September
30
Well,
there. We've ,made it through September, and it wasn't too bad at all.
i
didn't get to bed early so I didn't get up early, but I managed to get out in
an hour and 45 minutes, more or less, which surprised me. So I can move when I
have to.
Of
course, that was 2;30, so I got to Pat's in the middle of all the people
trying to get dinner for tonight. I forgot a few things, but I got most of
what I wanted - a whole lot of money, but I will eat for a while. I will ave
tp get a Scjwan's order. too. but a smaller one than I'd planned..
I
hurt all over when i left Calumet, and after I moved everything onto the
platform, I hurt even more. My legs are killing me right now.
The
drive wasn't too bad, although I did end up behind some obvious tourists who
were ambling down he road looking at the color and one guy in Mohawk who was
going to the bar (I could tell long before he turned in). I only saw one group
of Asians and they were safely off the road.
The
color is remarkably late this year. I would put it at only about 40% turned.
It's going to be a very red year and some of the trees were beautiful. The
birches and aspens haven't started turning at all, and some of the trees that
had looked like they had just turned brown and shriveled up.
It
surprises me. because many years everything is down by now. Maybe the trees
were confused because it's been such a cool summer and they can't tell
the dirfference between summer and fall.
The
weather was pretty nice. It was just about clear all day with almost no wind.
The high temperature here was 68º and the humidity wasn't too bad. I hink it
was probably warmer in Calumet. bit mpt a ;pt/
Grayson
didn't see me leave and he didn't welcome me home, but he came around later
and squeaked at me. When I opened the door to get the cold stuff in,,he ran
out, but when I was ready to shut the door, I said so and he came running in.
I don't know what he wants to do out there. Everything is the same and we
threw away the extremely old kibble a long time ago.
Pat's
has removed its deli counter. They still have a lot of stuff, and a bigger
selection of ready-to=eat dishes, but no counter. I think it's because they
have not been able to get people to man the counter. There are people around
here who need jobs, but they're being very picky.
So
that's all there is and I need to put my old bod to bed. It's a cold, dark
night in the field.
September
29
So
I didn't go. I got to bed relatively early last night and I slept well, with a
number of wakeups, and i didn't get up until around 11 AM. But then I
discovered that i hurt all over and I did not feel good, so I diddled around,
cooked for breakfast and did some of my surfing, although I didn't read any of
the newsletters. And by that time it was 3 PM and I hurt even worse, even
though I took some Tylenol before breakfast. It was nearly 3:30 when I went to
the powder room and I hadn't filled my pockets yet. So I abandoned my plans.
There
were still a couple of things in the freezer to eat and I made rice, so I had
something to eat. I'm sorry about not going, but there was no question that I
would have had a terrible time walking around Pat's, not to mention having to
haul everything out of the car when I fibally got home. I hope it's better
tomorrow.
The
weather was nice. It was mostly clear all day and there was almost no wind.
The high temperature was 63º. All the sunshine warmed it up in here to 79º
in the office. I have on a sweatshirt and I was a bit warm late in the
afternoon.
Grayson
got his lap sit and his tummy rub. When I got up to get my dinner, he was
under the desk. I suppose with all the equipment under there, it was a
bit warmer.
So
that was my dan and now it's a clear (I think) cool night in the field.
September
28
Well,
I wasn't so late last night - or I don't think I was; I don't remember - and I
got up late, but I'm so tired now that I need to go to bed again.
The
task of the day was to get my hair washed, and I did, although I diddled
around a lot before I took it. I was right to be hesitant - my left knee was
(is?) sore enough I had a hard time walking on it. Now, if I can just do it
all over again on Saturday and next Wednesday...
I
have money again so I immediately paid a couple of bills and I have another
one to go. Then I can buy food and wait until the end of the week. Oh, and If
I can remember, I will deposit my Benjamin tomorrow when I go down to
Calumet.
The
next task was to get the bulletin out and I did that, I hope without errors.
It was an easy one, but there was a lot of stuff from last Sunday to take out.
Well, Sue will let me know.
The
gale is over, finally. The clouds went east around 11:30 AM and the afternoon
was clear or mostly clear and blue. The wind has died down to under 10 mph.
The high temperature was 51º. It's quiet around here again. There is going to
be frost in the interior tonight and tomorrow night, but I guess it's
time.
Grayson
mostly slept, of course, but he shouted at me until he got his dinner.
My
dinner was pretty weird, but hopefully by tomorrow I will have some food in
the house. THat's going to be a huge bill, though, because I'm out of just
about everything.
So
that was my day and I have a headache which I suppose is from fatigue, so I
must go and put it on my little pillow soon.
It's
a clear, cold night in the field.
September
27
I'm
not sure if it was the coffee or my perverse nature or that I was having a
hard time standing out, but I inverted. So I was late getting up, didn't get
enough sleep and didn't do anything. I will have to try again and see what
happens.
Our
gale is winding down very slowly. There was a bit of rain between 3 and 8 AM,
and the wind is still strong, although it has shifted to the northeast,
Earlier today we had 39 mph gusts, but they're down to 29 mph now, with
sustained winds of 20 mph. The lake is still singing but not quite as loudly
as yesterday. It was dull and gray all day, but around 7 PM the clouds started
to break up a bit and there were a few rays of sunshine as the sun set. The
temperature was steady at 48º. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warmer,
but not warm enough to open the windows. I closed the window in the closet
last night and nearly froze myself when I went in to do it - the wind chill
was about 38º and I was bare below the waist. Brr!
Nothing
much to report on Grayson. He slept, and he got on my lap once and stayed
until I had to pee. Even though I wasn't that late, I got shouted at when I
started fixing his dinner. I don't know why he was so much hungrier today.
Sp
that's all there was and it's a cold, windy night in the field.
September
26
I
wasn't too late last night, but I didn't sleep very well. I was having trouble
regulating my temperature and every time I had to pee, I had a hot flash. I
don't know what brings that on. Fortunately, it doesn't happen very often.
