Our undiscovered country......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fOqE8ToGEY

If you haven't seen this video, & it doesn't play, just download the address.  Go ahead, I'll wait....hahaha.

Apparently this is the work of someone who has been in self quarantine for a couple of hours.  

I, unfortunately am not that creative.  I've been reading blogs and walking on my treadmill ~ I have a self imposed goal of walking on it at least twice for 30 minutes today, and going with Romeo to walk the dog.  Who is happy that everyone is home, and can take her on multiple walks a day.  I wasn't quite ready at the first one, but we'll go out around 2 pm or so for another.  

Yesterday, at the morning staff meeting, we were informed that our office is "closed"/"open".  We have cancelled all hygiene appointments and all non-essential dental treatment.  But the doctors are there, doing crowns and root canals and extractions.  Today the doctor I work for didn't really have enough treatment to warrant going in, so we're off until Tuesday.  We moved a lot of essential treatment to yesterday, which had us there until 6 pm.  We have patients scheduled for Tuesday, where we will work on the schedule for the rest of the week, answer phones and see emergency patients.  The other dentist is there today, and one of my co-workers texted me that one of their patients wasn't feeling well, and had recently traveled to New York.  Sheesh.  I don't know if they worked on her or not, but they should have given her a mask and sent her home.  I hope that's what they did.  

It isn't easy to make a 24 hour transition from utter chaos to practically nothing to do.  I certainly don't want to sit and watch tv all day.  I've lost a tiny bit of weight on my diet & exersize program and I don't want to gain it all back on my first day of self imposed exile from the world!  

On Monday I paused our gym membership ~ I hear they are going to close anyway ~ which was a hard decision to make.  Here I am, I have plenty of time to really hit it at the gym....but I'm not going.  They don't provide anti-microbial wipes, they are only for "cleaning".  They do offer hand sanitizer, but it's really just too much to expose myself to.  Most of my racquetball friends are still going.  To each their own, right?  But, Romeo is 70.  I don't want him to expose himself to that, nor do I.  I don't have enough vacation/personal leave time to get sick.  

Who knows if this two week shut down will be enough.  We may find ourselves shut down for longer.  I'll be registering for unemployment later today too, won't that be fun?

Take care and be safe. 

Love, 365

The shower and the *&H^%$# virus.....

No wine for me, but beer works!

All of my habits are nearly back to normal.  I can do my own hair.  I don't need the handicapped chair in the shower anymore.  I still need the shower brush (wow, my back doesn't itch anymore, those are wonderful), and the handy little paddle for putting lotion on my back.  

But ever since my accident, I've been showering in the evening.  Mostly it was a necessity because it took too long, and I didn't want to have to get up that early.  This morning was the first time I showered in the morning since January 8th.  Last night my sister called and we chatted so long I decided to go for it in the morning.  

In retrospect, it was probably not a good idea to take my first morning shower the week after the time change....I could barely get myself out of bed.  Plus, I think I've become accustomed to that extra half hour of sleep.  The other coincidence was that I had my physical yesterday, where they gave me a pneumonia vaccine shot.  In the other arm of course, which was also a mistake.  Now both arms hurt to put pressure on, and I didn't really feel so hot.  

But I am now a firm believer in evening showers.  It's worth it for the extra 1/2 hour of snooze time. :-)

****************************

I have reached maximum saturation on news reports on the Covid 19 virus.  Although I appreciate the updates on a purely planning level ~ for instance I am putting off my Texas trip until things have settled down, unless our office is shut down for a week or so..then we'll just drive there ~ the hysteria that is occurring because of it is simply another example of how reactive people are.  Stupidly.  A couple of people in my office have gone to lengths to go out and buy those things that are flying off the shelves.  Not that they need them, but simply because everyone else is doing it.  Sigh.  

Be safe.

Love, 365

Thank you James Joyce......

James Joyce was Irish....that explains a lot :-)

His genius: "you're getting on my nerves" ~ an expression that will likely never go out of style.

I'm willing to bet y'all know what's coming......yeah, it's Ms Loud again, comin at ya with her big ol' boots, smiling while trampling on my last nerve. The very last one.....

Which began right off the bat on our first day of work this week, pretty much at 8am.  Timing is everything, right?  She then had the audacity to continue trampling through for the entire week.  By Thursday afternoon I was looking for 5pm to come along so she would go home, not to be seen again until next Tuesday.  ARGHHHHH  

You've heard the recommendation of our medical professionals on preventing the spread of infection of the good ol' corona virus, right?  DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE

oops

oops again....

