how about drinking?

Good Morning, Loungettes! Moving Day for Mom, and I'm getting in an extra cup of coffee before heading out to help. I did only work a half day yesterday, but we have plans in place for next week to flu vaccinate all the residents who consent, and then all the staff during the 2 weeks after that. Sadie wants to know when she can go to work with me again. I took her with me to pick up the farm drop order and she actually ran down the stairs to the garage. She is moving so much better since going on the NSAID.

Cammy Cat--I'm getting the flu shot not because I really believe it will help with the flu but because it's easier than going through the hassle that health care workers get put through if they don't. Some hospitals will even fire staff who don't get the flu shot. So much has changed with flu shots.I remember when they first came out only people over 65 could get them, no one else could. Then it expanded to family members of people over 65, and then to family members of people with compromised immune systems or being treated for cancer, and then to people with chronic illnesses like heart disease or COPD, and then to their family members, and then to people working in jobs that put them in contact with large numbers of other people, and then to kids and then to babies. Now we know the regular flu shot doesn't even work well for people over 65, they should get an enhanced flu shot or get 2 shots! Now we are learning the protection only lasts a few months, not indefinitely for individual strains as originally stated. The more we learn, the more I swear we do not know.As for Mom's move, I don't know when the guys are going to be moving the big stuff. I would love to take Sadie to supervise, but Mom does not like dogs and I'm sure I'll get a lecture about never bringing Sadie to the apartment, since there's no pets allowed and Mom doesn't want to deal with all the dog hair and smell. Don't know if anyone else will be helping, I'll have to wait and see. I'll let you know how it goes!

Librairan--I want some beach!Glad you are enjoying!

Chi--Glad the zoom thing got straightened out!

Jazzy--HOORAY for the job offer!

Morning Teka and Minus!

The Moving Day Mojito

You'll need:

2 cups water

1/2 cups white sugar

2 cups mint leaves, chopped

2 cups lime sherbet, softened

1 cup lime juice

1 cup water

8 cups club soda

1 cup white rum

lime slices for garnish

Make a simple syrup by combining water and sugar in the microwave for 5 minutes. Let the mint leaves steep in the syrup for 5 minutes. Strain and set aside. Stir the lime sherbet, lime juice, white rum, and 1 cup water together in a large pitcher until well combined. Add your mint syrup. Add club soda and stir. Serve over ice. Garnish with lime slices.

From <https://www.shleppers.com/move-mocktail-3-great-drink-recipes-try/>

Congrats Jazzy! Very exciting.

OMG Jazzy this isn't just a new job, this is a change of everything for you. AMAZING. And I love how u dive into something new and everything falls into place. U've worked for this all these years and planned it well and taking a different path sounds wonderful to me. We all know how time will fly a nd to set urself up so this will really count is the way that sounds good to me. Good going Jazzy and now ur preparing for a new stage and u sound so confident we're all happy for you, that's for sure.

Kim ur making me so tired just reading about this weekend for u, but I know u'd never not do this for ur mom. I just hope u don't get to much sleep deprivation, I'm only kidding but this is a big undertaking I know. So Good Luck.

I have been on this post for so long, I keep on falling asleep with while drinking my coffee.

LUBS U ALL

Jazzy, sounds like a dream job that will fit you like a glove for as long as you want it!

Tried to get a flu shot at Walgreen's, but the clerk at the pharmacy counter ran my Medicare & BCBS cards and said that my birthdate didn't match Medicare's records (and that BCBS no longer contracts with Walgreen's for flu shots). I did a live chat with Medicare and they said I DID give the birthdate they had on file, and confirmed with Social Security that my Medicare number is also correct. I bet the clerk made a typo on the Medicare number. I will just have to suck it up and go to NorthShore's "flu clinic" in Skokie.

Went to Warby Parker for my eye exam (everything but dilated retina exam). The optometrist was young eye candy, even with his mask on. The exam was the most thorough non-dilated exam I've ever had. He said that he could see no residual sutures nor damage from the brachytherapy plaque in my R eye, but he could see the floater (and slight vitreous detachment) in my L. I learned that part of the trouble I've had reading is that my reading glasses--same diopters as the "add" in my progressives--are too strong! He explained that single-vision readers needn't be as strong as the limited-area in progressives. I was able to get the lenses in my readers replaced (sending them out to the lab in upstate NY) for $50! He suggested that in the meantime, I get some drugstore readers in +2.0 for close work, especially the double-acrostic puzzles I love to do as a distraction. So my trip to Walgreen's was good for something after all.

