Month: May 2024

31 May 2024

Yesterday, Trevor mowed my yard. I kept noticing he walked back and forth in the yard without the mower, weed eater or blower. As I went to hand him a check, he told me about a yellow jacket nest in my palm tree. He had already sprayed it. I went to look and what stung him was really paper wasps.

The next day I was bringing in the garbage bin from the road and he said he had found 4 more nests under the leaves of my Chinese Fan Palm. He had sprayed all four. I can believe I haven’t been stung getting out of the Jeep because I always brush up against those palm fronds. Unfortunately, Trevor was stung several times. Fortunately, he’s not allergic.

I find it interesting that they put their nests under the fronds of the palm. Usually, they are under the eaves of my house. I can imagine the wind blowing the fronds and the wasps trying to land on the nest – pretty much like a jet trying to land on a bouncing air craft carrier.

Last night, Michel, Nancy and I headed to Casa Playa on the beach in Fort Lauderdale. It’s a beautiful restaurant.

Alas, the consensus was the food was just mediocre. We shared an appetizer of fried pork belly. Michel had the Ropa Vieja, Nancy had the Ceviche Casa Playa and I had the Lechon Asado. Although the food was a disappointment the company was great and we got to catch up with each other. One of these days, someone is going to let me pay for my meals and theirs. My last four meals at restaurants have been “free.” It’s not that I’m not appreciative but fair is fair.

This morning I managed about 1.1 miles. It was not bad weather-wise but you could tell it would be another warm day.

After breakfast(s) it was time to clean the pool filter. Fortunately, I didn’t have to rake leaves first but I did have to weed wack an area around the generator.

After cleaning the filter, I washed down the pool deck and patio, watered the plants, and then sprayed the front and back for weeds creeping up through the bricks in my sidewalk and back areas.

I finished around 11 am and then downed a bottle of Gatorade, had a banana and crawled into bed to read for a while and then nap.

Tonight I plan to continue re-watching The Crown. I swear I don’t remember 85% of it.

Stay tuned!

30 May 2024

It was a 6:30 walk along Riverland Road this morning for 1.4 miles with a temperature of 76°F and 96% humidity. I can’t tell if I’m getting stronger or not because I still feel weak in the legs but at least I’ve upped my game to over a mile each day.

I spent most of the morning writing checks for bills and trying to figure out what has gone crazy with my accounting software. I upgraded to the new MoneyDance software and it usually pulls the old accounts in perfectly. It didn’t this time. It tells me I have a balance of $34,000.00. I’m not sure but I don’t believe that is correct. I think I’ll have to start over at the first of the month and then backtrack on obligated funds. It’s just a pain to do.

I’ve gotten a whole lot of new respect for physical therapists. I walked in today with my boot and both Shannon and Andrea looked at me funny and asked why my boot wasn’t fitting properly. They immediately got down on their knees and started reconfiguring the boot. Apparently, I had it on wrong. My toes were hanging over the edge when I walked. I didn’t even know that the walls of the boot had an air pump.

They deflated the air pump, opened up the boot and refitted my foot into position. My toes no longer hung over the end. It fit much better. The nurse who put it on me didn’t say anything about the proper way to fit it. Both Shannon and Andrea knew exactly what was wrong. We joked around about how the next time I needed something to come see them first. That’s not a bad idea because it was Shannon that showed me how to properly use a cane. The doctor simply told me to use one. Shannon told me I didn’t need it any more.

Shannon showed no mercy. She still gave me a full workout.

Last night was movie night with Chris and Tucker. Chris selected It Happened One Night with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. It was directed by Frank Capra (always a winner) and it won 5 academy awards including best picture for 1934.

There are two famous scenes in the movie that are played over and over again when the movie is mentioned. The first is one of those is when the bridge washes out and they have to get off the bus and stay at a motor lodge cabin and Gable hangs a blanket to separate the two twin beds (the walls of Jericho). That was a very risqué scene back in 1934.

