Sporadic Posting, Hospital Visits, and Halloween

I certainly don't intend to post sporadically. What's the point of having a blog if I only post three times this month?

Sometimes I'm too busy, sometimes too tired, sometimes too distracted. 

Two days after my last post, Jeff was hospitalized for five nights. It started with intense pain; then there were complications. I really don't want to go into the details. What's important is that Jeff's feeling much better now and has a home PT appointment tomorrow. 

I was lucky to have friends like Annette and George. They met me at the emergency room, picked up Jace, and then invited me to stay with them. I thought it would only be for one night, but I stayed for two more. It was nice not to be alone. I just vegged and watched TV. 

Apparently Halloween is a big holiday here. I didn't participate except Jace and I continued to walk the trails. Part of the trail was decorated with ghosts, witches, bats, and more. 

I caught two of my favorite horror/Halloween movies. The first: Black Sunday. I watched it without any distractions. It is genuinely eerie and atmospheric. I also watched Kiss of the Vampire. This is not as scary as Black Sunday, and the vampires were whiny brats, but it has some good parts. 

We're settling back into what passes for normal now: slowly getting furniture and learning more about our new town.

Thursday Thoughts and Miscellanea

It hasn't been the best week. Sometime in the early morning on Tuesday, Jace had massive diarrhea. I spent much of the day cleaning up. I got Jace to the vet on Tuesday afternoon. I've been feeding him chicken and rice cooked in chicken broth. The vet prescribed pills too. 

It's been cold in the mornings. I've been wearing a hat the last few days, and put Jace's Mets jacket on him. One thing about Jace is that he wears coats and jackets without fighting, unlike Spike.

Many people in the neighborhood have not taken down Halloween decorations. Thanksgiving isn't a big outdoor decorating holiday. I've seen a few turkeys. One house posts Peanuts inspired signs every year. A few people have put up Christmas decorations already: one with a countdown board of days until Santa arrives. 

I packed up a few things today to go to Goodwill. This is just the beginning in of decluttering. I'm glad that I got started, but we have a long way to go.

I went out to eat twice last week. On Thursday, I went to lunch with friends, Marti and Elaine at Tengda in Greenwich. The food's delicious and it has parking. The last time we went to a restaurant on Greenwich Avenue, it was hard to park, and the meters only allowed quarters.

On Saturday, Jeff and I went to a new for us brewpub Sly Bandit in Wilton for a late lunch. Enjoyed some good beer with fried pickles and pulled pork flatbread. 

Francisco Lindor won the Silver Slugger Award--his fourth. He deserves all the accolades for the season he's had. I still believe he's the MVP.

It's Been A Long Week...

with a day still to go. It feels more like three weeks.  

On Wednesday morning, Jeff fell twice around 12:30 and again around 5:30 when getting up from bed to go to the bathroom. After the second fall, we headed to the emergency room. Bottom line: he broke his left pinky, but CT scans and MRI were clear. They kept him overnight, and he was home by Thursday evening

On Wednesday, I appreciated living across the street from the hospital. I went back and forth all day--something I couldn't easily do if we lived farther away. I could walk and feed Jace and get some food for myself, knowing the hospital would call me if necessary, and I could quickly return.

Now, I'm just trying to get back to normal.

Monday Miscellanea

I've been discouraged with myself lately. For the last week or so, I've been trying to give myself grace. I haven't felt 100 percent in two months. It's been a bad weather summer (and we've gotten off easier than other parts of the country.) But I feel that the grace period has lasted long enough. I've got to turn things around. At least I finally got to the gastro specialist today. 

The Mets won a make-up game against the Cardinals. It was a nice comeback after the Mets lost two consecutive games to the Angels. There may be a wild card in  the future. 

I'm remaining immersed in the Preston & Child world. I'm skimming through the three books of the Leng Quartet again.Yesterday I read summaries of all the Pendergast books. I've read all the books, but some of the details are sketchy. A week to go before the latest book comes out. 

Monday Miscellanea and Vacation Plans

I didn't feel well for part of last week, but I was feeling progressively better. Until today, that is. So, I'll see my doctor on Wednesday.

