Another day in paradise! You really can’t beat the weather. It makes the morning walk all the more enjoyable. Today, I walked the furtherest finger isle and clocked 1.5 miles. It’s the first time in a long, long time that I’ve been able to complete that walk. Lately, I’ve had to cut it short due to lack of stamina but I steamed ahead today.
On the walk this morning I passed a screw pine. They are not really a pine. Instead, they are a monocot of the family Panaceae.
Screw Pine (Pandanus utilis)
They produce a huge fruit that is edible but must be cooked before eating. The spiral arrangement of the leaves lends towards landscaping down here. They can grow quite tall. This one seems to be a real slow grower.
Today’s excitement was having Kevin Blake Pools and Spa come to install a handrail to the pool. I’ve needed to do this for a while and as I was stepping into the pool and getting out yesterday, I realized sooner than later. I made the appointment on Monday and he showed up today. It took a couple of hours to install and I can’t put any weight on it today.
This means I’m officially old and decrepit. First the shower hand rails and now this.
It wasn’t cheap. It cost $1230. The price breakdown was handrail $500, brass anchors $160, two escutcheons $30, nine pounds of hydraulic cement $40 and labor $500. To be honest, he made out on the cost of the handrail. They don’t run nearly that high but since they did the installation, I went with their price.
The other excitement for the day was sending off a four page letter to Hollywood Chrysler/Jeep detailing my complaints. I sent a copy to the manager of the dealership and the customer service rep. I doubt it does any good. They run the place to best accommodate themselves and not the customers. I’ll be curious if I get a reply.
Lately I’m on a streak of really sweet grapefruits. I’m not sure why because I did not select them, Whole Foods did. As a kid I remember putting sugar on grapefruit to make it edible and at summer camp being served that awful Donald Duck Grapefruit juice. We called it battery acid in a can. When I moved to Florida I was pleasantly surprised I didn’t need sugar on grapefruit – they’re naturally sweet here. I refrained for a long time from eating them due to my bad memories but Joel and Keith introduced me to the grapefruits growing on their tree out their back door.
It’s not like you don’t get one that’s not too sweet. You, on occasion do get one a little tart. I’ve learned most citrus down here tastes better when there’s a drop in temperature for a few days and then you pick the fruit. I suspect most groceries in the area keep them in cold storage so that may sweeten them up a little.
Today’s grapefruit was simply perfection. I couldn’t ask for a better one. It’s such a little thing but it made me want to do a happy dance.
I didn’t dance but I did manage 1.4 miles today. I really didn’t want to walk but, as usual, once I got started, I’m glad I did. It took a little longer because I kept running into neighbors and talking. One neighbor hailed me as I walked past her house and wanted to know how I was doing. She recently lost her husband and has been undergoing cancer treatments so we swapped some stories about treatment.
As I was walking down the second finger isle in the neighborhood, I did a double take of a flower.
Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
I said to myself that looks like a Hollyhock and when I checked the ID on my iPhone it labeled it as Common Hollyhock. This flower brings back memories of my Grandmother on my Dad’s side. She planted these in the yard by the side of the dogtrot house. They belong to the same family as Hibiscus and cotton. Grandmother Searcy also planted begonias in enameled pans she hung from the eaves of the house along the back porch. Every time I see begonias down here I think of her. Now I have Hollyhocks in this one yard to remind me.
Yesterday, of course, was the eclipse. I didn’t realize we would get 60-70% coverage by the moon until yesterday morning. That gave me time to fashion a pin hole “camera.”
You need a stiff piece of paper where you cut out an inch to two inch square. Cover that with aluminum foil and put a pin hole through the center of the foil. Then you take a white sheet of paper and hold it down with rocks so it doesn’t blow away. Then you have the sun come through the pin hole and shine upon you white paper. You have to get it fairly close to the paper but it works!
This is a little out of focus because I severely cropped the image. Before I could get a better image, the cloud cover denied me.
Today, after the walk and my second breakfast (with half a great grapefruit) I managed to start my yoga stretches again. Memory fails me and I had to really think the sequence of “poses” I do during my normal yoga routine. It’s been so long since I’ve done that.
