Tag: everyday living

A Tiny Crumb of Progress

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Finally today I got out for a mini-walk.  Not much, but a start.

Yesterday when I went to the drugstore, I noticed how really weak my legs had become.  That is not good, especially when you are older.

Tomorrow’s walk will be longer, and I can build on it daily, if the weather prevails.

Did more work on the tax stuff and did other things that had to be done.

We are still plagued here in New Jersey by very low temperatures at night.  In fact my large bottles of water in the foyer are getting a ” I might be thinking of freezing”  look about them.  We have been getting bottled water for 15 years and that has never happened before.  I did hear a guy on line the other day say that this is caused by (can you guess?)  global warming.  These hard winters and other weird weather events have happened before and they will happen again.  I will say that 2025 was an awful year in many ways, weather included, and I certainly hope that 2026 will be better.

We can always hope.

And pray.

God bless everybody

Patty

 

This Day Completely Got Away From Me

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Like the title says, I was so busy all morning, between the doctor, the insurance company, Walgreens, the local pharmacy, etc,  I really lost a lot of time.

When I was done with all of it, I just wanted to post animal videos–something cozy and gentle.

My neighbor drove me to Walgreens.  He is a fine person, whose Dad had been a deacon in their church.  The world could use a few more people like Josh.

I still am going to change pharmacies.

Have a good night and stay warm.

God bless everybody.

Patty

I Finally Got my RX and it Only Took All Morning

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

I just came back from Walgreens.  (I know, I wasn’t going to go there, but they had it first).  I am going to switch to the local pharmacy for the next prescription.

I never had such a mix up in my life, getting an order filled and sent to the right place.  I truly think some of the chain pharmacies are too big and too fixed in their ways to provide real customer service.

At any rate, it is done for now.

I also realized how out of shape I am.  Getting in and out of my neighbor’s SUV was like a workout and left me panting for a few minutes.

More to come, later.

 

Pharmacy Hell

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Today was truly atrocious.  A real winner.

It started yesterday.  I take a breathing medication once per day.  It is an inhaler, works well and has never given me trouble.

Obtaining it, however, is another matter.

About a week ago I got an email from Walgreens telling me that my prescription would be available in a few days.  Fine.  Then two days ago they told me I could not get it refilled as they didn’t have any.  After calling the store, they said it would be in stock.  (I am not even going into the interminable time on the phone, listening to crap music).  Well I found out early today via e-mail that I could pick up my prescription at their store in New Brunswick.  No No No.  My car is still frozen to the ground, I am considered handicapped.  No way.  Driving on Route 1 to New Brunswick is a hell ride.

Then they told me I could have the scrip delivered.  Fine.

Well that did not work out either, because the only way I could pay for it would be to pay on a CELL PHONE.  No e-mail, nada.  It seems their pharmacists are not permitted to enter credit card numbers.  Why I can’t do it via e mail or their website like I buy everything else–well that’s one for the philosophers.

Bottom line–tomorrow I am having my neighbor walk me to my car, going to the Dr.’s office, getting a sample to tide me over, then seeing about switching to my local pharmacy right here in town. To hell with the big chain pharmacies–I’d rather pay more and have better service.

And the local pharmacy delivers.

 

God bless everybody.

Patty

A Not So Hot Day

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

This should have posted yesterday afternoon.  I’m very sorry.

 

If you looked at today from indoors, it was another deceptive day.  Blue skies, sunny, cloudless.  It also did not get over 20.  No melting of the piled-up snow.  And a pretty brisk wind, to boot.

Tomorrow I will have to ask my neighbor to help me get to my car to run it for awhile.  I am truly afraid of falling on my kiester out there (which would really take the cake).

This is really wretched.

My cabin fever is getting worse (thank God for the telephone), I am suffering from lack of exercise and my attitude, to be brutally  honest, is crappy.

This morning I was trying to negotiate a return of an item to Amazon, and that went nowhere.  I will try again tomorrow.  Their system was messed up and the fellow I finally got to talk to couldn’t access any information.  I actually got a human being for once, and his hands were tied.

I am very sorry about the litany of complaints–but this is a bit much.

They are also talking more snow for the weekend and no sign whatsoever of any temperatures above freezing.  It is very cold overnight, with temperatures of 0 to 7 degrees .

Sorry to gripe, but I do have hope for tomorrow.

