Just need to talk to my friends (223)

Carl46

Good to hear from you, Ron. Praying for you to get better soon.

Judith, soap operas are fascinating. I was in a restaurant a few years ago and overheard a woman confess to her lunch companion that she had gotten into a soap opera too deeply. She realized she was praying for one of the characters!

Lorita

Afternoon, sorry about your health.problems, Ron.Feel better soon. It will take you a while to catch up on everybody.

Iris, the Road Runner is fine. I have seen him twice. He really does run down the road - very well named bird. I named.him.but forget what it is. I saw Rusty this morning running along the top of the pipe corral and before that saw him going up in a tree. Active little guy. I saw something this morning down the driveway. Not sure what but it wasn't something small - maybe a wolf, haven't seen him lately

Made a flying trip to the vet to get Aeromycin for Billy. Guys had.not brought it and didn't want him to miss a dose. Might as well.not have.gone because it was at another place. Someone will bring it tomorrow. Miles said it was.ok to miss a dose. I didn't feed Billy and he has been upset. Stormy wanted to go but didn't know how long I would be so didn't let.him. Left the car outside the gate so will go to mailbox later and let him go.

My eye is.bothering me today for some reason so will stop for now.

eaglemom

Good afternoon.

Its back to warm and windy here. If I've sneezed once I've sneeze a thousand times in the last two days. Whatever the wind is blowing in is certainly bothering me. It's making my eyes itchy and not watery.

I don't think I've mentioned it but I'm working with or rather trying to work with insurance and a roof. I know why I've put it off, because its a big cluster. When this process is over I've got to change insurance. We've never changed insurance companies in 50 years and our loyalty means absolutely nothing. I certainly don't understand when the insurance inspector tells me he "can't" claim the roof but he'll" be glad to represent me as an independent back to the insurance company to get me a roof - somethings wrong. The entire thing gives me a big fat headache.

I've got to get busy here. We had the funeral for our friend today. It was nice and the luncheon afterwards was quite lovely. I thought how nice it was to see all of the neighbors at the service.

Let's everyone be safe and healthy.

Lorita

Maybe it's ragweed, if you all have it down there. It's everywhere here.Maybe that's why my eyes feel itchy with a headache. Very warm to hot day here and windy. By Friday it may be 66 with rain Wednesday. Sleep well tonight. See you tomorrow. Oh, has anyone heard from Nanny? I think she.lives in northern Alabama so maybe the hurricane didn't reach them.

GothicGremlin

Carl - The goth 7 layer chocolate cake. Just say 'yes' to that!!!

That's so funny about the woman praying for soap opera characters. But hey, I was an All My Children fan for more than 20 years, so I get it. I always thought it was funny when they'd telegraph everything. Some character acting evil? His/her death scene will be in 5...4…3…2…1… Or, if it's a male character, they grow a goatee (I'm looking at you, Edmund).

Judith - I'm curious - what aspect of British law regarding the royals are you interested in? I read through the wikipedia page, but that's the only research I've done. It's not much …

Iris - Princess Diana was one of the good ones. She just kind of instinctively always did the right and best thing.

Carrie was filmed partially in Hermosa Beach? I didn't know that. I'm not even going to think about the fact that it's been 50 years!! 😄 I think Carrie was the first Stephen King book I ever read. I liked the movie, but I'll admit, I'm not a big John Travolta fan.

Ron - I hope your heart rate and blood pressure gets under control as soon as possible.

Lorita - I'm glad your road runner is back! I've never seen one in real life, only on cartoons.

eaglemom - I'm glad your neighbor had a lovely funeral.

About grip strength - mine is about the same as it ever was, that is to say, not that powerful. However, someone gave me a key trick to opening stubborn jars. Put a rubber band around the lid and then twist it off. It almost always works.

Today was gym day, and man, I felt it. Lots of body weight exercises, which is good, but I'm feeling it.

Now I'm slowing down, and getting ready for Death Guild. Hoping for some good music tonight.

Iris L.

Regarding grip strength, I have trouble turning my front doorknob. I understand why people are recommending levers.

It rained hard here for about 25 minutes, then the storm clouds ⛅️ moved away.

I'm working on getting to bed earlier. Good night.

Iris

ronald71111

Good morning

Ron

Carl46

Good morning, Ron 🌞 Hope you're feeling better.

A friend texted me to cancel plans because he is ill with covid. Apparently reports that flu/covid/🤢 season has started early this year are true. I've had my shots and have several cans of chicken soup on hand, so I'm as prepared as I ever get.

