2017--This Year is Our Year!!!

mdubbs1

Definitely good for a chuckle: http://cheezburger.com/4088069/funny-comic-shows-the-true-story-behind-the-gif

KonaKat

Maryanne--That is so funny. You have a knack for finding good ones.

mdubbs1

mdubbs1

Helene610

I haven't had online access for days. BIL got a new modem and didn't have the security key on hand, I don't recall if I mentioned the bone infection he got after stepping on a board with a nail ticking out of it. He went to urgent care, got it cleaned out and got a tetanus shot. In spite of that, he developed a bone infection and needed surgery to clean it out. The doctor also found bit of bone chips and bits of metal from the nail. He was hospitalized several days and spent a month get IV antibiotics 3 time a day. They had to cancel a trip to CA for their granddaughter's birthday and planned to go out for Christmas. Thanksgiving night, he was in incredible pain and couldn't stop shaking. His daughter called 911 and an ambulance took him back to the same hospital. The doctor started IV antibiotic right away but it took 2 days to get an MRI because of short staffing (holiday leave). The infection was back so he had surgery again yesterday. The CA trip looks iffy since the antibiotic get shipped to him and has to be kept refrigerated. Can you imagine trying to do that on a 6 hour plane trip? He insisted that we keep our travel plans so we headed off to my brother in SC and arrived lat night after 2 days of driving. Thanksgiving itself was very nice before the health crisis.

mdubbs1

Helene - that sounds awful! After Gordy's transplant, I had to ship his blood to Penn for testing. It had to be kept cold. Between styrofoam containers and ice packs and overnight shipping it was doable. I never admitted what I was shipping. Too much hassle. I bought styrofoam containers that came with cardboard outer boxes. But yes, I think he could keep his meds refrigerated. What I don't know is how much hassle the airline would be. I guess he'd have to ask.

I had a friend of a friend recently - who gets annual MRI's (she has MS) - who had to go at 11 pm on a Saturday night because they are so backed up. I think the moral to the story is doctors are ordering way too many MRIs.

Helene610

the medication gets shipped to him from who knows where. he's doing it 3 time a day times the week or so they'd be gone. that's a minimum of 21 doses. I'm not sure how often he get a shipment. when they sent him home last time, he had a port that the medication gets infused in. He'd probably have to take at least one dose while traveling and he'd have to be concerned about sterility. I guess they'll figure out whether it's possible to go.

mdubbs1

mdubbs1

Excuse the language! Midnight and Jack can't read the caption.

mdubbs1

mdubbs1

Normally I would be really enjoying leftover turkey this week but I've learned my lesson about buying turkey. These leftovers are not good. Definitely need to go back to the name brands and let the store keep its premium super special nothing bad added version.

PamS53

We are home from our Hawaii Cruise and had a good time. However, we both agreed that ten sea days were too many for us. We enjoyed each of the ports a lot, but would have liked to have more time on each island, especially Maui. I brought home a cold as my souvenir of the trip, so today I’m not feeling too well but I have a mountain of laundry that I need to get done and I need to bake a birthday cake for my friend’s party on Friday. Trying to catch up on social media, email, and a lot of missed TV while we were gone as well. I haven’t seen the last 2 weeks of Dancing With The Stars, so that’s my first priority when I can sit down for awhile.

Helene, I was also on the IV antibiotics administered through a port 3 times a day after my ankle became so badly infected, so I can relate to your BIL’s struggle. He could probably arrange to have his meds delivered to the destination address, and would only need to travel with a couple of doses that could be kept cool in a small cooler with a gel pack. He would probably need to have documentation from his doctor about it to satisfy TSA requirements. For each infusion treatment, I had 2 syringes with saline and 1 with Heparin, plus alcohol wipes and latex gloves. Everything was sent to us premeasured and in sterile packaging, so there were no issues with that. A bit of a hassle, but doable if he really wants to make the trip and feels well enough to do it.

Jean, I’m sorry your Seattle trip was so wet. It’s a beautiful area and it’s a shame you didn’t get to see it at its best.

