2016: First Quarter of January 1 through March 31, 2016
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Pam - yeah on getting rid of the wound vac!
Helene - yeah on the new carpet!
My sister tells me they have already accepted an offer on the New Jersey house (they had numerous offers; somebodies out there have money). So I'm sure they'll be starting on the renovations on their Arizona house. Their plan is to upgrade the in-law apartment first and then move into it while the renovations on the rest of the house are done. Don't know how the cats will like all that. They saw a bobcat out their window the other day!
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Did you do anything special to celebrate being more mobile, like going out somewhere? It was a quiet day for us after all the work to get ready for the new carpet. We didn't get around to moving any furniture back yet but we did get out to do a little grocery shopping. I dropped a bag of clothes off at Goodwill. I've been reading this japanese book on decluttering. I had 2 bags of clothes to go through to decide to donate or keep. I was able to quickly dispose of one bag. I didn't feel like taking the time to try things on so I have a second bag to look at a bit more closely next week.0
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We're on "pip watch" at the Eagles' nest in Iowa. They have cams on TWO nests this year in Decorah. Mom Decorah has three eggs; Mom Decorah north has two. They aren't sure how long the second nest has been there. "Pip" means the baby starting to break through the egg. The first one should be any day now. They had snow this week so there's video of snow covered moms. They sure are dedicated!
I get my hair done today and tomorrow go to a restaurant in York PA for Easter dinner with my dad, my two brothers and one SIL. (One brother is a life long bachelor.) Just got done typing up driving directions and printing out the map. I'm still a map person I have to admit. I bought a GPS for the Yonkers trip and haven't used it since. I find it annoying. I'd rather be listening to my book on tape.
I'm just ready to start the latest Jack Reacher. My friend I trade books with is tired of him (sacrilege! hee hee) so I decided to get audiobooks (her car CD is broken so she can't use any audiobooks I buy). I still love him even though I did watch the movie with a horribly miscast Tom Cruise as Reacher. Could hardly have been more miscast. Reacher is HUGE (and it's a very important part of who he is) and Tom Cruise is tiny. I've tried to mostly forget that. In the last one I listened to Reacher had a broken nose. Got to give Dick Hill major kudos for reading that one. Hours on end of talking like your nose is busted! He deserves all the awards he's gotten.
On the kindle I just started the 18th Hannah Swensen story. For some reason I seem determined to finish all 19 of them. Even though they are sort of formulaic I don't find myself bored with them. That's a contradiction I know.
I'm going to have eggs/EB for breakfast today. I'll take a bar along to the hairdresser along with a bottle of water. Dinner will be skinless chicken thigh with sweet potato and vegetables. Then I have two snacks pulled out for the evening.
There's a new show on TLC called Fat Chance. Someone decides to lose a massive amount of weight in a short period of time. They hook them up with a trainer who's a "weight transformation specialist". The goal is to lose the weight and confess their love to someone on whom they have a major (secret) crush. Hopefully they aren't surprised that so far none of these confessionals have led to anything. One of the "contestants/stars/whatever" actually fell for the trainer and ended up telling HIM her feelings. Talk about a "deer in the headlight" look. We're talking about someone he called "the fittest fat person he'd ever met" and she wasn't even that heavy. Maybe 210 pounds and pretty tall. So if all he saw was "fat person" she had no chance with him.
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Maryanne--I've been watching the Pittsburgh bald eagles at the Hays nest; two eaglets have hatched and the final egg is expected to hatch soon. I haven't seen Fat Chance but I'm watching a marathon of Extreme Weight Loss on TLC.
Pam--Good news on no longer needing the wound vac. This has been a long struggle for you.
Helene--Good job on getting rid of the clothes. Are you doing the Japanese approach of asking yourself "Do I love this?" when pulling out an item? If the answer is not a "yes," it is supposed to leave the house.
