Sharon Smith Memorial GOFUNDME page
Sharon's final Journal entry:
November
1
I'm
sorry, I'll have to do this tomorrow. It was another interesting day, but
there's something wrong with Front Page and it would take me hours, and
probably a System Restore to get it right. You'll hear about it tomorrow.
October
31 - Reformation Day
I
don't really know why I haven't written for two nights, but I'm sorry, Nothing
was going on. I can''y see and I can't walk - or nearly. gut today was
different.
I
had to get up by 10 AM to get to my appointment, which was not enough sleep,
but I did it. Then it took me an hour to get dressed and another hour to make
and eat my breakfast, even though it's about the fastest. I stopped at the
bathroom and somehow I managed to get down th e steps nd to the car.
And
then...All the doors were lockd. Or I think they were all locked. I was moving
so slowly and with such difficulty that there was no way I could even consider
checking the other side. So I managed - barely - to get back into the house
and sat down.
First
I called the doctor's office to reschedule my appointment - it's for Friday
now .Then Istarted to try to get somebody to open my doors. What they never
told me was that when I lost my collision coverage, I also lost my road
service, although they did agree to perform the service on ,my dime. Actually,
on my $162. The first place they called said they didn't have anyone
available. I know about that, too. The second one said tget wiykd cine fir
$162. I attakjed to them , but then I missed a call round 3 PM and bibidt ever
came. It was too late to call the,m back when I noticed their call, so I'll
have to do it tomorrow.
Arrgggghh!!
The
weather for the past tree days has been clear and mostly breezy, with high
temperature in the middle 50s!. It would be boring if it wasn't so pretty.. We
don't expect weather like this in late October.
Grayson
has been hovering around me like he knows something isn't right, and this
afternoon, he actually jumped onto my all by himself.
So
now I can totter up to the bathroom and lay ,y little head on my little
pillow. A while ago, I saw the thick crescent moon, but now it's gone behind a
tree.
It's
a clear, cool night in the field and maybe I can remember tomorrow..
October
28
I
don't remember when I got to bed last night, but it was round or before
midnight. I slept well, wotj tje usual; wakeups, and I got up around noon. My
need for sleep, of course. i juxg sat until around 4 PM
i
should have made rice, but by the tine I made it to the kitchen, I was hungry,
and it took me an hour to make my dinner anyway. and I had to sit down at
least three times. Today it was a bad back.
Now
I'm tired again.
Oh,
and I had a terrible time dropping things on the floor in the dark. I think I
got everything bac, including the washer from my insant thermometer that I
lot!! I was sure I'd mever see that again. I' m not sure I can get it back
together - there are several problems - but at least i have all the parts
again.
The
weather was really nice. We're still having our Indian summer. The sky wa
clear. The high temperature was 58º and there was a wind from the southwest
with gusts as high as 25 mph early in the morning. Later. the wind was mostly
under 10 mph. the humidity was down in the range I liike it.
Grayson
mostly slept, a;though he wanted to be petted a lot.
Sp
tjat's a;; tjere was and now I must go to bed. It's a warm, clear night
in the fieod.
October
27
I
got to bed between 12 and 1 had a pretty good night. I didn't hurt as much, so
even though I was up a lot, I didn't have much trouble getting back to sleep.
I think I got up shortly after noon, but then I just sat. I just didn't want
to move.
The
weather was OK. It was cloudy all day, and the high temperature was 49º.
There was a light wind from the southwest - under 10 mph. Mostly the humidity
was reasonable.
Grayson
mostly slept beside my feet, but when I started to get dressed, he got
cranky. When I had my dinner, he wanted soome, but I think he knows he
won't get any of what I had. After I finished eating, he came and settled down
sitting on my right arm until it went to sleep and then curling up inside my
elbow. I still don't konw if he's sick or he thinks I am.
Today
my knee isn't too bad - except that it collapses occasionally - but my right
shoulder is really sore when I try to get up, which makes it hard.
So
now it's a dark, cloudy night in the field and I will bo to bed.
October
26
I
got to bed around 12:30 last night, I think, buii I didn't sleep very well. I
was up about every 2 hours and my legs were sore. I think I got up between 11
and 11:30, but I don't remember. I had planned to wash my heir but I got lost
in the phone and didn't. I did get my fish and it was good.
The
weather was cool or cold - anything where they report a wind chill is cold -
It was cloudy when I got up and I wasn't paying attention until I looked up
several hours later and the sun was shining brightly in a blue sky. The higm
temperature was 43º and the wind was mostly from the northwest. It wasn't
very strong, but there were gusts up to 30 mph before it cleared up.
Grayson
mostly slept, i think, although he chewed me out when I was so late getting
his dinner - at least until he ate it. It's one of his faves. Then he chowed
down and went back to sleep.
My
knwwa and shoulders are really sore, so I just can't do anything.
Getting up is extremely painful and when I have to do something, like cook, I
have to sit down once or twice just to ease the pain in my knees. It's
discouraging and I doubt the Primary care provider will be able to do much for
me. Wel,, we'll see on Monday.
Now
it's a clear, cold night in the field and maybe I can get to bed a bit earlier
tonight.
October
25
Last
night it was midnight and I got up at noon. It wasn't all sleep, though. I did
not have a good night. In part it's because it's hot in the bedroom again, but
I hurt and I was uncomfortable. I did sleep between about 0 AM and noon, and I
don't feel as tired, so maybe I just need 13 hours of sleep.
I
diddled around long enough to have one meal and a snack, but I haven't been
very hungry. Maybe i'll get my fish tomorrow.
