Month: August 2024

21 August 2024

I was awake by 6 and decided I needed to get my butt out of bed and do my morning walk. I’ve been hesitant for a while and I think indolence took over and kept me unmotivated the past week. I made the first morning walk since August 1st today and managed to do 0.9 miles. I could possibly have made a little more distance but discretion is the better part of valor – or so it is said.

My Tootsie Roll order showed up at the doorstep yesterday. I was a little taken aback by the size of the bags.

I misstated when I said 750 in each bag. What I didn’t realize when I ordered these is they are Party Size.

The Part Size is definitely smaller than the Mini size. I guess I’ll just have to eat twice as many. I wonder how the reception and nurses at the Cancer Center will react to the smaller size?

I used to be a big fan of political conventions. I would watch both Democratic and Republican. I remember the 1968 conventions – the fiasco of the Democratic in Chicago and then the Miami Beach Republican one where there were riots in Overtown. It was a contentious year. Twenty years ago, I remember watching the Democratic convention and heard this unknown speaker named Barrack Obama make a speech of a lifetime. After he got through speaking, I thought “He’s gonna be President one day.”

The one thing I still like to watch are the roll call votes of the states. I confess not watching the Republican convention this year and have only caught glimpses of the Democratic convention but I did watch the majority of the roll call vote last night. I enjoy how the states brag on their famous personalities and their sayings about their state. I never understood why New Jersey was called the Garden State until many years later when it dawned on me most of New Jersey in the west is farm land. I was disappointed Idaho didn’t acknowledge they were the gem state last night. Tradition has its place!

The roll calls are quite educational. You learn what state personalities are from (even if they don’t claim the state). You see President want-a-be’s announcing the delegate totals. Everyone who answers the roll call knows what they want to say and have rehearsed it ad infinitum and then they get carried away in the moment and still screw it up.

These days, conventions are mostly boring. I haven’t watched them in years and this year is an anomaly for me. Give me the conventions of 1968 and prior when there was back room dealing and sniping and back stabbing. It made for better television. Of course, that could be due to Chet Huntley, David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite. Today’s television hosts aren’t quite the same. Does anyone of a certain age really think John Kennedy wanted Lyndon Johnson on the ticket? He needed Texas.

It’s the same with the debates. Everything else kinda of pales to the Nixon-Kennedy debate. I watched that on black and white tv (it was recorded in black and white so that’s all you ever see). Who can forget the riveting topic of Query and Matsu at that debate?

I see the instant analysts praised the speeches last night. I didn’t hear any but I miss great speeches.

I watched live as Martin Luther King gave his “I Have A Dream” speech and later his “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” speech before his assassination. I saw Bobby Kennedy’s speech to a restless crowd after Martin Luther King’s death and how he calmed the crowd and turned it from angry to pensive. To really date me, I remember Nixon’s “Checker’s” speech.

I also remember Barry Goldwater’s acceptance speech at the 1964 Republican convention. You didn’t have to like his speech to realize it was a great oration. I still listen to recordings of Winston Churchill’s “We will fight them on the beaches…”or Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “a date which will live in infamy.” I’ll be curious as to how well Kamala Harris does. I probably will not watch it – remember, conventions are boring – but when she appeared the first night of the convention, I think she was a little taken aback by the size of the crowd and she didn’t quite know how to play to it.

I like to think the greatest speech in American history was William Jennings Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech at the 1896 Democratic convention. And no, I did not hear him make that speech. He spoke without any amplification to a packed crowd. He simply projected his voice over the crowd. He wasn’t even running for President but his speech was so powerful, the convention ditched the announced candidates and nominated him. That’s a powerful speech. He was for free silver as currency and not basing the U.S. dollar on the gold standard. His most famous line ended his speech with “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

Enough speechifying. Stay tuned!

20 August 2024

It’s primary day in Florida. I hope everyone who is a resident voted! Democracy at work. I sent my mail-in ballot early and the Broward County Elections’ site tells you if they received your ballot and if it is counted. In Florida, you can count mail-in ballots as they come in.

I had a horrible nightmare last night. For some reason, I was back in graduate school at Ole Miss and had to take two semesters of undergraduate calculus. I was sitting in the classroom at 7 am waiting for the instructor when students began twittering about the cost of the book – $1000.00. I was horrified. Since the instructor had not shown up at 7:29, I left the class to go to a second hand book store and found a two volume set for the price of $640. Later, I found out I had missed the first class because even though the computer system said the class began at 7, it actually started at 7:30 and the professor arrived on time (it was his book we were using). I then went through the process of trying to find my office in the biology building. That part is a recurring nightmare. Someone keeps moving my office. When I got out of bed, I was in a sweat.

