When it Rains it Pours

 Sunday morning .  .  .  did intend to go off to Mcdonald's & sit under the trees with my ebook & eat sausage Mcmuffins today but it's pouring out there. Not only is it pouring but it's really pouring! Not many people are aware of how long it takes to back down a ramp with an O2 tank on wheels, pack it into the back seat of the car, tie it securely & then get into the front seat of the car with a bag & keys. I wear hoodies a lot so I have a pocket for keys & wallet for easier access but it still takes time getting in & out. In the pouring rain I get soaked, since I can't move fast enough to dodge many raindrops. I missed the whole dry summer reading under the trees while my knees healed, sigh. The knees are better but the right little finger is disgustingly painful .  .  .  do you know how often you NEED that finger??? But, I don't care, gonna drive to it anyway, unless it's raining buckets.

I hope it is NOT raining buckets tomorrow since I have booked a time for my Covid booster - #4 - & a flu shot. I took the chance of getting one of TWO only handicapped parking spots in front of the Injection Centre since I don't have to walk too far. A lot of the other sites have a long walk in & out which is just too much for me right now. I have only been back on the road for a week!! Hopefully, I will get one of the parking spots. Hell, I'll just sit there blocking the road until I do!! Why did they stop the drive thru injections???

I've been a lot more ready to fight since the Respiratory Therapist came & increased my in-house oxygen. My new little compressor is now pumping twice the air I breathe as I move around the house & it has made a big difference to me. I can actually stand at the stove long enough to fry an egg! I can go to the bathroom from the livingroom & get a hot drink in the kitchen on my way back without having to sit down. And that damned laryngitis I had for a month is now gone. I am shocked. Apparently one of the indicators of low O2 is laryngitis!! Who knew??

There's a lot more kids on the block than we used to have so this year, I prepared for Hallowe'en & ordered yard-long fruity rollups! I figured it was the least offensive treat for kids. I am not decorating or carving a pumpkin. There's only a half dozen kids more or less which is 6 more than I've ever seen before but  I'm prepared. Someone, a block closer to the school, has the whole house & fence covered in black with filmy cobwebby stuff stuck to it. THINGS hang from trees & peek out of the hedge. I've seen a boney hand sticking through the bushes as I drove by. There's even something making weird noises. It must be terrifying to go there after dark!!

Knitting - started a cap in Trinity stitch - popcorn stitch - but my sore little finger keeps getting in the way .  .  .  not sure if I can knit until this is a little less painful but I intend to keep trying. Might attempt the top-down simple cardigan instead since there's no fancy stitch to bother my finger. 

 

On The Road Again

I sure surprised the gang at my favorite little cafe on Wednesday!! I got myself into my car, drove down & parked in front to order lunch to go! I didn't go in because  that damn Mike left the driver's window down an inch or so & the seat was soaking wet. I found out when I sat down & got MY seat wet. But I was in & ready for a nice chicken wrap & coffee, so I went. 

I took my lunch to the park & ate it in the car while parked under the trees - it was wonderful. I think the sun even came out & shone down on me for an hour. Woohoo, back in the saddle again! Good thing because I have a Dentist appointment tomorrow .  .  .  .  

And then, I have to make another appointment to see my doctor & arrange to get my flu shot & my next Covid vax. 

Mike has filled my fridge with goodies before he goes off for the weekend & I intend to get the soup pot going once more. Made Chicken Corn Chowder last week which was excellent but this weekend, I want a tomato based soup with root veggies & Tortellini for a change. Soup is so much fun this time of year!

Knitting - no knitting but lots of crochet for the past couple of days. My favorite old Log Cabin wool blanket was attacked by moths. I used it as is & made the holes bigger last winter. When I got it out for this winter - I cover my sore knees when I sit in the recliner - the holes bugged me. So, I've been crocheting patches for the holes. I couldn't find a big needle to sew them so I got out a medium crochet hook instead. They aren't pretty but they work.

The Cat Did It!

 My feral cat bit me rather badly two weeks ago. Dunno what upset her or why but it was like someone touched her with an electric wire, she suddenly puffed up, growled and grabbed my little finger at it's base and tried to take all the meat off in one bite. I think she ground her teeth on the bone as I lifted her off the ground and shook her with her firmly attached at the finger. I have never felt anything more painful! I didn't realize at the time that she had dug a couple of holes in my leg as she took off - I was too busy staunching the blood shooting out of my hand. I knew I needed a tetanus shot & antibiotics right away but decided to go to the clinic in the morning. Stupid of me, of course, but I wasn't really thinking at that point, covered in blood, hurting like hell in my ratty old shorts & tee with no bra on at 2:30AM. 

By the time Mike got here in the morning, my hand was really swollen and my leg was weeping into my slipper. My clinic squeezed me in, cleaned me up, gave me a shot & prescription and ratted me out to my Respirology Therapist, Respirologist & regular Doctor. Within two days, I was on new medication - the Nurse Practitioner was concerned about me!!, I had a new compressor - goes to higher levels of O2 AND two prescriptions for antibiotics - they wanted me to go to the Emerg for IV delivery but there was no room at the Inn. I promised to get it filled immediately and take every last pill. I may be careless about my pets but I am not stupid!

Other than a sore and still healing little finger - it's amazing how often you NEED that finger too - there is Ulnar nerve damage for sure & it may never bend all the way again. BUT overall, I feel better. I have more OOMPH in the house because my O2 levels are higher! My new compressor is much quieter and of course, it delivers a lot more compressed air. I can stand up to cook much longer. I can do more chores in the house like unloading my own washer & some of the dryer! 

And the cat??? Well, I have never seen such behavior in any cat before. She has always been such a quiet, shy animal. She showed up a few days later sitting next to the food bowl. She won't come near me & I don't try to touch her. I do keep crunchies in the bowl and will put wet food in morning and night. She does keep the mice away and feral cats keep the raccoons away too. Much rather have cats than raccoons!! 

Knitting - well, not much knitting going on right now with my sore little finger .  .  .  .  but I have two projects on the go. One is a cap from the Salt Water gang in Newfoundland and the other is a plain, vanilla, top-down cardi from Deb Gemmell from the Need a Plus Cardigan book. Knitting both of them in Briggs & Little yarns. Yeah Canada!!

A Smokey Fall

I ended up spending the whole spring & summer on my porch instead of out in my car. My knees are better but the left one is still a little swollen & not quite normal. You know how your fingers feel when your hand goes to sleep??? Well, my left knee feels like it's partially asleep. The right knee is often quite painful & occasionally unstable but I think I can drive since there will be no weight on it. This week, I'm going up & down my ramp & to & from the car just to get back in some sort of shape to drive because I have a Dentist appointment in 10 days. First one since Covid! Whoopie

And I still need Covid vax number 4 so once I'm out again, I have to plan for that! Oh, and a flu shot & my doctor as well .  .  .  .  being housebound is soooo inconvenient!!  My shopper Mike will be so happy to see me out & about again too - he's been unhappy about me staying home all the time. I told him I am not psychologically impaired & too scared to go out, just sore. The poor old knees don't like to bend a lot any more. It's always wise to say these things in public just to remind yourself that you HAVE to get your ass out or people will know you're broken.