I
did finally do one thing, though. I have had about 3 weeks of mail lying on
the floor beside the chair in the office - Grayson has liked sleeping on it -
and I decided I should sort it and get rid of all the political stuff. It's
odd that that has all been Republican. Anyway, among the good stuff was my
absentee ballot, which I will try to do before Friday, and my debit card from
SNB, which appears to have come a couple of weeks ago. Oops. So now everything
is nicely sorted and I can throw away the garbage, maybe.
THe
weather was nondescript. it was bright cloudy. The high temperature was 51º
and the wind was mostly variable from the west to northwest and now very
strong. Blah.
Grayson
mostly slept betweeh my feet before I got dressed. My breakfast didn't
interest him much nor did my cheese, so he has gone off somewhere now. He was
yelling at me while I made his dinner, and he he has eaten it all. He likes
that kind.
So
that was my truncated day and as soon as the Beethoven finishes, I will be
tottering up to the north end again. It's a cool, cloudy night in the field.
October
24
So
I turned out the light around 2 AM and got up around 1 PM, so I should have
had enough sleep,but I've been tired and hurting all day.
I
forgot to mention that I filled all the pill dispensers yesterday, but it just
sort of happened. I'm taking so many fewer pills lately that it's not so much
of job, Or maybe I was just on autopilot.
It
wasn't such a nice day today. It was cloudy and breezy for most of the day.
The high temperature was 66º with a south wind that was as strong as 40 mph.
although it's died down a lot now. There was a bit of sunshine, but not a lot.
Grayson
mostly slept. I it's because the weather is about to change, but we'll see. We
worry about each other.
And
that's all that happebed. I'm listening to Dvorak now, but as soon as that's
over with, I can go to bed.
It's
a warm, cloudy night in the field.
October
23
Well,
this was a weird day. I had to pee, and when I looked at the clock, I
thought it was either 10:15 or 11:15, but in fact, it was 12:15, so I had to
go back in the bedroom and get my glasses. I didn't really want to get up, but
I knew if I didn't it would probably be at least 3 PM before I got up and that
would start a new cycle of late nights and no time to do any business.
So
I got up and eventually got something to eat, but I didn't eat the third piece
of toast. I did my surfing and my reading, although I'm not seeing very well
today. I haven't moved. Dinner was the third piece of toast and some
spreadable cheese. I didn't want to get up and I didn't want anything in the
house that I have to eat, so I didn't. I feel better after my toast, but I
don't know how long that's going to last.
The
weather was warm and breezy. The high temperature was 66º and the wind was
from the south with gusts up to 41 mph. It was clear and blue until around
4:30, then the cloudsd moved in, bu tit looked to be clear at the end of
twilight.
Grayson
couldn't figure out what I was doing, so he kept coming around and mewing, He
was happiest this morning, when I was asleep and he was asleep on his back
being propped up by the bathroom door. He looks so comfy when he does that.
So
that was my weird day and now it's a clear (I think) dark night in the field
because it's new moon.
October
22
I
think I turned out the light around 1:30, but I had a terrible night. I hurt,
not in the joints so much as around them and no matter which way I tried to
sleep, I was in pain. I was up about every hour and a half and while I didn't
get up until after noon, I did not get enough sleep.
I
kind of fiddled around, but eventually I went down to the laundry room, got a
new pair of sweats and started the load of underwear. Luckily, when I finished
emptying the dryer, I found two more pairs of panties, because I needed them.
I had a nasty accident later in the afternoon.
So
I went up to the north end, because I had to find another pair of sweats and
clean myself up, but I was so tired I that after I did that, I just sat. So I
was there when Debbie called. How nice!
She
is in the process of buying a condo and she has been nice enough to keep me up
to date on how it's going. The latest is that she may be able to close on it
next week, rather than waiting until November 11. She is so excited about it
that it's fun to talk to her about it.
Anyway,
we talked for at least a couple of hours. My phone didn't go to low battery
until after she hung up, but I forgot that I could have plugged it in. I did
that when I got back to the office with my dinner.
Something
weird happened to my router this morning and I had no service until I finally
power failed the router. It was working to the outside world but not in the
house. Strange.
The
weather was warmish but cloudy, at least until late in the afternoon, when it
began to clear up.. I was sitting in the dark in the bathroom and I could see
stars, so at least for a while it was clear. The high temperature was 58º and
there was no wind.
Grayson
was somewhere around me all day. He knows I don't feel very good. He asked -
once - for my dinner, but then he went away. Otherwise, I had some trouble
steering around him.
So
I am tired, but I think maybe my pains will go away. Let's hope. I need to be
able to sleep.
Now
it's a cark, possibly clear, warmish night in the field.
October
21
I
think it was around 1:30 when I got to bed and I slept well until around 1
PM. I was tired when I got up and it just got worse as the day went on ,
By dinnertime, I was so tired I just sat for a long time, in the bathroom, in
the kitchen,,, When I get tired, I have a hard time seeing, and it' s rea;;u
bad now. I need to go to bed.
The
weather was so lovely, and I wish I could have stuck my nose outside. It was
clear all day and thehigh teomperature was 60º (!), The wind was mostly from
the northwest with gusts up to 26 mph. Shirley used to say there was always a
cold spell in October, followed by a real "Indian Summer." That
hason' happened reliably in the past 20 years, what with climate change and
all, but it seems to be this year. We are having about a week of warm, sunny
weather (they cay) before the rain moves in again. I'll take it.
Grayson
was clingy again. I don't know if it's because I went away yeserday, or he
knows I'm not wekk or he isn't well. Sometimes I can read his fuzzy little
mind and sometime I just can't. He wanted my dinner, or course. He knows I
brought in the other bag of kibble, and he wanted some, but I was otherwise
engaged. He'll get it tomorrow.