In 2015 someone did a study on how often we touch our faces (I know, what a waste of money, right?) and it turns out that in one single hour, the average is 24 times.  Mostly of our eyes, nose and mouth.  I was listening to a radio program where they were talking about avoiding touching your face....this was while I was rubbing my eye, and the itchy nose.  They even admitted that it's nearly impossible to just stop touching it.  They recommended you become aware of how often you do it, which when I paid attention was pretty terrifying.  Now they are calling the virus COVID-19.  I don't know~ are they trying to make it sound more horrible?  A later radio broadcast featured a physician discussing how the corona virus doesn't transmit as easily as say, the flu.  

Although it is nice to have a break from the childishness of the current political situation, I think the media is fueling fear of the illness.  I have been unwittingly drawn into it, wavering on when I should go to Texas to visit the family.  I had planned on going in May.  Now I wonder if I should just wait until August........

So, I haven't decided yet.  I should just go ahead and book it since it's Southwest.  I've rescheduled flights before without penalty.  Ahhhhhhh, my indecision is driving me crazy.  And I'm not excited to spend time in a closed environment, breathing in everyone's crud.  Almost tempted to drive it.

Enjoy your weekend!

Love, 365

How time flies...........

I've watched this You Tube video a few times and find it hilarious.  Especially the lady on the sofa who keeps asking Alexa to turn up the heat.....reminds me of my Mom. :-). If the video doesn't play, put this URL into your browser:   https://youtu.be/YvT_gqs5ETk

We have a couple of Echo units, one is in the living room ~ where the typical question is what the weather forecast is for the next day or two, or when our favorite series will start up again with new episodes.  Or, if we are watching a history program we might ask Alexa a question or two.  Really, I have discovered they are a waste of money, although we do use the timer function when baking, and I play music when I'm doing a onerous task (like dishes or making Christmas cookies).  I've asked Alexa to tell me a joke a time or two.....but none of them (so far) were funny enough to repeat.  Ah, well.  

I have not been in my office for anything other than cleaning things up, and keeping my laptop charged for the past two weeks.  Romeo has had enough of me being sequestered in here to study and if I tell him I'm going to my office he will tempt me with a movie or a new episode of a series I watch.......I know what he's doing.  The funny thing is I'm not sure he realizes what he's doing ~ it's kind of sweet, but this morning I managed to get up here and write before y'all think I've passed on or decided not to blog anymore :-)

Update: my broken arm is so much better.  I was able to use my flat iron to curl my hair yesterday without too much trouble ~ well, except I wasn't able to do too much with the back of my head.  Soon I will be able to dry my own hair and use a new hair dryer/brush contraption I bought because I thought I could do my own hair with it with one arm ~ but no.  Nearly everything I use to style my hair requires the use of two arms, assuming you can raise both arms to above my head.  I confess that I have not been doing much of the physical therapy I was given, because it would make my arm ache for hours afterward.  So instead of doing it 3 times a day, I managed to do it once a day and then take an advil.  I still have another month to go before my next orthopedist appointment, where I am hoping he gives me the ok to play racquetball again. 

I am already tired of politics.  I haven't watched any of the debates ~ at least not on purpose.  I did see a few clips on the news, and was disgusted by their childishness.  Honestly.  There's not a single person I'm excited about voting for.  I am not a democrat, nor am I a republican.  And forget about independent, that's just a platform for politicians that simply don't want to compete against our two major parties.  The worst of it is still to come.  Maybe I'll take up knitting while listening to opera, lol.

I wish all of you a great week ahead.....
Love, 365

All you need is love...........

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!  We did not do much ~ Romeo asked if I wanted to go out to a restaurant ~ my reply ~ Are you crazy?  It's Valentine's Day and a Friday.......  So it was a quiet evening at home.  Really, the best kind.

I had taken Tuesday and Wednesday off, mostly because there was an event at the church and partly because I needed a break (ha ha, no pun intended).  What is it about having a week or two of vacation, and when you get back to work you wish the vacay had been just a few more days!  It's just never long enough, right?  And although I hear the call of retirement, I really must pay off my car first before I can consider that.  I plan to make some extra payments to hurry that along.

