We slept late this morning, finally dragging out of bed around 8 a.m. I hit the treadmill after breakfast, and by the time I was ready for the day, it was nearly 11 a.m. Mother came over, and we all went to the WDCS, where we shopped for incidentals and groceries. Mother doesn't shop very often, so she had quite a list of things she needed to pick up. Usually, she sends her list with us, but occasionally she feels that she needs to do her own shopping so she can use accumulated discount coupons, read labels, and compare prices of the products she wants.
Since we didn't get back home until around 1:30 p.m., lunch was delayed until about 2 p.m. Hubbie and I ate our lunch in the den, so we could watch our favorite college team play football (I'd recorded the game on DVR). We knew our young team would likely lose, and they did, by a wider margin than we feared. But this week, they at least made some very nice plays and showed much improvement from last week's dismal and downright embarrassing effort.
This evening, we went over to the college to see a community theater production of "Jekyll and Hyde." The actors did a good job with their parts, but as usual, we had difficulty hearing some of them, partly because the theater has poor acoustics, and partly because the actors' voices didn't project. The Jekyll/Hyde actor, though, was appropriately thunderous and dramatic. However, the set flats were a bit wobbly, particularly when Mr. Jekyll attempted to enter or exit the door from the drawing room to the lab.
The audience was scant tonight, but those of us who were there appreciated the effort the actors and production staff put into the play. Hubbie and I were involved in several productions years ago, so we know how much work is involved to mount a show on the limited budget that a community theater group can scrape up.
After we got home from the play, I made a recipe of hot chocolate from scratch. I used dark cocoa, Splenda sugar, and skim milk, and topped the hot drink with miniature marshmallows, which tasted better than the fat-free mixes in envelopes that use dry milk and regular sugar.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
Friday
The pool was reasonably warm this morning, but I got chilled by the end of the session...probably an effect of the flu shot yesterday. It took me a while to thaw out under a hot shower, and then I felt drowsy.
We were told this morning to hold off on going to water aerobics 30 minutes earlier next week, because there was a decline in the number of lap swimmers this week, with only one of them showing up today. I'm hoping that we'll ultimately keep to our current time, because I don't want to have to get up a half hour earlier in the winter months. Judging by the conversation in the dressing room this morning, several others agree with me.
The rest of the morning after I got home from water aerobics was uneventful. I didn't have my day planned very well, so when Mother came over after lunch, we decided to sit down to a movie I'd recorded on the DVR...William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." This modernized version of the play (aimed at a teenage audience) was filmed in 1996, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.
We almost gave up on the movie after a few minutes of the raucous opening scenes, when Montague and Capulet "gang members" warred in the streets of "Verona Beach" California. We stuck with it, though, and enjoyed most of it, even if it took liberties with the traditional play, not only with costumes and settings (the name of one store was "The Merchant of Venice"), but also with some of the speeches. The Shakesperean language was left mainly intact, however, and the death scene was still a tear-jerker (even though Juliet commits suicide with a gun). We still prefer the traditional version of the play.
This evening, we debated our options of going to a lecture at the college by a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima and her second-generation survivor translator, going to a $2 movie at the historic theater downtown, or attending a performance by the local theater group of the play, "Jekyll and Hyde." But since I still felt blah after supper, we decided to just relax at home and watch a couple of new one-hour shows on TV, to see if we'll want to continue with those series.
We were told this morning to hold off on going to water aerobics 30 minutes earlier next week, because there was a decline in the number of lap swimmers this week, with only one of them showing up today. I'm hoping that we'll ultimately keep to our current time, because I don't want to have to get up a half hour earlier in the winter months. Judging by the conversation in the dressing room this morning, several others agree with me.
The rest of the morning after I got home from water aerobics was uneventful. I didn't have my day planned very well, so when Mother came over after lunch, we decided to sit down to a movie I'd recorded on the DVR...William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." This modernized version of the play (aimed at a teenage audience) was filmed in 1996, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.
We almost gave up on the movie after a few minutes of the raucous opening scenes, when Montague and Capulet "gang members" warred in the streets of "Verona Beach" California. We stuck with it, though, and enjoyed most of it, even if it took liberties with the traditional play, not only with costumes and settings (the name of one store was "The Merchant of Venice"), but also with some of the speeches. The Shakesperean language was left mainly intact, however, and the death scene was still a tear-jerker (even though Juliet commits suicide with a gun). We still prefer the traditional version of the play.