I also got new progressive shades, replaced the progressive lenses in the last Warbys I got (right now, wearing an older prescription because the coating on the pair I got in Oct. 2019 (ordered in March, but had to send them back twice due to breakage and then a lens defect) from my old ophtho's in-office boutique has begun to get blotchy (yes, the pricy Essilor package)! Those Warbys will be my spare pair at home--no photochromics, but blue-blocking instead. For my main pair, I splurged on a purple-tortoise pair with silver accents--and those are photochromic. I should have everything delivered in about two weeks.

Went to The Barn of Evanston for an early dinner (5:30, more like a late lunch, because the next table they had wasn't till 8:45). I wanted a Gruet sparkling rosé (nod to Jazzy), but they no longer feature it. Instead, I had a "La Libertad" sparkling rosé of cabernet franc, from the Mendoza Valley of Argentina.

in 2020 | Alcohol drink recipes, Drinks alcohol recipes, Boozy drinks" />

Mornin ladies,

Oh Beaver sounds bad. How about u drinking shakes or malts. I mean ur not really eating so that should go down pretty good. And u want something to fill u up too.Anything mashed that u like <veggies or fruit> Mac and cheese or cottage cheese takes very little chewing. And maybe it will help u to heal faster. IDK, just a thought.

Sandy so ur reading glasses were to strong??? I bet a lot of people don't wear the right strength when u buy readers. So now u need to go to the clinic, What a pain when u were at a place to get a shot. Is this an app't now or can u just walk-in???

I hope no one gets offended by the name of the DOTD, Ok, Sandy and Karen shouldn't at all. But I didn't name it, just copied it cuz Kim is busy this weekend and Lori's gone for a while <hoping everything is going good for her and Kim doesn't have to work to hard.>

I had breakfast with Jodie and Joey yesterday, answered some calls and that's about it. I was reading <no, this is not a brag, I've done this for years> anyway that this pandemic is going to last for some time still. This is so strange, I really thought by now it would have wrapped up, but I'm so wrong. Well I shouldn't complain at all, we're hanging in there so just waiting now.

The kids went shopping and I gave them my list. My first draft is so long, it's like I'm planning a party. So when I start marking things off I end up with all the same stuff from every other week, they really don't need a list from me but they always ask so I make one up. See what excitement I live in.

Have a great day everyone, be well.

LUBS U ALL

Kim, I remember when Bob's dad decided not to go into assisted living near where he'd lived in Queens, but instead move in with us. One of his friends from church helped him pack his stuff from his house (which he sold w/in a year). When it arrived here, it included things like tinfoil (partly used), toothpaste & shave cream, canned goods, every prescription receipt going back a decade (still stapled to the empty paper bags), Bob's grade school report cards, and of course his clothes (mostly multiple white dress shirts and a couple of polyester leisure suits). One of his shirts stank of VOCs--turns out he had packed it in the same box as a half-empty can of 3-in-1 Oil (like WD-40), which leaked all over it. I found out only when he came downstairs to accompany me to one of my gigs--I gagged and had an asthma attack. He reluctantly discarded the shirt and changed into one from a different box.

OTOH, when my mom moved from Brooklyn to a fully-furnished (including dishes, pots & pans, utensils, glassware & flatware) FL retirement condo, I helped her pack--and she was relentless about leaving stuff behind. She did pack her two favorite skillets, her china and silverplate (which I gave to my sis after Mom passed). She did pack three solid oak bookcases and all my dad's LPs after the local college music library refused to take them--we had them all shipped to me and the records are still in my basement (the bookcases are still in use)

Hi ladies- well I wrote a big long post and the WIFI dropped so I lost the whole freaking thing. I can't redo the whole thing, but here are the highlights.

NM - I hope that you get through this painful move with your mom.

ChiSandy- hope you can get that flu shot done.

Cami- yes, this will be a big change in many ways but good with it. New chapter!

MinusTwo- my sister is not that great right now, a not good visit with her partner this week. Thanks for asking.

Beaver- I hope that dental work gets done without too much pain and money.

Goldie- hope the trip is going well!

Karen- are you still having fires?

Ill- what are you eating this weekend?

