Feeling Good

Today's high temperature was: 10 degrees

Sunny

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I have no idea what is wrong with me!  For the last week, without any reason, I have felt very peaceful and contented and happy.  

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No snow at all today!!!  Amazing....but...there's always tomorrow and we are suppose to get a couple of inches.

I don't read very much.  I used to read a book a week--for some reason, after Fred died, I could not concentrate on reading.  It took me a long time to be able to cross stitch and crochet too, but the motivation came back in about 9 months--the reading, not until the last month.

I just finished a book that I liked called, "Final Epidemic".  If you like apocalyptic book, you'd like it.  All about a virus that hits, with no cure.   Today, I started a new book called "Mark of Evil".  It is written by the guys who wrote the "Left Behind" series--which I read all of and just loved!

I worked on the book lay-out this morning and then again tonight.  I am having a ball!!!  In between times, I watched my soap and then took my car into the service place at 2:00 to get an estimate.

When Fred came into my life, he found this service place and he got to be good friends with the owner--they shared a love of cars and dirt track racing.  When Fred was younger, he had a car that he raced with on the dirt tracks in Wisconsin.

Fred was always impressed with this guys service, so I started taking my car there too.  They have always been right with me.  Last spring when I had to have ball joints, tie rods, suspension bars and the like--after their estimate, I went on line at the Auto Zone website and got the prices for the needed parts.  On a lot of the parts, the service garage was lower.  So I trust these guys.

I was hoping I would only need a new piece of pipe--thought it probably would cost around $200.00 total--the price of labor being $80.00 an hour.  Come to find out, not only do I have a hole in the pipe right behind the manifold, but all the pipes AND the muffler have either small holes, or are so rusted, they are about to give out.  So---I need a new exhaust system from the catalytic converter back AND a muffler.

While I was waiting for them to check out the car, I met a young woman who was waiting for her car to be finished, and she started talking to me.  Her mother is in the hospital with blood clots in both legs, her groin and her lungs.  They did surgery last summer and put a screen in her groin, but she has developed new ones.  I asked how old her mother was, thinking she was probably my age......her Mom is 52!!!

52??  I have children that age!  That is awfully young to have a life threatening problem.  My Gosh!!!

After one of the repairmen looked at my car and told Rick, the owner, what was needed, Rick said he'd check out the parts and call me with an estimate.   So, I decided to drive on home.  As I was leaving, he said, "I really loved Fred!  He was a great guy!"  Man--so unexpected.  I could feel tears prick my eyes.

I stopped and got a Subway for supper and shortly after I got home, Rick called.  The estimate for all of it?  $257.68.

I was shocked and I told Rick I thought it would be twice that amount.  He said he checked three parts places and is getting the cheaper parts from each place.  

Let's face it, with a 1998 car, I don't need genuine GM parts!!

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 I was thinking I might start my spring cleaning early--just for something to do.  This computer room needs a total overhaul!!  I sit here and think of how I could rearrange it, but the only solution is to put Fred's big desk over on the other wall and then my back would be to the windows and part of what I love about this arrangement, is that I can sit here and look out and see what is going on outside.  

I have three tall book shelves--all full!  I have one smaller shelf thingie that my great grandfather made--all full!  On the opposite wall from the desk, I have a long counter top--with a shelf unit on one end--full--with the litter box under part of it.  The closet is filled with plastic storage boxes with Jen's kids afghans in them and the great grandchildren baby quilts AND 1 plastic storage box with all my children's book notes, rough drafts, etc, in them, 1 box with all my yarn and crocheting supplies and 1 box filled with cross stitch fabric, patterns, floss.  Plus, my coats on the rack and boxes on the top shelf.  I just cleaned it out last fall.

I do have one cart (used to be a microwave cart) that I could get rid of as I have put all my computer paper, envelopes, discs and stuff like that in another cart the same size, but it has a roll down cover, that closes out the shelves, which I like.

If I did get rid of the empty microwave cart, I could then move my computer tower, modem, router and all that goes along with it, to the other side of my desk.  That might make the room look a little neater when people glance in as they come through the front door.

PLUS--I need new blinds for the three windows AND I need new cafe/tier curtains with the valances to match.  Can't afford both, so will just soak and wash the heck out of the curtains and look for some cheapo blinds.

I need to figure something out because this mess is getting to me!!!