This past week I have felt the best I have felt in weeks. I have no plans for Easter. I just do the same thing day in and day out so there is little to report.0 -
I used to read the Jack Reacher series, too. I totally agree with you, Maryanne -- Tom Cruise in that role was a complete miscast. I didn't see it in the theater as a form of protest, but DH caught it on TV awhile ago and I saw it then. I couldn't even get interested in the movie at all because he in no way matched my mental image of Jack Reacher. I need to catch up on that series. I think I'm behind by at least three or four books.
We just got back from dinner at our local Sonic drive-in and drove around a little looking at a neighborhood we hadn't been through in awhile. It was a beautiful day and nice warm evening, so we took DH's little Miata convertible. I wasn't sure how well I would be able to get in and out of it, but it wasn't too bad. Getting around is a lot easier now that I don't have the wound vac!0 -
There are two nests now on cam in Decorah. Only one has an active chat set up. The original. I find myself going back there because there are so many other people and lots of folks from the Raptor Resource Project to explain things. But I did see a video of the second nest with mom COVERED in snow. They sit just stoically protecting the eggs!0
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Maryanne--I just took a peek at the Pittsburgh bald eagle nest cam; momma is still awaiting the birth of the third eaglet. Sometimes, when looking, you can spot "dad" helping out.
Pam--Glad you are able to get out and enjoy the area. Freedom from medical and therapy devices is a great feeling.
I became motivated this morning and did my taxes. I decided I had better do them before I forgot them in all the appointments coming up.0 -
This has been one very long day. Enjoying a final cup of caffeine until sometime Tuesday after the tests as I'm not permitted to have caffeine, decaf, meds containing caffeine, etc.0
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Jean good luck with the decaf!
I had a nice Easter dinner yesterday with most of my family. Unfortunately the store I love to stop at on the way home was closed for Easter! Small town USA!
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Maryanne--I can't even have decaf or any beverages that say they are caffeine free because there is a trace of caffeine. Did you know strawberries have a trace of caffeine? They are on the list of foods not to eat. I've just had my second cup of water. I might have to go and buy some Tylenol as I can't use my favorite that works far better than Tylenol. I will be glad when this is over.
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Jean..Good luck tomorrow. I know what you mean about yesterday being a long day. The choir sang at the 9 and 11 Masses and we had to be to the church by 8:20. We had practice during the week and sang at Holy Thursday Mass as well. By the time I got home, I was exhausted. I was trying to read but I kept falling asleep. I ended up going to bed and taking a 2 hour nap. It was just the two of us for dinner. DH had expressed a preference for ham but the sodium levels were way to high. A little pre-cooked ham was over 900 mg per serving. we settled on pork chops instead. I told him it was a near relative and it came out good so he had no complaints. We didn't do much yesterday as we were tired from the carpet install. We're getting back on track today as we only have 4 weeks left to finish up. I'm painting more molding today.
Maryanne..I don't think it was just small town USA that closed yesterday. The Publix's ad said they were closed so staff could spend Easter with their families. I believe the are one of the bigger supermarket chains and they rank #1 in consumer satisfaction.0 -
When I got back to Baltimore I stopped into the grocery store which was open 24/7 as usual. I think the only chain closed around here was the smaller regional chain.
The restaurant we went to had a special, very limited, Easter menu so my advance planning and looking at the menu online was useless. Service was also pretty bad but the food was good. I had crab cakes. Yeah, weird, living in Baltimore and eating crab cakes in land locked PA. But it seemed one of the more appropriate options.0 -
Jean, good luck with your preparations. I guess you have to follow this diet for the next three days before the tests on Thursday, if I remember correctly? Hopefully the caffeine withdrawal headache will go away fairly soon.
We were invited to our neighbor's home yesterday for dinner and it was very nice. They had a lot of family there but we've been neighbors for 22 years, so we had already met several of them. I used my scooter and it worked out pretty well, but it was my first time using it outside of the house. I found it quite tiring because of my weight on the knee of my bad leg. I was very happy to sit and rest it once I got to my destination.
Today I had what is probably my last visit from my home health nurse. There may be a follow up phone call or possibly a visit on Friday, but essentially I am discharged from their care at this point. DH will continue changing my dressing daily until the wound is completely closed. Since discontinuing the wound vac and starting the wet to dry dressings, the wound is closing much more rapidly, which is very good news!
