Just need to talk to my friends (215)

Carl46 · February 4

I liked Three Dog Night, and I liked The Big Chill. It was the signature movie of the baby boom generation. My father in law very much disliked The Big Chill, as he and the rest of the generation that fought WWII disliked much about our generation. He and I got along well, though, probably because I supported and protected his daughter and grandsons. He used to say he had had five SILs, and still had one.

Lorita · February 4

.…and wear masks and stay away from people. I'm trying to help Sheena and Stormy. He's having problems with his back legs, too. At least she is eating but I can't understand the panting most of the time when she is awake.

Take it easy, Beth. Rest and drink fluids. When I was little and had s cold daddy would rub my neck and chest with Vicks and heat a hand towel and pin on me and put a sock around my neck. I Still do the sock thing.

Gotta go fill the water tank.

jfkoc · February 4

The constant pain could be from pain. Now that the weather is nice why not let the dogs stay outside for longer periods.

Lorita · February 4

She is on pain meds and still pants after taking it.. Could be her heart but doesn't labor when sleeping and even other times.

Both went outside when I went out and are still there. The steps are kind of steep - wish I had a long board for a ramp but doubt she would/could use it. I probably couldn't either.

Carl, what is Gen Z?

BethL · February 4

Lorita, so sorry about Sheena and Stormy's issues. I hope they can get pain relief.

Eagle, sorry you are so ill. I hope your DH stays well and that the two of you are able to manage what needs done in the house. So hard when you are sick.

JeriLynn, your vacation sounds wonderful. Enjoy!

GG, I am on the first week of using the machines under direction and help of two trainers. There are several of us "seniors" who meet on Mondays and Thursdays at 10:45 and do the workout set for us by the trainer. I like it so far. Using the machines is different for me; I was just using weights at home for specific routines. Tomorrow I will do the rower, hip abductor, hip adductor, shoulder press, lat pull down and ARC trainer. You have been keeping very busy with the gym, your blog and the continuing education classes!

Hello Judith, Mint, GoodLife, Zetta, Carl, HB, Iris and Ron.

Wishes for health and happiness to all.

Beth

Lorita · February 5

Both of the GPs are sleeping and then cats Mus be asleep because the house is quiet.

I thought of a couple of home remedies for colds when I was growing up. For a cold you took half an aspirin and a good pinch of soda every four hours; for a cough just a little pinch of salt to melt down your throat. They worked.

Carl46 · February 5

Lorita, it is my understanding that Generation Z is the first generation to grow up with internet and social media as integral parts of their lives. They were born between 1997 and 2012 and are now 14 - 29 years old.

I think the "generation" stuff began when Gertrude Stein called Ernest Hemingway and other people who were young adults during WWI the "lost generation." Then Ronald Reagan called his generation "the greatest generation" because they survived the Great Depression and WWII, and it went on from there.

Every generation thinks they invented sex, disregarding whatever their parents did to bring them into the world. History tells us there is nothing new in that department since 10,000 BC except the invention of the electric vibrator in the 19th Century, but the delusion persists.

I don't know what the generation born after 2012 is called, but I think they are very different from me. A three year old can turn on a computer and select his favorite application. When I was three, I made mud pies and ate them. 🤢

Lorita · February 5

Thanks, Carl you gave me a good out-loud laugh about making and eating mudpies. I also made them using a leaf in a jar lid as the crust.

Enjoyed our visit, Sandy. Be careful if you have to get out on the ice.

Good night,sleep tight.

Iris L. · February 5

Lorita have you thought about ordering a sturdy ramp for Sheena?

My ribs hurt on my left side, my right side feels fine. I dont know what happened to cause my left sided ribs to hurt.

Beth, are you aiming for a goal with your exercises at the gym?

Time for bed. Good night.

I forgot to mention that our temp reached 92 degrees in SoCal where I live. I wish I could sent some heat to melt all that snow!

Iris

GothicGremlin · February 5

I loved The Big Chill, and I absolutely loved the soundtrack. I don't remember the window coverings on the windows.

I'm still a boomer, but I'm nearer the tail end so while The Big Chill resonated with me, The Breakfast Club was a little closer to my experience. The soundtrack was not memorable except for Don't You (Forget About Me) - and with 407 million views on youtube, it's a crowd pleaser.

Beth - those are all great machines, I think you're going to like them. My very favorite machine at the gym is the lat machine. I love doing lat pulls. I don't know why, but it's an exercise that just feels good from start to finish. Keep us posted!