This evening, we debated our options of going to a lecture at the college by a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima and her second-generation survivor translator, going to a $2 movie at the historic theater downtown, or attending a performance by the local theater group of the play, "Jekyll and Hyde." But since I still felt blah after supper, we decided to just relax at home and watch a couple of new one-hour shows on TV, to see if we'll want to continue with those series.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Thursday - Flu Shots
For the first time since early last spring, I turned the heater on in the van for my trip to Cardiac Rehab. I also wore a denim jacket on this brisk, 45-degree morning. By the end of the session at 10 a.m., though, I was warm from exercising, and the van, parked with windows rolled up in a sunny parking space, seemed hot, so I turned on the air conditioner for the ride home.
Nothing of note happened either at Cardiac Rehab or at home this morning. After lunch, the three of us went to the doctor's office to get flu vaccines. We teased the nurse about Mother getting two flu shots last year, instead of a flu and a pneumonia shot. The nurse today wasn't the same one who made the mistake last year, but she certainly remembered the incident (which I'm sure was the talk of the clinic at the time), saying that was the only time the mistake has ever been made. I'm sure steps were taken afterward to assure that such a mistake would not be repeated. Fortunately, Mother suffered no real ill effects from a double dose of the vaccine, other than feeling a little blah the next day.
Several older folks that I'm acquainted with refuse to be vaccinated against the flu, because they swear that after they were vaccinated they got the worst case of the illness that they've ever suffered. I mentioned this to the nurse today, and she said that in years past, the vaccine was made from a live virus, which might have caused folks to contract the flu. But now the vaccine is made from killed virus, so that it is not possible to catch the flu from it.
A TV news channel report about the vaccine says this about catching the flu from the vaccine: This is probably the biggest myth surrounding the flu shot. The truth is you cannot get the flu from the vaccine. The injectable vaccine is made of inactivated viruses, so it is impossible to get the flu from the vaccine. The most common side effect is mild soreness or redness at the injection site, headache, low-grade fever, or a runny nose for a day after receiving the vaccine.
A childrens' hospital says: A common myth about the flu shot is that it can actually cause the flu. But the flu shot used in the United States is made from killed influenza viruses, which means that it's impossible to catch the flu by receiving it. However, because the nasal spray flu vaccine is made from live viruses, it may cause mild flu-like symptoms, including runny nose, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, and fever.
Other website information about flu vaccines: Myth: The side effects of the flu shot are worse than the flu. Fact: Most people experience little or no side effects, and the influenza vaccine usually produces no increase in systemic side effects or disability in the elderly. Symptoms attributed by patients to a recent influenza vaccine are likely secondary to coincidental illness coupled with heightened somatic awareness following vaccination. If an individual does experience flu-like side effects, the duration is short (usually no longer than 24-48 hours) whereas influenza can hang on for 10 days or more and may leave a person debilitated for a longer time. Moreover, a true case of influenza always leaves open the possibility of chronic complications (such as pneumonia) and even death.
Myth: getting an influenza shot every year weakens your immune system. Fact: The vaccine prepares and boosts your immune system to help you fight the virus if you contract it. People who get the influenza shot each year are better protected against influenza than those who do not get vaccinated.
Nothing of note happened either at Cardiac Rehab or at home this morning. After lunch, the three of us went to the doctor's office to get flu vaccines. We teased the nurse about Mother getting two flu shots last year, instead of a flu and a pneumonia shot. The nurse today wasn't the same one who made the mistake last year, but she certainly remembered the incident (which I'm sure was the talk of the clinic at the time), saying that was the only time the mistake has ever been made. I'm sure steps were taken afterward to assure that such a mistake would not be repeated. Fortunately, Mother suffered no real ill effects from a double dose of the vaccine, other than feeling a little blah the next day.
Several older folks that I'm acquainted with refuse to be vaccinated against the flu, because they swear that after they were vaccinated they got the worst case of the illness that they've ever suffered. I mentioned this to the nurse today, and she said that in years past, the vaccine was made from a live virus, which might have caused folks to contract the flu. But now the vaccine is made from killed virus, so that it is not possible to catch the flu from it.
A TV news channel report about the vaccine says this about catching the flu from the vaccine: This is probably the biggest myth surrounding the flu shot. The truth is you cannot get the flu from the vaccine. The injectable vaccine is made of inactivated viruses, so it is impossible to get the flu from the vaccine. The most common side effect is mild soreness or redness at the injection site, headache, low-grade fever, or a runny nose for a day after receiving the vaccine.