I
diddled around, but I finally got the breakfast I've been thinking about -
poached eggs and coffee. That fancy Starbucks coffee I got is extremely
bitter, but it was still good to have some. Since they changed their mind
about coffee, i've wanted to go back to drinking it, but the grounds are much
more of a problem than a couple of teabags (I can't put them down the
disposal), and I don't want to drink it too late in the day. We'll see how I
sleep tonight. I like coffee and I've missed drinking it. Anyway, it was good.
I
also washed some pots and pans and put some others to soak. It was hard,
because this weather has done a number on my knees, particularly the left one,
but I managed. Moving around gets it feeling all right, but if I stand for
more than a minute or two, I can hardly step on it. I can't cook while
standing still.
The
weather - ah, the weather. We are having our equinoctial gale. It's dying down
now, but last night was very hairy.. Sustained winds overnight weren't more
than 28 mph, but the gusts got up to 41 mph between 4 and 5 AM. The
temperature today was steady at about 52º and of course it's extremely humid.
It rained lightly overnight, but it stopped about 8 AM and there was just a
little drizzle in the mid afternoon. Not my favorite kind of weather.
It's down to 68º in the office, and if it doesn't warm up some, I'll have to
get out the space heater. That's not too low a temperature if you're doing something,
but if you're sitting at the computer, reading, it's too cold. I hate cold
hands and a cold nose and I've had both all afternoon, despite my coffee and
some herbal tea for dinner.
Grayson
came and sat on me twice and he wanted my dinner, but the herbs I use are
things he can't have. He indicated his displeasure by walking in front of me
and jumping down on my right.
So
that was my day and now it's a cold, humid, windy night in the field.
September
25
Late
- late again, so it was a nothing day. i did make my pork chops, but I had to
do that, because they were defrosted and i couldn't freeze them again. I had
pork chops with Spanish rice, the first time I've done that in a long time. I
had to use dehydrated onions and green peppers, which made it not look so
nice, but it tastes fine and I have another meal. I have more chicken, too, so
that puts me at Wednesday and I 'll just have to rustle around and see what I
can find. The plan is to shop on Thursday. Tonight I was able to have a salad
and a drink, but I'm out of lettuce and I don't have much JD left, so it was
an nice Sunday dinner. I hope this doesn't happen again soon.
The
weather was lousy. It was dull and gray and there was about 3 hours of rain in
the afternoon, about 0.23"". There wasn't any wind for most of the
day, but it's beginning to pick up now, from the north The high temperature
was 59º, briefly.
Grayson
was getting impatient with me by the time he got his dinner. I think he knows
he gets his very favorite variety on Sunday. at least he makes more of a fuss
on Sundays. I haven't been in the kitchen, but I imagine he's eaten it all by
now and when I go out there, he will ask for more. I think I could swtich him
over to all canned food, but with my crazy schedule it would be difficult. if
I ever get back on a human schedule, I may try it. Canned food is better for
cats than kibble.
so
that's the end of a very quiet day. When I came into the office, I saw lights
next door - apparently I have neighbors. I wish I could be friendlier with
those people; I knew their parents and they were very nice - but I can't mush
through the weeds to their place and they've never come here. I am very
introverted and shy, of course, but one reason I see so few people is that
nobody comes to see me either. Sorry - I'm not pulling the "aged
mother" thingie, which I hate. I'm not really complaining at all,
actually, just stating the way things are. It's a good thinig I like being by
myselr.
Now
it's a cold, dark, possibly rainiy night in the field, a good one to curl up
in a warm bed for a long time.
September
24
Well,
I wasn't early, but I didn't get up early either, so I got about 10 hours'
sleep and I felt better. It continues to surprise me how sensitive I am to not
enough sleep these days.
I
filled the pill dispensers and put some more cans and jars in the recycling
bag. That was all.
The
weather was cold and cloudy, but we only got 0.04" of rain between 4 and
5 PM. The high temperature was 58º and there wasn't much wind. I thought it
was foggy between 4 and 5 PM, but it turns out that was just the rain. Of
course, it's extremely humid.. Yuck.
Grayson
was getting upset with me before I got to the kitchen, because all his bowls
were empty. He felt better after I filled them, but while I was getting
something to eat, he told me he wanted more canned food. sorry, buddy. One can
a day.
So
that's all there was. It's a cold, dark night in the field and the rain will
start tomorrow.
September
23
Nothing
to report. I was very late, so I didn't get nearly enough sleep and I'm going
to try to make up for it tonight. And I didn't do anything today,
either.
The
weather was nondescript. The high temperature was 63º and there wasn't much
wind except for a couple of hours in the morning. It was clear in the morning,
but it clouded up by noon and the afternoon was gray and dull.
Grayson
slept on my clothes while I was in the bathroom and he got on my lap and slept
there after I ate breakfast. I hope he's not sick.
After
a week or two of peace, I've started having accidents again. I think it's
cyclic, but I just won't start noting it on my calendar. Anyway, I need to
wash bottoms tomorrow. After 10 days or so of peeing constantly, I weighed
myself yesterday and I've lost 9 lb. Obviously the other stuff I was taking
wasn't working at all. That was partly because I wasn't taking enough of it,
but it just didn't work anyway. It is so nice to have normal looking feet
(well - as normal as my feet ever look) in the morning, and it's a lot more
comfortable, too. i haven't been able to see the tendons in my feet for 30
years or so, but that's mostly because my feet are fat. Now when I look at
them in the morning, I at least have a hint of ankles.
So
that was my quiet day and now they're playing Schubert, so I have to wait.
It's a cold, cloudy night in the field.
September
22 - Autumn Equinox
Well,
there, now it's official. Of course, here in the north, it's been fall for a
month or so.
I
was late again, but I slept very well. It was cold enough outside that I was
able to make my own temperature under the covers, I still didn't get enough
sleep, but since I was only up once, it didn't matter much.
I
didn't do anything much, either, except wash some dishes. I made rice last
night, so I had to wash the rice maker insert.
It
was a noisy night. The wind peaked at 23 mph with 36 mph gusts from the
northeast, so not only was it battering the house, it riled up the lake very
nicely. I seem to sleep better when the lake is singing. The wind began to die
down after 1AM, and it was around 15 mph all day. The temperature was nearly
steady around 50º, although it's dropping now and there is a frost warning
for the interior. IT's still very humid. It was cloudy to partly cloudy all
day, but it began to clear up around 6:30 PM and it was clear at sunset. I'm
having a hard time processing sunset at 7:30. Since it's setting behind the
mountain, it was actually earlier than that and twilight is shorter, too. It
will mean I'm not sleeping in daylight as much.
