Pollen

Our home is covered in inches of yellow pollen. Ricks allergies have been horrible. 

My front door is normally black but it's now yellow.

This morning after all allergy meds taken Rick set out to power wash the one side of our home. He put on a mask and headed outside. 

Over this winter it went from a yellow/beige siding to having a lot of black. But thankfully only the side facing The Ugly Naked Guy. 

Rick was all set. Then I heard "Son of a bitch"

He came inside to tell me it died. He fiddled with it for awhile.

So off to Lowes, where we just paid off the credit card to use it again. Damn.

I can't do a lot of this stuff, but I did what I could. 

Our car is yellow so that got washed too to return to its original color. 

When we were at Lowes we witnessed all the cars covered in pollen in the parking lot. We are still not used to this type of pollen.

Then we saw online where cities were ranked with the worst pollen and allergies.  Yes, you guessed it, Raleigh NC, is listed as number 1 in the lower 48 with the worst pollen and allergies. Well lucky us. 🤧

While most was power washed off the deck, furniture, grill etc. It will be all yellow in less than 24 hrs. But we got the first layer off anyway.

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Yes, I began the above post yesterday. Everything is awash in yellow again here on Monday morning.

On Rick's drive to the gym he saw what he thought was a plume of smoke. He said it was huge and he thought it was a fire when the car in front of him slowed down. The wind came through, it was a wall of pollen. Wow.

The car in front of him pulled into the gym too so they began talking about this event. Rick said he's never seen anything like it and the man in the car said the same.

My thought is I've never seen that, and I don't wish to.

But until then, we are wheezing and sneezin' and praying for rain to wash some of this away.

Got Pollen?

Drinking

We received an invitation to the Aldie Peddler for a Saturday afternoon winery event. The Aldie Peddler sells some great wines and some foods from local artisans. We would get these homemade pickles that my husband just loved!  

The owner of this store is named Wally. We all called him the mayor of Aldie. He was such a fun, lovable man. He was even on the cover of the Middleburg Magazine as the local celebrity that he has become. 

All done in good humor.

I know I should remove myself from their mailing list, since I no longer live in VA, but it brings me joy. 

Yes, it does make me sad because we miss "home" so much, but it also makes me smile to get these invites. That weekend, a certain brand/winery salesperson will highlight those wines by pouring and answering questions. Every time we've gone, the salesperson talks and then pours wine for all, and that's that. No pressure sales. Wally opens more bottles of various brand and varietal. Just fun! 

It is just a party of sorts.if you go monthly or more you get to know everyone so it is honestly like a daytime party. Lots of laughter. The owner, Wally is a hoot!

Wally stands court at his bar and serves us free wine and food, and weaves a great story. No one leaves without buying a lot of wine and food. We have met people there who became life long friends. It was always a fun afternoon each time these were held. 

When we were there last, we bought wine. Wally gave us hugs and told us to come back and visit. I heard from a friend who went there recently that he asked about us. (God we so miss our community up there.)

Then we received an envelope in the mail from Tito's Vodka.

We got a key ring and an invite to an event they were having. 

But we don't live in Texas.

They "missed" us it read. 

That, to me, is funny.

Rick hasn't been drinking much since the stroke. 

I haven't been drinking since this whole back thing reared its ugly head.  

So the card said they missed us.

How do they know when we buy Vodka?  I told Rick he would be missed at the liquor store. I never thought Titos would miss him. It's not like their sales figures went down due to Rick not drinking as much. It's not like he drank daily. It's not like a bottle was gone in a week, either. So we found this funny. 

It was a week of receiving items telling us to drink more. So...

Rick said we have to get our acts together and start drinking more. 😀

My Weekend Roundup

Over the weekend, I wanted to show Rick this family I see on Instagram.

I find the posts funny, smart, and clever. I wanted to share this with Rick.

I saw they had a YouTube channel, so I went to YouTube instead of holding my phone for Rick. (YouTube is on channel 371 on Dish.) 

I put this on the screen, and I hit the wrong tile.

This man came up singing on our TV.

Rick said, "Who is this?"

"I don't know, but I like his voice."

"Yeah, turn it up"

So we went down that rabbit hole.

They are a band from Australia. (Who apparently do not own an iron, or he pulled this shirt out of the laundry basket)

Finding new music is difficult. Not a fan of most music today. I do not understand, and I never will understand, why women think they need to do aerobics while singing or wearing their underwear while singing. Why? 

Do you have such little faith in your singing ability that you wish to distract them by being sexual? Or crazy weird?  I remember when Linda Rhonstadt sang in her bare feet and everyone went bat shit crazy.  Today they have on a thong at most and twerk their silicone induced butt in our faces. 

I love Pink, but I'd never go see her. I do not like Cirque de Soileil, so I don't wish to have to endure that just to listen to her sing. So I will just listen to her in other ways.

I get being flamboyant on stage. But even Steven Tyler stopped at scarfs on his mic stand.

Sure, Angus wore a schoolboy uniform, but he didn't need to be in his underwear. 

God, I sound old, don't I?

Can you see Meatloaf in a thong like Lizzo?  NO. I wish these women would stop it. Sing, write, and hone your craft. No underwear or less, and for heaven's sake, no autotune. Sing!

____________

Rick and I watched a great piece of local travel ideas and places around the state. We have people coming with kids and we don't know what to do for them. In VA/DC it was easy. Here, there is nothing to do. Period. 

So we tuned into this show to get some ideas of where we could take 6/7 year olds and their parents. 

We watched kids at a water park. (too bad it was 4 hrs away) 

That made Rick and I begin to discuss our trip to the water park back when we were youngsters. I am going to guess we were around 35 at the oldest. It was a very humid hot day, and we lived on the 2nd floor and had no air conditioning. We couldn't fathom sitting on the beach so we headed to the water park instead.

As you can imagine, everyone is there with their kids. Oh, but not us.

