Quick note. I'm fine but had serious insulin problems. Power is still out so I'm staying at daughters.
More later ...
Quick note. I'm fine but had serious insulin problems. Power is still out so I'm staying at daughters.
More later ...
This is just a quick pre-Hurricane Beryl post. It is Sunday afternoon, about 5:00, and we have just had one good rain with reasonable wind so far. They are looking into Monday morning for more special effects, but who can tell.
At this point, I believe it will come through between Corpus and Houston, with the dirty side toward us, which means lots of rain and wind.
I don't want to leave my house. I know it's stupid, but it could just as quickly move toward the area where my son lives if I go there.
The power will undoubtedly go down again, so it's time for serious battery charging.
Luckily, I found a new insulated bag last week to keep my insulin in if the power goes out. During the power outage, I lost the insulin in the fridge, so I ordered some of those igloo-freezer thingys. Now, I can load my supplies in my Bug-Out Bag to keep them cool or grab and run. Great find just in time.
Yesterday, my daughter was at the beach in Galveston. Perfect weather. Oh, Mother Nature, you rascal.
More later ...
I had another eye check-up yesterday because the doctor decided I needed another vitreous exam (the gel-like fluid that fills your eye. It's full of tiny fibers that attach to your retina (the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye.)
Once again, I passed with flying colors. I am so thankful. My hearing has become so bad that I would be lost without the ability to read.
I am still losing weight on the Ozempic, slowly but surely. The stomach problems have lessened plus I now understand what to do with the symptoms. I still wouldn't recommend this drug. I'll let you know what I've lost after the next dr. visit.
I have heard from so many Type 2 diabetics saying how great Mounjaro is at keeping their A1C (sugar levels) near perfect but that they are now unable to get the drug. Hello, let's put people to work and make that stuff. There is no reason to have a shortage. I wish the weight loss drugs were nearly as efficient for Type 1. Oh well, I'm thankful for what I've got.
I finally watched Oppenheimer. I was reluctant but found (what I could hear) that the science/exploration was fascinating. I'm going to have to rewatch it with captions on. Of course, the outcome is a bitter pill, and I won't get into that. Then, I started a new library book that was in my queue. The Bitter Past by Bruce Borgos. The story is set in the present, in Nevada, near all the testing sites, and flips back and forth from the 1950s Russian spy point of view. I enjoyed it if you are interested.
My daughter and her girlfriend have started having me over on Thursday nights (her work-at-home day) for the supper of my choosing. Last night was the third week. We had chicken, rice, and broccoli casserole, and it was so good, with such a cozy, down-home feeling. I am really enjoying both the weekly companionship and the delicious food.
I'm still trying out my new Electrical service provider. I hope to save a little money this year. I'm also praying we don't have another heat dome settle over us like last year. During one hurricane season, we had extensive flooding because a dome settled in over the rain for several days and could not move on. We got so much more rain/flooding than we would have from just the hurricane. Please, no more domes.
If I had a young family member looking into a field to study, meteorology might be an up-and-coming field.
Now, the most essential part: Like Margaret, I don't want to constantly complain, but being unable to find my words drives me crazy, and it's getting worse. I've been referred to a neurologist, which means more doctor appointments and tests. I'm not ready for that... yet. It is in the near future.
Also, my hearing has drastically decreased. I'm so tired of having to tell people sorry I can't hear. Damn, getting old is a drag. ..
More later ...
Before I say how happy I am that Hurricane Alberto landed well below Houston, I want to tell you how traumatic the May Power Outage was for me.
First of all, I did not prepare for the storm like I usually do during hurricane season. I had very little food I could eat without cooking or refrigeration.
On Wednesday, I heard the storm blow through. For the damage it did, I swear it only lasted 30 minutes, but they said an hour. It tore the roof off several rows of apartments at my complex. Luckily, on my row, only my neighbors across the sidewalk had any damage.
