A Cheap Chawklit MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
201

Woke up feeling much better, just weakish. I’m going to head out to walk errands and maybe get to the gym after I finish cleaning out the fridge. I should wash the bed linens, too.

True confessions: I’ve set up Zoom meetings with my kids and siblings. But I am VERY camera-shy, like pathologically camera-shy. It’s only by sheer force of will I can Zoom with immediate family. I could only join a Zoom gathering if my video were off, and while I think there’s a way to do that while hosting, I don’t know how. I’m experienced, to a degree, but definitely not savvy.

But I agree with Boo that the Zoom app is very simple to install, and it’s available at both the App Store and Google Play. Then the host sets up invites, which you’ll receive via email or text message. The invites contain the link you’ll need to join the session.

Also, Zoom sessions are only 40 minutes long. The only way I know to extend that is for the host to upgrade, which costs. (I don’t recall how much.) But you can invite up to 100 people on the free plan, which should be plenty.

FCM, I’m so sorry to learn of your nephew’s passing. What a terrible tragedy. He had his inhaler, so he suffered from asthma but hadn’t been to a doctor in years? Oh, dear. Of course you won’t want to send your sister a Happy Birthday card, but if you wanted to, you could maybe send a blank card with flowers or a seascape on the front and a little note on the inside that says in the midst of all the heartbreak, you’re glad she was born, and you love her.

Taters, those are gorgeous flowers! Do any of them like partial sun? My balcony faces a forest to the east, so there’s only direct sunlight for a few hours in the morning, and after that, it’s either filtered sun or shade. Fuchsia do well, though they tend to lean forward like spectators in the cheap seats.

shoe, hope you get a chance to sleep in tomorrow! And what’s this about possibly getting promoted to manager? I think you mentioned this a few days ago.

swampy, i know you’ll look and do great tomorrow.

202

Howdy Y’all! I did my thang over to the church house and have an Alb and cincture all lined up and ready to don tomorrow mornin’. We ingested majik intartoobz pizza and sallit for sup. Chillage has been major. However, I did assemble and bake a ham pot pie for tomorrow’s N.O.L. so that counts as some productivity.

Boo I am goin’ with the basic Acolyte (Altar server) knot. I say simple and classic is always best. Nellie I know tomorrow will go well. I mean, there’s always the possibility I’ll trip and fall on my face at any given time, but, maybe the anticipated entertainment value of seein’ that will encourage some folk to show up for church.

203

Afternoon all. Refereed three games of soccer, temperatures varying between 68F and 84F, so a bit sore of foot. Games went well (two U12 girls and one U10 girls) and coaches were fine, I think I could have done better refereeing, but such is life. Did have my Butter Pecan Ice Cream Cone upon completion of the games.

Mowage is planned for tomorrow, the lawn is looking distinctly over-grown and in need of trimming.

FCM, glad you had a restful cruise and my condolences for your sister’s loss; close or not, losing somebody that young is always a blow.

Sunny, hope Akiko kidneys settle down.

Don’t think I’ve ever been in a Zoom meeting and I don’t have a camera to show my mugshot, so I’d have to be walked through it.

Oh, got my Last Will back yesterday, need to review it and the Lawyer will prepare the final paperwork for my signature. Now just have to set time to read lawyer-talk…

OK, need to see if a bath will help (or hurt); help in making me feel cleaner, hurt in that I took quite a bit of sun on my legs, arms, and head (forgot my cap for one game…). All y’all take care.

204

That’s where I left that. :rofl:

205

I took down the laundry, folded or hung things on hangers, and hauled the 2 baskets into the house, Then I fired up ol’ John Deere and rode around the back and side yards. I was going to clear the path thru the woods, but several trees have fallen and blocked the way. I need to get back there with loppers, and I need FCD to wield the chainsaw. That won’t happen this weekend, but it’ll happen.

He’s going back to the boat tomorrow and I’m going to futz in the yard a bit. I need to mow the ditches and maybe I can do some weeding and planting some veggie seeds. We’ll see how it goes.

For now, tho, I’m whipped and I think chillage shall ensue.

206

MOOOOOOM I am so sorry for the loss of your nephew. I saw your sister’s post over on the book of faces. Whether you were close or not, a loss of someone so young is tragic. I’m also so sorry his dad found him like that. My folks found my younger brother when he died. I would not wish that on any parent.

When my brother, Gary, died, it was sad, of course, but I will say this. Gary was found laid back in his recliner, tv on, with an open Bud on the table beside him. I like to think Gary went the way he would have wanted to go. This was classic Gary.

207

I hope that Akiko gets settled down at night soon sunny.

metal mouse, I don’t have a camera on my desktop (where I generally read the MMP), but do have them on both my phone and tablet. It wouldn’t be hard for you to set up on your phone (go to settings > Playstore find the Zoom app and follow the installation prompts). I would join, but, like nellie, am a bit camera shy and would only do audio.

Got the chores done, made enough progress on my organization project (I made a BIG error on the spreadsheet, which will serve as one of the main components of the database that will eventually be made) and should finish the correction tonight. Then I can get back to the more creative stuff for a bit.

Zorba fixed a chicken gyro and a side salad for supper and it hit the spot. Now to finish the corrections so’s I can do the fun stuff! :slight_smile:

208

I cleaned out the fridge, then realized getting to the gym AND running errands was a pipe dream, so I just did the errands. Holy moly, I was tired. I thought about Uber-ing home but talked myself out of it. Got home and got chills again. I guess I rushed things a bit.