The second famous scene is when Gable is showing Colbert how to use your thumb to hitch a ride – unsuccessfully. She then asks if she could try. She said she’d get a ride and wouldn’t use her thumb. That’s where she hikes up her skirt and shows leg and Alan Hale (Gilligan’s Island fame) immediately stops and picks them up.

I’ve stayed in those motor lodge cabins as a kid and it brought back a lot of memories. One time my parents, Archie and I stayed in one outside of Asheville, NC. I remember smelling the sickly sweet smell of the paper plant near Asheville.

When the bridge went out, they had a scene where the police were stopping everyone and the road hazard was lined with smudge pots. I knew these as a kid also.

I assume they put kerosene in them and they would light a wick. They had a definite aroma when lit and surprisingly were fairly easy to see on a dark road.

Both Chris and I commented on the “autogyro” that was in the movie. We were both surprised the thing could even fly.

Of course, Claudette falls in love with Clark but they have to have the dramatic scene where each thinks the other doesn’t love them back. It’s a happy ending with Gable and Colbert staying at another motor lodge cabin and when word of Colbert’s annulment comes through, the walls of Jericho come tumbling down. The lights in the cabin go off and the rest is left to the imagination. Again, very risqué in 1934.

Tonight is dinner with Michel and Nancy. I haven’t seen them in a while and can’t wait to catch up.

Stay tuned!

29 May 2024

I had a very enjoyable dinner with Chris and Judith at Sardi in Wilton Manors last night. We had the same waiter as when with Tom and Kurt, and I suggested to Judith and Chris to share the 2 for 1 appetizer. It was as good as I remembered. Towards the end of the meal, the chef came out and talked with us again. I actually think we brought Sardi additional business when Judith had her coffee and churros at an outside table. By the time we left, another outside table was filled and one inside. Chris and Judith insisted on paying for my meal. I hadn’t seen them since they got back from England and a memorial service for Chris’ sister.

My phone this morning told me it was 6 am and time to take my meds. I got up and was out of the house for my morning walk around 6:15. It was just getting light.

It was 76°F and 90% humidity. We never got the promised rain yesterday even though the clouds made it look eminent. I made 1.4 miles fairly easily this morning but towards the end when I was approaching home, I noticed a little foot drop.

I know I’ve shown you the Royal Poinciana in my neighborhood numerous times but as I rounded the corner to my house, I got a different view. It’s amazing the difference a few days makes in how many blooms are on the tree.

Today I had to be fasting for a blood draw. My endocrinologist’s office does the draw and he has two phlebotomists there who are excellent. Even so, he had to draw the blood from just above my right thumb. From there, I walked back to the ultrasound room and had my thyroid photographed six ways to Sunday. She didn’t see anything terribly different from my last. I have two nodules that Dr. Jellinger is keeping an eye on but they seem to stay the same size and are nothing to worry about.

I got through at the endocrinologist too quickly. I drove to University Avenue and pulled into Costco a little after nine. It didn’t open until 10 so I just waited in the car. People started pulling in and by the time the doors opened a line had formed. I walked in and picked up my new glasses (with transition effect).

I then stopped off for their $1.50 hot dog and refillable soft drink. I found out hot dogs don’t taste too good to me.

While waiting for Costco to open, I got a phone call from Pools ‘n More that they couldn’t find anything wrong other than needing a skirt for the Great White pool cleaner. I drove over and paid $36 to spring my Great White. Usually, they only charge for the part but they must have started charing for labor.

From Pools ‘n More, I headed to Walgreens to pick up yet another prescription. I seem to do this every two days or so. By the time I pick one up, another is ready for refill. It’s hard to keep up with them.

Once back home, I attached the Great White to its hose and then checked the impeller to the pool pump. It was packed with debris and the fellow at Pools ‘n More was correct that it restricted the water flow which affected the functioning of the Great White. What’s so strange is I check the impeller every week when I clean the pool filter. There must have been one heck of a clog somewhere along the line that broke free and impacted the impeller.

As you might guess, after all the running around, I was exhausted. I ate a banana curled up with a book, read for a few minutes and then napped.

Tonight is movie night with Chris and Tucker.

Stay tuned!