SO
that's all there is and it's a clear (I think) warm night in the field.
October
20
Well,
I didn't dawdle much and I got my bath, although it was 1:30 before I got to
bed and I was up several times. As usual, I woke up right before the alarm
went off and I couldn't wait for it because I had to pee. I did diddle
around a bit because I had to wake up, but I was doing well and then I started
reading something.
I
was pretty sure I would be late, and I was, a little more so because
apparently the bridge was up and I had to wait for that. I wasn't too awfully
late, though. '
I
wasn't walking too well but the nice people at the dentist's office helped me
get where I needed to be. I'm happy to say my teeth and gums are fine.
THen
it was off to home and I needed gas, which turned out to be difficult. I
didn't stop at Pat's because there was nobody else there and their gas was 9¢
a gallon more than other stations. I did have a 30¢ coupon, but the last time
I tried to use it, it wouldn't work, and the last time I got gas, the pumps
didn't work.
So
I went around the corner to the BP station where it was $4.199. And then the
pump ate my card and wouldn't give it back, so I had to walk from the pump
into the store - quite a way - to get help. Fortunately, the lady was was very
nice about it. So I pumped gas, and while I was trying to top off the tank a
guy shouted at me "Hey, there's a puddle of gas under your car. Oh,
S**T. Anyway, even with that, it only took about 19 gallons - and the
bill made my hair stand up on end. Yikes! Thank goodness I don't use much gas
anymore. And also, when the gauge reads 1/8, I still have about 7 gallons
left. NIce to know.
I
got home around 5:30.
The
weather was cold and windy but sunny and blue. at least 5:30, when the clouds
moved in. The high temperature was 47º and the wind was evidently all from
Calumet south. The highest it was here was 10 mph from the north and for three
hours in the late afternoon, it was calm. What a difference 40 miles can make!
The humidity was quite low, too. It was so nice to see the sun and to glide
down the hill and see all that blue, blue water. Superior blue is my favorite
shade, but I've never seen any clothes that color.
Grayson
wasn't around when I got home, but he did turn up later and he seems glad to
see me, although he was mostly glad to see my dinner, that he didn't get any
of. As I was rustling around this morning, I discovered that all the noise he
was making in the middle of the night was because he got a mouse - the first
one of the fall. I had to leave it, but I will have to pick it up and dispose
of it tonight.. Not my favorite task. I wish I could train him to drop them
into the toilet.
So
that was my day and I'm exhausted. I was not walking well, but except for
getting into the car this morning when my knee went out, I've been able to get
up from sitting fairly well.
Now
it's a cold, cloudy night in the field.
October
19
I
was even later last night than the night before, but I did get almost 11
hours' sleep. I didn't diddle around, but I move so slowly that it was still
late before I had breakfast.
I
was trying to do some surfing and listen to ATC at the same time when the
phone rang and the dentitt said, "can you come tomorrow?" Well, I
wasn't about to say no, but it means I have to wash my hair tonight, not what
I was planning, because I've been really tired all day, but I'll do it. I
think I can get almost enough sleep and still make it to Houghton by 2 PM.
The
camera hung up again, so when I got to the office, I reseated the plug. That
whole cluster of USB connectors is sort of loose. It didn't want to stay up,
so I untangled the cord. Unfortunately, in the course of doing that, I pulled
the power cord, so I had to reboot. Sometime I guess I'm going to have to open
up the case and see what I can do about that USB cluster Anyway, with a little
more fiddling and being very careful when I rolled the case back into its
spot, it was working fine. We'll see about tomorrow.
Unfortunately,
it was 4:20 PM before I took the first picture of the day. The day started out
cloudy and cold, but sometime in mid-afternoon, the last of the clouds went
away and it was clear for a while, although it was cloudy at twilight. It's
still windy, with gusts up to 33 mph, and cold -the temperature has finally
risen to 45º. It was nice to see the sunshine, but this is a time of year
when it shines right on the monitor for over an hour, and with the glare and
my bad eyes, it's nearly impossible to read anything. O have the same trouble
in the kitchen, where the sun shines in the windows and I can't see anything
in and around the sink.
Grayson
was very clingy today, for some reason. He got a lap sit and a lot of petting.
So
that was my day and now I have to run away and wash my hair. It's a cold,
windy night in the field.
October
18
I
was really late last night, I guess because i was reading and it was
interesting. I slept well; since I got rid of all the fluid, I've been able to
sleep at least three hours between trips to the bathroom, although sometimes
it's close. So I got up late and diddled around a bit, but I did get two meals
in for the first time in a while. I am still moving slow, so getting my
breakfast took some time. I started for the kitchen, via the powder room, to
get dinner and ended up reading for an hour. It was a very interesting
article, I don't read as fast as I used to, either, especially on the phone,
where I have to enlarge the pages so much I have to move back and forth for
each line. Sometimes and some sites are all right, but I'm not seeing very
well today.
Anyway,
dinner was good and it was nice to have more than one meal for a change.
When
I get up, I check the weather and the camera, and this morning (oops,
afternoon) it had hung up. It seems to do that every time I have to reboot and
I had to reboot yesterday afternoon, because something weird happened to the
mouse driver. So I decided not to wait and tried to start the laptop. I
discovered that the power cord had gotten disconnected from the wall -
how, I don't know how. I managed to get it plugged back in, but I had to stand
up to do it. I think it's OK now. However, it confirmed the suspicion
I"ve had for a while that the last battery I bought doesn't hold a
charge. That's the second one. I am going to have to hassle Amazon about that.