And yeah, this is one of those periods of time where my days are full. It'll calm down once my classes are done.

Carl - HA! About the mud pies. I didn't do that, but I do have a pretty vivid memory from age 3ish, when I locked my mom out of the apartment. I don't know why I wouldn't let her in, but I do remember hiding. The landlord let her in, and I got in trouble. 🙂

Iris - Peggy's friend D, who lives in L.A. told me the same about the heat today. I talked to her in the late afternoon and it was still 85 where she is. We got all the way up to 50 today in the PNW.

Tonight my s.o. and I went out aurora hunting. We ended up at Snoqualmie Point, and did see a faint aurora.

It's not terribly exciting, but check out the Big Dipper! It was super cold out, clear skies, and so many stars. Thankfully I prepared for the cold before we went out.

ronald71111 · February 5

Good morning

Ron

JeriLynn66 · February 5

Good morning. Up at 4 to enjoy coffee and quiet.

BethL · February 5

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/265305#Comment_265305

Beautiful photo! I love the skies, when there is something special to see. I used to see the International Space Station quite often - I have an app on my phone that is supposed to notify me when the ISS is flying over - unfortunately, the notifications have ceased to work. My sister and BIL recently went to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada to see the auroras. They are amazing there! I will post one of their pics later. Another place where they are frequently seen and amazing is the island of Svalbard, near the north pole. To see pics there you can go to Cecelia Blomdahl's YouTube channel. Thanks for sharing, GG.

harshedbuzz · February 5

Good morning all.

Eagle— I'm sorry about the cough. Ugh. That's not just exhausting it can get really sore. Last time I had the flu (Thanks DS) my doc gave me a steroid inhaler because nothing else was cutting it.

Jerilynn— I didn't realize you were beach camping. We used to beach camp with DS's scout troop at Assateague State Park and the National Seashore. The state park has hot showers for the win, but both are beautiful, wild and inhabited by the famous ponies. And nudists if you walk far enough north. Mom's summer place wasn't too far, so we typically went to the national park side and once happened on the nudists. Our scoutmaster did realize where the older boys had gone; DS had clued them in.

Carl— Funny how men of the previous generation tend to be vocal about how disappointing the current one is. My dad and I have had that quarrel about disposable marriages compared to his generation of husbands and wives who cheated. I'm the oldest of my generation on dad's side and he has a couple of cousins and a brother about 10 years younger who I ran into on dates with women other than their wives. So awkward.

My 2 favorite soundtracks are from The Big Chill and Forest Gump. Bothe great for a road trip playlist.

DS says the post 2012 to 2024 babies are Gen Alpha; he says they're absolutely feral. DS's a Gen Xer, so it's his turn to gripe. Mom's Silent Generation (so ironic) but skews Boomer as she graduated college in 1972. DH is straight up Boomer and I'm more Gen Jones.

Lorita— I've been told neutering might not change established behavior in a post-puberty male cat. The last cat I has that was done later than that (a nine months instead of 6) did calm down quite a bit but was feistier than others I've had done earlier. The other thing I hate to mention is that sometimes when a younger male cats is aggressive toward an older one (or younger kitten) it's because he recognizes the older one isn't as strong or is even sick. It's worth paying attention to. Mom's old cat used to pick on my kitten when mom would babysit; fast forward a decade and the roles were reversed. Cats!

Ron— I'm happy they're planning something to improve your pain and function. Do you know what sort of procedure you'll be having?

Mint— I don't think our snowcover is going anywhere soon. We only got about 8" but the top 3" are an ice glaze. And the plowed up chucks next to my driveway will likely be there through March unless we get some very warm weather.

Beth— I'm enjoying it so far. It's an area of Maine that is not unfamiliar to me although I've spent more time close to the coast just south of Bath. Mom's dad was a contractor who built miliatary housing there during WW II. The nurse who took care of me while waiting to go into surgery really loved the book, too. It was everything she could do not to spoil it.

____________________________________

Thanks for all the well wishes. I can't believe how much better I am doing this time than last. I haven't had anything but Tylenol for pain since the middle of the night but will pre-load something before I head to PT at 12:30. My operative leg is swollen and the calf hurts during certain exercises. I have no appetite but am getting around just fine.

I hope all have a great day.

HB

ronald71111 · February 5

HB, Best way for me to explain the surgery is let the surgeon tell it. Here is a copy of what is wrong and what he will do to fix it. I’m a little nervous, but possibility of paralysis makes having it done helped make up my mind.

