Nursing Home and Gym:
I made it to the nursing home 6 out of 7 days this week, skipping Sunday when the buses don't run. Always with banana. Twice with coleslaw.
I got to the gym only 2 times: Tuesday and Wednesday. I gotta do better next week.
Food:
I finally risked cracking eggs on Monday, and succeeded, so I'm back to a regular routine for breakfast: eggs one morning, lox cream cheese the next. Always a small salad of greens, tomato, and onion, and a small bit of bread or bagel.
When Jamie's here, I often splurge with him (and his kids) on breakfast out.
We also hit one or two dinners. This week included Agora Mediterranean Kitchen in Northwood (26th and Dixie).
Of course we had some form of coupon, Groupon this time. Jamie's kids weren't thrilled, but Jamie enjoyed a large serving of salmon, and I had lamb.
The staff is proud of the many home-made sides and desserts. I'd return, but not with kids.
Other than breakfast, I about never cook.
The morning Jamie flew back to work in South Carolina, he handed me 5 pages of KFC coupons he had printed, 2 per page, and told me he had meant to give them to his brother-in-law who lives 2 blocks away from such a place. They all expire this coming Sunday!
On Wednesday I bused to Jamie's brother-in-law, Rom (yes, that's his name) and the two of us had lunch at KFC. I ate both meals of the "Buy one Get one", meaning I got 4 pieces of boneless chicken, one cole slaw, green beans, and I just took one drink.
Rom took a meal home. And he still has ? 6 coupons. Probably won't be used, like the two I'm holding.
From Rom's house, I walked to the 7-11 for MORE cigarettes because a CNA asked me to get 5 packs for one of her residents.
Then I walked home, stopping in 3 thrift stores looking for a small table to hold the Keurig in my upstairs hallway - in case I ever rent out the spare (bedless) bedroom - vacated in May by Renate's son.
Found some possibilities, but will wait. Besides I can't pick up! I tried driving on Thursday, just to see if I could. I back the car up, started to turn the wheel... and decided "no".
I filled the week doing things with Sudoku, Finale music program,
lots of walking, buses, and ... figuring out what the IRS was complaining about on my 2012 tax return. Uh.,, embarrassing...I failed to note that Social Security (I'm already taking it) is taxable. So I owe more. What a pain.
Two appointments on Friday. In the morning, I took buses to Dr. Navarro, Lake Worth plastic surgeon who patched up my face. He was pleased. Took "after" photos, and feels no more need to see me. ONE less doctor in my life!
I asked my brother to pick me up from that office to take me to my 2nd appointment miles away at St Mary's hospital - the Ranes Pavilion - for Physical Therapy. I MIGHT have made it by bus, but didn't want to risk it.
The therapist measured angles of different joints bending. She measured force of my squeezing. Whole fists. And between thumb and forefinger:
Right hand - 5 pounds.
Left hand - 2 pounds.
Photo is of my tightest left-handed fist. Not ready for boxing.
The oddest thing I thought was advising me buy a brush as pictured below. Then to DRY-brush my fingers, hands, forearms towards the heart. She says some doctor has a whole book about dry-brush therapy for the lymphatic system.
Dr. Andrew Weil - I THINK a more trust-worthy source - takes health claims with a grain of salt. He finds no problem with it, but advises drinking more water and adjusting diet is better way to help cleanse the body. The brush is only $4 or so and most likely I'll spring for it.
It STILL feels like handcuffs on my left hand.
Medical:
Two appointments on Friday. In the morning, I took buses to Dr. Navarro, Lake Worth plastic surgeon who patched up my face. He was pleased. Took "after" photos, and feels no more need to see me. ONE less doctor in my life!
I asked my brother to pick me up from that office to take me to my 2nd appointment miles away at St Mary's hospital - the Ranes Pavilion - for Physical Therapy. I MIGHT have made it by bus, but didn't want to risk it.
The therapist measured angles of different joints bending. She measured force of my squeezing. Whole fists. And between thumb and forefinger:Right hand - 5 pounds.
Left hand - 2 pounds.
Photo is of my tightest left-handed fist. Not ready for boxing.
The oddest thing I thought was advising me buy a brush as pictured below. Then to DRY-brush my fingers, hands, forearms towards the heart. She says some doctor has a whole book about dry-brush therapy for the lymphatic system.
Dr. Andrew Weil - I THINK a more trust-worthy source - takes health claims with a grain of salt. He finds no problem with it, but advises drinking more water and adjusting diet is better way to help cleanse the body. The brush is only $4 or so and most likely I'll spring for it.
It STILL feels like handcuffs on my left hand.
Rain:
The PB Post recently reported that October in PB County was 3rd driest on record with 1.13 inches of rain - 4 inches below average. That worked for me waiting for buses.