I think it was a week ago, at most, when I last turned it on, and surely it
should have held at least a partial charge for that long! Good thing I keep it
plugged in (usually) because it's usually some sort of emergency when I use
it.
The
weather is moderating, but very slowly. We had two hours of "breezy"
before it went back to "windy"" The highest wind was between 8
and 9 AM, at 38 mph with 52 mph gusts.. The high temperature was 44º, but it
was mostly steady around 42º. That puts the wind chill down around freezing.
It's also been very humid. My knees and hips were tolerable, but my shoulders,
particularly the right one, are very sore, which makes it even more difficult
to get up.
We
made the New York Times, although they didn't mention the Keweenaw, because
they were talking about the snow and we didn't get any. That blob that has
been hanging over Marquette for the last couple of days is finally moving
slowly east - the center is over SSault Ste. Marie now Not only did they get
around 16" over toward Marquette, it was that horrible, wet sticky stuff
that is so hard to move. I'm glad it missed us. Oh, we'll get ours, but maybe
not for a couple of weeks.
Grayson
got a nice lap sit and short tummy rub, but he wanted more canned food, even
though he has kibble. He thought he thought he wanted my dinner, too. One
thing about Schwan's single servings is that there isn't enough for both of
us, especially when I've been essentially fasting for several days.
So
that's all there is. The lake is still singing, but maybe not quite as loudly.
It probably won't bother me. I lie down and go right to sleep.
It's
a cold, dark, windy night in the field.
October
17
I
was late again last night, but I slept well, as i usually do when the lake is
singing, and I got up around 11L30. And did nothing. There was a lot of
reading in my surfing, but that's about all I did.
The
lake is still singing tenor and the wind is blowing even stronger, but there
hasn't been any rain or snow here. What rain there is started out from Ontonagon
to Houghton to Marquette,
and it's now centered on Marquette and being pushed south by very strong north
winds. The highest sustained winds so far have been 33 mph and the highest
gusts have been 53 mph, not together. The temperature has been pretty nearly
steady at 40ºm although it's dropping off now. It's so cold in here that I'm
going to have to try to figure out where to hook up the space heater.
Grayson
got a short lap sit, but he wasn't comfortable. He keeps coming back and
mewing at me, so I pet him a couple of times and he goes away again.
And
that's it. It's a cold, extremely windy night in the field.
October
16
I
didn't get to bed until 1:45 AM, but I did sleep well - until 1:15 PM. That
should have been enough, but it wasn't.
The
reason, I think, is that I have the Shari virus. It's a little early, but
that's definitely what it is. So I feel lousy and all I want to do is sleep. I
hope to start doing that early tonight. At least my legs weren't too bad
today.
The
weather is in waiting mode, although the wind has started to rise in the past
hour. The temperature was in the mid 40s and there was almost no wind until
after 8 PM. but in the past hour it has risen to 20 mph with 30 mph gusts from
the northeast. The low is over Lake Huron, more or less, so the wind will
twist north as it moves. We are under a winter storm warning until 8 PM
tomorrow and a lakeshore flooding warning until Tuesday afternoon. The waves
will be so high, the water will wash over low-lying areas, including roads, on
the north shore. When I'm glad I'm living on a rock pile in a harbor. This is
way early for winter gale, but I remember the year we stayed for three weeks
in the fall and got into one, although it didn't snow; That was the year we
went over to Lac LaBelle to get away from the wind and found 10 lakers huddled
in the lee of the peninsula. I wish I could find those pictures. Anyway, the
funny thing about toda is that the Weather Underground has been pushing the
onset of the rain ahead by an hour about every hour and the time of snow
rather than rain has gotten a whole lot smaller. I believe the NWS when
they say we're going into a gale - sometime - but I'm a bit doubtful
about snow this early in the season. Yes, the lake is warm, and
yes, the air is going to get cold, but that warm lake warms up the air, too.
We shall see what we shall see tomorrow morning The NWS tends to get bent out
of shape easily, especially this early in the season.
Grayson
got a nice lap sit and a long tummy rub this afternoon, as well as his
favorite food, so he was happy, even though he didn't get any of my dinner.
Speaking
of critters, there were critters in the attic for a while. I think it was
yesterday. I didn't hear them today. They get in every so often, but they
never stay long.
Now
it's time to totter up to the north end and fall into bed. It's a cold, windy
night in the field and the gale is coming...
October
15
I
won't be as early to bed tonight as I was last night. There are several
reasons for that, including an hour on the phone with Debbie. I had been about
to make rice when she called, but after we hung up, I just sat for a long
time. I have that problem these days - I never know how my knees are going to
be, and I'm afraid they willl hurt, so I don't want to get up. I did finally
get it done and made my dinner and they weren't too bad, but I never know and
standing up from a chair is difficult.
Anyway,
I got to bed not long after 11PM, and I slept good but I was up a lot. I woke
up around 9:30 and decided I'd had enough sleep. Wrong. I kept dozing off and
unbalancing on the pot. My mistake was, I didn't go back to bed. Now I'm
really tired. Evidently it's got to be 11 hours now.
When
I got up, there was a bit of sunshine, but it went away fast and it's been
dull and gray and raining lightly ever since. The temperature got down to 34º
overnight and it was nearly steady at 40º all day, with a brief high of 44º.
There was almost no wind and of course the humidity was very high. Everybody
agrees that it's going to snow sundy night and maybe Monday. Sigh. The maples
along the road behind my house are fully colored now and the snow won't do
them any good at all.
Grayson
is still very cuddly, although he didn't get on my lap. He keeps coming around
and mewing at me.