At C3-4, there is central
canal stenosis with cord compression and bilateral foraminal stenoses with
compression of the right and left C4 nerves. At C4-5, there is central canal
stenosis with cord compression and bilateral foraminal stenoses with
compression of right and left C5 nerves. Patient has cervical radiculopathy
and myelopathy.

Patient is a candidate for ACDF C3-4 and C4-5 with hardware
removal. Discussed risks vs benefits of surgery. Patient understand, agrees,
and wishes to proceed.
Explanation is made of anterior cervical discectomy.
Anterior cervical discectomy involves making a small incision in the anterior
part of the neck to arrive at the anterior part of the spine beneath the
swallowing tubes and breathing tubes. Access to this area is provided by blunt
discectomy just medial to the great vessels in the neck. With the use of
microscopes the discs are removed. Any osteophytes present are drilled away
and removed with small instruments providing decompression of the nerves and
spinal cord. In areas of disc rupture and circumstances involving disc
ruptures, the herniated material is removed from its position in which it is
compromising the nerve roots.
Explanation of anterior cervical fusion or anterior cervical arthrodesis is
also given.
The cartilaginous end plates of the vertebral bodies are also removed. A cage
filled with the bone removed during surgery is inserted with restoration of
disk height. Over the course of the next several months, this portion of bone
will typically incorporate and develop a fusion between the two bones
involved.

Ron

jfkoc · February 5

HB…..thanks for the report

Breakfast Club. Yes, Another great movie.

Churchiill…also has Polar Bears…It remains on my bucket list.

Lorita…Amazon has a lot of dog ramps which was discussed when you were looking at new cars. They are made for Suvs as well as steps.

later…..

RIM · February 5

I’ve had what you are currently experiencing Eagle Mom. I was very physically run down in the beginning, the worst lasted about a week. The cough was the worst of the worst. Constantly coughing after 3 days gave me pain in the ribs, as you mention. I found when I would bend over, while sitting down, I could cough without the pain in the ribs. The pain in the ribs started after about three days, the pain went away, as if the rib muscles were conditioned and got stronger by the constant coughing, after a few days. Fortunately for me, I sleep with a CPAP mask and by breathing with the mask, I didn’t cough while I slept, so that made things a whole lot better, as laying down flat, without the CPAP breathing, made the cough all the worse. The worst went away in about a week, but the cough lingered for about 3 more weeks. I took Mucinex DM, then bought a generic Amazon brand which worked the same, while cheaper. I feel your pain. Fortunately it’s over, like it never happened.

Iris L. · February 5

Good morning.

GG your photo of the Big Dipper is wonderful! It should be a poster!

JeriLynn, your morning at the beach sounds so nice.

HB, I'm glad you're healing nicely.

Are the horses still swimming across the waters at Assateague? I watched a movie about them when I was a child, was it from Disney?

Lorita my neutered cats are still feisty but they dont spray, they dont fight and they don't wander looking for females in heat. All of which are wins!

Ron you have serious cervical issues. I'm glad the neurosurgeon has a plan for you. Will you have to wear a halo afterwards?

Judith, so you want to visit the polar bears? That would be quite an exciting adventure!

I hope the snow and ice are melting.

Iris

BethL · February 5

This pic was taken by my BIL in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. They do have polar bears but they are up farther north this time of year.

Cecelia Blomdahl (YouTuber who lives on Svalbard) has indicated that when you leave town you must be armed in case you "run into" a polar bear.

HB, glad you are doing so well.

Ron, best wishes on your upcoming surgery.

Lorita · February 5

Morning, beautiful day in Eastern Oklahoma, and tomorrow it will be 70.

Ron. The surgery sounds quite involved. Hope it works for you.

HB, glad you're home safe and sound and already on your way to recovery.

Loved the picture ,GG.

Looking at the ramps - would have to be pretty long and just don't know if she would be able to use one. She is really panting this morning and wants to be outside so she is laying in the sun now.

Iris, Max is eight or nine and thin. Sammy is maybe two and big and strong. Max is staying in bathroom and really eating now. For a long time I have been feeding them separately. But Sammy aggravates Lilly, his mom, sometimes, too, and Stormy.

Welcome to the front porch ,RIM. Sorry you're not well. Hope you improve soon.

Goodness, didn't realize it wss this late- been going through the mail I picked up this morning. Probably should get Sheena inside.

