It was an Otis day

 I sure had some ups and downs today

    I guess I should say we had some ups and downs today.

    Jackie had an appointment with the Botox Queen in Rolling Meadows.  We were a little concerned with the weather forecast, but in the end that was not a factor.

    I wheeled her out to the car at 11:45 for the 1:30 appointment.  We left a little early  because I needed gas.  In the car.

    This is how we do it:

    Roll her to the open door.  Put the brakes on the wheelchair.  She leans forward.  I hook my arms under the armpits.  She pushes,  I left and turn.  She sits on the seat.  I lift her legs into the car.   All is well.

    I don't know what happened.

    I lifted, she pushed, I turned, she missed the seat.  She slid gently to the garage floor and I went to get Julia.

    We got her under the arms and lifter her, moving her to the seat.

    Made it to the doctor's office in plenty of time.  She got her Botox injections, 7 or so in various parts of her legs, and we got ready to go.

    I opened the car door, moved the chair, put the brakes on, lifted her......and she missed the seat. I tried lifting her legs and butt, but I am not strong enough.

    So she slid to the pavement.

    Here we are in the doctor's office parking lot on a 14 degree day and she is laying on the blacktop.  No one was around. No sense going into the building, because it is an 8 story office building and I would have to leave her laying on the pavement.

    I tried getting her up, but that was no use.

    A car pulled into the next space and the driver asked  if I needed help.

    So, we tried to pick her up.  We missed the chair again.  Down onto the pavement she slid.

    We tried picking her up but the two of us were having a tough time.

    I look down and Jackie is laying on the pavement with her shirt and coat pulled up around her shoulders!  It was like she was flashing this guy, who was about the same age as me.

   She was flat on the ground, making it hard to get her shirt down over the bra.  Luckily, it's a new bra and very stylish!

    At this point I thought of calling the fire department for help. 

    But we gave it one more try.  

    We got her up into the wheelchair.  

    Then I moved her to the door, lifted while he pushed, and she finally made it to the seat.

    I thanked him several times.  He had a young person in his car who had a wheelchair also, but she was small. Her medical problems were much worse than Jackie's, which is so sad to see in a youngster.

    He easily lifted her out of he van and strapped her into her chair, as I thanked him yet again.

    We met Jackie's sister Judy at Portillo's for lunch, but Jackie didn't eat  because at this point she was pretty worn out and sore, but not from the falls, which were actually slides down the side of the car moves.

    After a short visit, we headed home.  

    As her reward, I did stop in North Aurora for a chocolate malt for her, but even when we got home she did not have much of an appetite.

    That turning seat would have made all the difference today.  I think it is time.

Peace and Love

oh my!

It just seems to be one of those nights

    Part of me is sad, another part of me feels like a weight has been lifted off my sholders and a third part of me is conflicted.

    I told the folks at the zoo today that I would not be returning as a volunteer.

    I started in 2008, after I retired from teaching.  Every other Friday I would make the 80 mile drive to the zoo and spend the next 4 hours playing with kids.  Sometimes we would do blocks, sometimes we would have plastic animals and make zoos.  If I happened to be in the greenhouse and saw some youngsters I would show them the sensitive plant;  when you touched its leaves they would curl up, and slowly open 15 minutes later.

    There were so many creative craft projects to help youngsters with and bringing out a  guinea pig or snake was always an attention getter.

    As Jackie's ability to walk slipped away, we made some adjustments.  Someone would come in from 9-1 and be with her and help her as needed.  But it became apparent last spring that amount of help needed to be increased.  For me to go to the zoo, I would need someone to come in and stay for 8 hours.

    It becomes a cost issue.

    I'm sad about it, but I have given it lots of thought.  Sure, Julia is looking for a job, but she will find one.  Emily works.  I won't depend on them because it is not fair for them, nor would it be practical.

    So, I am sad about it but happy that I finally made the call. 

    I had a fun time over the almost 12 years I went.  I will treasure the people I became friends with and the memories I have.  Some of my favorite times were when a child would sit with me and just tell me about their pets, their lives, their dreams.  

    But I know I will miss it.  Because I have for the past 2 years....damn you, Covid!

    Hopefully I can visit this summer....and take Jackie along.

Peace and Love

time flies

Today just flew past 

    Of course, getting up at 10 did not help.  By the time both of us were showered and dressed, it was almost noon.

    The power went out twice last night.  Once about 10 while I was up.  The second time was in the middle of the night, causing Jackie to awaken me to tell me the power was out.  I politely suggested next time she wait until morning when I am not in a deep sleep.

    I did set up a little step stool to reach the top shelf of the bathroom closet, but that was all I got done.  Wait, I changed a light bulb.

    That was frustrating.  About 3 months ago I put an LED bulb in a hall fixture.  The light would work some of the time, but not all the time.  I finally decided to change the bulb.....but the bulb works in Julia's lamp, so it is not the bulb.  Maybe it just got too hot because it is enclosed?  Anyway, I put a regular bulb in the light.  I hope it works tomorrow.

    We have lots of tracks in the yard.  Deer come over from the park and browse my yard.  I tried to use plants that do not attract deer, and usually they are not a problem.  They have pawed away the snow in a couple of areas to get at the grass and may be helping themselves to my bird seed because it disappears pretty quickly.

    Corki can sense their presence at night.  She will stare and wag her tail at some invisible creature in the dark, but maybe she smells a deer.

    I don't think she can hear one because she does not hear well anymore.  That's a sure sign of aging.