The truth is, while a faculty member at Itawamba Community College, I took first semester calculus under a friend, Dixie Russell. Trust me when I tell you she didn’t cut me any slack. Dixie was an excellent teacher and I actually earned a “B” in the class. I was going to take the second semester but something came up and I couldn’t. I think it was a class conflict. I never did take the second semester.

I know I probably rely too much on Amazon. I order my groceries from Whole Foods through Amazon, and even though I check prices at pharmacies, the vitamins the doctors want me to take are cheaper through Amazon. It’s just so damn convenient.

Today I tried to find my tootsie roll minis at both Publix and Winn-Dixie. No cigar. I came home and went to Amazon and found a 750 count back for around $18. I ordered two and they will be delivered today. How do you compete with that?

We’re in that part of August down here with high humidity so that when you walk outside in a fresh shirt, you soak through in about 10 minutes. The air conditioner in the Jeep that froze me yesterday with the cloud cover and rain seems to barely cool me on my errands this morning.

I needed to pick up some Total Hardness (Calcium carbonate) for the pool and a prescription at Publix. Something is going on with Florida Power and Light since they have crews out that have closed some roadways and blocked lanes in others. We’re talking several trucks and about 10 personnel working on each site and there are multiple sites in my neighborhood where this is occurring. Maybe they are concerned about hurricane season?

Here’s hoping you don’t have nightmares about taking calculus class. My brother once gave me his definition of hell. It was sitting on a block of ice and having to work algebra problems. I can relate.

Stay tuned!

19 August 2024

I was awake at 4:30 am and got out of bed at 5, more because I was hungry and not because I wanted to go back to sleep. Lately I’m a Shredded Wheat guy with strawberries and blueberries accompanying. I keep forgetting to make my overnight oatmeal and I need to finish up the Shredded Wheat. I like the large biscuits, not the small ones. You really have to hunt to find them in the grocery stores.

I spent breakfast (and the morning) looking at local and national newspapers. I miss having a real paper in my hand but I quit when the deliveries got so hit or miss. Both the Miami Herald and the Sun-Sentinel had trouble keeping delivery personnel. If someone missed their paper and called it in to the circulation desk, the delivery person was charged for the paper. Gone are the days when my Dad said you could set your watch by the Commercial Appeal delivery person.

I first fell in love with papers when Dad and I would get down on the floor and we would read the Sunday comics together. I think that’s how I learned to read. Later, at Ole Miss, I worked in the periodicals department and got introduced to newspapers from all across the United States and the world. I confess to at least reading the headlines from all of them as I put them on their sticks and putting them out to the public. The newspapers were, of course, kept and stored in the basement of the library and every so often, a grad student looking for original source material would require me to go down and dig out the paper from the musty, dusty collections. It was dirty work considering none of the papers had the new print that didn’t rub off on you.

I try to read a wide group of papers. I subscribe online to the New York Times, The Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle (mostly for opera news) the Miami Herald and the Sun-Sentinel. There are several political websites I read: Taegan Goddard’s Political Wire, Electoral-vote.com, Politico, and The Huffington Post. I also subscribe online to The New Yorker and The New Republic. Most of these are liberal publications, but then I am a liberal.

I also check several online comics but my favorites are Non Sequitur and Gary Larson’s The Far Side. Of course, Larson’s are all old stuff but they stimulate my sick sense as a biologist.

Of course, all during the day I get bombarded by news breaks, news updates, and advertisements. Sometimes I yearn for the days where you got one paper delivery during the morning and the 6:30 (Central time) news on one of three channels. We have too much information overload for my aging mind to keep up with. I’m my own worst enemy.

Whole Foods delivered my groceries around 8 am and it took me forever to unpack and store them. They err on the side of overpacking everything. In any case, I’m supplied for the week.

This past week and the start of this one has been with very tolerable temperatures. Our highs are in the low 90’s and our lows are in the low 80’s. What makes it tolerable is the humidity is a little lower. I might even get up enough energy to start my morning walks again.

Stay tuned!

18 August 2024

It’s a lazy Sunday morning. I was awake at 6:30 to hear the neighbor’s behind me dog begin barking. For some reason, they let the dog out and leave him out even though he continuously barks to get inside. Fortunately, they do take him in at night.

The outside bandage came off last night after tugging around the edges. Now I’m left with steristrips that have to remain on until they come off. You can still see some of the antiseptic solution they used to “mop” me down.

