm worried my seeds are not going to become plants. None of the herbs have shown up yet nor have my carrots or squash. I have more seeds so I can plant more if I have to. I need to go get more soil and my tomato plant this week. 

Until tomorrow...

NEW VEGAN SNEAKERS

My new sneakers from Inkka showed up today. I wear sneakers everyday and I think it is healthy to switch up shoes. 

I saw these cute vegan sneakers and decided to get them. They are made from vegan blue suede and textiles. They have a cute little koala. Plus a green is planted for each sneaker purchased. 

They are super comfortable. 

I had my physical therapy appointment this morning. My right shoulder was hurting so he just worked on my neck. I have lots of neck exercises to do. I hope it eases my pain. 

Until tomorrow...

EXCITED TABLE DELIVERY FRIDAY

 My backyard table and chairs are going to be delivered on Friday. I could have had them delivered tomorrow but I have physical therapy and I wouldn't be back in time. I am really excited! 

I did not hear anything from the home insurance company. Still waiting...

I did get an email from the guy who runs the stress relaxation mind body course. The way it works is I have an orientation first. After the orientation I have an interview with the guy running it. Then the course begins and goes for eight weeks. I have to read a book that seems super long. I downloaded it last night. I will start reading it once I finish the book I am currently reading. 

I am currently reading a book about Mild Cognitive Impairment. I thought I should get to know all about it just in case I have it. It is giving me good information.

Until tomorrow...

TWO SHOES TO DROP

 Today I felt like I waiting for two shoes to drop. Home insurance will you pay my claim? Health insurance will you authorize my MRI? I practically spent the whole day dealing with both of them. 

First I texted the contractor and he said the home insurance had not contacted him. I then emailed the home insurance lady with the contractor's info again just in case she needed a nudge. She left me a voicemail stating that the claim has been approved but she is working on the numbers. YAY! The crowd goes wild. My perseverance paid off. I called the contractor and he is finding dates and getting me an estimate. Finally movement. Meanwhile the tarp covering the back of the house is about to fly off in the wind. Ugh!

Next I called the doctor's office to see about the pre-authorization. The assistant is still out "sick" so the guy covering (who is super nice) is trying to figure it all out. I got frustrated and called my concierge doctor's office and asked them if there was anyway they could help. They got right on it and I had the pre-auth in a matter of minutes. I also was told that the place I was scheduled to have the brain MRI is not covered by insurance even though it is part of the same hospital. Double Ugh! I called and canceled the date and have a new date a few weeks later. At this point I have been trying to get an MRI since March 24th. Two months. I won't have the MRI until eleven weeks have passed. Just one week shy of a quarter of a year!  What has happened to our health care system? 

In the middle of all this calling back and forth, my new backyard chair arrived. I followed the instructions and opened it right away. The bottom rung was broken. I called the company and a very nice lady told me what to do and they will replace it in a few weeks. Depending on the situation, I may or may not keep the broken one. This sounds a lot like my living room chair situation. 

That is most of my day. I barely got any work completed but I have an actual real date for my MRI and I can soon begin work on my home. [sigh of relief] 

Until tomorrow...

STILL NO WORD FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY

 Well, my backyard table and chairs have not been delivered yet. I think it may be tomorrow or Wednesday. Fingers crossed! 

I planted my strawberry plant today. It looks so happy. Tomorrow I may go purchase a tomato plant. 

Today I booked my acupuncture appointment. I have this long form to fill out before my first appointment. 

Still no word from the insurance company about my MRI or about my house situation. Ugh! 

Until tomorrow...

DANCING IN THE PARK

 I started watching A Man Called Otto last night but didn’t finish it until this morning. What a movie! That should have beaten that Everything Everywhere nonsense. 

I received a lovely Mothers Day text from my friends adopted boy. That was so sweet. 

I went outside and planted the carrots and squash in containers. Now I only have two items left, repot the strawberries and buy a tomato plant. Then the farmer in me is done. 

