MONDAY

Had breakfast with Keith and, for the first time, Kathie; Mary didn't show. After, I got a few minor things done, and assembled as much as I could of my medical paperwork, which is beginning to drive me crazy--or crazier.

Ellen got here at 11:30 and we went off to the Stone Fire Grille for lunch. I wasn't sure any of the former Soaring Spirits members, but four were and a newbie came later. We had a good time and Ellen made a big hit. It was great to see them again, especially Susan, but of course, I miss Vera, our former leader, who moved to Oregon.

Home about 2:00 and El and I took a walk around the campus, then spent an inordinate amount of time catching with the appointment stuff. Today, I go to Rolling Oaks (that always reminded me of a motorcycle gang) Radiology for--I believe, two tests of some kind. In the afternoon, though, niece Carolyn is coming for a visit and I'm looking forward to that.

Dinner with the usual five of us. I slipped away before dessert to take a shower and that felt good. Didn't wash my hair, as I'm having Caitlin, the on-site hairdresser, wash and blow-dry it on Friday at 1:00. 

El called to say after that to say the O.T., Andrea, will come tomorrow to advise about adjustments to the shower so I can be safe and comfortable. What I want includes a new shower head. Everybody is advising me to get a shower chair. I had a stool, but I just don't like to sit down while showering. I don't feel comfortable to begin with, and prefer to stand.  

Dinner with the other four; it was pork loin and not bad, then I--successfully--took a shower, but I still want to make some improvements. El called to confirm she'll be here at 9:00 today to take me to Rolling Oaks. This will be three days in a row she's come and I hope she doesn't think this: 

SUNDAY WITH STELLA

Breakfast with Keith. I noticed Mary and Cheryl were sitting together, talking intensely. Kathy came to sit with us and said they were discussing a serious personal topic. Had my usual poached eggs and went back upstairs to prepare for Stella. She texted me after mass at The Mission and got here promptly at 11:00. I was pleased that she had brought me four lemons from her tree, plus a nice ripe avocado. 

We went up to my apartment and I showed her around, then down to lunch. She and I sat by ourselves, but I introduced her to Mary. After, we went to Wal-Mart, then to Green Thumb and I got three lovely primrose plants, white, yellow, and purple. Stella will be moving soon and asked if I wanted to take some of the succulents in her gardens, of which she has dozens. I hope to get over there one of these days and pick some out.

Mike called while we were driving home. I called him back when Stella left, and we had a good chat. He's in Austin until the end of the week and I told him I decided I shouldn't go to Vivian's U. of Hawaii graduation in May. He had said my children were all very concerned about that--they think the trip and the hubbub would be too much for me and I reluctantly concurred. He was glad I made that decision and, happily, the university videotapes the whole thing and I'll be able to see it.

Dinner with Keith, Mary, and Cheryl. After, I met a new resident named Beverly (she told me she heard there are eight Beverlys here, although that's hard to believe)  and we had a nice chat. She had lived at The Lexington--I'm not sure for how long--and had disliked a lot of it, so moved here. I invited her in to see my place and we seemed to bond--we'll see. 

Ellen called; she'll be here today and we'll go out for lunch. I suggested we go to the Stone Fire Grille and meet up with the Soaring Spirits group. It disbanded when leader Vera moved to Oregon, but I think the rest are still meeting twice a month, but simply as friends. 

SATURDAY

At breakfast, Mary wore one of her many kitty shirts: 

Happily, her Willow is rapidly improving and will get the scratch avoider (face cone?) off today.

Compared to other days, it was pretty quiet. I washed my sheets before lunch, but when I went to get the new ones I had bought, they were king-sized, so I put back the other ones. Ellen has king-sized, so I'll see if she can use them. 

Lunch with the usual four, then I went out on the sunny campus to sit and call Muckie. We had a good, long talk for thirty minutes or so. She's not recovering from the pancreatic cancer--you don't recover--and it has reached the liver, but so far, she' doing pretty well. She can't get to the hospital for her chemo because on top of the horrific snow storm, they had a dreadful ice storm. 