As you can see, the steristrips are beginning to come loose. The area is also itching so I know it’s healing.

The lazy Sunday morning turned into a lazy Sunday afternoon. I did a little reading and then watched the final series episode of Endeavor again. I really liked that show – and of course, it was British television.

I ordered Chinese for dinner. I actually craved Chinese food tonight. Don’t know where that came from but I ordered sesame chicken with house rice. I have enough for three meals. When DoorDash delivered it was still hot from the wok.

I put an order in from Whole Foods early today and they will deliver it tomorrow. I also have a dental checkup later in the afternoon. I may actually watch a little of the Democratic National Convention tomorrow. The times they are a changing.

Stay tuned!

17 August 2024

I got enough energy yesterday to clean the pool filter and basket. It hasn’t been cleaned since Denyse did it for me the week before I got back. It took some time. I didn’t rake leaves even though it was needed but I did hose off the pool deck and patio. I was pretty tired after everything. But – I took my first shower since the port removal! I actually feel clean for the first time in three days, spit showers not withstanding.

When my grandmother Ruby and Aunt Buleah went antiquing, they were always on the lookout for a basin and ewer (pitcher). I can’t image that as your sole source of clean up in the house. Ruby was probably raised without a bathtub per se but probably had a watering trough inside for that purpose with hot water heated on a wood burning stove.

By the way, one of the best places for antiques in Mississippi was Sebastopol, Mississippi.

The town is located about half way between Jackson and Meridian and just east of Walnut Grove. We pronounced the town as [seh BASS teh pool]. Maybe because Mississippians pronounce it differently, it will not be annexed by Russia. Mississippi has some very classy sounding names like Carthage and Heidelberg. Then again, there’s Chunky and Scooba on the other side of the argument.

I loved going to Sebastpol and antiquing with my grandmother and aunt. There were warehouses of antiques of every shape, kind, period, and price. Everything was negotiable.

Much later, I was manager of Golden Memorial Park in Walnut Grove (another Mississippi Metropolis) which is near to Sebastopol and hired a lifeguard from Sebastopol, Larry. We are still friend to this day and the last time I was in San Antonio, I stopped by and met Larry to catch up. We have a few stories we can tell about the swimming area at Golden Memorial.

Grandma Searcy, whenever I would visit, would chase us kids out into the yard during a rain storm and have the water from the roof provide the shower. Just think of a yard full of neckid kids running around, hooting and hollering in the rain. The lye soap got us pretty sterile.

Which makes indoor plumbing all that more enjoyable. I managed to clean the bathroom (toilet, shower, basin and floor) and vacuumed the house, mopped the kitchen, and changed bed linen. Each required a little R&R before completing. I just finished washing and drying clothes and putting them away.

There’s some satisfaction getting the linen changed, the clothes washed, dried and put away, and the house cleaner (I won’t say clean – I’m not up to it yet.). I have another shower in store for me today (luxurious) and Sunday is a real restful future.

Stay tuned!

16 August 2024

I waked to a very slow drip, drip, drip. I thought “Oh no! There’s a leak somewhere in the house.” I thought if I stayed in bed it would go away. Not. Around 7:30 I decided I needed to investigate. I went into the hallway where I thought it originated – no drip. I went back into the bedroom and stood by the east windows. Success! It was raindrops hitting the Bahama shutters. About that time, it started a downpour.

It was nice to relax in bed after knowing I was not having a roofing problem and listening to the rain and the thunder. I can see why some people opt for a rainstorm as white noise. It almost competes with rain on a tin roof which I used to enjoy when I visited my grandparents on my Dad’s side. Of course, you’ve never heard a din like hail on a tin roof. I remember that occurring one time thinking the world was coming to an end.

I’ve been in a few hailstorms in my time. The largest size hail I remember seeing was about golf ball size. I was at Logan Pass at Glacier National Park one trip when it snowed, hailed and the sun came out – a triple whammy. I’ve also seen hail so intense, it covered the ground like snow. Of course, in the South, hailstorms can be a prelude to tornados so it pays to be alert when you see or hear hail. I’ve only had hail here in Fort Lauderdale once and was alerted to it when it made a real funny sound on the awning over the back porch.

My GP appointment went well. In essence, he doesn’t think it is worth the effort for a stool sample. It probably was a virus or the Metformin causing my diarrhea and I was overdoing the anti-diarrhea medicine by taking two capsules. He did suggest a probiotic like Align and to cut back any lactic acid intake like my yogurt, cheese or milk. Otherwise, unless it keeps recurring, to just quit worrying about it and it might straighten itself out. He said my bowels may be recovering from the August 1st episode.

