Kind of blah today. A friend who I hadn’t seen in some time came to visit last evening. We had a great chat. She watches all the shows, the ones that go on about everything that is wrong,exposays, etc. (Don’t know how to do the accent over the e, so just spelled it out.) Anyway, very angry about everything, as am I, but I don’t watch any of that, I don’t even watch regular tv, just streamers, because I would be angry all the time, and life is just too short. I cannot change anything, or fix anything, so why do that to myself. Everyday of my life is a struggle anyway, so why make it worse on purpose? Had fun anyway, though. She brought dinner from one of our favorite restaurants, and while tasty, it was a huge disappointment. Last time we had it, it was huge mound of mashed potatoes surrounded by a thick, meaty Guinness stew. Fabulous. Last night I had maybe a quarter cup of mash in a sea of thin broth with a bunch of sliced carrots and some tough and gristly beef. What has happened to everything? I can no longer get a decent pizza, my local Chinese is astronomically overpriced, and Papa Gino’s no longer carries my favorite dishes anyway.

I am working to get a new homemaker service, because this one is so not working out. My homemaker, who was not the best at her job but tried, and who I got on really well with and we had good convos and laughing, left. The new one only shows up less than half the time and does the barest of minimum. So after discussing this twice with my case worker, and thinking it was fixed after the first time, I had to call again and she is trying to find another agency for me. It is very frustrating, because laundry does not get done, the store seems to have nothing on my list, although another store that she does not go to , does. So I am ordering delivery from Target, which is going exceptionally well so far. I get free delivery because I joined Shipt, but you still have to tip, and I am a good tipper, which increases the cost of groceries. But at least I get them. I had hoped to cook some things, but the body has gone back into the pain and fatigue phase. The good days never last. Never. I am normally lucky to get one good day in a row, but a couple of weeks ago I had several. Then they were gone. Oh, well.

It’s gray. It’s been mostly gray for some time, which always puts me in a funk, even though I turn on my sun when I get up and leave it on for a few hours. Full spectrum bulbs in the overhead light are a really good thing in the gray days. It is like a sunny day in here while they are on. These are like the ones I have. The cover does not fit on the fixture, but I so don’t care. LOL

I realized that in four more days it will be exactly two months since I have been out of the apartment. How I long for a balcony, at least, but no. I miss outside. I miss getting my own groceries, I miss a lot of things, but it is what it is. I know people hate that saying, but it’s a valid one. It is what it is. Accept what you cannot change and make the best of it. I have my Kindle and my streamers, which I have been watching more of lately. Especially the MHz Choice channel with French and Belgian and German tv shows. Countries look very different that you think based on American shows. One show was filmed in the Dolomites, and I was stunned at how beautiful it is there.

One in Paris has Notre Dame just as part of the everyday scenery shots.

Like it’s just there. I guess when you live with something, it doesn’t seem the big deal for those of us who only see it in pictures or as tourists. Anyway, I am quite enjoying that channel. I hardly watch any American tv any more, except right now I am doing a rewatch of Eureka. I like Eureka. But current or even recent programs are just really of no interest at all to me. I am kind of rewatching The Big Bang Theory for the zillionth time. I loved that show before it became the Whiny Sheldon Show.

My allergies have been horrible lately. Just saying. Wear your masks, be safe, keep others safe as well. It’s not all about you. Over and out.

And it got cold. It’s 39 right now at 9:30 am. Was very gray earlier, sun came out, more gray is moving in from the west now. Had to turn the heat on yesterday.

Still doing okay. Not as good as I was there for a bit, but still better than I was for a very, very long time. Today I need to go downstairs and get the cat food I ordered. It came a couple of days ago, so I hope it’s still there. My homemaker didn’t come yesterday, or she would have brought it up. Deliveries used to come to my door. No more.