The Heat became more unbearable as each day passed. On the first and second nights, I slept fitfully. The third night was so bad that I decided to abandon the ship on the fourth day.
Why did I wait so long? There was no electricity at my daughter's new house or my sister's house. My son was on vacation that weekend, and I could not reach him. He did not answer his phone or text. Later, he asked why I did not contact him sooner. I wanted to tear off his arm and beat him with it, as my mother used to say. (Wasn't that strange to say to someone, but it made us kids laugh).
On the second or third day, a Walmart near me had backup power, so like many others, I sat on the floor in Walmart and charged my insulin pump and phone.
On the fourth day, I was headed to a library they had opened as a cooling/charging zone. Thank you to the City of Houston. However, on the way to the library, I passed a hotel with a hand-painted "we are open" sign and pulled in. (The sign was to advertise the opening of a new hotel, but it was not open during the outage.)
When I pulled up, I saw a woman sitting on her phone in front of the hotel. I parked haphazardly in front of the hotel to talk to her, and when I got out, the little brain inside my keyfob fell out, and I could not start my car without it.
The day was so hot. My car was in the direct sun. I asked everybody who pulled up to help me look; no one could see it. I was getting sicker and sicker from the heat and worry. I tried to sit in the shade but was too nauseous to sit or lie. I thought I might be having a heat stroke. I gave up and called my sister to come get me, and I would just leave my car parked crazy in the parking lot. As I was gathering the items I wanted to take with me out of my car, I found the "brain" in the side pocket of my purse and canceled my sister. I still haven't figured out how it could have fallen in there.
Then I put the keyfob back together and started the car, I headed straight for home. I texted a big HELP to my son and DIL this time. I should have included her before because she checks her phone.
They called a little while later and were back from vacation. They came and got me, and apparently, I scared them to death. After Son told everyone how sick I was, I got several lectures from my daughter and son.
When I got to their house, all I wanted was to bathe and sleep. (I could only take cold sink baths during the outage.) However, Son made me lie on the couch so they could see me and watch a movie with them.
During this time, my insulin pump kept going off constantly because my sugar was so high. Also, remember that all the restaurants and fast food joints were closed with no power, and I didn't have very much to eat, but then you're not so hungry when you are that hot.
Before I left with my son, I exchanged phone numbers with my upstairs neighbors. She texted me about four hours after I left and said the power was back on. My daughter and sister did not get power for another day or two, but the guys who came in to assist our City Power Company were amazing. I saw at least 20 trucks with multiple men. I am so thankful to them.
I came home the next day.
I'd like to warn everyone about a potential problem that I saw happen. There are hotels on every corner in Houston, and the central booking systems for most hotels were working. Folks were getting confirmed reservations at hotels that were closed because they had no power.
Buddy was also badly affected by the heat. He slept for several days after the power was restored. This picture is from today. He slept on the cooler tile floor for most of the outage.
First, I am still having problems with my blog reader. I tried working on it again but it wasn't an easy fix. I'll research it further.
I started taking Ozempic last week. Yesterday, I took my second (once-a-week) shot. Here's my opinion so far.
First, remember I am Type 1 and not Type 2 diabetic. Type 1 no longer produces any insulin. Type 2 still produces some insulin, and this drug is supposed to help increase that production, which is why it is recommended for Type 2. As a Type 1 whose insulin production can't be increased, it was recommended for me because of my weight.
Side effects. OMG, yes, I have the nausea side effect. About the second day, I started feeling like I was pregnant. How could I remember what pregnancy nausea felt like 50 years ago? Because I had that gut-wrenching yellow bile nausea that came up every day. I was sick most of the time with both of my pregnancies. Hope this doesn't foretell how long the nausea will last.
I read that just like pregnancy, crackers or soup in the morning, can help with Ozempic nausea. Crackers have never helped my nausea, but the ramen noodles have. I have also noticed my skin has gotten even drier (diabetes pulls the water into the blood stream to help it move along.) I hate putting on hand lotion but I'm doing it as well as drinking more water. Ugh.