At one point, we decided to go down the double slide one more time before we sat and took a break. 

The inner tube was for 2 people to go down together. (Like an 8.)

The young man who was probably all of 16 handed us the tube for the millionth time and said, "Don't you guys have kids with you?" 

Of course, we laughed and said, "Nope, just two grown-ups enjoying the water park."

He looked at us with such pity, which made us laugh.

Now, as we go down this tunnel with the twists and turns, you splash down into a nice pool area.

No matter how many times I went down this slide, either in the front of the inner tube or if I were in the back, I got fully drenched. My butt hit the bottom and then up I'd come.

We sat in lawn chairs at the end of this slide and watched the kids come down while we had a cocktail. (Shh, they didn't know it was in our cups.) We would laugh at the little ones and just enjoy our day. Then we saw this woman. She had two small boys with her. She had gone down this slide with each boy at this point. She was decked out in jewelry, and her gold was sparkling off the water and sun. She came down the slide and NEVER got wet. Her hair and makeup stayed perfect. No eyeliner was running down her face. C'mon, who wears makeup to swim and go to the water park? Well, apparently only this perfectly coiffured and bejeweled woman.

It became a quest for me to try this. I suggested that if Rick was first, since he is heavier, that might allow me not to go to the bottom and then come up like a drowned rat. I wanted to try to keep my hair dry. (It was already drenched, but it was now a quest.) Rick and I went back up and tried it every which way and I just always had my butt hit the bottom and I would be drenched. We found this funny. I realized I was just not that girl. I can't go in the water and come out looking like I never went in the water. 

Oh well it was a damn fun day.

Then I saw this, and it reminded me of that day.

This puts it in perspective, and it's so very me. 

This made me laugh out loud.  It's about my luck these days. 

Here is the man I found by accident and now I'm in love with him. Rick and I went to the Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival every year when we lived in Virginia. This was the kind of music. That was a great festival and an even better location. It was on the beach. Sadly, 2022 was the last year of this festival. 

Tracking Device

I've had a bit of a setback. No biggie, I am just away from the computer this week. That means I'm back in 'the' chair and using my phone. 

I am setting out each morning to walk my driveway. I have a very long driveway.  I walk to the mailbox, fetch the mail and walk back. 

At the grocery store, I can hold onto the cart. This is a bit more difficult. 

Yes, I have my cane but I am trying to walk without it. But it's with me should I feel unstable. And then of course Rick is watching me the whole time because he is nervous nelly.  I get it, I'd do the same for him. 

But I do not hide, I don't care if he sees me watching him.

He will think he is hiding but he is not.

I see him peering out of the window. I see him behind the garbage bin. 

He makes me laugh. I tell him, "I see you", and he says, "See what?" 

Speaking of seeing and hearing me.  He may see me but he hears nothing.

His hearing is for another day.

Today it's about him seeing nothing. He'd see boobs if they were a mile away! Something in front of his face he doesn't see it.

How can he open the fridge and stare into the abyss and say, "no it's not in there."

Did he move anything? Oh hell no. 

Unless what he is looking for does the movie dance, "let's go out to the lobby...."  He expects the object he is looking for to dance up to the front to say, "Oh Ricky, I'm right here"  38 years people. 38 years. He has male blindness. Yes, as he tells me I can look under the shelves because I am short and see things I can't reach. But he can reach and move things for heaven's sake. 

Yesterday I had just gotten my butt onto the stool at the island. He was standing in front of the fridge and asked if there was anything I needed before he sat down to eat. I asked for the pico di gallo I made. He opened the doors to the fridge and just stood there. 

Then he proclaimed, "Don't have any."

"yes, we do. It's in a Tupperware container with a blue lid."

"Nope, not in there"

I sat there in amazement. He didn't move anything; he just proclaimed that it wasn't there. 

He sat down and I got up. 

He said loudly, as if I was deaf, "There is none left Margaret"  

"Okay" is all I say.

I opened the door. I saw the Tupperware container and grabbed it. 

In his defense it was next to the eggs so maybe the bright white light bouncing off the eggs made him blind.

He asked, "Where the hell was it?"  I point.

He says, "damn it! again!" 

"Yep, that's how I feel Rick"

We both laughed. I have to, I'm too pretty for prison.

We spent a good portion of the day looking for his keys and wallet.

I asked if he looked in the sweatpants he wore to the gym. 

He said, "Of course, I looked there, but they were not there."

I went through his pants and a hoodie in the laundry basket. Not there.

We tore apart everything, sofa cushions, under furniture.

His wallet was in the sweatpants he wore to the gym he swears to me.

Hmm...imagine that.

I went back into the bedroom and since he wasn't in there I looked in his sweatpants. If he had been in there I wouldn't dare because he would flip out and say, "I already looked there why do you do that?"  

I'd say, "Because it never hurts to have another set of eyes"  

He makes pff, hmpf sounds. So I thought I'd do it quickly before he came back into the bedroom. Guess what I found?

I brought the wallet out to the kitchen where he was about to go through the garbage. He asked where I found it. When I said in your sweatpants he just began shaking his head and walked away yelling back, "Thank you"

Now to his keys.  He has been known since the stroke to leave them in the back door from the garage to the house. Oh so safe.

There is a bowl to drop your keys as you walk in from the garage. Mine are there, his are not. He put this bowl there for this very thing and yet he never puts his keys there. 

A bit frustrated with him now, I went to the garage as he was yelling, "I've already looked all around the workshop they aren't there"

I saw the light inside our car on. Hmm? What is that about?

I went to the drivers side. The seat belt was stuck in the door leaving the door open just a tiny bit and the light was on. When I went to close the door I saw the keys in the ignition. I grabbed them.

(Oh and yes, our battery was dead from this)

Now since I am unable to drive at this time, this was on him for a change. 

Yee-haw.