28 May 2024

I was out the door for my morning walk at 7 am but it was already 79°F and 85% humidity. I cut the walk a little short, after 1.3 miles. My legs were getting a little wobbly.

I passed by my favorite yard this morning and was attracted to the Sulfur Cosmos. The common name sulfur makes you think of yellow but there is color variation within the species and these are bright orange.

I’ll be honest, if it weren’t for the feature on my iPhone to identify plants, I wouldn’t know this. I would have probably put it in the genus Coreopsis. Thank goodness for the plant identification feature! This species is native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America but obviously has been spread worldwide. Those orange colors get your attention.

After my two breakfasts, I showered and dressed and headed to Costco to pick up one of my two pairs of glasses. The ones that were ready were the sunglasses. I really like them and I particularly like the focus at a distance with the new ones. My old ones were giving me a little blurring. If the new regular glasses are as good, I’ll be satisfied.

From Costco, I headed to Pools ‘n More to drop off my Great White pool cleaner. It’s gotten worse. It sometimes moves, sometimes stays where it is and doesn’t really do anything as far as cleaning the pool. I’ve never had to drop it off before and wait for them to call me. Usually, they fix it in front of me but apparently the people manning the store didn’t know how to work on it.

Tonight, I’m picking up Judith and Chris around 5ish and we are headed to Sardi in Wilton Manors. They said they liked Peruvian food and I like the restaurant enough to eat there again.

We are predicted rain today. That’s nothing new. It just never delivers. It was 60% chance when I started out this morning and now it’s 55%. Rain is scheduled from 4 pm – 6 pm. Don’t place any bets. I may have to dust off an old rain dance we used to perform in the Boy Scouts.

Asplundh pulled up to the house across the street from me today and started trimming a tree too close to the transformer. I figured they would get through just in time to start grinding the limbs as I decided to nap. Nailed it. One year they trimmed a few of my Cabada palms by simply cutting the top out of the palm and leaving the trunk. They certainly don’t take any pains to make things look decent.

Hopefully, I’ll get my trees trimmed around the 3rd of July. That’s bulk trash pickup for my neighborhood and it saves the cost of paying for landfill.

Stay tuned!

27 May 2024

I’m getting this idea of going to bed early and getting up early. I turned out the lights at 10:10 last night and was awake before 6 am. I really am a morning person but even so, it’s tough to put on my compression socks and hiking boots first thing. When I eventually get out the door to start my walk, I start to feeling better.

This morning, I had just started the walk when I ran into Chris and Tucker. They try to beat the heat and get an early start. We walked together for the remainder of my walk. Chris is real easy to talk to. We don’t always agree on everything but we listen to each other’s points of view. We seem to always have something to talk about. By the time I made it back to the house, I had only done 0.8 miles but that was enough to get my blood flowing.

After I left Chris and Tucker, I walked through a carpet of flowers.

These are the flowers from a Pongam Tree (Pongamia pinnata). It produces thousands of little tiny pea-shaped flowers this time of year (it’s a member of the pea family – Fabaceae).

These trees are messy three times a year: flower fall, fruit fall and leaf fall all occur at different times so you are constantly cleaning up after them. When those flowers on the side walk get wet, they are slippery as goose s**t. I’ve helped to pick up more than one person who has fallen while walking on wet flowers of this tree.

You might wonder why anyone would plant them if they are so much trouble. They produce a great deal of shade and help cool the yard and the house. However, they do have shallow roots and often are uprooted during hurricanes.

Today is Memorial Day. We celebrate those in the military that gave their lives defending this country. I’ve been fortunate in that I don’t think I’ve had any relatives that didn’t make it home from WWI, WWII, or Vietnam. U.S. News and World Report states that over 600,000 Americans have died since WWI. Over 400,000 died in WWII. I’m thankful my Dad made it through WWII and the Korean conflict and that my brother made it through the Viet Nam conflict. We never seem to have any lack of wars to fight nor dead to morn.

I know I’ve included this in a blog before but I still think it appropriate – In Flanders Fields by John McCrae.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Stay tuned!

26 May 2024

If it’s May, it must be time for Royal Poincianas to bloom.

I always look forward to their blooming and this tree is particularly nice on my block. This is the second tree on the same spot. The first one disappeared during a hurricane.

I had a nice walk of 1.5 miles this morning. About halfway through, I met Chris and Tucker on their walk and we finished up together, catching up on the local gossip. Along the way we met several neighbors and had brief conversations. Chris plans to do a lot of work this morning – I plan to do nothing.

Eventually, I need to head to the pool store and see if they can repair (again) my Great White pool cleaner. It’s gotten to the point it goes to one location in the pool and stays there. This thing probably has none of its original parts it’s been repaired so many times. Maybe it’s time to get a new version.

I’m back to my fruit and yogurt for breakfast. Cheerios was a nice break but the summer fruit has begun to come in and I actually got some decent tasting cantaloupe and watermelon from Whole Foods. I could eat watermelon every day but I would stay in the bathroom peeing. Years ago when I was in grad school at FSU in library and information science, I would run on the track for the track and field events – much better on my feet and back. I learned the track team always had watermelon after their workouts to rehydrate and I’ve taken that to heart over the years.

Also blooming in my yard is an orchid Jim gave me several years ago. It’s the genus Myrmecophila and I think it’s the species tibicinis but I’m not 100% positive.

This is a huge orchid! I have it in a 25 gallon pot and it’s overgrown that.

It has pseudobulbs below these huge leaves and ants often are found in the pseudobulbs in a symbiotic relationship.

It sends up extremely long spikes of flowers – the longest I’ve ever seen.

One of these flower spikes is over six feet long! This year I got about 5 spikes. Some years I have 7 or more. The blooms last a long time. After the flowers drop and the stalks dry out, they can be quite woody and rigid.

The weather forecast for the next 3 days is 95°F. This is a very late start to the rainy season. We have rain predicted on Tuesday but we’ve seen that before and it hasn’t rained.

Take a page from my book and curl up in bed with a book and after reading a while, take a nap.

Stay tuned!

25 May 2024

My phone always wakes me with a reminder to take my meds at 6 am. Sometimes I ignore it but this morning I was determined to get in a walk. I still didn’t make it out of bed until a little after 7. The air temp was around 76°F and the humidity wasn’t too bad so I decided to walk Riverland Road. On Saturdays, the traffic is light and you can actually cross the road without taking your life in. your hands.

As I passed the nature preserve, I again marveled at the size of the sea grape. It’s an aptly named plant.

Most people plant this as a shrub and don’t realize how large it can get.

The photo doesn’t do it justice. The left branch towards the left middle of the picture actually goes over the fence of the preserve and hangs over the road. This is one of the largest I’ve ever seen.

Further along the walk, I came to the canal that holds the most yachts.

If you look closely (or enlarge the photo) you can see a man on the cowl of the large yacht on the right polishing the cowl. Most of the people that own houses along the canal don’t own the yachts. Instead they lease the space for the owners of the yachts. You have to be careful because maritime law is a little picky about the home owner’s rights when there is a leased space for a yacht.

Just after the canal with the yachts is my turn around point, another canal without ocean access to the north but with ocean access to the south. There a bridge over the canal and people north of the bridge must have a very small boat to get under the bridge. They would have help this morning because there was a very low tide. I managed 1.45 miles this morning with my hiking boots protecting my ankle.

Costco notified me that one pair of my glasses came in but I’ll wait until the second pair arrives and pick both up at the same time. I kind of hope it won’t be until Tuesday since today and Memorial Day will probably make a trip to Costco seem like hell on earth. The parking lot is dangerous on a good day much less on Memorial Day.

I need groceries and I’m debating whether to go into Whole Foods or have them deliver. Since I’ll be washing clothes and cleaning house, I suspect I’ll cop out and have them deliver.

Stay tuned!

24 May 2024

Several of us met at Holley and Jim’s for a little food and a little wine before heading over to the funeral home. My cake seemed to be a hit. At least everyone had some.