After yoga, I headed to the pool. At least this time I remembered to set my Apple Watch for a swim. I forgot yesterday and I was worried I had destroyed the watch but apparently it is idiot proof. I did forget to log my yoga on the watch – again memory problems. I should remember next yoga stretch.
After all that exercise, I needed some relaxation. I had previously scheduled an hour and a half massage with Tom at 5 Points Massage. That did the trick. I was thinking of eating at Bona’s next door but they were closed on Tuesday. Italian was on my mind.
When I got back to the house I checked to see if I had spaghetti and I did. I had blanched and frozen some broccoli and decided to make that. It called for six cloves of garlic so me and the house should be smelling of garlic for the next week. It turned out really well.
Today is a good day. You might even say an excellent day. My energy level is high, my gait is better when walking and I did 1.3 miles today in some beautiful weather. My neuropathy hasn’t changed but you can’t have everything.
Even more impressive to me is I got back into the pool for the first time since last September. I didn’t manage my full set of 20 minutes but I did make it half way. The pool temperature was 84°F which is perfect for me so the pool heater is doing its job. It’s still a little chilly to take an outdoor shower but hopefully that’ll change soon. Strange to be thinking hot weather is good.
It’s been windy for the past few weeks and my gumbo limbo is shedding leaves faster than a cat sheds fur. That means I need to skim leaves off the pool, clean out the skimmer and then the filter just about every day. The weather is so nice I don’t really mind as long as I have the energy.
While on the walk this morning, I passed a royal poinciana tree. It wasn’t in bloom. It’ll be middle of May or early June before these show off their color.
Here’s what the tree looks like in bloom.
Here’s what the same tree looks like when in fruit.
Here’s what the seed pod looks like.
The tree is a member of the bean family (Leguminosae or Fabaceae) and therefore the fruit is similar to a butter bean or lima bean pod. In this case, the pod doesn’t split along suture lines. The seed coat is so hard that to get them to germinate in a laboratory setting, you have to file away a part of the seed coat so that water can enter the seed and start the germination process. These are some really tough seeds.
I’m going to take it easy for the rest of the day and curl up in bed with a book, nap, and laze around. Tomorrow is a massage at 5 Points Massage.
Have you ever had a day that you just didn’t want to get out of bed? Today was like that for me. The fresh sheets on the bed felt sooo good and I kind of dozed in and out after I first waked. Finally, I got up at 8 am – reluctantly.
It’s another beautiful day in paradise and I decided I was up for my walk along Riverland Road. While on the walk, I met my neighbor Will and we stopped and chatted for a moment. Then he floored me when he said I was his inspiration for (1) quitting smoking (2) starting walking and (3) eating healthy. He’s known I walked ever since he bought his house and knew me when I used to walk Rocky. I was very flattered.
While on the walk, I passed an area that reminded me what most of South Florida looked like between the beaches and the Everglades.
As you can see, there’s not much maneuverability in through there. There are tales about mangroves so thick you could walk for miles on their prop roots and never get your feet wet.
Also on the walk is a preserve with a house on it. Originally, this space was set to be developed for 13 homes but the people in the neighborhood got it changed to a preserve. For years, this “preserve” looked like the above photo of over-grown vegetation. People would stop and throw trash into it and even dead animals. It’s hard to believe it once looked so wild.
Today, I turned on the pool heater for the first time this year. We’re probably through with the 50-60 temperature range for the year and I’m desperate to get back into the pool. There wasn’t any need for a long time because I just wasn’t up to it but now that I’m feeling better, I think I want to start swimming again to build up my strength and stamina. The temperatures for this week say the highs will be in the 80’s and my pool is set for 84°F. I find that to be the perfect swimming temperature – not too hot and not too cold.
I need to do a little cleaning this afternoon since I didn’t get to it Saturday. There are always dust bunnies to take care of and I need to clean the dining table off. I have a habit of throwing everything on the table and not remembering to take it off. It’s like the clutter drawer only out in the open.
Today is my friend Ron’s 87th birthday. When I connected with him, I started out with “Merry Christmas – no, that’ not right! Erin go Bragh! No, that’s not it. Oh yeah, I remember now. Happy Birthday!” I think he enjoyed the joking. That’s quite an accomplishment reaching that age. I told him to put the fire department on notice when he lights the candles on his cake.