I ate some of the best chili of my life last night. Factor sent me a meal of shredded chicken and black bean chili, tamale cake (similar to cornbread), and roasted chili-seasoned carrots. The senior center is serving chicken quesadilla with black beans today at lunch. It will be good, but not that good.

harshedbuzz

Good morning. Still dark here, but it'll be warm and sunny later.

DH and I have an informational meeting about changes to next year's employee pension health insurance offerings. It's a complete re-boot from what I gather. I guess I'll know more this afternoon.

Lorita— I am finding things harder to open. A few minutes ago, I had to take scissors to my eye drop foil pack; it's supposed to tear at a perforation line. I bought an electric can opener last fall when DH and I both struggled with the many cans needed to make a double batch of chili. And last week, I had to wait for DS to get home from school to open a new bottle of Arthritis-strength Tylenol. The irony was not lost on me.

I wonder if all is well in Nanny's world or if she's just busy with her new role as homeschooler.

Carl— If you think the British royals belong on Jerry Springer, let me introduce you to the Norwegian Royal Family. They really bring the drama.

Goth lasagna sounds like the best version ever.

Judith— The rules/laws around the royal family in Britain are pretty interesting. For instance, Harry and the perv formerly known as Prince Andrew remain Councilors of State as it would take an Act of Parliament to take away the birth right. The weirdest to me is the quirk in the Marriage Act that requires Harry's children to seek approval to marry from the sovereign assuming they are still among the first six in the order of succession.

Iris— Diana grew into the role of PoW with age as no one since Queen Alexandra. Her later outfits were mostly great, but some of her early attempts were silly, ghastly and just plain awful. Interestingly, one of the books I recommended by Anne Glenconner talks about Princess Margaret visiting AIDS patients privately in much the same way as Diana. Glenconner's son died from the condition.

Eaglemom— Yikes! That insurance guy seems to be playing both sides of the net. Seems really sketchy.

Ron— I hope you're feeling better.

I think you were a victim of autocorrect. Given my own ongoing BP escapades (PCP gave me a new one to trial yesterday— my 8th), I googled it. Hydrazine (N2H4) is rocket fuel. Literally. Seems your device changed your Hydralazine on you.

_________________________________________________________________________

I pulled a 159/64 in office yesterday and am trialing yet another add-on to my Olmesartan. I didn't like the last one— head aches and shortness of breath with a low HR is not a winning combo. I was running a resting HR in the mid-40s which is craziness.

Enough about me. I hope all have a productive day.
HB

BethL

Grip strength as a predictor of longevity, per Women's Health Magazine: "Stronger grip strength is associated with better outcomes in a wide range of areas, including bone mineral density, cognitive function, mood, and even sleep quality, according to the study referenced earlier. The same study also linked grip strength to lower risks of developing chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, and a reduced chance of hospitalization or long-term disability.

“We’ve known for a long time that maintaining muscle throughout life helps people stay healthier longer,” Milton said. “It’s really a quick way of measuring something that really represents your whole body’s muscular health.”

In other words, it’s not just about your hands—your grip is a reflection of how resilient and functional your body is overall. And because the muscles involved are relatively small, they tend to fatigue first, making grip a limiting factor in bigger strength movements. That’s part of what makes it such a useful signal: if your grip is struggling, there may be other strength deficits to pay attention to. In fact, handgrip strength testing using a tool called a dynamometer is commonly used in clinical settings because it’s such a strong indicator of lean mass and physical function."

BethL

HB, sorry about your BP. I hope your dr. can find a good solution for you soon.

Carl, that chili from Factor sounds amazing. Did you hear the weather forecast for Mexico? Chili today and hot tamale.

That being said, does Factor offer gluten free options?

Ron, sorry you have had so many health issues. I am glad you are close to your son and that you have a good VA hospital in the area that can help you with your needs. To have good drs. and hospitals that are accessible is so important. Not everyone has that.

We went to a Candidate's forum last night. It was for persons running for the offices of Iowa House and Iowa Senate. My DIL is running for the Iowa House. We are very proud of her!

Eagle, sounds like a mess with your roof/insurance issues. I hope they get settled very soon. Are you enjoying your new hot tub?

GG, Carl, at one time I watched one particular soap (Guiding Light) but when it went off the air, I didn't search for an alternate. I hardly watch tv at all now. I watch the news morning and late afternoon, Jeopardy and sports. I do watch a lot of YouTube, though: political stuff, homesteading, and health mainly. I'm wanting to find a good channel on fashion for women my age. Still searching.