I received a statement from the orthopedist office for my first visit.  I could not believe that they charged $1200 for "treatment of a proximal humerus fracture" ~ they didn't do anything.  They didn't even take x-rays.  I didn't have to pay that, thankfully.  My copay was $50.  Still, it is very shocking.  My co-worker said if I hadn't had insurance they probably wouldn't have charged me that much, but I disagree.  This past week they took x-rays to check on healing, and he had me do some movements while he palpated the shoulder to check on mobility.  I shudder to see how much that bill will be.  Once again I am so thankful that all of this happened after I had insurance coverage, which I didn't have just a few days before.  :-0

But life is good, I have work, and my supportive and loving guy, and Sioux is keeping me company while I sit here and type with the sun streaming in the window. 

Have a great weekend.....Love, 365

Healing as expected......

The last breakage, 4 1/2 years ago.....

This time there is no cast.  I just have to wear a sling to keep the arm relatively immobile.  And I had my 4 week visit with the orthopedist on Thursday.  I already know I am moving it more than they are recommending, but apparently it is healing on schedule.  He asked me to do the little circles with my arm, and then freaked out because the circles were too big, haha.  I can type without having to stand up now, which is nice.  I do have to wear the sling for two more weeks though.  I really hate that thing.  In a bit over a week I will have my first physical therapy appointment, and I'm asking them to let me know when I can expect to lift my arm high enough to dry my own hair.   Romeo is doing a terrific job, but I really want to do it myself.  

Last week was a real drag at work, my co-worker was out for nearly the entire week with a terrible cold.  And my other two co-workers hardly offered to help me with the load of work that normally two of us do.  I finally mentioned I might go crazy if she was out on Thursday, and they finally helped out more then.  Honestly, must one ask for help?  Can't they just use their own common sense to realize I can't do the job of two people without a bit of stress?  It just bugs me.  I guess most people are in their own little world, and rarely peek out the windows to see what's going on.  

Maybe we should all look around a bit.  

Love, 365

Getting better.....

How I look at work on Mondays......

I've just been watching the super bowl ~ just to see if the game is a good one, which so far is fairly entertaining.  Normally I don't watch much of it.  My Mom likes the commercials.  I will not be tuning in for the half time though, I just don't enjoy it much.  Except when Bruno Mars was there, that was great.  

Otherwise the last week has been interesting.  I begged my OM (office manager) for a wireless headset so I could answer the phone and use the computer at the same time ~ I picked one out and it was awful.  So old.  I should have done a little research before ordering.  Somehow I managed to convince her that I need a newer model, and it came in last Monday.  I plug it in to charge, when one of my co-workers noticed the plugs look like they are for Europe.  So I call the company (Plantronics) and they explain that the model I have is made especially for Australia.  What???  So, I chat online with Amazon's customer service, and they agree to send another one.  I guess I should have mentioned not to send the one with the A at the end of the model number, because they sent the same one.  Really?  Stupid much?  So I returned both of those and finally received the model made for use in the U.S.  It's fabulous.  But, wow, I figured I lost some cred with the OM on this botched order.  Sheesh.  

My arm is improving,  I can use it for more things now.  I can actually reach up and touch my cheek, but not any higher than that yet.  I have an appointment on Thursday, and they will take a new x-ray to check on healing.  I hope he tells me I can ditch the sling then.  Although, while I'm home, I don't wear it anyway. :-)  Yeah, I tend to do my own thing.  If something I do gives me pain, I quit doing it for a day or two before trying again.  Not sure I will wait two more months to play racquetball again, but I will definitely wait another month before considering it.  

Have a great week, y'all.

Love, 365

It's official.........

I am officially an old fart.  This week I turned 65.  Do I feel old?  No.  Yes.  Maybe.  Absolutely not.


My arm is improving, although I have not had the ok from the Doc yet to do much with it.  I just keep doing the pendulum exercises which I assume are to prevent frozen shoulder.  I do have an appointment in 2 weeks for a follow up. 

On Thursday I called the Doc's office to ask about the pain I had that morning, and he said I could stop wearing the sling at night.  I was a tad bit nervous, but didn't roll over on it, which I'm sure would have brought me out of the deepest sleep.  So, I'm getting used to sleeping on my back, which I have never been in the habit of doing. 

I have, for the past year or so, had some issues with tennis elbow ~ of course, on the same side as the breakage.  And having that elbow bent at 45 degrees for 2 weeks made it so much worse.  The pain I have now is mostly with the elbow, which has flared up to a degree that even touching it is very unpleasant.  Now that I've taken off the sling at home and when sleeping has helped.  But when I see him, I will mention it and hopefully the physical therapy will be included. 