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Tomorrow I am going grocery shopping because Monday, after my visit to the Chiropractor, I am dropping my car off and they can have it all week if they want.  I have no place to go.

Enjoy watching the Olympics and I will see you Monday!

Later--Jude

Out and About

The high temperature today was:  17 degrees

Partly sunny

Tonight's temperature will be:  -15 wind chill

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I was barely awake and not even dressed (9:00) when my doorbell rang--it was Dar.

"I just wanted to come over before I go off for the day."

"What's up?" I asked.

"I have to go to the hospital and get my blood checked--you know because I am now on Coumadin."

"Oh--your PT/INR?  What is your number?"

"I have no idea what the test is called or what the number is.  I will have to ask.  They just tell me if I should take more or less."

"Okay--they probably want you at 2.8 or 2.9.  See what it is, just for the fun of it."

"Did you get your gas bill yet?"

"Nope.  I'm on the budget plan, but still worry about how much it is and what I might have to owe them come settlement month in April."

"I know," she says.  "I didn't have insurance until the first of the year and I had all those tests done in December.  I am going to owe the hospital and doctor's a small fortune!  It will take me forever to pay them back."

"Yeah--lack of money can get scary!"

"Hey--I wanted to tell you.  I got a treadmill!!"

"You did?" (to myself --I thought you were poor.)

"Yes.  I got it on sale.  It was listed at fifteen-hundred dollars and I got it for eight hundred!  I am so excited!"  (to myself--hm-mm. She can barely walk over her because of her Afib and shortness of breath and now she is going to walk on a treadmill.  That she can't afford.)

She says, "I probably should have taken that money and paid my doctor bills, but...he's rich...he can wait for the money."

So off she goes and I jump in the shower.  I don't know--I just don't know.  

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I ran up to Wal-Mart to pick up my 3 prescriptions.  This year, the company that I have my prescription coverage through, lowered the monthly payment from $25.70 to $16.50.  I was thrilled and I have no deductible.  When I got my prescriptions, one of them that is normally $7.00 is suddenly now, $16.00.  Who knows why--I'm going to blame ObamaCare--just because I hate it.  I e-mailed the company and asked why because I could not reach them by phone, and I have no reply as yet.

As I was leaving the park to go up to Wal-Mart, I had a heck of a time seeing over the huge snow-piles at the entrance/exit.  I had to turn left onto quite a busy road.  I tried to stick the nose of the car out as far as was safe, but man....So when I got home I called the office and told them they needed to top off those drifts because they were too high to see over.  Now--a lot of people here drive pick-up trucks and vans, and with those, you can probably see over the drifts.  For those of us who have cars--it is darn near impossible!!!  Apparently, they have quite a few complaints, so we shall see if they do anything about it.  I ought to report them to the county sheriff.

I went searching for my bread maker--because I have had a huge appetite for some home made, warm bread and I need it to use for my noon sandwich.  I remember that I put it away two years ago.  Well, I could not find it anywhere!  I sat and pondered on that and then I remembered.  After Fred died, when I was cleaning things out, Jennifer had mentioned she wanted a bread machine, so I gave her mine BECAUSE, I didn't think I'd ever make home made bread again--as Fred is the one who used it all the time. So--she probably hasn't used it more than once in the last two years, but....under the circumstances, I can't very well call and ask if I can "borrow" it.  

I remembered that my nephew gave me a Target gift card for Christmas.  I NEVER shop at Target, but I went on line to see if they had any bread makers.  Guess what?  They have them--on-line only.  So I found one for fifty bucks and ordered it.  With the gift card, I had enough so I only had to pay for shipping and tax--less then $20.00..  COOL!!!  I can hardly wait, but now....I have to buy some bread flour, yeast and oil.  I prefer that to the boxed bread maker stuff they have.

Tomorrow, I have to take my car in for the estimate on the exhaust system repair.  I think I only have to have a new pipe as my muffler is quite all right...so that shouldn't cost too much.  Only problem, nowadays, the price for labor is $80.00 an hour!!!

My sister and brother-in-law stopped in for a quick visit as they were at the Lowe's and Home Depot just up the road.  What a joy it is to have her so close they can stop in a lot.  Susan is so depressed about the old bathroom they had off their bedroom and not able to afford to go on with their re-vamp of it and the bedroom that she is just painting the walls and trying to brighten it up a bit.  They were hunting for a four-step "project" Ladder.  They have a 3-step, but as short as she is, it just isn't enough to reach the high ceilings in that house and she doesn't like a regular step-ladder, as the narrow steps hurt her feet--whatever!  LOL

I think this is the one she settled on.

