Just Another Week

The Ex & I just celebrated our 32nd anniversary. I had to look it up in the files since neither of us has ever been able to remember the exact date!  The "Wedding" happened in a hurry one afternoon between his shift  & mine on the only day when we could co-ordinate the witnesses, the Commissionaire, our schedules .  .  .  .  .  AND still get the  Spousal Tax Deduction.  I think the whole thing took 8 minutes & we didn't bother to tell anyone for months. Why? We had multiples of everything from tea pots to TVs when we combined households & didn't need or want anything more.

And what did we do to celebrate??? Two dishes of take-out Chinese food picked up as I passed on my way home from an appointment. Chicken & Broccoli & Sing Chow curried noodles have become our favorites along with Wor Wonton Soup. I know I enjoyed it.

Life has been busy as hell with all these medical appointments & tests.  This week I finally got all the results. I am much improved & my lungs are finally clear since leaving the hospital - Yessssss!  But I could tell I was better by the things I can do. Not the same as the old healthy me but a lot better than the weak sister I was when released.  I can leap out of bed - hahahaha - & be ready to go for coffee in less than an hour nowadays if I really try! I can walk the whole Safeway without having to sit & rest but still not able to do the Home Depot without a scooter.
They are still harping on about a C-pap machine at night since my O2 goes very low when I sleep so I made an appointment for January to shut everyone up & get all the info direct from the horse's mouth. I had a look at the masks on display & they sure are a whole lot different from the dinosaur that jumped up & down on my face in the hospital!!  My nasal bones are still tender from the pounding they got in ICU. All I can say is it's a good thing my dating days are over!

Knitting Content - socks of course! Dug into my stash & found some Opal Rainforest yarn in greens. I think the critter on the ball band is a Moth. When I find the camera, I'll take a shot. Another pair of scrappy socks in pinks/purples - I love them so much they're not leaving home!!
Found a small bin with fleece in it. It's dry romney I bought years & years ago, It was not my first choice to spin, in fact, I was very disappointed in it at the time but the vendor told me to spin some before commenting. I did spin some of it & it turned into the most delicious steel grey skein. When washed, it wasn't dry at all but really showed it's worth when rinsed with a little conditioner. I loved it. I thought I'd spun it all up a long time ago. Found a small Turkish spindle in the same bin & have been messing around with it outside on the porch when it's warm enough .  .  .  .  .  I'm sort of thinking about Vicky's support spindle & how much easier it would be.

TIME CHANGES GO AWAY

I used to be a morning person. I could shower, brush, dress, blow dry & be out the door for work before 6:30 AM so I could have two hours of peace before the others arrived & the phones started ringing. I got more done in that two hours than I did in the rest of the day!! But, for most of the year I went to work in the dark & this time of year, I came home in the dark as well. I hated it then & still hate it now.
Mornings take a lot more time these days. I need two hours just to take the meds, wash, brush, get my shoes & socks on & THEN do all the other stuff most people do before work. I tend to get up after 9 PM unless I have no other choice! I hate time changes. I hope the government pulls the rag out of it's ass & makes a decision about which system we'll be using.

The past 5 days have been busy ones for me. I spent three hours at the JP Hospital on Friday doing all the breathing tests again. And I was there on Monday for another three hours for a cardiac ultrasound. I think I was the only woman there who was NOT getting a mammogram!! Saturday I emptied the mail box & found two parcels, dropped off prescriptions & bought groceries & Sunday I slept most of the day! Today I collected all the little pill bottles & two more parcels. Tomorrow I go to the dentist & Friday I have a Cat Scan. Whooo. Next week I'm just going to sit in the Roomie's old recliner with my feet up & rest.

Knitting - I was over to the locker & found the rest of my sock yarn. I now have ONE 135 litre bin of sock yarn instead of two boxes, one see thru bin & one sweater bin - and a bag or two of leftovers. I have one see thru bin with a broken handle - damn movers - that has THREE sweaters on-the-go in it which will sit on top. In a corner. So my projects are in front of my nose & mostly visible so I know where I am with them.
Two pairs of socks have been finished so far & I'm debating which yarn is next. Maybe some of that expensive European yarn??? I broke down & ordered a couple of $40 a ball on sale for $29 sock yarn for ME. Not my usual practice at all but life is short. And getting shorter at the rate I'm moving these days!

The Roomie & I are sitting watching TV in the middle of the afternoon!! We have the big, noisy fire log on!!  It's crackling away like mad over there but it would be nicer if it gave out a little more heat.

Rodentville

Talk about a busy social life - I have 6 major medical appointments/procedures between Nov 27 & Dec 05!! And then the really big results appointment with the Specialist on Dec 18. Wow. I remember when it took almost a year for my family doctor to even book the Specialist who would then book the Test later in the year. And if you were really lucky, you got on the Waiting List to get Something Done the following year  .   .   . 

 We have a terrible rodent problem here in Bridgeview because of the railway shunting yards & the closeness of the Fraser River. There was a time when otters & wild ducks filled the ditches which were several feet deep in some areas. Raccoons, skunks & coyotes roam the streets at night & compete with feral cats. Down here, if you don't have cats, you'll have mice for sure. About 15 years ago my Roomie became part of a Feral Cat Neutering program after the last dog died of old age & only one old cat remained. He was approached by the people trapping/neutering the cats when they needed someone to feed , water & keep the animals for two days after their surgery. They  supplied the food & cages. He has a big garage - it had space inside in those days too - & took in the cats after surgery & released them when they were ready. As a result, some stayed & he had a herd of cats for years. He has one cat left. She cozies up with him & lets him pet her but she's still wild & runs when she sees me unless the door is open.
Now that the doors are closed for the winter & she's outside most of the time, the mice have returned. We stuffed all the holes with steel wool & put out sticky traps. One big grey mouse climbs up the water tank pipes every evening & sits on top while I watch TV. Every Evening! That damned mouse knows where all the sticky traps are & goes around them. And, when startled, it avoided the shelf with the sticky trap & jumped to the one above. My Roomie was so pissed that he laid on his stomach for half the morning this morning stuffing steel wool into the narrow opening behind the hot water tank with a long tool. He thinks that's where they're coming in!!

I had to leave so I took my book & my knitting down to the Fraser River & sat in the sunshine. I was hoping the cussing & swearing yelling at home would be cleared up by the time I had to go back. We get so few days of really nice sunshine this time of year too.

By the way, no mouse sat on the water tank this evening while I watched TV. Roomie 1, Rodent 0

Wooooosh

How time whizzes by! Has it REALLY been over 5 months since I got out of the hospital??? And almost 6 since I decided to wake up & rejoin the world??? I have a busy two weeks at the end of this month  where I have to repeat all the major tests I had in the hospital. My new Respirologist - heart & lungs specialist- put me back on the puffers - yes, you DO have asthma, he said! - & ordered a CAT scan, Echo Cardiogram & Breathing test at the 6 month mark to see if there's any changes before he does anything else. But, my doctor & the Respiratory Therapist are happy with my progress so far.

We survived Halloween with only TWO kids. All the others on this street are too young for the excitement. Their fathers were doing all the celebrating with bigger & noisier fireworks instead. We have a ban on them in Surrey but they always seem to appear for Halloween, Diwali & New Year's from somewhere. I just wish they'd ban the noise bombs & bring on more colorful sprays, fountains & Roman Candles. Why is it that men need things that just make a lot of noise????