I told some folks I was thinking of going to an outdoor event so I got ready to go. It was essentially an outdoor dance event where they raise money for charity. I didn’t want to drive because the park would be crowded for Mother’s Day and I don’t take public transport yet so I took a taxi. What a trial! It took two calls and almost 30 minutes to get a taxi to get there and then two calls and 15 minutes of waiting to get back. The taxi driver said not too many taxis were working since it Mother’s Day. 

I had a good time and saw two people I know. One is my friend who moved to Hawaii during COVID but was planning the move prior to lockdown. The other is the organizer of the event. He used to be my neighbor. He was so sweet and he sent me a special email to see if I would come out today. I was the only person who was masked for part of it. Hugs were masked but there was a breeze and I didn’t get too close to anyone. 

I took my old 35mm camera to take photos so now I have to get the film developed. Some places will put the pictures on a disk too. 

Until tomorrow…

CAR CRASH AND GARDEN

 Last night was crazy! I was just about falling asleep during RuPauls Drag Race when I hear this screech of tires and a bang that shook my home. I looked out the window and saw red lights. I threw on my coat and shoes and ran in the direction of the lights. There were two people standing in the middle of a busy street (two lanes going each way) and a red truck was smashed into a cement-based pole. The truck front was like a V and the airbags were deployed. There was no one in the truck because the person ran from the accident. When I looked up the street in the dark, I saw that the truck had smashed through a cement-based streetlight and took the entire streetlight down. All the lanes of traffic were covered with parts of the car and chunks of cement; some the size of a loaf of bread. Some folks were a block up waving people to turn off the street and take a detour so the cars won’t drive through the debris. At the other end where the truck was, another set of people were sending traffic on a detour so as to avoid the truck and debris. It took the police about ten minutes to arrive and take over. It was exciting and I was glad no innocent bystanders were injured or killed.  

This morning, after sleeping a bit late after the excitement, I got up and planted my herb seeds. I planted basil, thyme, dill and parsley. I already have mint and oregano. I went by my neighbor’s yard and grabbed a cutting of rosemary and have that rooting in a glass of water. That will be planted in a separate container because rosemary can take over. 

I also got all the containers ready to plant the squash and carrots. I had to move my “meat” grill (the grill I use for when visitors come over for parties since I am vegan) to get to the containers I needed. This involved spiders and mosquito looking things. I felt like they were crawling all over me when there was nothing there. 

I also sprayed the standing garden with the Neem oil. It worked! I see no evidence of any fungus gnats. I am amazed. 

This all has made me very tired.

Until tomorrow…

PCP DOCTOR APPOINTMENT

 Today was interesting. First, my new backyard table and chairs were scheduled to arrive but I got no phone call and no delivery.  I guess maybe tomorrow?

I had an appointment with my new “concierge doctor”. It is wonderful to be able to talk to a doctor and not have that invisible timer running. She was not happy that I have not had my brain MRI. There were phone calls made and follow ups done all while I was in the appointment. We talked about a new approach that I learned about in a webinar this week: the TIGER program. She says she loves an integrated approach to medicine and would be happy to go there with me. We spoke about nutrition, mind body, spiritual, medicine, coping, relationships, and work. 

I left with a To Do List of things for me to try to see if they work for me. I am making an appointment with an acupuncturist to see if that works for me. I am going to try and find an outdoor place to do Tai Chi (I used to do it every Sunday years ago). I am checking out an online class to reduce stress through sitting meditation, body awareness, and mindful movement. I have to do 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity such as walking or bike riding every day. She also told me I am cleared to meet up with friends outside or at a coffee shop outside. I emailed a friend and asked if she wanted to go for a walk or get tea. 

Then she is sending me to get my bone density checked. Fun. 

I got home and called to make the appointment for the bone density test and the hospital said they just got the order for the brain MRI. I went ahead and made an appointment since it is weeks away. That should’ve enough time for the pre-authorization, I hope. Now I know what I am doing Memorial Day weekend!!

It was a big day. 

