Old Codgers

The wet fluffy snow looks beautiful and magical, clinging in to the tree branches I see through the window. . I had a wonderful sleep last night after getting up early all week. It’s nice to have a couple days now when I have nothing I have to do. Time to recharge. 

I was supposed to go to Lola’s soccer game in Canton this morning but the weather didn’t cooperate. The drive might have been okay but I didn’t want to chance it. They canceled this morning anyway. I’m going down there for a few days in two weeks. That will have to do for family visits. There are birthdays and Easter coming up. I have to go get cards today for those occasions. Milo is turning 13, Sarah 35, Hennessy 9 plus all 12 grandkids will get Easter cards with money. Money instead of candy or stuffed toys, of course. 

There are quite a few things to be tended to. I’ll get stared later. I need to return an email but I need to reread it a couple times and chew on it awhile before responding. I need to confirm some dates and update our neighborhood calendar. I’m involved in too many groups and am taking a break from one for a couple months. An introvert, I get overloaded and overly stimulated and have to slink back into my cave for a while and recharge. I’m 63 now and I get sick of peoples’ bullshit. Pretentious people and pushy control freaks are the worse for me. It’s hard to bite my tongue so I mostly tend to sidestep and avoid those types.

I had planned to paint my bathroom cabinet some new perky color when spring came but then decided to just clean it really well, get new hardware. Sand it really good and apply clear poly coat. . My bathroom has been cleared out and in limbo the last week as I’ve been going to work every day and couldn’t get to it. Finally this morning I sanded again for the third time, wiped everything down really well and applied the first clear coat. I’ll let it dry and apply another tomorrow. Hopefully by Monday I can put stuff back and have my bathroom back in order. 

I did two loads of laundry, cooked breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen, washed down all the plantation blinds in our bedroom and gave Bitzi her medicine. She’s having gut problems again for some reason. I thought she was better but during the night she had to go out a couple times and even had an accident in the laundry room on the rug.

Mike is spending more and more time helping and dealing with his mom as she struggles with depression, anxiety, her cancer and increasing dementia and forgetfulness. Now that Mike is retired that’s his job- trying to take care of her. At least he has his sister and two brothers and they all get along. That makes it a bit better. 

I’ve been subbing again the last couple weeks. I also am a neighborhood rep and schedule and organize frequent events. I’m also the vice chair of our lifelong learning lectures committee. I help locate and schedule the speakers our community hosts every Friday. I’m also in our community concert band, chorus and garden club and a couple sub committees too. Our community is a 55+ active adult community of around 10,000 with a larger community of approximately 35,000. I’m around a lot of old people these days in our community at the various functions. Most ,but not all, are older than me. Many are pretty conservative, religious and stodgy. I sometimes encounter residents who seem to think they are entitled to behave poorly and rudely due to their wealth, age or the number of years they’ve been living here. I’ve noticed a lot of the older people keep to the little cliches and aren’t very friendly. When the neighborhood women meet for lunch or dinner the topic is usually aches, pains, surgeries or medications. I try to avoid talking religion, politics are using my normal salty language. I’m not sure what the men talk about. It appears to me there’s a lot of rambling on and on. 

Pushing forward

It’s Friday morning and I’m getting ready to leave for work. Today I’m subbing for a middle school art teacher. This will be my fourth job this week and then I’m off for a week. It’s been pretty good the last couple days. 

Gloomy Saturday

It’s late afternoon and I’ve continued my habit of not doing much but hanging around the house reading a lot and coughing. I am certainly more active than I was several days ago as I get over this stuff. I am well enough now to feel bored and like I’m being lazy. At least I’m aware of it….. I did manage to take the dog for two fairly big walks today and do a load of laundry. It’s overcast today and there’s a bunch of melting snow on the ground. 

Mike and I have been talking about scheduling another getaway to make up for our canceled Arizona trip but I almost don’t even want to talk to him about stuff because he drags his feet about every little thing and generally then forgets about it and I get really nasty and frustrated so why even start? Every little thing with him is like scaling a gigantic glacier. He has to research everything and read every crazy crackpot review that’s out there. Yesterday in passing he mentioned about gong to Florida to see two of his male friends. Out of the blue. I am not too fond of either one of his friends and I feel like I don’t want to go if that’s the deal and he can go by himself. That’s okay. I’m okay with doing my own thing. I just don’t like being a third wheel and enduring a bunch of dreary conversations I’m not involved in. No thank you.