Knitting - finished my tuque & have been wearing it. And, of course, I didn't take a picture & it's in the car. One pair of socks are finished & gone & the second pair have a single sock so far. Haven't found my crochet hooks so far & it's a pain tucking in all the ends without one. I may have to go Thrift shopping to find a couple of small hooks.
Meanwhile, I have a shawl on the needles - it's cotton - And I have no idea why I bought the yarn. Lara's vest is part way down the front/back & I found the bin with my house sweater yarn in it!! Yeah.

Home in the Hovel

I acquired two pairs of almost new walking shoes, size 13, today for my 'donation' bag. The Roomie complained about his boots hurting so I got on the internet & ordered a pair of boots & a walking shoe from Rockport Canada in the elusive size 14. Since I bought all his shoes w-a-a-a-y back - yeah, back in the days when I had to go store to store looking for them - I knew what styles would fit the big canal barges he calls feet. Rockport was wonderful. I ordered them on Thursday, just before Turkey weekend & they arrived the following Wednesday!!
And they fit so well he can't wait to meet his buddies for coffee in the morning to show them off. He tossed the old beaters himself & gave me all the others that he had stored away in the closet. Woohoo - closet space!! Now for the tee shirts!!

Since I don't have a closet, I decided to do a little tossing myself. I bagged at least half a closet of things both too big & too small - I tend to fluctuate in size - since what I really need is less fussy sweats, leggings & tee shirts these days. Not everything looks sexy with an airhose & tank! Now, if I could only get all his tools out of the back of the kitchen & into the garage .  .  .  .

Trick or Treats - it's just about THAT time again & we have kids on the street again. I was in London Drugs today getting my flu shot & found LARA Bars on sale for $3 a box of 5. I checked out all the options for 'cereal' bars, 'energy' bars etc & found LARA bars with no added sugar, salt or chemicals. They do have nuts - mostly cashews or almonds but a couple have peanut butter so I avoided them. I like them. They have dates, nuts, sometimes fruit or peanut butter but nothing else. I'd say they're a very good option.

Knitting - got a really short hair cut &  now I'm cold!! Found some odd balls of Briggs & Little Heritage in the basket in several shades of Blue. Cast on 100 stitches & have ribbed my way about halfway to a touque. Can't wait to wear it!
Scrappy sock almost has a toe & will probably end up on my foot when it's done. Should look mighty nice in my new white Sketchers with the little fake diamonds on them.

Here in the Hovel

What is it about old bachelors that makes them hang onto everything they ever owned??? No, I am not speaking only about the Roomie but about myself too. Since Summer has flown rapidly - was it only a month or so ago that we were looking for lighter tees & shorts???? I've been trying to pry more junque loose from this little bitty house & toss it.

I have learned not to use the word "donate" too often. If it's good enough to donate then we still  need it! Has anybody noticed how easy it is to toss OTHER PEOPLE'S junk but not your own??? I am trying to set an example but it's tough when almost everything I own is clothing, kitchen stuff or fibre which he thinks is junk. I did persuade him to toss most of his socks. He had two garbage bags full of socks but no pairs. And they're just awful cotton socks that he's tried to mend with wool because he can't find socks big enough. I got on the computer & ordered 8 pairs of socks in size 13 to 15. One bag went out in the garbage the day the socks arrived.
Tee shirts were next, long sleeves. He hasn't thrown anything out yet but the shirts haven't arrived. I bought Caribbean Blue, Yellow, Scarlet, Cardinal, Slate & Navy. I'm so sick of GREY. I figure all the tees will go when he gets that box.
And today, today I went to Rockport Canada & replaced his work boots - he won't throw out his old ones even though they're too heavy to wear, too small for his orthotic & make his feet sore but they're Red Wings that we paid $700 for 20 years ago!!  I also found a nice rubber soled walking shoe for every day for him as well. Take THAT old fart!!!   

Knitting - I have two pairs of socks on the needles - one is a scrappy pair in leftover Confetti/Fabel/Kroy light weight yarns & one is another orange/brown/yellow pair in the beloved Kroy 4 ply. Kroy is my winter sock yarn. It's thick & warm & soft & keeps my old dawgs toasty.
I started a vest for my friend Robert who moves furniture for a living. He lusts after a Cowichan but it would be two warm in this climate. I told him I had some Buffalo wool in one of the bins & would knit him a vest instead. It's dry, dusty & throws off fibres so I've been knitting outside on the porch for short periods. And I also have to get my ass in gear & make myself a hat - I got a women's crew cut & I freeze even in my own office!!

Thinking of Fall

Nothing like making plans for the future eh?? I realized the other day that I have no 5 year or 10 year plan anymore. I've lived most of my life with semi flexible plans & goals. The 1 year plan is subject to change all the time but leads into a 5 year plan that gets short term goals done in a reasonable time period while the 10 year plan is for bigger stuff. And we're not talking about knitting projects here although my Arvik sweater could probably be quietly slipped into the 10 year plan  .   .   .   . TWICE.  Maybe that's why I like socks so much - only a couple of week's commitment at the very longest. And they always fit!

I have no plans anymore. Other than the plan to empty my storage locker & knit as many socks as possible in the next year, I don't. My medical condition precludes long term planning and - depending on who you talk to -  big stash enhancement! Apparently I could have a stroke or heart attack any time if I over do - so winning the Lotto is out of the question!! The shock would kill me. My Respiratory Therapist was quite aggressive with me about following his rules if I want to live an Independent Life. Ouch! No cashmere for me, I guess.

Fall is coming. Most of my time is spent in this little house I am now occupying with the Roomie. It's well insulated but heated mostly with wood. Now, neither of us is getting any younger & I'm damaged but I love radiant heat. My lungs like radiant heat too - no dust flying everywhere. But, I'm going to NEED a house cardi to keep warm if the stove isn't cranked up. I like it a little cool but a lap blanket for my feet & knees will be a necessity. So it's time to get knitting & spinning. Looky there, I believe I made a Plan.

Time is Whizzing By

I can't believe it's almost a week & a half since I last blogged!! Dunno where the time goes. Mind you, this past week was busy, so busy that I irritated my torn meniscus & had to spend 4 days off my feet. Those lovely hard shiny hospital corridors play hell with my bad leg & Monday's appointments really beat me up. I spent a lot of time with my leg up on a stool in front of the tube. And speaking of the tube, I think I accidentally recorded every Dr Pol show that ran in the last month!! I got to watch them all. And I watched the Bondi Vets, the Yukon Vet, The Vet on Wheels, the Prairie Vet & the Zoo with a little Good Bones - a mom & daughter renovation show - thrown in for good measure. I am TV'd to the gills.

I did make it out on Saturday to my favorite Hen Long shop. I found persimmons!! And roast pork. The Roomie loves the Chicken pies. Green grapes, dried mushrooms, romaine, cauliflower, bananas, dried shrimp, red miso & blue berries filled up the other bags. I had cauliflower & hummus for dinner! Yummm

Kroy 4-ply

On the Needles - found the pattern to the cotton wrap I bought. The nice people at Knit Picks emailed a copy to me. And it's already started!!
Another sock is on the go as well - a nice, thick, Kroy 4-ply one in oranges,grey, blue & browns found in deep stash. Also found one of my PINK leftovers bags with a partial sock in it. I take it as a celestial hint that I must knit another pair of odd pink socks.
I suppose I should consider a winter sweater for myself one of these days. I have a box of RED Briggs & Little Heritage somewhere as well as a bag of leftover balls from a weaver & the basket of Blues which I bought on sale EONS ago. I could make a Top-Down patchwork or a Wonderful Wallaby going up. But I guess I'd better do it soon since I'm gonna need it.