The cooking has kind of gone by the wayside again. Just don’t have enough energy. I took a weird class once. Not sure the actual purpose now, but one of the things we did was have to write down exactly how to make a peanut butter sandwich, in case we had to explain it to aliens or something, I don’t know. Anyway, you would not believe how many separate steps there are to making that sandwich, starting with opening wherever the bread is stored, getting the bread out, closing that space’s door, moving the bread to the counter. Opening the bread. Taking out the slices, closing the bread, moving the bread back to that space, opening the space, putting the bread in, closing the space (cabinet?), getting the peanut butter from wherever it is, bringing it to the counter, opening the jar, opening the drawer, getting out a knife, closing the drawer. And on and on and on. It is exhausting when you are in pain or have little to no energy to do each step for whatever it is you are doing. When you are healthy, you don’t even think about it, but for people like me, with chronic, painful, exhausting illnesses, you find yourself constantly making trade-offs. If I do this, will I have enough energy to do that, will I have to go lie down for a while before I can continue, if I skip this will it still come out edible. On so on. So cooking anything more than maybe scrambled eggs and toast is out right now. Again. It was nice while it lasted. I like cooking. I also cannot normally cook and clean up on the same day. Exhaustion and pain win. BUT:

Today I want to water my plants, do the dishes from the past two days, call the vet, send an email to a potential therapist, who I hope can help with cope with being alone all the time and not being able to do what I want or need to do, when I want or need to do them. I have been doing this for so many years, you’d think I’d be an expert, but no. Every time things work out that I am alone 99.9 per cent of the time, which happens more than you’d think, I find myself withdrawing from the world.

We are taught to reach out, but it gets harder and harder to motivate myself to do that. ‘They are busy, they have a life, I don’t want to be a nuisance. If they wanted to talk to me, they’d call me and since they never do, I get that message loud and clear. I am better off alone, anyway. I am not good with people. I have no social skills at all. I always say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, and have no idea I’ve done that. Better not to put myself out there in the first place.’ These are the things that run through the heads of people like me. I have learned to be pretty happy on my own, and even if I get in a funk, sooner or later I am able to pull myself out of it. ‘Never give up. Never surrender.’ Thank you Galaxy Quest. LOL

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/25/1208419749/scholastic-book-fair-diverse-stories-apology

It mentions a ‘small but vocal minority’, which Scholastic gave into, and that is the problem in this country right now, I think. A small but vocal minority are dictating what happens to the rest of us. Giving in to them seems to be the thing right now. Why? If you know they are a small minority, trying to foist their views on the rest of us, why do you allow it to happen? Why do you give in? Maybe it’ just that you share their views that only certain religions, certain takes on what is or isn’t moral or acceptable, certain hatreds for those who are not exactly like you. I don’t know. The squeaky wheel get the grease seems to be very true right now. The louder you are, the more likely you are to get your way. So the rest of us need to be loud, too. Even though it may go against the grain, it may be that we are more accepting of diversity, it may be that we just want to live and let live. But this tactic does not work. We have to speak up and be louder than those who want to impose their narrow view of life on all of us. We have to fight back. Speak up. Resist. Vote them out. Do SOMETHING! Please.

has returned. It is 79f right now. The next couple of days are forecast to be even warmer. We are days away from November. Fresh air is really nice, though.

My friend is coming over in a bit. Today is six weeks since the last time I saw her. First she and her husband got covid, he had foot pain, and it was an infection that turned out to be in the bone and he had surgery, and was hospitalized for several days and now has 3 antibiotic infusions daily. Slowly recovering, but her time has been filled with taking care of him. Will really be happy to see her. She insisted he go to the Er and it turns out that she actually saved his life, because if he had waited any longer, they would very likely not been able to save him. They told her it was almost too late when he came in, and they ‘had to act fast’. Scary. Don’t mess around, people. See a doctor.

I am better again, so that seems to prove that it’s one or a combo of the supplements I was taking that was the problem. I am just doing D3 and fish oil this week, and next week I will do D3 and B. I will wait to start combining more til I’ve gone through all of them to see if any one in particular is the problem.

I got ice cream today. Have not had ice cream in eons, as I’ve been trying to be really careful with my diet because of the diabetes type 2 diagnosis. I wanted a pint, but my homemaker got bars, which is better really. Measured doses of the sweet stuff. I got Haagen-Daz white chocolate raspberry. Oh, yum. That’s it for now. Wear your masks, people. Save a life. Masks are not only to protect you, they are to protect others in case you are infected and don’t know it yet. People with illnesses and compromised immune systems can die from COVID, so please, think of others even when you think you personally are immortal. 🙂

I think so anyway. You may not. I am taking some meds that are kind of bad for your stomach, so I quit taking my supplements, except for D3, which I take 2,000 IU twice a day. Been doing that for years and my doctors okay it. I almost never get outside so really need it. Anyway… Have been doing really well for me. Keeping up with dishes and getting minor things done here and there, a lot more active than normal. Then I suddenly was not doing so well again. This always happens, and I can never figure out why. Just the way of the chronic, debilitating illnesses Mother Nature has foisted upon me. But on thinking about it, I realized that it happened when I started taking the supplements again a few days ago. So yesterday I did not take them, and woke up today much better again. So now I am just going to add one every few days to see which it is that caused the problem. I take B vits, iron, fish oil, Centrum, and chewable calcium. Added back the fish oil today. We’ll see how that goes.

