Wednesday, April 02, 2025

Was I Crazy?

 I've been trying to get my flu shot since last October. Well, a flu, Covid booster & a pneumonia shot - if eligible - to be exact. It's become very difficult for me to get out for anything short of the hospital really. I'm becoming less & less able to do anything without getting short of breath dammit. But, finding someone to come to me to give the shots has been a tough go. 

Sunday, I talked to London Drugs, where I get my drugs, & was told I was out of luck until October when the new vaccines came in .  .  .  . Monday, my doctor's office called to ask if I got my flu shot & I had to say I was on a list somewhere but no one had called me since last fall so I had given up.   Suddenly, all hell breaks loose & I get multiple calls from a drugstore I've never heard of and a call from the Health Authority on Tuesday. The Health guys say the Contractor drugstore had called me multiple times with no answer & given up. The Contractor drugstore had NOT called me until that very day, but it was multiple times. I did take advantage of the confusion & booked the very first appointment!! In the end, I got all three shots - TODAY - Wednesday. I've had a very busy three days!!!

I hope I didn't go too far in getting all three at once but I thought I should make the call worth the trip. I'll probably be sick as a dog tomorrow from all this but what the hell. I'm protected for another year. 

Sunday, March 30, 2025

Sunday coming down

Yeah, it's me again. Twice in the same month, fer gawd's sake. Nothing much of any great importance - just complaining. Back in my working days I didn't realize how tough it was for Shut Ins. 

Since I sold my car, I have no way to get anywhere for anything unless I hire a Transport Ambulance. Most Taxis won't take me anywhere because of the O2 tank & I also need help folding & getting my walker in & out. I know we have a Handy Dart system but, again, I'm on O2 so I'm time sensitive & they operate like a bus. 

I'm still trying to get last year's Flu Shot & my final Covid booster. Thought I might as well update my other immunizations & get a Shingles vaccine too since all of them can have very serious consequences for anyone with COPD. Apparently there is no longer a Public Health person to administer shots to anyone - we have to get ourselves to the nearest Drug Store for all of them! My Doctor's office has been trying since last September to get someone to do at least the flu shot, to no avail. 

Had a long talk with the London Drugs Pharmacist today & found that I can get my Shingles vaccine anytime but the flu & Covid are no longer available until October when the NEW versions come out. I was advised to get the Shingles vaccine asap too. Did you know that the population over 65 are 60% more likely to get Shingles?? Just one more nasty leftover from childhood illnesses .  .  .  

I guess I should move uptown & get a Scooter!!!

 

Knitting - not much - taxes got in the way.

 

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

It's So Over


I have to say
that I blinked & it became March! Is this aging??? Since I don't "work" anymore & don't go out, I simply lose track of the world. I spend time with my computer, books - really into British detectives these days and my knitting so I don't have 'regular' things on the go to let me know what day it is. 

I confess I've become a 'Hot & Sour' soup addict - it used to be Wor Won Ton soup but I got the spice bug last fall when it got cold. I think I could eat the damn stuff every day when it's chilly outside. I know, I know, I should learn to make it myself but I just don't have the cooking gene .  .  .  I really wasn't feeling great over the holiday, rather puffy & my breathing was getting bad so I stopped eating & loaded up with fluids to thin everything out. Hot & Sour soup is very 'brothy' & really helped get things working better. It clears out the sinuses too. Anything but the damned hospital. Hot chillies are great!! Luckily, the Rickshaw knows my address by heart!!!!

I keep reading that fruit, veggies & meat are really going up in 2025 - gawd can it really be 2025? For the first time in my life I don't really have to worry about money. Mike has finally reprogrammed my brain to get what I want & not think about price but it's hard to overcome a life of scrimping. I have made some changes though - since I can buy what I want, I'm buying Canadian when I can. Local before import too. And more veggies, less meat.

I'm doing a lot of cooking in my RICE COOKER. Yup - the rice cooker! I want hot food most of the time but standing up at the stove is less & less of an option for me. I make a lot of soup in the big pot because I can throw it all in at once & let it simmer all day. But - I have trouble carrying anything left in the pot to the fridge & back. My balance is off. So lately, I've taken up cooking in the rice pot. Rice or barley in the bottom, drop in cut up meat, tougher veggies like Brussels Sprouts or Gai Lan/Broccoli thick ends & liquids on top. Just before the timer goes off, I drop in all the thinner tops & let it finish. I let it stand for 10 minutes & stir it up & eat a nice hot meal with everything cooked together. Fast, easy & one pot to wipe out!! Between the Rice Cooker & my microwave steamer, I can manage quite nicely. It's just soup that's the problem unless I eat it for two days .  .  .  .

 

What's on the needles?? I have a sock on the go - Arne & Carlos in a GREEN colorway. I splurged the year before I moved & bought several very expensive 100gm balls of sock yarn. It was stuff I'd never had the money to buy before - all on clearance & discontinued colors - so I bought 5 balls!!! Hell - each of those balls on clearance cost me more than 2 balls of my usual yarn!!! But I closed my eyes & hit the BUY button anyway! AND, for the last 6 years I've been looking at it through a plastic bag on my shelf & thought WHY??? Am I going to just die with it in the bag & someone drops it off at Value Village??? So I took a ball out & cast on for a sock.