Monday, Monday!

Mondays are usually busy for me.  The pools at the Y are open again, but today was the first time I got back to my regular class.  I'm finally starting to feel well enough to start doing stuff again.  Also, I had a regular appointment with my optometrist.  All is stable in that department, and that's always a good thing.

I had thought about playing bridge this afternoon with the group I used to play with, but the timing just didn't work out, and I would have had to kill too much time, plus the rain had started.  So  I just decided to go home.  I did play duplicate tonight, but we didn't do well, and came in 9th out of 10 couples.  Tomorrow will be a quieter day.

Rejoin?

 I'm finally beginning to feel like I'm ready to rejoin the human race.  We've had some rain, the temperatures have cooled down, and the trees must be past the stage of exploding with pollen.  In any case, I think I'm ready to start my life again tomorrow. 

The pools at the Y have finally reopened, and I'm planning to start out early in the morning.  It might be a long day, with also a doctor's appointment and bridge (maybe twice).  We'll see how it goes. 

I'm even going to try to sleep in the bed tonight.  I've been sleeping in the chair all night the last few nights.

Not as planned

I headed out this morning, dressed nicely, planning to be out all day.  I went to coffee with the swimmers, then was headed to bridge sessions for the rest of the morning and then games in the afternoon.  On my way to the Bridge Center in the morning, I got a text from my partner - she wasn't going to be able to make the teaching session.  Well, okay - I'll just go home for a couple of hours. Then, just as I was thinking about getting ready to go out to play, she texted again and cancelled for the afternoon.  I didn't want to go as a single, so...

And that was my day.

Happy Thursday!

Today was a busy day - at least I got off my posterior more than usual.  I went to the rheumatologist this morning for a regular appointment.   When asked about my pain level, I was surprised to answer "less than 1".  I don't know whether it's the warm weather, or just that I've been so sick with the damned allergies that everything arthritic just faded into the background.  In any case, they recommended I try one of the Coricidin HBP products for symptom relief.  I had planned to stop at the drugstore on the way home anyway, so it was a chance to get some. I was going to stop at the drugstore mainly to get a TDaP shot, which had been prescribed by my family doctor.  She says insurance won't pay for it if she does it in her office, but it will at the drugstore.  Go figure!  Anyway, here I am at almost 81 years old getting a tetanus shot and a DPT booster.  Oh, well… And my pain medicine Rx had been called in, too.  So I was able to get a 3-fer with my drugstore stop.

This afternoon, our Chef Christopher had the first of planned monthly programs called "Chef's Corner". He was going to prepare a dish for watchers to taste and decide whether or not it would be added to the menu list. His choice today was Tuscan Shrimp Pasta.  A simple dish with shrimp, pasta, and a sauce of garlic, spinach, dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and cream.  It was absolutely delicious! And I do hope it will make the menu listing.  This was a fun thing for him to do, and  it went over very well. Happy Thursday!

Wednesday already?

For having accomplished absolutely nothing, this week is going fairly fast.  The main topic of conversation around here is the weather.  We may tie a record high on Friday that goes back to 1870!  Things are blooming like crazy.  And the days have been lovely.  But the explosion of pollen is really causing suffering - especially with me.  I even called the nurse here at the Terrace, and she suggested Flonase. I've gotten some of that, but so far it hasn't helped much.  I have a regular appointment with the rheumatologist tomorrow, and he may have some suggestions, too.

On the good side, I got my tax stuff to the CPA this morning.  (At least I guess that's a good thing.)

Back to Monday

Things were some better today.  And I did feel well enough to go to duplicate tonight.  We came in near the bottom, but at least I got out and did something.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Bungalow 26 Questions

1. Which living person do you admire the most, and why? I can't think of a "most".  I do admire Jimmy Carter for being a genuinely good person, doing the best he can to make life better for others.  And the servicemen and women, police, and firefighters who volunteer to keep us safe.

2. When were you the happiest? With family and traveling/learning with John.

3. Besides property, automobile or furniture, what is the most expensive thing you have bought? Travelling, beach house rentals.  I don't much buy "things".

4. What is your most treasured possession? My family and my memories.

5. Where would you like to live? In good health.

6. Who would you get to play you in a film of your life? Kathy Bates 

7. What is your favorite book? Monte Walsh by Jack Schafer, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

8. What is your most unappealing habit? Sloth.

9. Twitter or Facebook? (Or if both share the differences in your opinion.) Facebook.  I've never been on Twitter, and wouldn't know how.

10. What would be your fancy dress costume of choice? I would politely decline an invitation to that party.

11. What is your earliest memory? Getting my thumb caught in the refrigerator door at age 3.

12. What is your guiltiest pleasure? Ice cream.

13. What do you owe your parents? My life, my values.

14. To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why? I don't do regrets.

15. What or who is the greatest love of your life? John.

16. What does love feel like to you? Closeness.

17. What was the best kiss of your life? All of them.

18. Which words or phrases do you overuse? Probably too many mild expletives.

19. What's the worst job you have done? Nothing really awful comes to mind.

20. If you could edit your past, what would you change? I like to think I'd take better care of my body.

21. What is the closest you have came to death? I don't think I've been in a really life-threatening situation.  Maybe when I cut an artery on a broken bowl.

