Tuesday exists after all

I reset the sleep app to go off at 7:30. It rang just after 7. We stayed in bed until almost 9. I turned on the router as Chris packed up the bed. I heard Dad moving around in the kitchen and muttering to himself. I was a little surprised to see him since he claimed that Tuesdays don't exist and he skips to Wednesday. He was talking to himself over his supplements when I came in the kitchen. He explained that the math doesn't work for Tuesdays because one pill is two days on and one day off. So now he puts out his pills every three days, leaving the Tuesday slot blank.
He made himself breakfast while I melted coconut oil. I put some in his cereal. It took awhile to melt. I ground up cacao nibs and flax and chia seeds. I took our remaining three eggs out of our egg carton so I could use it as a mold. I lined it with minimuffin paper cups. When the oil was liquid, I mixed it all and poured 24 little cups and slid a cookie sheet under them. I put them in the freezer to harden. I kept the coconut oil in warm water so it would not solidify. I made another mixture in the measuring cup. Then I made and ate breakfast.
Dad was looking for his grocery list so I helped him find it. Chris tried to get the printer to talk to the old computer, but had to stop at 11 to join a conference call. Dad put his shoes on to go to the grocery store. I moved my breakfast stuff out of the kitchen because I did not know how long we would be gone. Then I walked out the front door. I watched as Dad drove away. I wondered if he forgot me. I did some cleaning in the kitchen while he was gone.
I sat at my laptop and wrote notes for my blog. I read e-mail. I started a meditation with Deepak. I realized I had forgotten to sew. I did some binding yesterday. Today I sewed a new piece of towel to the crocheted hanger. I zigzagged over another hanging towel that was getting loose at the top. I put both in the bag with the other hanging towels.
Faye called. Or did I call her? Anyway, she told me to take some genealogy sheets from a paper tube. It was easier said than done, but I took two: one for me and one for Yvonne.
Kevin came over. He made an Italian vegetable casserole. Chris went to the store for stuff to make chicken curry soup. I helped Dad go through papers on the diningroom table and recycle most of them. Faye and Kevin shared the cleaning. Kevin went to the Moose lodge to make reservations for Thanksgiving. Faye stayed here for a while, but then joined him for Cheeseburger Night.
I guided Dad to his chair at the table. Chris had a bowl of soup waiting for him. Chris ate soup too. I finished the last of the chuck, and then ate a bowl of soup. Michele called and invited Kurt to the Damour Thanksgiving. But I told her it was too late, that Kevin had already made reservations at the Moose lodge for 5.
When Dad was done eating, we put on our coats and picked up his choir stuff. He and I walked up and down the street until Gabriella arrived to take him to choir. I thanked her for taking him.
We put supper away. Chris and I watched three episodes of DS9. Then he watered the houseplants and I brushed and swished. I heard the back door open. Bobby was bringing Dad home. I spoke to him, then guided my Dad in. Dad was hungry so I got him some casserole and jujube juice. He also took his pills. I found another gift card in an envelop on the table and had him stick it in his wallet. Then I sat down to check e-mail and write my blog post for the day, if I can remember all of it.
* I'm running out of pics. My mole scab fell off on Saturday and here is the result. I guess the doctor didn't get it all. *