What it feels like. I feel long and lean like a ballerina. I don't know what that means because I certainly don't look it and can't tell any difference in my clothes. I'll have to research that and see if anyone else feels it. I don't have any scales, so it will not be until my three-month doctor's appointment before I know the weight loss.
Hunger. For me, this is the most amazing part. I am very rarely hungry now. I feel full and satisfied most of the time. I think this is why some people gain 3X the weight back. Without this drug, people probably return to their previous eating habits.
Otherwise: my daughter's lease on her apartment near me is up next month, and she and her girlfriend have rented a house with room for me. My lease is not up until September, so considering my options.
Buddy still will not go for long walks since the dog attack. Since I need to step up my exercise to offset any (more) saggy skin, I'm trying to figure out a new plan. There is a park near the new house. I'll have to do a trial run and see if he will walk there with me.
The Grand Girls did not come over for Spring Break (sob). Apparently, the neighborhood they moved into is full of kids, and my Son is enjoying them being outside. I knew it was coming, and I'm glad for them. I'm just sad my time with them is limited.
I have not won any more contests and am only entering a few because I still feeling a little bit of burnout.
More later ...
WARNING: Don't stand too close to me.
Both my Blogspot and Bloglovin' are acting up. All comments on Blogger are going straight to moderation - not just you, Margaret. I use Bloglovin' as my reader, and posts are not popping up for most of you. I hate this. I will take a nap and fix it when I get up. Arrgh, I'm aggravated.
I also lost one of the lenses in the glasses yesterday. Don't know when or where. How could I not notice?
After the freeze killed most of my plants, I started emptying my flower pots today. So sad,
More later ...
Yes, Eggos. Obviously, it wasn't the Grand Prize, but I'll take it. The Grand Girls love them.
No, I didn't win the HGTV House or a new car, but I did win a trip in my Son's name to Las Vegas to see Post Malone on New Year's Eve with a flight and hotel room provided at the new (opening Dec. 16) Fountainbleau Hotel in Vegas.
The award value comes in about $3,400, which, of course, he will have to pay taxes on. This surpasses the monetary value of the Rakuten win, and that was really great.
For those of you, like me, who don't know who Post Malone is, he is a big thing in the young and the recording industry. Bunch of #1 and Grammys.
Since the Hotel is just opening, we are hoping he gets a room upgrade to a suite, but we're not greedy, and we'll take what we get.
Guess I'll be babysitting New Year's Eve this year.
Can you believe it? I am so stoked. I'll share pictures after the trip.
More later ...
If anyone uses Instagram and you would like me to notify you of contests I enter there, just let me know my Insta address is @love.sweeps. You can see on the circle highlights which contests I have entered if you're just curious. Rakuten is one I won off Insta.
Yesterday, as the rain arrived, so did multiple packages from my Rakuten win.
I called my daughter to come over and see my prizes. She left with the Electric Kettle and teas.
My son came over at lunch and made off with the Roku speaker. Apparently the Grand Girls like to put on YouTube and dance to the music. Glad to share with them.
My son, the skeptic, is finally starting to pay attention when I tell him I have entered a contest for him. It is like the Lottery. You have a hard time believing somebody will win and my old boss, the attorney, used to laugh as we bought Lottery tickets for the group. However, once we started getting Lottery Winners as clients, he changed is mind too. We had 3 lottery winner clients. They made a believer of me.
Margaret asked about where I find these contests. I use one main site that I have to pay for although they offer a free version at Sweepsadvantage.com . The reason I use the pay version is so I can save my entries to know that I have entered a contest or if the contest is for daily entries, I can pull them up quickly. I also like a free site at Sweepstakesfanatics.com .