Funny story. Last week when I went for my PT visit I asked for and received a set of exercises to help restore mobility and flexibility to my ankle. Several of them have to be done on a smooth floor, such as tile or wood. Last night while I was sitting in the bathroom cleaning my face I was trying to multi-task and do the exercises. I was really pleased because I thought, "Wow, this is really easy and it doesn't even hurt. I must really be making progress!" Then I looked down and realized I was doing the exercises on the wrong foot! Apparently I should not try to multi-task.0 -
Pam..That's hilarious about exercising the wrong foot. How did it go when you exercised the correct foot? Your dinner sounded very nice. You have wonderful friends and neighbors who have done so much to make your ordeal better. Dh must have been well trained by the home health service that your wound is progressing so rapidly.
Maryanne..It sounds like you did the best you could with the menu choices. I'm sure you'll be back on track pretty quickly. A single bad day doesn't wipe all weeks of good effort. after all.0 -
Pam - too funny about multi-tasking! It is important. The more mobility you get back in your ankle the more balance you'll get back.
I have my food lined up for today and my spreadsheet filled out. I have to go to Bonnie's to load for the flea market so that will use a couple extra calories. I need t shop this week for food to take along to the flea market Friday and Saturday. The food there is too gross for words.
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PLanning ahead like you do will carry you through those flea markets. Did you get any additional donations or is it just what you had left over from last time?
Jean..I did think about the Japanese book when I was discarding but I drew the line at taking my clothes for good service. That seems a little silly to me. But anything I pulled out that didn't make me happy went into the bag. I had a few items I should try on and then decide to keep or toss but I didn't have the time then. So I set them aside for now. I expect most will go but I need time to really look at them. We paln to remodel the kitchen next year so I'll have to go through the cupboards and do the same process. I have a lot of duplicates that I could live without. After all, how many pots and pans do I really need?0 -
Helene, exercising the left foot is not nearly as easy or painless as the right one, lol! I definitely feel it when I'm moving it. The exercises are mainly pushing and pulling motions going forward and back as well as side to side. The hard part for me is to keep my knee stationary, so that I'm only moving my foot and not my whole lower leg. That's where I need to actually pay attention, so no more multi-tasking for this girl.
Looks like we have rain for the next few days. We've had a weird year, weather wise, so far. Our winter was practically non-existent with unusually warm weather and very few cold nights. Since the first of this month we've had quite a few cold nights, lots of rain, and fluctuating temperatures. We can't figure out whether we need the heat or the air conditioner, sometimes in the same day. Of course, DH would prefer neither. He thinks I should just put on or take off more layers, which I'm willing to do, up to a point. But I hate getting up when it's so cold, and it's a little hard for me to put on more layers at that point.
I was able to take a shower and wash my hair this morning completely on my own. All DH needed to do for me was position the shower chair in the shower. He's been convinced that he needed to hover nearby while I felt like I could manage on my own, so today I was able to prove it. Ever so slowly I'm getting back some independence!0 -
Pam - at my p/t they strapped me into a machine that moved my ankle around while keeping the knee steady. Because it stiffens up I still replicate those movements when I'm sitting in a desk type chair. I bet it was great taking an independent shower.
Helene - one thing we have NO problem stirring up is flea market donations. Bonnie had to call a halt until we get this one done. She has all kinds of people chomping at the bit to bring more "treasures". I alone have SIX boxes to take her.0 -
Good morning, everyone. I survived a long day of tests but don't know the results. Signs at every station reminded you to call the nurse if you didn't receive the results within a week.
Pam--That is so funny about exercising the wrong ankle. My niece just had a knee replacement and said part of the therapy involved putting the entire leg in a "ice machine," set at about 40 degrees. The purpose is to help reduce swelling.
Maryanne--I would love to have a big crab cake right now. Around here, they are more breading than real crab meat. You are doing a super job with your food planning. I also need to shop for some food either this week or next but next week might be a little late.