I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to set up my medications. Ellen and the visiting nurse had done it before, but this is a new week and I didn't want to wait. I think I got it right.

Went down to dinner at the usual horrendously early hour so 4:45, damnit, but I guess there isn't much I can do about it. Ate with Keith and Kathy, as Mary and Cheryl were having a heart-to-heart at another table.

Slept okay, although I woke up, I glanced at my phone, thought it said 6:15, so got up, as my alarm goes off at 6:15. After I had washed and partially dressed, I saw it said 5:30, but oh, well, I turned in at 9:00, so got eight hours. 

Stella is supposed to come to lunch today after 11:00 o'clock mass at the Mission. Whether she'll get here in time for lunch is iffy, but to be honest, I don't really care. 

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On Facebook Duane's partner, Ani, posted the above of Duane and his twin daughters...

which was accompanied by the request below for friends to reply to these questions:

Coincidentally, I came across an FB entry of mine on which Duane commented and we had a fun exchange. I plan to share it with Ani.

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FRIDAY

Weight report: down 1.6 to 134.2 at home, down a pound at T.O.P.S. to 125.5. I'm not yet back in my comfort zone of 125 to 130, but trust I'm on the way.  

Mary Ann picked me up at 8:00 and we went to leader Lennie's house, instead of meeting at Trinity Lutheran, as Lennie wanted to show us a video on The View with Oprah as guest.  There, Ozempic and other weight loss injections were discussed and the participants agreed that the obese couldn't lose without it because they had a disease which is herniary and blah, blah, blah. How much of it was based on fact, and how much on bull crap is questionable, but it was reasonably interesting. Lennie had a lovely selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, plus good bagels, sour cream, coffee, and tea. I was pleased to see my friends again, especially Katherine, whom I hope to see with Julie one of these days for lunch. Speaking of, Julie called me later to see if I wanted to go to the BCNN meeting next Wednesday and yes, sure I do. 

Home about 10:30 and shortly after, the O.T. came. I told her about my dissatisfaction with the shower and she called Ellen to recommend a holder for it that El can put on the shower wall and I can easily hold. El has ordered that and other things for me, including a new BP machine--this one around the upper arm. 

I then set about the tremendous chore of starting to get in order and record all my various appointments, medical and otherwise. Only about fifteen later, I went down to lunch. Sat with my friends and had what the chef called "fried cod," which was a square. breaded fish patty, clearly frozen since 1882, along with French fries and Cole slaw, which I didn't eat.  My friend, Mary, whose kitty, Willow, is recovering from an anal lesion (UGH!) showed up in this top: 

Yeah, it's all fine at this stage of life--NOT!

After, I sat outside in the lovely sunshine and made several phone calls to family members, and to Muckie (no answer and I left a  message), and Jeanne Painter, who's in Florida at the moment. Doris also called--again--and I'm beginning to wonder whether I should or not have contacted her after all these years. 

Got a get-well note from my niece, Maureen, which was very sweet and which ended with "We need you as our matriarch (fuck the patriarch!)" Presumably, that referred to Trump--I got a kick out of it. 

Had dinner with the usuals and it was actually pretty good: chili with cornbread and I brought my can of Sprite, having given up the good stuff. 

Texted Stella to confirm her coming to lunch today, but she asked if tomorrow was okay, instead, and sure, why not, so I'll see her then.

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I forgot to add this picture yesterday of Ellen, Greg, and me at Lure. As I mentioned, the king salmon was scrumptious: 

                                    

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THURSDAY

Busy day and I'm going to skip all the who-I-ate-with crapola and go straight to the important stuff: El picked me up at 1:00 and we went up to my apartment and prepared for my Primary Medicine visit. Got there at 3:00 and talked to the P.A. She advised me I need to lower my blood pressure and there was other discussion on which I don't want to elaborate, but I'm going to see some other docs. 