Looks like more rain today so I may have some major nap time with the raindrops hitting the Bahama shutters.

Stay tuned!

15 August 2024

The ides of August are upon us! As you might guess, the diarrhea was followed by constipation. I’m back on prunes again every morning.

I really wanted to sleep in this morning. I stayed up until 12:30 am scrolling through Instagram. It’s gotten to be a bad habit. I finally crawled out of bed around 7:30 and slowly got ready for the neurologist appointment.

The nurse took me back early but it was almost 11 before he saw me (10:30 appointment). I didn’t mind because I assume other people are worse off than I. The examination showed improvement with my ulnar nerve damage and the neuropathy. I have more feeling in my legs and hands than before. He’s keeping me on Cymbalta and Jardiance because they are good medications for neuropathy. My next checkup with him is in a year.

From the neurologist to Walgreens. The endocrinologist changed my Metformin from 1000 gm twice daily to 500 mg twice daily. He thinks it might be a source of my diarrhea. The neurologist’s opinion was a viral infection. In any case, I have an appointment with my GP tomorrow at 10:45 to see about a stool sample. I feel like I’m going back to those days of Mother checking my brother and me for worms every year. I should be an expert in fecal smears by now.

John is bringing over a BOGO from Honey Baked and a plain vanilla Bundt from Nothing Bundt Cakes. They do mini Bundts that are delicious.

Chris and Tucker stopped by for a visit yesterday and I gave Tucker his present from my trip – Chicken Pot Pie treats. He loved them. Chris and I caught up and Tucker did his usual exploration of his “territory” to make sure everything was in place and normal. It was good to see them.

My TRIM notice came today and the market value for my house according to the tax collector was $398,820 last year. This year my market value is $450,500. That’s a $51,680 increase in home value. My property taxes last year were $2292.68 and if the proposed budget is passed, my taxes this year will be $2,371.75, a $72.79 increase. I can live with that. For some reason, if the budget has no change from last year, my taxes will be $1610.40.

I feel a nap is in my future this afternoon.

Stay tuned!

14 August 2024

I’m frustrated. I just spent 3 nights in the hospital due to diarrhea and dehydration and fainting, 8 days of constipation, and now I’m back to diarrhea and dehydration. It makes no sense.

After my afternoon disaster at home with the toilet, I continued with the diarrhea (fortunately, not the nausea). I started antidiarrheal medicine and so far it has stopped for now but my stomach keeps making noises. I may be back to constipation.

I called Farah, Dr. Jellinger’s assistant, and asked if he would consider a Telemedicine connection today. If not, I asked she cancel the appointment. I’m waiting for her to get back to me. I figure it’s not worth the chance going in and having an accident in one of their examination rooms. I also don’t feel safe driving.

I got some sleep last night but it’s kinda hard when you can’t tell whether it’s going to be a fart or a poop that comes out. I wore Depends all last night and will probably do so today. So far, no accidents.

I haven’t showered since yesterday morning so I will probably take a spit bath today. The back brace makes me sweat a lot and I must be pretty rank by now.

I realize some of this might be put down to the process of aging but I’m beginning to think it might possibly be due to the ninety-nine hundred drugs I’m on.

I get to feeling pretty good for a few days and then the bottom drops out. I feeling like my health is yo-yoing.

I’ll quit complaining now. It’s a pretty day in the neighborhood albeit a little warm. Ernesto seems to be headed away from Florida but I don’t think I’ll plan a trip to Bermuda. Whole Foods delivered my bananas and apple sauce. I asked for a dozen yellow roses they had on sale at a real good price but apparently that sold out. The shopper substituted these. For a higher price.

Mrs. Pepper is taking some time away from Mr. Salt.

Stay tuned!

13 August 2024

If you are looking for reasons why I write a daily blog, look no further than my inability to remember who brought me home from the hospital on August 5. Holley reminded me to look back in my blog and I found the answer – Joel. I also post to give myself a history of my breast cancer.

Speaking of Holley, she and Jim showed up at my door around 7 pm and by 7:20 we were at Holy Cross’ Main Entrance. From the check-in on the first floor to the second check-inon the third probably took 10 minutes. They took me back immediately. Jim and Holley had to wait in the waiting room on third floor.

The receptionist was thrilled that the port was being removed because that meant no more chemo. The other nurses that day wanted to know how I was going to celebrate – in bed since I’d been up since 4 am.