IMPROVEMENTS

Made my first trip to the locker yesterday. I need to find so many things! Since it was Starbuck's two for one day, I got TWO iced coffees so I had a bribe in hand in case I needed help. No bribe was required and they offered to help me any way they could. One young man came with me & helped put several things on my dolly. I realized I could've used a smaller unit but that's okay for now, at least I don't have to put it all in the hallway to find anything!!
Found  the rice cooker, the big soup pot - yes, yes, yes, my oscillating fan & a bin of sock yarn. It wasn't the bin I wanted but it will do nicely. I found all my pillows - now I can have a good sleep with my right knee & left elbow supported. The only problem with the whole thing was the heat in there!!! And the lights - or rather - the lack of lights. No lights in each unit, only motion controlled hall lights if you can believe it. The lights kept going off on me. How do you find anything in the dark???? Grrrr

I was utterly exhausted when I finished in there. Had to park the car in the shade outside the gates, drink the remains of my iced coffee & rest for a good half hour before I could drive home. Then I had a nap.

Today I had my second appointment with my Respiratory Therapist. He saw me two months ago when I was just out of the hospital. He measured my O2 levels at rest, when walking with & without tank oxygen. And adjusted the flow of what I breath. He had ordered the full Respiratory tests I did a couple of weeks later & the overnight monitoring. HE hasn't yet posted the results to my new doctor but says he will now that a second evaluation has been done. He measured my blood oxygen again both on & off the house machine which is constant & had me walk up & down the drive for 6 minutes at a time with the tank oxygen.
I am a lot stronger than I was & am now able to take off the house oxygen when at quiet rest like watching TV or reading. I'm a lot more stable when walking too, my heart stays at a level rate & I can walk faster - well, until my knee complains too much. I knew that because I can do the whole Safeway without HAVING to sit down part way through. I told him I walk at least twice a week through two grocery stores without any major problems & try to go out every day even if it's only for a coffee. So, there is some improvement to be made in spite of what the medical doctor says!! I do feel encouraged.

Found the Chicken Bag

Knitting - there's this cotton summer wrap kit I bought. I've mislaid the damned pattern. No, it's not in Storage, it's in my office/bedroom somewhere. I don't think I can download it. But I like the colors so I may just dig out one the the patterns I have & use the yarn. I don't need it yet but it won't be long until those cool drafts start .  .  .  .  And I did find two of the big bins with sweater amounts of yarn in them while in the locker so I can get started on a simple top-down cardigan. I have grey, hot pink & black leggings for winter so the wild clearance yarn from Knit Picks would work. So would the softer British yarn in muted grey & strawberry. I'll have to try to take a picture. In the dark.

The Real Dawg Days

This coming week will be a busy one!  Marlow & I have appointments every single day & that doesn't include SHAW coming to remove a digital whatsis from the wall or the Vital Air man who drops off full cylinders & takes the empty ones away at 5:30 in the morning!!

When I moved in, I transferred my TELUS fax/phone/internet & added digital TV for Marlow. He was unhappy with SHAW & they charge him $40 a month for a phone he seldom uses so we got rid of his services & transferred his number to mine. Neither he nor I realized his phone was connected to a digital box on the wall - they've been trying to charge Marlow for not taking it back - SHAW wants it & it's up to us to return it. I spoke to the local office & they said they only installed them, it was my job to return it. I spoke sweetly to a Customer Service Person 2000 miles away, explained that it was fastened to the wall somehow & asked how to get it off the wall without using a crowbar. They immediately offered to come & remove it for us. I guess it's all in the tone of your voice .   .   .   .

It's been pretty darned hot in the late afternoons here in Bridgeview. Even with the front & back doors ajar & a breeze blowing through, it's still hot later in the day. The new porch does give us some shade now that the old tree is gone but the house has to be closed up at night or the raccoons  invade!! They love dry cat food. I think we need more cats or a dog to fight them off!

No Knitting has been going on even though I have yarn. It's too hot & I'm still working on bookkeeping stuff  .   .   .   .

The Dawg Days

 Marlow hung up my Wind Chimes for me. It's lovely listening to the one with the long tubes gently chime in the breeze that blows around the tiny porch at the top of the ramp. I sat outside for a couple of hours working on the current sock enjoying the afternoon & thinking about which yarn to use on the next ones. The bin of sock yarns I set aside to come with me went to storage so I'm left with a scrap bag .  .  .  .  but, I have to say, some of my most favored socks have come out of that bag!

Haven't been doing too much knitting because my thumbs have been really sore. Hopefully, that will change as the weather settles. I have several projects that I'd like to finish before I die!! The current car sock is almost finished - just a part of the toe to finish!! Wooo hooo  And I bought a summer project to knit in tropical colored cotton yarns. Just a simple wrap that caught my eye but something comfy to curl up in when it's breezy. And if I can find the energy, there's a couple of projects left over from last year that caught my eye  .   .   .   I have the yarn in a bag - somehow it walked into my car - but not the book with the patterns. Hopefully, all the books ended up in the same box in storage.

Lara's Vest

Kudos for the new Urgent & Primary Care Unit at the hospital. They've seen me every week since I walked in a couple of weeks out of the hospital. They like to take the time to treat the whole person. None of this 'We can only talk about TWO things today' business that the corner Clinic uses. That's what got me into trouble . No one knew my heart was failing because I wasn't allowed to talk about all my symptoms at the same time.
I now have a new Doctor & a Respiratory Therapist. And a personal Pharmacist. All my questions are answered fully or researched if no one knows. Of course, my whole history & notes from the moment I hit the hospital are on the screen for all to read. From some of their responses, it must be even worse than I know so I've given permission for all my support people to access them. Until I turned 60 & got the flu that paralyzed my left vocal chord, I've never really had any medical emergencies. So all of this is new to me. And it's so nice to be treated like a rational human instead of a symptom.

The New Normal

Still finding my way in the morass of paperwork, tests & appointments linked to a traumatic illness. Still making mistakes along the way because I overestimate my stamina. I have to get a kick in the ass learn the hard way that some things can't be ignored or bypassed. The other day I had to return equipment to the Hospital after wearing it overnight to record my oxygen levels as I slept. Was already tired when I parked in the drop-off area, took off my oxygen & decided NOT to go to  the hassle of hauling it with me for the 'short' trip in. Not too bad to the elevators but had to hold them for several people, got one old immigrant senior thrust at me by his relative who was also parked in the drop-off with the announcement that HE was going to the 2nd floor - I was going to 1, AND I was getting light headed from trying to breathe deeply. Took the elderly man to his floor, pointed him down the hall & returned to my elevator to go to #1. I'd forgotten how L-O-N-G the corridor was all the way to 1C. Had to sit down to rest before I got there. Trying to hurry without hurrying, I had to sit down before I got back to the elevator. Then I had to lean against the wall in the lobby after I got off while deep breathing. Made it back to my car on wobbly legs, cranked up the oxygen, sat down & breathed deeply. Made a bee line to Church's Chicken for a big cup of ice water & some chicken tenders when I felt I could drive. Ate & drank slowly in the shade while I breathed deeply & read my book. Picked up salad & cold meat pies at Safeway for supper. I was too tired to go beyond the Deli. Came home exhausted - yeah, hardly did ANYTHING - and went to bed. Slept like a dead person until almost 8:00. I can do several small things or one big thing before I'm worn out & have to sleep. It's frustrating. But I'm learning to keep the Oxygen on at all times.