Grayson
was very clingy today. While I was in the bathroom, he settled down on my
clothes and fell asleep purring. And he got on my lap by himself and got a
nice tummy rub. He got some more yogurt, which he lapped up as fast as he
could, like somebody might take it away from him.
So
that was my day and maybe tomorrow I can do something, although I'm not
counting on it. It's a cold, clear night in the field.
September
21
Really
late, Didn't get enough sleep. However, I did get some things done today. Not
a lot, but something.
I
finally got my hair washed. That took time, but I was able to have a
breakfast, even though it was late in the afternoon. And I did the
bulletin. That didn't turn out so well, I guess. There were a lot of
corrections, but that's why two of us work on it. There were a lot of
additions and subtractions and there were a couple of things I didn't know. It
turned out fine.
It
has turned cold. The high temperature was 63º and there was a brisk north
wind with gusts up to 38 mph. The morning was clear and blue and the whitecaps
were so pretty, but it began to cloud up around 4;30 PM and the whitecaps
weren't nearly as pretty against the steel-gray water. The humidity is still
high, which is not good for my knees.
Grayson
actually got on my lap a couple of times by himself and got a nice tummy rub
while he dozed. Otherwise, he slept someplace around me.
I
have closed the east windows in the office and the great room. Tomorrow is
going to be really cold (high just over 50º) and I suppose i will have to
close the windows at the north end, too, but I'll wait on that, because by
Friday it will be worming up a bit and I still have a bad zone valve up there.
I'm sorry to have to do that, but it's time. In fact, i've had them open a lot
longer this year than I have in a long time. It's always an admission that
summer is really over. Even though it was mostly a cool, damp summer, it was
so nice to have the house open. No funny smells when I come in from outdoors.
So
that's what there is, and it's a cold, cloudy night in the field.
September
20
I
was medium late, got up before I really wanted to and did absolutely nothing.
Sometimies Ijust feel like that.
the
weather was pretty good. It was clear until about 4 PM, then i t clouded up until
6:30 and was clear at sunset. The high temperature was 76º and there wasn't
much wind except around noon when it gusted from the southwest at up to 24
mph. It was very humid. The wind has switched around to the north, although
it's almost calm. Every few minutes I have another hot flash.
Grayson
was upset with me because he ate so late, but he got some yogurt, which made
him feel better.
Now
I'm late again and it's a clear (I think) warmish night in the field.
September
19
Last
night I was really late, so I was really late getting up and then I started
getting texts from AT&T that the repair guy was coming, so I had to get
dressed before I really wanted to. Actually, I was nearly through with my
breakfast when he pounded on the door to get me to test the line. It seems to
be fine, and it seems the problem was the same part in the switching station
that failed in May. He didn't know that, and since it's a card, now I'm
wondering if the problem isn't the rack it fits into. If I recall correctly
that was the problem the last time. If something flaky happens again, I will
have to try to suggest that.
Anyway,
I didn't do anything else.
The
weather was OK. It was sunny or nearly sunny, but the sky is white from the
smoke, which I guess is coming from eastern Washington. The high temperature
was only 64º and for most of the day there was a bit of wind from the north,
although recently it switched around to southwest and got gusty. The lowest
the humidity got was 75%.
Grayson
has been coming around and mewing all afternoon, but the one time I picked him
up, he didn't want to stay. I had to get something from the breezeway and when
I opened the door he squirted out, but when I finished making my meager
dinner, he came in. I don't know why he does that except if he just wants to
show me who's boss around here. he keeps forgetting it's not him.
So
that was another nothing day, but at least the phone is evidently fixed. It's
a cool, cloudy night in the field.
September
18
Late
to bed, late to rise, didn't do anything. Same old, same old.
The
weather was yucky again, but not quite as bad as yesterday. There was a little
rain early in the morning, but the rest of the day was just coolish and humid.
The hgh temperature was 72º, but it went sort of up and down. There wasn't
much wind in the morning, but in the afternoon was also up and down, sometimes
from the northwest with gusts up to 20 mph and sometimes variable and under 10
mph. It was very cloudy and very humid. Yuck.
Grayson
mostly slept, I guess. He might have wanted to sit on me, but he wouldn't sit
still long enough for me to pick him up.
And
that's all there is. Now it's a cool, cloudy, humid night in the field.
September
17
I
wasn't too late and I didn't get up until noon, but I felt yucky and headachy
all day, so it was a nothing day.
Debbie
called, and we had a nice, but short conversation. She didn't try to call on
the land line, which is still ringing. I must try to remember to call AT&T
after it gets fixed and ask for a credit on the time it wasn't working. Good
luck on that - although I discovered that it's possible to resolve these
things if I file an FCC complaint. I bear ST&T no love whatsoever. After
all this time and all the breakups and combinations, they act just as snotty
as they ever did. and of course, now they'd like to get rid of all their land
lines completely, even in places where there is no cell service.
The
weather was yucky, too. It rained until around 7 AM, then it was just cloudy
and humid until around 5 PM, when it started raining again and there was a
nice thunderstorm out over the lake and the fog moved in. It rained fairly
hard for about 3 hours, and now it's just humid and calm again. The high
temperature was 73º and there was hardly any wind. Not a nice day at all and
very hard on my joints.
Grayson
was a bit petulant today. He kept coming around and mewing and when I came
into the office with my dinner, he sat on the sewing chair and stared at me. I
don't know what he wanted.
I've
been forgetting to mention that the cluster fly infestation has started.
They're early this year and they're very small and very active and they drive
me nuts. The only way I can make them go away temporarily is to turn off all
the lights, which isn't quite feasible. I hope they will eventually go away,
but in the meantime, they drive me nutty.
do
that was my nothing day and now it's a sort of warmish, foggy (I think),
extremely humid night in the field.
September
16
So
I was really late last night, and while I slept well, it wasn't nearly long
enough. I zoned out for a while after I got up, but eventually I got dressed
and had my breakfast - my last avocado. It was about the most perfectly ripe
one I've had since I've been eating them. I only wish it had been on jalapeno
cheddar sourdough, rather than plain Yum!
