Third Quarter of 2016: We Can Do This!!

KonaKat

It seems unreal that six weeks of school have passed. Yesterday, we had Homecoming festivities and we had to stand in the hot 95 degree sun for over an hour with the kiddies to watch the parade in town. By the end of the day by the time we returned by bus to the school, I wasn't feeling the greatest.

Tomorrow, I may go to see the movie "Sully" and also get my nails done Tuesday, I will be going 80 miles to have an MRI done which is a mid-morning appointment so I will be leaving home between 7am and 7:30. Afterwards, they were to schedule the specialist appointment but don't know if they will do that then as the EMG was rescheduled to the 29th at another facility 85 miles from home. I have the cardiologist appointment on the 26th as well as the urologist as they cooperated in same day appointments. Because of the number of appointments in a small time frame, I cancelled the podiatrist follow-up appointment. Enough is enough.

mdubbs1

If I get tired of employee benefits, maybe I could become a substitute math teacher. LOL!

KonaKat

Maryanne--They are advertising for a long term sub with math certification as they haven't been able to a non-retired person to take the advanced math job. The teacher flew the coop for a better job just before school started. Right now, they have a sub with some advanced math college classes but is not fully certified. There are no benefits for subs other than the daily pay, and that was cut to a flat rate regardless of certification and years of experience two years ago. I lost over$1000 a year based upon how often I work.

mdubbs1

I would have made a decent college professor, I think. But younger kids, not so much.

I did sub once during college vacation. I don't remember why they were desperate enough to have me do that. Obviously I was far from certified at that point.

I fed the colonies today, along with a ground hog and a female deer. She's in a strange location. I can't figure out how she got where she is. Or how she'll ever meet a male deer where she is. DH of course laughs at my fanciful imagination.

I took a bunch of coupons to the grocery store and did a staples run.

KonaKat

Maryanne--I'm trying to envision you setting up a "dating" service for deer. Hope your grocery store run was a successful one.

I thought about going to the city today but didn't feel the greatest so I decided to stay home.

mdubbs1

Last evening I was sitting on the couch. Jessicat was cuddled to my left. Tuffy cuddled below my feet. Next to me was my Stewart's diet root beer, next to a rotating caddy holding remotes that I bought after a root beer "accident" a year or two ago. I was engrossed in the latest Michael Bennett book (James Patterson). Suddenly I was covered in root beer. As I reconstructed it - DH sneezed as loudly as I've ever heard anyone sneeze, scared Sammy who was sitting next to him, who knocked over the remote caddy, which knocked over the root beer and had me, Jessicat and Tuffy all jumping. BUT the remotes all survived! LOL!

KonaKat

Maryanne--Great testimony on the survival of electronics when a liquid is spilled but not so much you. Did the kitties try to lap it up?

mdubbs1

Apparently cats have zero interest in root beer.

mdubbs1

I'm taking Jessicat for her first oncologist appointment today. She's not happy about being in the carrier!

KonaKat

Maryanne--Good luck on the appointment. I have yet to have a cat that enjoyed being in a carrier.

Helene610

I'll second that about the carriers. All our girls would head for the hills (under the bed) when they'd see them coming out. We had to get creative about tricking them to get them in. We have an appointment at Rehab tomorrow to discuss DH's discharge plan. I'm getting lessons on how to get him in and out of the car. He has to sit in back, unless you can disable the air bag. My car is too old for that feature. He has to put his little cough pillow between his chest and the seat belt and I have to fasten the belt. He's not supposed to twist, lift or reach with his arms because of the chest sutures. My sister from SC is coming up tomorrow for a few days to visit and provide moral support for me. When I was a small child, I would have liked to be an only child. Over the years, I've been thankful I have siblings and that they are such good people. I'm a lucky woman in that regard.

mdubbs1

We have a pile of carriers sitting in the dining room. We call them the apartments. The bottom is the largest, the middle two are mediums and the top is small. The bottom two have heaters in them in winter. I use the top one as a junk drawer (it has a pretty cover on it). Since they are there all the time there's nothing to tip anyone off.

You can tell our house is all about the cats!

Jessicat had a good visit at the oncologist. She is almost exactly the same weight she was last visit. They'd like to see her gain but steady is next best.

mdubbs1

Wow, Helene, I'm so glad you have family coming. I remember my office mate having to go to a meeting after her husband had heart surgery but I didn't remember the details. That's a lot!

mdubbs1

This is a hoot!

http://cheezburger.com/275463/video-tough-puppies-are-super-intimidated-by-their-tiny-kitten-sibling?ref=mosaicthumb3

KonaKat

Helene--I'm glad DH is able to come home and you are fortunate to have someone to help you. Transporting is more of a challenge than most people would consider.

