Ruby Slippers Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 I'm not going to FIND my dream home. It doesn't exist. I'm going to DESIGN and BUILD it from the ground up. Swimming pool, too My dad was a builder for about half his working life, designed and built the home he and my mom live in now, and I've always wanted to do the same. Yes, I've collected tons of images on Pinterest as inspiration for the house and swimming pool I'm going to build. I even got some basic design software a few years ago and started playing with it. I've always been fascinated with unique, one-of-a-kind architecture and my house is gonna be super cool. I was ruminating to my dad about it recently, and he said, "Sounds like it's time for you to start sketching." It is. I'm definitely already doing that in my mind 🤩 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 9, 2020 Share Posted October 9, 2020 (edited) I got myself better, physically and mentally, and have been doing various trainings, recertifications and a bit of volunteer work and composing. Duolingo Spanish. Watercolour painting. Just sat with my friend's mother for a couple of days so they could take a break, she has Alzheimer's and is up every couple of hours day and night wandering around. We had a blast! though it is pretty exhausting for anyone doing it 24/7/365. But I'm good at this memory-care care and will add 'occasional respite care' to my business in 2021. A local charity contacted me about going to work with them some too. Things are starting to regroup naturally and come together. My foot condition ( Charcot Arthropathy, a rare but serious little-understood complication of diabetes ) I have been managing ( at first unknowingly ) for a long time but it's deteriorated a lot the past few weeks, so I have finally accepted disability and am managing better overall. I contacted the national diabetes charity here for November Diabetes Awareness Month but I can do better informing people grass roots about Charcot Foot so I also made some badges and info cards. I'll write an advice piece here on the health section of LS about the condition. I took almost a year of antibiotics ( to be fair, I was in the Harvey flood water and it looked like an infection ) and about five years of anti-inflammatories before I realised that wasn't working. So in the past year I went from being an advocate for disability for others to advocating for people like myself! Cool. I can do that 😎 Edited October 9, 2020 by Ellener spelling Link to post Share on other sites
schlumpy Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 My post-covid Aunt called me last night. She suffered headaches, elevated temperature, and some difficulty breathing. She is 76. She says all those symptoms have abated but now she is having trouble focusing on a single thought. She says it's like walking into another room and forgetting what you went there for multiplied by 10. It's distressing her enough that she has an appointment with a neurologist in a couple of months. Her husband is in a care facility for dementia so I understand her concern. She quickly tires and emotionally becomes irritated very quickly. This has been a bad year for her and with the social distancing she has very little daily personal contact with family. They haven't allowed her to see her husband for months now. While I was talking to her she informed me that my brother had also caught the bug. Covid is worming it's way into my life. Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 3 minutes ago, schlumpy said: Covid is worming it's way into my life. Sorry @schlumpy We had nothing here the first few weeks then it ran amok throughout Texas. That said most people survived, by the time it hit here the nursing was superlative and the PPE and oxygen and emergency beds were in place. I lost 2 friends they both died of heart attacks from secondary conditions. Everyone else recovered. Sending love and good thoughts, any viral infection seems to affect the emotions, cause depression. Send her little gifts and cards to encourage her is what I'd do. Link to post Share on other sites
schlumpy Posted October 13, 2020 Share Posted October 13, 2020 12 minutes ago, Ellener said: Send her little gifts and cards to encourage her is what I'd do. Thanks Ellener. In this age of electronic communication I many times forget how much a card can mean to someone. I'll get my wife on it right away!🙂 2 Link to post Share on other sites
mea_M Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 I have been trying to figure out how to log on here. This place is all changed.😶 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 I had to fix the water supply line to my toilet this morning. Last night, right before I was about to go to bed, I heard water running in the guest bathroom. My girlfriend was already asleep and I couldn't imagine why the water would be running. I went into the bathroom to discover a plastic fitting on the toilet water supply line had cracked and was gushing water everywhere. I turned off the supply valve, cleaned up the water and went to bed. This morning I made a quick trip to my local hardware store and picked up a stainless steel replacement (no more plastic) and installed same. I am so thankful I heard the water running before I went to bed. I can't imagine the mess I would have found if the water had ran all night while we were sleeping. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