And how are the Roomie & I working out?? We have our ups & downs. If this were a two bedroom/two bathroom house with a family room & a living room/kitchen, we'd be a whole lot better off. But it isn't. And we sometimes want different things at the same time. But, I'm in charge of food & he does the dishes. Most of the time he listens to talk radio - I shudder - and I work on my computer or listen to audio books while knitting or working a jigsaw puzzle. It could be a hellofa lot worse & I'm not sure it will last in the long run. For now, we're making it work because I realize I need a lot more help on a daily basis than I ever suspected. I look strong & healthy but this heart injury has left me weak & fragile which I don't like at all. Maybe things will improve with time & maybe I'll just get used to it. Eventually. My Roomie doesn't always notice when I need help but has no problems helping when asked.

Knitting/Spinning - still working on that sock with really sore hands. Finally got the prescription strength Tylenol for my hands & knee. We'll see if this does any good. I am not allowed Ibuprofen at all.  Tomorrow I'm going to buy a lock for my storage locker & will be able to root around inside for that dry dry Romney to spin .   .   . 

No One Noticed

One month since I escaped the hospital & I'm still living out of boxes. I did find my hairbrush, paper clips & the Payroll book. Some clothes are washed & folded into piles although the drawers in the bottom of the new bed are not put together yet. We have no pots or pans - they're still packed somewhere, I hope, but I'm too scared to go to the storage locker!! Marlow doesn't really have cooking utensils. Or dishes. The soup/spaghetti pot is outside on a barrel. Why?? Oh he was watering the grape vine .  .  .  .   I ordered a Curtis Stone flat bottomed pan with 4" sides & glass lid. It will go nicely with the two quart tall pot with the handle on one side & a spout on the other that I got just before I went into the hospital. At least I can make instant soups, noodles & stir fries until I find my big soup pot.

Running between appointments & trying to catch up with the bookkeeping left undone this past year or so .  .  .  .   seems most of my regulars knew I was sick but were  too damned chicken  hesitant to say or do anything but give me more time!  They have all remarked on my 'improvement' though. And some are still tip toeing around. Men are so silly. 


Knitting - not much knitting going on except for turning the heel on the second sock of a pair of grey striped socks. Did you think there would EVER be a time when a SOCK was not in progress??? Silly reader! I had this pair with me at the hospital. The Nurses wondered what was in the cloth bag under my left elbow that I hung onto with such fierceness. Oh yes, one wallet, my phone, my ebook, my Creative audio player, a charger for book, phone & audio player & one extra ball of yarn for the sock in progress. The sock-in-progress was in a pink bag. Nobody likes to lean on a sharp knitting needle even when they're almost dead.

Nothing Left . . .

I am moved. Well, almost - there's a couple of chairs, a plant or two & one big box of files. My biggest customer came over with his pick up & we filled it yesterday but there wasn't quite enough room for the last little things. Today we'll complete the job & I'll never go back again. Surprisingly, the neighbors came out to bid me farewell & have a friendly laugh or two. They even took home my old washer, dryer, photocopier, printer, radio, lamps, card table, file cabinet & two microwave ovens. I had a pile for the junk guy but the neighbors beat him to it.


I thought I was well & on my way to recovery when I left the hospital but boy, have I ever learned a lesson or two with all this moving. I am not recovered at all.
Monday, I had an appointment with my Respiratory Therapist at Fraser Health. Driving to Langley, being tested, walking the halls to see how long I COULD walk with the O2 machine & then driving home exhausted me. I spent almost 3 hours on the errand, came home & laid down for a nap. I slept like the dead for almost 4 hours!!!
Tuesday, I went shopping at Hen Long because I wanted fruit, juice, salad & BBQ pork & couldn't handle the Safeway. I was tired after a couple of hours, dragged myself home & did the same as Monday.
Wednesday, it was so hot we couldn't move so Marlow & I did washing & hung it all outside. Both of us slept all afternoon.
Thursday, I loaded up the car with the small stuff left at the apartment, did some banking, gassed up the car & hid under the trees with a Subway sandwich for some peace & quiet before going for a nap.
Friday, my client Dwayne loaded up all the boxes of client files etc, delivered them, rearranged the office/bedroom, told Marlow there would be so much room if he took out the Universal Gym & all the clothes hanging on it & helped him move it. I slept for most of the afternoon.
Saturday, Marlow took the Gym apart & put it all on the side of the road for the scavengers!! I missed most of it since I was out dropping off paperwork & buying more fruit & salad. Marlow got a big meat pie for dinner because he had to carry the groceries in while I went to bed.
Sunday, we went out for breakfast & generally laid about after I did a payroll & paid my client's bills.

In some ways I am very glad I moved back in with the Ex. I tire easily & when my energy runs out, it's sudden & total. Like slamming into the wall - boom, I'm done. I frequently need help because I have no strength, I'm out of breath or my balance is off. I grind my teeth & cuss under my breath a lot. It's very frustrating but most of the places I frequent know me well & have been generous with bathroom & chair. And Marlow, at 81, fetches & carries for me a lot!
In other ways, my life is upsidedown & disrupted. I can't find anything. I've had to go out & buy the necessities which are in a box marked 'Sharon's car'  & either got tossed or went to storage by someone who can't read!! Things have been thrown out that should've been saved - they tossed my houseplants!!! & two bags of wine, saved items are stuffed in a storage unit where I can't get at them, there's no closet for my clothes & I have no privacy at all.

It might've been easier to dumpster the lot & start again!

From the Frying Pan . . . .

I am just about moved. I never knew I had so much junk. Bags & bags & bags & bags & bags .  .  .  .  I think you get the message. Boxes of client files from 2003, client files for guys who have died - no wonder they never picked them up!! - & more client files from people who  dropped them off with money & never returned. I found 10 years worth of stuff dropped off by someone going to Mexico years ago who never returned.  My storage locker is stuffed, the Ex's house is stuffed & some still resides in my old living room waiting for transport in the morning. OMG. I think I have 15 boxes of canned goods, dry goods & cleaning supplies alone. I have no idea what I'll do with it all but I am going to try organizing my office first & then the bedroom next.

We couldn't get my fridge into the house. The door is non-standard - read NARROW - & impossible  to get a 32" one through. It now resides in the drive. The freezer lives next to it until help can be found to carry it around the entire yard to the garage in back. I have no bed to sleep in & can't find a bag or box with deodorant, hairbush, tooth brush or anything with all my tee shirts, shorts or pants. You can only wear black leggings so long!!