I went into the house and dangled his keys.  He asked where I found them.

I told him. He said, "Shit, this is all stroke cognitive stuff I swear. I'm Cantelope boy and I can't find anything lately"

"Okay you can tell yourself that is the reason,  but you've always been like this, it's just a bit more now"

He laughs.

He thought he lost his phone. When I tried to call it we did not hear the ring.

The goofball had turned off the sound. It was in his pocket and not on vibrate. 

I swear he keeps me around just to be his tracking device.

Fire

We had a beautiful day Thursday. I could sit out on the porch with Rick to enjoy our morning addiction of coffee. 

I can't sit there for long but it was so nice while it lasted. We saw all the dog walkers and one man walking with a fire extinguisher. He wasn't walking fast so we assumed he was not headed to a fire. Oh the things we came up with for why he was carrying this item. A fire? As a weight? He's just nuts? He is using it as a weapon to hit the man sleeping with his wife?

That reminded Rick of all the 'fire' items at my various apartments. We had a good chuckle about my ole dad.

My first apartment at age 19. I was working and going to school. My cousin Frankie and his good friend Tony helped me move. My dad showed up to oversee and bring the boys a couple of beers.

When we were done I got the warnings. He gave me mace to put on my key ring. He talked about fires in my 2nd floor apartment. I also received a large first aid kit. And you know every young girls wants this!

My 2nd apartment Dad bought me a small fire extinguishers. He made certain I knew how to use it before he left.

My next apartment on the 2nd floor he gave me a fire ladder to escape the fire out the window.

Yes, these were my housewarming gifts from my father. 

By the time it got to my fire ladder, which I kept under my bedroom window, Rick found this all so funny. "Your dad is definitely afraid of a fire isn't he?"

Oh how we laughed. 

Rick said, "you know it's really kind of sweet"

"I suppose it is, I say. As an older person now I see that it's sweet AND funny."

As a 20 yr old I would have preferred a houseplant but that's my dad. I'm the oldest of 5 girls, he worried a lot. Being the oldest I got the brunt of it, but even as he mellowed through the years he was always funny like this.

So maybe that man was a Dad and he was delivering a fire extinguisher to his daughter in her first home.

You never know...

Or he's nuts

No Driving...Yet.

My social life is in full swing. Doctor visits galore.

Saturday I awoke to feeling great! I was walking straighter, I was able to put weight on my left foot and I walked with out a cane. All very big deals to me. Especially putting weight on my left leg and foot. Not for long mind you, fear of falling is real as is the pain.  

I did so much on Saturday that I was hurtin' on Sunday. Was it from over use? Was it from lack of moving over the months and my muscles were sore? All of the above?

I've turned a corner but not fast enough for Impatient Peg.

I saw my surgeon's PA on Tuesday. I love her more than the surgeon. She repeated that I had two areas of my spine worked on plus the dreaded calcium build up that was large. That, she reminded me, was a much longer healing time. 

I left there able to walk upright and still in pain, but nothing like two weeks ago. So we celebrated by buying 2 cups of way too expensive coffees on the way home.

My God how my life has changed. Coffee, not wine, nor gin, but coffee. To quote my friend, "who the hell are you and what did you do with my friend Peggy?"

The PA told us that I should not be lifting laundry etc. Rick heard all that I could and shouldn't do. When she said no loading of the dishwasher, Rick said, try and stop her. Well, I can still rearrange right? She laughed and Rick made a disgust sound. 

Okay mister peanut gallery, just sit there and look pretty. He told her 'lies' about things I've been doing. I'm not bringing him anymore!

I was told I could drive if I felt I could. Ehhh. Of course not while on oxy she says. Gee, she's no fun. Rick said there is no way she's driving. Good grief it can't be worse than stroke boys driving. He has become a very bad driver since the stroke. Making matters worse is that the brake on the passenger side doesn't work so well, 

I think in a couple weeks I'll be able to drive. But she kaboshed me power washing damn it. I love spring time power washing!

I'd do the whole neighborhood if they'd let me. It's an illness🫠

My friend Ro stopped by Friday. She giifted me the most soft blanket, slippers, a cocktail book and flower seeds, which I already planted into a pot. 

I made her monkey bread with Rick's help. Hopefully she enjoyed it.  It was so nice to have a visitor since I've been house bound. 

We had some laughs and it was so nice. 

Having only 2 friends here is better than nothing but this is when I miss people.

Then I go outside amongst people and think, I miss this?

Former Neighbors

Several years ago I wrote about this great kid in my neighborhood.

This young man was named Luke. A cute as a button tow head little boy. I met him when out with my dog Izzy. He was in his pj's and asked if he could pet my dog.

Fast forward to him in high school. He now had his own dog. As Izzy got older and preferred sitting on the stoop over more walks I sat with her and saw all the neighbors walking theirs.

If you're a dog owner you know that you know all of these people by their dogs name and may not ever remember theirs. As Rick and I talked we'd say things like, "It's Sugar's mom, etc"

As Izzy and I sat there on the stoop one day Luke came by who now had his own dog. We'd chat baseball once he saw my NYY T-shirt. because he played ball in high school. He was a Nats fan so we would go back and forth all in fun.

I talked to him weekly many days a week. Just loved how respectful and interested he was. We talked about his school, all kinds of things other than baseball, but a lot of baseball. 

When he got into college on a scholarship or partial scholarship for baseball at the school he wanted to attend, to say he was stooked is an understatement. 

Izzy and I were just getting up from the stoop when I heard someone running down the block. He was waving to me. He got to my house and told me he'd be playing for XYZ school. I was so excited for him. I asked if I could give him a hug and he said, heck yeah! So we did just that. I can't even tell you how thrilled I was for him.

The scholarship, the school he wanted, all of it.

Rick and I always told his parents what great kids they had, because both of their children were smart, polite,kind etc. We didn't see a lot of that. 