After, we met Greg at Lure for dinner--oh, joy!--and had heaven on a plate: king salmon, roasted Brussels sprouts and parmesan potato patties. The food at The Orchard is okay much of the time, but sometimes so-so; this was fresh out of the sea, perfectly cooked, and just superb. Dinner with tip cost me $45.97 and with only water to drink, but it was worth every penny. El took me to Von's after, so I could get soda and Crystal Lite. In light of my BP readings, I am giving up alcohol for the foreseeable future.

T.O.P.S. this morning--Mary Ann will pick me up at 8:00 and we're meeting at leader Lennie's house--I don't remember why. Hope I've lost a few, but we'll see.

WEDNESDAY AND MY BP

It was "scarf day" yesterday, when we were supposed to wear our favorite scarfs  Reminds me of Kindergarten, but I played along with it. Dyan didn't wear a scarf, but she had on one of her many attractive tops:

I did wear one--a sparkly gray , but you can't see it well here: 

Darn, I had trimmed it and for some reason, can't pull that modified pic up.

As scheduled, the nurse, Francis, came after lunch and went through a lot of health questions and so on. He recommended that I buy both a new blood pressure machine and and a new pill cutter. My BP has continued to climb and now I'm determined to take it down. I'm giving up salt and no longer--sob!--will be enjoying alcohol. 

Aside from all that, remarkably, I connected up again with Doris G., whom I hadn't been in touch with for more than twenty years. She now lives year-round in the little resort island of Chincoteague, Virginia. Wild horses roan there and she feeds two of them, along with twelve cats (don't ask). Anyway, we had a great time catching up, although Doris seems to have some cognitive decline. I'm also back in touch with her son, Sherwood, who has had some role or other in Jersey's democratic party for years. 

Niece Carolyn called and she'll be coming here for lunch on Tuesday; I'm looking forward to that with pleasure. Stella is coming for the same on Saturday and that should be interesting. The P.T. and possibly, an O.T. will be coming today, I think, although I haven't heard from either.  

Had dinner with my friends. Settled for a large chicken salad and iced tea and it was very good, unlike some of the kitchen's concoctions. 

BP this morning: 84/48 before coffee. Is that too low? I took it again and incredibly, it came up as 162/111 I must be doing it wrong--how can it fluctuate so much?

TUESDAY

Had brekkie with Keith and Diane, my next-door neighbor. I'm getting to know Diane better and she's an interesting person--never married, no children, and quite attractive in a quiet way. However, she's one of those who seems sad some of the time. She looks to be no older than her sixties and she had been searching for a different place to live--I'm not sure why, as she seems to have no physical difficulties. However, when I mentioned I had had an MRI, she said she had, too; I didn't want to ask why. 

Washed two loads in the morning--sheets and regular--in the morning, then took lunch with the regulars. After, I my book and sat outside next to what's called the clubhouse (it's just a regular, rather nice bungalow where special events are held) to read it.  Residents Leslie and Susan, the girlfriend of another resident came out and I chatted with them. Had lunch with the four, then went back to the laundry room to dry my wash.  

While I was waiting, I strolled around and came across the name of Penny Something. Lorraine had called me about Penny from So-Fi coming to live at The Orchard on February 6. Now I can't remember what the name was or what floor (of three) it was, but I'll find it. I talked to Loraine later and she said it was Banfield, so I'll check again.

Dinner with Keith, Kathie, and Mary; Cheryl came later and sat elsewhere. Speaking of, I requested Facebook friendship with Cheryl, now that I know her last name.  

The nurse called and he'll be here this afternoon. He'll look over my meds and I'll ask him to advise me if I'l doing the BP cuff right, among other things. Called Ellen and told her he was coming; I'll see her tomorrow. 

I called the picture hanger who regularly charges $175 per hour; I bargained him down to $100 and am hoping it won't take more than an hour to hang my two six-foot or so  long pictures over the sofa. Okay, I'll El to take me to the bank and I'll get cash to give him so I don't feel so guilty--he's the nice guy who hung the same pics years ago when I moved into SO-FI.

All that doesn't sound like a busy day, but it really seemed to be.