She gave me a quart jar of her canned Bread and Butter Pickles--our grandma's recipe.  I love these things.  Will eat them right out of the jar with a fork.  She also gave me a footed amethyst glass dish that was Mother's.  I put it over my cupboards along with my other colored glass jugs.

Back in the late sixties, when everyone was decorating with gold/orange/green/brown, our mother had a lot of blue/green/amethyst.  She loved jewel tones.  She died in 1970 and I had a bit of her glassware.  When I moved in 1988, I packed away all of it, as I didn't have room for it.  When I moved here in 2003, I started unpacking all these boxes and finding all this blue and green and purple glassware--I had forgotten all about it.  My carpet is Emerald and I have a blue chair and couch.  At the time, I wondered what I had that would go with those things--as I unpacked, I realized I had my color scheme.

Then I remember the two glass lamps my mother had made at the lamp store--on green glass and one amethyst.  My Dad and step-mother had the green one out on a table.  She hated it, but my Dad loved it--probably because he remember when my Mother had them made.  She didn't often get anything really pretty, so she was especially proud of them as she had designed just what she wanted.  The amethyst one was up in their attic and I asked step-mother if I could have it.  It didn't work, but amazingly, she hadn't thrown it away. My friend Ernie re-wired it and now I have it.  It is on the table in the corner, along with a piece of REAL amethyst that Fred's Mother had (she being a real rock hound!)

I thanked Susan and told her she could have it back when I was "done" with it.  She said, "I hope that isn't for many, many years!"

I had potato soup for supper (again), 3 days in a row now and it is gone.  I have to go food shopping!!!!!  I think I will swallow my pride and go to the food pantry up the road.  They allow you so many pounds of food for your household size.  At least I might be able to get some hamburger for meat loaf and I'd really like a small roast to cook in the Crock-Pot along with some carrots, potatoes and onions.  I think I can get all of that at the pantry.  

I have been helping my writer friend, by researching self publishing companies and now--she has me working on her children's e-book.  Working on the layout to put it into a print book.  No problem--right?  AHA!!!  The pages in the e-book are much larger than those allowed for a print book.  She has a sixty-some page book that must be condensed into a 32 page book.  Her illustrations, which are larger too and many, are all so wonderful and it has been difficult trying to pick out just the needed ones to make the story flow.  Also the illustrations are larger and need to be made smaller to fit the page template.  I am having a great time doing it though--I get so engrossed that hours go by AND she is paying me.  She doesn't realize I would do it for free--well, she sometimes reads this blog, so now she knows!!! :-)  Heart U Chrissy!!!

Dar called back to let me know her PT/INR is at 2.9!!! YAY!

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?  Hope I live to talk about it, LOL.

Again?

Today's high temperature was:  24 degrees

Snow--then more snow--and then it quit.
68.7 inches of snow so far
46 inches s normal

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8:30 a.m.

9:30 a.m.

10:00 a.m.

10:30 a.m.

10: 32 a.m.

Called to cancel Cardiologist appointment.  We are now shooting for February 26th.  So expect a new snow storm on that date, LOL.

 Dan arrived to say, he'd be back in two hours to shovel the drive.

2:00 p.m.

Just as Dan left, the phone rang.  Jackie, across the street in the blue house, wanted to know if he would come and shovel her drive.  She has turned him down several times, saying that he charges too much ($10.00) and that her son will come do it.  Now--she wants me to call Dan and ask him to come back.  I did and he said he had two places to do and would be back.

The phone rang again, Dar wanted to know if I would call Dan and see if he could do her driveway.  I called him and told him to do Darlene's drive too.

So, now it appears, I am Dan the Snow Removal Man's dispatcher or secretary, or whatever  I called Jackie and Dar back and said he'd be back in awhile and then I said, "Would you like his phone number so you can call him when you need him?".  

Got out of that job because, you know, if he didn't do the job to their liking or he was late in coming--guess whose fault it would be?  

That would be me!

See ya tomorrow--Jude

Cabin Fever

The high temperature today was: 25 degrees

Grey, grey, grey!

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This blog is boring!

I have nothing pithy to write about anymore!  I do not live a life with pith in it.  No substance--only subsisting.  No relevance.  I am pithless!!