Justin put in my IV line and Stephanie kept a close eye on him. Justin was new to the unit, not a new nurse. He knew his stuff. I asked about sedation and they told me that they always sedate when installing a port. I told them how painful that was. Stephanie suggested to Kat, the OR nurse, to give me the sedation early so it will take effect by the time they numb the area of the port with lidocaine. She did. It still hurt but less than I remember from the insertion of the port.

I was back in recovery and then out the door of the recovery room by 9:20. I wasn’t even scheduled to be sent in until 9. I like that they got to me early. Of course, Tom, who was going to take me home hadn’t even left home to come to the hospital.

When Tom arrived, all of us agreed to meet at Top Hat for breakfast. This was my, Jim and Holley’s second time there. I got the fruit bowl and side of toast. Again, they refused to let me treat them and she of the quick draw credit card beat everyone to the waitress. Have I mentioned I have great friends?

At breakfast, I got a little nauseated. It passed. When Jim and Holley dropped me at the house, I rushed to the bathroom and I proceeded to void violently from both ends. Luckily, I had a lined waste basket for the three massive barfs and I made it to the toilet in time for the other end. There went breakfast.

I called my cousin Jimmie to let her know I was OK and she suggested I do the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, apple sauce, and tea/toast).

I climbed into bed and stayed there until 3 pm. I didn’t sleep but I rested. I got up to take my temperature (normal) and to order some bananas and apple sauce from Whole Foods. I have the tea and rice. They will deliver it tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow is a follow up appointment with the endocrinologist at 2:30 pm. He’ll be late to the appointment and it’ll be 4:30 or 5 before I leave for home. I cannot complain since he spends anywhere for 45 minutes to an hour with me. He’ll have several blood tests to choose from since I’ve had several since his.

Stay tuned!

12 August 2024

ATT seems to have trouble keeping the internet up in our neighborhood. It went out on Wednesday of last week and was back Thursday. It went out again today and I keep getting updates but no estimated time of the system being back up. I’m sure they will refund some money for the outage.

It’s been a blah day. I just don’t feel great. I tried to get by without the back brace early today but finally gave in. I’m sure my poor posture doesn’t help my back issues and the brace makes me sit or stand straight.

I fully intended to go out today. I shaved for the first time in three days and also shaved my head for the first time in forever. The closer I got to leaving the house, the worse I felt, so I called Joel to see if he could pick up two prescriptions for me at Walgreens.

He and Keith were out and about and he quickly agreed. Apparently when Keith pulled up to the window and gave my name and birthdate, the pharmacist asked after me and made a point to tell Keith she said hello. She’s a gem and the one who always gives me vaccinations. It was super nice that she thought of me.

Later Joel brought my meds over and we sat and talked for a while. We both wondered what we had switched retirement for. Joel checks on six or seven houses for people and I seem to have one appointment after another. As he got up to go, so did I and I had to immediately sit down again. I was getting very dizzy, so I know I’m not just lazy but that I really do feel unwell. He also dropped off a package for me at FedEx.

This afternoon, Holley and Jim called and Holley wants to stay for my procedure. She didn’t want to dump me at the curb but go in with me. She insists she’ll be fine with the amount of time and take a book and iPad with her. She’s done this numerous times for me and I so appreciate it. She asked if Tom would prefer not to take me home after the procedure since she would already be at the hospital.

I talked to Tom and I think he will come and sit with Holley while I’m under. Great friends!

Speaking of going under, Holy Cross called me today to go over details of the procedure. Startlingly, they offered me the option of a local anesthetic or sedation. I chose sedation. When they put the port in, they used a local and it hurt like hell. Knock me out, please! They also clarified the time of arrival at 8 am, not 7 am so Holley and I will get to sleep a little longer tomorrow. No food or drink after midnight except water for my morning pills.

The person I was talking to asked me when the port was put in and I said I thought it was August 2023. Later, he needed to look up the actual date and found I’ve had that port in since May of 2023.

Holley or Tom or both will drive me home. I’ll be loopy for a while coming completely out of the anesthesia. I swear, it’s getting bad. I cannot for the life of me remember who brought me home from the hospital. I feel as though I’m losing my mind. It was either Joel, Keith, Barbara, Jim, Holley or Tom and I have no idea as to who.

Just received a message from ATT.
“Hi again, it’s AT&T. We’re still working to restore internet in your area. It should be fixed by Tue 08/13 07:00 PM EDT. We’ll text you when it’s back up.”

Hold your breath! Oh, in case you are wondering, I’m using my iPhone as a hot spot to publish the blog.

Stay tuned!