June 10 - still no bag of personal gear. Haven't combed or brushed my hair in days!! Guess it's time to hit the drugstore. It took us 4 days to put my JYSK bed together!! I tried sleeping on the floor with the mattress but I couldn't get back up to go to the bathroom!! Good thing my Ex has been lifting weights all his life because even at 81 he was able to get me up with the help of a chair. I got HIS bed & the bedroom stairs while he slept on MY mattresses on the floor. After three days, my thighs were so sore from going up those 5 stairs several times a night .   .  .   .  it's amazing what you cam do when you have to.
There's still one more load left to pick up in my old living room. All my client files are boxed & waiting. One poor plant survived not being watered or tended while all this has gone on - my Snake plant or Mother-in-Law's Tongue as some call it. It needs little care with it's long waxy leaves!! Someone took my patio table & most of the plant pots when I wasn't looking. But the 'metal' pile - washer, dryer, fridge, two microwave ovens, etc has disappeared leaving only junk. I wish I'd abandoned everything & started again .   .   .   .
Telus arrived & hooked me up once more & added two cable boxes, PVRs & every channel they sell short of Pay TV. The Ex complains there's nothing on TV. Well, he's got 130+ channels to surf now. Optik TV sure makes the pictures & colors POP. WOW.
Now to find my belongings.
Today I get my O2 tested by Vital Air to see if the extra O2 is keeping my blood oxygen high enough. Next week, Respiratory at the Hospital gets to try their procedures out. Then a Sleep Test. I wonder what they'd all say if they knew about the last week & all that moving until I was bone weary?? Occupational told me to REST, pace myself & NAP every day. Hah. But I'm almost there. I can NAP next week.

Into a Bachelor's Paradise

I haven't been in my old house in years. I mean I haven't been INSIDE my old house in years. It's an old post WWII box built for returning Service men & their families. Four rooms & a bathroom in a 40' x 40' space on a big country lot with living & big bedroom up front & kitchen & tiny bedroom behind. In the days before labor saving devices, every room but the kitchen came with a ceiling light & one plug-in. My Ex added on to the kitchen, put a 20' x 20' bedroom on the back, turned the second little bedroom into a laundry room/closet & knocked out the wall between the front bedroom & living room. Roomy for one person & cozy for two. Then he added on a carport big enough & high enough for his truck & camper to pull into. Did I mention the tiny garage/workshop out back of the carport?? And then he added on a lean-to woodshed. Eventually he closed in the carport - I made him take all his tools & batteries outside! He had a tidy little house & a nice yard with shrubs & hanging baskets when I moved out.

Twenty years later I'm being forced to move back in. One thing I didn't do was GO INSIDE before I had to move. I mean - How bad could it be???  Well .  .  . it makes me look like Housekeeper of the Year!  The musty smell just about knocked me over when I came through the door.

He covered up all the windows when he was working nights about 15 years ago so he could sleep during the day & hasn't uncovered them since. I think he closed all the windows at the same time too. I made him open all the doors & windows to let the breeze in & hoped I'd be able to sleep there.

He has so many clothes that he put a dresser in the living room, another in the laundry & hung a line of shirts & jackets across the old beam that separated the front bedroom from the old living room before he took the wall down. And why aren't they in the closet or in dressers down in the 20' x 20' bedroom???? Well, he needed a TV stand - I can identify but what's with the BIG dresser in front of the closet so you can't open the door??? It's already full, he says. I suspect the neighbors foisted their cast-offs on him or they were a 'bargain' at someone's garage sale & he couldn't get them into the bedroom by himself. I have to remind myself that he's 81 after all .   .   .   .

I can get up the ramp the boys built but their porch was a waste of money. They built HALF a porch

& the ramp is too steep but I'm hoping it will be manageable when rubberized & filled with grit. The steps down to the bedroom have been replaced but I was too tired yesterday to try them.

The kitchen is a mess. The fridge is rusted out - I'm amazed that it still works - mine will go there!! But there is room for the freezer - if there's a plug-in. If I remember correctly, we had to put it into the garage because there weren't enough plugs. OMG - tomorrow I move!!

Passion Tea Lemonade

Ahhhhhhhhhhh - Summer Time! It's so nice to be sweating out IN it instead of sweating in a hospital bed looking OUT. My basement is warm but at least I can open the door & go out for most of the day!! I think I made THREE trips to Starbucks in the past few days to get a VERY large Passion Tea Lemonade with ice. It's my favorite summer beverage & I bloody don't care if it costs more than a whole package of the powdered store bought stuff! There has to be some compensations for missing a month of your life in the hospital.

Today I pulled that washer out & put in a load of underwear & two of my favorite shirts. I'm just a little concerned about whether I can wear that underwear but maybe if I cook it a little in the dryer it will shrink. LOL  Imagine, ME wishing my clothes will shrink. I was going to hang it outside in the sun but I think I'll reserve the rack for the bigger stuff & hope to shrink the underwear instead.

                       And I really really have to file my own tax return!  

Here's a blast from the past - This is Gail's granddaughter Freya when she was just a few months old. Why is she here??? She came to Knitting on Wednesday Night with Granny, Kathy & myself 13 years ago.

Three Days Later

It's Thursday & everything is still okay. I haven't been cooking yet but I've managed to wash almost all the dishes that were left soaking in my clean kitchen sink. My friend Ron hauled most of the garbage, cleaned off the horizontal surfaces but got called away on a family emergency. I've washed up most of the dishes he left, got my own prescriptions from the drugstore & even made a quick trip to my favorite Oriental grocery for fruit over the last couple of days. Gawd how I wanted fresh fruit!! They don't feed you any fresh fruit in the hospital .   .   .   .

I've even finished up the last couple of tax returns on my desk & there's only MINE & one other to do. But I have to clean out the fridge. Most of it went bad during my stay in the hospital so I'm not looking forward to that. Maybe I can start on the mountain of laundry on the floor in my bedroom. I think almost everything I own is in that pile. Why?? Because I was too weak to pull out the washer & hook it up to the sink! I could've hung it all on the drying rack once it was washed but I just couldn't get that washer out. I thought about dropping it off at the laundry but it became too much effort. So, now there's a mountain. The good news is that I can pull that damned washer out & hook it up again without problems. The bad news is - will anything still fit me????

I have spoken to Darlene, the sister of a pal, who owns a moving company. Darlene came by today to help me figure out what to do about my situation. Since I rescued her little brother from  tax paperwork hell, she promised to rescue me for only the labor costs. She says we can pack, sort & move in two days to make it easy on me or one day if we push it. Then we can get a bin & toss all the rest in a couple of hours - anytime. She has a big job booked for the 10th & is busy for the rest of the month, OMG - I'm booked for June 05!!  Got my estimate & was told to shut up & let us handle the move. Shutting up Dar!

On the Needles - nothing new on the needles. Trying to finish the current sock before I move. The sock bin is NOT going into storage but will come with me to my new abode with all my sock needles intact. It's up to me to point out the yarn I'm taking & the yarn that goes into storage.

The Best Laid Plans . . . . .

Dear Diary - I meant to be prepared, got things organized to a point & then it all went to shit. I beat that April 30 deadline more or less - the folks who showed up at the last minute got less - and then got so sick I had to call 911 for a ride to the hospital. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't walk, was afraid if I went to bed I wouldn't be able to get back out. I waited until the last dawg was hung before calling for help. Yeah, I thought about driving myself but had some brains left since I remember thinking about where to park .  .  .  .  I thoughtfully sat outside after packing my essentials - ebooks, Audiobook player & phone with chargers. I even packed some knitting & my toothbrush but I never thought about clothes. I thought they'd ship me back after a few hours in Emergency.

 By the time help arrived, I couldn't get out of the chair. I was done. I remember waking up at a couple of points but mostly it's fuzzy for the first week. I do remember waking up & talking to a very young looking fellow sewing a central line into my neck & again to someone trying very hard to find veins to put IVs into - I have all the bruises to show for it too. All my vessels shrink & roll when someone points something sharp at them!!! I ended up waking in Intensive care with lines in my hands, arms, neck & a breathing machine bouncing up & down on my face. That stupid machine became the bane of my existence!! It honked like a goose, whistled out the side & periodically spewed a lot of fluid onto my lips, nose & face - yuck! The bouncing made all my facial & nasal bones sore - I think my nose was numb two weeks after they took it off, but I needed it to breathe for me. When they took it off & I went to sleep, I'd stop breathing. I heard I shocked a couple of friends who came to visit & thought I was dead in the bed.

My heart couldn't beat with all the fluid backing up into my body & was close to shutting down they said. Not only was it unable to push the fluid, but my lungs filled up & couldn't oxygenate my blood. They told me if I hadn't called when I did on May 03, that I would've died. They weren't that sure I'd survive when I arrived at the hospital said the doctor who sewed the central line in my neck. He told me he didn't expect me to wake up talking in the ICU either - they were talking about putting me on life support when I woke up complaining. One minute I was almost dead & the next I woke up hollering for a more comfortable bed & to get that horrible mask removed. He said I must be one tough old bird.
I came home yesterday. Suddenly. I was getting ready for release but they decided they wanted me to stay for a few more days just to be sure. I was bored. I grumbled. All hell was breaking loose - ER was full with beds in the hall, we had beds in the hall & the doctors were trying to figure out how to squeeze another bed in there. I heard that & said I could go home since I was doing all my own self care & helping my roomie as well. I could sleep in my own bed & order in if I had too. So they double checked my vitals & asked if I was sure I could manage at home. They talked about my medication & what to do if my weight fluctuated too much. They checked my referrals & information. And agreed that I could leave. Whew. 'Course, then it took 3 hours to check out. By then I could've cheerfully crawled back into the hospital bed I gave away.

But I made it!! Hooray!! I'm stuck with home oxygen & travel oxygen. The oxygen is to help my heart do it's work. Remarkably, I'm only on a cholesterol pill, a new blood pressure pill, a blood thinner & the water pill. And I have to go for a Sleep Study to see if I need that night time breathing machine or just the oxygen I'm on today. I have to say I had one of the best sleeps ever in my own lumpy bed with my own smelly sheets & 6 pillows with the window wide open & my favorite audio playing in the background.

I do get tired quickly. But I was able to drive my car - after I got all the equipment loaded - go to the drugstore today to get my meds & some quickie meals in a bag. I'm missing my bedside hospital meals!!! But I had a smoothie & a chicken wrap at Mcdonald's on my way home. I do love that chicken wrap. And I have to admit that I feel better today than I have in months, even though I'm tired. I may not have the stamina to go to Safeway yet but I wouldn't have been able to go to the drugstore the week before I went to hospital. And now I can. So, a little every day & one day at a time.

Knitting Stuff - Yes by gawd, I took a sock in progress to the hospital. Couldn't do a lot until most of my IVs came out but I finished the first sock & am almost to the heel with the other. You find out what's important in the hospital - good fibre, food & air to breath!!!

Will She Won't She

Tigger

I can't seem to get my shit together these days. I'm out of breath a lot & it's even worse when I go outside. Apparently all the evergreens are pollinating. I've always had problems in the spring but they've become worse with age!!  One of my buddies called this A.M. to see how it's going - he's the youngest child in a third generation family moving business & tells me horror stories all the time. Did you know that 50% of all moves are done between June 15 & August 31??? You can't rent a truck, find a box or hire a crew without an advance booking.

He told me I need a bin rental for the whole month NOW. Then I can toss whatever I want over this  month - everything - without running all over town trying to give it away. Gas is too expensive in Vancouver now. Then we can move what I want to keep next month - before the rush. He's using family connections to see if he can get me a cheaper storage unit too. He did suggest I think about buying a small trailer or big storage shed & store my craft bins in my own back yard. That's something I didn't think of!!!

I have to admit , it was a lot easier moving stuff in over 20 years than it is moving 20 years OUT in one month. And I HATE moving! If I ever move again - I'm going to point at what I'm taking & abandoning everything else. LOL At least Tax Season will be over, my birthday is over, BCAA renewal is over,the Easter Bug is almost over & I don't have to change my mailing address.

And there's three year ends on my desk in the middle of all this!! I am trying to get all the data entry that needs to be done - DONE- before the computer moves. Then I can seal the box, hand it back to it's owner & not worry about when the Internet will be hooked up to finish it. 

I am also gonna welcome at least three weeks of laying in a reclining chair with sock needles, blankey, gigantic tea mug, TV remote & goodies with the phone off   .    .    .     .

Progress Report

Good Gawd, it's the end of Month One of my Renoviction & what have I done? Well, er, nothing.  That's not totally true, by the way, but it's mostly true. Someone found an empty apartment a few miles away - a SMALL, one bedroom, empty apartment in the basement of a modern home with a landlady who is still in shock about her former tenant moving out on her. The lady wishes to think about whether she wants to rent right away or get over the trauma for a month or two first  .   .   .   .  I smell trouble there. Maybe there's more than just a boyfriend reason for the move!! I told my friend, who is a friend of the lady, that I don't have time to sit around & wait while she makes up her mind. Did I mention it's Tax Season as well???

So this next week I am checking out Storage. I need prices & sizes because I have to start moving bins. Even though I'm not taking any furnishings other than a lamp or two, a rustic coffee table & a purple dresser for my TV, the bins all need to fit into it - ALL of them. Maybe I'll just get one with heat & light & move in! I'm also checking out Boxes. I have books everywhere. I have a 200 lb, revolving, 5 layer, pocket book rack from a school library full of books. And there's VHF movies & some Audio Books on cassettes. It all must go. Since I got that book rack & all those books, I've gone electronic. It's so much easier to carry 3000 books around on my ebook reader & it doesn't inflame my thumbs to hold them open to read
.
I met a fellow in the check-out line at Safeway who has a son working at the Federal jail. He buys all the latest books, reads them & donates them via his son. I have his phone number somewhere & should pack up everything I don't want to move & send them on. I wonder if they take text books???  Note to self - A trip to IKEA for small boxes would help.

On the needles - you didn't think I'd give up knitting did you??? I've turned the heels on the latest car knitting - striped Kroy socks in light grey with dull blue, yellow, red & rust stripes. I am putting blood red toes on them to brighten them up a titch. I love them so far even though they're a little dull - I mean even dull socks can keep your toes warm, right????

Wow, wasn't yesterday great??? It sure was in my part of the country. Tee-shirt & leggings weather for sure. I binned another bag of recycling - all the plastic tubs I've been saving to freeze berries, put away freezer jam & leftovers. I'm rather embarrassed at how many margarine & ice cream containers I had. There's a huge box of cardboard to go next - yeah, I open all the box ends, fold them flat & stand them in another box so they don't take up much space.

While rooting around in the two third hand wall units - remember them?? Dark brown photographed wood grain paper over particle board, shelves on top & doors on bottom??? They were old when I got them. I found a whole layer of the old leatherette bound Reader's Digest condensed books. I started collecting them in my late TEENS. And moved them for years. But I'm not moving them again.

I also have a lead on a small basement apartment which never hits the market, friends of friends who like single women only. Don't know for sure about it yet but it's another option. And I picked up a load of roast pork & fruit at my favorite Chinese market to celebrate the great day. By the middle of the afternoon, I hit the wall & had to go for a nap! Hahahaha - Not used to all this running around, that's for sure.

I looked at several public storage places within a mile of me for a smallish container - all of my packed bins except the current projects & the sock yarn could go right now. I like the small IKEA boxes too - they have tops & handles & won't take too much weight when full. They would sit nicely on top of the plastic bins in storage too.