We're heading into a heat wave. Summer is officially here on Thursday, but I still feel that this is too soon for a heatwave. 

We're going to the Jersey Shore next Sunday. When we recently went to the shore overnight, we learned that other cousins (all from my dad's side of the family) would be visiting next week. Jeff and I booked an airbnb for three nights in Seaside Park.

After that, we're heading to another cousin's (from my mother's side of the family) in Sea Isle City, about an hour south of Seaside Park. We'll probably stay three days, but we're not definite.

This is our first time staying in an airbnb, and we're finally using the gift certificate we got a few Christmases ago. I've started putting things together. I'll probably overpack since we are driving--even though we'll have access to washing machines in both locations. 

Thinking about the trip in terms of frugality a la the frugal girl. Our stay in Seaside Park is pricey. That's one reason we normally wait until September for our vacations. But the cousins won't be visiting in September. Luckily the Sea Isle City place is free. Can't be frugaller than that. 

I'm Back

I haven't posted in over a week--and my last post was a short one. Before that, it had been 10 days. One week I was feeling chilled and lethargic (but no fever.). Later it was just lethargic. For one week, I only left the apartment to walk Jace. I didn't drive anywhere. I can't explain it--I felt like a slug. 

I've still managed to take Jace to Cove Island Park a few times recently. As of Wednesday, Stamford requires a permit to park there, so Jace and I won't return until October. Yesterday was probably the best day of the year. Jeff, Jace, and I ate lunch at Overton's before we drove to Cove Island.

My brother Jim, Jeff, Jace, and I made a quick trip to the Jersey Shore last weekend. The main reason was to scatter my mother's ashes. My mother died in early 2019. She had wanted to be cremated and talked about having her ashes taken to Venice (where my sister's ashes are.) Well, we haven't made it to Venice and don't know if/when we will. So we decided to take her to Ocean City, New Jersey. She had always enjoyed going there; she and my stepfather spent their honeymoon there. It sure beats my closet where the ashes have been for the last five years. (I did save some of her and my stepfather's ashes in case one of us makes it to Venice.)

We also visited with some cousins. We stopped at our cousin Barbara's place in Ortley Beach for a few hours. We met another cousin Elena, her husband Tom, and their golden retriever Franklin in Ocean City. We later spent the night at their place in Sea Isle City. We haven't seen them since my mother's memorial service and had a great visit. 

I hope to do more visiting in the next several months.

2024 So Far...

...sucks. Blunt, but true. The main thing is that our friend is in the hospital as I mentioned. It was worse than I realized: he was in intensive care. The weird thing is that we had just seen him for the first time in about a year two days before he was hospitalized.

Compared to that, everything else is a minor annoyance. I haven't been feeling well--I've been exhausted. I can't seem to get out of my way to accomplish anything. 

Even as I write this, I feel guilty for being so petty, when our friends are dealing with so much. 

A Week That Went to Hell

The week started off well. Jace and I both had good checkups at the doctors. On Tuesday, I did two of my major weekly chores: food shopping and laundry. Jeff and I returned to the gym on Wednesday and had good workouts. I also took Jace for a hike on the western part of the Norwalk River Valley Trail--the first time for Jace. He loved it. Two people told me he looked happy. Another said he was impossibly cute. 

Thursday night I started sneezing and coughing. My throat hurt and I was chilled. I've been sick ever since. I feel better today, but am still spending most of the day in bed. Jace has been very attentive. Cynthia has been a big help, lending me a thermometer, walking Jace in the afternoons, and buying tissues and throat lozenges for me. I've tested negative for Covid twice, so I think this is a bad case of the flu.

Jeff's birthday is tomorrow. I don't think I'll be up to going out. I'll make it up to him.

Cinco de Mayo and Lola's Birthday

It's been a week of medical appointments. This is more Jeff's story than mine, and I'm not comfortable writing more about it. To add to the fun, we were both possibly exposed to Covid last Saturday. We haven't had any fever and tested negative twice. Our doctor recommended we wear masks for a few more days. I would hate to be the cause of some kind of breakout.

I'm not worried about getting sick as much as I'm annoyed by inconvenience. There are several things that I would like to do this weekend, and the weather will be beautiful. But I want to be cautious. There's an outdoor dog-friendly event for the new part of the NRVT, two arts shows/sales, a dog event, the Westport Library book sale.