    By the way, it was damn cold last night and this morning!  More to come, I hear.

    Tomorrow, the closet!

    Tonight,  the warm bed!!

Peace and Love

brrrrr......

It is dang cold

    As I start writing this, it is -2 outside, with a windchill of -16.  That is cold.

    On nights like this I think of homeless people sleeping in  tents under overpasses or bridges in the Chicago area.  I feel for them, but don't know how to help.  

    Jackie had a doctor appointment in Rolling Meadows scheduled for today, but they called this morning and cancelled due to an emergency in the office.  I was sort of thankful.

    After talking with Bob and Anita, who were in the lower 30s in Florida, I tackled my new list.

    These are short, easy things I need to do around the house.

    For example: My underwear drawer was full of underwear I don't wear.  I spent some time cleaning out the unused tighty whiteys, which created a lot of room.  This took about 10 minutes.

    My next project was to replace the door closure on a kitchen cabinet.  I figured all I had to do was unscrew the first one, use the same hole, screw the new one in.  15 minutes tops.

    I could not find a Phillips screw driver.  After I finally found one, I discovered I needed  a light, so I got my big flashlight.  That did provide the right light, so I went to find my three headed worklight.

    But it did not work.  I could not figure out how to change the batteries, so I Googled it and watched: 1, a sales video; 2, a video for a different type of flashlight; 3, the right video on how to change the batteries.

    Turns out it is pretty simple.  Except when one battery "explodes" and has to be pried out with a sharp, small instument.  

    By now the 15 minute project was nearly 30 minutes long and I still had not replaced the closure.

    Once I got the flashlight in the right spot, the correct screwdriver, and got on the floor, it was an easy fix.  Getting off the ground was the hard part!

    After 2 days, I have 3 chores crossed off my list.  That is a big deal for me.

    Tomorrow I am organizing a bathroom closet.

    That should be fun.

Peace and Love

 

brain farts

 That is my excuse

    For the first time in I don't know how long, I forgot to do a post last night.  I guess the football games and church meeting and everything just gave me a brain fart.

    But that does not excuse this morning.

    I folded my clothes, made the bed, and discovered I lost a pillow.  Seriously.  It disappeared.

    I looked under the bed, in the closet, in the den, in the garage...everywhere I had gone, but could not find it.  I had it in my hand!  It was there....then it was gone.

    Not under the bed, or under the sink, or in the dirty laundry basket.

    This is not a big pillow.  About the size of two footballs, Jackie puts it behind her back for support at night.

    I was really getting frustrated.  I had been folding t shirts, so I looked in that drawer a second time and, there is was.  I must have picked up the pillow with the shirts and did not see it when I first looked.

    Events like that make me think I am losing my mind.

    I have several chores I need to do.  I figured I can't do them all at once, so I made a list with the idea of doing one at a time.  Not one a day, just one during the day. Any day.

    When I am done with this little rambling, I will do one job and cross it off my list.  At least I will feel like I accomplished something today.

    We'll see.

Peace and Love

day late

And I am a dollar short! 

I broke my string of 34,009 consecutive days of doing a blog!

Well, not quite that many...but a lot.

I guess I was so caught up in the games on Sunday that I forgot.

That has never happened before, that I remember.

Oh well....there is always a first.

Peace and Love

shut out

 I am kind of wacko

    There are certain foods I love, maybe too much, and only for a little while.

    Cherries......fresh and from Michigan or Wisconsin, for example.  Peaches from Illinois first, but also Michigan and Missouri.   Strawberries from Michigan or Illinois.  Sweet corn grown locally.  Tomatoes from my garden.  Honeybell oranges from Florida.

    The problem is, the seasons are short.  Usually it's about a month for the produce to be available fresh.

    Well, Emily tipped me off to a Florida company that brings citrus fruits up north and sells them out of a truck.  Sounds fishy, but it is not.  Today (Saturday) they were in DeKalb for  an hour with oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, nuts, and honeybells.

    I used to order honeybells from a company in Florida.  But when I did that last time, I paid close to $60 for about 12 oranges.  As much as I like them, I won't do that again.

    Honeybells are only available for a short time....usually early part of January to mid February.  They are sweet, juicy, and just delicious, in my view.

        So when I read the ad for honeybells at $45 for 20, I was set to go.

    I hit two other places before heading  to the travelling fruit truck.  I got there about 3:15 and there were 10 people in line.  I got at the end and waited in the cold.  And waited.  The line went fairly quick, but people were buying a lot.

    A man 4 people ahead of me stepped up and ordered a box of grapefruit and a box of honeybells.

    "I can only fill half that order," man in the truck said.  "I have the grapefruit, but the honeybells are still on the trees in Florida."

    So I went back to my car, crushed.

    As I sat there I thought, heck, I am here, why not by some oranges?

    So I got back in line and bought a box of oranges.  I asked about honeybells.

    The guy in the truck said they have never been this late before.  They are just now getting ready to be picked and growers are concerned that it is taking so long.  He also said he should have them when he comes back Feb. 12.

    The oranges I bought are more the size of a grapefruit and they are sweet!  Lots of juice, and a great taste.

    Too bad they are not honeybells......but next time!

    Jackie and I went to the theater group's cluminating event tonight.  We had a nice night out and the other Terry and I did a short snipet from Tuna Does Vegas, a two person show the two of us are doing in July and August.  It was a fun time, and the other shows lined up also look like a lot of fun.

    Despite the gloom and doom we face on a daily basis, there is a little bit of sunshine in our lives.

Peace and Love