Carl46 · February 5

HB, your dad had a point. Why break up our homes and waste money on legal fees when we can just date each other's spouses? Glad your surgery and recovery are going well.

Beth and GG, those sky pix are beautiful! Polar bears are predators and do hunt humans, so having a rifle along would be a good idea. Or some Coca Cola to share 😉

Ron, it sounds like you definitely need the surgery. Neurosurgeons do this every day and I'm sure you'll feel a lot better after it's done, but I understand why you're nervous. No surgery is fun.

That generation gap probably goes back to the cave. I know Socrates complained about the idleness of young men of his day. They wanted to rely on reading instead of memorization, just as our youth want to use their phones to do math, look up sports scores, etc. Slackers!

jfkoc · February 5

Churchill/bears;

https://www.nathab.com/polar-bear-tours/classic-polar-bear-expedition?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Polar%20Bears&utm_term=churchill%20polar%20bears&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=222687482&gbraid=0AAAAAD_vUb4J4S8PcmH8HoyOOTDZPUlyp&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnJHMBhDAARIsABr7b86JBiJwiXvbsfemQllYSr1YRFIz5VFG7BW4TLD4tEf2oZ7qOQ-CR1IaApxeEALw_wcB

jfkoc · February 5

Lorita…https://www.nathab.com/polar-bear-tours/classic-polar-bear-expedition?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Polar%20Bears&utm_term=churchill%20polar%20bears&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=222687482&gbraid=0AAAAAD_vUb4J4S8PcmH8HoyOOTDZPUlyp&gclid=Cj0KCQiAnJHMBhDAARIsABr7b86JBiJwiXvbsfemQllYSr1YRFIz5VFG7BW4TLD4tEf2oZ7qOQ-CR1IaApxeEALw_wcB

If it does not work out you can return it.

jfkoc · February 5

This ramp is from Chewy

https://www.chewy.com/coziwow-aluminum-2-fold-design/dp/1430294

Mint · February 5

Good evening

GG not in the next week.

harshedbuzz · February 5

Ron— That sounds really promising for you. Thanks for taking the time to explain it.

Lorita— Where does Sheena need the ramp? To get onto the front porch and in the house or in the car? Given how much of an assist she is needing, you may need something longer to get a safe incline to get her onto a porch. We had a portable one for MIL when she lived with my BIL to get up 3 steps from the garage. It was kind of heavy but I suppose it might be OK to leave it set up.

___________________________________________________________________

PT today. It wore me out to the point I came home and napped.

HB

BethL · February 5

Judith, Natural Habitat Adventures is the tour company my BIL and sister went on. It was cold; he said -40; now, was that wind chill temp or actual temp? They had a wonderful time though.

50 degrees here today! So beautiful! I spent 8:30 - 11 exercising - first at my Fit for Life class at the library and then at the gym. Then I did a bit of garden work: stirring and adding to my (still kind of frozen) compost pile. And then to my church's Ladies' prayer group. Next is looking for some Valentine candy to send to my grands in TX. I was going to buy cards but hubby said, "They don't want cards! They want candy!" 🤣

Lorita · February 5

HB, both. I just don't know if a ramp would work unless it was a long incline.

Judith, I did find one on Chewy that's 71". I put it in my cart and WIll measure. She doesn't want to lift her back legs. I think I may take her to the vet tomorrow to see if Mike can figure out what is wrong. I want to do all I.can. Maybe I can lift her into the car since she has Lost so much weight. When we were there January 6 Sidney just picked her up easily and put her in. Of course she is taller and 60 years younger. If I can't, Darwin will help me.

It is so hard to make decisions by yourself so thank you all For your help. She is outside sleeping. She doesn't pant when she is outside so maybe the house is too hot but it doesn't seem to be for Stormy- in mid 60s.

.

ronald71111 · February 5

Finally home and hopefully no more phone calls today. After my cardiologist visit I am now scheduled for a echo and stress test next month. Blood pressure was up sitting, up even more when standing and even higher lying down.

I’ve been in Springfield so much lately for Dr visits and test I should just move. Might just stay in bed all day tomorrow! LOL

Ron

jfkoc · February 6

Ron…a day resting sounds about right

Lorita….what is the temp inside your house? I am hot if my house is ove 72 degrees. You lifting her into the car sounds like a bad idea. Darwin sounds like a bad idea too since he has not been well.

Just need to talk to my friends (215)