I
had to ask Ron to bring the mail, because I was late. Tucked into it was a
plain envelope from someone who has never told me who he/she is, but I thank
you most gratefully. Things are tight this month and you're helping. I had to
raid the piggy bank, too, and that money will be available on Monday so I can
pay my propane bill. I think the rest of the year will be better, as long as
I'm very careful.
About
3 PM, I was doing my surfing when the phone began to ring. Continuously. I
called AT&T abd got caught in their automated system, which is terrible. I
think my trouble call got recorded, but there was no way for me to tell them
what the trouble is. I think they did check the line, though. At 10 PM,
it's still ringing. If I pick up the receiver, I get a blast of static. The
answering machine and the handset in the kitchen are disconnected, and I will
turn off the ringer in the bedroom when I go up there. Sheesh.
It's
been OK since Sunday, but I think the weather has something to do with it. It
rained almost all night and all day and we've had nearly an inch. Between 6
and 7 AM we had 0.49". I was sound asleep then. The temperature was just
about steady at 60º and there was almost no wind. The fog moved in about 3 PM
and it was still dense when it got dark. It was a good day to ignore the
outside, although I had to turn on lights. I guess we're in for another couple
of days of this.
Grayson
does not like that ringing and he has been telling me something is wrong. He
got on my lap twice and the second time, he fell asleep on his back with his
head on my right arm. Evidently he doesn't mind if I rub his tummy when he's
asleep.
So
it was another very quiet day and now it's another cold, rainy night in the
field.
September
15
I
was in bed by midnight again last night. I'm going to be later tonight, for
reasons I'll explain. I didn't get up until nearly 11 AM, do I got enough
sleep, but I didn't do anything much.
I
ate late because I had breakfast late, but mostly it was because they started
playing Mendelssohn's Octet, which I like and I wanted to hear the whole
thing. Dinner wasn't very satisfying, but I don't have any money, so I'm
eating what I have in the house. Some of it is OK and some of it isn't.
it
seemed like I didn't have my usual amount of emails, but I didn't think much
about it until this evening, when I realized that i hadn't gotten any since
about 9 AM this morning. I'm still using webmail, so that would mean PastyNet
didn't get anything. So I texted them, but after an hour or so, there still
wasn't anything, so I logged off and back on - and there they all were, all
the ads and newsletters I usually get. There were some things to read, so I
just finished that.
The
weather was ugly. It was so dark and dismal that the nightlight in the
bathroom was on all day. It started raining about 1 PM and so far we've had
about half an inch of nice, soft, steady rain, the kind we needed all summer
and never got. It's cold - the temperature was just about steady at 62º and
there was no wind. Of course, I hurt all over.
Grayson
wa very clingy today and I don't know why. he asked for a couple of lap sits,
but he didn't stay long. Lately, he's been getting up on the counter behind
the sewing machine then jumping down with a thud. I don't know what that's
about.
So
now I've read all my mail that I'm going to and put all the icons on my
desktop back where they belong (when I play Bookworm, which uses low
resolution, it causes Windows to completely lose track of where some of the
icons go), so I can do my nightly cleanup and totter up to the north end. It's
a cold, soggy night in the field.
September
14
I
don't know where the time went, but it was just after midnight when I turned
out the light. I slept very well, and I was only up every three hours,
although I wet my pants when I did get up. I was awakened shortly after 10 AM
by the phone, and that was weird. I was just coming to so I'm not quite sure,
but I think it rang at least 12 times. I wondered if maybe the answering
machine got turned off, but I just checked it and it's fine, so all I can
figure is that the spam caller called twice very close together. My phones
don't record individual calls if there is more than one right after the other.
As if it isn't annoying enough! It did remind me that I never turned the
ringer on at the phone in my bedroom.
So
I diddled around late enough that I only got one meal, but I did a couple of
things. I washed and dried the load of dark-colored tops that has been in the
hamper all summer. Most of them have long sleeves and with it getting cooler,
I will be wearing them again. And I got the bulletin out, although I almost
forgot that. It was an easy one, or I think it was. I haven't heard back yet.
Like
I said, it was cool and now it's cooler. The temperature was nearly steady at
just under 60º and there wasn't any wind. It was partly cloudy, but there was
a lot of sunshine and an interesting sunset. I still have the house opened up,
because it's supposed to be a bit warmer for the next few days, but it it fets
this cool again, I will have to shut things down. I've had the back windows
open all summer and I guess I just want to cling to that as long as I can.
I
don't think Grayson felt very good today. He had a coughing fit this morning
and after I ate, he came and sat down on me and curled up in my right arm for
quite a while. He is still shedding, but I suppose that's in anticipation of
growing a winter coat. Being inside all the time seems to have messed up his
normal shedding cycle.
So
that was my day off and now it's a partly cloudy, cold night in the field.
September
13
I
had enough to do that even though i didn't diddle around, I didn't get to bed
until midnight and I was up about every hour and a half all night long. I had
to sleep on my left side most of the night, because my left hip was too sore
when I slept on the other side. I got up at three minutes before eight, so the
alarm never went off. It's a talent I've always had. Apparently my unconscious
mind doesn't like alarm clocks.
I
moved at a fairly good pace and had time to do a lot of my surfing before I
had to visit the powder room. I went out to the car from there, and when I got
there, I discovered that I didn't have my car key. I knew I'd tried to put it
in my pocket, but it wasn't there. So I had to go back into the house and down
to the office, where I found the key on my chair. Goes to show me I shouldn't
try to fill my pockets while sitting down.
So
instead of getting away early, like I wanted to, I was late. There is a lot of
traffic on US-41 this week - more than I remember for the second week of
September - and the usual slow ones. The guy i followed away from the harbor
actually pulled over around the Mandan Loop and let me go by. That doesn't
happen very often.
Anyway,
I managed to get my blood draw before my echocardiogram, so that was good. i
must say the diuretic is working almost a little too well. I wet my pants
halfway to Laurium and again halfway home.