In happy news–and I know this is stupid, but I take my joy where I can get it–I was finally able to get my flickering bathroom heat lamp on video. It does this at long intervals, and usually only for seconds, so by the time I get my phone, it’s stopped, but today I was able to capture it. I’ll screen it for him on Monday. Y’all are invited. Popcorn’s on me.

I got a letter from the IRS. I was immediately irked because OMG, you people need to stop sending me notices about money I don’t owe! Sure enough, the first sheet told me to attach it to my payment. The second sheet, however, acknowledged my correspondence of last August and said it was being sent to their Ogden, UT “campus.” So that’s progress, I guess. I bet that’s one campus that’s no fun whatsoever.

Mooooom, it’s hard to believe you’ve been home less than 24 hours. You’ve done more than most of us would in a week.

209

@FairyChatMom
I am so sorry to hear of your loss.

Thank you all for the compliments on my project

210

My cute new toy arrived today and has been used. This was within probably 15 minutes of getting up from a nap. I had had to feed the cat, then open and set up said new toy. Got a reading of 175/83. Color scale on the very readable display put me in Orange range, so yeah, gotta get that sorted out.

The wrist model is much less painful than an upper-arm version (DH has that style), and several reviewers mentioned having taken it to their doctor’s office to compare with the office equipment, with very good accuracy.

211

That is…alarming. May I suggest you self pay for a doctor visit and try to come home with blood pressure meds. You might be able to get the lab work I assume the ER did on you so you can save that expense.

High blood pressure for an extended period of time does all sort of horrible and long lasting damage to your body.

212

Your dulcet tones would be delightful. I understand completely.

Your smartphone camera works well for Zoom. I’d be happy to ‘talk’ you through it. If I can do it, anybody can! I invented tech daft. Plus there’s a lovely little feature where you can blur the background so nobody can see my messy house.

And your dulcet voice would also be more than enough delight for us. I do a lot of my Zooms without the video.

Shoot, that’s more than I do in a month!

213

On a re-do, correcting arm position (turns out that laying my arm flat on the desk is incorrect) and after taking vitamin/fiber/aspirin, got a result of 168/64. Still not good, but not quite so scary.

Finding a doctor who will even accept a self-pay patient could be tricky.

Looking back, I seem to have fairly well taken over the thread in the last few days. Sorry about that.

214

You have been just fine! Please don’t give this worry another thought.

An urgent care clinic will usually take prepay, but I think you should take (and record) a couple of weeks of readings before springing for that. One highish reading in isolation is not cause for alarm. Symptoms of TIA are “don’t waste a single minute, get yourself to an ER, cost be damned. Minutes count”.

215

DH has been duly instructed on “any symptoms of recurrence, get to ER NOW” and understands the urgency. My cute new BP monitor keeps up to 60 readings in memory, with date/time stamps, so recording won’t be too big a challenge.

216

(Learned the hard way, more than once): you might still want to write down readings making notes every couple of days, for several reasons. If your batteries in it die, 60 readings could be lost. Better safe than sorry, like saving your computer work on a thumb drive or in the cloud. And it is easier to hand a piece of paper to a doctor then to hand them the wrist monitor and watch them try to bring up the memory and scroll through the readings.

217

Good point. Will do.

218

Heaved, watched hockey, napped. Made a spcy chicken and asparagus stir fry for dinner.

Nah. We want you around.

I’m sorry about your nephew, FCM.

:fish: :champagne:

“Everybody refresh their drink!”

219

Buddy has been inside and exploring for about 15 minutes now (the front door is open in case he needs to bail). He’s prowled around every room that isn’t closed off, including climbing into the litterbox. Allie’s only hissed when he got close to her, but has tolerated him in her line of sight at a distance. He’s noticed Misty and is curious, but I’m keeping a close eye on that potential problem.

220

I’ll show you mine if you show me yours!

I’ve started on the border so I can alternate between areas that I don’t have to think about and the more interesting work that I’ll save for the mornings. I’ll take a pic in the morning.

Your plants are lovely and you are the only other person besides me that I know of who plants snapdragons. Mine are coming back nicely and I’ve tossed some periwinkles in with them this year.

FCM I’m sorry about your nephew. Doesn’t matter if you were close, he was family and his death is bad for the whole family.

Feeling better is always a good thing!

You are being kinda silly now. We loves you and want you to be well. I’m glad your reading has lowered and I’m so happy we have BBB to give great advice.

So, today we actually had some evacuatees for a couple of hours. A family was moving their horses to Phoenix and had truck problems a couple of miles away. Some kind folks brought the trailer and a teenager to our place and the horses got to get out of the trailer and chomp on our clover. The teenager was pretty happy to have access to a toilet and a place to charge his phone while waiting for the truck to get fixed.

GG was beside himself over this. Not only was there a human person with petting hands, there were some BIG dogs he wanted to meet. We had to reassure the teenager that GG’s banshee wail of despair didn’t mean that GG was dying, it meant he wasn’t getting what he wanted and knows that if he cries enough, someone will fold and the spoiled cat will get what he wants. The teenager thought that was pretty funny so he came in to meet GG and then brought a horse over to the side of the catio so GG and the horse would be face to fact.

We sure showed GG who was boss, didn’t we?

Hubs went out for pizza and brought back four because he figured the teenager was getting hungry and that the parents might want to eat when they came back for them. The boy inhaled one and then munched another one while texting his friends and watching his horses to be sure they stayed in the clover.