A childrens' hospital says: A common myth about the flu shot is that it can actually cause the flu. But the flu shot used in the United States is made from killed influenza viruses, which means that it's impossible to catch the flu by receiving it. However, because the nasal spray flu vaccine is made from live viruses, it may cause mild flu-like symptoms, including runny nose, headache, vomiting, muscle aches, and fever.
Other website information about flu vaccines: Myth: The side effects of the flu shot are worse than the flu. Fact: Most people experience little or no side effects, and the influenza vaccine usually produces no increase in systemic side effects or disability in the elderly. Symptoms attributed by patients to a recent influenza vaccine are likely secondary to coincidental illness coupled with heightened somatic awareness following vaccination. If an individual does experience flu-like side effects, the duration is short (usually no longer than 24-48 hours) whereas influenza can hang on for 10 days or more and may leave a person debilitated for a longer time. Moreover, a true case of influenza always leaves open the possibility of chronic complications (such as pneumonia) and even death.
Myth: getting an influenza shot every year weakens your immune system. Fact: The vaccine prepares and boosts your immune system to help you fight the virus if you contract it. People who get the influenza shot each year are better protected against influenza than those who do not get vaccinated.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tuesday and Wednesday
Started Tuesday with Cardiac Rehab, as usual, on my countdown to completing that program. Tuesday is education day, and although I wasn't obligated to listen in, I did anyway. The session was about medications, with warnings not to give anyone else our meds, or take meds prescribed for others (I wouldn't dream of doing a dangerous thing like that).
Some among us are struggling to pay for very expensive heart medications, so the nurse emphasized that there are programs that can either help with prescription payments, or that provide free medications to qualified applicants. She went online to check out one such program, which has also been advertised on television: "Partnership for Prescription Assistance," at http://www.pparx.org/. Or folks can call 1-888-477-2669 for more information about patient eligibility.
I learned that I could send for a prescription card from Lipitor that can save me at least $15 each month toward my co-pay on that medication, so I went online at http://www.lipitor.com/ and signed up. In four to six weeks, I'll receive a card (like a credit card) to take to my pharmacy for the discount. Doctors' offices also have pamphlets with the information, which are usually on display in the exam rooms. The information says patients can get this discount up to 12 times a year. But the offer expires 12-31-08. I don't know if this means that the offer to sign up for the co-pay card expires on that date, but can be renewed in the new year, or if it just completely expires at that time.
Pfizer, the maker of Lipitor and other drugs, has a telephone number for those who are uninsured: 1-866-706-2400, where patient assistance information can be obtained. Patients can get savings on Pfizer meds, regardless of age or income, and there are free meds for people with limited incomes who qualify.
For a change, we didn't run errands after I got back from Cardiac Rehab yesterday. Instead, we did this-and-that around the house. One thing I did was make a congratulations card for Granddaughter, who is graduating from Army basic training on October 10. Then I selected photos I'd snapped last Sunday at the family gathering to use in making scrapbook pages at our next meeting in a couple of weeks. Beyond that, the rest of the day was occupied with household tasks.
Last night our evening's entertainment was two episodes of "Dancing with the Stars." We didn't watch this show for the first few years, because Hubbie didn't know how to dance and couldn't appreciate seeing others do it. Now that he's taken ballroom dancing lessons, he's enthusiastic about watching the show.
Today was water aerobics day and surprise, surprise, the water was warm! It felt wonderful, especially since it was a chilly morning for traveling to the pool, and the dressing room is always br-r-r.
I was excited this morning to receive my signed copy of a mystery/suspense novel, written by one of the water aerobics members, which was published recently by Amazon. Others who have read it have stated that it is a real page-turner, so I'm anxious to read it. Mine is a complimentary copy, in payment for portrait photos I did of the author for her promotional materials.
After I got home and dressed for the day, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the post office, to the bank, to the pharmacy, to the cable company office, and finally to the WDCS for incidentals and groceries. We wouldn't have to run errands together, except he has business at some places, and I have business at others, and in the interest of saving gasoline, we combine our trips.
Back home, Hubbie went out to prepare one of the raised gardens so that Mother can plant a second crop of lettuce, and maybe some fall beans. There are still banana peppers growing in one of the raised beds, and our volunteer "crop" of butternut squash (growing out of the compost heap) is coming along nicely, with a dozen or so squashes maturing on vines that are meandering out into the yard. We hope they ripen before first frost. Tonight for supper we are baking the one squash that has so far fully matured to go along with steamed new potatoes, boiled cabbage, and corn-on-the-cob.