But towards the end and during this month (November) rain-bearing clouds frequently appeared.
You've heard of people having a "death wish". I think I've developed a "wet wish".
I keep venturing out when I believe I might get rained on. It's like - I want the whole experience of living without a car. I won't step OUT into the rain. I WILL, however, risk rain starting during my long walks.
But God has cursed me and my "wet wish."
Twice it has POURED after I arrived at the nursing home; it stopped for me to catch my bus home.
Last night after Darcy, I walked from the bus depot to Publix to shop. It POURED while I shopped and ... stopped when I went out to go home. (I WALKED home with the groceries, because, while I stood at an in-set bus stop, staring at a passing train, the bus passed by me!)
I even managed to get home from Physical Therapy on Friday to get clothes off the line while it began to rain. It waited for me.
I wonder if I can rent myself to outdoor events.
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Al seems to know about everything going on, not only at Sunny Vale, but everywhere.
“Hey, Sam,” Al approaches, smiling. “Which one of these doesn’t fit in with the other three: AIDS, Herpes, Gonorrhea, Condominiums.”
Sam knew to just wait for the answer..
“Gonorrhea,” Al reveals. “You can get rid of gonorrhea.”
“Oy, you’re right,” chuckles Sam whose new girlfriend was considering moving in with him and she wants to sell her place.
“I hear it’s going well with you and Sadie,” Al tells him.
“I can’t complain,” relates Sam. “We make love almost every night.”
“Oh my God!” exclaims Al. “How can a man your age make love almost every night?”
“Well,” Sam explains, “you do what you can do. Monday night we almost made love. Tuesday night we almost made love. Wednesday night….”
“Okay. I get the picture,” Al interrupts. “But Al, Sadie is only 48 years old, and you’re what? 83? Isn’t it dangerous?”
Sam shrugs him off. “If she dies, she dies!
“Anyway,” Sam continues, how do you know so much about Sadie, the condominium, her age?”
“Oh, I know everybody!” announces Al.
“You know maybe everybody at Sunny Vale,” Sam tries to reason.
“No, I mean EVERYBODY!” repeats Al, unflinching.
“What everybody?” mocks Sam. “ I suppose you know.. who should you know….I suppose you know Brad Pitt.”
“Oh that boychick. Sure. Let me prove it. I got a million frequent flyer miles from years as a salesman.”
They fly out to LA. Al calls up Brad Pitt who invites the two of them over for the twins birthday party.
Sam can hardly believe all the celebrities that seem to know Al, who keeps reminding him “I know everybody!”
“So you know the president?”, Sam challenges.
“You want to fly to Washington now,” says Al.
And sure enough in D.C., Al is greeted by senators and congressmen.
A phone call gets them into the White House. By chance they are included in a special Sedar dinner being served that night.
Sam is nearly overcome by his friend’s apparent fame amongst celebrities and dignitaries. “Don’t get so excited!” cautions Al. “You’ll have a stroke. They’re just people.”
“But so many”, says Sam.
“I know everybody!” says Al.
This revives Sam to repudiate. “Ok, so you’re ‘Mr. Big Shot’ in the US. I bet you don’t know people outside this country. I bet you don’t know - for instance - the pope.”
“Ok, Mr. Doubting Thomas. Tomorrow we fly to Rome.”
And as they join a huge gathering in St Peter’s square for a mass, Al tells Sam to wait and watch, and he heads off towards a gate.
Fifteen minutes later, the pope appears on a balcony overlooking the crowd. His left hand holds a staff. His right arm is wrapped around Al’s shoulder. The crowd cheers and the pope begins the mass.
Suddenly, Al notices out in the sea of people, Sam has fainted to the ground. He excuses himself from the pope and runs out to check on Sam.
He is relieved to find Sam conscious and not injured. “My God, I was worried this might be too much for you.”
“Well, “ Sam says, “I admit, my blood pressure shot up when I saw you standing next to the pope. It was incredible. But what really got to me was when some guy next to me taps me on the shoulder. He points up at the balcony and asks me ‘Who’s that standing next to Al?’ ”
*********************************************************
A former-teacher friend, Cathy Brister forwarded to me a link about a dolphin that - by all reports - approached a group of divers, wanting help from them. I tried some fact-checking and it seems legit.
Dolphin seeks help from divers
Cathy used to teach home economics and cooking classes at my high school. It was incredible how hard her department worked, buying weekly groceries, supervising 5 classes of 30 - 35 students who would prep, cook, and clean up in a class period.
She's enjoying a well-deserved retirement. I expressed a little surprise at her interest in dolphins and she reported that her father had been a chief engineer at a shipyard where research was done on dolphins' sonar abilities. She herself has swum with dolphins in the Keys.