I
didn't go food shopping. My finances are still up in the air and it will
probably be a couple of days before they settle down enough for me to see
whether I can get some food or I have to try to subsist on what's in the
house. If I can get anything, it will most likely be from Schwan's. If I don't
have much more lettuce, it's probably a good thing. I've been eating such big
salads that what comes out of me is chlorophyll green.
The
weather was cool but nice. It was clear. The high temperature was 68º, but it
was between 8 and 9 AM and after the wind picked up from the north, gusting as
high as 26 mph, it cooled off into the low 60s now. Tne nice thing about the
north wind is that it cleared up the sky and turned it blue again, at least
here. I don't like those white skies.
Grayson
got a lap tit this morning, and when I had to come back in the house, he was
sitting inside the door looking puzzled. When I got home, he gave in and went
to sleep beside my feet in the powder room.
The
technician and I had a nice chat about cats, although actually, she did almost
all the talking. The mask I wear has a fabric that is all cats on the outside
and she noticed it and that set her off. She was talking so much that I'm not
sure exactly what she did. She wished me good luck, which makes me wonder if
she saw something odd in the echo. Well, I'll hear about it one way or
another.
Oh,
and by the time I got home, my blood work results were back and everything
looks good. Now if I can just get the fluid out of my feet... While I was
gone, the information for the bulletin arrived, but I'm not going to do it
tonight. I'm going to bed and hope I have a more restful night tonight.
Now
it's apparently a partly cloudy, cool night in the field.
September
12
i
got to bed about the same time as the day before, and I slept well, except
that I was up about every 2 hours to pee. Something is coming out, but it
isn't doing anything for my weight. Well, I haven't been taking the old pills
for too long yet. We'll see what happens.
I
had good intentions of taking my bath early, but I didn't, of course. I'm
happy to say that my knees weren't too bad today so it wasn't as hard as it
sometimes is. Overnight it was my shoulders that hurt.
Tonight
I have to be early, because I should be at the hospital before 12:30 for my echocardiogram.
I need food, but I haven't decided whether to shop or not. It's the money
thing.
The
weather was rather nice today. It was clear and sunny all day. The high
temperature was 66º and there was very little wind. The humidity wasn't low,
but it was lower than it has been in several days.
I
don't know where Grayson was, but I didn't see much of him overnight or when I
got up. He finally appeared and climbed up on the pile of clothes in the
bathroom so I would pet him and he got a lap sit after I ate my first meal. He
wanted some of my dinner, too, but he didn't get any.
Dinner
was frustrating. I set up the rice cooker before I ate breakfast, but
apparently after I left the kitchen, it tripped the circuit breaker and
nothing ever happened. So I didn't get any rice with my dinner and before I go
north, I have to store it away. Then I sat down while my chicken was cooking
and never heard the oven beep - if it did. I finally decided it seemed to be
taking a long time to cook, and the oven had turned itself completely off. So
dinner was a bit later than I planned.
Oh,
yes, and last night when I went north, I discovered that I had in fact not put
the load of underwear in the dryer, so I had to do that. I will try to take
everything up to the bathroom tonight.
Sometimes
these little frustrations seem to come in bunches.
Anyway,
it's a cook, clear night in the field and now I can go, even though I'd like
to hear the Dvorak.
September
11 - Remember
Again,
later than I was planning, but not too late, or I don't think so. I don't
remember. I gut nearly 10 hours' sleep, which helped, and I didn't diddle
around too much
Today
was wash day, and I may be able to do a bit more tomorrow. I finished washing
the bottoms last night and dried them today and I washed and dried the
underwear. Now all I have to do is sort out all that stuff and put it away. I
have a nearly full bag of dork-colored tops that need to be washed, too, so
I'll be working on that. Now if everything would only put itself away,,,
The
weather was cold again. The high temperature did make it to 60º, but not for
very long. THe only good thing was, there was almost no wind. It was extremely
humid. There was some thick fog early in the morning, which I never saw, and
it was partly to mostly cloudy all day. There was a kind of nice sunset. I've
been forgetting to mention that the sun is moving south really fast now and
it's setting over Hunter's Point. Days are under 13 hours long now.
Grayson
got a long lap sit but otherwise, he mostly slept. Iguess after i yelled at
him last night, he needed to be reassured that I still love him.
And
that's all. It's a cold, cloudy night in the field.
September
10
Well,
i guess I didn't upload this last night (nothing lost permanently). Sorry
about that. Somehow, it got saved on my desktop again. That happens every so
often and I don't know how.
It
was probably because just about the time I finished last night's entry, my
phones started ringing - a constant ring - and when I answered, I got a blast
of static. At first, I thought it was only the one in the office, so I
unplugged it, since I couldn't use it and I couldn't stand the ringing. When I
finally got up to go to bed, I discovered that no, it was all the phones. I
unplugged the one in the kitchen, but when I got to the bedroom, I just turned
off the ringer, and by that time, I began to wonder what would happen if I
called in. Weirdly enough, it sounded like it was ringing normally from the
other phone, although I still had a constant ring. When I answered in spite of
that, I got a blast of static on both phones. So I turned off the ringer in
the bedroom.
Between
that and some other problems, I was very late getting to bed and I didn't get
enough sleep. I diddled around a bit when I finally did get up, but eventually
I got our breakfast and went back to the office, where I plugged in the
answering machine base unit - and everything is fine now. Sheesh. I was
thinking I wouldn't call AT&T until Monday, but I have to believe it was
more general than just me and somebody else did call them. Things like that
don't just fix themselves.
Anyway,
among all those things, I didn't do anything else today and I hope to get to
bed at a somewhat reasonable hour tonight.
I
hate telephones. I always have, from the time I was a little kid. I suppose
part of it was that my mother was very emphatic that I must NEVER touch the
telephone. So...if I could get away with it, I would never touch a telephone.
Of course, I can't do that, because it's still the only way I and the people i
need to talk to can, but i still think there are more disadvantages than
advantages.
The
weather was cold again. The high temperature was 64º, the humidity was awful,
but there wasn't a lot of wind, under 10 mph from the north, mostly. There was
rain overnight - 0.37", which we really needed, but most of the
system slid by on the south side of the peninsula. It was just dark, dreary
and cold here.
