August 6-25: Doing sh*t, need to write about it

So long without logging in! I have been faithfully logging my temp. Trying to catch up.

 August 6 Thursday

97.4 F 

Mom went for iron infusion at Karmanos. My sister is watching my mom's dog. She has decided she can handle this for a while.

August 7 Friday

97.4 F

Attended Zoom Shabbat led by the rabbi. We don't hang out after the service- maybe we should.

Meanwhile, having done most of the Marvel Universe on Disney+ we are doing Marvel on Netflix. 

Also, I'm reading Just Mercy. I'm in reading circles at Byzantine U, but not checking in much.

August 8 Saturday

97.7 F

I managed my course-copy for both of the University courses I will teach- online- in the fall.

August 9 Sunday

97.7 F

Mom had a scary episode with low, low blood pressure. We had her keep drinking fluids, rest. Allowed some salty snacks.

August 10 Monday

97.4 F

Had a weird dream where, I was sampling- we were all sampling- food from a stew pot- but we had each (household?) dumped in our food in different spots. Some was burnt. I felt like I was sneaking to sample from different places in the stew pot.

Later (real life):

Mom had HIGH blood pressure! Her physical therapist came. We agreed to monitor blood pressure- if Sys >150 or Dias >90 for two readings, we will reintroduce the Carvedilol (low dose).

Checked in with my dad. He had a cyst in his ear, with wax build up. He was told to go in for X ray- but apparently they MEANT C-T scan, so-- he has to schedule an appointment. 

Made banana bread.

August 11 Tuesday

97.9 F

Gave Mom a sitting bath. Made tuna noodle yummy oodle. 

Pest control came out and sprayed perimeter outdoors.

I did a Kroger pick up order, which surprisingly Ken and I were able to pick up that night. However, more than half the items were missing/ out of stock. Of course, I had said NO SUBSTITUTIONS because I'd ordered kosher hot dogs (which were of course out of stock).

August 12 Wednesday

97.7 F

I had crazy dreams, but all I remember is... I had crazy dreams.

We continued our Zoom sessions with granddaughter E: topic- bugs with thumbprint bugs in a jar (drawing). We had stamp pads for our thumbs, then  pressed on the paper and added details for our bugs. Fun!

Mom's appointment with Dr. P her oncologist was okay, but I wasn't allowed in. It was a thing. Mom wanted me in; I told her I didn't think they would let me. I brought her up, and dropped her off, and went to her house to clean out her fridge. She started texting me to come, she was ready to see the doctor. I did come back in. Long story somewhat shortened, the office manager, when I came up, told me no visitors, and that I had to leave the building. Dr. P did call me- and we talked over the questions (he agreed with the monitor blood pressure- if Sys >150 or Dias >90 for two readings, we will reintroduce the Carvedilol).  

 

Aug 13 Thurs

97.4 F

I cleaned Mom's shower chair (that I had picked up on Wednesday from her basement) and caught up some of her laundry. 

Worked on Wayne State. 

 Mom treated for take out dinner from Red Devil. Lots of road construction- Ken's 5 minute commute home was over 1/2 an hour.

Aug 14 Fri 

97.9 F

I had a dream that there was some kind of large worship service, sort of like one of our wealthier relative's kid's b'nai mitzah.  There was a small child with a part in the service and I ended up helping the little girl by standing at the podium with her while she whispered in my ear and I repeated her words into the microphone. There was video, and it captured me in close up, especially my chin and lips speaking, and my tilted head listening. I knew I was helping. Later I sang- I think just with the congregation- and  it was noted as beautiful. I remember we urgently had to get out of there, and there was someone who had aspects of LL (whom I don't like ) and aspects of KL and CG (whom I do like). In the dream she was glowing with praise of my singing and speaking and she clearly knew me. In the dream, I knew I should know her, or had known her, but I couldn't place her. 

On this Friday, we had Mom's appointment with her primary care doc, Dr. T, who agreed with the monitor blood pressure- if Sys >150 or Dias >90 for two readings, we will reintroduce the Carvedilol. He also felt it was fine to discontinue two other meds. Less is more. He shared his dad is not doing well with his cancer prognosis/ treatment, during Covid-19. Genuine connect on sympathy. 

Had hoped to pick up Mom's new walker- but the med supply place declined because we didn't have a doctor signed Rx. Great. 

Went to Diane's so Mom could visit her dog; visited with Diane while Mom napped! Then drove home to work on stuff - Diane delivered Mom home right about the time we were starting to participate in services! 