But the most important thing about sweepstaking is to have a dedicated email for your sweeps only because it will fill up fast. The other problem is, of course, your phone number. The majority of contests require a phone number but you can chose only those that do not. If you have a landline you never use, this works great. Just turn it off or unplug. If you're like me and have only a cell then you are in for a lot of ringing. My default ring tone is "Happy". If that plays I am happy not to answer it. All of my contacts, including professionals I use, have a different ring tone. So any other song but Happy is someone I want to answer.
I downloaded an app that makes ringtones from music. I can't remember the name of it but if anyone wants to know, just ask.
Fall is my favorite time of the year. I like chilly weather and soft cuddly clothes. Hot chocolate and Hot Apple Cider.
That about ends this post. Buddy says Hi from his snug little bed.
I am excited to share that I won another contest. It is a SIRUI 3T-R remote control tripod. It's pretty fancy. If you are interested, you can see it here too.
I have been extra busy with my contesting lately. Receiving a win always makes me extra determined to win that big one - preferrably a new car but cash enough to buy a new car is good too. And let us not forget the HGTV new house. I always think big. Hahaha.
There is always an increase in contests for the Holidays - I'd like to win a new Christmas tree this year. There are also more sports activities like the Superbowl in Las Vegas - trying to win one of the many, many contests f. Alor my Sonso entering New York travel contests for my daughter who loves Broadway.
I have done well resisting the allure of the Halloween candy everywhere until I found Tootsie Rolls (the larger ones) at Kroger. Margaret, I hope you're reading this and know I'm thinking about you with each bite I take.
Margaret, I also found something about selecting whether you accept posts from cell phone during one of my deep dives on the internet. I think you use your phone to comment so maybe that is why there is trouble on my end. However, now I can't find it again. I'll keep trying.
Also had Shirley on the mind when I watched the new The Walking Dead: Darryl Dixon. I watched TWD for several years and then somehow slid out of the habit. I saw a contest to win a trip to France to see the places that were filmed in this new series. That piqued my curiosity and I decided I'd better watch the show so I'd know where I was going when I won the contest. Hahaha. Anyway, I like the storyline and loved all the French locations.
I read the new Jo Nesbo book, The Night House, which is a stand alone, not a Harry Hole book. Nesbo, in case you don't know, wrote the book, The Snowman, from which the movie was made. I thought the movie was pretty close to the book and Michael Fassbinder made a perfect Harry Hole.
Jo Nesbo is a Norwegian writer, among other things, and like many writers from Scandavanian countries, writes some pretty strange stuff. So, this is not a suggesion unless you know you like his stuff. Here is a link from Wikipedia about Nesbo. He is actually pretty interesting.
My Buddy is doing well. I've had a cluster of kids move into my section of the apartments and they love him, When we go outside to walk they run to be the first to pet him.
More later ...
I won another contest this week from Nest Bedding and EnviroKlenz which I entered through Instagram. From Nest Bedding, I won a set of Bamboo sheets in my choice of size and color and laundry detergent from EnviroKlenz brand. The sheets are supposed to be cool so I am excited to try them. I'll let you know more when the arrive.
More later ...
I finally won another contest last week. It has been so long since I had a win but honestly, I cut back on my contesting this year what could I expect. The prize from Calypso Lemonade is a pool float and other swag items. The Grand Girls will put it to good use.
Not much to share. My son filled my car A/C and it is doing better. However, the clunking in my rear passenger side is now in line to be fixed. I took it to two repair shops yesterday and they were so full they couldn't fit me in for a couple of days. I thought that was strange. I'll try again next week.
The Grand Girls start school Aug 9. Their school district starts earlier and ends earlier than most. I remember school starting after Labor Day but we didn't have air conditioning in schools back then. Just those great big fans. Bless my heart, don't know how I made it.
Buddy and I are surviving the heat with the thermostat set as high as possible. You can see in this pic that he has forsaken his (never to be seen without) blanket because the room is so warm.