This afternoon, I called our doctor's office to make appointments for the three of us to get flu shots tomorrow afternoon. It takes a couple of weeks for the shots to become effective, and I want us to be protected when we go to Branson at the end of the month, where we'll be in close group contact at shows.
Some among us are struggling to pay for very expensive heart medications, so the nurse emphasized that there are programs that can either help with prescription payments, or that provide free medications to qualified applicants. She went online to check out one such program, which has also been advertised on television: "Partnership for Prescription Assistance," at http://www.pparx.org/. Or folks can call 1-888-477-2669 for more information about patient eligibility.
I learned that I could send for a prescription card from Lipitor that can save me at least $15 each month toward my co-pay on that medication, so I went online at http://www.lipitor.com/ and signed up. In four to six weeks, I'll receive a card (like a credit card) to take to my pharmacy for the discount. Doctors' offices also have pamphlets with the information, which are usually on display in the exam rooms. The information says patients can get this discount up to 12 times a year. But the offer expires 12-31-08. I don't know if this means that the offer to sign up for the co-pay card expires on that date, but can be renewed in the new year, or if it just completely expires at that time.
Pfizer, the maker of Lipitor and other drugs, has a telephone number for those who are uninsured: 1-866-706-2400, where patient assistance information can be obtained. Patients can get savings on Pfizer meds, regardless of age or income, and there are free meds for people with limited incomes who qualify.
For a change, we didn't run errands after I got back from Cardiac Rehab yesterday. Instead, we did this-and-that around the house. One thing I did was make a congratulations card for Granddaughter, who is graduating from Army basic training on October 10. Then I selected photos I'd snapped last Sunday at the family gathering to use in making scrapbook pages at our next meeting in a couple of weeks. Beyond that, the rest of the day was occupied with household tasks.
Last night our evening's entertainment was two episodes of "Dancing with the Stars." We didn't watch this show for the first few years, because Hubbie didn't know how to dance and couldn't appreciate seeing others do it. Now that he's taken ballroom dancing lessons, he's enthusiastic about watching the show.
Today was water aerobics day and surprise, surprise, the water was warm! It felt wonderful, especially since it was a chilly morning for traveling to the pool, and the dressing room is always br-r-r.
I was excited this morning to receive my signed copy of a mystery/suspense novel, written by one of the water aerobics members, which was published recently by Amazon. Others who have read it have stated that it is a real page-turner, so I'm anxious to read it. Mine is a complimentary copy, in payment for portrait photos I did of the author for her promotional materials.
After I got home and dressed for the day, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the post office, to the bank, to the pharmacy, to the cable company office, and finally to the WDCS for incidentals and groceries. We wouldn't have to run errands together, except he has business at some places, and I have business at others, and in the interest of saving gasoline, we combine our trips.
Back home, Hubbie went out to prepare one of the raised gardens so that Mother can plant a second crop of lettuce, and maybe some fall beans. There are still banana peppers growing in one of the raised beds, and our volunteer "crop" of butternut squash (growing out of the compost heap) is coming along nicely, with a dozen or so squashes maturing on vines that are meandering out into the yard. We hope they ripen before first frost. Tonight for supper we are baking the one squash that has so far fully matured to go along with steamed new potatoes, boiled cabbage, and corn-on-the-cob.
This afternoon, I called our doctor's office to make appointments for the three of us to get flu shots tomorrow afternoon. It takes a couple of weeks for the shots to become effective, and I want us to be protected when we go to Branson at the end of the month, where we'll be in close group contact at shows.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sunday and Monday
Yesterday, we traveled a couple of hours south to visit family at my son and daughter-in-law's house. What a family! Besides Son and Daughter-in-Law, a daughter, four grandchildren, three grandchildren-in-law, and eleven great-grandchildren, plus Mother, Hubbie, and I attended the gathering.
It was a gorgeous day for a picnic-style meal of rotisserie chicken (prepared by Daughter-in-Law), barbecued ribs and hot dogs (prepared by Son), and various sides...macaroni and cheese for the kids, plus a rice/tomato dish prepared by Daughter-in-Law, and carrot salad, kidney bean/cucumber salad, and couscous salad prepared by Mother and me. We also took along a combination peach/pear/apple crisp for dessert, and Daughter-in-Law baked a banana cake.