So
that's all there was and I have a fatigue headache, so I guess I won't even be
able to hear all of the Sibelius.
It's
a dark, cold, rainy night in the field.
October
14
Well,
that was nice. I got to bed just after 11 PM and I got up around 9:30l. I', going
to try to do the same tonight. During the night and when I got up, my knees
wee very sore, but by the time I got my breakfast (very late, something else I
have to work on) I was able to do it and only sat down once. When I got up to
vixit the powder room and make my dinner, I wasn't in very much pain at all
and I was able to make my whole dinner without sitting at all. I still have
some pain in my knees, but it's quite tolerable.
It's
amazing, but this has happened before. Now all I can hope is that it stays
this way.
Trouble
was, my knees hurt while I 'm sitting down, so I was reluctant to get up and
as a result, the only thing I did was to begin to gather up the trash on the
stove, and I didn't do much of that. There is so much to do around here...
What
made all that remarkable was that the weather was lousy again. The temperature
was steady at 40º but there wasn't much wind. It rained off and on between 8
AM and 5 PM but it wasn't very much - about 0.14". Needless to say, the
humidity was astronomical, which is why I don't knowwhy my knees feel so goot.
I'm not complaining, you understand. The temperature is in the middle 30s now
and they are predicting snow for all night Sunday night. Seems to me it's a
little early to be so cold, and it doesn't bode well for our winter.
Grayson
was around me all day and he got on my lap twice and looked at me with big,
sad eyes. I hope it's me who worries him and not him. He wanted my dinner,
which probably has onion in it, and when I didn't give him any, he sat down
with his back to me and his feet all tucked in. He still hasn't figured out
why he can have yogurt and occasionally chicken or beef (not very often) but
noting else. I get the sad eyes for that, too.
So
that's another day and I;m praying my knees stay better. It's a dark, cold.
moist night in the field.
October
13
I
was moving slow last night.
when
I got to bathroom, I suddenly remembered that while I had made the bulletin, I
had never sent it out. So I had to fire up the laptop and it was so long since
I'd used it that it had to reboot and get all the bloat ware loaded. Then
Norton went right to a disc scan. Arrggghhh!!!!! I had to compose an emali
around the bulletin and I had a terrible problem getting it done. I wasn't
typing very well, the font is so tiny I can hardly read it and it was
responding very slowly (having partly to do with the disc scan). I finally got
it sent out and as I expected, I had made a lot of mistakes, but my
wonderful proofreader had caught them all. I finally got it done and sent out,
but it was 1:30 before I got to bed.
I
slept well in between wakeups, but I had accidents twice and I finallly had to
change my underwear. THat's the trouble with sleeping so soundly. And then I
didn't get up until around 2 PM. Today was dinner, and I had to make most of
it sitting down. That works, but it's sort of unhandy. Tomorrow will be
dinner, too - I want that marinated salmon - but I have to make rice, so I
will probably get two meals. Or I hope so.
Obviously,
I didn't do anything other than get a bunch of dirty clothes into the hampers.
The
weather was marginally better than yesterday. At least it didn't rain and the
skies weren't so dark. The temperature was steady at about 46º and the wind
was from the north at about 10 mph. The humidity was a tad lower, too, but not
enough to help my knees.
Grayson
has been right around me all the time, sweet thing that he is. I think he's
really worried about me. Besides, he got yogurt tonight.
So
that's all there us. Now I;m going to try to get to bed early.
It's
a dark, cold night in the field.
October
12
Well
it was an interesting day
and not at all what I planned.
I
got to bed around 1 AM - later than I wanted too - but I woke up around 10 AM
and decided I'd better get up. I was moving very slowly. I managed to get my breakfast
in about 45 minutes, but by the time I got to the office, I had only
about 15 minutes to eat it. I managed to stay on schedule, but on my way to
the bathroom, I had an accident. I thought it was a minor one, mostly on the incontinent
pad, but when I went to get up from the pot, I realized there was stuff all
over the back of my jeans. I have that problem almost every time I have an
accident, but it's been a while since I've had one after breakfast.
So
it became clear that I was going to be late at the dentist, so I called them
and I decided I wouldn't be able to make it at all They were very
understanding, but they didn't call back with a new appointment, so I may not
be able to see them until next April. It really doesn't matter much, since my
oral hygiene is good and I don't have any problems.
After
that abd a call to Ron, I was so tired and I had such a backache that I laid
down on the bed and napped for about an hour before he came and brought in all
the boxes in my breezeway. I finally have something to eat!! I didn't get a
big Schwan's order, but I got a lot of fish and I had some for dinner tonight.
It was so nice not to scrounge around for something to mix wih rice!
The
weather was mostly awful, but not quite as awful as they were predicting. I
woke up around 10 AM because the wind was pounding on the front of the house.
How I wish I had a weather station, because the NWS report was definitely NOT
what I was experiencing. The blow only lasted for 10 minutes or so, but it
brought the rain with it, and it was rainy and windy for the rest of the day.
The high temperature was 63º, but it seemed to be going up and down all
afternoon and it was more like 50º. The wind started out from the southwest
and ended from the northwest, and the gusts were up to 30 mph (oh, maybe they
reported that blast with the next hour's readings - the actual time of a
reading is 9 minutes before the hour). Of course it was extremely dark and
gray.
Grayson
was somewhere around me all day. When i laid down to take my nap, he went to
sleep with his back against the bathroom door. He was happy to see Ron, but I
think he wanted to be picked upl. Ron did give him a nice pet.
So
it was a sort of strange day and i am so tired. Maybe I can get myself back on
a human schedule. My knees, my hips, my back and my hands all hurt, so I think
the thing to do is put them to bed. My body just cannot stand this weather.
