TROLLS MOVIE

It's it funny how sometimes you are looking forward to something for so long that once it comes, you don't want to do it right away?  I have been looking forward to this Trolls movie for weeks.  I loved the Trolls first movie and I thought I will be so excited for this second Trolls movie.  I have it on my calendar.  But then today it came out and I didn't watch it.  I think maybe I will this weekend.  Maybe I built it up too much in my head as something to look forward to?  There is so little to look forward to these days except getting out of our homes that watching the Trolls seemed like a good thing to look forward to.

But then what is the next thing once this is gone?  Will there be another fun thing to look forward to?  another funny movie?   A good show to watch?  I know Hollywood needs to make money but they are missing out on a great opportunity here.  I am a captive audience.  I have very little to spend my money on (what little I have) and I would spend it on a great, funny movie if they rolled one out right now.  We need funny movies right now.  Where are Amy Poehler, Wanda Sykes, Melissa McCarthy, Whoopie Goldberg, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ali Wong, Tina Fey, Tiffany Haddish,  and Leslie Jones?  We need to laugh right now.

Until tomorrow..

LOST MAIL

I decided during this crazy time that I would have some of my business mail temporarily sent to my home.  I thought this would be a simple task.  NO!  First, it takes up to 10 business days to take effect it said.  Well, it took more during this unsettled time.  Then once the mail started coming, the mail that was at my going to my other address during those "more than 10 days" has disappeared.  I think it was sent "return to sender" for some strange reason.  I contacted a credit card company and they said the bill was returned.  So I spent my day trying to track down my mail. 

I finally sent in my appeal to the Insurance-Company-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named for my Doctor bill from 2018.  It has gone to collections already because the Insurance-Company-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named refuses to pay their portion.  I have been fighting this for four months. 

It was a full day!  Dealing with bureaucracies. 

Until tomorrow...

RIP BUZZ PONCE

The whole family got together and Zoomed for a family member's birthday.  It was actually fun.  Seeing all the boxes of all the family members it looked like the Brady Bunch.  We sang happy birthday and chatted and caught up.  Zoom gave us longer than our allotted 40 minutes.  The family member seemed very happy.  We had cats mugging for the camera and dogs running from the camera. 

On a sad note, after I got off the Zoom call I found out a friend passed away.  He did not pass away from Covid-19, he passed away from renal and liver failure.  His name was Buzz Ponce and he was a great guy.  I only met him once but we became friends.  I met him when I drove from my home to Oregon.  He was riding his bike from the Canadian boarder to San Francisco.  We met at a pizza parlor in a little town in Oregon.  I was there by myself and he was there with his best friend who drove the van with his stuff.  I was ordering my vegan pizza and we started talking.  We decided to eat together and talked and laughed for over an hour. I found out he wrote a book about baseball and was thinking of writing another book about his bike ride.  I immediately bought his book Finding Frank when we parted and read it when I got home.   He asked me to read and edit his book titled A Long Ride Coming.  It is a tribute to his father.  I am even in the book where he wrote about meeting me in Oregon.  I loved the book and not just because I am featured so prominently in it.

We kept in touch.  He then did another bike ride from coast to coast to raise money for Warriors Heart Foundation.  His bike trip was 3100 miles.  I can't even image!

This week Buzz Ponce passed away.  He will be missed by so many lives that he touched including mine.  

Until tomorrow...

DO I TAKE ORENCIA OR NOT?

Back when I got sick the week of March 16th, I stopped my Orencia since I started antibiotics.  I have been off the antibiotics for a few weeks now but I still have a bit of a cough.  Plus Covid-19 is rampant everywhere.  Taking Orencia would make me even more susceptible to getting Covid-19 or pneumonia again.

Today I decided to email my RA doctor and ask him his opinion.  Yesterday I contacted Bristol-Meyers Squibb and they could not give me an answer.  My doctor got back to me with an answer I was not expecting.  He agreed with me.  He said it was best if I held off taking Orencia for now since it did make me more susceptible for an infection and to wait to start it again until the Covid-19 infections decline.

So I will not be taking Orencia for the time being.  I would rather feel joint pain than Covid-19 or pneumonia.

Until tomorrow...

REAL BRCA RESULTS

The postman came to get my mail today.  He was so sweet, he asked me if I was feeling better as he was wearing a gas mask.  This world has gotten so crazy. 

Another pouring rainy day.  Lucky went with the dog walker but only for a short time.  The rain started to come down and he brought her back home.  I wish I had taken a photo of Lucky wrapped in a towel, soaking wet looking so little.  She was smiling but not so happy she was so wet.  She wanted (in typical dog fashion) to jump up on the couch and the bed.  I had corral her and keep her on her own bed covered with a towel.

I got the report from the doctor from my BRCA test.  Now I have the actual results and not my horrible memory.