I do write a lot about the weather--that is about the only exciting thing in life--or the most prevalent thing going on right now.  Perhaps it IS the weather's fault--not much communication between humans--we are either captive in our home because of the snow drifts or because of the bitter cold.  This is an historic winter.

Nothing to gossip about.  No real problems to ask advice for or help find a solution too.  Oh--I have very real problems, but there is no advice, nor solution.  You cannot get blood out of a turnip--there is no source of money--no way to earn or get more and money, or the lack thereof, is my only problem.

Oh wait--I forgot!  I am going to win the PCH Million Dollars a year for life prize--I forgot about that.  At least, they keep telling me via e-mail that I am in the final group to win--something!  Just my luck, I will probably win a trip to Aruba, or a new enormous SUV--maybe I can get cash instead?

I like to imagine what I could do with $600K (after taxes) a year!  Just think of the people I could help!  Pammie would be first on the list!  Then Pearl and her daughter--well, I'd give it to Pearl and then SHE could pass it on to her daughter.  I could get new carpeting.  I could dump a load on my sister so she could finish renovating the house the way she wanted to--before we were screwed by both father and step-mother!

I could pay off my credit cards--that would be the first thing I'd do.  If you knew what my credit score was, you'd be amazed.  I am amazed.  Don't those people know I am destitute?  I always pay early and more than the minimum payment.  I have two major cards with enormously high credit limits.  I only use the credit cards for emergencies--like car repairs--HAH!

The only thing is--in the last two years I have had a few emergencies, like--Fred's funeral.  A roof.  I'm still paying on Fred's false teeth, new glasses and HIS car repair and all of that stuff is long gone.  I live an anxious life to be sure.  WHAT IF--lots of those in my head.  Appliances breaking down and no repair could fix them.  A cat getting sick with a vet bill to pay.

I don't need a million a year--I'd be really happy with $50K.  $30K?

How did I get into this situation?  I look back.....my parents were well to do.  I married a GM journeyman with a great salary and benefits--I never ever worried about anything-money wise.  We didn't have credit cards.  We had no debt at all.  I was set for life--my future was all planned out and I never ever gave it any thought.  I should have stayed married, no matter what, just for security in my old age!!

Oh hell--don't want to even think about that.  It will all work out--or it won't.
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What else is pithy that we could think about?  Politics?  The Government?  That's scarier than  anything else!

Religion?  Which comes first--the Rapture or the Tribulation?  

Sex?  We could discuss that, but I have forgotten all I ever knew and I never knew too much about it.  I never really understood what all the hoopla was about it.  I much preferred the cuddling and kissing and the soft words, rather than the actual act.  Sex causes a lot of problems--fights, jealousies, manipulation, you gotta act a certain way.  It was something I had to do to get my grocery money for the week, when I was married.

I think it is more an emotional thing for women and more a physical thing for men. Fred was completely and totally impotent.  Probably that is why we got along so well.  We experienced the deep emotional connection.  It was the best relationship with a man I ever had.

I like that in an older man--when they are unable to have sex--when they want to be with you just because they enjoy your company, not because they want something else.  The only problem there is that usually "they" still think they "can" and YOU are going to be the one to bring back their virility!  Hey--that is just too much work!!

After my cousin was widowed, when she started dating, in her late fifties.  She had dated a man twice.  On the third date (why do they always think you are suppose to sleep with them on the third date?), she had cooked supper for him.  He arrived at her door with a small case in his hand and happily opened it and showed her---his doctor recommended inflation pump.  She told him "no thanks" and that was the end of him.  LOL
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   I learned something new today--I know, you are going to laugh, but...I learned how to use a potato peeler!  I always pared potatoes with a paring knife, but when my right thumb got crooked and painful from arthritis, I could no longer handle the knife--without the serious potential of cutting off a finger.  

Fred always pared potatoes for me and he always used a potato peeler.  I haven't had too many reasons to cook potatoes in these last two years, but--I wanted to make potato soup today.   I got that little gadget out of the drawer and---I don't think I worked it right, but it got the job done.  Fred always peeled toward himself and I just got the garbage can out, stood over it and pushed the peeler away from me--sliding the peels off into the basket.  Well--it worked and I got some really good potato/celery/onion/bacon and ham soup.  It's a good thing it tastes good because--I have enough to last me for about ten meals!
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I have never cared for Phillip Seymour Hoffman--he always creeped me out.  His was a great "actor", but just seeing pictures of him on TV or in a magazine...he just creeped me out.  What is it with these young people and their drugs.  I have recently found out that two of Karen's friends--who I knew well in high school and played softball for my Dad, were Heroin and Meth addicts.  These kids were all A students!  In the Honor Society and involved in the community.  What happened to them?