Until tomorrow…

RA SUPPORT GROUP MEETING

 Today was my PT appointment for my shoulders. I went in feeling pretty good and left with a sore right shoulder. I thought PT was supposed to make you feel better?! 

Tonight was my RA support group meeting. I arranged for a speaker to talk about stress and how it effects autoimmune diseases. She spoke about what you can do to decrease stress - build a community, learn coping skills, etc. It was all information I have heard before since I know her but the rest of the group seemed really involved. I shared what I learned two days ago about the Tiger Project. 

Until tomorrow...

INSURANCE INSPECTOR CAME

This morning I called the neurologist's office to find out what was going on with my pre-authorization for the brain MRI. They seemed a bit surprised that I hadn't heard anything from the hospital. They assured me they would follow up immediately and let me know that once they send it in the hospital does not let them know if they got it or not or that they've contacted me or not. So basically it's up to the patient to follow up if they don't hear anything. This sounds like a horrible system and one of the reasons why the medical system is crumbling.

Now if I was at my new concierge doctor this would never happen. My concierge doctor's office follows up on everything if they send something into the hospital a few days later they follow up with me to see if the hospital has contacted me for an appointment. But regular doctor's offices just don't have the manpower or the time to do such follow-up.

I received my seeds in the mail for my herb garden. On a funny note, I opened up a piece of mail that was a couple weeks old and inside was a packet of Basil seeds. I guess I could have saved myself a few dollars and not bought another packet of Basil seeds.

The insurance inspector came today and did a thorough review of the damage from the storms. I tried very hard not to give too much information and let my contractor do the talking. My contractor is going to take her call and give her the whys and what for's.  You know, all the info. Fingers-crossed this time! 

I have been asked to be the co-organizer of my local arthritis support group. I'm super excited. I'm a great organizer. I used to do it for a living. 

Until tomorrow...

GARDEN BUGS

I found bugs in my garden. They are little black bugs. I took out my giant gardening book and looked them up. They are some sort of fungus gnat I think. All the evidence seems to point in that direction. So I looked up how get rid of them. The best way is Neem oil. I guess it hinders the bug's ability to feed and interferes with their hormone system. It is organic and safe to use on vegetables. It is an oil that comes from the Neem tree. It has a naturally occurring pesticide from the seeds. I have some coming in Thursday. 

I also read that a hydrogen peroxide and water mixture can work to kill the bugs. I will try both methods. No pesticides for me. 

My new seeds should arrive tomorrow also. I may run over to the outdoor plant store and buy some soil and rosemary. I wonder if a snippet of rosemary would take root if I put it in water? My neighbor has a rosemary bush. Interesting idea. 

Until tomorrow...

HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY!

 It is my blogaversary today! 12 years of writing this blog. I can not believe it. Some days it doesn't seem that long and other days, well, it seems like I have been writing this blog forever. 

I try to make this blog interesting and fun. I am here to entertain. 

I was happy that I could send in to my insurance company some claims today for COVID tests that I bought. I will be happy to get that check in the mail. I take a number of tests a month if I have been unmasked during a medical test or around a bunch of people without masks indoors.  Not that I am in those situations very often. I like to test just to make sure.

Random things:

Why do people put Ranch Dressing on pizza? I just don't get it.  I don't think I ever will. 

Steve Harvey with a judge show? When did Steve Harvey become a judge? I read that he has no legal experience whatsoever. I thought he was a game show host? 

Until tomorrow...

ASL

When I was younger I went to the school for the deaf to learn ASL (American sign language).  I wanted to learn because it seemed like a useful language to learn unlike the French and Latin I learned in high school. The Latin was useful for taking the SATs but that was about it. I paid less attention in French so I barely know any. 

So I enrolled in the ASL class for the hearing. I was surrounded by people taking the class for various reasons such as interpreter, family member of a hearing impaired child, friend of hearing impaired person and people interested in learning ASL. I found it quite interesting. 

I remember the alphabet (finger-spelling) and have been practicing. I remember some of the ASL signs. Tonight I made some flash cards so I can practice. Some of it is coming back. 

Until tomorrow...