I'm announcing semi-retirement from this blog.
Maybe TWO weeks til the next one.
I can't find jokes!
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But towards the end and during this month (November) rain-bearing clouds frequently appeared.
 |
| Despite my photoshopping this photo still indicates a less threatening sky than it seemed to me at the time. Btw - view is from Quadrille, looking at back of City Place parking garage |
I keep venturing out when I believe I might get rained on. It's like - I want the whole experience of living without a car. I won't step OUT into the rain. I WILL, however, risk rain starting during my long walks.
But God has cursed me and my "wet wish."
Twice it has POURED after I arrived at the nursing home; it stopped for me to catch my bus home.
Last night after Darcy, I walked from the bus depot to Publix to shop. It POURED while I shopped and ... stopped when I went out to go home. (I WALKED home with the groceries, because, while I stood at an in-set bus stop, staring at a passing train, the bus passed by me!)
I even managed to get home from Physical Therapy on Friday to get clothes off the line while it began to rain. It waited for me.
I wonder if I can rent myself to outdoor events.
*********************************************************
A desperate mish-mash of old jokes
*********************************************************
Sam Joke #8
Sam knew to just wait for the answer..
“Gonorrhea,” Al reveals. “You can get rid of gonorrhea.”
“Oy, you’re right,” chuckles Sam whose new girlfriend was considering moving in with him and she wants to sell her place.
“I hear it’s going well with you and Sadie,” Al tells him.
“I can’t complain,” relates Sam. “We make love almost every night.”
“Oh my God!” exclaims Al. “How can a man your age make love almost every night?”
“Well,” Sam explains, “you do what you can do. Monday night we almost made love. Tuesday night we almost made love. Wednesday night….”
“Okay. I get the picture,” Al interrupts. “But Al, Sadie is only 48 years old, and you’re what? 83? Isn’t it dangerous?”
Sam shrugs him off. “If she dies, she dies!
“Anyway,” Sam continues, how do you know so much about Sadie, the condominium, her age?”
“Oh, I know everybody!” announces Al.
“You know maybe everybody at Sunny Vale,” Sam tries to reason.
“No, I mean EVERYBODY!” repeats Al, unflinching.
“What everybody?” mocks Sam. “ I suppose you know.. who should you know….I suppose you know Brad Pitt.”
“Oh that boychick. Sure. Let me prove it. I got a million frequent flyer miles from years as a salesman.”
They fly out to LA. Al calls up Brad Pitt who invites the two of them over for the twins birthday party. Sam can hardly believe all the celebrities that seem to know Al, who keeps reminding him “I know everybody!”
“So you know the president?”, Sam challenges.
“You want to fly to Washington now,” says Al.
And sure enough in D.C., Al is greeted by senators and congressmen.
Sam is nearly overcome by his friend’s apparent fame amongst celebrities and dignitaries. “Don’t get so excited!” cautions Al. “You’ll have a stroke. They’re just people.”
“But so many”, says Sam.
“I know everybody!” says Al.
This revives Sam to repudiate. “Ok, so you’re ‘Mr. Big Shot’ in the US. I bet you don’t know people outside this country. I bet you don’t know - for instance - the pope.”
“Ok, Mr. Doubting Thomas. Tomorrow we fly to Rome.”
And as they join a huge gathering in St Peter’s square for a mass, Al tells Sam to wait and watch, and he heads off towards a gate.
Fifteen minutes later, the pope appears on a balcony overlooking the crowd. His left hand holds a staff. His right arm is wrapped around Al’s shoulder. The crowd cheers and the pope begins the mass.
Suddenly, Al notices out in the sea of people, Sam has fainted to the ground. He excuses himself from the pope and runs out to check on Sam.
He is relieved to find Sam conscious and not injured. “My God, I was worried this might be too much for you.”
“Well, “ Sam says, “I admit, my blood pressure shot up when I saw you standing next to the pope. It was incredible. But what really got to me was when some guy next to me taps me on the shoulder. He points up at the balcony and asks me ‘Who’s that standing next to Al?’ ”
*********************************************************
Dolphin seeks help from divers
Cathy used to teach home economics and cooking classes at my high school. It was incredible how hard her department worked, buying weekly groceries, supervising 5 classes of 30 - 35 students who would prep, cook, and clean up in a class period.
She's enjoying a well-deserved retirement. I expressed a little surprise at her interest in dolphins and she reported that her father had been a chief engineer at a shipyard where research was done on dolphins' sonar abilities. She herself has swum with dolphins in the Keys.
I'm announcing semi-retirement from this blog.
Maybe TWO weeks til the next one.
I can't find jokes!
*********************************************************
Random Internet Photo #8
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