There were enough meat and side choices to satisfy adults with restricted diets, as well as foods that kids like. Those who were not on restricted diets sampled everything, while some of us stuck with rotisserie chicken and salads, and fruit crisp with fat-free topping.
After lunch, we sat in the yard and watched the kids play on the swing set and in the sand. Somehow, we adults managed to line up our lawn chairs theater style, one row behind the other, as if we were watching a performance. And it sort of was a performance, with the two older boys tossing hacky sack balls, two of the pre-schoolers blowing bubbles, toddlers pouring sand over each other's heads, babies under a year old bouncing in walkers, and several little girls piling into a wagon so the big boys could pull them around.
The babies started getting tired around 3 p.m., and folks were ready to break up the party, so we all gathered for photos, hugs, and kisses before heading home.
Today was water aerobics day, as usual, where we learned that the lap swimmers have requested to have their session a half-hour earlier, in order to give them more time to get ready for work. Therefore, the life guard asked that the water aerobics group also set our time a half hour earlier so that he won't have 30 minutes of idle time between groups. We agreed, since most of these older ladies are up before the roosters, anyway. I am not one of them, but I deferred to the group. Now I'll need to get up a half hour earlier each swim morning, which will certainly not suit my tastes in the winter.
The other piece of news is that one of the ladies (who is also a member of the Master Gardeners) fell as she was leaving the pool last Friday. She wasn't at the session this morning, so I need to check to find out if she was badly injured.
After lunch today, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the greeting card shop, where I looked for a "congratulations upon completing Army basic training" graduation card, but there were none. So I'll have to design one myself. We also picked up groceries for the week's menu at the WDCS. This store didn't have a couple of items we needed, so we backtracked to a grocery store for those, and then came on home.
Whenever we can't decide what to have for supper, we opt for spaghetti, which is what we did tonight. After that, we vegged in front of the TV.
Today was warm, in the mid-80s, but the rest of the week is predicted to be about ten degrees cooler. It's time for me to put away summer clothes and dig out some long sleeve "in-between" things.
It was a gorgeous day for a picnic-style meal of rotisserie chicken (prepared by Daughter-in-Law), barbecued ribs and hot dogs (prepared by Son), and various sides...macaroni and cheese for the kids, plus a rice/tomato dish prepared by Daughter-in-Law, and carrot salad, kidney bean/cucumber salad, and couscous salad prepared by Mother and me. We also took along a combination peach/pear/apple crisp for dessert, and Daughter-in-Law baked a banana cake.
There were enough meat and side choices to satisfy adults with restricted diets, as well as foods that kids like. Those who were not on restricted diets sampled everything, while some of us stuck with rotisserie chicken and salads, and fruit crisp with fat-free topping.
After lunch, we sat in the yard and watched the kids play on the swing set and in the sand. Somehow, we adults managed to line up our lawn chairs theater style, one row behind the other, as if we were watching a performance. And it sort of was a performance, with the two older boys tossing hacky sack balls, two of the pre-schoolers blowing bubbles, toddlers pouring sand over each other's heads, babies under a year old bouncing in walkers, and several little girls piling into a wagon so the big boys could pull them around.
The babies started getting tired around 3 p.m., and folks were ready to break up the party, so we all gathered for photos, hugs, and kisses before heading home.
Today was water aerobics day, as usual, where we learned that the lap swimmers have requested to have their session a half-hour earlier, in order to give them more time to get ready for work. Therefore, the life guard asked that the water aerobics group also set our time a half hour earlier so that he won't have 30 minutes of idle time between groups. We agreed, since most of these older ladies are up before the roosters, anyway. I am not one of them, but I deferred to the group. Now I'll need to get up a half hour earlier each swim morning, which will certainly not suit my tastes in the winter.
The other piece of news is that one of the ladies (who is also a member of the Master Gardeners) fell as she was leaving the pool last Friday. She wasn't at the session this morning, so I need to check to find out if she was badly injured.
After lunch today, Hubbie and I ran errands...to the greeting card shop, where I looked for a "congratulations upon completing Army basic training" graduation card, but there were none. So I'll have to design one myself. We also picked up groceries for the week's menu at the WDCS. This store didn't have a couple of items we needed, so we backtracked to a grocery store for those, and then came on home.
Whenever we can't decide what to have for supper, we opt for spaghetti, which is what we did tonight. After that, we vegged in front of the TV.
Today was warm, in the mid-80s, but the rest of the week is predicted to be about ten degrees cooler. It's time for me to put away summer clothes and dig out some long sleeve "in-between" things.
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