Maryanne--Midnight's carrier is always out and the door is always open. It sits on top of a box so that it is waist level for me. When I go on a trip, I usually take him to the vet in the morning. We get up and go to the bathroom, at which time I grab him and put him in the carrier located near the bathroom

Helene--I spent 3 hours once trying to get Midnight out from a hiding place that was too small to permit me to get to him easily. I finally had to pretend I wasn't going anywhere and ignored him. He finally came out and I got him to the vet just in time to give me time to make the flight. After that, I resorted to the early morning securing him in the carrier when we go to the bathroom.

I'll be out of here early tomorrow to make the 75 mile trip one way for the MRI. Another fun day!

Helene610

We had to reschedule a few vet trips when Cheyenne wouldn't cooperate. And we once had to delay a weekend trip a day when we couldn't catch Cagney. The funny thing about Cagney was we used t chase her around the house until we cornered her. One time, we got her in one room and I put the carrier down and she looked at me and walked into it. We figured out she didn't like being grabbed and pushed in the carrier. If it was inevitable, she wanted to walk in on her own power.

mdubbs1

With the ferals I could touch I always followed the same carrier routine. I'd use a really large carrier. I'd upend it in the tub. Then I'd pick them up, walk quickly into the bathroom, kick the door shut behind me, and try to pop them in the carrier. That way if they got away from me at least we were in a closed room and I could try to throw a towel over them.

Over course the few ferals we had that I couldn't even touch? Well, I admit to having a net and gloves. Nothing like showing up at the vet with your beloved pet still in the net inside a carrier.

mdubbs1

This morning I have to go to the printer to pick up the next raffle mailing. I want to get this to the volunteers so I can then turn my attention to the cat show the weekend of the 24th.

I have a client that wants a huge project done by the end of the month if possible so I'll be busy.

Helene610

I just had to reschedule my jury duty. I got the notice last April while we were still in FL and I postponed to September 20th. Now DH is coming home from Rehab tomorrow and we'll have visiting nurses coming for a while. There is no way I could leave him home on his own at this point. So I called and the first date they had was in March and of course we're planning to be in FL so that was out. I asked them if I changed courthouses, was there another date. The Cape has 3 courthouses and I was scheduled for the nicest one but it's an hour drive. I was more than willing to do it before DH's surgery happened. And of course the date I was assigned couldn't be during the three weeks he was in hospital/rehab! Each of the other places had one date. The first date was October 20th and the other date was the Monday after Thanksgiving. We hope to go to NJ for Thanksgiving so that left me one date. We're hoping when I call the night before, my panel isn't needed. If I have to go, hopefully he can be on his own for a few hours. If I have to report and actually come before a judge, I'm going to ask to be released because of his health situation. I'll just have to see what happens. This is the best of a not so ideal situation. BTW, he comes home tomorrow which is also our 44th wedding anniversary.

mdubbs1

Helene, I would surely hope the judge would understand. How wonderful that he'll be home on your anniversary!

KonaKat

Helen--We always get a letter about a month in advance telling us of the jury date. If we want to be excused, we have a week to return the form explaining why we need to be excuses. The judge than determines if it is a legitimate request and notifies you in advance whether or not you will be required to show up for duty.

The MRI went well except for my lying flat on my back for an hour without moving. Lying on my back for extended periods is guaranteed to create problems, so today I am still feeling pain. I did go ahead and worked and will tomorrow. The back is just slightly hurting now so things are improving.

I see South Beach is now promoting $50 off.

mdubbs1

In 3 1/2 years I can ask to be permanently excused from jury duty (age 70). I would LOVE to be on a jury but since they'll never pick me (attorney) I may just do that. The last time I was there there were two attorneys in the room and they politely excused both of us. Why go through the hassle when you know you'll never get on a jury? The only time jury duty ever bothered me was when Gordy was alive and had to have meds ever 12 hours exactly or he would have died. Otherwise it's always just been boring.

Interestingly it's always the prosecution that excuses us. Someone told me once that prosecutors are afraid attorneys will see reasonable doubt everywhere! And they are probably right. We can see all sides of everything. E.g. I'm watching all these anniversary shows on the Jon Benet Ramsay case (and I've read many of the books that have come out in the past) and I STILL can't decide who I think did it. I realize it's not important to anyone what I think but still I'd like to have a conclusion in my own head (for some reason).