Lorita, hope your eyes are feeling better now (you too, Eagle). Is Billy's foot improving? I was wondering this: don't answer if it's too personal. Do you bury your pets that pass away on your farm property? I always buried mine at our other house but where we live now we have irrigation lines underground and a small yard and I don't want to dig so cremation it is now. A friend of mine has had all her past dogs, and there are many, cremated and wants their ashes combined with hers when she passes away.

I hope everyone has a good day and a good week.

Beth

harshedbuzz

@BethL Interesting information about the grip strength. Mine is around 60-ish which is decent for my age (both my hand surgeon and endo check it at every appointment) but opening stuff is still beyond me some days.

ronald71111

HB, I could use a little rocket fuel, the hydralazine has me feeling like I’m running on fumes, been out of gas for awhile now. They took that away and prescribed diltiazem and the atenolol I’ve been on forever. My heart rate is going down, but now blood pressure is still up.

Ron

jfkoc

GG… Let me get back to you on that…British law may be the wrong term

HB…just took two of us to open a foil wrapped Allegra. New med containers a placed next to the cogffee pot for a grandson to open…lol

Lorita….have you tried and antihistamine?

Iris L.

Good morning.

We're having nice fall weather here in SoCal today, clear skies, brisket temperature. I had to use my winter blanket last night. There was snow at Lake Tahoe, skiers are excited. (I kept brisket in for laughs from autocorrect, it was supposed to be brisk.)

We have not heard from Mint in a long time.

No doctor has ever measured my grip strength nor mentioned anything about muscles loss. I am frustrated.

Carl, your dinner sounds delicious. It seems like you don't have to spice it up yourself to your own taste. I'm still coughing, but less.

Everyone sounds busy. I hope everyone can get things done today and this week.

Iris

Carl46

Loved that joke, Beth. My father didn't tell a lot of jokes, but that was one of them. Took me back.

I don't think Factor has gluten free. They advertise keto, vegetarian, and weight loss, but don't advertise GF. Iris, I pepper some things and use my own BBQ sauce to replace Factor's, but most things are tasty as they come. Factor costs about as much as Burger King etc. but is MUCH tastier and healthier, and more convenient as well.

I have a tool for opening jars that is a lever with a V-shaped gripper that will fit almost any jar lid. My wife bought it years ago at a kitchen specialty shop. The best help, though, is lifting weights. Dumbbells are available in sizes ranging from little one-pound saltshaker-looking things on up. This exercises the arm and shoulder muscles while improving grip strength. Weightlifting is boring but I feel better when I do it.

I am slowly decluttering my house, but I'm taking one step forward and one back sometimes. I saved some Factor boxes to put junk in but overdid it and find myself overrun with empty cardboard boxes. Time to flatten most of them and make a run to the recycling center.

Lorita

Judith, one of my doctors- ophthalmologist.or DO once told me not to take antihistamines because of my eyes, I.think.

Beth, all of our pets are buried here on the farm.with a few exceptions who went to sleep at the vets- we still wanted them near. Billy's foot seems a little better even with just four days of antibiotics. If those guys ever bring the aeromycin he will get 3-4 more days. Plus,he isn't having to walk as much right now since I have had him up.

Hot here today and windy. Looking forward to cooler weather this week. I bought a jar opener from QVC and use it almost every dsy.. I have arthritis in my hands. They don't hurt, thank goodness. I also find it hard to open a bottle of eyedrops.

Just had a visit from Darwin, his wife and one of his daughters. She took him to the doctor and they came by on the way back. After they left I.cried and cried- he has gone down so much in the last four or five months. His daughters are so good to both of them. He asked about Billy several times but he was in the west paddock so didn't get to see him.

Our Health.Dept will.begin giving flu shots next week with an appt. so guess I will get mine there next week. A doctor on TV today said they are effective about three months but you can get another one then. Did not know that. I'm wearing a mask when around anyone.

Tablet.is about out of power, so back later.

jfkoc

Carl…do you like Head Country BBQ sauce?

Lorita..which opener did you order?

Lorita

I don't remember the brand, Judth, and there's no name on it. It has a long handle with a round flat end with a handle to adjust three points of contact to.fit what you are opening. There is a newer, smaller version but I like this one. Sandy has the same one so she might know the brand.