Another nice day. Window open, it is 69F according to my weather app. Liking the fresh air, but it is October, nearing November Mother Nature. Trees are finally turning, but the ones across the street, that did not bloom for the first time ever this spring, are looking odd. They must have been really damaged by the drought we had. I am fortunate to live where we haven’t really seen drastic effects of the climate debacle we have caused, and I cannot imagine how horrible it is for people who are in the middle of the effects. Fires, drought, floods. We are only at the beginning of the massive changes that are going to happen because of us. Migrations, because where people are will become virtually uninhabitable. Insects and diseases where they did not exist before. The warmer it gets, the more these things will travel northward. No frosts to kill things, they will become year round pests instead of seasonal. Already allergy season is lasting longer, and soon will just be year round as well. We did this. We caused this. The people who benefit from tragedy, the people who only care about profit, they will tell you this is so much idiocy. It is not. I only have to look out my window to see the changes that have happened in the 23 years I have lived here. We were warned decades ago, and choose to ignore those warnings because hey, it’s the future. I only care about right now. Well, the future turns into today before you know it, and it’s too late to change it then.

This is from here: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ And remember, it is major corportations who are doing the damage, not people using plastic straws. Although plastic is a blight on the planet in general. But it is corporations that put it out there. Soda used to come in glass. Milk used to come in glass. So many things used to come in glass or paper and now almost everything comes in plastic. Even the sleeves crackers come in are now plastic. Why? They took away our ability to choose in many instances. It’s plastic or nothing. Blame the right people.

Wear your masks. Covid is not over. I have friends who can attest to that from current experience.

Had coffee day before yesterday. Awake til 7:30am, slept til 9:30am, pretty useless all day. No coffee. Went to sleep pretty early for me last night, and awake around 7am. Had coffee pretty early today, so will see what happens with sleeping tonight. If I have to quit coffee altogether, I will miss it. The coffee I am having right now is also half decaf and half regular. I mixed them together. I just have weird body chemistry.

Another gray day. Yesterday it was five weeks since I’ve seen my friends or anyone except the homemaker for a couple hours a week, and the guys who fixed the ceiling in the bathroom. Good thing I am used to being alone. Me and the cat. BTW, the ceiling had about a quarter size spot with a smaller one next to it, where the leak was that the plumber fixed. For this, the housing inspector failed the inspection. No one came to fix it, so when another inspector came back to check, they failed it again. OMG. A teeny spot on the ceiling. You would not believe. The stopped paying their share of the rent to the landlord, and told him that they have advised me to move (they did not), and what an unbelievably huge deal for a tiny spot on the ceiling. So now he is not getting paid until another inspector comes to see that the spot is painted over. Bureaucracy! Or give people a little power and they go insane. I had to call my caseworker, who apparently only works two days a week, and the person who sent the letter, who also was not available to speak to. I left messages to both of them to say the spot is fixed and please send an inspector to check it. The landlord also called them and had to leave messages.

And another thing. (Apparently, getting up early gets me riled up. LOLOL) Amazon. When I sign in, I get an email AND a text. I used to get a text when something was delivered, after they stopped delivering to my door that is, but no more. I would rather be notified that I had a package, than that I signed in. I know I signed in. I was there. I did it. The richer the (insert disparaging word here) gets, the worse the service gets. Greed, greed, greed. How much money do you need? I mean, all those rich old white men WILL die at some point, and all the money on the planet cannot save them, so why are they hoarding it all? Humanity. We need some serious retooling, I think.

Couple of wows. I have gotten up at 7:30 two days in a row. WTF??? That’s normally the middle of the night.

The other wow? Had my homemaker get me some Ruffles chips yesterday with the rest of the shopping. Six dollars, count them, six, for a small bag of Ruffles. Going to make chips in the air fryer from now on. Six dollars. Price gouging is real, people. Thanks to the Elephant party, the one the orange disgrace belongs to, price gouging is just fine. Corporate greed is running rampant, and I don’t know how people with kids are surviving, even without ever buying a six dollar bag of chips.