Got call from Dad- Covid-19 scare as bro's wife  JGLH's grandkids' babysitter had tested positive, and JGLH had seen the grandkids before visiting with Dad and Doris- bro CEH and JGLH shuttled Dad and his wife Do to their outside gazebo, disinfected their house, and left to go back home, with distanced waves. So Dad said.

Participated in service via Zoom, led by our friend Sharon- her first time leading! I sang kiddush and motzi.

 

Aug 15 Saturday

97.7 F

  Put E's next packet in the mail. 

Had yoga on Saturday instead of Thursday, with son A and JJ on Zoom. Ken had a board meeting (Zoom) on Thursday, so we couldn't do it then. 

I was cranky with Ken (because I couldn't be cranky with my mom).

Aug 16 Sunday

98.0 F

A gray and grumbly day. Still couldn't do yard work, because lawn mower still in the shop. 

Got lots done on WSU stuff.

Aug 17 Monday

97.7 F

Wrote the Monday ladies' email (since this is the week we don't Zoom, just email). Continued to work on WSU. Anxiety spike; self-talk down.

Aug 18 Tuesday

97.7 F

The nurses at Karmanos straightened out the med supply people, so I was able to pick up Mom's new walker. Picked up Mom's mail as well. Her income tax refund finally arrived! 

In my morning pages (I'm writing 3 pages every morning) I noted again that I am afraid of my neighbors being white supremacists. 

Aug 19 Wednesday

97.7 F

It was cool this morning; I bundled up for coffee on the deck. 

Our Zoom session with E was fun with learning about spiders! We read Mighty Spiders by Fay Robinson, and talked about the parts of spiders and spiders in general, and then we showed her how to make spiders to eat - out of Ritz crackers, pretzel sticks, and peanut butter. We still had time, so we read Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina. Great fun.

Had late night snack of crackers and cheese. Too many calories, too late at night. Oh well. 

Aug 20 Thursday

97.9 F 

 I checked- Mom's auto pay of health insurance is working!

Mom and I scheduled a trip to her house and shopping and banking and lunch- all out of the house so the cleaners could clean. Because Princess kept jostling my elbow, my Kroger order never registered so when we went to pick it up, I wasn't in the system! Plus SO MANY road closures and detours, poorly marked - AND the cleaners were still there when we drove by-- so we consoled ourselves with drive through ice cream, and then went home to a clean house- although they had broken one of my photo frames. No biggie- not an heirloom or anything. 

We did our Zoom yoga with Adam and Jenna. Mom also visited with them for a bit.

Aug 21 Friday

97.4 F

I rescheduled the Kroger order for SEVEN A.M. so I got up early and got on the day. Did it. Got it done. 

Mom's PT Raj came today; I was starting challah for the Shabbat supper. He was quite interested. He commented his wife makes bread, but with just flour and water-- naan, I'm guessing. 

I made some of Ken's favorites for supper: kosher hot dogs, tater tots, spinach, corn- and challah.

We attended Zoom Shabbat, led  by Paul F, his first time leading also.

Aug 22 Saturday

97.5 F

Used up leftover pasta, rice, veggies from the fridge into a couple of different casserole-ish dishes. 

A very long day for Ken- we had tried to get Gus' car started, couldn't, called AAA for jump, it started,  but stalled out on the 5 minute drive to the repair shop- EXTREMELY LONG SAD STORY, in a very hot day- Ken called AAA at 9:00 am, didn't finally get home after seeing the car towed to the repair shop (not even 10 minutes from our house) until almost 7:00 PM.

YIKES.

First world problems, ytppl problems, amiright?

Aug 23 Sunday

97.7

I think this is when I played Roblox with the grandkids a bit. I was terrible at it. I will learn.

Aug 24 Monday

97.4 F

This day swiftly derailed. 

Mom and Diane had decided Diane would pick Mom up, bring her to Diane's for a visit with Diane, and also with Mom's dog. I was going to work on Wayne State stuff, have my 1:00 pm Zoom call with classy ladies- Marcey, Beth, Leah, Meg, Christine, Kathleen, (Kim and Claire, but they are usually not available). 

Well.

As Diane is on her way to pick up Mom, I check to confirm  that the pick up today of computer headsets is just for faculty that ordered them- then learn that NO, the U has ordered them for all faculty- including me. So my window is from 1:00-4:00 in Detroit. 

Ah.

So, arrange with Diane that I will leave door unlocked, in case I am not home by the time she drops Mom back home. I plan to do my phone call, then leave about 2:00, get to Detroit by 3:00, pick up headset, get home.

I also have a check to cash (can do that on the way), and the van is stocked with all our recycling (I can recycle at township offices on my way home).

Okay, a plan.