1. I have an elevated hereditary cancer result.  
2. I tested negative for any clinically significant mutations in the genes on the hereditary cancer panel.    My risk for hereditary cancer syndrome is lower but not ruled out.  I am still at an elevated risk of cancer based on my breast cancer score or my clinical history analysis.
3. My Breast Cancer score for my remaining lifetime is a 32.2%.  Anything over a 20% is to be considered for modified medical management.  I am in the above average risk category.  The general population is a 10.3%. 
4. Based on my History Analysis modified medical management is identified.
5. My 5 year risk for breast cancer is a 4.9%.   

So that is the report.  Nothing I can do except keep on doing what I am doing.

Until tomorrow...

DID YOU KNOW YOU COULD FREEZE KALE?

What a lazy day!  It was pouring rain and all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch with some hot cocoa and a warm blanket.  Well, that is not what happened.  I had no soymilk to make hot cocoa so cross that off the list.  But I did take a hot bath and curl up on the couch and watch some TV.  Probably too much TV since I ended up only doing a few things on my To Do List.  I did the work I had to get done but not until late in the day.  I spoke to my cousin and my friend.  I scanned some ole photos and put them on a family-only network.  People seemed to enjoy them.

Then I made some awesome soup.  Well, it was more of a stew than a soup.  It was lentil, kale and quinoa stew.  It was really good and I made it before.  I like it because it is easy and takes very few ingredients that you have to prepare.  It is the sort of soup where you throw everything in and let it cook.  Since it has lentils and quinoa it is hearty and full of protein.  Since I used only about 1/3 of the bunch of kale delivered to me, I used a process I saw on facebook.  Earlier today I saw this vegan guy on facebook do this whole presentation of what he ate in a day now that he is sheltering in place.  It was interesting seeing all that he did with what he had.  But the best part was that he showed how to freeze kale without blanching it.  He showed how to freeze greens (hearty greens) without blanching for up to 6 weeks.  Basically you wash the greens, let them dry, then either freeze them whole or cut/break them up at this point.  Then you put them on a sheet pan with paper towel or parchment and put them in the freezer for a few hours until they are frozen.  He called it pre-frozen.  Then you take them out and put them in a freezer bag for long term up to six weeks.  I am excited since I usually can't use a whole kale bunch in a week (the life span of a bunch of kale) and I end up throwing some out.  It is such a waste of perfectly good kale.  Now I will be able to make soup or something next week with the rest of the kale.  Since I froze it with the paper towel between the leaves, it will be easier to pull out a few leaves at a time.

Until tomorrow...

GIRLS MOVIE NIGHT AND NACHOS, TOO MANY NACHOS

I woke up early this morning and ordered food for movie night.  I saw that the place I wanted to order from allowed me to order in advance.  Cool. I could do it at 9 am and not worry about doing it later in the day.  I ordered the makings for nachos and a burrito for tomorrow.  I can't just get nachos because for a vegan that would be chips, salsa, guacamole and beans.  I ordered the chips, guacamole, and beans and I put my salsa and vegan cheese on it at home.  Popped it in the microwave and voila!  Nachos vegan style.

During the day I scanned some old photos to put up on a group site for family to view.  I thought this would be fun for others to see.

Then it came time for the food to be delivered before movie night with the girls.  I got a call 5 minutes before the delivery time; no food.  The delivery guy showed up and there was no order.  He told me to call the delivery support line.  Well, it has no phone number, of course.  It is a chat.  The chat was on pause for too many chats.  So I called the restaurant and they were "why didn't you call the delivery service"  I said "you took my money I just want my food.  We can figure this out together."   And we did.  They found the order and got it out to me pronto.  They were very nice.  I was very nice despite what some people who know me might think. 

Tonight was girls movie night.  It was delayed since my food didn't show up until 3 minutes until 6pm.  Movie night was supposed to start at 6pm.  Normally this would not be a problem because we are all in one place but since we are all sheltering-in-place, we are all watching the movie through Netflix Party and it was scheduled to start at 6pm.  We sorted it out and everyone was patient as I heated up my food.  We were going to watch Bridemaids but Netflix didn't have that movie so we watched Mr. Right.  It was good.  I had seen it before but I had forgotten a lot of it.  I ate too many nachos and I may fall asleep early.  The girls didn't use the chat feature that much so it was more like we were three people watching the same movie at the same time in different places.   Then we didn't talk after the movie so it was a bit disassociated.  Not like when we are together.  There was no chit chat or catching up.

Now I am going to watch Onward on Disney+.  I have been waiting for this movie.  I will write about it tomorrow.

Until tomorrow...

BUSY ALL DAY

The end of today was interesting.  Every day at 7pm like some of this country, we go outside and clap and yell to thank the essential workers, nurses and doctors for their much needed work and sacrifice.  I was out there doing it and I see a neighbor turn on his backyard party lights and bring out a cooler.  Then he welcomes a guest.  I am thinking " what the heck?"  The guest looks at me across the yards and says hi.  He says "I'm so bored"  I said "You are supposed to bored and home sheltering in place".  Then I went inside.  I was so mad.  What are people thinking?  Not only are they putting each other at risk but they are putting all the people they come in contact with at risk.  We are in one of the highest risk areas. 

