how about drinking?

Sandy - MY DH and I went camping/back packing on our honeymoon 43 years ago. We had a 2 "man" backpack tent which was really like a "pup" tent. It was my first time west of the Rockies - Grand Tetons, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, Maroon Bells/Aspen (I think we went to a few other places, but don't remember). We had a VW Rabbit so a small car. We got rained out in the Maroon Bells so had to get a hotel room. This was the tine before Aspen got outrageously expensive. We had our backpacking stove and cooked on that in our room. We were 2 broke, young college grads. When we got home, we bought a Coleman camp stove. We did camp for many years, but I don't think we have since kids- so not in a long time!!! Driving in the Maroon Bells with cows along the side of the road had me white knuckled!!! We really had a great time. Now, the most rustic I'll go is a cabin - must have a real bed. I don't mind cooking on vacation.

Hopefully, the boarders will open up by the end of the year so we can see our kids. But doubt it for Israel as the cases there continue to rise even with a lockdown!! That is if I get my renewed passport by then or DH will go alone and I'll go a different times.

Mornin ladies.

Jazzy u r by far the most organized person I know. Everything u do is right on point in all directions. For the women u know that got FT jobs after working on their own, were they all happy with their decision. U've done so well on ur own but the big plus to me would be meeting new people, I just think ur so brave to change so much. Well I do know u can do it for sure. I didn't know u were doing zoom so often that must have really been nice.

Karen u did a lot of camping before u had kids and saw so much. What wonderful memories.

Hey Sandy how are u feeling???

Dan came over yesterday, I had something wrong with my phone. He touched one thing of course and it was fine. Wow I really have a problem with all this techy stuff and the more there is the more I really have a problem with. Oh well today my niece comes over so that's nice for me.

Hope everyone has a nice day.

LUBS U ALL

Feeling okay today, though it's frustrating that Loyola Medicine stopped doing allergy (pollen & mold) counts after 9/30. Octogenarian Dr. Joseph Leijia used to go up to the roof at Gottlieb every weekday morning to take the counts and post them from 3/15-10/15 (start of tree pollen season to end of ragweed season). When he retired, Dr. Rachna Shah replaced him--and not only does she not start till 4/15 and stops after 9/30 (which is peak ragweed season), but she doesn't do holidays and sometimes misses days. So all I can find out as to why I'm sneezing & my eyes itch is to go to Pollen.com and AccuWeather, which rate pollen & mold counts on a low-to-high and 1-to-5 scale. And tonight is the last night I can take Zyrtec and use Pataday, Zatidor or Alaway eye drops due to the drug allergy "challenge" test I'm taking this Mon. (I can use Benadryl, but stop that after Sat. night). Can still squirt Nasalcrom or Nasacort up my nose, but for my eyes I'm limited to artificial tears. Wish they still made Opticrom, which was taken off the market >25 yrs ago when the UK factory that made it was shut down due to infection contamination. (Maybe I can still use Similisan, which since it's homeopathic doesn't have antihistamines in it--but it doesn't seem to work any better than artificial tears).

Last night's DOTD was an Aussie Dolcetto (Cherry Grove).

Karen. I hate being so far from my children, my DD is the furthest. Forgive me, I had forgotten about your son. Your youngest DD is in Israel, permanently or just for school? Talking about visiting grands for vacation, a little twist on things. What happened to the adult children having the parents over for holiday dinners? I'm the one still doing it.

Cami, I got a message from one of those scammer guys. I didn't have time to play with him, so I just blocked him.

We are off in a couple of hours, heading back on the 17th.

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy Thirsty Thursday! First off, Mom is fine. She has managed to lose her cell phone. Inside the new apartment. Somewhere. She has been going back and forth to Dick's place and packing and moving more stuff, and has fallen a couple of times, and is very tired at the end of the days. She's getting a new phone, but may have to get a new phone number, something about the current phone not being active. She says she has automatic payment on the phone but when I set it up for her she wouldn't let me set up automatic payment, so I wonder if that is true or not. She has a very nice older couple as neighbors in the other half of the building. The husband has already jump started Mom's car for her after she left the lights on overnight.