******Ok, this is all I can do.  If I haven't commented on your posts, it's because typing is such a pain in the ass. 

Have a great weekend!
Love 365

Broken wing.....

It has been quite the experience being one handed ~ well for the most part one handed.  I can't dress myself on top, nor can I style my hair.  I also discovered that unless the item is very soft I can't cut my food either.  When it comes to the public, most people just look right past the sling.  A few ask.  But most noticeable are the little things.  I went by Target and the person who parked next to me parked to close I very nearly couldn't get in.  I really need the door open wide to squish into the seat, reach across and grab the door with my right arm to shut the door.  I managed it, but it made me think of how we need to be courteous to each other even if we didn't see them get out of their car.  Or, if you see someone struggling to do something, would it be too much trouble to offer to help? 

And don't even talk to me about shirts with buttons.  At first my arm was so swollen I had to wear a man's dress shirt to work ~ it was not comfortable.  The sleeves were too long and it had an annoying tag that I really noticed by 10 am at work.  Now that the swelling has gone down I can wear my own button down's, so nice.  It's funny, I hardly ever wore them before, and now I'll probably wear them out. 

Sleeping is ok, but I really miss sleeping on my left side, which has been my habit for years.  And after deciding to stop reading and put the book on my nightstand requires me to practically get out of bed to do so.  (I'm on the right side if you're at the foot looking at the headboard). 

The other day I looked at Romeo in the eye and said "this is going to go on for awhile".  He said "no problem!" but he does become irritated sometimes.  As I guess we all do. 

I can't even put deodorant on by myself.  This is quite humbling.

Love, 365

Oh for Pete's sake......

First of all, this is not my x-ray!

Mine is not that bad.....I hope.

 Wednesday I went to the gym as I have for at least the past 9 years, to play ladies night racquetball.  Had a little trouble this time though.....one of our newer players ran in front of me, I tripped over her feet and fell right on my ribs, knocked the air out of me (but surprisingly didn't break any) but did end up with a proximal fracture of the humerus.  I still don't know if I will need surgery, because I couldn't get in until Monday......which seems a bit long, but what do I know?  Apparently unless the swelling gets worse, or the pain increases, I just have to hang in.  Why did I say no to the oxy?  I sure know when the advil wears off.

I'm trying hard to not harbor any ill will to the dumb ass, no I mean idiot clueless woman who caused it.  I think I'm failing though, because there will likely be months of wearing this sling, which means Romeo has to help me get ready to shower, and although we haven't tried it yet, blow dry my hair.  

So, my posts will be short, because typing one handed is also a giant pain.

Enjoy your weekend.

Love, 365

***I noticed a bit of spamming going on, may need to change settings.  

What to do?????

Sorry I do not have the name of the person who took this photo, which I believe is in White Sands New Mexico ~ which is now a National Park!  Woo Hoo!!

This is my "short" weekend....I am so incredibly spoiled, I do love my 4 day weekends, which are every other week.  This is a regular Sat-Sun weekend as I worked yesterday and will work on Monday.  I always struggle with what to do.  Start a big project?  No.  So, what to do?  One thing I plan to do today is remove the Christmas decor.  I had originally planned to do it tomorrow, but I have a lot more things to do Sunday (church, racquetball, wash car) I decided I would take down the tree today.  

Plus there is laundry.  Fun times!  Making the bed with fresh sheets.  Work on cleaning up the office a bit.  I also need to look at planning a trip to Texas to see my little cutie. 

I still have my voucher, and my eldest son (little cutie's Dad) gave me $100 Southwest Airlines gift card, which will cover any extra I might encounter.  I had hoped to go in January, but they are moving to a different house and I didn't want to get in the way ~ or be part of the confusion and chaos that moving entails.  Although I haven't moved in about 20 years, I moved often in my 20's and early 30's, and I remember that.....the good (excitement of a new place) and the bad (moving, ugh).  My next option would be to try to go in late February, overlapping my niece and her husband's visit (whom I've never met).  Which will be tricky because there won't be a bedroom while they are still there.  But I'm ok with sleeping on the sofa for a night or two.  I just don't want to overburden my sister, who always opens her house to me when I visit.  So, I'll try to iron that out. 

Off to do laundry!  Have an excellent weekend ~ and Happy New Year!!

Love, 365