At the funeral home, Mary’s sister Maureen was at the front and gave me a big hug and thanked me for visiting Mary when she was in the hospital. Up front near the closed casket, they had some family photos of the Dinnen clan and a television played photos of Mary’s life. It was very well done. I stayed longer than I anticipated – you know how I hate these things. Maureen understood about me not going to the funeral.

Sarah, Maureen’s nice was there and recognized me from the hospital visit. I swear if I get down and can’t do anything, I’m calling her as my advocate. She was fierce in making sure Mary had everything she needed when she needed it. She asked questions and didn’t let anyone brush her off. She would follow them down the hall probing and eliciting answers.

I headed home around 7:45 pm and I was wiped. I was so tired. I forgot to pull the garbage and yard waste cans out and needed to do that. Then I forgot that my continuous glucose monitor needed changing and did that. The first attempt failed and that means I need to do the paper work to send to Abbott labs – another pain. I finally managed to brush my teeth and crawl into bed around 9 pm.

Thanks to the sleeping pill (yes, I’m back on them) I didn’t get out of bed until almost 8 am. After my first coffee, cereal, second coffee and grapefruit, it was time to tackle the leaves on the side yard and clean the pool filter.

The harvest seems bigger this week. I was impressed with myself. I raked the leaves and put them in the yard waste bin, cleaned the pool filter, watered plants (we need rain) and cleaned the patio deck without stopping from exhaustion like last week. As I write, I’m adding water to the pool.

The bad news is hurricane season is looking to be a booger. The Sun-Sentinel had a front page article that the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts there’s an 85% chance of above normal activity this year. NOAA is predicting 17-25 named storms (average 14) with 8-13 (average 7) to become hurricanes and 4-7 to become major hurricanes of category 3 or higher status (average 3).

The real problem is from August to October, there his a 77% chance of La Niña affecting the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean which will reduce wind shear which can tame the biggest storms.

Next week is semi-calm. I have a blood draw for the endocrinologist as well as an ultrasound of my thyroid on Wednesday. On Thursday, I have PT with Shannon. I don’t have any real plans for Memorial Day. I certainly don’t want to get on the roads with the crazy traffic.

Oh! I made a decision about the boot. It’s a real pain to put on and take off and even with a shoe on the other foot, I have one hip joint higher than the other. I pulled out my hiking boots today with high tops that cover that part of the ankle very well. That way, I won’t be walking with uneven hips and I can continue my morning walks. It does look a little strange for me to walk around the house with hiking boots on but at least, if I stub my toe, it won’t hurt.

Stay tuned!

23 May 2024

Yesterday was fun! First up was a massage at 5 Points Massage in Wilton Manors. I’ve been going once a month for several years and Tom is quite capable. I can’t help think he was a little distracted yesterday for some reason. I know him well enough and he knows me well enough that if he wanted to talk about it he would – but he didn’t so I left it alone.

The reason I said he was distracted was he went over some body parts twice, missed some body parts completely and spent more time in one section than the other. He was even a little late finishing.

In any case, I left 5 Points and headed across town to Walgreens to pick up a prescription. As I headed back across town to meet Tom and Kurt at Sardi Cafe and Lounge (not Sardi’s) I noticed that everyone who was trying to make a turn in front of me seemed to poke too far out and I had to swerve around several people to keep from hitting their front bumpers. It reminded me of a scene in Fried Green Tomatoes where Kathy Bates plays Evelyn Couch and she’s waiting on a parking spot at the grocery when two young girls pull in after her and take the spot. They snicker and laugh at her. Then she takes her car and rams the girls’ car several times and when they come out screaming, she says she’s older and has better insurance.

Sardi is a Peruvian restaurant. Normally, Peruvian restaurants are noted for their ceviche which they had on the menu but the three of us decided on a shared appetizer and an entrée this time. The appetizer had three things: mashed potatoes infused with Aji Amarillo, and chicken salad; antichuco skewers of beef and Yuca a la Huancaina (fried yuca with yellow pepper Huancaina sauce.

Tom opted for the Pituca Bowl (greens, sweet potato, avocado, tomatoes and grilled chicken. Kurt and I both opted for the Limo Lomo (sautéd sirloin tips with onions, peppers, tomatoes and lomo saltado sauce.