Maryanne, I loved all the cat pics! Sorry your turkey wasn’t what you had hoped for. We had turkey on the ship, but I wasn’t too thrilled with it either. In general, I wasn’t impressed by the food on this cruise so I wasn’t too surprised.

This was our first, and likely last, cruise on Princess Cruise Line. In my opinion, it did not live up to the hype. As I mentioned, I found the food disappointing, and the entertainment was mediocre, at best. We were on one of their older ships, and it showed it’s age in a few areas, but overall it was fine. I spent a lot of time in my cabin reading, watching movies, and napping because I just wasn’t interested in most of the activities that were offered. It was interesting talking to other passengers. At most meals in the dining room we sat with random guests and most of them were repeat cruisers on this same itinerary and ship. There was a lot of pride shown in being able to say how many Princess Cruises they had been on, and there’s was a bit of a “caste” system observed by the color of your cruise card, which is how you access your cabin and pay for anything on the ship. As newbies with a blue card, we were clearly at the bottom of the pecking order. The color of the card changed, depending on how many cruises one had taken. Most people were very nice, but there were a few who were quite rude and demanding. Plus, I have never seen so many people using wheelchairs, motorized scooters, walkers, canes, etc. in one place! I don’t even see that many when I visit my MIL in assisted living! It really made me want to work harder to get in better shape to avoid getting to that point. Overall, I’d put the average age of Princess cruisers at around 80. I commend them for still being interested in travel, but I didn’t enjoy traveling with them.

We’ve cruised several times on other cruise lines, but one thing that was really different this time is that at each port at least one passenger was taken away in an ambulance. At one port a man collapsed on the pier on his way to reboard the ship and was attended by the medical staff for quite awhile before eventually being allowed to board. A few minutes later another passenger was taken away by ambulance. At the next port I counted 3 ambulances but I’m not sure how many actually left with someone. On previous cruises, I’m not sure any passengers were ever so ill they had to leave in an ambulance. Usually the medical staff are pretty invisible, but they got a workout on this cruise.

I’m really annoyed with this cold I brought home. I was so careful about frequently washing my hands, using hand sanitizer often, and tried not to touch common surfaces or used the back of my hand or elbow to touch things like elevator buttons, etc. And I still got sick! This must be a powerfully strong cold virus. My poor nose is already looking like Rudolf’s!

mdubbs1

Pam - so sorry you're sick! One thing that surprised me (but shouldn't have) is how much healthier I am now that I'm working from home. I imagine the germs on a cruise ship are just as ubiquitous as the germs in an office. Or maybe worse.

mdubbs1

Survivor links:

http://ew.com/recap/survivor-season-35-episode-10-11/

http://ew.com/tv/2017/11/30/survivor-jeff-probst-feet-heroes-healers-hustlers/

http://ew.com/tv/2017/11/29/survivor-best-worst-winners-ever/

http://people.com/tv/survivor-blog-when-right-time-turn-alliance/

http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/video/FE6C501F-32BC-9ED9-C2FC-0401A83F0AC8/spoiler-alert-survivor-heroes-vs-healers-vs-hustlers-ponderosa-3/

http://www.cbs.com/shows/survivor/video/05890D1E-56D5-D93E-E0F3-0401A8403779/spoiler-alert-survivor-heroes-vs-healers-vs-hustlers-ponderosa-4/

http://www.goldderby.com/article/2017/survivor-35-episodes-10-11-recap-buy-one-get-one-free-healers-news/

Helene610

i rarely got colds when I worked. I think being exposed to so many people kept my immune system revved up. I try to stay out of crowds now because my immune system is not as powerful as it was then. Getting enough sleep make a difference a well. The weather in SC has been great. i was walking around in a short sleeved shirt yesterday and it was around 7 degrees. I'm loving it. We're ticking around until my sister gets back from her cruise this weekend. We'll probably head for FL this time next week.

mdubbs1

mdubbs1

My cats would love it if our house had heating like that.

PamS53

That cat does not look happy!

mdubbs1

This is how Indy sits - with her head tucked down like this on my lap:

https://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/17/11/29/TklVwgWT_UixFSQZQTpIbA2.mp4

mdubbs1

Helene610

i actually did some exercise yesterday. DH and I went to the SC rec center with a friend. She and I did a Silver Sneaker class while DH used the fitness room equipment. The class included hand weights, resistance bands and a small ball that we moved around while doing stretches. The center had a hydro massage bed like my chiropractor's office has o I finished with a relaxing 15 minute massage. We'll go again a couple of time before we head to FL. She hadn't been going by having us along spurred her to go. It's always easier to motivate yourself when you have a buddy.

KonaKat

Well, I awakened at 5am today when I could have slept in. I had planned to assemble my mini-cycle so I proceeded after breakfast to tackle the task, which was easy.

I have always like recumbant bikes and were recommended by my orthopedic a few years ago. The problem is that they take up space. What I got is a mini-cycle. The magnetic ones are the highest end of the spectrum, are heavier and provides a better workout at each resistance level. The one I have weighs 21 pounds.
 
This is an external review of the Sunny Health and Fitness Magnetic Mini Exercise Bike which I got at Amazon:
 
The first of the magnetic resistance bikes discussed by us, this model is positively reviewed and widely appreciated by those who have bought it in the past.
The reviews indicate the step up in quality and usability between friction and magnetic resistance bikes.
The magnetic resistance bikes like the Sunny are heavier (21lbs) due to use of flywheels but are more stable in use than friction bikes. They also offer a smoother pedalling action allowing the user to get more out of the different resistance levels.
The Sunny comes with eight different resistance levels, has pedal straps and a reasonable exercise monitor on board. The Sunny is a mid price range bike. A very good choice if you want a basic, smooth, magnetic mini exercise bike. Ideal for intermediate work.
 
http://www.stepper-guide.com/are-mini-exercise-bikes-effective
 
When I did physical therapy last year, I was considering this but asked their opinion. It is a great option for people with knee problems. Any cardio effect depends upon resistance used, speed and time spent in the exercise. My knees are really beginninng to give me problems again, so I decided to buy it.
 
Yes, I just spent 30 minutes on it. I like it. The pedaling is very smooth and quiet. It definitely does not move when I use it. When I used it, I sat in my usual chair I use when watching TV  with it placed in front and cycled away. Yes, it increases heart rate but not dramatically. You definitely know it is working. I put my FitBit on my ankle for step and calorie comparison.
 
This is a pic of it:



Another discussion of mini-bikes:
https://www.livestrong.com/article/372304-can-you-lose-weight-using-a-foot-peddler/

 

mdubbs1

Helene and Jean - good job(s) on the exercise! Hopefully you'll get me inspired.

This weekend I'm getting my exercise at the cat show. I tried to make it through Friday without an Aleve but gave in when I got home. I knew if I didn't take something I would barely have been able to get out of bed Saturday morning.

I hear we sold a lot yesterday. When I get there today I'll see whether we're really empty. If so, I'll need to get some toys ordered!

I gave a 5-pack of these catnip toys to all the volunteers for Christmas. They were a HUGE hit with all of their cats and with our cats as well. She makes them with and without stuffing/crinkles. I got the ones without stuffing. They look funny because they are flat but the catnip really is potent! A lot of the cats attacked them before they got out of the plastic.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BAG-O-NIP-High-Strength-Organic-Catnip-Pouch-LOT-OF-5-CHRISTMAS-SANTA-Cat-Toy/222741365391?hash=item33dc6b828f:g:KQsAAOSwyXNaGcu4

mdubbs1

I survived the cat show but boy do I hurt!

These are too funny to post just one: http://cheezburger.com/4155397/pets-that-are-super-jealous

mdubbs1

mdubbs1

PamS53

Helene610

love the cartoons, especially the greeting card one. My sister got home from her cruise lat night so we're heading over to her house for dinner. I would have taken a day off to rest up from the trip but she insisted. The cruise was from FL o they had an 8 hour drive yesterday to SC. I managed to fit in a haircut today so I'm looking and feeling better. If my hair is a me that's how my day feels too.love the cartoons, especially the greeting card one. My sister got home from her cruise lat night so we're heading over to her house for dinner.

mdubbs1

Pam - that's hilarious!

Helene - sounds like your sister is a dynamo!

mdubbs1