Lost in Time

Well, wasn't that a party??? Must've been a hellova party because I don't remember it! I'm not sure what happened to the last couple of weeks but I survived. My day-in-the-chair turned into more than one. Got this terribly sore throat, nagging cough, general weakness, sore knees & hands & stickiness. I felt like I was a balloon full of goo. Problems breathing. Problems swallowing. Problems keeping my eyes dry. Drank & drank & drank. Coughed up half a lung of sticky something or other too. My buddy little Ron woke up with a version of it the day after he brought me coffee. He tested Positive for Covid while I did not. We both isolated anyway.

I managed TWO Dental appointments in the last two weeks. One before I got sick & one last Saturday. Since I was still negative, feeling better & had no fever, they took me in. First cleaning in two years!! And I'm getting that broken molar fixed. I broke it when I fell in March but couldn't/didn't get it fixed because it didn't hurt. And I wasn't driving. Sold my husband's old motorcycles to pay for a gold tooth!! Wouldn't he be pissed .  .  .  .

The Cat & my hand are both progressing nicely. I am not petting the cat. I look for her in the mornings & evenings, most of the time she's around looking for canned food, occasionally she stays in at the back of the kitchen but mostly she heads out the door when she's full. This last week she's taken to sitting next to my legs while I'm on the computer but I'm not petting her. I have permanent nerve damage in the finger - it tingles like it's going to sleep, it's painful & it doesn't bend all the way. Good thing it's a little finger!  I feed her & let her come in because I have mice again. One furry devil has been quietly eating my gourmet popcorn through it's heavy-duty, resealable bag!!! 

Meanwhile, I have been out. I got a couple of lunches, a couple of coffees, missed the Starbucks Christmas Cup again - I don't know why I even bother anymore!! But, I don't have a lot of stamina yet. An outting today costs me tomorrow. I can't go two days in a row yet. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I'll be able to go every day if I want!

Knitting - no knitting but lots of winding. I think making balls out of skeins is the job I hate most in the world except for washing dishes. Yes, I know there are skein winders & I even bought one once .  .  .  .  but it's difficult to do when you're sitting for most of it. I have dreams of pulleys & fixed links feeding across the room & back to my ball winder but Mike is too busy to build it right now .  .  .  . 

Sunday in the Sunshine

Another beautiful, sunny day on the Wet Coast. I didn't go out yesterday because I just felt crappy with a horrible sore throat & headache. So, I stayed home in my jammies wrapped in old blanket with my book. My friend little Ron dropped in mid-afternoon, to my delight, with an XLcoffee from Mcdonald's. I'd been too shaky to carry the large pot to my stove to heat so I hadn't had a hot drink all day. I was really happy to sip hot, milky coffee from my cocoon! 

Today I feel a lot better, not so shaky & my throat is not as sore. So, I dressed early - for me that is - went out & got my own coffee at Mcdonald's. I sat in the sunshine at the back of the lot in my car & read my book for an hour or so before heading for home. I'm trying to get out every second day at the very least to build up my strength & endurance. My goal is to be able to shop at my local Chinese grocery once again. To buy roast pork, Udon noodles, baby bok choy & fish balls when I want! I'm looking forward to shopping for myself once more.

The cat was waiting for me when I came home today. She's back sleeping in the chair on the porch or on the ramp in the sunshine waiting for me to open the door & feed her. I'm actually glad to see her hanging around again because I think I've acquired a furry houseguest in her absence. Last night I distinctly heard it at the back of the kitchen! Where's a cat when you need one???

Knitting - not much knitting going on but lots of reading about knitting. I checked in on a blog I've followed for years which gets updated now & then. Funny how all the old bloggers have disappeared .  .  .  Anyway, this old time blogger made the Mr GreenJeans sweater from Knitty, I believe it was 2007ish. She made a couple of hacks to it waay back & has decided to make it once again. I love the extra buttons & the cinched in waist. I just wish I had the shape to wear it like she does!

Remembering

 

Bright, Sunshine & Cold

 Woke up to a beautiful day outside. I wanted to hop in the car & go for a Big Breakfast somewhere with fried real potatoes, poached eggs & rye toast dripping with butter .  .  .  .  somewhere with good coffee in big mugs too. It was only a dream of course, @ 5AM, those places aren't accessible for me or have no handicapped parking. Or they're just too far away for me to drive to right now! 

I do have several drive thru options & a little work cafe which delivers to my car. Mcdonald's isn't too bad since I just go thru the drive-thru & back in under the trees to read & munch. The coffee is really good & comes in BIG cups. The Wifi is excellent so I can download the latest ebooks from my collection - right now I'm rereading all the Ava Lee series from Ian Hamilton - & I really DO like the Sausage Mcmuffin. But even they don't make up for the lack of fried real potatoes & poached eggs! LOL

Yesterday I made a huge pot of Italian Soup & tossed in a whole family style package of baby spinach at the end! I do Love a good thick soup when it's cold outside & nothing's easier than home made soup that cooks itself on the back burner all day. I keep a good stock of canned things like diced tomatoes, beans & fish & always have sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots as well as jars & jars of dried grains, pastas, legumes & flakes. Yes, everyone, my depression era mother lives in me. As long as I have power, I can eat & drink hot food. I do miss the old wood stove though, you didn't need power to stay warm, fed & comfortable. But I'm too handicapped to haul in wood these days. Still, Italian soup will be very tasty tonight!!

Knitting - it was a little cool outside today for any clothes I have so it's time to break out the Briggs & Little Heritage yarn - the worsted weight - and make an real outdoor cardigan. It's too cold out there today for my heavy cotton hoodie! I've been working with the singles boot sock weight - more than a sock yarn but not a sport weight - to make a hat, gauntlets & a capelet that covers the shoulders & upper arms. Working slowly I might add because my damned right little finger is incredibly sore!!

It was a Dark & Stormy Night

 Wasn't that a weekend?? My power went out before midnight on Friday & didn't come back until Sunday morning, just in time for brunch. Not a big thing in the scope of things unless you're attached to a compressor that supplies most of the oxygen you breathe. I do have portable oxygen in tanks so I can leave the house but my house oxygen supplies most of what I use, especially at night. Tanks, when set for my use, last about 4.5 hours & we normally have 10, less any used ones. I was lucky this time, I had 8 unused tanks or about 36 hours when the power went off. I was prepared to load myself into my car & go to the hospital when I hooked up the last tank since they'd hook me into the house oxygen & give me a nice, warm blanket to boot. But the power came back on while I was still using tank number 8. 

And why didn't I call for help?? Cell phone died. And I really didn't need help until my oxygen reserve got really low. I had my eBook with the backlight & my audiobook player to keep me company. I could go into my car & charge my phone if I got desperate. I had a couple of  Berkshire blankets from the Shopping Channel so I was cozy in my chair & bed. Mike came over on Saturday because he couldn't get hold of me, brought me coffee & a Mcmuffin, hooked up his generator & plugged my phone into his truck for a charge. Unluckily for me, my compressor pulled too much power & killed the generator. But, of course, we thought the power would be back on any time! His mom, not two blocks away, had power on Saturday morning! 

I survived it all. Secretly, if I had the oxygen machine, the TV & a pot of tea hooked up to the generator, I'd be more than happy if it happens again!