Talked to a couple of my old customers yesterday too - they both offered themselves & trucks. But we're all retired & not getting any younger so I suggested I find a storage unit first - If I'm going to the Ex's, I want it close to him & If I'm renting a basement again, I'll want it close to that!!!!  THEN  we take a truck load of bins a couple times a week. That way I clean out what I WANT & dump what I don't by hiring GOT JUNK or someone similar to take the rest. Moving when you're old & have mobility/breathing problems is a pain in the ass. Actually, moving any time is a pain in the ass .  .  .  .

Can't Time Stand Still??

I can't believe how fast the time flies when you don't want it to! It's been three weeks since my renoviction notice & I've done almost nothing. Oh, I've wished for a giant bin to fall from the sky - right outside my door - with enough room to park beside it. I've dreamed of throwing every damn thing I own, except the sock yarn of course, into that bin & walking away.

Well, I have to keep the Indian spinner & a couple of bins of fibre too - especially that sweet little New Zealand fleece. And those neon bags of Aurelia top in Paua & Magenta, the remainder of the  lovely Brown Sheep mohair/wool grab bag & that huge bag of yummy grey wool/alpaca. And that box of RED Briggs & Little Heritage yarn which goes with the 135 litre bin of blues & assorted leftover odd colors. Did I mention the bag of Knit Picks Palette?? It's only a small bag for two projects  -  summer projects!

Oh gawd, I need my sewing machine & serger too. And the patterns, the fabric, the bin of sale thread, zippers, buttons .   .   .   .   & a man to move it all since it won't fit in my car.

And I want my new Red pot that looks like an old fashioned coffee pot, my  old white Corning Ware soup mugs, the slow cooker & the Nutri-bullet with the HUGE To-Go cup. I would take the plant stands & the little spider plant in the plastic water glass as well as the big pot of grasses on the patio. My old Health Tec soup pot, the wok & the pressure cooker would also come as would my Chinese veggie cleaver - I cut everything with it & two 8 cup plastic measuring cups.
Even if I toss the furniture & all the junk I don't need, I still need a moving truck & a storage unit.

Is it time for a drink yet?? The sun must be over the yardarm somewhere!!! I can do this tomorrow  .   .   .   .   I'll just cast on another sock & do some more planning on paper first.

There's a Vacancy in Quesnel

With four months to move, the fun is already starting. I've had two 'helpful' male friends call & suggest ridiculous things. One spotted a listing in Quesnel - yup about a 9 hour drive north - cafe,  small apartment building, 5 cabins, two bay garage on the side of the highway. I could take my pick  & rent out the rest!!! as long as he gets the garage .  .  .  .   The other suggested I relocate to Sparwood - I think that's about 8 hours east through the mountains just above the US border. He could use a bookkeeper. Meanwhile, I haven't even glanced at a listing yet, at least not until I sort through some of the junk in my basement. Oh, did I mention it's Tax Time???

My Ex took me to lunch yesterday at our favorite Chinese cafe. He wants his taxes done too. He's been undergoing more tests since his red blood count is low again. The doctor suggested it may be a poor diet that's causing the problems since they can't find any other reasons for the fluctuation. He doesn't cook but makes do with a hot plate & microwave to warm stuff up. He said maybe I should move back & do the cooking  .   .   .   .  but  it's a pretty small house with stairs to get in, stairs to the bedroom & stairs out to the back where the clothes line & freezer is. The fridge & stove need hauling away & the dryer isn't hooked up. I'd still have to climb over a tub to shower & he turned the living room into a gym. Gee, maybe we both should move! I should get the 'Got JUNK' folks to haul away the big stuff for him anyway just to get it off his mind.

Back on the Needles - I cast on another sock!! Isn't that amazing?? Well, I found some Kroy in a muted rainbow. It matches how I feel these days. A muted Rainbow. I'm not depressed or elated or miserable & neither is my sock yarn. I guess you could say it's cautiously optimistic yarn. It's 4 ply but feels lighter .  .  .  .   Since most of my yarn/fibre is already in bins, I'm almost packed!!

I've Been Renovicted!

A year ago my landlord died suddenly & left his wife with no pension, no insurance, two kids in university & two kids still at home. At the time I wondered how she would survive. I helped with some paperwork, gave her the best advice I could & started to think about moving. I hate moving!!! I should've could've moved several times over the last years but was too comfortable in my spot. I've been in the basement suite for almost 20 years. I've watched the kids grow up, the neighbors move in & out. In all that time the furnace has never been serviced nor the ducts cleaned. I've had a stove replaced only when it became a fire hazard, bought my own fridge, had three major floods from failing pipes, installed my own kitchen hardware & made do. I've been cold in the winter, listened to screaming & fighting upstairs, been refuge & go-between in marital disputes & put up with her cheap & chintzy ways - she unscrews my patio light if I leave it on. But I could afford it, it's good most of the time, he didn't raise the rent for years, I had two bedrooms, I had my own drive & patio just outside my door, pretty convenient to buses, shopping, the hospital & three coffee shops!! But, times have changed & I've often wondered how she makes ends meet without his paycheck.

Two scared 20-something kids came to talk to me yesterday with papers that say I have 4 months to move. I wasn't surprised to see them. The kids told me that their mother refuses to sell the house but she's willing to use some of the equity to do some major repairs & upgrade the basement suite. We all know the plumbing & wiring was bad when I moved in. I suspect they talked about doing some work when I moved out but I never did. I had a very frank talk with the boy a couple of months ago about a lot of other problems in the suite that will need fixing as well. If they do gut it & do all the things they're supposed to, there should be no problem getting $2500 or more a month for it in the current Vancouver rental crunch. And that's totally out of my league.

I must be getting really old but I decided to stay home & let others enjoy the snow this year!! I didn't even go out to empty the GREEN recycling container. I had almost 9.5 inches of snow on my car hood by Monday evening & I decided I didn't really want to plow through the snowy side yard to dump a bucket. The landlord's kid shoveled my patio & a path to my car for me Monday morning but you could barely see it by Monday night. No one in my alley got out on Monday. After dark, the guy at the end of the alley snuck in his tandem tractor & made a path in & out which helped a couple of neighbors but mostly everyone stayed home & dug out drives on Tuesday. I think we were all waiting for the garbage trucks to come & mow down the snow but no one came. By Thursday some people were able to get out & today it rained all day dissolving some of it, washing some off the car & leaving huge puddles where drains might be .   .   .   .   

I don't shovel any more. My hands & wrists hurt too much to shovel so I gave my big shovel to the landlord's kid. He's 15 & healthy enough to keep his mom's drive & mine clean!!! And there's no place I have to go where I have to drive in the snow even though I have winter tires on. I don't worry much about getting out but more about getting back in since I have to back in over a hump & up a slope.
There's enough food in my cupboards to feed me for a couple of months since I still buy in bulk so I don't NEED anything except fresh milk, fruit & some veggies. Today I made a big pot of chicken & turkey soup - I found legs & a big thigh in the freezer! I peeled a butternut squash getting soft & tossed in celery, baby spuds, garlic & onions after browning the meat & let the whole thing simmer on very low for several hours. It was soooooo good. Perfect snowy day food. Since the rain has washed my car almost clean, I'll be heading out tomorrow to Hen Long to buy roast pork, sausages, fried bananas, egg tarts, baby bok choy, broccoli, dried noodles, fish balls, fish sauce, cherry tomatoes & fruit.