I had rubber legs this morning on my walk even though I managed 1.2 miles. I think I overdid it again yesterday. Yesterday was so unusual and I felt so good. My energy level was also down from yesterday and I only managed to put new sheets on the bed and wash and fold clothes. The house cleaning will have to wait for another day.
It was another day in paradise with the weather. The humidity was down to 36% which is pretty much unheard of for South Florida. The only problem is that everyone knows our Chamber of Commerce days are numbered and summer will soon be here with rain storms and high humidity. I won’t mention hurricanes.
I can’t tell if the neuropathy is getting better. It is, at least, not getting worse. There are some days that it causes me real problems but overall, I tend to ignore it wherever possible. Since I can’t feel my toes nor the balls of my feet, I have very poor balance. More than once I end up dragging my big toe when walking. I didn’t know I could do that. I stumble around the house and bump into every possible surface. So far, no real damages to the surfaces.
Next week I have two physical therapy appointments and Tuesday I have my monthly massage. I probably should schedule the massage after the last physical therapy of that week but I wasn’t thinking when I scheduled April’s massage.
My appetite has come roaring back. I’ve put on all the weight I lost with the Taxol treatments. The new pants I bought with a lower waist size now fit rather snugly. It’s a good thing they have some elastic in the waist like the old Sans-a -Belt pants of my youth. Looks like those type of pants will be in my future. Comfort over looks.
It’s been a very good day. I’m now 4 days out from the Herceptin treatment and don’t think I had an episode of fatigue from the last infusion. My energy level today is the best it’s been in a very long time. I managed 1.47 miles today and even had some energy left after getting back home. It was a beautiful morning for a walk with temperatures around 60°F and a cloudless sky.
On the walk I managed to bump into four neighbors and had short conversations with all four. One of the neighbors mostly speaks Spanish but we manage to make ourselves understood. She was talking to another neighbor who also didn’t speak much Spanish. However, I learned the other neighbor did speak French. My French is much better than my Spanish. That makes 4 French speakers in the neighborhood that I know.
I’ve mentioned the route that takes me by the passion flowers. It’s like a flower garden on both sides of the side walk. I couldn’t resist taking another photo of the passion flower.
Red Passion Flower (Passiflora coccinea)
Growing close to it was a papaya.
Papaya (Carica papaya)
That in itself was not so unusual but this one was in flower. I’ve never seen one flower before.
Papaya (Carica papaya)
I’ve only sampled the fruits a couple of times and I think it’s mostly been in salads. The green fruit contains a compound called papain that is often used in meat tenderizers.
After my second breakfast on the patio, it was time to clean the pool filter. As I got ready to do that, I realized the pool deck on the north end of the pool had been neglected for too long. I got out the push broom and cleaned it up.
This is what happens when you let things go too long!
It may not look like it in the photo but it was a huge pile. Next up was the pool filter and it seemed extra dirty this week. Usually it takes me about 25 minutes to clean the filter but I think it was more like 35 today. Then it was a freshwater wash down of the patio and a good watering of the plants – and I had energy left after the chores!
If you ever wonder why I keep doing a daily blog, let me tell you it has come in handy. Yesterday, I went to the “Search” function and typed in “Jeep.” Every blog that mentions the word Jeep comes up and I was able to establish a time line of all my travails with Hollywood Chrysler Jeep. No, Beatriz has not called. I intend to put it all in a narrative and send it to Customer Service at Hollywood Chrysler Jeep. I’m sure I will get no response but they need to know how poor their customer service is.
Yesterday, I wrote about having difficulty with The Washington Post’s Wednesday crossword. Usually, Mondays are the easiest and Saturdays are the hardest. Today I was able to complete the Thursday puzzle all but for two clues. I find it interesting that some days I breeze through these things and other days the clues they provide are beyond me, even on the easy days.
I got up early this morning after a poor night’s sleep. The reason for the poor sleep was Hollywood Chrysler Jeep was on my mind. Still no call back from Beatriz. Yesterday I started a time line of events with them and, of course, I continued thinking about it all night.