We moved here when he went into college. Rick is on Facebook so he keeps up with his parents. He was playing ball and kicking butt.

This week his parents sent us a video of him pitching a game. This kid is smoking 'em. In the 90s. His pitches were great! I wish he was on my team. I do admit, I said to Rick that I wonder if kids should be throwing this hard at this age. You want longevity. But then we were back to being thrilled for him.

Honestly I feel like a parent I'm so proud. When he was 9 and telling me he was going to be a major league pitcher I told him you will be if you want it. He would smile and say, "Miss Peggy I really want it." 

I told him to just call me Peggy instead of Mrs last name" But he said, "no, I can't, how about Miss Peggy?" So I agreed. 

(And no not southerners, Yankees) 

When he was a teen and was trash talking my team I asked, "If you were to get the opportunity to play or are drafted into the NYY club, would you say no since you hate them?"

He told me with a sly smile, he'd have to think on it.

A few weeks later he brought it up. He said, "I thought about your question and if I'm honest I wouldn't turn it down."

I smiled and told him I just wanted you to think about it. He called me a stinker. 

When we left we said our goodbyes to he and his family. We told him we'd see him on the diamond!

I hope I live to see him, no matter the team he plays for.⚾️

Rear Window

Back in the day there was a movie with Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly. 

He was in a wheelchair and looks out his windows because it's basically all he could do.

Then he believes he sees a murder. 

This came to me this morning as I was in my chair watching things go by outside my window.

I saw a pizza box and other assorted garbage go by. Where was all this garbage and litter coming from? I heard a big boom that startled the hell out of me. How is Rick sleeping through this? 

Just as I had that thought Rick woke up and said,"What the hell is going on I hear the siding flapping. 

He immediately got a jacket and went outside in the rain. He picked up some garbage but only that which was close to the house. When he turn around he saw some of the siding on the porch hanging so he fixed it. He came back inside and said, "I'm not going to the gym today" 

How lucky this is a gym day I said. We laughed. Any excuse will do he says. Ooh I get it.

Then a big boom in the back of the house. It was on the porch.  What the hell was that? Rick went to inspect the porch/patio. More siding issues. But the big boom was one of the bricks we have holding down the grill cover.  Only one fell, there were 3.  Rick then got a bungee cord and wrapped it around the cover.  He moved a few things around to secure them better and or put them back in their original place. 

We knew we were going to get winds so last night he thought he had secured everything. 

But, these Yankees aren't use to this. We can shovel snow. We can't do anything in a tornado.

I don't think we have to worry about a tornado in our 'burb but it's close. Too close for me!

From my chair, it's sideways rain and my pear tree with all its beautiful blooms about to burst are flapping in the wind.

It's dark outside and they want us to go to the lowest level in our home. We live in a one story. No one has basements here so I don't have a lower level. We are watching the map on tv and I'm certain we are fine. All new and interesting though if it weren't dangerous.

So there you have it, a view from my chair/window.

Birthday Cake

My husband is in the kitchen right now making me a chocolate cake from scratch. Scratch!

I'm not allowed in the kitchen. Ok by me.

Then he asked me about the two containers of sugar in the pantry. I asked, "May I come in?"

I showed him that one was stevia and one was regular and how I put the word on the top of the container. Yes, I rolled my eyes silently. Lol

Then I saw the brownie pan on the island. I asked, "are you making my cake in this?"

"Yep"

Oh dear do I tell him and make him pissy or do I let him find out the hard way? So...

"Babe if your recipe calls for 2 8 inch or 9 inch round pans but you don't want it to be a layer cake then you have to use the 9x13 pan."

I turned my cane around and got out of the kitchen as fast as I could while he mumbled things under his breath.  I said, "I hear you"

"No you don't, you can't hear anything ever"

Ah, ok he's right.

"Nice try", he yells at me.

I commenced to my ugly chair and will await cake.

What I Have Observed From 'The' Chair

As you all know being stuck in this stupid chair has given me way too much time for tv.

There are many many commercials where the background music is Boomer music. 

*Van Halen's Panama is for a truck commercial.

*My fave is Thunderstruck by AC/DC for Starbucks

*Then a commercial that made me smile, Steppenwolf's Born To Be Wild for WeatherTech. I want to go on a trip with these broads. When the one won at Bingo and she flashes the men I was howling.

BUT, the biggest earworm is the VW Van commercial.🎶Are ya having any fun?🎵

The name of the song is a Life Half Full. My God that one sticks in my head. I'm sure you've all heard it by now.

Which brings me to The Voice.

I watch this show and both Rick and I noticed the big majority of the music these kids sing to audition is music from my time before they were born. I found that interesting. 

Then as we do nightly, we watched Jeopardy. The category was Billboard or some such music reference like that. 

Mony, Mony was the answer, we both yelled, who is Tommy James (& Sondelles) But, we were wrong. It was Billy Idol.

That made us both laugh. Yes, Billy Idol did remake it in the 80s or 90s. We said we won that by a technicality and laughed at ourselves.

So that's the music from my chair. Then I put on my earphones and just close my eyes to my Pandora.😉

Weekly Round Up

 I've shared with you that Rick is incredibly stubborn. I think this to be his worst trait. He infuriates me at times.

We have this ugly light that we planned to remove when we moved in. Then all medical hell broke lose so still dealing with this 80s track lighting. It is the only overhead lighting. 

Now if ugly is not bad enough it has weird ass light bulbs. You can't just stop at a store and get these. They don't screw in like normal bulbs. These have two pointy things to insert into the holes in the base.

Rick is a big guy of 6'2" and his hands are big. The globes that are over crazy bulbs is small and narrow. My hands can barely get inside.

All the bulbs died but one. This doesn't give us much light as it is. We needed light. Rick finally tracked down new bulbs online.

Now I know he can reach the bulbs but he can't remove the glass globes and the screws that hold them on without the first step on stepstool.