22. What do you consider your greatest achievement? My beautiful family.

23. When did you cry last? I hate to admit it, but over an NCIS episode a couple of weeks ago.

24. How do you relax? I'm almost always relaxed.

25. What single thing would improve the quality of your life? Getting off my butt more.

26. What is the most important lesson life has taught you? Love all your loved ones like each day is your last - it just might be.

Friday haiku

Coffee with swimmers.

Not too bad at bridge. Wish I

Didn't feel like shit!

In February!!

I have been sneezing and coughing and blowing, etc., all week. I don't feel good, but I don't think I feel bad enough for this to be a cold or the flu.  Our temperatures have been so warm that everything is blooming - daffodils, locust trees, flowering quince, pink magnolias - and the pollen count has been soaring.  It's been years since I had much trouble with allergies, but I think that's what's happening now.  In February!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Lunch at a local tea room today was a lovely event put on by my financial advisor and her firm.  This was a group of about 20 of her clients - all widows, I assume.  A delicious lunch, and we were each presented with a long-stemmed red rose and a favor of Hershey's kisses and some fancy popcorn.  She does this every year, and we all look forward to it.  I went with two of my swimming buddies - they're the ones who recommended her to me.  It made for a good day out.

Slug day

I went out to dinner with Margaret last night (Mexican - yum!).  Today has been pretty much a slug day.  But I was going out to play duplicate tonight, so I wouldn't be totally worthless.  But then I got a call from my Monday night partner, and we weren't getting to play tonight after all.  Turns out they're having a "team game" event (whatever that is), and you have to be in a four-some to play.  And we're  not.  Oh, well - so the whole day was a totally do-nothing day.  I guess that's okay every once in awhile.

Sunday Stealig

Sunday Stealing: The Disappearing Questions  1. Last movie you saw in a theater? The King and I in a special showing. 2. What book are you reading? A book about the Anasazi Indians. I've just finished Hidden Figures. 3. Favorite board game? Mexican Train, dominoes, or Rummikub (not exactly board games, but…) 4. Favorite magazine? I don't much read magazines any more. 5. Favorite smells? Maybe a fresh rain or new-cut grass or real roses. I don't like any artificial smells. 6. Favorite sounds? Laughter 7. Worst feeling in the world? Loss of a loved one. 8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up? Wishing I could sleep longer or maybe getting up to go to the bathrooom. 9. Favorite fast food place? I'm not really a fast-food fan, but I do like Zaxby's, and can usually find something to eat at any of them. 10. Future child’s name? There won't be any "future" children! 11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….? See that my children and grandchildren are out of debt, and leave the rest for later family to come - or set up a charitable foundation. 12. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Nope. 13. Storms – cool or scary? It depends on where I am and the kind of storm. 14. Favorite drink? Iced water (plain) and black coffee. 15. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”? I do have the time, and I mostly do whatever I want to do and am able to do. 16. Do you eat the stems on broccoli? Yes, I like the stems better than the flowery part. 17. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice? The one time I dyed my hair, I did it red.  Now, I think I'd go all white. 18. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in? St. Louis, Bellaire, Houston, Hendersonville, Chattanooga. 19. Favorite sports to watch? In person, women's basketball; on TV, maybe some of the Olympic sports. 20. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you? Nobody sent it to me. 21. What’s under your bed? Huge dust bunnies. 22. Would you like to be born as yourself again? Yes. 23. Morning person, or night owl? Some of each, but more a morning person. 24. Over easy, or sunny side up? Lately, over hard. 25. Favorite place to relax? In my La-Z-Boy chair (since I can't be at the beach all the time). 26. Favorite pie? Mincemeat or lemon meringue. 27. Favorite ice cream flavor? Vanilla. 28. Of all the people who play, how many of the posts do you usually read? Sunday Stealing?  Two of the people I read do this meme. From <http://sundaystealing.blogspot.com/2017/02/the-disappearing-questions.html>

A good day!

I've just gotten some lovely news about my birthday.  Sue and Margaret have rented a large VRBO house in Chattanooga the weekend after my birthday, so it looks like I'll be having a good birthday party this year.

Most of today was about bridge.  I went to a "play and discuss" class this morning before play this afternoon.  One of the more experienced players is leading these free, informal classes.  She sets up the hands, and then we bid, discuss the bids, play the hand, and end with discussion of the play.  I really like that as a learning situation.  It sticks much better for me than just showing hands on a sheet of paper or blackboard and talking about it.  My partner and I were in the middle of the pack at the end of afternoon's play.  But with 53.7% takeaway, we each won 0.21 MP.  So it was a pretty good day.

We had lovely clear skies and I have a great view of the full moon.  I watched for an hour watching for the partial eclipse, but never noticed any change in the moon.  Oh, well.....

Three things Tuesday

Medical:  My echocardiogram showed "no significant changes".  I'm scheduled for a pulmonary function test on 1 March prior to my evaluation by a pulmonologist on 8 March.