I’m aggravated today about my head congestion. My right ear feels like it’s under water and it’s maddening. I’ve tried popping it many times to no avail. 

TGIF

Today is Friday. We got over 5” of wet heavy snow since yesterday. It’s melting fast though as it’s not really very cold out there. I am mildly bummed we had to cancel our trip to Arizona as we both have been sick with respiratory stuff and coughing our heads off. I am trying to remain positive as there’s nothing else you can do. I could sit around biting and whining about it but where would that get me besides feeling worse? Nowhere. So, once again, suck it up buttercup. At least Mike & I are both feeling somewhat better. It is what it is. Move on. What’s next?

I have quite a few spring projects on my to-do list but can’t start them until warmer weather so I’m kinda in limbo now (as is typical this shitty time of year.) Yesterday I made egg & cheese biscuits for breakfast and potato soup for supper. The night before I had made a roast in the crockpot. The roast turned out awful and then I ended up cracking my crockpot and throwing it away. I will never again buy a beef roast from Aldi. Honestly I’m leaning very strongly toward not eating meat at all anyway. My heart sure doesn’t need me eating animal protein.

I am grateful for my life. I am grateful to still be alive and be blessed by all my family, friends and belongings. I try to make it a point to count my blessings every single day. I thank God for all I have. 

3-2

It’s late afternoon. I just took the dog for another walk. I have low energy from all this coughing and my nose running.

I got my video made and sent off to the employer. I haven’t heard anything yet. I’m staying positive. At least I’m blessed to be alive. I’m blessed in so many ways. 

March 1 - spring is on the way!

It’s afternoon. Mike and I are going to the pool shortly. I subbed at a middle school yesterday and got really tired and stressed out walking all over the building and up and down ten or more flights of stairs. Last night and this morning I didn’t feel well like I was starting to come down with something. I canceled all my sub jobs until after we get back from Scottsdale.

I have a video interview to complete and send in for a job right here in Sun City. I’m not even sure I want it but I’m going to cast my fishing line out there and see if they bite. I’m fortunate to be considered and to complete the video.

Mikes mom continues to get worse. They have arranged for a home health nurse to start going to her house but it hasn’t started. About everyday she calls crying or hysterical. Mike goes over there several times a week. 

Waking up

Good morning. I’m drinking my coffee and trying to wake up. I’m subbing at middle schools the next three days. I’m hoping things go smoothly. I’m trying to earn extra money as I’m wanting to go on a couple cruises and Mike is dragging his feet to go along with them. I’ve already booked one but there’s a Panama Canal cruise I want too book too. I also have a new job offer that’s somewhat promising. I’m pretty much thinking I don’t want a full-time job but we’ll see how it proceeds and how much is offered. If it’s not enough to make it worth my time I’ll just politely decline. It is good and a bit exciting to be considered though. I have to produce a video of myself and submit it by the end of the day Saturday.

Over the weekend I drove down and saw the kids. Hennessy, Oscar and Arlo stayed over night with me Saturday. It was good to see everybody. The kids will have sporting events and concerts coming up this spring. If I get the new job I probably can’t take off for a lot of things. If I just continue to sub I can pick and choose my own work days and what schools and ages I want. The new job would be right here in Sun City though, less than a mile away and not involve kid germs- very important to me. 

                                                    

Sleet

I took a couple containers of beef & barley soup out of the freezer and have it warming on the stove in a big pot. It’s about 3:30 in the afternoon. I can hear the wind whistling and the sleet hitting the front window. I was supposed to sub today but canceled it last night after hearing the predicted ice storm on the news. I’m subbing at a different school tomorrow but the weather should be better. 

Positivity

Happy Friday. I’m going to the pool in a bit. The Sun is shining and melting the snow from yesterday.

Now I’m back from the pool. I worked out with the foam dumbbells and did a bunch of leg lifts and ab crunches. I soaked in the hot tub for a while, steamed in the sauna and took a nice long shower. I feel good.

Scams

There are way too many email, social media and phone scammers out there! 