The new kid on the block

My sleep app rang at 6:30. I tried to go back to sleep, but then the phone alarm rang at 7:30. We got up and folded the bed back into a couch. Dad was moving around so I checked on him. I looked at the list of things to be done while we were here.
I looked up the indoor-outdoor thermometer and read about how to change the batteries so that the indoor unit would recognize the outdoor unit. Chris and I did that, and then it worked, except for the time. But there is a clock right above it, so that wasn't critical.
I tried to get Dad's printer to print copies of his master grocery list. But each time the paper jammed. He said he'd had it for 30 years and did not want to throw it away and thought he could get someone to fix it. Chris said it would cost more to fix than to buy another because printers are so much cheaper now.
I suggested we put the list on a thumb drive and take it to an office store to print. It was made in XL so Chris worked to get in into OpenOffice format.
I was supposed to drive Dad to Staples to get copies of his master grocery list. But the driver's seat would not move forward so I could reach the pedals. So Dad drove and we agreed not to tell Chris. When we got there, we went to the copier department. The lady told us it would be cheaper to do it ourselves at the up-front copier. But then someone else needed it because the other one wasn't working, so she did it for us in the back. She did not find it easy, but it would have been impossible if the file was still in XL. Dad asked for 10 copies, which she made. I paid for them, and then we checked out planners. But he did not see one he liked. Then we looked at printers. I knew nothing except what Chris told me: Dad had a parallel printer cable and there was nothing like that anymore. A clerk came along, and steered us to HP printers. She recommended a printer/copier/fax/scanner that used a special ink that was cheaper than toner and made more copies. It was on sale, so we got that plus paper, a USB cord, and an ink cartridge.
My phone died at the store just after calling Chris to make sure we got the right thing. A male clerk took the printer out to the car for us. He said it was heavy. Faye was sitting in front of the house in her car when we got home. She got the printer out of the trunk with no trouble and took it in the house. Chris lifted the old printer and took it to the living room so Faye could set up the new printer. Faye and I read the directions and install the ink. Then we came to the online part where we download the correct driver to whatever computer Dad will use with the printer. His laptop was the obvious choice. But the screen that came up was confusing to us, so we tabled the issue.
Faye and I went to Joanns. I was going to give her my birthday/Christmas list (which was written on the back of an envelop), but I brought the wrong envelop. So we went together. She bought sewing stuff that I picked out for my birthday. Then we had to leave so she could get to Kevin's doctor appointment.
I helped Dad create a grocery list from the master list, and mark which items were found at Fresh Market. Chris took pity on me and took Dad to Fresh Market. I went through the food in the fridge and threw some out, plus lots of empty bags and packages. Then I wiped it as best I could with the remaining food still in there. I wished I had more time. I started one of Deepak's meditations. But then Dad and Chris came home. They were only gone an hour.
I heated a can of coconut milk in a pan of water on the stove. I wanted to shake it up, but it was too solid. However, I forgot all about it after turning the heat on.
I found a drawer full of tea towels, not in mint condition, but pretty good and many of them were already hanging towels. I showed them to Dad. He was pleased to see them. He wanted them to go in a bag. So I shoved them into the nearest empty bag. But he didn't like that one. He looked around until he found a Redwing bag with an old shirt and another hanging towel in it. So I put them in that bag and put the old shirt on the scrap pile.
I gave Dad some jujube juice to drink. I rescued my can of coconut milk from the hot water. I opened the can and poured some in the jar of fermented milk, and left the rest to cool. I worked on replacing the towel part of one of the hanging towels. I typed up my blog post while Dad made up his pill container for the week. He had trouble telling the difference between Primidone and aspirin. I checked behind him and found that one day had two of the pink pills and another day had a primidone but wasn't supposed to. Also, the Tuesday slot was empty. He said it was a non-existent day. I asked if that was a good idea and he said he'd think about it. I asked if he should have someone check his pills every week. He said this was the first time he made a mistake. Somehow I doubt that.
I finished my blog post and prepared for bed.

