Out, Out dang spot

Monday

I woke up twice in the night and needed to pee. Chris put a garbage bag and towel under me and then took it away to wash. Around 7 I had to go again, but it was also time to get up. I tried to get up on my own but I got a spasm for my effort. So I put on an Attends just in case, and he slid me out of bed and stood me up. As always, I was amazed how easy and painless the process was with the back board.

I bundled up and went for a long walk, probably most of an hour. I thought about how I could use the backboard on my own. I visited the greenhouse to see what shape it was in, then walked behind the housing area. I noticed a lot of tumbleweeds and Chris said his team picked up 19 tons of them in the last two weeks. Boggles the imagination.

I sat down with the chillow to check e-mail. But my back spasmed. It seems when I relax, that's when the spasms get triggered. I wrote a check to the church, then walked down to the post office to mail it.

I spent some time searching the house for my folding cardboard mat which is gridded. But it was nowhere to be found. I looked for the reacher, but did not find that either. Housing called to say the inspectors noticed tumbleweeds in the house I plan to turn over this afternoon. So I called Jamie to tell her so she could evict them.

I looked up my meds to see which ones were anti-inflammatories. They are labeled 'for pain' but I am not in pain except during a spasm. I made breakfast early so I could take one. I dropped a lid from a supplement bottle and Chris came home to pick it up for me.

I ate breakfast perched on the edge of my chair. I got a call from a company that needs a room cleaned regularly. Kristen had given them my name. I said that was fine and it sounded like they would get back to me later.

I drove to the 2nd street house, arriving at 11. I thought Jamie would be there but she came later. I started cleaning in the kitchen, trying out combinations of coconut oil and baking soda, WD-40 and dryer sheet, an iron with a wet cloth over it. Nothing took the orange grease spots off of the wall. But the iron and wet cloth took some paint off. Jamie brought her steamer and we used it on the range hood. It did make most of it come off easier. It did not work on the wall behind the stove. We started to get in each others way, so I turned my attention to the kitchen blinds, which were grimy on both sides. When she was done, she pushed the stove back in place. She took down blinds and soaked them in the tub. I started washing walls and windows and doors at the height I could reach without climbing a ladder or stooping.

At three we went to the Valdez house for inspection. Jamie had cleaned it herself. It was beautiful and it passed easily. Then we went back to cleaning. She left about 4. I stayed until almost 5:30, then drove to the gym.

I went up to the walking track and perched on the edge of a chair. I got up several times and sat back down. When it looked like no one was coming, I started walking the track. Then Diane joined me and we walked around several times, wondering where Jenni was. Then we discovered her walking 10 yards behind. We stopped for her to catch up, then proceeded to walk and talk. Finally Diane had to leave, so we all walked downstairs and outside. We talked about when to meet again, for some yoga and then went home.

I drove home without incident. I ate some fish eggs and seed crackers and took a Naproxen, same as with breakfast. I heated some potato and bean soup in the toaster oven. I read e-mail for a while, then made tea. We watched two episodes of Person of Interest. Then I got dressed for bed, brushed my teeth, and read my telegram feed before posting to my blog.