Out for dinner

 Ned's friend Adrian's band was giving a concert at Sudwerk last night and we went to listen to the music and to have dinner.

If there was any event that made me realize how bad I've become this was it.  Ned parked right by the handicap access and had to help me out of the car because I couldn't get my legs out.  Then walking with my walker to a table took forEVer.  We finally got to a table and I sat in my walker (because I couldn't get into the bench at the table).  Walt ordered us dinner -- mushroom burgers and fries.  The plate arrived and the fried covered it and I knew I couldn't eat them.  I also didn't think I could finish the burger, so cut it in half to bring the other half home.

But even eating the half burger was difficult but I struggled to finish it.  My voice was very weak and I couldn't  talk to anybody because nobody could hear me.  The concert was about 2 hours long, but I was fading after an hour.  I enjoyed the rest of the music, but really just wanted to go home and be in my recliner.

We finally left and it took me forever to get to the car.  I had to stop several times to rest.  Then Ned had to get me in the car because I couldn't lift my legs high enough to get into the car.

When Harris gave her big speech on the elipse the other day, she talked about how she wanted to make Medicare cover older people and it made me think about how blessed we are  to have Ned living with us and willing to do so much to take care of me.  If Ned didn't live here, I don't know what I would do.

But I do know that unless I have a wheelchair, I won't go to another Adrian concert!

Lazy days

 I'm spending my days in my recliner, with my legs elevated.  Ned took pictures of my legs the first day we went to the doctor, and a week later when we went back and the treatment he is giving them, as well as the elevation, is making a big difference.  But I sure have no energy and haven't even come into my office for two days.  

Will I ever get all these letters answered?  The combination of the legs elevated and just not feeling like writing since Char died has made it difficult to think of starting to answer them.

I'm feeling stronger about sitting in my office, but somehow when I try to write something, I just can't.  

Sunday Stealing

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. This feature originated and published on WTIT: The Blog. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves.

1. What’s your guilty pleasure? 
   Watching NCIS reruns
2. Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
   breakfast
3. What do you do when you want to chill out after a long day?
   Well, I don't have "long days" any more.  I chill out in front of the TV.
   
4. How would you spend your ideal weekend?
   These days, doing what I do every other day.
5. Do you listen to podcasts, or mostly just music? What’s your favorite podcast?
   I have listened to and enjoyed podcasts, but haven't listened to many lately.  I just started listening to Jon Stewart's podcast.
6. Do you prefer to go to the movies or watch movies at home?
   at home
7. What was your favorite TV show growing up?
   So many.  I guess the Ed Sullivan show.
8. What’s your favorite TV show now?
   I guess NCIS...I haven't seen enough of the new shows yet to have a favorite...but Outlander returns November 22.
9. How would you spend your birthday if money was no object? 
   pay for Jeri & Phil, and Tom and family to fly up here to spend a few days.
10. What’s your favorite season? What do you love most about it?
    Fall.  The temps are cooler and the upcoming season is winter.
11. Do you prefer camping or going to the beach? 
    Don't enjoy camping any more.  How about a cabin at the beach?
12. Which phone app do you think you use the most?
    Facebook
13. Would you instead cook, order delivery, or go out to eat? 
    Order delivery
14. How do you drink your coffee?
    Peet's French Roast, black
15. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you choose? 
    I'm happy with our dog, Bubba

   

  

Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Me and Bobby McGee (1971)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here. 

1) The song begins with Janis telling us about a trip from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. Have you ever visited Louisiana? If yes, where did you go?
We went to New Orleans as chaperones for a jazz choir that was competing (they won).

2) She and her boyfriend Bobby hitch a ride with a truck driver and together the three of them sing "every song the driver knew." If you were to begin a singalong with strangers in a bar or at a party, what song would you confident everyone knows?
LOL.  I Googled "songs that everyone knows" and got a list of 100 songs, none of which I recognized.

3) Janis had a painful time in her Port Arthur, TX, high school. She was ostracized for her looks and her taste in music. If you could give advice to your high school self, what would you say?
Enjoy your time here.  Do as much as you can.  Make good friends.

4) She credited the blues and Bessie Smith, specifically, for getting her through her tough adolescence. After she became famous and mentioned Bessie in interviews, Janis learned Ms. Smith had been buried in an unmarked grave back in 1937. Janis rectified the situation by paying for a proper tombstone for Smith in 1970. If money were no object, what's something you would like to do for someone else?
This question would have been a lot easier to answer 10 years ago.  Today...?  Probably pay for Jeri's new car.

5) Because of her party girl persona, people were surprised that Janis had a domestic side and enjoyed talking recipes. Thinking of cooking, what dish would you whip up for our Saturday 9 potluck?
Lasagna.

6) "Me and Bobby McGee" was written by the late Kris Kristofferson. Kris' life before hitting it big was varied, including time in Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, focused on English literature, and serving as a helicopter pilot in the US Army. Which career path do you think you'd enjoy more: academia or the Army?
Oh definitely academia.

7) In 1971, when this song was popular, the US Mint introduced the Eisenhower Silver Dollar. Think of the last thing you bought at a store. Did you pay with cash, plastic, or your phone?
I bought a t-shirt and paid with plastic.

8) England's Princess Anne turned 21 in 1971 and in honor of the occasion, she had an official portrait taken by fashion photographer Norman Parkinson. Who took the most recent photo of you?
Ned took a picture of me at the doctor's 2 days ago.

9) Random question -- There's a knock at your door. Who do you expect it is?
A UPS guy delivering something from Amazon.

Another day at Kaiser

So we went back to Kaiser to have my legs checked.  Ned had redressed them twice, but the blister was stll there.  We saw the two nurses who would be re-dressing them this time and they said that doctor needed  to look at it.  But my doctor was not in the office.  They figured she wouldn't really want to check of the legs, but they had to get another doctor to come and check.

We waited an hour for the doctor to come in for 5 minutes and then confer with the nurses, and send me to the wound care office in Vacaville.

My next appointment is not until November 7.  In the meantime, Ned will be taking care of the legs.  He has gotten a real in depth lesson in what to do and why,

I have to admit that there is a part of me which is feeling very guilty that he is having to do so much work on my legs.

A note for Char

 This is one of those days when I miss Char...well, every day is a day when I miss her.  I watched Ned take care of my legs today...took about half an hour to wash, grease and bandage both legs in preparation for tomorrow's appointment at Kaiser.  I thought of how incredibly fortunate we are (a) that Ned lives here, and (b) that he is willing and capable of taking such good care of us.  I don't know what would happen, especially to me, if Ned were not living here.

This is the thing I  would have shared with Char, and not written as a journal entry.

Lazy me

 Ned wants me to keep my legs elevated as much as possible, so I've been spending most of the day in the recliner, with Bubba, watching TV and doing nothing else!