I made margaritas tonight in honor of Cinco de Mayo and Lola's designated birthday. 

A Case of the Blahs

What my mother and I used to call the blahs were the times when we didn't feel good, but couldn't label just what was wrong. Something just wasn't right. 

I had the blahs for the past four days. It wasn't how I wanted to end last week. I felt just about normal yesterday morning, but wiped out by the afternoon. 

Last week wasn't a total waste. I got some shopping done. I got my haircut before my hairdresser left for Florida for the holidays. Jeff and I went out for lunch on Wednesday with two friends to celebrate one's birthday. On Thursday we heard from another friend who was visiting family in the area, and the three of us went out to dinner. I'm glad that I felt well enough for those get-togethers.

As for today, I'm going to take it slow. 

Sick

A stomach flu hit me on Tuesday. One minute I was getting ready to take a shower--the next I was lying on the bathroom floor. I stayed in bed until 4 PM, then sat on the couch until I went back to bed again.

I felt much better the next day, but tried to do too much and it wiped me out. So, the rest of the week I took everything slowly. I eventually went grocery shopping and did the laundry. 

Now I just have to write a story due for my class on Monday. (I abandoned the story I partially wrote last week. It didn't work.)

A Busy Two Days

Sunday was a wasted day after my Covid-19 booster shot on Saturday night. I had various body aches, fatigue, fever, and chills all day. I barely had enough energy to take Lola to Oyster Shell for a half-hour walk. I had very little appetite, only for rye toast with butter and mandarin oranges. I had prepared for a bad reaction, but hoped for less. A friend said she was ill for a day-and-a-half. Another woman told me it would be a cinch because the booster was a half-dose.

I felt better by Monday morning for my last writing class of the fall. I was pleased to get a good response to my story, especially from the best writers in the class. I took Lola for a walk on NRVT, made a steak dinner (postponed from Sunday when Jeff got Thai takeout because I was too wiped out to cook) and dusted the dining area and part of the living room.

Today I did the grocery shopping and the laundry. In between I took Jeff to the doctor and Lola to the dog park. The grocery store was much busier than normal, but since I am taking the easy way out for Thanksgiving (catering from Whole Foods) it went smoothly. I had more laundry than expected, mainly because of a blanket that fell behind the couch and flannel sheets. We had a relatively easy dinner of manicotti from the farmer's market (the first time we tried this) with my marinara sauce and a salad.

Now I'm winding down; I need to take Lola out, get ready for bed, and read a bit. I'm reading another book about the Romanovs--this one focused on finding and identifying the bodies of the last Tsar and his family, and all the imposter claimants to the throne. 

Avoidance

For the past 10 days, Jeff's been dealing with a health problem. So, I've been dealing with a health problem. I don't want to get into any details, but Jeff's on the mend and will have to take it easy for a few weeks. 

Usually I process things by writing, but for the past ten days, I avoided writing. I wrote a short blog post about Joe Biden on Inauguration Day. I forced myself to write in my journal on Sunday. I also tried to write a story for my fiction class, but couldn't manage more than about 100 words. 

This post is a baby step. 

Welcome 2021!

Ten years ago, I posted the link to this song. My father died in 2010. My nephews sued the estate. It was a stressful time. 

It was nothing compared to 2020. In some ways I'm in a better place now than I was then. The rest of the world is not. 

The entire year has been overshadowed by Covid-19. I wish all the trauma could be gone with the turn of calendar page, but that's not possible. Today the US surpassed 20 million recorded Covid-19 cases. The nation has also set a Covid hospitalization rate for the fourth straight day. January will be tough especially with all the people who have insisted on traveling over the holidays (even members of our family.) 

Yet I can't help but feel hopeful for 2021.There are Covid vaccines, even though it will take several months for us all to be vaccinated. 

We can hold on. We have to. 

$428 of Dirt and Sand: Poor Lola

Two days ago, we noticed Lola eating dirt; this was a new thing. Yesterday at Sherwood Island beach, she was eating sand. We stopped her whenever we saw her. 