Grayson
slept. He got a couple of lap sits, and he got run into with the walker
because I couldn't see him, but mostly he slept. I have not many regrets abpit
running into him, even though you'd have thought I was running over him,
because he knew I was coming by with the walker and he didn't move. I suppose
he is unhappy with me, but oh, well.
Per
the nephrologist, I have gone back to my old diuretic and I have been wetting
my pants frequently. I didn't realize just how poorly the other one was
working. I still have big, puffy feet, but I've only been taking it for two
days. I'm sure it will get rid of all that fluid I've been carrying around,
given time. When I go down for my echocardiogram on Tuesday, I will get
another blood draw and we'll see what it's done. I'm still not completely
clear what the dynamic is between the kidney thing, the potassium thing and
the fluid, but evidently the three are related. That Zoom call was far too
short. Now I need to pee, finish washing a load of bottoms, and go to bed.
It's
a cold, damp, cloudy night in the field. We missed the Harvest Moon.
September
9
I
was late, of course, and i was so tired that I fell asleep on my back. I got a
good 10 hours, with several wakeups, so I felt better today. I didn't diddle
around too long, because the original plan was to go to the post office to
mail my taxes, but I had a lot of dishes to wash, so I was late and that
didn't happen. Ron brought the mail and took the envelope with him. I hope he
remembers it.
I
had looked at my finances last night and thought I was good, but I was a bit
suspicious, and boy, was I right - by about $900. I am going to be scrambling
and I may have to make do with the food I have in the house. September is
always a difficult month. When I get the return from the electric company
payment that go lost and the funds from PayPal, I'll see where I am again, but
I may have to raid the piggy bank. Being on a small fixed income is getting
more and more difficult.
The
weather was miserable, frankly. It was very dark and dismal all day and it
rained at intervals. The temperature was 73º at 5 AM and it went
down all day until now it's 58º. The wind went calm around oon and picked up
from the north, in the 10-15 mph range. The humidity was over 90% all day.
Cold and damp - just the kind of weather i hate most. Yuck.
Grayson
thought so, too. He mostly slept, which was a good idea, and he got two lap
sits. He wanted at least one more and he wanted my dinner, but he didn't get
any of that.
So
it was a quiet day and now it's a cold, rainy, nasty night in the field.
September
8
Well,
it was a lousy night and a busy day and I'm tired. I was late getting to bed
and i had to wait until the Tylenol kicked in because I had a very sore knee
(left). I was up several times and it was sometime after 4 AM before I got
into a deep sleep. There was a phone call around 9 AM that annoyed me, but I
managed to get back to sleep. I got up around 11 AM, which wasn't nearly
enough sleep, but oh, well.
I
managed to do my morning things and eat but I didn't know exactly how they
were going to initiate the TeleHealth call, so I had to fiddle around some. I
had a Zoom invite, which seemed to work, but about 1:45 PM I got an email with
a link in it, and I used that. I don't like webmail, but it certainly has some
good features, among them that I can look at my mail from any device I happen
to have at hand. I followed the link, but they were late, so I had to sit
around some. My talk with the doctor was too short by a whole lot, but
at least he had a plan of treatment. Right now he is most concerned that I
have a lot of edema. Evidently the kidneys, the potassium and the edema are
(at least now) all tied together. I tried to write down what he said, but it
was hard. I'm not used to taking notes anymore.
They
sent me an email saying they had taken notes, but I couldn't find anything on
their website. I didn't realize how well managed Aspirus is until I got hooked
up with these people, who are totally out of control Nothing works right.
Sheesn. I'm glad I have such limited contact with them.
Anyway,
the call I had from earlier turned out to be from my primary care provider's
office, so after I got off the Zoom (or whatever it was) call, I called them
right away and reported what the nephrologist said, which was directly
contrary to what the primary care people wanted me to do. We'll see where that
goes. At least I can go back on my diuretic that works and maybe get my legs
back in shape.
Then
there was the electric bills. I had done enough investigation to know that
they never received my last payment, so I called them and they suggested I
follow up with my bank. First. I looked at the address the bank had in my file
for the payment, and it was the one that stopped working back in January! How
it ever got back into my file nobody can tell me. So I changed it, but then I
had to call the bank to stop payment on the check that won't ever be cashed
(the electric company doesn't accept ACH payments, so the bank has to cut a
check). Was that a trip! It took me a good ten minutes or more to find a phone
number and once I got connected, I explained my problem to five people before
I found someone to fix it. At least I didn't get disconnected! Anyway, they
seemed to have both the new address (which I had just entered) and the old
one, but they understood my problem and put through the stop payment. It only
took me 45 minutes. They suggested I call the utility back and verify the
address, which I did, and they have put a note in my fine saying my payment
will probably be late0
After
that, I was so exhausted, I just sat, although I did finally add up all my
outstanding bills, and it seems like I'll have enough money to pay them and
maybe get some food. I don't remember when the freezer has been so empty.
I
did not want to cook tonight, but with my options limited and a defrosted
package of pork chops, I sort of had to. It turned out nice and for once I
didn't overcook them, but I was nearly melted by the time I was ready to eat.
That's
because it was warm today. The high temperature was 81º, but there was a nice
southwest wind with gusts as high as 28 mph. The humidity was relatively low,
too, which made it quite comfortable. We had those white skies all day and
they began to get thick after about mid afternppn. I guess it's supposed to
rain tomorrow and then get cold.
Grayson
was confused. Usually when I get up relatively early and get dressed right
away, I'm going away, and today I didn't. He kept asking to get up, but he
didn't want to stay. He still has to learn that you can't ever tell what mommy
is going to do.
So
it was a busy day and I'm tired. I will have to hassle with the windows in the
bedroom, but it was so hot in here I had to oen them, and then i can go to
bed. It's a warm, cloudy ngiht in the field and all is well.
September
7
So
I was late last night and late getting up. I diddled around, but I finally got
the bulletin done and I sorted through the 2300 email messages (I
haven't deleted anything, and I must do that) and found the Zoom invite, so
that's all right. They sent me the request for information again and it hung
up at the same place as it did on Monday. I will try to sort that out when I
talk to them tomorrow. I also have a situation with my electrical utility -
again - that needs to be fixed, so it will be a busy day tomorrow.