Helene--I need to get motivated and find "unloved" things to find another home. It seems the older I get the less things I need. As the saying goes, we basically use 20% of our things 80% of the time.0 -
Jean..I agree with those percentages in my life. I have favorite things I use all the time and other things that I rarely or never use. I'll be using the japanese method when I get back home. We've got a bunch of stuff to donate to Habitat for Humanity before we head north. They are things we removed as part of our renovations but they could sell them in their Re-Store. We're hoping to have enough that we can call for a pick up. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to transport the larger items ourselves. We have lighting fixtures, medicine cabinet, sinks and faucets and a vanity cabinet. I probably have household items (dishes, pots, glasses) that I could weed out if I devote a little time to it. Many are sitting out on the lanaii so if we don't donate it before we leave, we have to haul it all back into the house in case of a hurricane. Very high winds could tear the screens and hurl those objects through the air. We'd probably have to call them within 2 weeks to be sure we got a pick up.
Pam..It must have felt wonderful to do something independently after needing help for so long. Could you hold your knee in place with your hands to make sure you only move the ankle?
Maryanne..What's on the food plan today?
I'll be sanding and painting the bathroom door today. Dh is working on baseboards in the bedrooms. We're trying to finish up the projects we have in progress.
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Today's food plan was: wonderslim pancakes, NS bean soup, NS mac n cheese/chili mixed and divided in half with broccoli, NS chocolate cake and wonderslim pretzels.
I lost it late yesterday. On the way back from loading for the flea market, I went by KFC. DH LOVES KFC. I thought new guy Sammy might love it. So without giving it too much thought I went through and bought a bucket. Taking apart a breast for Sammy sent me spiraling into too much food! And the clincher was he wasn't even that crazy about it. Next time I just get a single meal for DH!
Here's James Patterson latest step in his move toward total world domination: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/22/business/media/james-patterson-has-a-big-plan-for-small-books.html?_r=0
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Jean, I'm glad you survived your long day of testing. I hope the results are made available for you soon.
Not much to report here. I'm just hanging out, doing my exercises, and spending too much time playing computer games and watching daytime tv when I can stand it.0 -
I stuck to the plan yesterday. If I do so today, that will mean that of the 87 days so far in 2016 since I recommitted, I'm been on plan 80 days. I'm ending the first quarter down 16 pounds. Not what I wanted but better than doing nothing by far!
A ways to go to hit "normal" (which is my goal) but overall I'm off to a decent start.
Obviously (to me) my challenge is finding a way to occasionally enjoy foods that aren't on "my plan" without spiraling out of control. I really thought I had a plan for my birthday to accomplish that. It certainly hasn't been as bad as sometimes in the past but also obviously nothing to write home about.
Got a package from my dad yesterday. To my amazement he admitted during one of our conversations to having family history of my grandmothers's. I knew it had existed but I never asked. I assumed that when he cleaned out her house (which he had to do in a hurry because she needed the money for her nursing home) he probably pitched everything (he is the king of decluttering and doesn't usually distinguish between junk and family heirlooms). I didn't want to make him feel bad. I am very excited to get this stuff to see what it can add to my family tree. I go in spurts working on it. I figure that's fine - it's a hobby. Something to do when I have time other than eat!
My second amazement was DH decided to send his DNA to ancestry.com. I hadn't ever told him I did that because I was 98% sure he'd be appalled that my DNA was out there in a public data base. But apparently not. So I shared my results with him. I was most interested in whether we were part native american but apparently that's just family lore. To no one's great surprise we are very German. What DID surprise me was the huge % Scandinavian. If you'd asked me to guess I'd have said next to zero. And the first line of my family tree that I've been able to take off shore is someone who arrived from - wait for it - Sweden! Who knew? I am most interested in where we came into the country, when and from where. We have been here a LONG time so tracing back off shore isn't easy. Especially since for now it has to be done in my living room. Maybe when I retire I'll chase after some records but for now the computer will have to do. I know my mother's sister had a TON of stuff about that family. I have emailed a second cousin who is also on ancestry.com. She says she begged my mom's brother for that information but never got a response. He's gone now so if that stuff survived my aunt's death who knows what happened to it. I'm not really in touch with those cousins. One of them was adopted and the other is apparently treating her very badly. I've just stayed out of it.