The reason for getting up early was to do a “zoom” meeting with Dr. Dunhill, my primary. It went off without a hitch. He agrees the antidepressant seems to be helping and we are keeping it at 30 mg. He says the upper limit is 120 mg so I have room to increase the dosage if necessary. I talked with him about some other issues and unless the issues get worse (urinary) then I live with it. There are things that can be done but to be honest, I’m over all these medical procedures. I just chalk it up to old age.
After the teleconference, I headed to Walgreens to get a booster for Covid. I filled out the form online and the first thing they handed me was the form I filled out online. At least it was short. They are very accommodating at this particular Walgreens and they got to me almost exactly at the scheduled time.
I came back home and had avocado toast for lunch and then conked out for an hour. Good thing I’m “off” until Tuesday so it doesn’t matter how long I nap.
Today, the second stem on my Phalaenopsis decided to open up.
The second stem is the runt. This orchid seems to be a long blooming one.
We are predicted for a low of 57°F for tomorrow morning. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before I turn the pool heater on and start getting back into the pool.
One of the things I’ve been remiss in this winter and spring is sitting out on the patio for my second cup of coffee and half of grapefruit while working The Washington Post crossword. Too soon it will be too hot to do that but now is the perfect weather for it.
I had a problem with today’s puzzle. Usually on Wednesday, I can either complete the puzzle or leave only one or two clues blank but I gave up with half the blanks unfilled. I come by crosswords naturally because I used to watch Dad work them when I was a kid and picked up the habit – and it is a habit. I download and print The Washington Post and The New York Times‘ puzzles daily.
What strikes me most about crosswords is how incredibly idiomatic English is as a language. I’m amazed anyone can learn it who is not born here in the states Just think of the heteronyms and homonyms there are in English. The word “live” is a heteronym (same spelling, different pronunciation) as in “I live in Fort Lauderdale and the concert was live.”
Homonyms are just as difficult (same pronunciation, different meaning). The word “fair” can refer to weather, someone’s appearance or something you go to.
Then they really throw you a curve with the clue “Rainforest Cafe, e.g. I figured out “restaurant” but missed on the front part with “theme.”
I love crosswords so much I decided to create a final exam in biology using a crossword. I was disappointed that most students today don’t know how to even approach a crossword. ESL students were even more confused. I ended up having to add points to everyone’s scores and I quit doing it.
After my second cup of coffee and a shower, I headed to Bliss Nails to get my nails trimmed. I opted for a mani/pedi this time. I think I remember them warning me when undergoing taxol chemo not to get mani/pedi’s. I do know I did get one during the treatments and my cuticles ached for days. Today was fun. So far, I’ve done this four times and everyone approaches it differently at the salon.
BBC Reports that actress Tippi Hedren visited a Vietnamese refugee center almost 50 years ago and the women at the center were dazzled by her long, polished nails. She flew in her manicurist to train the women and ever since, the industry supposedly is dominated by Vietnamese.
After the manicure, I stopped in at the adjacent Publix to pick up some more grapefruit (I was down to one) and some Turbinado sugar for my coffee. Of course, as I walked the aisles, more stuff found its way into the cart and by the time I checked out, I was $83 poorer. I got to looking at checkout and asked the cashier if she could tell I had a sweet tooth. We then began to discuss the pros and cons of iced versus non-iced cinnamon rolls with the bagger. I voted for iced as did the cashier. The bagger was a purist and wanted it plain.
When I got home, I found I didn’t need the Turbinado sugar after all. What I did notice is the container is smaller than the one I bought before but was the same price. Hmmmm!
It’s a windy day. Winds are at 19 mph and gusts to 32 mph. We are under a wind advisory. It brought down one of the fronds of the Royal palm.
I estimate it close to 12 feet long and probably 25 lbs. You can see why you don’t want to be under it when it falls. I cut it into four pieces in order to get it into the yard waste bin. It’s also that time I have to do a daily cleaning of the pool and basket to remove the leaves before they clog the pool pump and burn it out.
Tomorrow, I have an 8:15 am “zoom” appointment with my primary to talk about the anti-depressant to see if it is helping. I think it is.
Thankfully, I feel better today. I still don’t think I have the strength I need in my calves. I’ll mention that to Shannon next week when I go for PT.
Today was a Herceptin infusion. They called me back a few minutes early and my nurse, for the first time in a long time, was not Pat but Sherry. I’ve seen her before and had her once before but only learned her name today. Her name tag is always turned the wrong way. She’s good but not as efficient as Pat. I was there until noon today when Pat usually gets me out of there by 11:15.
