Thursday December 30, 2021

One wee****il we leave for Hawaii (hopefully - still worried about flight cancellations). I just uploaded my vaccination information to the Hawaii Safe Travels site.

Yesterday was busy, busy, busy. I had a dentist appointment early. We took at-home Covid tests (negative), then drove to Providence RI to see a friend of Mike's who spent a week in the hospital over Christmas. Mike had visited at the hospital and at that point his friend looked scarily old and frail so it was a great relief to see him home and feeling good. Mike told his friend and wife that we are getting married! They are the first he has told so the kids will be next, hopefully on Sunday. Big step for him. I hope all are okay with it. The only one I am a little bit worried about is my DS.

We met with another old friend of Mike's for dinner last night in Mike's hometown. Nice guy and I think that went well. There is only one other of Mike's long term friends I haven't met but that is because they haven't socialized with anyone outside their family since Covid (though golf and work are exceptions).

I get my hair cut/highlighted today, then meet with the SILs for dinner. I did get an update from SIL with lung cancer on what is going on with her health. Apparently she is back on a targeted therapy drug after a break due to it causing pneumonia. It is unclear as to whether it is working so there is a follow up in mid January. If the tumors have shrunk back down again she stays on it, but otherwise would need to make a choice between restarting immunotherapy (which worked incredibly well against the cancer but caused a serious side-effect), radiation, or traditional Chemo. Any of these would probably negate her ability to go to Florida for any length of time which would be a real shame.

A friend of a friend wants to rent my place for a couple of months if SIL doesn't go, but I hope that doesn't happen. I am planning to put the house on the market in April, hopefully to close by late May. I am also seriously thinking of selling my Cape Cod home which doesn't feel like mine anymore since DS has taken all the common spaces over. I realized this week that I feel like a visitor in my own home! If he moves out prior to the summer I would like to live alone here with Mike for a few months before deciding but DS has made no mention of moving though he is working full time now.

Lots to ponder on all fronts. I have started sharing detailed financial information with Mike since I was putting it together for other purposes. We are going to need to consult with a lawyer to set up everything properly when we get married. Again, lots to ponder and do.

Have a safe and healthy Thursday!

A lot of changes coming your way Liz. You have been through so many transitions in the last years. You shouldn't have to sell your house to get your son to move out. Maybe you would find that you and Mike don't want to live in your Cape Cod, but you deserve the opportunity to find out.

I'm going to try and leave the house on some errand today. Deep freeze yesterday, today is in the 20s, tomorrow subzero again. We are invited to a small gathering of dear friends on New Year's Eve, but I am undecided about attending. I'm coughing much less, but when I do it's rather productive. Unless there is a big improvement today/tomorrow we will stay home.

So not much else to say. Have a great Thursday everyone.

More rain today, but we need it and I like it, so I won't complain. I have my therapist today, but that's it. Food is still on the crazy side, but I feel like I'm headed toward better days. Now to get back to physical activity too...

My brother and I are going to look at assisted living today for my dad. YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!!!!!

I "entertained" a puppy person this morning. She wanted to full experience, so she got to meet ALL the Airedales along with meeting the pups. It's quite overwhelming for some people to meet all 7 Airedales, plus the Frenchie. She is an all out dog person, so it was not a big deal for her. She is looking forward to getting a pup from the next litter. Tomorrow we have puppy people visiting who will be getting a boy from this litter.

With the visiting puppy people on the calendar I was elated to wake up to beautiful blue skies this morning! Haven't seen a clear blue sky for many, many days. It has been raining on and off since December 16 here.

Still a pound to go to get to the top of my "acceptable" range (which isn't really acceptable, LOL). If I didn't have so much crap food in the house from Christmas, it might be a tad easier. Oh well, it is what it is!

Diamond D., glad you are feeling better. Ron seems to be hacking a bit today. He always over does at Christmas time with church. I'm wouldn't be surprised if he's picked up a bug.

I read an article/interview about Omicron with an ER doc in NYC. Interesting stuff. While it is a highly contagious strain with a lot of break through disease, the symptoms vary widely depending upon vaccination level. Patients with Pfizer/Moderna vaccinations and boosters generally have a sore throat. That's it. Those fully vaccinated with Pfizer/Moderna symptoms resemble more a full blown cold. One Pfizer/Moderna shot or the single J&J vaccine symptoms are severe flu like, even some hospitalization. No vaccine on board... all bets off and it'****ting kids with severity, too.

Glad I'm "boosted". I've got a lot of Covid burnout going on. Westiminster Dog show cancelled/postponed again this year. Not that I was going, but it is indicative of where we are headed, yet again. BOOOOOOOOO! I would very much like to be done with this. I know it is likely to be our new normal, but I would like to get to the point of not having to wear a mask everywhere I go.

Okay, off my box!

Thinking only good thoughts for the New Year here!

The Covid fatigue is real! And I think a growing sense of futility. We're too far along for a coordinated, all in, national response, so what's left for us to do? And while our previous mitigation practices seemed to work to slow spread, this new variant, ai yi yi!!!

Loved the assisted living place we visited. My brother and I agree that we will put down a deposit. I felt the living area was a little narrow, but each apartment has a small kitchen, a decent entry, a combo living dining area, a bathroom with walk in shower and walk in closet, a decent sized bedroom and a balcony. And the apartments all have 10 foot ceilings with crown molding. The outdoor area is gorgeous. The activity availability is fantastic, as is the on site gym and pool with water aerobics classes. They even have a movie theater on site and a small library. There are 3 dining rooms, all beautifully appointed. Best of all.... DOG FRIENDLY! Saw a yellow lab, a greyhound and a Bernese Mountain Dog, plus a few little white fluffy things during our tour. Now, all that's left is to convince my dad.

My Grandmother really took advantage of what Assisted Living had to offer. She had macular degeneration in her 80s, so she had to stop driving. She was out on the shuttle buses all the time, going shopping, out to lunch, to church. It gave her a freedom she wouldn't have had otherwise.

It sounds like a great place, similar to where MIL was for her last 10 years or so. She was rarely in her apartment so the size didn't really matter though we thought it was awfully small at first too. Do they have openings now or will your Dad be on a wait list? MIL had a tough time deciding to go on the wait list and again when a unit became available. But it worked out really well for her. She was very independent at first, but ultimately was fully using the assisted living aspect.