Here is a quote from this newsletter I get.

“Interestingly, what people go through with chronic pain has been compared to modern methods of torture, which typically includes both inflicting pain and imposing sleep deprivation.”

I totally agree. Dr. Teitelbaum is an expert in Fibromyalgia. I once had a quite long email exchange with him about my illness, initiated by him when I signed up for a free program on his site. No charge, no trying to sell me anything, just talking about my symptoms and giving advice. I was very pleased and impressed. Anyway, the newsletter:

https://vitality101.com/health-a-z/poor-sleep-and-pain-can-cause-each-other

Sometimes mine is a 2, but rarely. Sometime it is a 9, not as rarely. Mostly it is somewhere in between and can vary daily or even hourly. It is never, ever a zero. Never. I am never pain-free, and meds only make it more tolerable, never cause it to go away. If this is not torture, what is? But it’s your own body torturing you. Life is fun.

A sunny day. It has been gray, gray, gray. Also warm and humid. Ick, Mother Nature. It’s October, you know. It is 59f now. Yay.

I have been doing not horribly awful,and have sorted papers and misc in three small boxes. I may have mentioned when it gets overwhelming, too much stuff on the table or wherever, I shove it in a box to sort later. Sometimes later takes quite awhile, thus three boxes. Actually there are two more, but one is old laptops and things, and the other is I have no idea but it is quite large and piled high, between the table and the end table, and has become a surface of its own. Yes, I have a weird life.

Here’s something good to do, I think:

https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/disqualify-donald-trump-from-holding-public-office-under-the-constitution-s-14th-amendment

“There are only two days in the year that nothing can be done. One is called yesterday and the other is called tomorrow, so today is the right day to love, believe, do and mostly live.”

Dalai Lama

Rght now is the only moment in which you are actually alive. Don’t miss it.

I got up at noon. Noon. I was very out of it yesterday, so much have been over-tired for whatever reason. Guess I needed the sleep. Another nice day. It is 73 f. It’s early in the month, though. The first October we lived here, 1968, a friend and I took my oldest DD trick-or-treating and almost froze, it was so cold. Weather has certainly changed since then, in spite of what the climate change deniers want you to believe. No more three days of slow rain, no more feet-deep snows. Not much snow at all anymore. Very sad.

Here’s a picture I found of properly roasted brussels sprouts, too, in case anyone cares. 🙂 Not a great picture, and these were done in an air-fryer, not an air-fryer toaster oven like I have, or in an actual oven in an iron skillet like I did before I got the air-fryer toast oven thingy. Which I love, by the way. But they almost looked burnt and ruined, but believe me, they are not.

It is quarter past one, and I am having morning coffee. Ha. Which I will regret, because I will be awake most of the night again, and the homemaker is due at 9am tomorrow. In the morning. 9 am in the morning. LOLOL I do not do morning well, people. Not even.

Neil Gaiman: ” If you really can’t figure out which political party or which politician to vote for, just ask if they’re on the side of libraries. Are they voting to fund their libraries? Are they voting to keep them free? Then vote for those guys. They’re probably the good guys. And by the same token, the book burners, the book banners, they’re probably the bad guys.”

This is mine. Right up the street from me. There is a fireplace and nice places to sit and read. Way back when, we lived right next door, and one time my youngest daughter and her friend, both around 3 or 4 years old, went missing, and I found then in the library, sitting at a table looking at books. Librarian said they just walked in, grabbed a couple books and sat themselves down. She knew who they were, of course, and was going to call just as I turned up. My DD is still a reader. So is her older sister. Books and the love of reading them is one of the best gifts you can give your children. Do not let them abolish libraries. They want us to be ignorant and under educated, because the ignorant and under educated are much easier to manipulate. Vote Blue. Please.

Thank goodness. Been sleeping a lot, though. Very, very tired, breathing not great. Allergy pills. Inhaler. These things are your friends. LOLOL Woke to another gray day, with rain this time. After so long drought conditions, we have been inundated with rain. Trees do not seem to be turning in a normal way, making me remember this spring, when there was not even one single blossom on the trees across the street. I have also noticed the past couple of days articles mentioning ‘global heating’, and yes, it is not longer ‘global warming’ as is evidenced by the horrific conditions happening all over the planet. We were warned, and we chose to do nothing. Now it is too late.