CORONATION & DERBY

 After two days of rain, my garden is really growing. I ordered more seeds to grow my herbs. I know people say you have to grow them inside first but they also said that about the veggies in my garden. I am going to give it a try. I got basil, thyme, parsley and dill. I already have mint from years ago and oregano from two years ago. 

I woke up at 5 am to watch the coronation of King Charles. I figured I saw Diana's wedding, Diana's death and funeral, Queen Mother jubilee, William's wedding, Harry's wedding, Queen jubilee, Prince Philip funeral, Queen funeral and now the coronation. I am not a Royal Watcher but you kind of can't help seeing this stuff if you watch the news.  I was in London right after the Queen's Golden Jubilee.  Here is my impression: I understand the pomp and circumstance but with the world the way it is right now, right after millions of people dying of COVID, children orphaned, businesses lost, loved one's lost, the economy on the downside, businesses going out of business, do you think this was the best time to spend 1.5B pounds on a giant celebration of a royal system that some people think is unnecessary? It seemed a bit egotistical for a guy that is saying his platform is about saving the environment and all about service. If he wanted to save the environment he would not have had all these people fly in to see him be crowned for a couple of hours. If he wanted to be of service, he would have had a small service and televise it and encourage people to be of service not just for one day but do what they can. Offer opportunities. It just seemed a bit hypocritical. You know all those people went out and bought new dresses and hats/fasinators (sp?).  Why not ask people to wear something they already own to save the planet. There could have been so many ways he could have shown he was for the environment and not just all talk. 

I was glad Harry went because if he didn't he would have regretted it later. Your father only gets to be king once. Do I think Camilla should be Queen, no. Queen Elizabeth expressed that she wanted her to be Queen Consort. That is the way it should have stayed but Camilla has a hold on Charles that we will never understand. He has to live with her. 

At 5 am I only saw them come out of the church and ride to Buckingham Castle. So I went back to sleep and woke up later. I have Britbox and they recorded the whole thing so I watched it all from the beginning. I got to see the whole service but I used my FF button quite a bit and the 4 hours took about 1.5 hours, if that. I just wanted to see the ceremonial parts in the church and who was at the service. 

Once that was over, I did somethings like change my sheets and walk Lucky. We stopped by an open house because my neighbors moved. I love seeing inside the houses and see what changes they did. I saw the house before they moved in, while they lived there and now after the spiffed it up to sell. Don't worry I carried Lucky through the house. 

Then it was the Kentucky Derby. I almost didn't watch it due to the deaths of too many horses this week. I don't care the reasons. One horse is too many. The horse I was rooting for came in 3rd. The horse that won was such a long shot and was owned by 300 people. It was a consortium and some of the people put in $50. Isn't that fabulous?! I love that they are making horse racing in the big races for the common person. 

I am giving a shout out to my sister-in-law and niece for the awesome video they sent me today. 

Until tomorrow...

VACCINE AFTERMATH

I received my second Bivaliant vaccine last evening around 6:30pm. I came home and ate some soup and crackers and got into bed. My head already started to ache and by 8pm my arm and neck were hurting.

I slept surprisingly well all night until the morning. I woke up with a pounding head. I took some Tylenol and climbed back into bed. I had nothing planned today so I could relax. I tried to watch TV most of the day but kept falling asleep. I ate a muffin and apple sauce around 2pm and went back to sleep. 

I woke up around 5 pm to feed and play with Lucky. I ate another muffin and apple sauce and it is now 7:30pm and I am back in bed. I'm basically tired and sore and have a slight headache. I had chills earlier today but they were fleeting. 

I think it will pass by tomorrow in time to watch the coronation and Kentucky Derby. 

Until tomorrow...

FINALLY I HEARD FROM THE DOCTOR & 7TH VACCINE

The neurologist office finally called. It turns out the assistant has been "out sick". I wonder if that is now code for having COVID? Today the doctor's son came into their office to catch up on phone messages and paperwork. He was super nice and figured out my mess. 