My flowers are doing well. The Mandala leaves are starting to burn but they are still throwing out vines so they were a good investment. If they make it through the winter I might concentrate on them next year. Sorry, I should have gotten closer to take the picture.
We have had a lot of wasps this year. I swear there is a memo out that tells them I have water available. Hahaha. They don't seem to want to harm me so I am glad to provide the water.
As Jean warned me, it takes a long time to get an appointment with a Specialist. The appointment I did get with the Neurologist was not until December 20??? I am on the waiting list but I texted my doctor this info in hopes she will lean on the new doctor to get me in sooner.
I've taken to reading the Weather Channel to have something instead of political maneuvering to read. It's actually kind of interesting. Who knew there were so many conditions (with a name) that affect the weather around us. Today I was reading what the Weather Talking Heads had to say about El Nino and how it might affect this heat wave. Of course, it is mostly Greek to me but if I keep reading it may start to make sense.
I purchased a house in Louisiana from a soldier at the base there who was an Air Force Weather and Environment Sciences Officer. I asked him one day if it was going to rain over the weekend as I would be driving to Houston. He couldn't answer me without doing calculations, he said. I thought no wonder the Weather Man on TV has trouble getting it right.
Today I read a list of which years had the highest and lowest official tropical storms and hurricanes. Turns out 2013 was the best at only 4. It was back in the 60s that we had another year with only 4.
Yes, I am pretty hurricane focused but having lived through several really big ones during my lifetime, I don't feel at all silly for being prepared or running like Hell if I think one is coming. Hahaha.
More later ...
I've been trying to post for a couple of weeks now but have little to share except my own medical fiasco. I woke up one morning so dizzy I could not walk and fell on my way to the bathroom. I went to the ER. They could not diagnose the cause of the dizziness so referred me to a neurologist. Of course, I did not schedule an appointment because I remember my Mother having Vertigo with her Type 2. When I went to my endocrinologist she told me I had to go. Hahaha. Felt like a school girl who got caught by her teacher.
I haven't scheduled my appointment yet but I will. (It's just to hot in my old car to be out during the day.) Maybe they will tell me why my brain has been so scattered. If I'm lucky, and I'm sure I will be, she will tell me it's old age. I can live with that.
The heat continues and the one good thing from this is that I've reset my internal thermostat. I used to sleep with the AC on 65. If it was any hotter I woke many times during the night and my sugar ran higher.
I have gradually raised the inside temperature to 75 at night and 80 during the day. I tried 85 yesterday and felt quite uncomfortable so back up to 80 today. Of course, I sit with the fan blowing on me so that helps too. I'm talking $300 bills which just annoys the #$#^ out of me.
Here's how Buddy handles the heat - cooling his undercarriage on the tile floor.
I'm thinking about trying this next.
More later ....
Yep, it's hot down here in Texas. Is this the second or third week of the Heatwave, I can't remember anymore, however, it is supposed to be around for another week at least.
I'm sitting in the dark with my A/C set on 80 and a fan blowing directly on me. Buddy is down to only two walks a day and those are as fast as his bodily voids will allow.
My prediction is a super duper Hurricane will come out of the Gulf this Hurricane Season because the water is so hot. I heard they can boil crawfish right off the pier in Louisiana.
I just finished drinking the bottled water I had squirreled away last Hurricane Season. I could have called it the preparation for this year if I had just waited a month. LOL.
More later ...
I know it's been forever since I posted. Here are a few pictures to catch you up.
First, Buddy Boy.
Speaking of Grand Girls, they've come over alone and together a couple of times. Then last week, after the pool opened, they spent four days. Since they are both under 16, I had to stay at the pool with them which was better than I hoped it might be. I brought the new Jo Nesbo novel and settled in under the sunshade.
Also been doing a little planting and enjoying the sunshine my corner spot provides - until this heat wave. My electric bill doubled this month. Not happy about that.
That's about it, folks. More later ....