I begged him not to do this. No step stool. He still has issues with balance etc. I was having a very bad day and asked to please not do this now. I planned to call my handy man. He said he wouldn't use the stool.

We all know where this is going don't we?  

I fell asleep. He was watching his beloved Price Is Right. I awake to the noise of glass breaking in the house.

I manage to get up and I grab my cane. I see the bulb shattered. He screamed for me to stay out of kitchen because I was in bare feet.

So he didn't use the stool as he promised but he still attempted to do the job, knowing full well his hand did not full well inside to remove the bulbs

I see so much blood everywhere. I tell him to get the bleed stop. This, for those who do not know, is to be used immediately for cuts and injuries for those who are taking blood thinners.He says he is fine as he is bleeding everywhere as he is sweeping up glass. He is holding a paper towel on his fingers and the towel is already red.

I put on my slide in slippers and enter the kitchen. He is now reaching for the box Bleed Stop. We have never used it, but I opened it thinking that would be easier than fighting with this box in an emergency. That enabled Rick to just put his hand inside to grab the application. He was holding his hand with paper towels dripping everywhere. Boy these 2 small cuts are bleeding. He yells at me to go in the other room.

He put on the Bleed Stop and bam, he stopped bleeding. But not before running around the kitchen bleeding everywhere. He came into the living room and apologized.

I was livid. He thinks he can do what he has always done and after 2 yrs he still refuses to believe it.He promised me he wouldn't get on a stool and he didnt he says. I know, I tell him because he couldn't get his big hands inside that small globe and he broke the new bulb into teeny tiny pieces. 

Oh you don't know livid until you live with this stubborn man.

He tends to nap around 3pm. I thought if he naps today I'll enter the kitchen and see the damage. He said he cleaned everything up. I knew better. 

Like clockwork he took his nap. I made my way to the kitchen. I was wearing hard sole slippers and thank God I did.

There was blood and glass everywhere. I swept up the glass into a pile with a broom because I can't use the vacuum. I'd let him get this pile. Then I saw all the blood. OMG.

Blood droppings on the floor like a trail. I followed it as I got a mop. Now mind you I can't walk well. I had to sit and then begin again several times. 

I opened the cabinet where the Blood Stop is kept. There is blood all over the box and things around it. 

I cleaned up the floor and then began on the counter top on the island. The counter top is white. How did he not see all this blood?

Not only on top of counter but on the sides. Some down the cabinet. When I went to sink I saw blood on the faucet and then I saw the paper towels. Blood on the top so every towel will have blood on it. This man just infuriates me!

"Oh, I don't need blood stop in every room thats over kill Margaret"

I can do this without taking off the globes.he tells me.  Famous last words. 

When he woke up I told him I saw more glass and left him the pile to scoop up. He thanked me. I said nothing else. I was too mad and after 38 years of living together and throw in 6 mos of marriage couseling I've learned to not speak about the incident when I am that angry. 

He thanked me and apologized again. I asked him when he thought he could listen to the dr when he tells you about being cut. Rick said,"it wasn't a big cut for Pete's sake." "Well I think we've seen now that even a tiny slice in you two fingers is a big deal"

He says, "yeah" like a defeated child. Then he tells me he can do if he wore his rawhide gloves.

Oh for the love of God.

Once my anger subsided I felt bad for him. This stroke affected him the most mentally and his ego. I feel like I understand but this didn't happen to me. I know how I hate being dependent on him right now and sometimes I too do things I'm not suppose to.

In one of my drug induced naps,he removed the globes the next day wearing gloves. He got the bulbs in. No blood. No broken glass. I thanked him for being careful on that step stool. He laughed and said, "yeah, if I fell you'd be of no help to me" 

"Hey I can call 911 mister"

We could now laugh about this. Whew.

So the two of us learned  lessons.  I just hope next lesson is not a Crime Scene Kitchen scenario again. 

How'd your week go?

High As A Kite

 Yep, I'm high as a kite.

My husband says he'd trade with me. Oh not the pain, just this horrible high. Adding steroids and gambapentin on top of oxy and muscle relaxer is a bad combo.

Rick made me eat a breakfast and lunch. I don't normally do lunch but I thought maybe this would help. Nope. But everything is making me laugh and my pain is minor. So...

So there is your Wednesday update. Yes, I had to ask what day it was, your point?

Happy Humpday!

Wack-A-Mole

Another post by phone. This ain't easy folks. Or maybe it's not the phone it's my fat old fingers.

I had a drs appointment today. Every bump, pothole, uneven pavement in the road Rick managed to hit. I know he couldn't help it but I felt like he was playing wack-a-mole. He kept saying, sorry, sorry. I told him to stop I knew he couldn't help it.

I was told 12-15% continue with an issue. Because all the other areas of pain have gone away except one area. (Hip,thigh,groin,pain to knee) they asked if I would be willing to do a steroid pack. 

No, I don't want to but I will. I understand their logic. Removing the calcium build up was the worst that was done to me. That always is last, however they don't think I should be in this

much pain. The calcium build up irritated the nerves I know, but this much discomfort?

We agreed on the following. More meds, steroid pack, gambapentin at night along with what I'm taking. Then if no relief another MRI. The location of this pain is the location of an epidural I had and it fixed it temporarily. 

So maybe I will have to do that again. 

So for now more drugs. See them in 2 weeks and we go from there.

There ya have it! 

When we left for the doctors I was cold but knew if I just wore a sweatshirt that would be enough. When we left the Dr's I couldn't believe how hot it had gotten.

I was dying in my hooded sweatshirt. It was 65 degrees. Last week ice storm, this week high 60s. By end of week 70.

A package arrived when we got home. I said, did you order something because I didn't. He responded, "well someone's birthday is coming up."

He got me a grabber. I mean you may as well have gotten me toilet cleaner, a vacuum, an iron. Wtf? This is not what you get an old woman on her birthday!! A facelift, a spa day, a book, a boob lift, an afternoon with Gerard Butler!

Normally Rick is a great gift giver.  His gifts have always been thoughtful. Of course I'll use this. But geez. 

I'm an ungrateful ole wench aren't I?

Ice Ice Baby

My doctors office called very early Thursday to cancel my appointment due to the ice. I was not disappointed. I really feared falling. They rescheduled me for Monday and called in a refill of my pain meds.

In other good news.

On my left leg from my knee down to my toes are no longer numb/tingling/on fire. Just gone. Hopefully this will move up to the real pain.

I found I can lay on my right side with my back being supported by the sofa. I can put my left leg on a pillow and I'm comfortable for an hour. Now I know that seems silly but I've been in a recliner for months, a somewhat laying down position feels so damn good. Getting up isn't easy and I REALLY hurt after I do it but it's so worth it on some days.

So I settled in and we were about to watch the new episode of Paradise. Rick was running his fingers through my hair. (I happen to love that.) We both fell asleep. I was awaken to him yanking my hair, hard. I yelled, Rick what are you doing?

He was dreaming about fishing and he had a big one on the line (my hair) and he was jerking to hook it and reeling it in.

He kept apologizing. I thought it was funny. He did something similar a few years ago. 

Then he did it again. Only this time my leg. We were watching a stand up comedian. He was rubbing my leg and he fell asleep. He then began twitching and moving his hand in a weird motion.

I woke him. Apparently he was stirring his soup he was making. I guess the twitch was adding the ingredients.

Moral of the story, do not try to lay down because you'll pay for it.  Do not allow Rick to touch you and treat you like a salmon or a pot of chili.

Then earlier this week he had a visitor.

He asked me in the morning if I came into the bedroom. Nope. 

He said he swore he heard me come down the hall but he didn't hear my cane. Then he heard the door open and my side of the bed 'go down' as if someone was leaning on the bed with their palms flat on the bed. Then he said that the door closed. 

When he woke up he came into the living room and asked me if I came in to check on him. 

No, I did not leave the chair. 

Really? 

I told him he was probably dreaming. 

He insists he wasn't dreaming. He went on to explain, I even said to you that I was up did you need amything? That's when he realized the door was closed and I wasn't in there.

He swears this wasn't a dream. I think I may need to count my meds. Someone may be getting into them.

Paradise

 Hello.  Remember me?

Wow. It's been a helluva ride and it continues.

Now normally when I have had a laminectomy I wake from surgery and I have no pain. Just the discomfort of surgery. 

But not this time. I am worse than when I went in.

It's a 12. I can honestly say this is worse than before the fall. It is so bad.

Sitting in this chair to type this is painful.

I try not to take the pain meds but I was weak. But they took 10/11 months to give me anything for pain I don't wish to run out. I've tried just taking a 1/2 but it doesn't do the trick. So I am taking both a muscle relaxer and an opioid (percocet/oxycodone) Sleep is certainly no longer an issue.

I am to take them every 4 hrs. I don't. I try to go until I can't go any longer At that point I would admit to war crimes I never committed. 

I had a lot of calcium build up on my spinal canal and that was why they couldn't get the wire into me for the spinal stimulator.  The doctor told Rick this after the surgery and said, "No wonder she was in such horrific pain"

No shit Sherlock.

I basically am in a chair most of the day. Yes, the ugly chair. We are bonded now.  I walk around the island with my cane. I walk down the hall to the bathroom. I wish the bathroom was 4 feet closer at times. I can not walk fast. I try to walk as much as possible. It's very very painful but I have to walk. They said that was important and I know that from previous surgeries.

 

My husband went grocery shopping last week. Oh my.  

I do not buy processed foods. 

Sometimes I will get something quick for Rick. But I don't eat processed foods because most have gluten and those that claim to be gluten-free are loaded with chemicals and sugar and just plain crap.  But my husband went shopping.  He came home with things I would never eat except for the tub of Tillamook Chocolate Ice Cream. Mmmmm...

I get it. He didn't wish to cook. I don't blame him. But I'd be fine having a bowl of rice chex for dinner. He bought me a couple of frozen dinners that were gluten-free meals. The first one I had was so very bad. It was supposed to be something Mexican.  I don't recall now. It was bad. I was starving and I ate it. Thankfully it was small. Basically, it was beans in a tomato sauce. Boy, I couldn't be gluten-free and a vegan that is for certain!  

Well if you wish to know how to avoid the opioid constipation side effect that little meal will do it. We were laughing. I couldn't walk quickly enough. Oh, I would hustle and Rick would hear me going, oh, oh, oh. Thankfully I made it but 2 times it was close. TMI?  Well of course. You missed me right? LOL

I told Rick I needed a scooter. The other one he bought was enchiladas.  

I don't know if I dare to eat another.

So you see, I am not doing well. I see the doctor on the 20th. Hopefully, I get some answers.

Just to give you some idea of what I have had done. Here is Dr. Google.

Metrxhemilaminectectamy

A hemilaminectomy is a spine surgery that involves removing one of the two laiminae on a vertebra to relieve excess pressure on the spinal nerve(s) in the spine. It's minimally invasive.

I have this as well -Spinal stenosis: A

condition where the spinal

canal narrows and pinches

the nerves.

• Ankylosing spondylitis: A

condition where long-term

inflammation of the spinal

joints leads to calcium

deposits.  

The above condition of calcium were removed as well as herniated discs.

Microdiscectomy is a

minimally invasive

surgical procedure used

to treat a herniated disc

in the lower back (lumbar

spine).

Purpose

• To relieve pain, numbness,

or weakness in the leg

caused by a herniated

disc.

• To remove the portion of

the disc that is

compressing the nerve

root.

Okay, enough science.