Head Country is the very best barbecue sauce!! Not too sweet or.hot just right. Being a vegetarian I don't use BBQ sauce much but when I did, this was the brand we used.

Tired so going to bed and watch tv and try to not turn my water over on me tonight. Good night!

Sasue

The jar opener brand is Kuhn Rikon. Available on Amazon

GothicGremlin

Carl - your Factor meals sound really good. I'm kind of wondering if I can convince my s.o. to give them a try for the nights where no one feels like cooking……

Decluttering is so hard, but I've started the process too.

HB - I've been thinking about Nanny too. I hope she's doing well.

Ah, yes, Norway's royal family and drama. They are a dramatic bunch. Then again, Norway is a dramatic place. Lots of death metal there (not a fan), industrial bands like Combichrist, and the movies Dead Snow and Dead Snow 2 (zombie movies), are nothing if not dramatic. The trailer for the first movie is fairly safe to watch, the trailer for the second one, not so much, okay, not at all. Even Norway's auroras are dramatic (and gorgeous).

Beth - I'm like you with regard to the soaps. Once I stopped watching All My Children, that was the end of the soaps for me.

About grip strength - I don't know if it's related (but maybe it is?), but I have hypermobility in some of my hand/arm/finger joints. None of it causes me any pain, and mostly I don't think about it, except if someone calls my attention to it. I don't have any disorders that go with that. My trainer at the gym has given me several different stretching exercises to do to strengthen my wrists. I do have to be careful with some exercises because my arms will just hyperextend of their own accord. I guess on the plus side, my grip strength seems to be much as it's always been.

Lorita - Darwin's situation makes me so sad for the both of them. I'm glad his kids are so good to them.

Speaking of gym, I was on my own today. I got in a couple of miles on the treadmill and then did some renegade rows, sit-ups, calf-raises, and chest presses. I'll be ready for boxing tomorrow.

Other than that, I've been adulting all day. I have my cataract appointment tomorrow afternoon. It's for the initial exam. I really want this done as soon as possible.

Carl46

I don't think I have ever tried Head Country sauce. I have used KC Masterpiece for many years, since it was new and sold only in Kansas City. I'm going to put HC on my shopping list right now. You have mentioned it before and I have wanted to try it but never think of it when I'm in the store. Tonight I ate garlic roast chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans. No sauce needed except pepper on the potatoes and beans.

We hit 93 degrees today with bright sun and a breeze, a record for this late in October. Rain is coming in tonight around one AM, with rain predicted off and on Wednesday and Thursday, and high temperatures in the 50s Friday. So, I'm going from AC to heat without even one day of nice "windows open" weather.

I'm sorry to hear about Darwin. I'm half in assisted living myself, with mail order meals, a housekeeper, and a lawn mowing service.

jfkoc

KC masterpiece…I like that one too.

Iris L.

Carl, I used to recycle paper and three types of plastics and metal and glass. Now I only recycle metal cans because I dont like to think of metal in landfills. Where I live it's hard to recycle because the recycle bins have been shuttered. As it is, I have to drive down to the waste management facility to recycle the cat food cans.

Good night.

Iris

harshedbuzz

Good morning all. Sunny and 64 at the moment with a little rain later. About the time I'll be running errands I'm sure.

Beth— A fashion channel for adult women? There's an idea. I sometimes see Face Book Reels, but they tend to be very niche and mostly aspirational or special occasion rather than daily wear. I have yet to nail a "French Tuck" without looking like a crazy person and earlier this week I read they're no longer a thing. It's hard to keep up.

Carl— Good on you for decluttering. I try to toss a couple things weekly, but it can be a challenge with DH and DS.

My mom bought a jar opener when we went to the kitchen store just before the Covid lock downs. It broke the first time she tried it— one arm snapped off and flew across the kitchen. Oops.

Lorita— How nice of Darwin's daughters to bring them by for a visit. I'm sure the move hasn't been easy on them either.

Mom's pulmo often suggests a second flu shot for my mom if the season drags on.

Iris— It's a shame you have to take additional steps to recycle. We have curbside here, but I suspect some of the loads are incinerated anyway. I've seen recycling trucks from my waste hauler heading into a trash to steam facility.

Gothic G— Good luck with your eye appointment.

Funny how much of that genre of music comes from Scandinavia. DS is a fan, with ear buds fortunately. He's one of the few people I know who can ace the IKEA or Death Metal Band Quiz.