Celia C, Teka, Mistyeyes and everyone else, hey!

Best wishes for a good start to October all!

Was able to get my flu shot at CVS today. Walked right in, the tech recognized me, asked if I wanted a flu shot, and cued it all up, including my insurance info. So the one at Walgreen's definitely made a typo. Good thing it turned out so easy-peasy, because when I tried to make an appointment for it at NorthShore, the first open date they had was Oct. 29!

DOTD: cava at brunch, latte out on my deck.

Good Morning, Loungettes!

Well, yesterday turned out to be another interesting day. Mom has arranged to have the furniture moved next Saturday. Problem is, she is supposed to be out by Thursday. Dick needs to move into the Assisted Living place on Oct 1st. He won't move until after Mom moves out. Dick's kids are ok with the furniture and other big stuff being moved next Saturday, as long as Dick moves on Thursday. We did get most of Mom's stuff cleaned out of the house. What's left she want to pack and move herself. Things like clothes, the stuff on top of her dresser, the stuff in the laundry room. I think we got all her stuff out of the barn, too. when I left she was going through and finding her stuff in the storage shed. And, of course, I can't be there Thursday to help, that's the day at work that we are giving Flu vaccine to all the residents, (or as many as will consent). And now it's raining and supposed to be rainy most of the week, which will make things even harder for Mom to move stuff cuz she won't want it to get wet. I am definitely a bully in her mind right now, but she did say she wouldn't have been able to do it without help, so she'll forgive me soon enough.

God bless Sadie. I came home, sat down and started crying, and she climbed into my lap (she almost never does that) put her head on shoulder and nuzzled me for almost an hour. I shared my Olive Garden take out special treat dinner with her after that.

Cammy Cat--I like the looks of the Holy Water DOTD! Very pretty and sounds like it should be very yummy to drink, too! It looks like the COVID pandemic will end up like the H1N1 pandemic a few years ago, blow around the world, create chaos, then settle in for a long visit.

Karen--Mom does like the new place, if only because it is brand new and still smells like paint! Fortunately, it's only 5 miles between the 2 places. But she is moving from a house to an apartment and she is NOT downsizing, she is trying to take EVERYTHING, even stuff she has never unpacked from more than 10 years ago. Honestly, she doesn't even know what is in some of the boxes we moved. "If I packed it that carefully it's important I planned to keep."

Chi--Oh, my, that packing job sounds like the stories I've heard of military families getting packed up and moved into a new place complete with trash in the trash cans! Mom is moving multiples of many things, she's a bit of a stockpiler. She will never have to buy aluminum foil or plastic wrap ever again, and has these huge, restaurant size container/dispensers to try to find a place for.

Minus--I saw that, and I can get some boxes at work to take down to her. Or maybe leave in the jeep. If I go down, I'll have to pack and move stuff, and that will be too much after a full work day.

Jazzy--We'll get through the move. I just hope Mom doesn't end up losing anything that is really important for not being able to stay focused, but most likely she'll end up with a whole lot of junk she doesn't need. But it's her place, her choice, right?

Illi--you have certainly earned your glass or two of wine!

Chi--Glad you got your flu shot so easily!

Cammy Cat--very yummy DOTD! Thanks for covering for me! I am taking today off from the moving stuff. Hoping to calm down the aches and pains enough that I won't be moving too stiffly at work tomorrow. Sorry the pumpkin upset your tummy.

Sandy, I DO feel better than the numbers (TM's). In fact, I feel great...thank you.

And thank you to everyone else as well. MO wants me to stop in when I get back for some blood work. It's guardian, need to look it up as I know nothing about it.

Cami, how much sweeter can Joey be, good gosh I love that kid! I do not get any vaccines and never had, except hepatitis one when I worked with the kids. Cami I'm laughing at you suggesting to Beaver what you eat when we can't get you to eat!

Jazzy, huge congrats on the job. You sound super excited. Sorry about the not so good visit for your sister and her partner. Is she declining?

NM, so good to hear how well Sadie is doing but so sorry to hear about the move. This too shall pass! My mom never wanted to get rid of stuff either, mostly with clothes, purses, shoes, hats and sunglasses. Her famous words were "well I might wear that again". And I'm thinking, you can't hardly walk and you never leave the house. You are such a sport and so understanding with your mom. And good for you for the melt down and letting it out, I hope it helped. Oh my, not really downsizing. Where is she going to put all this stuff?