Yes, I do a lot of my shopping at the Chinese grocery store! They have the freshest fruits & veggies. And absolutely the best roast & BBQ pork. Milk is expensive but everything else is less than half the Safeway price.

On the needles - I am fixing the last pair of socks that I put my finger through trying to pull them on my right foot when my knee wouldn't bend. What a pain in the butt. A lot of them are old socks so I am thinking of making new ones - most of the old ones are more than 10 years old with partially felted feet & thinning everywhere else so I'm not losing much.
While rooting through my sock yarn bins - I had to buy another one & organize a little - I found I could knit myself another two dozen socks easily & still have yarn left over .  .  .  .   And while rooting around, I found several balls of Cascade Wool in neon colors.  There's not enough to make a sweater & I was warned that the stuff felts like crazy but it should be great for slippers & hats. Did I mention that I now freeze rather quickly with my new crew cut???? A hat is next on the list of things I need NOW.
By the way, to all you Sock Knitters out there - Yarn Canada is having a sale on sock yarns. There's Arne & Carlos, several OPAL lines, some Patons and a couple of others that I've forgotten already. I will admit I slipped & fell & bought a couple of OPAL Rainforest colorways .   .   .   .

Snow for Valentines Day

It seems we get winter in February nowadays. Usually just in time for Valentine's Day. And it  looks like this year won't be an exception. I remember working in West Vancouver years ago & spending 7 hours getting home to a new husband over 2 bridges & a freeway in the days BEFORE cell phones. There was no way to call for help or let anyone at home know what was going on. You just geared down & kept moving around all the abandoned cars. If they didn't close the bridges before you got there, you usually got home or shared a hotel room with several other stranded people. Luckily I don't have to travel to & from work when it snows anymore & get to watch it from my home office windows. I was actually on the phone to friends Sunday afternoon when it started to snow like crazy & we all opted to stay home instead of meeting for coffee. Even a couple of inches can close down the Vancouver burbs in a hurry & I'll bet we have between 4 & 6 inches out there as I type. Good thing I went out on Friday & picked up bread, TP & a latte. Should be some fun in the morning!!!

I haven't been too ambitious lately, I've barely knit anything, nor sewed a thing although I have been working on a top-down raglan garter sweater in Briggs & Little 'Hertiage'. It's just a simple top-down that will be garter to the top of the arm & then plain knit when I close the deep V front. Haven't decided to put sleeves on it or leave it as a simple Cap sleeve vest. It's for my niece who spends a lot of time shoveling on her hobby farm & must dress in layers. I'm thinking it may be more useful as a vest that she can wear under a jacket or over a long sleeve shirt when she's doing chores. Sometimes it's all you need to keep you warm when you're working hard. I thought about making myself one for the winter but most of my shirts are short sleeved. But, who knows, I may yet finish one for myself - maybe it's just the sleeves that keep me from finishing anything. Then I can go back to Paleontology. And spinning. And making good bread & tasty soups.

First up - I need to make myself a touque - got my hair all cut off again because of the eczema in my scalp - and my head is freezing!! Not a good time of the year to have hair a half inch long! haha  And I have the sweater in handspun to finish although I've just about finished - still have a ball or two left - that giant triangular blanket I knit in all those odd fall colored balls. It's huge & I wish I'd made a rectangular blanket instead!!! I've been spending too much time lost on YouTube watching the Fat Ladies Cook & The Time Team dig up Britain to finish anything. Time, I guess, to get my TV back in order so I have a comfortable place to sit & knit.

DUHHHHHH

The world is full of scams to trick the unaware so when I got a TEXT in December that said I had a credit of $655.19 & should log into a site to BLAH BLAH BLAH, I ignored it!! I was really annoyed that I was now getting scam TEXTs as well as the usual calls! I don't know about you, but I've been getting a daily call from a 1-855 number for weeks now  .    .    If I answer & yell WHAT???, it hangs up. If I don't answer, it goes to message & leaves me blank air. I regularly get messages reminding me of someone's medical appointments. I can't call back to tell them they have the wrong number & I can't reject it because no number shows up. And then there's the automated calls in a foreign language that I can't stop or change. And how about the scam that says it's the RCMP collecting money that's owed to the CRA tax??? Yeah, it used to be that cell phones were private!!

But, today I got another message about my CREDIT. Being in a mood, I decided to trace it down & toss a wrench in someone else's day. I thought I'd better check & see what my balance really was at the legitimate website. And found, to my surprise, a $655.19 credit!!! It wasn't a scam at all. But how could I possibly DO that???? It seems my bill is just a hair under $60 a month & I went paperless about three years ago. The bill never changed. Since I only print off the page with the explanation of charges, I never actually LOOKED at the bottom line - I didn't need to, I paid in full every month!! Somehow, one month, I hit the 9 instead of the 6 & overpaid by $30. And then copied what was on my print-out every month following for almost the last three years or so  .   .   .   .   I was advised not to bother paying my bill until Christmas.

On the Needles - I can't stand a begging man's tears!! Old Fat Ankles needs a couple of pairs of socks for his swollen feet so I've hauled out my ugliest Paton's 4 ply in greens/browns/yellowy tan & am rapidly manufacturing socks in an expanded size. Instead of my usual 72 sts for a man's sock, I went up to 76 & will add an extra couple of gusset increases as well. This should make a looser top & deeper heel for him.
Lara's Vest sits on my desk & I add a couple of rows here & there when I watch something on YouTube. My sweater is on HOLD until the socks are done.

Bring It On

Now that the Silly Season is over & the days are getting longer - at least I think they are but it's still dark at 7:45 AM - it's time to start thinking about the Year that's just started & leave last year behind. It's hard to believe that it's 2019 when the year 2000 seemed so far away when I was a school kid!! But it's here & we have to deal with it.
I don't do RESOLUTIONS. I find that most people who do set themselves up for failure, right off the bat. I think I'll leave my money in my pocket & do something positive that's easy & good for me. Like taking my own TAKE-OUT cup when I go for coffee. I have a RED Starbucks cup that I try to use every time but it's a little small if you want extra large. And I take my own bags to Safeway. Yup, doing my bit!! Still using paper towels but they get composted.

I had a dream the other night that the landlord found me dead in my bed & threw out all my bins of yarn, roving & fleece!!! She had no idea of it's worth. She sent all my knitting books to the local Thrift Store & tossed my Old Indian spinner on the bonfire! Eeeek.  Now, I have a huge stash of spinning & knitting fibre - yeah, &  a lot of patterns to go with most of it too. I end up knitting socks instead of all the bigger projects because they're fun, bright & fast. I'm such a procrastinator. I like starting but sadly, not finishing. I'm taking that dream as a warning - this year, I have vowed to make no new purchases unless it's to finish an old project. And I will get off my arse & finish a new sweater for myself!

I think I'll cook more for myself this year too. I do love soups & stir fried meals. Both are fast, simple & full of good stuff. Much as I like dashing down to Church's Chicken for Chicken Tenders so I don't have to do dishes, it's just healthier to eat at home. It was easier to do when I had another person to cook for but I'm just as important. Sounds like a resolution, doesn't it???

On the Needles - Lara's vest progresses slowly. Since I'm hauling the Ex to two eye appointments later this month, I will take it & work on it while I'm waiting.
MY Sweater - Yup - dug in the basket, chose the one that's the closest to being finished & pulled it out to work on it. I already bought the B&L yarn in RED to make another so I think I have to get serious about this.