Dad duty

I had a hard time getting to sleep. I was wearing earplugs and eyeshades, but I could still hear the kids upstairs. And there were people talking in the parking lot. Also, even though I put my laptop to sleep before I went to bed, it kept turning back on and the screen would light the room. I could see the light underneath the shades. I got up several times during the night to shut it down.
My sleep app went off before 7:30 CST then the phone alarm rang. It rang again at 7:30 EST, too. I tried to go back to sleep since I did not get much sleep. I dreamt about eating bananas.
Chris got up to take a shower. I drank water and prepared my breakfast. When he came out, I washed up and brushed my teeth. He went to fuel up the car. I swished and sewed a few stitches on binding. Then he came back and we ate breakfast. I turned on my computer to find out that it had updated and closed my windows. It connected automatically, but I could see there were at least 3 5g signals available. I read e-mail and listened to a podcast on kidney health.
When it was over, I realized we had 15 minutes to check out. I rushed around packing things up and making sure we had everything. I helped Chris carry the stuff to his car. Then he checked out and we got on the road.
We ran into heavy traffic in several places. That gave us more time to listen to our book on CD. We finished one and started a second one. When we were about ½ an hour away, I called Dad and then Faye but got no answer. A few minutes later, Faye called to say they had just arrived home from church.
When we parked in the driveway, William was on the back porch sweeping leaves and twigs off. Faye helped us bring our stuff inside. I talked to Faye for awhile. Chris went to the store to get steak for supper. I made a list of things to do around here. Faye left. Dad and I looked at his printer while Chris made rice, fried onions, and chuck roast. He came back to tell us supper was ready. He looked at the printer and said it was done for.
While Dad and I were eating supper in the kitchen, Patrick called from the front door. (the doorbell doesn't work.) Chris let him in. He went through recyclables and such, looking for stamps and boxtops. After he left, I put velcro on Dad's bib, and mended a pair of Dad's pants with an old shirt he gave me. Although stained, that shirt was in better condition than things i have mended in the past. I looked high and low for a good tea towel to make a pair of hanging towels from. No luck. Then I helped Dad write checks and take out the garbage.
At 10, I made kava tea. I got out my laptop to write my blog post for the day. I swished and took calc-phos. Then Chris and I made up the hide-a-bed and retired for the night.
* Golden rod flowers and gingko leaves left out to dry while we are away. *

No such thing as a silent hotel room

Chris got up at 7:30 when my phone alarm went off. He made breakfast and read e-mail. I got up to finish packing and doing last minute things like watering the plants. I also had Chris pull the tape off of my back so I could take a shower. Maybe I should have taken the shower first so the tape would come off more easily. I packed two quilts that needed binding. I would have brought Jane's quilt too, but the matching thread was not with it.
It was 10:30 or later when we had the car packed and got on the road. As he drove, I put CD's in the player. We listened to a book by Janet Evanovitch. We made one pit stop. I went to the bathroom and he got a cheeseburger. Otherwise, we shared food from the food box and the cooler.
When we got to Bristol, we stopped at a Red Roof Inn. Chris checked in and they gave us room 108. But when we got inside, the sound of traffic rushing down the interstate was loud. So Chris asked for a room across the hall – 109. It was much quieter in there.
We set up our laptops and read e-mail. I also meditated. Then someone with active children rented the room above us. The kids ran back and forth, their footfalls thudding loudly. These rooms have no carpet so there is nothing to muffle the sound. I hoped they would go to bed sooner than we did.
We watched three episodes of DS9. We had to turn off the heater so we could hear the TV. It took my mind off the kids upstairs. They settled down for awhile, then the thudding resumed. Chris went to bed and I brushed my teeth, so I could swish while writing my blog.
* This is the orphan block top that I mentioned yesterday. *

Can't beet this soda

With no phone nearby, I did not know what time it was. I got up and went to the kitchen to find that it was 6:45am. There was frost on the ground. I went back to bed with my mp3 headphones. I tried to relax and meditate.
I got up again at 7:40. I brushed and swished and sewed Chris' pants and some fabric squares. I turned on the router. While it was booting up, I typed in names of quilt books to print out labels for the newest books in the guild library. But I did not attach them.
I checked e-mail, then ate the last of the steak. My neighbor came over to return my water bottle from when I had given her sumac tea. She gave me a flyer from their church for a Christmas cantata.
I wrote my blog post for last night. I made and ate breakfast while reading more e-mail. I laid out golden rod flowers and gingko leaves to dry. Then I got dressed and went to the bank to deposit the checks Pat had given me for ordering library books. When I got back, it became such a nice day that I went for a walk, checking out the sumac trees.
After the walk, I mixed up a batch of seed crackers during the talking part of one of Deepak's meditations. I had just gotten to the silent part when Chris came home. He had things to talk about, and then I finished the meditation. I read e-mail and listened to interviews. He hard-boiled the remaining eggs for our trip. He did laundry, too. I put things in the food box. I ironed the orphan block top and took its picture. I also ironed the binding on the yellow quilt. I looked up the weather in Midlothian and Huntsville. It's going to freeze tonight but not again before we come back. So if the plants survive till tomorrow, they might make it the rest of the week.
I unpacked the box from the post office. It had 12 bottles of carbonated beet juice. I drank one and it wasn't bad at all. Chris did not want to taste it.
We folded laundry and put it away. We watched two episodes of DS9, finishing season 5 and starting season 6. Chris went to bed. I made a jar of mouthwash and swished with it. I packed the bamboo salt. I typed up my blog so I could go to bed.
* Seems like it would be dangerous to shake it. *