Oh, but I have to listen to the Schubert first.
Now
it's a dark, cold, rainy night in the field.
October
11
I
think it was about 2:30 AM when I got to bed and I didn't get up until about 2
PM. Fortunately, the only thing I had planned was to wash my hair, and I did
get that done, although it was hard. I thought I was all right, but I had to
walk a bit to get the towels and weigh myself, and when I got into the shower,
I started having trouble with my knee. I was having such trouble that I sat
down to dry off, but eventually I was able to get dressed.
Then,
after I put everything away, I had to put the load of bottoms in the dryer. By
the time that was done, I couldn't walk, so I sat down in the transfer chair -
much to Grayson's puzzlement - and I got his dinner and most of mine while
sitting down. I'm lucky to have long arms. The only casualty was that I salted
my eggs too much. I was able to get out of the chair with less trouble than I
thought I might, but I still could barely walk. I made it to the office, but
I've been sitting here ever since. What I really need is a transfer chair with
a seat that is about 42" from the floor.
The
weather was warm and pretty. The high temperature was 69º and there was a
strong south wind with gusts up to 30 mph. It was clear and blue. Good thing I
just checked it because the website went down. I wish I had been able to stick
my nose outside, because tomorrow is supposed to be cold and rainy. I have to
pump gas, too. Ugh.
Grayson
was good and he didn't natter at me, but I didn't diddle around very much -
just enough for the Tylenol to kick in. He was a bit perplexed by what I did
to feed him, but that was all right. He was happy when I put the bowl on the
floor. He is a laid=back cat abpit some things, and what I do doesn't freak
him out usually.
So
that was it. I'm not going to get enough sleep tonight, I fear, but I'll try.
At least I'm finally clean again, although just how clean is debatable.
After I got my hair washed, all I wanted was to get out of the shower and sit
down as fast as possible.
Now
it's still a clear and warm night in the field, but we'll see what happens
tomorrow.
October
10
)
was late last night, mostly because my left leg started acting up and it took
me a long time to do my think. I was technically in bed for about 11 hours,
but it wasn't restful. My knee was so sore I could only sleep on my left side,
where it was straight out and I had to go to the bathroom very frequently. So
it was not a restful night and I felt lousy all day
My
leg is still bad and I made the mistake of sitting down in three different
places. It was easiest to get out of the dining room chair, but not by much.
The transfer chair was very hard, but I think I can fix that. I adjusted the
rolling stool so I could get fully on the seat, although it didn't feel like
it, but then I discovered that it won't roll with my full weight on it. I
suspect it might not roll even with Debbie on it. So I finished making my
yucky dinner while standing up and I could hardly walk at all.
The
only saving grace of the last 24 hours is that I got to see the Hunter's Moon
setting over Hunter's Point. And the Girdle of Venus had a moonstone in it for
a few minutes between about 7:45 and 8 AM. That was a sight to behold. There
were some light clouds in the west, which made the Girdle brighter pink and
made the moon sort of fuzzy. I can certainly see why they named the stone
moonstone!
Today
I did nothing. I was hoping to wash my hair, but when I felt my leg, I
aborted. I have to do it tomorrow, though, so I'm clean for the dentist, but I
think I can do it sitting down if I have to. And maybe even get up, too. I've
taken baths sitting down before. It's hard to rinse off the soap and I can't
do my bottom, but everything else works. We'll see how it goes.
The
weather today was sparkling but cold. The high temperature was 53º. The wind
was from the southwest and rther brisk, with gusts up to 20 mph for a couple
of hours before it died down, and it has not shifted to th e north and is
light and variable. The humidity was low for a few hours before it went up
again. I think I knew that.
I
think Grayson was asleep on the reading pillow in the chair while i was
asleep. He went away for a wnile but ever since he's been lying under my feet;
I don't know if he's sick or he knows I am, but having him around is
comforting.
So
that's it. I will have to be earlier tomorrow. Now, it's a clear, cool night
in the field.
October
9
)
wasn't as late last night, but I was just as late getting up and I diddled
around for a long time before I got dressed and fed the cat, but then instead
of making my own dinner, I went to the office. For one thing, the camera
software hung up and the last few rays of the sun were so pretty that I wanted
to see if I could capture it. THen I did my surfing, so it was very late
before I made my dinner,
One
reason I waited so long was that when I got up, I could hardly walk After
suttubg for several hours, ,though, my knees were pretty good, which surprised
me. I probably could have made my whole dinner while standing, but I dumped
teh tray I put on the Rollator and I had to sit down to retrieve all th stuff,
so I just sat while I fixed my chicken . Now I'm so iired hat I don' know
if I an get up! We;ll see,
I
did finally put in a Schwans order. The only thing I Have on hand is
four meals of chicken thighs, and much as I like them, it gets old after a
whle. This order is mostly fish, which I can't get locally. It will be nice to
open the freezer and say, "Hmm, what would be nice tonight?"
I
was surprised and gratfied to discover that I can get my delivery on
Wednesday! I must not have been the only person complaining about the
chaos of their UPS shipping. We'll see how long it lasts, though.
I'm
having a terrible time typing tonight, and seeing what I've typed, so please
excuse any typos.
THe
weather was nice - cold but mostly sunny. The high temperature was 50º. but that
was between 7 and 8 AM. IIt was colder for the rest of the day. There was a
light wind that maxed out at 10 mph. It was artly sunny, Since the camera wss
down. I don't know when that cloud at sunset came from.