Last night around 10, she vomited. She woke around 4-4:30 and was sick another four or five times. She was also shaking. It was rough.

I cooked her some chicken and rice in chicken broth his morning; she was totally uninterested, and she threw up twice more. 

We took her to the vet this morning, authorized an x-ray to confirm that she's eaten a bunch of dirt and sand. She's uncomfortable, but not in pain. We just have to wait for it to pass through her system. 

The best thing is that she finally ate a little food about 15 minutes ago. 

We had just been to the vet earlier this week to get a blood test. Lola has had some kidney issues and has been on a special kidney diet for about six months. The vet said she wouldn't need another blood test until her annual check-up in May. I was happy for her health as well as our wallet. 

But then, there we were back today; another $428. The most frustrating part is that Lola did this to herself. 

Another Week Goes By

The days tend to blend together this year. Since Jeff is still working full-time, we still notice weekends, but otherwise, things get confusing. I have a class on Monday, so I have an appointment that day. For a while, I designated Tuesday as my shopping day, but I no longer stick to that. I usually do laundry on Wednesday.

I do better when I give myself specific chores or projects to do on a particular day. I have to work on that.

This week, we've been worried about Lola. She started having diarrhea on Sunday and vomiting on Monday. We took her to the vets on Monday and Friday and I dropped off a poop sample on Wednesday. She hasn't vomited since Tuesday, but the other problem continues. Sometimes she's lethargic; other times she's excited to go out for a walk. It's very confusing.

While I feel fairly safe in Connecticut, Covid-19 is still ravaging the nation. This article is frightening and appalling. As Blue Cactus Grill said on a sign, (more or less) Your grandparents fought a war, all you have to do is sit on the couch.

I continue to try to take pictures on walks with Lola.  Here are a few.


Neighborhood bunnies.

Oyster Shell Park

Poor Lola Revisited

Lola's had a rough couple months: infections, toxins in her kidneys, surgery.

Now on top of everything else, she's having digestive problems: diarrhea and vomiting. So back to the vets we went. We got some medicine and I made her chicken and rice.

I hope she feels better soon.

Canine Health Report

We found out on Monday that Lola's tumor was mammary cancer. The doctor said the surgery was curative, but cancer could re-occur. We'll have to examine her monthly for lumps.

Her kidney disease means we need to put her on a special diet. We've already been mixing the kidney diet food with her remaining food. We love to share some of what we eat with Lola, but the doctor told us we need to limit meat to a treat.

Poor Lola.

We'll take care of her.

Poor Lola

Lola is in surgery today. She has a growth in her abdomen. While she's under anesthesia, the doctor will remove a wart on her face, a small growth in her mouth, clean her teeth, check her anal glands, and trim her nails. The doctor doesn't think her abdomen tumor is cancerous. If it is, it will be cured by surgery.

I thought about taking her for a walk early this morning, but we're not supposed to give her water, so decided against that. Temps are already in the 70's with high humidity.

Lola's had a rough few months. She was diagnosed with two tick-borne infections and mildly elevated toxic byproducts in her kidneys. Antibiotics didn't cure the toxicity, so Lola is transitioning to a special kidney care diet.

Lola was so excited to get into the car with us this morning. Then she started shaking when we got to the vet's. I feel so guilty.

This won't be an inexpensive visit. I'm glad we have the money to take care of her. Lola had a bad beginning to her life, but her past four years with us have been good. We want to continue with a good life for her.

Can't wait till we can pick her up this afternoon.

Two Weeks

Two weeks ago, most of Connecticut shut down. More things have closed down since then. Yesterday Mayor Rilling closed Norwalk parks to all vehicles (except Park Department employees.)

This is what I most worried about in social distancing: what about Lola? Jeff and I understand the pandemic, but Lola doesn't. I tried twice to take her around the block today. She only went when both Jeff and I went with her.

We're lucky that we can walk to three parks, but unlucky that Lola is so finicky about walking.

So far, Wilton, Westport, and Stamford haven't closed parks. I've been avoiding Westport because it had been the worst hit city in Connecticut. Now Norwalk is number one (an honor I don't want.) Tomorrow is the last day I can take Lola to Sherwood Island until October. That sounds like a good idea.