That’s another rant I have. How we are told it’s our fault because we use plastic straws and other ridiculousness. When it is the corporations, you know, the ones that are running our country through their paid-for politicians, are the real polluters.

Waiting for the new homemaker. She was meant to be here at 9, her work called to say she was coming at 10, and it is 20 past 10 now. I need her to mail my rent check and get my mail and take out the trash. The essentials. I am pretty much not very mobile right now, or I would attempt going to the post office myself. It is only maybe half a block away, but I am having trouble just walking to the kitchen, which is maybe 10 steps away. Fun time, people. Fun times.

Today I want/need to call the vet, the potential therapist, a cleaner recommended by friend, the dentist, and the physical therapy center down the street from me. How many of these will I actually do?

I cooked yesterday, too. Actually, the day before I roasted some small tomatoes, and yesterday I roasted some cauliflower. Roasting is soooo easy. Toss the veg in olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at around 400 til they look like you want them to. Very done, almost burnt. Try the halved brussels sprouts this way. Like a completely different veg. I did slow-roast the tomatoes on 250 for a few hours, because I forgot about them. But they came out great. Wish I’d known about or tried roasting veg long time ago, because they are so much better than any other cooking methods I’ve done. Except broccoli. Broccoli is better steamed til bright green and still a bit crunchy.

I had blackberries and raspberries, and still have some fresh figs to eat. I like fresh figs. They do not seem to have a very long season. I do try to eat seasonally if at all possible, but some things like berries are imported when not in season and I like berries, so….

I am awake and relatively alert as you can tell by my wordiness. 🙂 Have been watching some French-language programs. There is even a channel with French shows, called, amazingly, The French Channel. There are some really good shows on MHz Choice, too. Not just French language.

Anyway, rambling Jean is done rambling for right now. Wear your masks, people. Covid is still here. I know. My two friends are pretty sick from it. Even with taking the paxlovid.

Homemaker just came. Opened the door and there are boxes. I was totally unaware that anything had been delivered, and way surprised that someone put it outside my door instead of leaving in the lobby. Was it the delivery service, a kind neighbor? IDEK It’s a good thing, though, as it is not really possible for me to go down and bring items up right now. 🙂

Have tested negative twice now. Am going to wait a few days before taking the last one I have. Getting new ones Oct 2 or so. Cancelled new homemaker except hoping she will come Friday for a hand-off of get the mail and take the trash out. Waiting to hear. Do not want to kill any of her other clients if I am infected. I mentioned to her boss that she was not masked, too, and was told it is no longer a requirement. Even without covid, it should be a requirement, and it is in my home from here on in. No mask, no entry. The end. We are living in scary times, but denying it won’t make it go away. Covid, climate, unbelievably stupid politicians and citizenry. I mean, people still worship the orange disgrace and want him to be president again. IDEK Stay safe, people. You only get one life. Don’t lose it from being stupid.

Seriously, weren’t we just sweltering? Now it’s sweaters, blankets, heater fan, hot drinks. This is so much better than hot and sticky. This is right now:

New homemaker came Friday, finally. Kind of disappointed, but it was a first day, and not the usual routine since she did not come Tuesday, so it was just shopping (very small list), had her run the vac which did not go well by my standards, which are pretty lax, and trash out. Hope once we establish a good working routine it will work out. It is really hard to get people to do this kind of job because the pay sucks and who wants to clean toilets for a living anyway? It used to be mom’s wanting some extra cash while the kids are in school, but I don’t know what it is now. She says she does food prep (not cooking) though, so that’s a bonus.

I also found out there is (I hope it’s still in business) a sort of taxi service in my town, which means I would be able to get places without relying on a friend or using the dreaded Dial-A-Ride, which takes tons more energy than any other method of getting anywhere. I have been left stranded a few times in the past.

Guess I am feeling kind of down, but it’s gray and cold and I turned my sun on, which should help. Full-spectrum bulbs in the overhead light, which I normally do not use. Makes it seem like a sunny day in here. It’s a good thing.