I have watched a lot of TV.  Reading is difficult for me right now but if I read I instantly fall asleep. Watching TV I do the same but I can watch a full show and stay awake. Will I remember it? 50-50 chance. Of course depending on when I took my meds if I remember or if I stay awake.  

Not a good place to live. I don't understand people's love of this drug.

I like wine, gin, and cannabis. Opioids not so much. Don't like this feeling. In the 80s I tried cocaine twice. I knew I loved it and never did it again because I knew this could be a problem for me since I loved it so much. 

So I just never did it again. I have a friend who said that was great willpower. Not really.  I just know me. 

I didn't get involved enough to have it be willpower. 

I knew enough to stay away.

 Wine, gin, and cannabis are all the same to me.

Now speaking of addictions, we are both addicted to the show Paradise. 

It's a thriller. I hate that they dole them out one at a time. 

It is so damn good. Sterling K Brown is terrific in this show. It's on Hulu if you have it. We have gone back and forth on who did it. I really enjoy these types of thrillers. 

OOh and before I forget, Ugly Naked Guy wore clothes outside. Long pants and a shirt. He was grilling his dinner and yes, it is very cold here but that's never stopped him before. We didn't even know he owned long pants and shirts. Rick came inside and announced he was dressed completely, it's not quite spring.  I had to laugh.  Normally February is spring here but not so much this year. Lows in the teens. Snow is expected tomorrow. Brrr.

I promise to be here more. I am trying like hell to have a routine. 

Beside my care giver is not doing so well and boy do I have stories. 

:-)

Bounce Back

I need just a wee bit more time. Talk amongst yourselves 😄

Special Place in Hell

He messes with everyone I am not the only poor soul who he does this to as you will see below.

Monday, November 7, 2016

Feeling good and feisty

I'm feeling better by 50% and that's always a good thing isn't it?
Better than feeling worse by 50%.

Some updates shall we?

***After a few games of backgammon yesterday my hubby informed me that he only plays this game with me to make me feel good about myself.
The sore loser. (should have told him that's why I sleep with him too!)

***Friday afternoon Rick went to get his hair cut. As I have mentioned here in the blog, he is having surgery in December for a hernia. After getting a haircut they were talking about the schedule for the next appt. at the front desk. He mentions surgery. The cute young thing says, "Oh I hope it's nothing major. He says, "Well just having my ear removed" She is now looking at both his ears, back and forth. He continues, "Can't really tell which one can you?" This poor thing. I have been that naive young thing with him long ago. How he doesn't laugh makes me laugh. I even told her he may grow out his hair to hide it. Only when his hairdresser came up and heard this conversation and began to laugh did this poor thing, who has such empathy on her face, realizes this old coot is fucking with her. How does he not feel badly about this? I think there is a special place in hell for him.

***After the new carpet and remodeling of our 2nd floor I asked Rick if he would mind moving this (ugly) chair of his to his walk-in closet.  (chair has sentimental value to him)  My theory was that it was a mere foot away and since there was so much room in that big ole closet he could throw his clothes on the chair inside the closet, leaving the room neater looking. He actually said, "Hey that's a great idea". To be followed by this below.
EXACTLY where the chair was next to the dog bed. How can you not laugh at him? So the chair is in the closet but the clothes now go on the floor.  Not what I meant Mister.

I am going to see my ortho, Dr. Tall, Tan, and Gorgeous this afternoon regarding the MRI just done on my knee. I asked Rick to come with me, sometimes I don't hear what Dr. Tall, Tan and Gorgeous says right away. He has perfect teeth too. Just sayin' I see him, not always hear him. Kind of like how Rick is with cleavage.

Oops.

 Okay, this isn't Rick being a prankster as much as it is my boo-boo.

Ooooh, he was so unhappy with me on this day.  Note to self - never work with your husband. It's not easy for either of you.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Oops, I did it again!

I typed 5405 instead of 5404.
That meant Rick went to the wrong house - again.
This just happened this morning.

He saw a few cabs in the driveway which he thought odd.
He rang the bell and a nice man whose English wasn't great answered the door.  He was very very friendly. 
Rick told him he was there to look at the bathtub for their estimate.

The man brought him through the house into the kitchen.
There sat a few more men at the table. They all wore a turban. 
They were all Muslim men. Joking with one another and teasing and laughing.
They were making breakfast and chatting around the table.

The man shows him to the back door and Rick thinks, that is an odd way to get to the bathroom. Then he said will you need a ladder?
Rick laughed and said, I hope not. I am here to see the bathroom guys.
They thought he said the roof.  Ooh, they say and laugh heartily. 
Another whose English is better is teasing this man who asked Rick about the ladder. There was a lot of laughter at this point.
The man tells Rick there is someone in the bathroom right now, have a seat and you can wait.

Rick sits down at the table to wait. They are all laughing and talking and the TV is on. The TV is all in Arabic. The man sees Rick looking at the TV and he says, "We are doing this so it's secret to you" Rick laughed.  
He said they were all so friendly and happy. 
Some things said got them roaring with laughter as well as Rick. 
(But I feel if I type it here I could offend.)
He chatted with them about the taxis in the driveway, apparently, they all drove a cab. 

Then as he turned his head, they put a plate of eggs, sausage, toast, and home fries in front of him and told Rick to enjoy some breakfast with them. 
Rick said, "Thank you guys but I am not here to eat, but thank you it looks great"
At that moment the man walked out of the bathroom and looked at this white guy like, "Who are you?"  Rick stood up and extended his hand. He told him who he was, and what company he was from and repeated that he was there to view the bathroom for an estimate for your landlord. 

The man was certainly puzzled now and told Rick, "I bought this house 1.5 years ago I don't have a landlord." Rick asks, "Is this 5405?"  The man says, "It is."
Rick said, "Well  I seem to be at the wrong house I apologize."
Then all the men stood up to shake his hand and ask again if he wanted food to go.  Rick said he did not, but he may stop back later because you guys sure are fun." 