BabyGirl, congrats on your move, it's an exciting one and the eating. So happy you are finally able to eat more.

Hello to everyone else. Sorry not to address everyone.

Flight was great, my youngest brother and my DD were there with my middle brother to pick me up. My son came and stayed for the weekend and did great with everyone else embibing. We tried to go to the zoo yesterday, just to get out and do something. Well, you could only get in with basically a reserved ticket as they only let so many in. Then we tried the cider mill....it was packed with a million people (well, you know what I mean) The brother I stay with, his girls came by Saturday, and the oldes is pregnant, we are so excited! Everything is ok with my DD. She will leave leave Thursday in the afternoon, she has appt to get Covid test and then out with her day and she'll be back Thursday night. A$$hole ex tells her to tell Lori he said hi. I didn't even respond!

Me and mine kids. Hate that darned beard, but he won't shave it!

Beautiful kids, Lori!

Taking a break right now from online Yom Kippur services--afternoon starts back up at 3:15. They're much shorter than in-person, mainly because they had to be pre-recorded, mixed and edited (they started back in Aug.). I couldn't volunteer to take part (blessings, ark-opening, etc,) in the recordings, because at the time I had the big lead patch on my eye, and then even with no patch my R eye was not ready for public viewing. But the services turned out fantastic--including even Jeff Tweedy (leader of Grammy-winning rock band Wilco) and his two sons singing one of the hymns, with wife Susan behind the camera. (Yes, they're temple members--we are so lucky to have them).

It was a bit weird to see the chat scrolling along the side, with greetings & comments by the rabbi & cantor in real time. At one point last night, there were over 300 people logged in, from all over the country. And I discovered this morning my TV has YouTube built in! No way to do live chat on it, of course, but I can always mute the audio on the computer and type while I watch live on TV. I watched archived morning services (slept in because of fasting), but will do the rest live, till the last blast of the Shofar and the subsequent Kiddush (blessing over wine & bread, which I'll have at the ready), Havdalah blessings & celebration. That will still end during daylignt, but we are a Reform congregation after all. (Not doing between-services Bible study on Zoom because I don't want to be visible in my PJs).

DOTD: just enough water to take my meds & stay somewhat hydrated, and a half-cup of coffee (the real bitter Keurig stuff Bob likes but I don't--the point of these exceptions to the fasting rule is medical, not pleasure) to fend off a headache & keep my lungs open. Elderly & sick aren't allowed to fully fast--but I'm a not-yet-elderly senior and recovering from that eye radiation back in August, so I'm not-quite "sick" but not taking any chances. No food, though. And of course, there will be wine (maybe some of the Vin Gris I have already open, or leftover Passover Manischevitz--it keeps forever and is what gets poured at temple for those who needn't limit themselves to plain grape juice) & challah (albeit stale) for the Kiddush afterwards.

Hi folks- accepted the job today. Start date is 10/26. I offered sooner but they cannot onboard me until that date. An orientation class they have you take the first time. I am okay with it, gives me more time to get some things done and maybe a little vaca in state. Lots of paperwork to do, plus drug test, trip to occupational health, etc. I am pushing as many doc apts scheduled up or in this next month before I start. So many things have to be exactly a year late for wellness check ups or insurance won't pay. Sigh.

Goldie- love that family picture. You all look great. Your son looks really good, he is doing okay? That staying sober thing is touch business. Good to see you together, makes me happy. And yes, my sister's partner is declining and won't get better.

NM- I would cry too. How sweet that Sadie could comfort you. And there were snacks for you and her. She is a great dog. Your mom needed to be purging a long time ago to be ready to go from a house to the condo. Rule of thumb is, it's been in a box for 10 years and you haven't used it, you no longer need it. I hope you take care of yourself and focus on your own care.

JCS- seems like we have bully mom's galore, don't we? My mother, sister and former sister in law are all cut from the same mold- disorganized, reactive, last minute decision makers, mostly angry. I am a planner. My phrase is "thanks for always making me the bad guy in your story." I get a lot of vacant looks with that one.

Beaver- I hope you continue to feel better. I have so many bad moving stories from my many years of doing my own plus helping others.

More tomorrow, I am going for a celebration lunch with a friend tomorrow. I am still kind of in shock I am going back to work full time.