Just found out my friend has COVID. She does not mask any more, nor does her husband or her peeps, as I call them. Her friends from the Senior Center. Still have a couple of in-date tests so am going to take one. Just in case. She was just here a few days ago. I don’t need to be sick on top of everything else that I have, so am going to institute the ‘no mask, no enter’ rule again. Even the new homemaker was not masked, which I was not having a good day and didn’t even realize til she’d been here awhile, and by then it was too late. I even forgot my own mask that day. I can’t think of everything, especially when I am in pain. It really messes with your brain working, pain does.

But it’s autumn, my favorite season. I love the smell of fallen leaves when you crunch your way through them, and the colors. New England has absolutely astoundingly beautiful fall colors. In Colorado, the leaves turn yellow, then brown, then fall off the trees.

Stay well, everybody, and wear your masks. It matters again. It’s a different world we are living in. I miss the old one.

But happy, happy. Apple pie, stuffed cabbage, so many fall foods I like. Now, if I could only get someone to cook them for me. 🙂

I am getting really bad at this. Either feeling like crap, or a lot going on. Am having a good day so far, after about 4 hours sleep. Woke up before 7, no brain fog, not much pain. What happened? No idea. Beautiful day, again. Today the new homemaker is starting. She’s coming around 9. A.M. In the morning. 9 in the morning is for me like 4am is for normal people. It’s a miracle I am up and functioning at this time (8:15). Not complaining.

I have an Outlook email address and recently I have been getting loads of spam, after hardly ever getting any. Not sure what I did, but it is very annoying. I would dump it, but a lot of Microsoft things have it as my address. Looked it up, fiddled a bit with settings, time will tell.

Have decided to get a computer person to come and see if my old printer is fixable. Miss G murdered it two or three years ago, and it will not take in the paper to print. Tried everything, nothing worked. Bought a cheap Canon from Walmart, which works very well, but the old one is wireless and I’d really like to use it so I can move the laptop back to by the window. Seeing out while working is a good thing. This is the new one.

Hoping to get things done today, hoping the new homemaker is nice and we get along and she does a good job. I’m going to let her do her thing today, and then based on how she does, will talk it over next time. Hope that won’t be necessary. Wish me luck.

I am better. Not spectacular, but better. Actually cooked a couple times. Easy stuff. Chicken soup: box of chicken broth, bag of froz cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, bag of Buitoni chicken prosciutto tortellini. Yum. Grilled cheese. Low and slow, that’s how you make good grilled cheese, I have learned.

Getting a new homemaker. Question if it’s temporary or permanent, old homemaker says temp, her work told me permanent. Will call tomorrow for confirmation of which one. New one may cook. We’ll see.

Not my homemaker. LOL

Beautiful day. Especially nice after the really unpleasant September we have been having with 90% humidity and tornadoes and all. Sunny, breezy, 75 F. Windows open. Happy Jean is loving it.

is just weird. Days of 90% humidity, 3 tornado warnings (oh, wait, one was in August), day after day of having the a/c on and the windows closed, and today I have put on a long-sleeved shirt because it is 63, and was in the 50’s overnight. Much more my kind of weather. Tornado warnings were fun. Not. I could not carry Miss G in her hard crate, and DD2 suggested I put it on the seat on my Rollator thing. I changed to a soft crate, which was much more doable, but still hard to carry her, so I did put it there, and poor baby was in the crate on the seat for well over an hour. She did not make a sound the entire time, was very well behaved. It was so long because right after the tornado warning was cancelled, there was almost immediately another one. I discovered I can watch Boston and Providence news of my Firestick, and WBZ, the Boston station, had excellent coverage. Continuos, specific, and reassuring. At one point the anchor was saying things like, ‘If you’re here, you’re safe, if you live near (and mentioned specific businesses up the street from me, seriously) you need to take shelter. It was the best coverage I have ever seen of anything. Unfortunately, the Rhode Island station kept going to the cutsy anchors chatting inanely. Why I stopped watching news even when I had cable

Housing inspection is today. Sometime before 11am, I was told. I was awake all night AGAIN, and fell asleep in daylight. Hoped to get a few hours before the inspector comes, but kept getting woken up. Very noisy street today and I am on the second floor, a sidewalk’s width from the street. Having coffee. Had to put on a long-sleeved shirt because COLD in here. Yay. My new ‘therapist’ agreed with me that I do not need her services and is going to recommend a regular therapist, my doctor sent me a message to say my blood work is good and my A1c number was on the way to being great, but that was before the increased dose of Prednisone, which raises blood sugar, among other damaging side effects. It is a miracle drug, right up until it kills you, it seems. I also found out yesterday that today is my homemaker’s last day. She didn’t come Tuesday, and I ordered a grocery delivery which for once went exceptionally well. No idea why she ‘asked for reduced hours’, which sounds specious to me. She has never mentioned anything like that. I will find out what the story is today, I guess She is not the best cleaner I have had, but we get along really well and laugh a lot and have fun, and I will miss her. Life is change. Adapt or die, is what I always say. Having even one chronic, debilitating illness teaches you to adapt pretty quickly. Having 3 just reinforces that to the nines.