Grayson
was patient until I started rustling around and then he wanted his dinner NOW.
it;s his favorite, and almost all of ht was gone before I made my
dinner, which he wanted, too. Sorry, buddy. He dies feel better today and his
ears are cool again.
I
finally changed the batteries in the mouse and it seems to have helped,
but I'm having a terrible time finding the keys.
It's
late, so i'd better go to bed. it's apparently a cloudy, cold night in the
field.
October
8
It
was another lost day. I could have gotten up at a semi-reasonable hour, but it
didn't feel like enough sleep, so I didn't. Then there was the usual stuff, so
I was late eating, then I was reading the story I'm in the process of actively
writing, so now it's really late. I really must start writing some of that
dowm; my planning is several weeks and several episodes ahead of what's
written.
The
weather was pretty much like yesterday. The high temperature was 53º and the
wind was from the north with gusts as hgh as 23 mph. It was cloudy all day,
with just a few peeks of sunshine.
Grayson
doesn't feel good. He has very warm ears and he was around me all day. He
slept on my lap for a long time this afternoon. I'm watching him.
My
knees and hips hurt, but it's weird. They hurt more when I'm sitting down. It
is hard to stand up and I nearly ended up on the floor in the middle of the
night, because the rug in front of the toilet started slipping when I was
halfway up and all I could do was crash back onto the seat. I got around it by
putting on my Crocs just long enough to get up, then I took them off. They
grip the tile and are much safer. I don't know how it happened, but I guess
I'll be using the Crocs in the bathroom for a while. I actually didn't have a
lot of problems walking, although my right hip hurt. So you never can tall.
THe only problem is that I remember how hard and painful it can be to stand up
so I don't do it and I wet my pants. Sigh.
So
now it's stupidly late on a cold, cloudy night in the field and I'd better go
to bed.
October
7
I
was reading again last night, so I was late going to bed and late getting up
and I didn't do anything. Today my knee has been bad so i didn't wash my hair
again, and it's getting bad.
I
did try to set up the rolling stool and i thought I got it right, but first i
couldn't get completely onto the seat - I'll work on that tomorrow - and then
it wouldn't roll. I'll have to look at the casters. It was frustrating,
though. The seat hurt my bottom and trying to roll around hurt my bad knee.
Having the Rollator to hold things and help me stand up was very helpful,
though.
The
weather was cold. The temperature was nearly steady arou8nd 42º and the wind
was from the north mostly, with gusts up to 20 mph. It's moved west now and I
guess it's supposed to get very windy by tomorrow. It was cloudy and gray.
Grayson
wanted my dinner and he particularly wanted my dessert, which was yogurt, but
it was full of berries and melted frost and I didn't have anything to put some
in for him.. He even put on his pleading face, but I couldn't help him.
So
it was another quiet day and now it's a cold, cloudy night in the field.
October
6
So
I inverted. I was reading one of my favorite stories and I was afraid to get
up, which was right. I cou8ld hardly step on my right leg at all and it took
me a long, painful time go get up to the north end. Then I didn't want to get
up again because I was afraid it would hurt - which it did - so I was stupidly
late getting to bed. By the time I got up for the first time, it was better,
and when I finally did get up it was fine until I started walking on it..
I
need to get the rolling stool adjusted. It is so high right now that the last
time I tried it, I almost fell off it and I could walk better then. If it's
lower, I will have a hard time standing up from it, but I don't think it will
get away from me. Or I sure hope not. It's an item that really needs a brake,
although it would be hard to put on on it. I use the cabinets as a backstop,
but it needs to be lower than it is now.
I
think the rollator needs to have its handles lowered, too. They are higher
than my cane and one problem I have is that when I can't put much weight on my
leg, I have to lean on the handles and then my shoulders get very sore. I'll
get everything customized eventually.
The
weather turned cold and extremely windy overnight. The high temperature was
technically 52º, but that was very early this morning while it was still
going down. It was steady at 48º all afternoon. The wind was from the
northeast, mostly, as high as 33 mph with 47 mph gusts It was cloudy and dull
abd gray,
The
lake has been singing loudly. THe wind chill has been down in the middle 30s.
My body isn't ready for this, even though I am.
I
didn't see much of Grayson, although he was around and he shouted at me when I
was late getting his dinner. He wanted some of mine, too, but he didn't get
any.
So
that was another truncated, quiet day and now it's a cold, windy night in the
field.
October
5
Happy
Birthday, daddy. Hw would have been 110 years old today.
Last
night started out badly, because my left leg was sore, but eventually it
settled down. and my last sleep was almost 5 hours long. Unfortunately, it
meant that I got up around 1:30 PM. I was hoping to get my hair washed, but my
knee was sore again and I'm glad I didn't try. Maybe tomorrow, although my leg
has been bothering me all day. I took some Tylenol when I got up, but I
couldn't get the schedule right to take any more, so I hurt. At least I could
walk a bit, which helped.
I
did finally get the bulletin out, but I mislaid some of the information, so I
had to do it twice. I really don't like the app I'm using for webmail, but the
other one I know about, I can't figure out how to create and send one out. I'm
not sure what I'm going to do about that.
The
weather was mostly cloudy but sort of warm. The high temperature was 69º and
there wasn't much wind. I think it was more humid than yesterday, which might
explain my sore legs. The wind looks like it might be picking up, which might
help make it more comfortable in the bedroom. the next few days are supposed
to be cold (aroundf 40º) and rainy, so I'm not looking forward to that. It's
gone now, but for several hours the gibbous moon was shining in the south
windows.
Grayson
slept, although he began to get annoyed when I was so late (I lost track of
time). He was happier after he got his wet food, which was a flavor he likes.
He has been coming into the office and mewing every so often tonight.