______________________________________________________________

DH and I went to a Medicare options presentation hosted by his former employer. What a depressing business that was. In the past, the company had 2 options and you just picked one. Now they've replaced that with marketplace broker services instead and the options are confusing for those who've never had to do this before. And the prices— I expected higher, but yikes.

We saw and sat with 2 of DH's old bosses— a VP and the last area manager he reported to before he was promoted into the role. It's been a while and we barely recognized them. I'm sure the reverse was also true. Both of them have become caregivers to their wives— one wife is in a MCF with late-stage Alzheimer's and the other has gone legally blind from glaucoma and also has Parkinson's. So sad.

I need to hit Costco and a couple other places today. I hope all have a safe and pleasant one.

HB

Carl46

Good morning 🌞 We're having light rain after thunderstorms last night.

HB, I remember the French tuck being popular with high school boys one summer ca. 1964. A 30-ish woman told me it looked like I was ashamed of my bum ☺️ I think a person of a certain age should choose a style that suits them and stick with it, leaving "fashion" to the young.

Decluttering is hard, but I do a little at a time. Each item requires a decision (keep/sell/donate/recycle/trash). The main thing is to stop buying things I don't need. This is easier to do now that I am no longer married to a woman who loved to shop antique malls and flea markets, and who inherited a truckload of her parent's purchases. There is a rumor in the neighborhood that we used to own an antique store, based apparently on the amount of old stuff on display in our home. Out!

Lorita

Morning,.light rain here. Thanks, Sandy, I knew you would know the brand of the jar opener. Judith or any of you who have trouble opening jars or bottles should get one. Like I said, I use mine almost daily.

It was good to see Darwin and wife and the daughter. She lives about half an hour away from them so pretty.convenient. The other one who works at the VA will.probably go.visit him and spend the night with her sister.They take good care of their dad and step mom.

The daughter I saw yesterday ordered a new- fangled thing for them called.jubilee. The other daughter will set it up on their TVs so they can talk to them over the tv and see them. Also can check in on them. It connects through the tv, phone and internet, I think. What will they think of next!

Iris L.

Good morning.

The weather is perfect today, clear sky and warm temperature.

Here is my can opener, which I've had for decades, it was made in Vermont.

Iris

jfkoc

Still wicked weather here with gusts up to 60mph. More storms tomorrow…I have cancelled all mtgs and will enjoy being inside.

BethL

Good afternoon!

It was chilly here today; I had to put on a sweatshirt when I went outside. Right now it's 61 degrees with a feel like temp of 56 due to the wind. We may get a little rain again tomorrow. No gusts like yours today, Judith! 60 mph is not good but staying inside with a book, a laptop, a cup of tea, whatever you enjoy sounds cozy! I follow some Estes Park/Rocky Mountain National Park sites on FB. There was snow up in the higher elevations yesterday.

Today was busy with "life gym." In other words, a good workout/exercise with doing work here rather than going to the gym. My life gym exercise today consisted of working hard, for hours, in the garden. The first thing I did was transplant a veronica aka speedwell because it needed to be closer to the front of the garden since it is a short plant. Then I dug up some bee balm to share with a friend. I also cut back the rest of my zinnias - I took all of the good flowers inside and then removed the stems. Some I put in the compost and some in the yard waste (Metro Waste Authority here makes their own "Grow Gold" compost from our yard waste; you are not to put yard waste into the trash). I also cleaned out the plants from 4 large pots. Then, I received Jack in the Pulpits, Dutchmen's breeches, Trillium and Queen of the Prairie (it was an online order) and planted them. I had all of those growing at my other house and hope I have success with them here as well. Now I am tired!

Did anyone see Jeopardy yesterday? Final Jeopardy ended in a TIE for the win. I'd never seen that before. The tiebreaker was one more question and the first to answer correctly was the game winner.

HB, I still haven't found a fashion channel for older women that I like. I've looked at several. I will continue to see if I can find one. Of course, I don't have a great need to buy lots of clothing. I'm retired and the main places I go are the store, the gym, grandchildren's sporting and band events and church. I think I have all that I need for those. DH and I do enjoy going thrifting once in awhile and I've found quite a few blouses and leggings.

GG, I hope your eye appt goes well. How long will you have to stay away from exercising after surgery?

Lorita, I'm sorry that Darwin's condition has gone downhill. I wonder if he has kind of given up after having to move. The daughters sound like they are doing their best. It's hard.

Iris, are you getting rested up from your virus? When will you be traveling again?

Beth