As Rick walked to his truck he called the number I gave him for the tenant. (thankfully that number was correct) The house was 5404, across the street.
When he arrived at 5404, the tenant said I saw you going over there but figured maybe you were doing work for them too.

Needless, to say Rick called me after that estimate while heading to his next job. 
Thankfully he was laughing this time. He said, "These men were so nice and welcoming, I wish our customers were that nice."

Whew, he wasn't angry this time. I may have to thank those guys myself!

HE thinks HE's Funny

Today is my surgery at 230pm. This should post on my day of surgery, the 5th.

I won't be typing for a bit.

I'm not sure what to expect, but I am uneasy and scared for some reason.

Never had that before. Hopefully, this isn't foreboding.

Anyway, I am going to go back into the archives.

You all seem to enjoy Rick's torturing me and making me the butt of the joke. Sadly I do find the funny in it. I wish I didn't. 

But still....damn him!  I added a couple of those here but not all. 

I will be repeating some old archive posts. 

Yes, I could have prepared all new ones.

But a concussion, back pain, and all things that need to be done before I am unable I just don't have it in me.

So here is the first one. 

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Throw Back Sort of...

I mentioned yesterday how my husband brought me flowers and I prayed they weren't from someone's yard.
I wrote this a while back. He loves to mess with me and over the last 30 years, I prefer to not be messed with. I still fall for some of the shit he pulls, some not so much. I hope I would have learned something in 30+ years.

Here are a couple of examples of things he has done to me in the past. 
We were driving through Cooks Forest in PA. 
We were on our way to visit his family. 

We are both quiet. I am enjoying the scenery from my side of the car. 
All of a sudden he starts to sniff. He keeps sniffing. 
I ask, "What do you smell? "

"Don’t you smell anything?"

"No, I don’t."   sniff sniff

He opens his window all the way and sniffs some more. 

“Oh yea. I smell hot sausage pepper and onion sandwiches. 
I’m guessing about 2 miles down the road. You really don't smell this?” 

I am now hanging my head out the window like a fool sniffing the air.
"I really don’t smell anything at all Rick beside the pine trees.
"Wow." He sniffs again. "I really smell it now, you really don't? Try it again."

So I get up on my knees and am hanging out the window like a dog or jackass sniffing.
Then there it is – a clearing and a big silver food truck with a sign that says STOP. Hot sausage pepper and onion sandwiches.

"There it is. Oh my God  Rick I can’t believe you smelled this." 

He pulls over and says, "Well that made me hungry. Let’s have lunch."

I walk up to the window and place my order and tell the man that my boyfriend could smell these sandwiches 2 miles up the road. I went on and on like a damn fool. The sandwiches were good and we sat outside on the picnic tables and had a nice little lunch on a beautiful sunny fall day.

On the way home driving through Cooks Forest again I see a sign that says, “HOT SAUSAGE SANDWICHES 2 MILES UP THE ROAD”

I look at Rick and he began to laugh. 

"There was a sign coming down here that I didn't see wasn’t there?"

"Yep."

"So I made a complete ass of myself to that man when I ordered my sandwich?"

"Well I was winking at him over your head – you were cute – it wasn’t that bad."
He was laughing like crazy at this point.

So not funny. I can’t believe I fell for his shit yet again.

"Oh, someday I am so going to get you back."

"Uh-huh."
______________
When I was living in Ohio and he was in Pennsylvania he came to visit one weekend with a beautiful potted plant that flowered. 
It was really nice. I had it in my apartment in a beautiful container and everyone commented on it. 

One evening I had some friends over and 2 of the women kept asking me the name of this plant. I told them that I didn't know the Latin proper name but Rick said they call it a “neighbor” plant. I continue on, "You know like this one here is called Epipremnum aureum I believe but generally, you just call it a pothos plant."  

Everyone nods their head and that is that.
A year later I am visiting Rick and we are taking a walk in the early evening. We get to this house on the corner of his block that has been vacant for some time and we are discussing possible reasons why it hasn't been inhabited because it was such a pretty Victorian house. As we walk around the one side of the rod iron fence I notice all of these “neighbor” plants around the fence and I point and say, “Wow look at all these neighbor plants.” 

Immediately Rick begins to laugh his ass off. Then it dawns on me….he stole a plant from this yard and he made up this name. I ask him if that is indeed what he did to me yet again and he admitted to this crime.

"Why do you keep doing this to me? I told people this was called a neighbor plant. I look like an idiot now"

"Well you’ll believe anything and it's so much fun. How could I have told you after you told me that story?"

"You make me look like a damn fool, Richard."

"Nah, you’re a cute gullible woman."

"Yes, that is exactly what the paper will say.  "Cute gullible woman kills man for always messing with her, jury lets her off because he was a charming sadistic shit"

_______________
One evening a few years ago we were watching Jeopardy he yelled out the question. "What is a Two-Toed Sloth?"  I begin to laugh. 
He paused the television to ask why I think that is so funny.  
Do I not believe him?  I call him critter boy so why wouldn't critter boy know the name of this animal?
"Seriously a Two-Toed Sloth? That doesn't even sound like a real thing. You can make up things better than that. C’mon a two-toed sloth sounds like a neighbor plant to me."

He laughs and says, "Honestly this is a real animal, Margaret. "

"Yea, sure it is."

He unpauses the television and the questions was “What is a two-toed sloth?”

DAMN HIM!

And yet again I end up the fool. 
_____________

I asked once while at the lake about this land mass jetting out by this marina.
He gave it a name. I never believed him. I would just laugh when he mentioned it. He too would laugh so I was convinced he was lying. 

Five years later I learned from an article in the Laker Magazine that it was indeed called what he said it was. 

I just choose to not believe him now. But that too will probably bite me in the ass, you'll see.