Let Me Tell You How It Will Be

Happy to see that yesterday's nationwide protests had so much participation. We're pretty much keeping our heads down during this protracted holding pattern. We have no idea what's going to happen with the IRS but, in the meantime, our 2024 taxes are now done. I don't know what new diseases are on the horizon now that the experts have been dismissed in favor of conspiracy theorists whose purpose is to break the departments they now head, but all my medical files are now up to date. You can only control your immediate vicinity, you know? I even cooked a little today, tasty yellow squash and zucchini until it was soft enough not to give my mouth any issues. Even Robin liked it! So that easy recipe goes in my back pocket for the future. Even my comics are all read while I wait delivery of the new ones, so I've picked up a paperback in the meantime. Liverpool and Yankees lost, Mets won, so much for my sports teams today. I keep feeling like there's something else I need to accomplish, but it's probably just more healing...

Incremental Forward Movement

For the first time in around a week I didn't have to use nasal spray or nose drops, so that's a good thing. We took advantage of being on the back end of our illnesses by going to the pharmacy (seriously, I've been doing medical things all week that have nothing to do with this illness!) to pick up Robin's prescription and to get my COVID booster, so glad that's done. Shopping all done, picked up lots of soft food as the right side of my mouth (particularly the area where the novocaine was shot into me) is still pretty tender, all unpacked and put away, my other usual Saturday stuff done (comics order, meds portioned out for the coming week), finances caught up on, even filed away my earrings! Amazing what I can do when illness isn't dragging me down. Oh, and both the Yankees and Mets won! Tomorrow is tax day for us, Monday I activate my new work iPhone, so I feel like I'm back to baby steps forward. Now I just need to get my A1C down again.

On the Back Side?

As my body relaxed with the knowledge of being home, the head cold seemed to return and really wallop me for much of my workday. Made it through but it wasn't a lot of fun. Around 5:30 I logged off and both Robin and I crashed, watching the baseball games on TV to drown out Basketball Jones in the Yonkers home that paved paradise and put in a parking lot / hot tub / some sort of roof structure (erected just today) for said tub, and we were grateful it worked for a couple hours until our basement neighbors (whose living room is two floors directly below our bedroom) started shouting. But all's quiet now, and I may finally be getting over the illness, just in time to deal with tomorrow's vaccination. It's supposed to rain for the next few days so I hope that'll help re-regulate my sleep cycle.

All Fall Down

Last night I was abruptly awoken about a half hour after I'd drifted off by The World's Worst Calf Cramp, which seemed to last forever but, honestly, 20-30 seconds is bad enough. I was screaming and in tears and there was nothing either Robin nor I could do to stop it, I had to ride it out. It was such a shock to my system that I immediately needed the bathroom so, instead of just letting go and opting to clean the bed, I got up and hobbled to the bathroom - and what seemed like a second later, there was Robin, hovering over me (over me?!) saying "Are you conscious?" Not only had I not made it to the bathroom, but I was sprawled in the hallway with no memory of having fallen. This morning I called Mom and apologized because she's had these episodes a few times as well, and I didn't think it was possible to not remember falling until it happened to me. The long and the short of it is, lots of hallway carpet and Elayne clean-up, no signs of stroke or anything, my right gluteal muscles are pretty sore and I have a few bumps on my right knee and twinges in my left shoulder and upper back, and thank goodness I didn't appear to hit my head. Robin walked me to the bus just to be on the safe side, and I made it through my work day stiffly but with no issues. I'm just very, very grateful that I don't have to go anywhere for the next four days other than the pharmacy (getting my COVID booster!) and grocery shopping on Saturday. This too shall pass!

Will No One Rid Me Of This Bothersome Cold?

First time I remember us actually running out of Theraflu (I miss being able to get Lemsip, which we much prefer, but the shipping charges from the UK are prohibitive) due to this nasty lingering cold. I know I shouldn't complain, there are lots of folks who have it far worse than us (I mean, friends who haven't gotten COVID since it emerged have now contracted it, stuff like that - we're still mercifully COVID-free and I'll be getting another booster on Saturday), but when you're in the midst of it you tend to get very insular. Still, I feel kinda bad, even my 94-year-old mom called me from her nursing home to inquire as to my health! I keep chanting "this too shall pass" like a mantra, and distracting myself with medical stuff (got my A1C tested today, I'm sure it's gone up), work, and sports on TV. I cannot believe the Mets pulled that one off; not as positive about the Yankees at the moment but I'm too tired (the cold is still playing havoc with my sleep) so I'm giving up for the night...

No Foolin'

White Rabbits, and happy April Fools' Day, where it's never a good idea to believe anything you read on the internet, even in this age of the Gish gallop. The WaPo, which still retains its "Democracy Dies in Darkness" on some pages, has a good overview of many April Fools' corporate pranks, but it now appears to be behind their paywall. As for me, I got very little sleep, I'm mainlining nasal spray and nose drops like they're going out of style, yet somehow I got through my workday and the dental office, where SURPRISE! I got fitted for not one but TWO crowns. I left my laptop at the office as I'll be getting my periodic hemoglobin fasting blood draw tomorrow before I go in, same medical complex as today's dentist. I have no idea why my body decides to break down just as I have medical stuff to do...

Out Like A Sick Lion

Unfortunately both Robin and I have now succumbed to The Dreaded Lurgy that's making its way through much of the local populace. I'm having major breathing issues, and Rob's cough lingers. Goodness knows how I'm going to deal with my crown fitting at the dentist tomorrow, let alone the commute and my actual work hours. Fun fun fun!

The Back End?

I'd really like this illness to be over, much more for Robin's sake than for mine, but I'm definitely in the "having trouble breathing" stage of things. Robin's cough has lessened, so I guess the medicial stuff I got yesterday is doing its job, but I couldn't do much more than steam a few shirts and ready the 2024 spreadsheet for doing our taxes once we're up to it again. Tomorrow I tackle my new work iPhone, and Tuesday is the fitting for my new crown, so I'm hoping to rally enough for a busy week ahead.

The Dreaded Lurgy Strikes

These days, it could be worse. Good friends of ours who've gone five years without contracting COVID now have that. Way too many acquaintances have suffered strokes or infections or whatnot. I know, we're getting to that age where our peer group is more susceptible than ever (coupled with an uncaring government) to these types of illnesses, so I suppose we've gotten off easy. Might have been something we picked up in Jersey, might be something I took home from Manhattan, but of course since I'm usually the carrier Robin has gotten the worst of it. I had to do the grocery shopping myself, and while the shopping aspect was fine I tend to struggle with checkout, packing, that sort of thing. Fortunately it was a lovely warm day, I drove with the windows open to air out the car, and it made the Yankees' 20-9 shellacking of the Brewers even more enjoyable with the apartment windows open as well. Wish we both felt well enough to truly enjoy it.

El-Lay Bro

Big phone call day today, and none of the calls were on my brand-new corporate-liable mobility program (CLMP, or "clump" as I like to call it) device which finally arrived and will be set up on Monday because, frankly, one iPhone is quite enough for me for the next few days. Called Mom, called my uncle, and called my brother in California for his birthday. In his honor, I present Crocs Spurs, because his preferred footwear is boots and I think he might look good in these spurs...