Got to go out with my friend Tess yesterday. We went to Michael’s. Have not been there in some time. I bought some cute little individual flowers in three colors, and a set of six about 2 inch long nutcracker stick-ons. No idea what to stick any of these things on, but hey. I always do that when we got there. Find really nice crafty things, buy some, and never actually use them, because it is eons before I have a day good enough to do crafts, and I have forgotten what I bought them for in the meantime. LOL My life is SOOOO interesting. LOLOL

It appears I did not post at all in August. It was not a great month. So much pain,slept a lot. Rheumatologist recommended upping prednisone from 5 to 7 mg, which I did on Monday. Slowly getting slightly better. This means there is no hope of getting my A1c number any lower so have had to give in and take metformin,which I also started Monday. Unlike the first time I tried it, there are no bad side effects so far. First time was major stomach pain. I have weird body chemistry. Fact. I always get the side effects or have strange reactions to meds. Still pretty non-functional, but hoping it will get better soon.

Meanwhile, weather has gotten really nice. One day and night with the a/c, but otherwise nice days in the 70’s and no hot and sticky. Autumn for the win. Yes. It is September! Fall is my favorite time of the year. Then spring, winter, summer. Summer would be higher on the list except for the aforementioned hot and sticky. Fortunately, it is not all summer long. We have days and even weeks that are decent weather. I could not live where it is just hot and sticky day after day after day.

We had a tornado warning a couple of weeks ago. TAKE SHELTER NOW, said my phone alert. Closed bedroom door, because once Miss G is in there, no hope of grabbing her. So she was right by the door and right by the crate, so I crammed her in. Twice, as she got out the first time. Amazingly, she did not try to bite or scratch during her ordeal. Poor baby. Was going to go to the basement, but I could not carry her. She is heavy, since she will only eat dry food, and that apparently causes fat cats. She only gets 1/4 cup a day, and six treats that I make her chase around for. LOL Anyway, was going to just stay in the hall as it is completely enclosed with fire doors on each end, and apartments on both sides. Well away from glass. But too much pain, needed to sit, so just put her inside the door and sat in the rocker and waited. No tornado, thank goodness. It touched down farther east of me. Poor Miss G whined pitifully for five minutes, tried mightily to get out of the crate, and then was quiet for the rest of the half hour we waited for the warning time to pass. Was not even mad at me when I let her out. It was kind of scary, but I am good at keeping calm. Hope that does not happen again. Tornadoes are so dangerous.

Am having housing inspection next week, because I am on Section 8, subsidized housing, and there is just clutter and more clutter everywhere, and I cannot physically deal with it right now and there is no one to help, unfortunately. Just hope the landlord does not come. He never has before, but you never know. Anyway, I know he wants me out, so this is anxiety-making. Oh, well.

Hoping to go out tomorrow. I can sometimes, but I am very rickety and hobbling with my cane and need to hang off a carriage in the store. It is very painful, but I really like getting out. I am here inside by myself at least 90 per cent of the time, so if I can get out, I am going to. Went out to eat with a friend last week. First time without eating outside since before the pandemic started. Was kind of not happy, but she really wanted to go and I decided to be either really brave or incredibly stupid. So far I am fine, but do not want to do that too often. You cannot eat with a mask on.

Hope any readers are well and staying safe. Enjoy every day. Right now is the only time you are alive, so be in this moment.

Article about refrigerator storage has plastic containers for eggs. I see these all the time. Eggs already come in a box. Why buy a plastic box and put them in that instead? Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Right?

Doing a bit better. The horrible pain episode is over, finally, and I am getting ready to go out with my friend Tess to do some shopping. Target maybe? I like Target now that they have rearranged the aisles so it is not like entering a maze with no way out. 🙂