Then I get an email from the U that Zoom is down for many in the Eastern USA. I email the classy ladies; don't hear back except from BI, respond to all that I will try at 1:00, if nothing by 1:10, I will sign off we will figure it out.

At 1:00, MW is there (she hasn't seen the email) we chat, no one else shows up, we sign off, I leave. 

(PS this is day one of Ken's audit, his major- and stressful- event of the fiscal year, in a challenging fiscal year. So he has sh*t happening too).

I stop at bank, no problem. It's very hot; I stop at Tim Horton's and pick up an iced tea and drive to Detroit.

The directions to a specific parking lot- GPS leaves me at an intersection. I drive around for 40 minutes- lots of road closures, detours, no signage.

It's also hot.

Finally pull over, find campus map kiosk, visualize where the parking lot is (it's BEHIND ANOTHER PARKING LOT, and it's on a service drive that goes BOTH WAYS FOR JUST THAT BLOCK). 

I get into the lot, to pick up my headset, with 10 minutes to spare. Great. 

It's just in time for drive time home.

Great.

And it's hot.

Also, the AC is not working well AT ALL in the van.

Make it to the recycling center, off load recycling in the heat.

Ken is in contact via text. He is also held over with audit. 

We both make it home at about the same time. We commiserate over vodka and sparkling water.

Diane arrives with Mom. We share a drink and a meal.

Things are a bit better.

But it was a long, LONG, hot, HOT day.

Aug 25 Tuesday

97.8 F

Took Mom to an appointment with her cardiologist. He agrees with the other docs about the BP, Carvedilol. He seems okay with her heart status. 

We return home. Mom's PT arrives a couple hours later. He encourages her to keep working- build that strength.

Ken and I have our Tuesday scheduled video call with son JE, his wife JP, our grandkids JD and L. It's a good call. 

Then Ken and I drive out to the auto repair shop, to swap the van (work on the AC! and oil change) for the car parked there. Gus's car is fixed. New battery.

It's just bullet points, mostly- but I'm caught up!

Backlog Blog

I got knocked for a loop a few times this year. I've not been keeping up with the blog.

You may have noticed. One post in January. Now this one in December. HOWEVER....

Channukah starts in just one week! I will be returning with my annual "what I'm NOT buying you for Channukah" list in honor of my son-in-law. You can read last year's list starting here. Or go back another year to this one.

Yes, the list is back.

And yes, my Dear Daughter and her Significant Other got married!

On the eighth night of Channukah, I did not buy for you...

Channukah's over. There's just one gift left that I didn't buy for you.

This is a Pocket Hose.

It's the hose that grows.

It's so easy...

Just turn on and watch it grow.

Easy to handle.

Is that a hose in your pocket, or...

Why didn't I buy this?

That's the beauty of the Pocket Hose. You don't have to buy it to make the jokes.

You just have to know that it exists.

(Buying it would be too kinky. Never good for a hose.)

On the seventh night of Channukah I did not buy for you...

On the seventh night of Channukah, I did not buy for you...

 

This is a RetroPhone.

 

 

This Retro Phone is an attachment for your cell phone. It resembles the handsets of phones of my youth. You attach it to your cell phone.

 

 

That's right, you attach the old-fashioned hand set to your cell phone-- you know, the cell phone that you keep wanting to get slimmer and more light weight.

 

 

You can get even more retro than the above. Try this:

 



This is a Victorian-styled Retro Phone handset. You attach it to your cell phone. This one is especially designed for those who love steam-punk-style. As noted on the website selling this one:

"Victorian themed handset for fans of history or steampunk fashion

Take phone calls while staying in character

Materials: Plastic, finished to look like antiqued brass & wood"

See, it's plastic, but finished to look like real antique brass and wood!

Now, the one promo point that I have read on this item that makes some kind of sense to me is "reduces harmful radiation from cell phones."

Okay. I could get behind that.

Although, one could just learn to use the dang ear bud and microphone that came with the cell phone.

Or-- really radical thought-- reduce time on the cell phone and maximize face-to-face time.

(I know, I know, I'm a phone phobic. So that would be my advice!)

On the sixth night of Channukah, I did not buy for you...

On Monday night, I was busy not-buying your Channukah present! Guess what I didn't buy for you on the sixth night?

I did not buy you a Flash Light Friend.

True, it is the Festival of Lights.

True, we all could use a friend.

True, this is HUGGABLE! and LOVEABLE!

And a flashlight.

However...

 

Read the fine print: It shuts off after 20 minutes and never gets hot.

 

 

All that cuddling, and then it shuts off before it gets hot?