Cocktail hour

When I did my stretches before bed, I noticed that my right knee would not bend all the way without pain. It was like something got caught in the patella. So I worried about it as I was trying to go to sleep. I woke up around 5, feeling really cold and wondering if it was caused by fasting, so not a good idea in the winter. I snuggled up with Chris. But then his alarm went off and he had to get up for work. I pulled the infrared heating pad into bed with me and turned it on. I did some tapping and think I went back to sleep. I heard the sleep app ring and I let it go, wondering just how loud it would get. After a minute, there was another sound added to the tune that was mildly annoying. Then the phone alarm rang. So I shut them both off and got up.
I brushed and swished, and sewed another corner on the orphan block top. I brought the other Singer sewing machine to my desk to see if it ran better than the old one. It seemed very tight. I adjusted the tension and cleaned it with a q-tip. I tried the bobbin winder with the needle bar detached. The old one would heat up at that point, but this one did not. As I pulled the power cord off of one to switch to the other, I thought I heard “Dave? What are you doing, Dave? Don't touch that power cord, Dave.”
I turned on the router and boiled water for tea and nuts. I turned on the laptop but it could not find the router signal. I had to reboot the router. Then I listened to episode 9 of Healing from Vaccines. They were talking about the benefits of home hyberbaric oxygen tents.
I ate some steak and sprouts. I marked two envelops “Not at this address” and put them in the mail. I jotted some things to remember to pack. Heifer was having a 'double your donation' day, so I made a contribution in Dad's honor for Christmas. Maintenance came by to change the filter on the furnace and check the water heater. He was in and out in less than 5 minutes.
I made more spice mix. I made breakfast and ate it while listening to an interview on stress. I got dressed and threw some projects into the sewing box. Then I rolled it to the car and put it in the trunk. When I started the car, it said 'Be careful, there could be ice.' So I checked the temp, it was 33. Brrr!
I drove to quilting and parked in the grass as usual. I rolled my cart inside and set up at the table. There were not many ladies there, although some had left at lunch, and I was a little later than usual. Maybe the cold kept them away. For my first project, I sewed strips to the outside of the top of squares. Leanne came in and sat beside me. She was finishing handsewing a label on her table runner. We talked and then participated in the group discussion. Pat gave me some new library books to label. I finished the green corners on the orphan block top. I also made binding from a piece of fabric in the closet.
We all packed up at 3 and closed the blinds and turned off the lights. Rolling out to my car, the box fell off the car and the machine and fabric and quilt tops went flying. Leanne helped me pick it all up and she gave me a bungee cord to prevent it from happening again.
They went home and I went to the Alison Wellness Clinic. I was early, but they had me fill out paperwork and they mixed the solution while I was in the bathroom. Then she showed me to the IV room. There were 4 chairs and I picked one where my left arm was on a side table. She put numbing spray on the crook of my left elbow, but it still hurt when she stuck me. She did not want me to hyperventilate, or tense up, or bite my finger. But I couldn't relax and she had to take it out. She chided me for tensing up. People who are not sensitive to needle pricks just don't understand. I was hoping to have my right arm free, but it was not to be. She tried the other arm and was successful. I put on my mp3 headphones and tried to relax. I did some mental tapping and visualization. One by one, three other people came in for the IV party. Two were having weight-loss solutions and the man was having chelation. Gee, we could have sung rounds of "100 bags of IV on the pole."
My drip went pretty quickly compared to the others. When the bag was empty, she ripped off the tape on my arm (ouch!) and pulled the needle out. That part was ok. I did not feel any different for having a pack of vitamins and minerals dripped into my veins. I went to the front desk to pay. I submitted a request for the testosterone cream that the doctor had recommended. They said he would write the prescription next week and it would go to the compounding pharmacy in Florence. I did not sign up for another IV.
I braved the chill and went home. Chris wasn't there. I got the house mail and checked e-mail. There was one from Chris saying he would be late. So I brought in my machine and sewing box myself. I was hoping he would do it since there was a bandage around my right arm. I went out back and picked some dandelion. I listened to a meditation with Deepak. Chris arrived just after it finished. He showed me a small hole in his pants so I had him leave them on my sewing table. I made and ate a salad. Then I punched holes in the remaining coconut. I poured the water out and drank it. Then I put the sphere in a bag and whacked it on the floor in the laundry room. When I scraped out the meat, it was purplish. But it tasted fine so I ate it. I took selfies to see if I looked any different with all the nutrition in my system. I still didn't feel anything.
I moved my laptop to the guest room. I asked Chris to move Grandma's sewing machine to the left so I could have more room to sit there. Soon my tapping buddy was on Skype. This week we tapped for my neighbor's losing their dog to cancer. We set a new time to tap next week since Thursday will not be convenient.
Then Chris and I watched two episodes of DS9. We went to bed to cuddle. I was too tired to get up to blog and do all the pre-sleep stuff, so Chris shut off the computer and the router and I slept through the night, mostly.
* Me and a Meyer's cocktail with extra vitamin C, which is dripping into my right arm. My left arm is bandaged from a failed attempt. If there is a next time, I will bring a REAL cocktail to help with the needle stick. *