Then I found out another neighbor left our town and went to their other home in a small town.  How do they know if they are carrying the disease and taking it to people in that small town?  I don't understand.  Or maybe they get it in the small town and bring it back here.  Who knows?

And people ask me why I am staying inside for the duration.  This is why.  These people live yards away from me.  I know them as caring people but this I don't understand.  I think they think they are invincible.  Or that they have lived through the AIDS epidemic so they are already on borrowed time or something.  I don't know. 

All I know is I have already had one life threatening illness that almost killed me and that is enough for me for a long time.  I am keeping my butt in this house for the duration.  I had another neighbor see me in my garage and ask how I was doing.  She was afraid for me because she said my house has been dark and she had not seen me around.  When I told her my situation, she offered to shop for me or do any errands for me.  People in my community are very nice.  I have five people who have offered to shop for me or do errands for me.  That brings tears to my eyes thinking how nice people are being during this difficult time.

I had a neighbor stop by to kvetch (at 10 feet apart with masks on) and he told me what it was like out in the world.  Shops boarded up, the public transportation closed down and the lines at the stores.  He is still going out more than he should but he has a small apartment and a roommate and he says he needs to get out walking.  He didn't have a mask so I gave him one of my heavily guarded few.  He also could not find any paper towels at two stores.  I gave him some of mine.  He is a nice guy and would help me if I needed it.  When I fell over a year ago, he stayed with me until I felt well enough to get home and then helped me get a cab to get us home.  He helped me get in my house.  He was so worried, he came back later that day to make sure I was okay.

Lucky update: I spoke to the vet and he agreed that Lucky may be feeling (do dogs feel?) sad about missing Happi but that her stomach is probably still not right.  So he wanted me to come get the medicine for her.  I couldn't and asked about Fed Ex.  Hours later my doorbell rang and it was the tech from the vet.  She walked it down to my house!!  She said it was a lovely spring day and she needed to get out.  It was about a mile walk (I have walked it myself) and she stayed and chatted (at a distance with our masks on) for a few minutes. Now I have a few months of medicine for Lucky.  They are so nice!  After Happi passed I wrote a Facebook post about how wonderful they were and they made me a Star Fan type thing on Facebook.  Fancy!

Anyway, between visits, laundry, phone calls, work, and text check ins I was busy all day.  I have not been bored yet. 

DNA TEST RESULTS

Today was an interesting day.  I had to wake up early, be showered and ready to go early.  I had my clients package and an Amazon package delivered by 9:30am.  Yes, my toothpaste was delivered.  I am not out of toothpaste yet but I am anticipating outages of certain items and it is better to buy before I run out.  I have one tube left.  I am waiting for antiperspirant to arrive in a few days.  Who knows how long I will be staying in my house?

The I had a tele-doctor appointment with my Ob-Gyn.  Months ago I had a BRCA test done.  If you remember I could not do the spitting in the tube because I do not have enough spit.  They had to do a blood test instead.  Today I got the results.  They were what I have always said it would be; that I am high risk.  But it was really scary to hear it as actual results from a test.  I don't have the actual numbers, they are being sent to me.  I can only write what I remember. 

The test provides women with their remaining lifetime and 5-year risk for developing breast cancer. It confirmed that I am high risk for breast cancer.  It is no longer speculative.  It is confirmed.  The threshold is 20 on the lifetime test.  I am either a 32 or 36.  That means I have a 32% or 36% remaining lifetime risk for having breast cancer. 

Then there is a 5-year risk for breast cancer.  I have a 4% 5-year risk for breast cancer.  That is considered high-risk. 

Then my friend M came to visit.  It was a distance visit approved by my doctor.  My friend stood on the sidewalk at the bottom of my stairs and I sat on the top stair with a mask on.  We visited for an hour.  We talked about current events, work, movies, and, of course, coronavirus.  We made a date to watch a movie together with Netflix Party.

I had a new client sign a contract for work and another client sign a contract for more work.

In all it was a pretty interesting day.

Until tomorrow...

THINGS TO DO TODAY

Today started with me helping my parent with cellphone issues.  It is always fun to give tech support over the phone on a phone you can't see. 

Later it was day three of cheering for the medical workers at 7pm.  More and more people are joining in. 

I have been playing ball inside with Lucky for about a week now.  I throw the ball and she runs and gets it.  She is not very good at giving the ball back so it takes a while.  She loves the exercise. 

I am trying to find a food delivery service.  My area is now inside until May 3rd and there is talk of it being changed to the end of June.  I am trying to get ahead of the curve and buy some food online now.  One service is booked through the end of April.  That is crazy!

Until tomorrow...