I
didn't feel like cooking tonight, so I didn't, and I just finished eating,
when I should have been going to bed. Sigh.
The
weather wasn't bad. It was sunny all day, although the sky is still very light
blue. The high temperature was probably 69º, although we missed about 3
hours' worth of data in the early afternoon. That was a bit cooler than they
said it would be. There was almost no wind, from the north in the morning and
from the west in the afternoon It still puzzles me why they say the wind
is from teh west and it's coming in the east windows, but I suppose it whips
around the house and hits the garage. It was more humid than I like, although
it didn't seem to bother my knees so much.
Grayson
slept, of coures, and he got three lap sits. Debbie thinks I spoil him, but if
I'm sitting here doing my surfing or reading, I might as well have a cat on my
lap. He's a nice cat and I like him, so I guess I can indulge him.
So
that was my day and now it's a clear, cool night in the field, or I think it's
clear I could see the gibbous moon.
September
6
I
got to bed a bit before midnight and i slept well for 10 hours, with the usual
wakeups. However, i woke up with a sinus headache and I was moving slowly.
I
did call the nephrologist's office and complain about their online forms,
neither of which I have been able to complete. In both cases, I came to a
place where the "continue" button didn't work. The one yesterday was
a laugh - they wanted me to actually physically sign my name in two places.
Have you ever tried to write longhand with a mouse? It seems clear whoever
wrote the code for those forms just assumed that everyone would be using a
smartphone to fill them out. There were some other problems as well, and it
was clear to me that it's another case where they assumed that if the thing
compiled (or the interpreter didn't abend) it was working right. They said
they would get back to me, but no one has.
Anyway,
between that and my morning surfing, I didn't leave until after 2 PM, so I got
to the hospital late, but not too late, and I got a parking place right in
front of the door. There was no one else there and I got my blood draw and was
out in less than half an hour, so I was home by 4:30. Nice.
And
it was worth it. My kidneys are back to normal (for me) and so is my
potassium. So we are over that glitch and we can go on. I have three things I
must talk about to the nephrologist on Thursday and we'll go on from there. I
thought everything was all right. I've been feeling much better and the only
things that hurt are my knees.
The
weather was lovely, clear and blue, except that the sky is pale blue because
of the smoke. The high temperature was 75º and the humidity wasn't too bad
for most of the day. There was very little wind for most of the day,
although lately it's switched around to the southwest and picked up to 21 mph
gusts.
Grayson
insisted on sitting on my lap while I was surfing, but then he went away and
hid, which he always does when he knows I'm going away. And how does he know
that? I wish I knew. After I got back, he got several more lap sits, just to
tell me he forgave me for leaving and he was glad I came back.
So
that was my day, and the news was good, so I'm content. It was worth the
drive. I've heard a lot of good music and it's time for bed. Now it's a clear,
coolish night in the field and the gibbous moon is peeking around the white
pine.
September
5 - Labor Day
So
I was late and I got up late and I lost track of time, but I got my hair
washed. Tomorrow I have to get my blood draw, and as I get older and it gets
harder, I'm getting very touchy about not appearing to neglect my hygiene
where somebody might notice and think I'm losing it.
The
weather was nice. There was a little haze in the sky that I guess is from the
fires out in western Canada, mostly, but it was sunny and for a while at
least, the sky was blue and clear. The high temperature was 71º, the humidity
was quite low and there wasn't much wind. I could take a lot of this.
Grayson
slept around me all day and he asked three times to come up on my lap, but he
only got up once. First I was eating and then I was busy doing something. He
comes up and asks once and if I don't move fairly quickly, he goes away.
So
that was a nice, labor-less Labor Day and now the summer is over (I don't care
what the calendar says). It was cold and damp, except when it was too hot, so
I'm glad it's over with.
Now
the half moon is shining brightly in the south windows and it's a clear, cool
night in the field.
September
4
I
was just medium-late last night and I slept well. I pulled up the comforter
and that meant I could make my own weather under the covers. I got a good 10
hours' sleep, so I felt pretty good until lately.
I
did diddle around some, and i nearly dropped the phone when it rang, but it
was Debbie, who pushed the wrong button - usually she calls me on my land
line. I pushed a wrong button, too, so she had to call me twice before we got
together. I was glad she called on my cell phone because I could hook up the
iFrogz and knit while we talked. I can't knit lace, but I got quite a bit done
on my sock, although it won't be done in time to wear this year.
It
ws a nice conversation, but long, of course, so instead of having two meals, I
got one. It was a rather large one and well-balanced, so it was all right.
Obviously, I didn't do anything else.
The
weather was about like yesterday but marginally warmer. The high temperature
was 61º and there was almost no wind, "variable" as they say. There
were a few high clouds that went away before sunset, and the half moon was
shining brightly in the south windows. IT's behind the tree now, but I will be
able to see its bright glitter path when I go north. This has been a bit too
cold, but it's supposed to warm up a bit in the next few days - into the low
70s maybe, and that will be nice.
Grayson
mostly slept. He did get a couple of lap sits, including a long one. He seems
to have finally decided he likes me, which I appreciate. Of course, i try to
be nice to him and that helps. Or maybe he's thinking that if he's really,
really nice, I'll clean out his litter boxes.
'
So
that's all. I had some other plans, but it was nice to talk to Debbie. I've
been wondering how she was doing.
Now
it's a cold, clear night in the field and maybe I can go to bed.
September
3
I
was a bit later last night, and I didn't sleep all that well. Oddly enough, i
think I was cold. I didn't get enough sleep, either, so I'm hoping to do
better - and earlier - tonight.
I
was early enough getting up that I knitted five whole rows on the shawl. I
finished the first chart and started the second one. I took one of my pairs of
MagEyes up to the bathroom and having a little magnification made it much
easier for me to see what I was doing. It was mostly sunny, too and that
helped. Ad my eyes age, I need more light and more magnification to be able to
see.