CaliforniaGirl Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Covid Update, Day...oh hell, I don't know, whatever...like ten thousand? : Counted my toes again this morning. There are still ten of them. I'll check again next week. I don't want to say things seem the same over and over but at this point things seem the same over and over, and over and over, things seem the same. Over and over. To spice things up and add an air of professionalism to my work-from-home environment, I have given my home office an official name: The Department of Redundancy Department. My boss texted me this morning to make sure I'm still doing my work, as if I'm a child who has to be watched every minute. I had to practically sit on my hands not to reply that she needn't be so condescending - assuming I need to be babysat and prodded to stay on task! What damned nerve! Lucky for her I didn't get her text right away as I was retweeting a cockatiel riding a Roomba. Otherwise I would have been in such a foul mood I might have really told her off. I tiptoed out of the back bedroom, I mean the office - where my computer is covered with dirty socks, not mine, and the floor is littered with food wrappers, not mine - and I swear the hallway was empty when I looked but GOD d*MN IT THEY SMELL ME OR SOMETHING, an eighth of a second before my hand grazed the bathroom door handle (I really thought I was in the clear this time) one of Them pushed his way RIGHT past me and slammed the door closed. And then took about an hour doing God knew what (brushing teeth...I hope...please don't force me to envision anything else...I mean two of the three possibilities here are my teenage kids) while I stood helplessly in the hallway and basically drizzled into my pants. Don't judge. It's amazing, the same thing happens with the fridge and the stove. Sometimes I make a game of it. I'll pick a really weird time. Say, 1:24 AM. Wander toward the fridge. Put out my hand. ZING. EIither a human or animal will be there a millisecond before I can get to it. Nothing is just mine anymore...I'm can't take a Diet Coke...or a coffee mug...or a p*ss. Whatever it is, I've got company. Son, husband, cat, whatever, I am never alone in this place anymore. Not since... (cue ominous music) COVID. I mean I love them. I do. I'd throw myself in front of a bus for any of them. But after eight months of an unnatural degree of continuous staring at one another, I don't know. I might just throw myself in front if the bus anyway. Just kidding. No, really! No. Really... So hey! How's quarantine going for everybody else? 😀 1 Link to post Share on other sites
CaliforniaGirl Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 On 10/13/2020 at 6:04 AM, schlumpy said: My post-covid Aunt called me last night. She suffered headaches, elevated temperature, and some difficulty breathing. She is 76. She says all those symptoms have abated but now she is having trouble focusing on a single thought. She says it's like walking into another room and forgetting what you went there for multiplied by 10. It's distressing her enough that she has an appointment with a neurologist in a couple of months. Her husband is in a care facility for dementia so I understand her concern. She quickly tires and emotionally becomes irritated very quickly. This has been a bad year for her and with the social distancing she has very little daily personal contact with family. They haven't allowed her to see her husband for months now. While I was talking to her she informed me that my brother had also caught the bug. Covid is worming it's way into my life. My husband is only 49 and still has neuro issues since February. People who haven't experienced this like to cruelly blow off post-covid issues but they are real. I'm glad your aunt will be seeing a neurologist, no matter what the issue might be. The best thing is that she's getting help right away and that she has caring people who love her. Link to post Share on other sites
Shanex Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Nothing and I’m pretty damn good at it. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 11 hours ago, Shanex said: Nothing and I’m pretty damn good at it. Is that you son?! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 11 hours ago, CaliforniaGirl said: So hey! How's quarantine going for everybody else? 😀 Well I have had a mixed year so far CG, mostly positive things except for a few nervous-breakdown weeks of tears and panic attacks. My son graduated university and of course I got this beautiful apartment ( alone except for my little dog; which I like except it can be lonely sometimes living alone, though to be honest I am used to it now ) Had a Charcot Foot Arthropathy flare-up, so I now have a wheelchair for outings when I need to 'offload' my feet. I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but I love the freedom it will give me 🧑🏾🦽 Still no work but I think it will come back if not by the holidays, early 2021. If not I'll think of something...course I will. One thing I did was sort out all my clothes, gave or threw away everything which was a poor fit or I didn't like! And bought 20 pairs of my favourite underpants( don't laugh, whenever I find something I like it gets discontinued ) Sorted all my papers. I will be doing my taxes in January this next time! I stopped news/politics weeks ago and have been concentrating on happy fun things instead. Yoga, watercolours, growing stuff, cooking, movies. Feel like I 'made the best of a bad task' as my grandmother would have said! 12 hours ago, CaliforniaGirl said: retweeting a cockatiel riding a Roomba. Love it! 4 Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 I ordered my Christmas cards and Christmas tree stuff, so that's outta the way. Since I'm home all the time, I'm doing a full-size tree this year to brighten up the place. I already have the lights and some of the ornaments. I'm doing light teal/aqua blue and iridescent/crystal/silver with a little bit of red including real candy canes ❄️🍬 And today is the day my coworker and I are dressing up as 80s rock star rivals for our video team meeting. Should be a lotta fun 👩🎤 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 1 hour ago, Ruby Slippers said: ordered my Christmas cards I'm watercolour painting my own this year, but not sending many, most people I know don't seem to do holiday cards any more, though they write to me other times! I've been to pick up a honey pecan salad from First Watch and drove to a local lake but it was surprisingly busy. Was pleased to see some of it is asphalt so I'll be able to take the wheelchair there, but I didn't stay today. Took dog to the little dog park. Feet up, hot tea, watching tv and intermittently writing 🖊️ 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 16 minutes ago, Ellener said: I'm watercolour painting my own this year That's awesome! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 Just now, Ruby Slippers said: That's awesome! My friends bought me some new really great paints and paper and brushes for my birthday! 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Ruby Slippers Posted October 26, 2020 Share Posted October 26, 2020 Sweet! The costume collab was a huge hit on today's video team meeting. The executive VP randomly joined our meeting today and he loved it, too. There's a big video meeting costume contest on Thursday. If we don't win, it's rigged! lol 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 9 hours ago, Ruby Slippers said: I ordered my Christmas cards... Yes, I got a jump on my Christmas shopping. My girlfriend liked her jade necklace (birthday gift), so I was playing around on an on-line auction and won a nice jade ring. So this is the first part of her Christmas present. I'll try to find some jade earrings to go with. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 I cut & dyed my girlfriend's hair yesterday afternoon. We tried Revlon this time instead of using the Clairol hair dye (that we used in the past). We were both a little disappointed in the Revlon product and will be going back to Clairol for her next dye job. I can't believe I have first hand knowledge on women's hair dye products. In the end, the results are passable for her next "Zoom" doctor's appointment. Sign of the times... 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 32 minutes ago, Happy Lemming said: I can't believe I have first hand knowledge on women's hair dye products. I've mostly done my own hair for decades, it saves a fortune. I usually go to a hairdresser to thin it out periodically but I ordered thinning shears last week to finish it myself, they were just @$9 and it looks as good as if I'd been to the salon now 💇🏾♂️ There are tons of 'how to' videos online, I think a lot of people do their own these days; a cut and colour where I live comes to over $100, plus a tip. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 6 minutes ago, Ellener said: I usually go to a hairdresser to thin it out periodically but I ordered thinning shears last week to finish it myself, they were just @$9 and it looks as good as if I'd been to the salon now 💇🏾♂️ I didn't have to "thin out" my girlfriend's hair, just take a little off the ends. I just brushed it straight down and trimmed about an inch off while it was wet. Yes, I learned how to dye her hair from watching youtube video(s). For the record, I've been cutting my own hair since 2012. I had a great Russian Barber lady (small Mom & Pop Barber Shop), she couldn't speak much English but gave a GREAT haircut. Sadly, some health issues forced her to retire. A young guy purchased her barber shop, but I didn't like him and he messed up my hair twice, so I decided to try to cut my own hair. I found it quite easy (using clippers and guards). Now, I've perfected it to an art and it looks just as good as a professional barber. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 3 minutes ago, Happy Lemming said: Now, I've perfected it to an art and it looks just as good as a professional barber. It's a gift I gave to my son, clippers, a few years ago, and it saves a lot of money over a lifetime I expect. Plus it's good to learn skills 👱🏾♂️ 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted October 27, 2020 Share Posted October 27, 2020 25 minutes ago, Ellener said: It's a gift I gave to my son, clippers, a few years ago, and it saves a lot of money over a lifetime I expect. Yes... that is a GREAT gift!! Way to go... If memory serves, I picked up a Wahl Clipper kit at Wal-mart and it was around $25. It paid for itself after the first haircut. I do clean and oil my clippers after each use and they have been running worry free for 8 years. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
gaius Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 Timshel and I went to the movies for the first time since at least February, maybe the entire year. 😎 Saw Alita: Battle Angel, missed it the first time it was out. Figured since it was a rerelease it wouldn't be crowded and we ended up with the entire theater to ourselves. As enjoyable as it was having a more intimate experience with my wife it was also somewhat depressing. The parking lot we sometimes can't find a spot in had one other car when we got there. I think we saw a total of 5 other people combined going in and coming out on a Saturday afternoon. Really hope the vaccine works because the movie theaters won't survive for long on that level of business. And I don't want to see movies go away. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Ellener Posted November 4, 2020 Share Posted November 4, 2020 11 hours ago, gaius said: Timshel and I went to the movies for the first time since at least February, maybe the entire year. 😎 Saw Alita: Battle Angel, missed it the first time it was out. Figured since it was a rerelease it wouldn't be crowded and we ended up with the entire theater to ourselves. As enjoyable as it was having a more intimate experience with my wife it was also somewhat depressing. The parking lot we sometimes can't find a spot in had one other car when we got there. I think we saw a total of 5 other people combined going in and coming out on a Saturday afternoon. Really hope the vaccine works because the movie theaters won't survive for long on that level of business. And I don't want to see movies go away. The movie theatres here in Texas are selling the films online, I think it's the same charge as going in person. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts