Just need to talk to my friends (212)
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Morning all.
HB I'm sorry about your mom, I'm so glad you were on top of it. Hopefully she'll spring back quickly.
Iris is the trip is to NYC 2026? Sign up and purchase travel insurance. That way if you want to go your set, if for some reason you don't want to go you have the travel insurance to fall back on. It's just a thought.
We're to have bad weather this evening and tomorrow. I don't mind rain, just keep the hail away.
I hope everyone can have a relaxing day. Let's be safe.
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Please do not use mothballs!!!!!
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Why? The guys at the dealership had even put a packet of them under the hood. I know it says they can be toxic but I will Keep a window down.
Darwin just called. He went to town and about 3/4 mile from home he saw a bum, homeless person by the side of the road. He had started a fire in the leaves around some trees, to get warm probably. It was cool and foggy. There was a meadow with lots of bales closeby. Darwin stopped and put out the fite, got the man, about 25 years his junior. In his PU and took him about six miles, close to the highway and told him to get out. He said they didn't talk.
He knew he had to get the fire out and get him away from here. Didn't have his gun with him. He says he sleeps with a .22 under his pillow. None in his PU. He used to carry a rifle in his tractor. Mine is in the bathroom about six feet away from the.bedroom. Guess I will Begin carrying one in the car or PU. Darwin is 86, about 5'6" and 150 but he is strong and determined.
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Iris…it sounds like where Lorita lives is mor dangerous than NYC!
Lorita …google moth balls and rats…toxic and not very effective
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Good morning even though it's afternoon. I got a late start today.
I've read that fires started by homeless people are 25% of the fires that the fire department have to put out. Good for Darwin in spotting the fire and doing something about it.
Every area can be dangerous in its own way. The husband of my brother's coworker was thrown onto the subway tracks in front of a coming train and was killed instantly. One never knows where the threat comes from.
I think I will sign up for the trip to NY, because I do want to visit with my brother and perhaps a few other people. I'll get the travel insurance and just wait to see what's happening in NY. I already told my brother he can move in with me if the stuff hits the fan in NY.
HB, have you thought of installing a camera for your mom, or checking in with her via FaceTime? It seems she has had a few close calls.
I managed to lose 10 pounds of my 30 pounds weight loss journey, Yea! I hope to lose some more before Christmas.
Iris
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Hello Front Porch Friends.
Lorita. What a brave thing Darwin, did also a very dangerous thing , we all know what could have happened to him. That's scary, your GPs will scare anybody away. Sorry to hear about the calf, I hope the mama is ok today. Did you get your powdered donuts off the porch. They are also my favorites. I get the little bag so I don't eat many, then I eat the whole bag.
HB. I'm glad you noticed your mom was having some issues. I hope her hospital stay was short, and she is feeling better. She's lucky you keep a eye on her.
Iris. That was very nice of you offering your brother a place to stay if needed. It would be good for both of you. Im sure you will enjoy taking the trip to NY. When I go to airports by myself I ask for a wheelchair and a transporter. Not that I need either one, but the walk at the airports is pretty far. I also use them when I land. They will take you right to the person picking you up. They don't charge for this, but I tip them well.
I have been by myself this weekend, the kids flew into Portland Oregon, for a work convention. They will be home in a few hours. Taking care of 2 dogs and 3 cats keeps me pretty busy. Especially when one has to go out at 2am.
Tigersmom. It was very nice hearing from you. I know how busy life gets, at times i'm just too tired to post. I try to keep up with the postings.
Hugs to all. Zetta
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Gotta try something, Judith. I bought a gallon of rodent control and will spray it under and around the car and PU after the ground dries after the rain. It should be close to you by.now.
Got another carbon monoxide alarm to plug in near the stove and will have another in the bedroom. We have never really worried about that. The stove is vent free and has a thermostat. I do not leave it on at night or when I leave for very long. Guess I may, or may not, leave on the pilot light. Jeremy, plumber, says to do so.
We can't. Figure how why or how the msn was way out here. We're three miles from the highway West of us and seven from the one east of us. Mike says peopl e are.breaking into vacant houses like the one across from the MH which is also vacant. Toad has found someone in the house cooking dope last year and ran him off. I do keep my doors locked when I'm home.but not when I leave but the GPs are in the yard then..
Iris, the cows around here are mostly inseminated naturally. There are two or three bulls here. Some people do use AI though probably if they don't want to go to the expense of buying a bull if they only have a few head. When Casper died Mike brought Ferdinand over for us until Jasper got old enough to take over.
Eagle,.how about that Chiefs' game? Didn't think they were going to make it.
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Hi folks, here I am, everyday reader but a very seldom poster. Life here is very mundane. I only see my son and daughter in law. In an effort to meet new people, they had an open house to meet and greet everyone in our surrounding area. They put flyers in all the mailboxes. Approximately 24 people were here. It was so nice to realize that I haven’t lost the art of conversation. That was one day and we haven’t heard from anyone since. Oh well.
I’ve been suffering with sciatica for 3 weeks and have noticed weakness in my legs. I fell and now it feels like broken glass in my lower back. I had spinal fusion years ago and was actually scheduled for surgery 5 years ago but due to Covid, the surgery was canceled 4 times . I finally came to the conclusion that I shouldn’t have surgery. Now I think I should have had it. Sorry for the complaining, I’m just feeling sorry for myself and I’m trying not to complain to my son.
Thanks for listening. Even though I don’t post, I truly care for each and everyone on Lorita’s porch. Have a good night.
Sandy
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Iris, I think I found the ten pounds you lost. Let me know if you want it back 😁
What I have read about moth balls under the hood is, you have to take them out before you drive and put them back in when you have been home long enough for the engine to cool. I think the engine heat would vaporize them and poison you, plus then your moth balls would be gone and you would need a new batch, assuming you didn't die from the vapors.
Sounds like Darwin's doing the Sheriff's job. There are more homeless people every day as the failing economy forces people out of their homes. That poor guy didn't even know how to build a campfire - leaves are the worst fuel, all smoke and no heat or light to speak of.
Artificial insemination is gross. It requires an arm-length rubber glove. I'll just leave it at that. However, there was a story in Reader's Digest many years ago about a girl who raised a calf as a 4H project. When it was time to breed the heifer and the inseminator arrived, the girl was crying because she didn't want the calf to look like him 😲
Those crime rate statistics don't tell the whole story. Springfield MO is high on the list but is actually quite safe for people who aren't involved in the drug traffic, bar fights, and domestic abuse.
HB, I hope your mother is well soon. You, too, Ron. New women are flocking to our table and I need some help.
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Sandy, I'm sorry you are in pain and isolated. I'll pray for you to feel better.
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So, Carl, I should take them out from under the hood .before I drive it very far?. I have two packets under the hoof, one on each corner by the fire wall taped in.
Sandy, hope you're not asleep yet. Answer your phone?
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That's what I got from my reading, that we shouldn't drive with the moth balls under the hood. I know they slowly evaporate in a closet, so it makes sense they would rapidly evaporate in a hot place. And you can cook on a car engine. Also, moth balls are flammable so the fumes could ignite and cause a car fire, even with the windows open.
I saw "Wicked - for Good" the other day. It was pretty good. I had thought Ariana Grande was a Starbucks coffee, but no. Her costar would be a pretty woman too if she would lose the nose ring. Speaking of AG, I saw on the news that she has Covid. Glad I got my shots. I won't be seeing her, but I'm around plenty of other people.
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We made it back home, all safe and sound. It was a great trip. Our early thanksgiving was very nice, with most people showing up. Only a few didn't make it - including my brother. I'd say there were probably 35 people there, so yeah, a good crowd. All of our other plans worked out well too, like I said, my dance card was full. 🙂
My former neighbor V is doing okaaaaay. His Alzheimer's is progressing slowly, thank goodness, and he seemed perkier than the last couple of times I've seen him. We took him out to lunch for his birthday and he put jam on his french fries instead of ketchup, but then quickly recovered. So there's that.
HB - I'm sorry to hear about your mom. Any idea how long she's going to be hospitalized?
Hey there tigersmom - it's good to hear from you.
It's hard to recycle things in San Francisco too, it's much easier where I currently live, but I hear you about the hassle.
I'm not vegan either, but if it's an option, I'll go that route. I very occasionally shop at Trader Joe's - my issue is that there isn't one close to me. That's usually the case with that store, otherwise I would shop there.
Iris - I would contemplate going to Antarctica. It seems like such a strange place and I'm curious about it. But yeah, one doesn't just go there, you have to plan for that one. When I travel I only do carry on, I'm not sure I could manage Antarctica with only carry on …..
And congrats on the 10lbs!!!
Zetta - And I just drove through Portland today. 🙂
Sandy - I'm sorry about the sciatica. I know it's painful, my dad had it, and it was pretty hard for him.
Carl - I haven't seen the movies, but I read the book (Wicked). It was a good read.
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Good morning
Sandy hope you get to feeling better
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Good morning
Ron
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Good morning. It's still dark and frosty on my end of the porch this morning.
Eaglemom— It must do your heart good to see the treatments helping you DH's neck situation gien the time and effort you're both putting in to it.
Iris— NYC today is a very different place than it was in 1970s and 1980s. The more touristy areas have been "cleaned up" and are probably as safe as anywhere in the country if perhaps not as authentic and experience. (I'm looking at you Times Sq.)
At this point in time, I would not install cameras in mom's house. It would be a violation of her privacy. She has the capacity to have made the decision to accept the risks of living independently vs AL for now. I do see her in person at least twice a week and changes in her health issues, especially heart/lung stuff, are very apparent even over a daily phone call. It's why I dropped in on Friday— I didn't like how she sounded.
Judith— Those stats are pre-COVID and numbers are actually down around violent crime which is incredible given that there are more people than guns in the country. I think, too, that in urban areas especially statistics by zip code or even neighborhoods are more meaningful than blanket NYC numbers.
Mint— Your experience with sepsis is what my friend described. He also said that many had told him of surviving it which he is finding very hard to hear. I recall you describing how very sick you were. It must've terrifying for you and your family.
Sandy— I am sorry for your back pain. That is a very miserable place to be. Would the surgery still be an option for you?
Lorita— Wow, on Darwin. That seems a very dangerous approach to an unhoused person. Does your county not have an office handling services and supports for the homeless at all? This could have ended tragically for him and Donna. This is something best left to trained professionals.
Carl— Ah the rubber gloves. There's a chapter in one of James Herriot's books titled The Bull in the Bowler Hat that describes his first attempt at the procedure that is LOL-funny.
Gothic G— I'm glad your friend seems to be doing as well as he is.
It's hard to believe you don't have a Trader Joe closer. We don't either. I have to drive to NJ to shop there which means it doesn't happen very often.
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Mom's holding her own. She mostly seemed emotionally OK. The TV in the first room wasn't working so they moved her to a different room with a window that overlooks the park. The sunset was beautiful last night.
There are glitches with her medications— not just the usual meds missing because they're not a formulary item. In the past, I'd bring them in their original bottles and the pharmacy would vet and dispense, but that's not possible with the pill packets— each dose has to be ordered and verified each time which is slow to happen. They aren't doing a whole lot of testing. They did do routine bloodwork and imaging in the ED but not much since. They only did the URI swab yesterday which seems negligent given she'll likely have a shared room most of her stay to say nothing of the staff.
Plus, her hospitalist is holding her oral Keflex which has her very upset. She had a lovely and patient RN yesterday and I was able to talk with her about it— they're giving an IV antibiotic (Rocephin) instead. Both are cephalosporins so she's covered. But she didn't understand that and the nurse didn't understand her anxiety. She also getting a Z-pack.
I'm not sure how long she'll be hospitalized. The hospitalist was quicker to engage the pulmonology group and she's not presenting as ill— just short-of-breath. I ran into one of my nurse buddies at the bar last night (DH and I slipped out for an early dinner and some football) and she wondered if maybe the sudden change to cold weather was a trigger for this. Her X-rays do show some changes to her lungs. Her lungs look pretty awful as her "normal".
I hope all have a safe day out there.
HB1 -
It's 3:30 and I haven't been able to fall asleep. I got up twice for the bathroom, then finally decided to get out of bed and come here to the kitchen. I'm wide awake!
Nooo Carl, I don't want those 10 lbs back! It's been especially hard because on each of my trips last year I managed to gain 10 lbs, so I had been losing the same 10 lbs over and over again. I finally got below my baseline. I want to blame it on my aunt. She said when on vacation you're supposed to eat whatever you want, and so I did. But that's not wise. I had to pay for my dietary lapses. Now that I have become diabetic, I have to be more mindful of and more disciplined about what goes into my mouth.
I saw the movie Wicked on one of my airplane flights. It was okay. I discovered that my local movie theater has been showing classic movies one Tuesday each month for $5, and The Wizard of Oz was featured, but I missed it.
At the senior center I attend, the men congregate around the pool table. I'm not there for lunch so I don't know if the men have tables of women. 😀
Regarding crime in cities, in just about all American cities, people are in cars. In NYC, people walk in the streets and in the subway and on buses, so they are more accessible targets than in most cities. I'm going to sign up for the trip and see what transpires over the next months.
Zetta, do you enjoy having the house to yourself at times, just you and the fur babies? I know I do.
For my last trips I have requested wheelchair service. Yes, the walk from the terminal to the gate can be long.
It's nice to hear from you again Sandy. I'm sorry you're dealing with sciatica. I hope you can get some relief soon. I used a TENS unit years ago and it helped me a bit.
It was nice that so many neighbors showed up for the open house. But I understand what you mean about no followup. I was the recreation director at my condo years ago and I held many social activities, but nowadays there is absolutely no socializing among the neighbors. I have no desire to initiate activities myself. I plan on spending more time at the senior center. Would you be interested in attending a senior center? Can you get out?
GG, I'm glad you had a nice early Thanksgiving gathering and got to see so many of your friends. It's nice that you were able to see your friend with AD in person, so you could see how he's doing, and that he could converse with you. I'm sure he enjoyed that.
Lorita, when my mother used mothballs they were not in a packet, but scattered among the clothing in the cedar chest. But Carl raises an important point, if they are flammible they should not be near the engine.
It's 4:30 now, and I'm still wide awake. Well, I'll just stay out here in the kitchen and listen to the radio, Christian music is still on.
Iris
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Apparently Wicked for Good is not the same Wicked movie that I saw on my flight. I just heard on the radio that it premiered this weekend.
Iris
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Morning, I slept until 3:30 when Sheena awakened me pantng. She went back to sleep but I couldn't - Just dozed. Must have slept on my side because Costo was, and is bothering me.It wasn't raining around 3:30 but began half an hour ago. Got up and fed the cats, got my juice and let Stormy out. Girls are headed for the barn which indicates this is more than a passing shower. Hearing thunder now. Looks muddy out there. Had planned to go get my Flu shot today but won't brave the roads.
Good for you on the pounds lost, Iris. Doesn't it feel good to step on the scales and see that lower.number?
HB, not sure what resources our County has for the homeless. We don't have any big towns just a couple of about 3,000 so I doubt there is anything. Darwin is in a different County, across the road from me. This guy was in his County and I imagine there is something there. Largest town there has about 36,000 population so they probably do. His intent was just to get him away from this area. He did say the man only said three words to him. He thinks he wasn't quite right.
Sandy, I hope you were able to rest last night and feel a.bit better. We will talk later to see what your doctor said.
Back later.
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Eagle, Lorita, I know you are Chiefs fans. I see it was an OT game, won by a Harrison Butker field goal. Butker is so clutch. I've never seen him miss.
Iowa State University has a wonderful kicker. His name is Kyle Konrardy and this year he has made 3 FGs of greater than 50 yards this year. He has won two games that I know of with 54 yard FGs.
I hope you all have a great week.
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So here is the rat delima….you have to run the car long enough to keep the battery charged v the toxicity of the deterrant (sp)
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Going to take moth balls out and put in cedar blocks I read if you put moh balls in the sun they will evaporate in 30 minute and are flammable. Guess I could leave them in until I drive. Darn rats anyway.
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will the cedar blocks catch on fire???
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"Eat what you want" on vacation works if you're spending your days paddling a canoe or hiking with a pack, not so much on a cruise ship or hotel. On the latter trips, we just have to remember "A moment on the lips, forever on the hips; a moment in the glass, forever on the . . ." As they say, "Travel is broadening."
I saw Wicked for Good last Tuesday, November 18, in Springfield MO. I don't know when it premiered, but I would guess it was the weekend of Nov 15-16.
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I wouldn't think so - they won't be on the motor. Travel is broadening-in more ways than one, Carl. Funny!
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I have watch cows!! I was in the bedroom watching the news and heard the girls begin to bawl. They got louder and louder. Looked out the bedroom window to see if they were feeding.but they weren't. Went in the LR to look out North of the.house and someone was banging on the door. It was Darwin and the girls were.bawling because they heard his PU!
He couldn't get his phone to work so came to see if I could. Plugged it in to charge .kept fiddling with it and finally it worked. Tried calling mine and it seemed okay. Hr.couldn't get it to work and got panicky. His phone and mine are the only way to get help if needed. I bought another one just in case but haven't activated it. I will tomorrow.
I watched until I thought he was home and called.him. He was on the back porch and said Donna had him locked out but she came to the door and let him in. Their house is right by the road so glad she locks the door when he leaves.
Guess Stormy didn't hear the driveway alarm but we heard it when he left. So, I have 80 head of watch.cows and two watch dogs. I feel safe. Going to watch tv a while and go to sleep soon. Good.night.
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Here’s my update Lorita , sorry can’t get old to work today. I spent 10 hours in the emergency room. I had a MRI. The results show another vertebrae fracture. I was fitted with a brace that I probably won’t wear but I’m home and exhausted. I’ll try to post another day. Thanks for the kind words.
Sandy1 -
Good to hear your voice, Sandy. You sounded tired and know you are after such a long day. Hope you can rest tonight. Have your son get that grabber for you because you don't need to reaching for anything. Will talk with you soon.
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HB - dark and frosty - sounds familiar.
It's nice to have a friend who's a nurse who you can talk to. I was always so happy when Peggy's friend D (part of Team Peggy) would fill me in on all the things I didn't even know to ask. She was (and is) a godsend.
And yeah, what is it about Trader Joe stores? They always seem to be in out-of-the way places.
Iris - I'm sorry you were up in the middle of the night! That's a bummer. I hope you get good sleep tonight.
Lorita and Judith - I'm totally afraid to use moth balls now.
Lorita - watch cows!!!! I love it.
Did you ever read Gary Larson's comic strips? I think he was mostly around in the 1980s. He often used farm animals as characters. There was this one strip I remember with cows - I was going to try to describe it - but I found it online - along with a few other cow comics. Here ya go, I hope you enjoy!! Cows In A Field is near the bottom of the article. Gary Larson's 10 Funniest Far Side Comics About Cows.
As for me, today was catch-up. I went into the gym for some strength training and boxing, then home and laundry.
Karyn and I are about to do some editing on the blog which will be good. I've added more photos to the posts and am about to add more.
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Watch cows, that's great!
HB, how's your mom doing?
I watched a very enlightening movie based in Oklahoma, Sarah's Oil, about a Black American girl who drilled for oil on her property and how scoundrels tried to steal it from her, even tried to kill her. It's based on a true story. If you like historical films, this is a good one!
I still feel wide awake even though I didn't sleep last night. I'm going to bed now anyway. Good night.
Iris
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Commonly Used Abbreviations
DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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