I
lost track of time again, for about three hours, so now I have to decide
whether to keep reading or give up and go to bed. It's so far a sort of warm,
partly cloudy night in the field.
October
4
I
had a better night last night, although I kept waking up all hot and sweaty. I
think it wasn't too long after 1 AM when I went to bed and I didn't get up
until about 2 PM, so I should have had enough sleep, but I've been tired all
day. I have to say, though, that my knees were much better. The only thing
was, I didn't believe that, since when I got up, they weren't, so I just sat
for a very long time before I finally got dressed and found that I could move
a little better. i won't say it's over yet, but it is getting better and
that's a relief.
It
was a cloudy, gray day. The high temperature was 67º, but it was weird,
because it happened between 10 and 11 AM and went down to about 62º for the
rest of the afternoon. There was almost no wind. It was so hot at the north
end that I opened the window in the bathroom, opened the one in the bedroom
that I've had sort of open and turned on the fan. I hope it's cooler tonight.
I'm tired of waking up in a sweat.
Grayson
mostly slept. but when I started rustling around, he got anxious. He was
happier after I gave him one of his favorite flavors, though. Now he's
nattering at me tp go to bed.
One
thing that's probably good about my leg problem is that I've figured out how
to do a lot of prep work for dinner while sitting down. It involves the tray I
keep on the Rollator, the long reach tool and my long arms, but it seems to be
working. I'm hoping to stop using it regularly, but it's good to have those
things available.
How
it's a cool, cloudy night in the field and maybe I can get to bed at a
reasonable time again.
October
3
It
was another lousy night, but, not as bad as the one before. I was up several
times and it was hot, but I managed to walk. Lying down for a while does seem
to help my knees. But I got up late and diddled around.
I
had to call Ron to get my mail - including my pills, which came in a box! - so
I asked him to bring in the groceries. The fridge is now pretty full, but I
haven't prepared the stuff for the freezer yet. I was able to do most of it
sitting down, which is a good thing, because I had a terrible time getting out
of the transfer chair. And since Ron came not too long after the post office
closed, I only got one meal - leftovers from last night. It is nice to have a
salad again, though. Mostly my problem is getting up and i had to sjust sit
for a long time before i could do it, so everything took a long time.
I
hope I get over this. It's in my right hip again, too.
The
weather was quite nice. It was sunny and there wasn't much wind. The high
temperature was 68º.
Grayson
was wandering around all the time Ron was here, but after he left, while I was
sitting and waiting to get up, he was sound asleep beside me.
So
that was my day. I got a couple of gifts today, and i thank you. You keep the
website going and sometimes you keep me going, too. I'm very grateful.
Now
it's a cool, dark night in the field and I need to go to bed
October
2
Well,
to end a lousy day, I inverted. I don't know why, although I was reading and
the music was nice and I didn't want to get up. I had to have something to eat
before I went to bed and the time just passed. Sigh.
So
of course, I didn't get up until mid-afternoon and I'm exhausted again. that
isn't completely for lack of sleep, though. My left knee is so bad I can
hardly walk and everything from the waist down is so bad that I have a
terrible time getting up. I had a nice dinner tonight - fish - but it took me
an hour and a half to do something that should have taken 20 minutes, max. I
did as much as i could while sitting down, but that meant I had to stand up
several times and when I tried to stand up to do the fish, I almost thought I
wasn't going to make it. I keep hoping it will get better, and I think it
will, eventually. Right now, I'm severely crippled.
I
wish it would be better tomorrow. I have to get all that stuff in from the
breezeway and I really need to wash my hair. The way my legs are, I'm afraid
to try the shower. Not only is my left knee very sore when I stand on it for
more than 30 second, after I've stood up for a few minutes, it starts
collapsing, xo i nddc go holc onto something. It's hard to take a shower that
way. Sigh.
Norton
demanded that I reboot tonight and it took longer than I anticipated. I've
been having trouble with this program, so I tried to do a repair on it, but it
wants the installation disk - now where the devil did I put THAT?? I will try
to look for it tomorrow.
ºThe
weather was cool but sunny witn almost no wind. The high temperature was 59º
and it was quite humid. It was nice to see all that blue sky and blue water,
though.
Grayson
was rather patient with me, like he knew I'm having trouble moving. He only
set up a fuss when I got to the kitchen and I think that was because he was
getting his favorite food. For the past few months he has defeloped a really
loud purr, which gets louder when I pet him. I hope it doesn't mean he's sick.
SO
that was my rather difficult day and now it's a cool, clear night in the field
and i have to try to make it to the bathroom again. Sigh.
October
1
So
I was late getting to bed. For one thing, I was having trouble getting up, and
for another, my legs wee killing me. I think it was the joints, but the pain
had spread all the way from my hips. I didn't sleep well. I was up about every
hour and a half, partly from the pain in my legs, and I had to pee. So even
though I got up late, I didn't get enough sleep. That was obvious while I was
trying to do the surfing I do with the phone. I kept dozing off and
practically falling off the pot.
So
I didn't do anything. I think the stuff in the breezeway is safe and I am
having enough trouble walking that I don't 'think I could have done it anyway.
I am not in quite as much pain, but I'm weak.
The
weather was sp-so. Ir was cloudy, dull and gray for most of the day. It
cleared up right around sunset, but the last picture before twilight ended had
clouds in it again. The high temperature was 53º, but it was steady around
52º for most of the day. There wasn't any wind.
Grayson
was a bit put out with me because I was late, and while he kept coming around
and mewing, he didn't try to get on my lap.
So
that was my day. I'm glad it's October. Now it's a cool. cloudy night in the
field.