Weather: The high today was in the upper 60s, and it was cloudy all day.  Rain this afternoon while the temperature started down. There's a strong storm line expected to come through later tonight. The high for tomorrow is predicted to be 55, at 12:01 a.m. (midnight).

Food:  The food committee meeting was this afternoon.  Chef Christopher is really working hard to make the food and service better.  Starting next week, there will be a consulting nutritionist to help him address various dietary needs of residents.  He has also planned to have a monthly "Chef's Corner", where he will prepare a new dish for residents to taste test.  If approved, it can go into the menu stream; if not, it's gone. He's trying very hard, it's appreciated, and it shows.

Now what?

I've been feeding birds since I moved here and have my lovely deck.  It's been fun to watch them.  When I first started I had a problem with raccoons cleaning out the feeders overnight.  So I've just been bringing the feeders at night - putting them out in the mornings.  And recently the raccoons seem to have moved on to greener pastures. There has been a feral cat living under my deck, being fed by my next door neighbors.  The neighbors moved a couple of months ago, and I haven't seen the cat in a week or so.  In the past, I've not had any problems with squirrels, and I assumed that was because the cat was big enough to keep them away. 

Well, guess what!  Now I have a squirrel, trying all sorts of ways to get to the goodies in the feeders.  As long as I'm sitting in my chair, I can get up and run him off.  But, obviously, I can't do that all the time.  And I have no clue has to what I can rig up to keep him away from the feeders.  Any suggestions?  (And getting a cat or dog is NOT an option!)

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A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (1858-1919

From <http://wordsmith.org/words/today.html>

"Pea Soup"

I had an echocardiogram today, and that was the "outing" for me today.  We've had rain and heavy fog all day, and it's just going to get worse tonight.  My Monday night duplicate partner lives up behind me on Signal Mountain and it's been a "pea soup fog" day for them.  So she didn't want to drive down here in the fog in the dark.  I didn't go either - I didn't even want to drive down here in the Valley.  Oh, well.....

Quiet

I've gotten the sweater finished, and it's soaking now, so I can block it before I send it on.  I knit while I'm watching TV - rarely any other time.  I can't just sit and watch TV - have to be doing something with my hands.

I'm enjoying my amaryllis blooming.  Jesse gave me a couple of those bulbs-in-a-pot things for Xmas.  I planted the amaryllis and the paperwhites.  The amaryllis has finally bloomed - three fully open and two buds which will probably open this week.  It's so pretty.  The paperwhites put up some leaves, but no buds or blooms.  That's about it for my gardening.

I have an appointment for an echo cardiogram to check on the status of my heart murmur at noon tomorrow, so that should take care of lunchtime for me.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Racquet Questions 

01  What is the worst nickname that anyone has ever called you? The only nickname I've ever had was "Rice", and that was because I wore a sweatshirt from Rice University, where I was a student.

02  Have you got a favorite flower? Not really - I like them all.

03  Do you add a sauce, ketchup or other artificial flavorings to your food? Mostly pepper is the only thing I use, occasionally a little salt.

04  Describe yourself using only words that begin with the letter 'T'. The only thing I can think of is "tall" - but I've shrunk so much I'm not really tall any more. Well, then there's "talkative".

05  What is/was your lover's pet name for you? I don't think he ever had one.

06  What is your least favorite color? Yellow, olive green, khaki - all look awful with my skin color.

07  Who did you vote for in the last election, and did they win? Clinton, and no.

08  What is/was your grandfathers’ names? Jack Rogers Russell and Charles Allen Wheeler.

09  What is the best present you ever received? I used to get wonderful presents.  We'd get a new car, and that was for my birthday.  We bought a house, and that was for my birthday.  My last Valentine's present was a shingles shot.

10  What is 17 1/2% of 97 + 42 x (6 / 2) – 137 ? [Editor's note: Holy shit!] Not a clue - and not willing to find a calculator.

11  What would be the best possible way you could die? In my sleep.

12  Given the choice of absolutely anything, what would be your dream job? I like the one I have - being retired.

13  What position do you sleep in at night? Usually I'm on one side or the other.

14  What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you? There are SO many, I can't pick one.

15  Who is your favorite fictional character? Gibbs, or maybe Abby.

16  What food do you hate most in the world? Coconut, peanut butter, bell peppers.

17  When was the last time you were ill? I had a bad cold last spring.

18  If you were transformed into a wild creature, what would it be? I like the idea of being a red-tailed hawk.

19  What was your favorite toy as a child, and whatever happened to it? I don't remember.

20  What's the most amazing thing you've ever seen? I've been lucky to see so many wonderful things, it's hard to pick one.  The Ring of Brodgar, Canyon de Chelly, Takakaw Falls, Antarctica.

Three on Thursday

1. This has really been a slug week.  But, I have gotten a lot of knitting done.  Randy, your sweater should be ready to send to you sometime next week.
2. At the Residents' Meeting yesterday, I asked the director if the landscaping crew would be trimming the crepe myrtles outside my door.  Today, the landscaping crew trimmed the crepe myrtles outside my door.  Things are improving.
3. No bridge tonight - we only had three.  I wish some more players would move in.  But I will be going to duplicate tomorrow afternoon.