I will be getting my MRI at a location that accepts my insurance. The pre-authorization has been sent in so now I have to wait. My appointment with the doctor next week has been cancelled since it was to receive my results and, shocking, there are no results. 

I feel much better about the situation now that it is figured out. 

Then this evening I went over to get my 2nd Bivaliant COVID vaccine. I didn't feel the needle but on the way home I got a headache and my arm got really sore. I got into bed at 7:30 and I have no plans tomorrow. Hopefully it will be easy. 

Until tomorrow...

FEEDLY

 I wanted to write about Feedly. A reader wrote to me about Feedly and I thought I would check it out. I am so glad I did! I thought that once Blogger ended the email feature I would never be able to get anyone's blog posts again without going to each website. Feedly has come to the rescue. If you have blog posts that you want to read and you have to go here and there to read them or if you have boards that you like, you can now use Feedly. I am not getting anything for promoting them, I just like Feedly and I think it is a great free service. 

 Before you ask, I have not heard from the neurologist office. I keep calling and getting the answering service. I hear there will be someone there tomorrow but I am not holding my breath. I need to get this mess figured out so I will be hounding the office. 

We had another day of rain. It really came down last night. It was raining so hard it woke me up. We are supposed to get thunderstorms tonight. I just see lots of rain. The good part is my garden is really popping up. I see three cucumber plants, three green bean plants, and some lettuce and carrots. It is hard to tell the lettuce and carrots because they are so small still. I know I will have to thin out the cucumbers and beans but I am waiting to see which plants make it. 

Until tomorrow...

 

RAINING AND COLD AGAIN

 Well, it is raining again. And it is cold, like really cold. It is 5pm and it is 48 degrees outside in May. What is going on?? I hope it doesn't kill my seedlings. I can now see them from the window. They are getting big enough to see from a distance. 

My tarp is holding so I don't think any rain is getting in. 

There is no word from the doctor's office so I don't have another appointment for my MRI. I checked and there is no pre-authorization with the insurance company. I think this is going to take a while. 

I have my COVID vaccine scheduled on Thursday evening. I am ready for that. I have my weekend cleared except for the Coronation and the Kentucky Derby. But that just means a day in bed or on the couch. Good for a weekend after taking the vaccine. 

I am going to curl up with my "fireplace" and keep warm. 

Until tomorrow...

MRI CANCELLED

It has been quite a day. I got up at 6:00 a.m. so I could be all set and ready for the getting to my MRI on time. I didn't sleep very well with the stress of getting to the MRI on time and having everything go according to plan.

When I got up I immediately called the MRI place to ask them if they could send me some kind of proof that the amount that they told me the MRI was going to cost was actually what I was going to pay. The reason I did this is because the reviews online of this MRI please said that some people paid an amount and then were billed an additional amount after the fact and I wanted to make sure that didn't happen to me. I was passed from person to person and no one could could give me any kind of proof that the amount I was quoted was the total amount that I was going to have to pay. That got me a little suspicious but I decided the appointment scheduled I'll still go through with it. So I got in the shower. As soon as I got out of the shower I could hear my phone ringing it was the MRI place calling to tell me that they received a pre-authorization from my neurologist to have the MRI at a different location. I was very confused so I decided that I needed to cancel this appointment and not go.

I then spent the next hours trying to sort out who was this authorization from, where is this other location that I'm supposed to be getting the MRI, why is no one calling me back. I also took a nap since I was up at the crack of dawn to get to this MRI appointment at 8:00 in the morning.

 

The neurologist called this afternoon to tell me that the pre-authorization is correct but didn't give me any explanation of what happened.  I was told her assistant would call me later today to explain it to me. The good news is that I won't be going to the unorganized and "shell game" location. I now have to wait more time. 

Rain is coming. It looked like it would rain today but it is definitely going to rain tomorrow. It is good news for my garden. I went down to see it today and all my veggies are coming up. I see three cucumber plants coming up. I see two bean plants coming up. I see some carrots and lettuce peaking out. I can't get over how exciting this is. 

Until tomorrow...