I mentioned at Easter dinner another piece of family lore which is that we're related to Clark Gable. My SIL said "that probably wasn't his real name was it?". Too funny. That is probably so true. I need to google it. Just did - that was his name! Hah!0 -
Maryanne, I've never been particularly interested in tracing our family roots, but one of my cousin's daughters is very into it. She's done a lot of work trying to trace our family history and apparently, there is some Native American in our family. There's evidence of a connection to a Chief Pumpkinhead or Pumpkineater (obviously I haven't paid a lot of attention to the details, lol), of the Cherokee tribe, but the records that would prove this are missing. She looked into sending DNA but in order to prove it we would need DNA from my brother and he is unwilling to provide it, so she's at a loss for now. I hope someday you get to travel and check out your roots.0
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I spent time with Comcast again today. This is getting old fast. We went out for a couple of hours last night and came back to no phones, no Internet and only one TV working. I tried a few of the self help things they told me to do on previous calls. No change. I ended up reading then going to bed and calling in the morning. I must have had 20 calls to them and 3 tech visits in just 2 months. During the tech visits they've replaced the cable to the house and replaced the wiring in the boxx with the phone lines. The on the phone agent was able to help me today without sending anybody out. I'm hoping we make it through the next month without having to call them or have someone come out. All the folks I've spoken to have been polite and tried to help but it's frustrating to have to keep calling them.0
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Pam - she can't use your DNA? Has to be male? Obviously I have a lot to learn.
Helene - I don't have showtime or HBO because Comcast could never figure out how to get it to work (and our tv was new at the time). If things don't work exactly they way they think they should they're useless. Of course the phone company is the same way with personal phones. I can get GREAT service on the business line but the other line? Forget it! And they freely admit to all of that. Like why should anyone EXPECT service????0 -
Maryanne, it's been awhile since I looked at the DNA site, but as I recall, they needed samples from both male and female family members for the most accurate results. My brother isn't on very good terms with some of us, and is generally pretty obstinate. I'm not sure why he refuses to do it.
Helene, I feel your pain with the cable and internet issues. It's been awhile since we've had an issue, but a couple of years ago we kept losing our internet service repeatedly. I would do the same things you're doing with calling the tech people several times, then eventually getting someone out here. I think ours finally got better when they replaced the modem. It's such a pain to deal with.
Jean, did you hear from your doctor's office yet?
Today was pretty routine for me. Tomorrow we will be going to the First Friday Happy Hour with my friends. It will be nice to get out of the house for while.0 -
Happy April Fool's Day. No jokes here.
Maryanne--The DNA analysis could be very interesting. Enjoy the family history. I don't have much family history. Great job on the weight loss.
Helene--Sorry you are still struggling with internet and cable issues. Fortunately, I have good service.
Pam--I heard about the stress test; the results were acceptable for my age and health so nothing new is showing up. I haven't heard from the Echo test.
If no one objects, I'll start the new thread on Sunday. I had no desire to start it on April Fool's Day.
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Waiting til Sunday sounds like a good plan. Nothing much happening here today. we're going to drive over and visit my sister for a few days on Monday. She normally comes to visit us while we're here.She had knee replacement surgery mid-February so she's still recuperating. She starts PT pretty soon. She was disappointed about not being able to come visit us but she really can't spend that amount of time in a car and I don't think she'd handle the stairs into the house well either. She's mid-state about 5 hours from us.0
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I already opened one email that was an April Fool's. Sunday sounds good to me. I need to pick a goal for the second quarter but probably will wait until I weigh in Monday.
Flea market is set up. I'm exhausted! Early to bed for me.
Helene - enjoy your time with your sister!
Jean - glad to hear the stress test was "acceptable".
Pam - have a good time at happy hour!0
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