They tested me for Magnesium and it was low but they decided not to give it to me IV. Instead they suggested I take magnesium supplements. I have Magnesium oxide here at the house but one of the side effects is diarrhea. No thank you. They can give it to me IV next time.
After leaving the cancer center, I headed to Emerald Eyes Optical on Sheridan Street in Hollywood. The left part of the nose bridge was coming loose from the lens. It meant a wonky look, particularly if I moved my head quickly because the lens would jiggle.
This is the fourth time I’ve taken this pair to this place (they sold me the glasses) for repair. I keep telling them it’s a design flaw in the glasses. They are Maui Jim’s and they are expensive so I would expect them to hold up. They attempted to fix it but there’s still a little wobble in the lens. At least they didn’t charge me.
I spent the afternoon working with personnel at ATT to get my iPad functional for cellular. They kept asking for my PIN code and my PIN code hasn’t changed in 30 years but their system wouldn’t take it. I had to change the PIN code with them and it still didn’t work. Eventually, they routed me to the correct department and Bruce actually got my iPad working. I think my problem was a challenge for him but he met it.
I told him I wanted to give him a good review and he said stay on the line. Their phone survey didn’t work. You had to input the information 3 times in a row and then even that didn’t work. Eventually a recorded voice came on and said I was having trouble with the survey and to leave a voice mail if I desired. I didn’t desire.
Because I ate apple slices and cookies at the cancer center (mine) I wasn’t hungry for lunch and simply ate a banana. That meant when 3 pm rolled around I was hungry so I made avocado toast. That also probably means I’ll be hungry again around 8 pm. My scheduled is messed up as far as eating.
The real question is will I experience fatigue from the Herceptin infusion. Usually it hits two days after but sometimes it’s the day after. Time will tell.
April Fool’s Day. Appropriate for me, I think. Whatever malaise that hit me yesterday is hanging on today. I have very low energy and am having real balance issues. So much so that I didn’t do a morning walk today. I really missed not going to the Easter brunch at Catherine’s house. Catherine said she would drop some stuff off at my house late this afternoon. I have some stuff for her that I would have taken.
It’s an absolutely gorgeous day in the neighborhood – again. The low this morning was 67°F and the high predicted for today is 81. The humidity is 53% and for South Florida, that’s amazing.
Hopefully you were able to eat the ears off a chocolate bunny or two. I used to do that as a kid. Archie probably did it to mine in my Easter basket. I remember getting one panoramic egg every Easter. They were amazing to look at and more fun to eat – almost pure sugar. However, I don’t think I would pay the $48 asking price these days.
I remember Easter egg hunts in yards where grass hadn’t been mowed for several weeks just for the occasion. Because it was spring, the grass had its own distinctive smell that’s never left me. It’s kinda like the smell of newly mown grass in the summer reminding me of watermelon. Strange that I think grass has different aromas at different seasons.
Most of the eggs we dyed were of a solid color because we used food coloring dyes Mother kept in the kitchen for various recipes. Later, she started buying dye kits. Only then did I realize the wax pencil included in the kits were designed to draw patterns on the eggs. My patterns never were too exciting but the process of dying the eggs never got old. Then there was the uncooked egg Archie dyed and gave to me – over my head. We had this habit of taking the Easter eggs and cracking them over our head before peeling and eating. You can guess what happened when I cracked the dyed, raw egg over my head. I think Archie is still laughing about that one. Let me just say I never had a report card list mischievous as one of my traits.
Of course, Easter also brings to mind the spring flowers: daffodils, redbuds, dogwoods and where we lived, you could get Easter lilies to grow – and bloom during Easter.
I remember Dad always took one to his Mom and Dad at Easter and Grandmama would plant them along the side of the house. There were rows of them and every so often they would bloom during Easter.
Lilium longiflorum – what is typically known as the Easter Lily
These plants are endemic to Taiwan and Ryukyu Islands of Japan. As you might guess, in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s Bermuda was growing large numbers which were attacked by a virus. Eventually disease free seeds were distributed in the U.S. Today, most are grown in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. They travel a long way to get to Florida!