We got to meet the chef and had an interesting conversation with her. It’s great food at a reasonable price. The price was very reasonable for me because Tom and Kurt treated me.

From Sardi, we crossed Wilton Drive to The West End Lounge, a local bar. After the martini at Sardi, I decided on cranberry juice at the Lounge.

Today, I baked a triple chocolate buttermilk bundt cake to take over to Holley and Jim’s tonight.

This is the third time I’ve made this cake and it’s pretty good even if I say so myself. Holley and Jim are hosting a few people prior to the viewing of Mary Dinnen. I know most won’t go up to view Mary but I will. I’ve been around dead bodies enough to not be put off by them.

My first was my Grandfather Datee (Hollie William Agnew). We drove from Cleveland, Mississippi down to Morton with mother crying the whole way and not explaining anything. I didn’t know what was going on (eight years old) and only realized he had died when my cousin Jimmie told me. They emptied the front living room and had his casket against the west wall for viewing. Of course, the corpse looked something like him but they never look realistic. From then on, it was a steady stream of relatives: Great Grandma Laura, Great Uncle George Searcy, Grandma Searcy, and they continue to this day.

Funerals make me think of Arnold van Gennep’s (1873-1957) Rites de Passage: birth, puberty, marriage and death. These four things occur over and over in life and all are life threatening. Because they can be fatal, they are all celebrated with specific rites: baby showers/christenings; debutant balls/proms; weddings and funerals – to compensate for the grief.

I don’t go to any of the four any more. I found out early that funerals depressed me and I was ring bearer in too many weddings as a kid to want to attend another one. I’ve been to one baby shower (more than enough) and several christenings but I didn’t even go to my senior prom. I don’t plan to go to any more funerals. I’ve already told my brother I’m not coming to his and I’m going to be the only participant in mine.

The last funeral I attended was years ago up in the panhandle of Florida and the minister started a diatribe again evolution during the funeral. That sealed it for me.

Shannon canceled physical therapy today so that gave me the day off. That’s why I had time to make the cake. I just wish it was for a more joyous occasion.

Stay tuned!

22 May 2024

One step forward, two steps back. After a full week of morning walks, I called an immediate halt to them today. Yesterday my ankle got to bothering me and I realized it wasn’t getting any better. I made an appointment for 4 pm at Holy Cross Urgent Care just a few miles from my house.

They took me in fairly quickly, took an X-ray and found I had a subacute distal left fibular tip fracture which means I had a bone chip break off from my fibula when I fell earlier this year after trimming branches on the sour orange tree. I’m embarrassed to say it was April 16th when I fell. I should have gone in sooner but I assumed (you know what that stands for) that it would get better. It didn’t. I didn’t go for a variety of reasons: too many doctors’ visits, male ego, stupidity….

The result was Urgent Care put me in a boot and scheduled a follow up appointment with an orthopedic surgeon at Holy Cross. The doctor at Urgent Care didn’t think I needed surgery but wanted to be safe.

So now I clomp around in a boot until June 10th when I will see a Dr. Mills about the bone chip. I can already tell that it will affect my left hip since that foot is higher off the ground than the right foot.

I can’t wait to see what Shannon says when I walk into physical therapy on Thursday. She’s seen me on a cane, a walker, and now a boot. I’m sure she thinks I’m accident prone.

All I wanted to do yesterday was relax. I get to do that this afternoon since I have a 1 1/2 hour deep tissue massage with Tom in Wilton Manors. Like Shannon, he’s seen me go through a variety of ills.

After the massage, I’m meeting Tom and Kurt for an early dinner. It’s always good to catch up with those two.

Tomorrow, I have PT and then the viewing for Mary Dinnen. Some of us are getting together at Holley and Jim’s for some light fare and then going over to the funeral home. I won’t go to the funeral. They take too much out of me.

I spent the morning updating my medication list (it changes so rapidly these days) and what procedures I’ve had: echocardiograms, electromyography, MUGA, etc. This is getting to be old.

Stay tuned until the next medical problem arises!