KonaKat

Interesting about the Jon Benet Ramsey anniversary. I've only seen the Dr. Phil shows with Burke. How could any kid growing up in that household with all that stress have a half way normal life? Patsy went to college 20 miles from me in her younger days and she represented our state in the Miss America thing. Each time I see parents make up their little girls to look years older than they are for some competition, I think of Jo Benet.

I tried to check in yesterday but the site was being maintained. Of course, it dumped my sign in info and I had to grasp at straws to remember what I had used.

mdubbs1

I have to log in again every couple days. No particular pattern that I can discern.

I weighed in Tuesday and had lost two pounds. Since I wasn't really trying that was likely a fluke but it did give me a nudge. I've been eating much better since that weigh in. The mind is strange!

I hope DH goes to PA for apples this fall. I could eat a good apple!

Our garden is just about done. We never really had any decent tomatoes this year except the cherry variety. Neighbors didn't either so I guess it was the weather and not just us.

This weekend I have to get the raffle mailing counted out into boxes for volunteers and get ready for the following weekend's cat show. Two big jobs in the same weekend. Poor prior planning for sure. LOL!

mdubbs1

Helene - I had you had a good anniversary and that your hubby is settling back into being at home.

KonaKat

Maryanne--Congrats upon the weight loss. You have a busy weekend ahead.

Make sure you read the comments on this recipe:
http://www.skinnymom.com/chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole/

Helene610

Maryanne..Congratulations on the loss. I'm sure that will spur you on to use your spreadsheets again. Jean..The recipe sounded good until I got to the sodium. I'd have to work on that to reduce it. DH is supposed to follow a heart healthy diet and GF as well. We had a busy day today. He was discharged yesterday and needed a long nap after the trip home. Today we had a nurse, physical therapist and occupational therapist come to the house. We didn't think he needed OT as rehab had spent considerable time on the skills he'd need at home. She evaluated him and agreed he was fairly self sufficient and didn't need her services. He'll have the nurse and PT for a couple of weeks. They come twice a week. They thought he looked go for someone 3 weeks past heart surgery. His main thing is protecting the sternum and doing PT to increase stamina. PT told him to take a nap every afternoon and walk around the house, practice getting up and down in a chair. Next week, they may try walking down the block but for now, it's just walking inside to strengthen himself.

mdubbs1

I've discovered that getting chopped peppers and onions for my "famous" breakfast eggs doesn't make as much sense as buying peppers and onions and chopping myself. The two don't go bad at the same rate AND I've discovered that what I chop up myself lasts longer period - probably because I'm starting fresher. I also bought cauliflower today. So I was a chopping fool after dinner.

Side note: I noticed "riced cauliflower" in the freezer section. I should have stopped and really looked at it.

At the grocery store today I was hunting for the weight watcher's snack cakes. I was on my way to the - hard to access wonder why - information desk. I passed by a woman at the pharmacy standing next to a cart that had said cakes in it. I politely asked if she'd mind telling me where she found them. She looked at me funny and gave some nonsense answer. On my way back from the information desk I took another look, saw how people and carts had shifted position and decided the cart wasn't hers! I wonder why she didn't just say that?

Helene - I'm glad your hubby is doing well for 3 weeks!

Helene610

Did you find the snack cakes yourself? I hate when the stores I go to decide to rearrange stock. For the life of me, I can't imagine what benefit it is to them and it aggravates to have to search for something that I formerly knew exactly where it was.

DH did well yesterday. I think I was more tired than him. I went to bed at 8:30 instead of my usual 11:30. I woke up at 11, saw he was still watching TV, reminded him about evening pills and then we both went back to bed. I woke up at 7 and decided I could sleep until 8. Next thing I knew it was 9 so I got up. I think I'll be catching up on sleep deficit for the next few days. Things seem to be going well. He has some walking around the house and standing up and sitting back in a chair five times in a row to do. He'll do that on his own and PT will be back on Monday.

I was at CVS today. I called in prescriptions yesterday and had a list of a few errands to do while I was out. I forgot to write CVS on the list and that was my main reason for going out. I came home without stopping there. Fortunately DH had one dose of his pills left so I didn't have to go out again last night. That was the tiredness fogging my mind!

mdubbs1

Helene - the guy at the information desk at the grocery store picked up his smart phone and called someone to ask where the WW cakes were. He got the answer immediately. I was surprised they couldn't look it up on the computer.

I'm glad that - except for extreme tiredness - things are going well so far.

I fed the colonies this morning. Then I had to deal with the raffle mailing. Carry all the boxes from the printer inside, count out everything into boxes for the volunteers, and then haul the boxes back to the car. Seemed like more work than it sounds like!