Perhaps now I can look back and be relieved that my two oldest only smoked pot and drank beer!!!  AND do neither one now!
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The big snow that was suppose to start at 7:00, still is not in evidence.  Maybe it will stay south of me?  Whatever, even if it snows and the snowplow driver fills in the end of my drive--I am going to get out tomorrow morning because I do not want to cancel the Cardiologist's appointment yet another time. I always back into my driveway, so tomorrow, I will get in my car, rev it up and speed out onto the street!  Hope I don't overshoot the street and run into mine and Jackie's mailboxes.

That's all I've got ladies--I can't think of anything pithy or witty to say.

Until tomorrow----Jude

February--What Can You Say?

Today's high temperature was:  23

Sunny and nice!

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What can you say about February?

I used to say it was the longest month of the year!  I found it the most depressing month ever!  So grey and dismal--I would get real down and unmotivated to do anything.

A few years ago, I purchased an Ott Floor Lamp, to put behind my chair to make it easier for me to see to read and cross stitch.  Well, I think that light is like one of those Daylight Lamps they talk about because, February doesn't even affect me anymore.  I do not get depressed--I do not get S.A.D.

Of course this year, with all the snow we have and more on the way, February seems like we are still in the midst of winter.  When the sun does shine, it gleams off the bright, white snow and makes the whole outside look new and clean.
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My friend from Saginaw called this morning to tell me that her breast aspiration/biopsy came back negative!!!  She will not have to have a lumpectomy!  She only has to have mammograms every six months, instead of the yearly ones.  I am so very happy for her and she is so relieved.

Dar seems to be getting better with the cellulitis she had around her eye.  Glad for that two as I was worried it would get into her blood stream and cause sepsis.  She called me yesterday morning, while she was at work, and wanted me to call Dan to shovel out her driveway.  Now, Dan doesn't live nearby.  He was just here on Saturday evening to shovel out the people he does in the park, but for some reason, she didn't want him to do it then.

Now, a mere 14 hours later, she wants ME to call him to come all the way back out here--on Super Bowl Sunday no less.  I didn't want to call him.  Didn't quite know what to do and as I was pondering on all of this, I looked out and there was Merle, shoveling out her driveway.  Problem solved--YAY.

Then I thought, why did she want ME to call Dan?  She has his phone number.  I am not her dang secretary for Pete's Sake!!  Oh well--it didn't matter after all.
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At 2:00, I jump[ed in my car to go to the Chiropractor's--when I started the car, I hear a "thoop" sound and wondered.  I stopped at the office to drop off my rent check and when I came out, I knew what had happened,  I have a hole in the exhaust system--right behind the manifold--kind of under where I sit.  DAMN!!

It isn't real noisy and thankfully, it isn't hanging down or falling off--yet, but still.........I HAVE TO HAVE A NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM PUT ON!!!  

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT IS GOING TO COST?  Well, I don't either, but...I know...it's going to be way more than $100.00!!!

So--I got the deep tissue massage--hurts awful!  Then I got the WoodPecker machine from the doc and a tiny adjustment on my neck, then I got the TENS device thingie on my lower back and ultra sound/laser on my shoulder.  Limped out to the office and was told, that because of OBAMACARE, Medicare now does not pay for all the the Chiropractic manipulations, like they did in 2013.  I used to have to pay for the massage and Medicare paid for the manipulation--now--they don't.  So, instead of it costing me $15.00, I will now have to pay $30.00 for each visit--which means--I will not be going as often as I should!

I jumped in my car and drove all the way from Brighton, back up to Howell to get a print-out of the blood work I had done last Thursday.  This is the first time in my life, that I have gotten two blood reports back, consecutively, with no numbers highlighted!!!  YAY!!!  In fact, some of my numbers have improved since last summer.  At least I think Medicare still pays for the blood draw--although, I am not sure!

I drove on back home--didn't even stop at Wal-Mart, which is right on the way.  Too tired to even go in and get any food---and I need some!  Finally got the car parked correctly off to the side of the driveway, in preparation for the next snow storm expected tomorrow night and into Wednesday, got in the house and saw there was a message on my phone.

