Just Hanging Around

Friday was my first Doc Talk associated with Memorial Hermann Hospital and Lone Star College.  The subject was diabetes.  I don’t have it but knowing what to look for and how to minimize your risk of getting it is good to know.  Nancy, Sally and I all enjoyed it.  You sure collect a lot of pens, notebooks, clips, snacks, etc. along the way!  

Saturday we were back on duty of bringing Communion to our neighbors after attending Mass.  We went to BJs for dinner where I indulged in a margarita flight.  Four small glasses of different flavors.  White peach was very good, the traditional was ok.  I didn’t care for the other two and Ted drank them, two small glasses would have been fine for me.  For all the restaurants in our township, we tend to go to the same ones all the time.  

This week has been rather slow.  Ted has had two doctor appts preparing for his yearly endoscopy to watch for his Barrett’s.  So far, so good.  Keeping my fingers crossed.  He had to get surgery clearance from our cardiologist who said she was envious of his numbers!  And one antacid and one eye drop a day for meds. 

I attended my second class in Estate Planning, Legacy and Probate.  I have learned some things and had some questions answered.  Next week we work on our Hurricane or When I Am Gone books  Things you should be able to grab when leaving for a hurricane or what needs to be all in one place for your executor.  I am really enjoying this series.  It is a good feeling to get this important stuff done and done correctly.  

I spent Friday going through my “mailbox” where I toss things that I need to tend to at some point in time.  I save these “jobs” for cleaning day so I have a place to go to stay out of the way.  I ordered my mahjong card since my group is playing in the valley.  Sent a donation to Boys Town for Christmas (already!), paid my lawn service through the end of the year, balanced my checking account and continue working on my Hurricane Book.  And of course the Medicare enrollment in October is causing lots of mail.  I saved only the changes booklet for our prescription D plans.  I will compare them (we have different companies) on Medicare.gov against the others to determine if we want to change or just continue on. They move your drugs from one tier to another and people take different drugs throughout the year.  It is wise to check if you take drugs beyond generics.  

My Astros played awful in Baltimore.  I had to quit watching.  I am a sunshine soldier kind of fan.  We are going to Minute Maid park next week for our birthdays.  I hope they play well and win!   

Our neighbors have Covid so we did not take communion to them.  We went to our neighborhood pizza place and sat outside because the restaurant is so cold, as was church!  It took forever and in the mean time there was a T bone accident at the intersection!  Traffic was backed up even when we finished our slow coming pizza.  It was finally rerouted and we were able to go right to go left and made our way home.

Our next door neighbor took off to south Texas to attend to her father through medical tests. We have been tending to mail, packages and trash cans in her absence.  She is coming home today and making plans to bring him to MD Anderson for treatment.

My cancer prayer list stands at a half dozen or so including myself.  Ted left for his prayer meeting this morning so I gave him my list to share with his group.

Books  

Officially NEGATIVE!

No dreaded pink line to the right!  I have felt fine since 10 days ago but have stayed put except for my dr appts and I wore a mask.  It was so nice to have lunch with my neighbors after the first successful negative test.  This was my second.  Ted has still not been infected.

I would have cancelled Canasta here on Monday if I wasn’t negative but it will be several days since negative, filters were changed, house cleaned and I bought all individually wrapped treats so no diving into a bowl by many.  I will put hand sanitizer on each table.  I hope it is enough.  

The cleaning crew came Friday, Ted went to the Houston Chronicle and I kept out of people’s way!  We went to the grocery when Ted came in and the ladies left.  So nice to have the house cleaned, laundry done, yard done (they also come on Friday) and groceries in!

I got my table pads, baskets and Lenox out for all my individually wrapped snacks.  I was going to be ready for Monday!  We went to church at 5:00, took Communion to Dick and Jeanette and then out to get a bite to eat.  Sunday was football! I like MLB much better than NFL but I pick my battles wisely.  We watched Britbox most of Sunday evening.

Canasta went great on Monday.  No Nervous Nelly’s and they all said buying individually wrapped snacks was not necessary.  I won my $1 back because I came in last!  We play partners and switch after each game.  I never left my seat because my partner and I never won.  We switch partners so as everyone jockeyed for their new seat and partner, there I sat!  We had a grilled cheese for dinner and watched the Astros play Detroit.  It was one of those games we can’t lose but I am way more partial to Houston than Detroit.  

Back to playing cards at a restaurant on Tuesday.  I was winning until the very end when immediate knocks caught me with nothing in my hand.  So that $1 did not come home.  I picked up Ted and we went to the cardiologist.  My ultrasound has shown no changes since last year.  We discussed my LDL and how the cancer pill seems to be raising it when comparing April labs to September labs.  So she raised my mg. to 20 from 10.  I took 20 mg until 4 years ago when I had lost my weight.  But she said she would rather err on the side of caution.  She was delighted we had been out in the motorhome most of the summer and very pleased we navigated Disney in the heat plus all the walking.  Next appt is 9/2023!  