It's gonna be a cold night in Huntsville

It was almost 8 when I got up. The phone alarm had not rung. I gargled, drank, and swished twice. I sewed a corner triangle onto the orphan block center. Then I turned on the router and checked e-mail briefly. I heated water and started listening to session 8. I drank more water and threw in coffee. I sucked on some bamboo salt, and took a dose of niacin. I drybrushed and then the flush hit, which was perfect. I did my exercises and rebounded. I played three of Deepaks meditations to catch up. I turned the heat off so I could hear them.
Afterward, I finished session 8 while cleaning the kitchen and washing dishes. Then I cleaned the bathrooms, using Powerizer on the toilet bowls and tub. The Powerizer did a great job. I watered the plants which were huddled together for warmth by the front door. It was cold last night, but the only one that looked distressed was the basil plant.
I took a shower and got dressed. It was still raining. I emptied the box of jujube juice and took the box with me. I drove through the rain to the Korean clinic, arriving a minute or two late.
They were happy to see me, and thought the mole scab looked good. Dr. Grace said she would burn off another one next time. Dr. Lee wanted to work on filling out insurance forms for patients. I called the company that files the forms to get more info. But after waiting 20 minutes for a live person, I found out that she doesn't know the diagnosis codes. She told me to Google them. I asked if she had a sample sheet and she told me to Google that too. So I hung up. Dr. Lee called a friend of his who sent him a sample sheet. It wasn't exactly like our form but it was helpful. I filled in a patient form to auto-fill half of the insurance form. I wrote down how I did it. I Googled how to print screen, but the result was too small to be readable. But in trying to change the size, a drop-down menu appeared with 'Print' on it. So we did, and it worked.
Then he showed me a credit card bill with an exorbitant interest charge. I checked it out, called the company, got it paid off and the interest waived. They were both very happy. She gave me a Korean red knotted hanging decoration. He gave me a box of jujube juice and a box of onion juice packets. She taped my back, which was not happy after scrubbing the tub.
I told them I was going to visit my father next week so I would not be coming to their clinic. I showed them his picture and Dr. Lee guessed scoliosis. Dr. Grace said if he came here, she would treat him for free. I said I would pass that on.
I ran out into the rain and got in my car and drove home. Chris was still gone, even though it was dark. I brought in the mail and reparked my car after moving the trash can which was in my spot. I checked my e-mail. Chris came home soon after. One piece of mail was for our next door neighbor. He took it over there. When he got back, he showed me his new ties that the tailor made. They were not quite solid colors, but close enough that it wasn't worth it to me to make any.
While he ate his supper, I looked at my blood test results and compared them with values in articles I found online. Then we watched two episodes of DS9. Afterward, Chris went to bed. I stayed up to blog and swish.