"This is your Wal-Mart pharmacy.  A member of your household has three prescriptions ready for pick-up.  The total price is...sixteen dollars."  GREAT!!!  I just went past there.

Then the doorbell rang and there was Dar and she was all stirred up.  I was so worn out, I just sat in my chair and listened, nodded my head, made appropriate "ah-hh" and "hm-mm" sounds and really don't remember what it was all about.  There was some question about Downton Abbey--she wanted me to catch her up as she has only seen the first episode this season-------EGAD.  Then something else about her Blue Cross Legacy insurance plan which "only costs one hundred and twenty seven dollars a month and pays for everything--you should have that."  Sure--eighty dollars more a month then what I have now which pays for most everything, except not all if I have to have surgery--which I am not planning on.

She left and I got on the phone and called the car service place.  Take my car in Friday for a look see and an estimate.

"Don't you have a tin can you can shove in the pipe and close up the hole?"  I asked.

"Well, nowadays, most cans aren't made of metal anymore."

"So, this is probably going to cost more than a hundred bucks?"

(ha ha), "You must be thinking of nineteen-fifties prices."

"Well Rick--I'm still lost in the fifties."
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Now--I am wondering if I will have to cancel the cardiologist's appointment again.  That will mean I won't get in until the end of the month or March--and that's okay.  This has been going on for six months and I am still alive, so probably...there is no problem.  I just want him TO TELL ME THAT!!!

I am going to rub my neck, shoulder and back with my wonderful horse liniment and go to bed.  

See ya tomorrow.............................<sigh>

The Weekend and Ground Hogs

Saturday

Then Dan came and took it all away.

Sunday:

You cannot trust a Wood Chuck!!

Weird ball game.  I don't follow professional football so, it mattered not to be who might win.  I knew that Denver was favored to win and I like Peyton Manning.  When Seattle started pouring on the points, I thought it was cool--the underdog.  The National Anthem was good.  Most of the commercials were weird--what was that one about the little dog with the big head--YIKES!!  I didn't watch the half-time, and then turned on Downton Abbey, which was really good.  

Monday:

I have an appointment at the Chiropractor's this afternoon and I will get back with you later.

Pitiful...Just Pitiful!

Today's high temperature was: 31

Cloudy

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I think it is just pitiful that people in this State are excited because our temperature might get up to freezing!  Thirty-two degrees, which normally would have us complaining that we had to wear our winter gear--now, has us searching the back of our closets to find out spring clothes!  LOL.  

It really doesn't snow all that much, when the temperatures are near or below zero.  We are expecting higher temperatures, this next week, and some moisture coming up from the south along with the higher temps.  Plus, we are expecting one snow storm after the other--along with the higher temps and moisture equals---more inches of snow will come.  So--this appeared on my Face Book page this morning.

The pattern is shaping up to be very active one starting this weekend and lasting the next two weeks. I have said many times that the storms that are coming will produce huge amounts of snow because of the heat and humidity that will be available to the storms. The storm this weekend will produce up to a foot of snow across parts of Michigan and the Midwest, and the storm coming midweek will potentially produce more than a foot. The storm following that for next weekend can produce over a foot of snow as well. While the extreme cold has backed off, it will be cold enough for snowstorms through the month of February.

We set a record for snow fall in ANY month.  39.1 inches--more than we normally get in an entire winter.

I just want to bang my head against the wall!  

It took me a month to get an appointment with the cardiologist--to make sure this low pulse rate isn't something to worry about.  I had an appointment for January 8th--had to cancel because of the 6 inches of snow we got. 

So I rescheduled for February 5th--this next Wednesday--and we are suppose to get over a foot of snow, starting on Tuesday night.   The cardiologist's office is only 1 mile away, in the small medical center.  I can drive in a snowstorm, but if I can't get out of my driveway/park, I can't make it to the main road to make the one mile trip.  

Perhaps I should just cancel again and wait until March.  If I didn't have the appointment, I wouldn't care if we got three feet of snow!!!