There is always hope.

God bless everybody

Patty

I Think I’m Getting Cabin Fever

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

I did very little today.  The day looked beautiful, sunny with a blue sky, but when I stepped outside it was still bitterly cold with a fairly stiff breeze.  Now it has become overcast and gray and looks like we will have some kind of precipitation.  My guess is snow or freezing rain.  Or maybe some of those cute little ice pellets like we had the other day.  Oh boy!

My step-counter is hanging its head in shame.

My legs have all but atrophied from lack of exercise.

Tomorrow I am getting out to that car and going somewhere.  Anywhere.

I even forgot to take my vitamins at lunchtime.

Now that I have confessed all my shortcomings, I will to out to the kitchen and start to make my supper.

Tomorrow will be a better day!

God bless everybody.

Patty

The Case of the Disappearing Plumbers

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Today the plumbers showed up around 8:30.

They went out to the kitchen and began work.  I came in to the computer in the living room and began working on the story about President Trump stopping the use of aborted fetal parts in research.  After a little while I got up and went to the kitchen.  Both of the plumbers were gone.  The job was not done.  I had not heard them leave.  My hearing is not the greatest, and when I am involved researching information online I tend to block things out anyway.

Now what?–I couldn’t leave the house in case they came back while I was out.  I had to get to the store today. It was very irritating and frustrating.  I called my landlord and he said they would call him when they were finished, so they were obviously not finished.  After about 45 minutes (although it seemed a lot longer at the time) they returned with a snake.  I guess they did not have it on their truck.

Twenty minutes later, they were done–sink works great, nice new pipe under there, all good.

One more hurdle accomplished.

What will tomorrow bring?

God bless everybody,

Patty

A Pretty Good Day, After All

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Just a brief note.

Did a lot of diddly-stuff today, and (dare I say it?) the downstairs is looking a lot better.  Upstairs, not so hot.  Actually untouched–that’s a much bigger job, but it will be done.  Have to keep reminding myself there is no time limit.

It’s still pretty much a disaster around here, but not quite as big a disaster.

There’s a great deal of talk on the weather sites about this impending storm.  They all agree it is a pretty big one.  I just don’t want a power failure.  Power failure=no heat.  I still have really bad memories of Hurricane Sandy where we were without power (no heat) for five days.  It was November then and cold, but nowhere as bitterly cold as it is now.

Are any of you concerned about this ?  Will it be a problem in your area?

It is really not supposed to start until the weekend, but I will make sure I am as prepared as I can be.

God bless everybody

Patty

Tired

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

I was wrapping up the job of straightening the kitchen a little while ago (in preparation for the plumber’s visit tomorrow)–yes I am throwing in the towel and seeking professional help. When I was clearing out under the sink I knocked over the glass fixture that my neighbor had stuck under there when he changed my light bulb a few weeks ago.  It shattered in a million tiny pieces, so I had yet another thing to do before I could finish the thing I was working on.  Lord, how I hate when that happens.

Aside from that, everything is as OK as it can be.  Doing a little bit of the tax prep every day, still waiting for some documents.

Have a good night, all.

God bless everybody

Patty

What a Stress-Filled Day

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Today was a real stress-test.

First, when I got up this morning I noticed how cold it was.  It was cold because there was no heat.  All day yesterday there were guys banging around in the cellar, sounding like they were ripping the building apart.  There was evidently some problem with the heating-hot water system.  I had not noticed  anything wrong because the heat has been unusually reliable this winter, as opposed to a lot of other winters.  It was very cold in here which made it hard to do much, other than to wish that it was warm.

I decided to pay our estimated tax which is due tomorrow.  Usually this is paid on-line and if it takes 5 minutes, that’s a lot. A very efficient and quick thing.  Not today.  The IRS computer would not recognize me. All of our information has been the same forever.  No could do.  I called our accountant and he said just pay it by mail instead.  This after wasting a lot of time, attempting to get recognized.  I also spent a lot of time talking to the IRS computer who kept asking me if I wanted information about the Big Beautiful Bill (which I did not).

The clouds rolled in and it got nice and dark and gloomy.  O boy.  My very favorite thing.  Gray and grim and cold (in the house).

The guys are still in the cellar.

I have a bad feeling about this.

See you tomorrow.

God bless everybody.

Patty