 

Besides, the friends you have already are quite enlightening. Or enlightened. Or both.

On the fifth night of Channukah, I did not buy for you...

I'm still behind, *butt* not as far behind as(s) I was in the last post...

Okay, enough with the scatological references.  On the fifth night of Channukah, I did not buy for you:

YES! This is a Twinkies Maker! With this you can make your own fresh, hot, cream stuffed twinkies!

 

(insert inappropriate joke here)

 

WHY wouldn't I buy you such a device?

 

 Comes with its own oven.

 

This is why: Twinkies are the one edible item with a shelf life of like, a gazillion years. The POINT is not FRESHNESS! The point is SHELF LIFE! This machine is not a Twinkie-maker, it is the Anti-Twinkie!

 

At least, that is my story and I am sticking to it.

 

On the first/second/third/fourth night of Channukah, I did not buy for you...

Channukah came quite early this year on the standard calendar. So of course I am behind on my not-buying gifts this year. (As you may recall, last year I blogged on all eight nights of what I was not-buying for my Dear Daughter's Significant Other).

So, here is a mighty mega-post with ALL FOUR OF THE NIGHTS SO FAR in one post.

DDSO: I don't know why, but many of the items I am refusing to buy for you are scatological in nature. For instance:

These are fart-filtering underwear. I kid you not. I did not buy this for you for a few reasons.
1. These are called Shreddies. How could I buy you something called Shreddies?
2. These are imported fart-filtering underwear. I am trying to buy American.
3. Apparently these have been fart-tested butt the reviewers say nothing about the sound-baffling abilities of the undergarment. Insufficient, I say.


On the second night of Channukah, I did not buy for you:

This multi-pack provides woods-ready TP with Deer Flask / Shot glass. I did not buy these for you for following reasons:
1. The TP looks suspiciously like bark, especially the green-brown roll.
2. I don't like the voyeuristic buck watching the wipe in action.
3. Deer flask? Really, I don't think we should be enabling alcoholic deer.
4. It says there is a "Handy Loading Funnel Included". It doesn't specify loading what. Loading your rifle? Getting the deer loaded (not to be encouraged- see #3 above)? A funnel for your "load," pre or post wipe? One shudders to think.

On the third night of Channukah, I did not buy for you:

This is Poo-Pourri. It is a real product with several funny videos marketing it. Why didn't I buy it for you? Too hard to choose between fragrances: Sh*ttin' Pretty? - apparently too feminine. Could have gone for manly scents like Royal Flush or Trap-a-Crap...

On the fourth night of Channukah, I did not buy for you:

This is a Squatty-potty. Apparently, this is the solution to all our poop problems. This footrest can prevent appendicitis, diverticulitis, and who-knows-what-all!

Why didn't I buy this for you? I'm not sure.

But, I hope this one post will get rid of all the sh*tty gift ideas.



Time is gobbled up

I have about two weeks to: * clean my house from top to bottom * shop and prep for Thanksgiving * complete the fantasy novel I am writing Panic much? My house is in disarray in part because I have been directing a play during all of October. The rehearsals (and the show itself) took place an hour or more from my home - depending on traffic. Then I was working most days with my Adventures in Substitute Teaching. Luckily, just got a message from my sister that my nephews are looking to earn some money. Looks like I have a cleaning crew- now I need to schedule them!

D-Town

MY TOWN:

Motor City Named Nation's Most Dangerous

The Grande Mariner cruises on the Detroit River next to the city's skyline i...

By DAVID N. GOODMAN, AP

DETROIT —

In another blow to the Motor City's tarnished image, Detroit pushed past St. Louis to become the nation's most dangerous city, according to a private research group's controversial analysis, released Sunday, of annual FBI crime statistics.

The study drew harsh criticism even before it came out. The American Society of Criminology launched a pre-emptive strike Friday, issuing a statement attacking it as "an irresponsible misuse" of crime data.

The 14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan America" was published by CQ Press, a unit of Congressional Quarterly Inc. It is based on the FBI's Sept. 24 crime statistics report.

The report looked at 378 cities with at least 75,000 people based on per-capita rates for homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and auto theft. Each crime category was considered separately and weighted based on its seriousness, CQ Press said.

Last year's crime leader, St. Louis, fell to No. 2. Another Michigan city, Flint, ranked third, followed by Oakland Calif.; Camden, N.J.; Birmingham, Ala.; North Charleston, S.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; Richmond, Calif.; and Cleveland.

___________________________________

I ended the quote here to let you know that my OTHER town, Flint, is number THREE!

I will be in Detroit today, and I was in Flint yesterday. Such is my life.