I walked down to Dar's to loan her a video she wanted.  That poor woman has been having an awful time.  She now has Afib, which is being treated and has to be on Coumadin, which has to be checked every week.  She had to go in and have her heart shocked back into normal sinus rhythm.  She had a spot on her leg that was pre-cancerous and has had it treated twice and may have to have surgery.  Last week she had to have a laser treatment on her left eye and woke up Tuesday with Cellulitis all around her eye, which they are treating.  If she isn't better by Monday, she has to go to hospital to have intravenous antibiotics because Cellulitis can get into the blood stream and turn into Sepsis--which is a blood infection and people die from that (she doesn't know that, however).  Plus, she has gained almost 40 pounds since September and looks very bloated. 

Then, I walked over to Pearl's to see how she was doing.  We don't see each other very much with all the snow and ice that she is afraid to walk on.  I don't go up to her place as much because Merle is home all the time now.  Today, he was out for a walk and so she and I got to talk.  Merle is angry at her a lot lately--I can see why.  Pearl got involved in a jewelry club and they send her jewelry every month and take money out of the checking account.  She swears she didn't sign up for it, but.........

She's angry because they got their Federal Income Tax refund back and Merle wouldn't give her half.  He wanted it all to go into the savings account as they are saving for a car.  Theirs is 18 years old and in terrible shape.

She went to the Salvation Army yesterday and got a whole bunch of junk--she goes once every week.  She justifies it by saying that she gets the stuff dirt cheap.  Merle questions that because she gets stuff she/they don't need just to buy something.  I think his verdict is correct.

Plus, she had a spot on her forehead that her dermatologist (the same one Dar has) treated twice and now wants her to go to Ann Arbor, U of M hospital to have it cut out and biopsied.  She canceled her appointment last Tuesday.  When I asked why, she said, "Oh because of the weather."  Yet, she went shopping at a mall half-way to Ann Arbor on Wednesday, which was a worse day then Tuesday.  She has rescheduled the appointment for February 11th.

She can barely walk and complains about her neck, back, legs and has neuropathy in her feet and yet, she won't go to the chiropractor because she is afraid of the deep tissue massage.  Merle goes to the same one I do and we both have tried to convince her that the doc could help, but............

So, I walked on home, got my mail, checked my feeding station, looked at all the different tracks around it, came inside and just thanked God that I am not having any problems right now.

Then, my neighbor/friend from when I lived in Saginaw called.  She had breast cancer 15 years ago.  She went in for a mammogram, first part of January and there was a "cluster" of something in the other breast.  She had another mammogram with a lot of other angles to it, then she had an ultra sound and then a biopsy yesterday.  They have told her that if it is cancer, they will do a lumpectomy and she won't have to have radiation or chemo.  She was pretty happy about that, but I wonder.  Did they just tell her that because they decided that more aggressive treatment would be wasted on a 78 year old woman?  Or is it really not all that bad.

I'm not real trusting of medical people--guess you could tell, and with this new health care program going on, I have been told, "they" are less apt to aggressively treat older people with life threatening diseases...because, it simply isn't worth it.

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I just heard the weather update on the eleven o'clock news and we are predicted now, to get 9.6 inches of snow tomorrow.  Where Susan, Pammie and Mark live--just 20 miles north of here--predicted to get 11.5.   AND--they say, the storm coming in Wednesday "may" total up to 19 inches of snow.  Not the easily shoveled, cold, crisp, dry, light-weight snow, but this will be wet and heavy.  Great for making snow men, but not so much for getting off the driveway.

Alas--right now it seems our lives are all about the weather.  When is the next storm coming?  How much snow is predicted? Do we have enough supplies on hand?  Will we get shoveled out in time to get to work or make our appointments? Is school closed?  People ask on Face Book, "Does anyone know how US 23 is?  Has anyone heard how I-96 is, I gotta go to a meeting in Lansing.  Does anyone know if basketball game in Hartland is canceled?"  That's all we talk about anymore.  

Everyone is getting cranky and depressed.  We have been cooped up for too long.  It has been too cold to even get outside and walk to visit each other.  We are all worried about our gas bills.  We are just so very tired of it all!!!

I'm not going anywhere or even sticking my nose outside until Monday afternoon, when I have to go back to the chiropractor, so---have a great weekend.  I hope the team you want to win, wins the Super Bowl--I really don't care and will no doubt watch a Walton's or Little House On The Prairie marathon all day Sunday and of course, Downton Abbey Sunday night.

I just had a thought, can you even imagine what would happen in Atlanta with a 9.6 inch snowfall?  At least, they would have the traction from the snow so they could drive better then slipping and sliding on ice--of course, they'd all get stuck, but........................

See ya Monday.  Jude