FOOD CRITIQUE

I went to my client's office where they cook me lunch.  Today I was unimpressed.  They made me the mixed mushrooms and mini squashes sauted, roasted corn and poblano salad and spinach salad with avocado and poblano dressing.

My critique if they asked (they didn't) the spinach salad had WAY too much dressing and it was too spicy.  The sauted veggies were delish but not enough.  The roasted corn salad had equal parts corn and poblano peppers and I didn't like it at all.  Too many peppers.

I was happy I brought a banana and a yogurt to eat just in case.

Until tomorrow...

EYE UPDATE

My eye is doing better.  It didn't seem to be right away but now I see some improvement.  I don't really like putting the gel on my eye because the lashes get goopy and stuff like eye lashes and dust sticks to it.

I am happy it is not like sandpaper anymore.

I am curious why all of a sudden this is happening.  My theory is the bad air this year with the fires.  Almost everyday we get a bad air alert. 

Until tomorrow...

DISTURBING NEWS

Today I went to my client's where the gentleman passed away.  I had lunch with an employee to celebrate my leaving that clients office at the end of the week.  While at lunch we ran into some of her co-workers and I found out more about this gentleman's passing.

It turns out that he had an autoimmune disease.  He had dermatomyositis, an uncommon inflammatory disease marked by muscle weakness and a distinctive skin rash.  It kind of threw me a bit when I heard that a person I knew that had an autoimmune disease seemed fine one day and three months later was dead. 

Then I did what we all do, I came home and Googled dermatomyositis.  The condition can affect adults and children. In adults, dermatomyositis usually occurs from the late 40s to early 60s.  There's no cure for dermatomyositis, but periods of symptom improvement (remission) can occur. Treatment can clear the skin rash and help you regain muscle strength and function.  Two of the complications are aspiration pneumonia and breathing problems.  He contracted pneumonia and ended up on a breathing tube in the end. 

This really scared me more than I thought it would.  I always knew that having RA made me more susceptible to getting more dangerous diseases and I take precautions when I get a cold or the flu but this really put a scare in me.  To think a young guy could go that fast.

I will say that when I get even the slightest cold or flu, I take it easy and take it seriously.  But it makes me think, do I take it seriously enough? 

Anyway, it was disturbing news and my mind has been elsewhere.

Until tomorrow...

ANOTHER EYE INFECTION

Okay I don't know what is going on with my eyes. This is my second eye infection in, what, two months?  This time it is my left eye.  I woke up this morning and my eye felt like sandpaper.  Yup, it was another bubbly thing in my eye.  I called the eye doctor and she called in some antibiotics over the phone.  I have to take antibiotics twice a day and put gel on my eye three times a day.  Then the rest of the day hot compresses. 

I have no idea why this is suddenly happening.  The poor air quality?  The pollen count?  Allergies?  Who knows.

I am sure it will feel better soon.

Until tomorrow...

DEATH OF A FREIND

One of my clients employees died.  He died on Friday but I was notified today.  It was a bit of a shock.  I knew he had been ill but I didn't know he was that sick.  I was just shocked to get the email announcement today as I leaving my clients office.

This employee was a super motivator and a wonderfully giving person.  I will miss getting to know him better. 

Until tomorrow...

DINNER WITH MY PARENTS

Tonight I had dinner with my parents.  They are in town to do some family stuff.  Just a few hours of catch up.

My computer is working good and still no whistling.  So far so good.

Until tomorrow...

IS MY LAPTOP DYING?

Yesterday my laptop started making a whistling noise.  It just started out of the blue.  I use my laptop for 10-12 hours per day.  I am scared it is dying and I have to buy another laptop on one of my busiest weeks of the month. 

I backed up my computer last night and today I am taking it to the shop.  I need a geek to look at it and tell me what is wrong.  I got there and there was no line.  I found out later that I was supposed to make an appointment but, you know me, I just walked up and the had the guy wait on me. 

He asked me if I had the extended warranty?  I had it for the first year but the computer is about to be 2 years old.  He ran a diagnostic while I got to know the guy sitting next to me.  He is starting online grad school on Monday and his computer bugged out.  I know that type of stress. 

The diagnostics went fine and the noise started up.  I had told them I thought it was the fan and guess what, they think it is the fan.  They do not have the part and told me to go to another place to get it fixed.  It will only cost about $80.  But first he blew out the fan twice and changed my processing speed to a lower speed.  He said I had it at the highest speed and that may be making it whistle too.  He said to test it at the lower processing speed for a day or two and see if it still whistles.  He said it won't hurt anything.  Then if it starts whistling again go get the fan fixed.

It sounds like a plan to me.  He said my computer is in really good shape otherwise and I don't need to buy another one.  That surprised me since they sell computers, I thought they would try to get me to buy another computer.

So fingers crossed that this works.  Oh, forgot to tell you the best part.  They didn't charge me for the tech visit.  Just a good luck and go to the other place to buy the fan if it still has problems.  What a shock!  I was there for 45 minutes and no charge.  Awesome.

Until tomorrow...

GOOD NEWS ABOUT HAPPI

I got the pee test results today. I had to "collect" pee from Happi this morning. I designed a mini tin foil pan to put under her to catch some pee. Then I put it in a cup. At the vets they tested it and it came up "regular" pee. Not diluted.

So either the eye drops are working or it is a coincidence. This week we are going to do a test to see before we put her on an expensive medicine.

I also have her on the 4 x a day small meals plan and the teeth chattering is so much better. I slept a whole night with no chattering!! First time in so long I can't remember. Hopefully this is the cure.

I also got my veggie and fruit box.

* Yellow summer squash
* Golden crush melon
* Watermelon
* Red bell pepper
* Pears
* Celery
* Corn
* Heirloom tomatoes
* Carrots

Yum!

Until tomorrow...

KEEPING THAT TUMMY FULL

Today was the first day of Happi with the new regime.  She was not happy. She does not like getting all her food at one time.  She is used to getting fed her food twice a day.  Today she got fed 2/3 her food in the morning.  Some more food at lunch time.  About 2/3 her regular dinner food and she will get more food at bedtime.  You are probably asking why? 

The theory is that she gets a empty tummy and it hurts her.  Then she chatters her teeth.  Teeth chattering can be a sign of pain.  It has taken me a long time to convince the vet that her teeth chattering is not just an "old age" thing.  Today I noticed a significant decrease in teeth chattering.  I did notice a bit of whining that she was hungry at certain times.  I keep laughing that Happi keeps wanting to eat earlier and earlier with the time change and with it getting darker earlier.  Today she wanted to eat at 2:30pm.  I think she is retired!  Living in a retirement community and eating dinner for lunch. Getting the early bird special.

This is a test and we will see how she is after a few days.   The idea is to keep her tummy full most of the time.

Until tomorrow...

ELECTRICIAN DAY 4

It is over.  I have electricity in all rooms and out back.  Yay!

The electrician showed up early this morning, even before I got the car out of the garage.  He went right to work trying to figure out why I had no electricity in just some places:

• the overhead light in the guest room
• the overhead light in the hallway
• the overhead light in the living room
• the overhead light outside my front door
• the lights up my stairs
• the sconces over the fireplace

 That is it.  They are all in the same basic area so that makes sense but they are in different rooms.  Anyway, he got it turned on.  It was a loose wire in the circuit board.

I am just happy to have all my electricity working again and to have lights tonight.

Update on Happi: last night I tried the new procedure of giving her an extra meal at bed time and I haven't slept so well in weeks.  She seemed to sleep better too.  We will see if it is a fix.  

Until tomorrow...