The
weather - ah, the weather! - was cold. Yesterday's high temperature was 93º;
today's was 57º. Weather in the middle of Lake Superior is so
interesting. Early in the day, the wind was from the northeast with
gusts as high as 29 mph, but it has died down to under 10 mph now. The dew
point was around 45º, but that put the humidity in the 60s or higher because
it was so cold. My knees felt it. There were a few clouds this morning, but
they went away in the afternoon and it was mostly clear at sunset. When I went
to get my dinner, I was finally able to see the moon, which is nearly half
full now. I haven't seen it because it's still low in the southern sky and
it's been setting behind the white pine. I haven't closed up the house yet,
because this cold weather isn't going to continue for long and it's such a
chore to open the windows that I've only been doing the essential ones. So
it's cold in the south end right now, even though i have the ceiling fans
turned off.
Grayson
was a hoot. He was cold, so he ended up spending most of the afternoon on my
lap. He would come, mew, and i would pick him up and he would settle down. At
one point, he slept for nearly an hour with his head pillowed on my right arm.
Then he would go away and ten minutes later, he was asking to come up again. I
don't usually give him all that much lap time, but I knew he was cold and he
was spitting up this morning, so I figured I could indulge him. Besides, I was
cold, too, and he is a nice warm pad on my lap and I can bury my cold hands in
his nice warm fur. I must try to give him more lap time when he asks for it.
So
now I can go to bed. The music isn't the best; they do a lot of modern stuff
on Saturday and Sunday evenings and I don't like it, so I don't have to stay
up to hear something. And I'm tired. I opened one of the windows in the window
seat yesterday and I need to shut it quite a bit, but then if I'm cold, I can
pull up the quilt and be comfy.
It's
a cold, clear night in the field.
September
2
I
wasn't too late again, but I didn't sleep very well. I had all the windows
open and there was a light breeze that made it hard for me to decide how many
covers to pull over me, and they were dampish. The NWS site says the humidity
wasn't too bad, so all I can figure is that it was more humid here than it was
at the holding ponds. I was in bed for around 10 hours, which was long enough
that I didn't feel too bad today.
I
didn't fool around for very long, but I didn't do anything, either. I managed
two meals, and I made a whole pot of tea so I could have iced tea for
breakfast, because i was warming up alarmingly by the time I ate. And I had
salad for dinner, too. I managed to pry my last 7.5 oz. can of salmon out of
the pantry. At some time in the past, several cans of tomatoes leaked and
everything in the back half of the upper middle shelf is stuck. One day, I
hope I can get Mike and Gary to help me take the shelf out and clean it up. It
will require someone stronger than I am - or two people - because of all the
stuff that I can't remove before I take out the shelf. Anyway, the
salmon was fine and it was a nice dinner for a hot night, even though i've had
fish two days in a row and i wasn't so warm by the time I ate.
By
the way, I discovered that 7.5 oz. cans of salmon are a rare breed. Pat's
doesn't carry it - it's 5 oz. or 14.75 oz. Amazon does have it, but they want
you to buy minimum 6 cans at a time and they're expensive. Oh, and teh old
14.75 oz. cans of Deming's red salmon that I bought are now over $16! Yikes!
And apparently they don't make the 7.5 oz. cans at all anymore. I've filed the
info. I got a few cans of tuna when I shopped and within a week or two, I
won't want salads for dinner anymore until next year. Too bad, because it's an
easy, tasty dinner.
The
weather was hot, hot, hot and sunny. The temperature topped out at 93º in the
early afternoon and it dropped about 10º in an hour again as the wind shifted
from southwest to northwest. Tonight is supposed to get cold - around 55º -
and it's supposed to be under 60º tomorrow. That will be a welcome change. i
never could take heat, and as I've gotten older, it's gotten worse. There were
two things that made it bearable today - there was a wind gusting up to 28 mph
and the humidity was low again. Almost all afternoon, there was a thin line of
thunderstorms south of Houghton., moving southwest to northeast, but they
didn't even get close enough to us to cloud the skies. It was cloudy when it
got dark, but I think that has mostly gone away. I hope this is the end of the
really hot weather. It's been wearing on me.
It's
been wearing on Grayson, too. He got a short cuddle this afternoon, but it was
too hot for him, too.
So
that was my day, and now it's a clear (I think) night in the field that is
going to get quite cold by morning.
September
1
I
wasn't too late last night, and I didn't get up for 10 hours, so I felt better
today, although I'm getting tired again. I diddled around for most of the
afternoon, but I finally got my bath. One reason I do that, of course, is that
with all my creaky joints, taking a shower is difficult and sort of dangerous.
I don't move much and I try to hang on to the grab bars and the window sill as
much as I can, but still. I could overbalance or slip and if I did, I'd
certainly hit something. Anyway, this time it wasn't too bad.
I
have decided to postpone my blood test to Tuesday. It was horribly hot today
and it's supposed to be just as hot tomorrow and of course, I don't have any
A/C in the car. I spent some time fiddling around with the nephrologist's
website and never did get it to work right. The things that went wrong are
things that should be caught and fixed before the app is rolled out. I guess I
will call them tomorrow and complain and confirm my appointment. Sheesh.
The
weather was sunny and hot. The high temperature was 89º and there wasn't much
wind, under 10 mph mostly from the west. The one nice thing about it was that
until it cooled down (it went from 88º to 72º in an hour, blessedly) the
humidity was very low - under 40% for a while. No wonder I felt better. I dkd
have salad for dinner, though, and that helped, except that the sweat was
dripping off my eyebrows onto my glasses before I got it all put together I
hate that, but I sweat almost as much as my dad did. I felt like I needed
another shower by the time I sat down to eat.
I
don't know where Grayson spent most of the day, but he did lie on the bathroom
tile for a long time. Wise kitty. I think he wanted to sit on me, but it was
just too hot. OF course, he wanted my tuna salad, but he didn't get any. I
don't know that people tuna is good for cats. At least I know you shouldn't
feed them a lot of it.
So
i accomplished one thing today. I found the bulletin information after I wrote
last night, so I sat right down and did the bulletin for Sunday and sent it
out. It wasn't too hard - the worst part was that there were a lot of people
to take off the Prayer List (a good thing). There was one change, but it was
information I didn't have, Pastor sent next week's info, too, so I can do that
any time I want.
And
that's all there is. Now it's September - sigh - and it's a clear (I think)
warm night in the field. I still can't find the moon.