A Senior Expo was held here in our township.  I love the one in McAllen TX in January.  But that one is about 6-8 times larger with an array of vendors.  This one was 95% Medicare, home health, senior housing, funerals, etc.  way too much of the same things.  I looked forward to H‑E‑B coupon books, info on senior activities at the community center, volunteer opportunities at our pavilion, travel opportunities, Newcomers, etc.  The people that come to these have probably had their medical insurance in place a decade ago or more.  They want to DO something, not wring their hands about medical insurance only.  End of complaint.  Nancy, Judie and I had lunch then split up to head home.  

Today was my first Community College classes.  First up was Estate Planning.  We thought we had things in order but I had questions to insure we had actually legally done what we thought we had.  The lawyer looked over our trust and said we need a successor trustee named.  They are mentioned but one has not been identified!  Also, ours is so old the children had guardians named and we had beneficiaries beyond just our three girls.  I think we need to make an appointment to get things sorted out. 

My second class was frustrating.  It was to teach us all about using the college computer system!  It was worse than the Disney app!  The teacher was not well versed on using Zoom for those attending on line.  She talked in circles, covering some things more than once, then giving short shrift to things like how to set up your .edu e-mail!  I finally got it set up once I came home.  Took me some time though because her directions were not real clear.  AND … half way through we had a fire drill!

Here is my sister Karen in Assisted Memory Care being serenaded by Elvis.  She knew who he was!

At Last!

This staying in for whatever number of days the CDC is recommending right now, is a pain.  Some are counted from exposure, others from symptoms, others from first positive test.  I was exposed I think on 8/23, I developed symptoms (tiredness first, then sore throat) on 8/28, tested positive 8/29.  I took meds I have from a Dr when this first started.  By 8/31 my symptoms were gone.  However, I stayed in until we took a ride on 9/4 and I went to the dr on 9/6.  My last test had such a faint line that I had to hold it this way and that to see anything so I have proclaimed myself negative.  

In all of this, Ted was traveling in the car with me for two solid days, stayed in motels and ate at restaurants with me, slept in bed with me, has done our shopping, gone shooting and still has not caught it.    I think the CDC should take a look at his blood or something.  

So my life begins again!  There was a mixup at the cardiologist about my scheduled echo so I have to go again today to have it done.  Tomorrow is our neighborhood birthday lunch and Friday the house will be cleaned by the crew for the first time since the end of May.  Of course it has had no one staying, just Nancy in and out, so it isn’t as bad as it sounds.  We changed the air filters too.  I don’t know what else to do but cross my fingers!  

Here is Bidkar, Ally and CeCe on Dumbo.  Despite our shortened stay, the kids put a lot of hours and miles into the parks.  

These are Tim and Cindy’s 8 grandchildren, my sister Karen’s great grandchildren (she has about 8 more) who live at Elk Lake in Kentucky now that they have retired.  The kids have such great weekends and holidays with their grandma and grandpa each summer.  We always enjoy our time with this crew.

Never Ending Covid

I think the game has ended with a score of 10-3.  The only people that did not get Covid were Ted, Kelly and Sam.  We had the whole spectrum of shots, boosters, and blanks so there was no rhyme or reason why some didn’t get it, got it mildly, got it severely.  

I was extremely tired on Saturday.  Started feeling bad plus tired on Sunday, took a test on Monday because I had a rip roaring sore throat.  By Tuesday I thought my throat was going to close up.  I got my ivermectin tablets out and over the next 36 hours I took six 6mg tablets and twelve 500 mg amoxicillin pills.  The throat relief occurred within an hour.  It was amazing.  I have had no symptoms since Wednesday but am still testing positive.  I am told the positive designation could last for some weeks!  Not sure about my being contagious.  I will need to research that subject.  

Pat and Bidkar were able to fly home Wednesday morning.  CeCe was up and running by mid week.  Bill, Kara and Kristin were still fighting the good fight.  Morgan started her first day of college.  Kelly, Sam and Ted haven’t missed a beat.

It was a very boring week.  I kept things picked up, dishes done, bed made, bills paid and napped some and watched TV.  I have taken several tests and they remain positive though the Saturday one was very, very faint!  I am not going to church, too close of quarters and unfair to those in close proximity.  I have a doctor appt on Tuesday and I will wear my mask but hope if they ask I can truthfully say I have tested negative.

Pat, Cassie and Kristin all have tested negative.  Kara and Bill, the most vaccinated of the whole group, seem to have it worse.  We should be a comparison study for the CDC.  Kelly and Sam had it earlier in the year and that leaves Ted as Last Man Standing.  How contagious can I be since he has been in the apt. at Disney, motel rooms and home with me the last couple weeks.  

Just going to share some Life Goes On photos since I have nothing to write about. 

Ted and I sponsored a golf hole at a Knights of Columbus tournament run by nephew Brian.  It was in honor of George Wingert, a friend’s husband, big in K of C in Michigan, who passed away recently.  

Ted enjoying his Mickey ice cream!

Great great nephew Graham who caught a 13.5# catfish at Elk Lake using his great grandpa’s rod.  GGPa went to heaven last Halloween.  

CeCe in her Minnie dress at Chef’s Mickey in the Contemporary Hotel.

Fireworks from the area outside the Grand Floridian around the lake with Cinderella’s Castle in the background.  

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