Tuesday

It’s early afternoon. I had a neighbor ladies’ group breakfast this morning at a nearby cafe. It was a nice time. It’s chillier out today, overcast and starting to rain. Being February I can’t really complain. I sill am feeling symptoms of the cold I’ve had for two weeks.

Messed up

This blogger app I’m using is messed up. I’m not sure wtf is going on with it now. It’s 7:06am now and I woke up about 90 minutes ago not feeling too well. I had intended to wait until the Bill Maher show was over at 10 last night and then use my nebulizer and take two Advil cold and sinus tablets so I could breathe ( and sleep) better BUT I fell asleep on the couch halfway through Bill Maher, then woke up about 11 o’clock and just stumbled to bed. I woke up a couple times in the night not too feeling so well. That’s what this ( bucket of SUCK) time is about: colds, flus, gloomy overcast skies and misery until spring arrives. Bitzi is curled up on my lap sleeping. She likes her morning cuddles.

 

Because I’ve had a nasty cold this week ( that I caught subbing for a first grade class last week) I haven’t been doing much at all. The last two days I’ve felt somewhat improved and have taken Bitzi for some walks and done some brief cardio sessions and a little house. Yesterday Mike and I finally got out and went to a new restaurant we’d been wanting to try. We ended up not liking it at all. The waitress was very nice but everything else was not good. We had been hopeful we’d like it but alas, no. We may try to go out to a Mexican restaurant we know we like on Valentine’s Day. I have breakfast out that day with a bunch of neighbor ladies. I meant to go buy Valentine cards and send all the grandkids but didn’t get it done. I guess I could make some and get them in the mail today.

Mike has been trying to get his Social Security payments set up and started. What a hassle. There also has been something wrong with the living room TV reception that has consumed him the past week. I think it’s finally fixed now.

I haven’t seen my family since December and am missing them. The highways and phones work both ways. We do text but it’s not the same. Mike’s mother is continuing to decline and worry the family. She gets very forgetful, nasty and unpleasant at times. She insists she wants to keep living alone although she whines and cries she’s lonely. People call and go over there and try to take her places all the time. She’s becoming a lot more difficult. 

Better

I’m feeling somewhat better today. I’ve even exercised a few times and used my nebulizer twice. I’m feeling a bit more energetic and perkier. Mike made me a PB& J+ banana sandwich for lunch. It was good!

We watched the state of the union speech the other night. I thought it was very good. Some of those nut job republicans shouldn’t even be allowed in there! Crazy, trashy people. 

I’ve been reading some poetry. Good for the soul. I’m going to take the dog out for a good walk. 

Miserable

I still have my cold and feel miserable. I don’t feel up to doing anything.

Winter cold

I’ve had a bad cold for a couple days and have stayed home. I’m not back to normal yet but am better than yesterday. I slept better. I’m glad it’s about gone. 

Yesterday I had to go to the hospital and get another echocardiogram to compare to the one from September ( right after the heart attack). It had improved significantly. I haven’t heard from the cardiologist yet. I have to get done with this cold and get back to the gym. 

Good Day, Sunshine

Good day.  The sun is shining brightly on the frigid land outside. It’s much better than overcast gloom, even if it is terrible cold. Also, the wind isn’t blowing so that helps, too. I just did a nice water aerobics class at the lodge. It felt good. Afterward I showered and blew my hair dry. Mike took Bitzi to the groomer. She looks nice. She’s always really tired the rest of the day after grooming for some reason. In a couple hours I’m going to Culver’s because it’s neighbor ladies ice cream social day. We just meet up at 2 o’clock, order whatever we want, push tables together and sit and visit. It’s nice and casual. Some people stay a little while, some people stay a long time. Whatever works. I’m probably going back to the lodge to work out later. The pool class was fun but it wasn’t hard cardio like I’m supposed to be doing. I subbed yesterday and had to walk a lot so was too tired to go to the gym last night. Mike is going to the dentist in a while. He hasn’t been to a dentist in a long time and he’s going to a new dentist today. 

My body is starting to feel different with all this extra exercise the last few months. My legs, thighs, abs and back are starting to feel firmer and more solid. I know I’m building muscle. I’ve lost some weight but not a lot. All in good time. Baby steps………..If you build it, they will come…..I have much been endurance and strength than a couple months ago, that’s for sure.