I went in to work early yesterday to be the med nurse for one unit. I had forgotten just how brutal a job that can be! I was on my feet from 6 ayem to 3:30 peeyem. One five minute break to sit down until my back stopped hurting enough to get going again, sat down for 15 minutes while I was feeding a resident, and sat down occasionally for a minute or two while someone was taking their pills. I wish I had remembered to charge my smart watch the evening before, I would love to know how many steps and how far I walkedyesterday. And it was HOT in there. I sweat like a stuck pig at times.I came home, ate an entire 10 inch pizza and drank a liter of orange sodaand still weigh almost a pound less this morning than day before yesterday. My back, hips, knees, and feet are still talking to me, even after going to bed at 7 peeyem and sleeping until almost 7 ayem! Sadie was a bit confused at my leaving for work so early, and getting home so much earlier than usual, but forgave me after I gave her a slice of my pizza. She loves green pepper and hamburger pizza! I found out the other day that our new scheduler had up and quit last week, and that's why we are having a bigger staffing crisis than we should be. The scheduler wasn't doing really well, but management was working with and progress was being made. It can take time to learn that complicated a job, after all.

Goldie--Nope, I do not have health insurance. It would cost me around $900 a month, AND I would still be paying out of pocket for everything until I hit $3 or $4K before the insurance kicks in and covers anything at all. I haven't hit that deductible since reconstruction surgery. I would have to work 40 to 50 hours per week to afford that, pay the school loan, utilities, groceries, gas, etc. So I'm taking my chances. Medicare eligible in just over 3 years. If anything catastrophic or major happens I'd end up bankrupt anyway. Here in Maine, something like that happens and you are uninsured you then qualify for MaineCare (Medicaid) and get some of the best coverage going and not have to pay more than $30 a month for anything AND can't be denied care. In the meantime, I can negotiate cash prices for any services I need ahead of time and pay much closer to actual costs. And with so manypharmacies offering $4 and $10 prescription programs, I haven't actually used a pharmacy benefit for years, the copays were usually $15 to $25 for the same drugs. Mom is pretty much completely moved out now, still moving some small things. Dick is pretty much moved into the Assisted Living apartment. Mom can't visit him due to COVID restrictions.They are about 10-11 miles apart now.It sounds like Metamucil is a sliver bullet for you! Pretty cake.

Cammy Cat--Unfortunately, only Dick's kids can see him right now due to COVID restrictions, and then only because he has just moved in and is getting settled.Her bathroom is in pretty good shape, except that she hasn't gotten a shower curtain up yet. She does have a shower bench so she can sit down and swing her feet over the tub side and then stand up and shower or sit and shower as she wants. I had to laugh at her, though. She was saying how much storage/cupboard space is in the kitchen, so she could take all the plates and such she could find, and now she's discovered she has trouble reaching the second shelf in the cupboards, and can't reach the third or top of them at all without a step stool so she's found she doesn't have as much functional storage as she thought! I'm betting she'll fill up those shelves anyway and just not use the stuff. Or set me to searching for items when she wants them! And I hear you not saying a word about my work schedule. I didn't want to, but I'm not going to leave 20 or so people without their medications, and, face it, you wouldn't want me to, right? Enjoy your dinner out!

Jazzy--So nice you have something and someone to celebrate with! I imagine you will miss the family Zooms, but times do move on. Thanks for the advice and any info you come across. I'm not too hopeful that Mom will actually go through and part with things, she has a history of talking about doing that but never getting to it, and that tendency has gotten worse the last few years. But maybe this winter when she doesn't go out as much she'll surprise us all, who knows?

LOL!I bet my blood type is roséPositive!

Chi--LOL!!!! Actually, I like Constant Comment, too. And Earl Grey. And Jasmine. Not so fond of green Jasmine, though.

Illi--the ba$tard c is getting too many people, still, even after all these decades of research and fund raising. So not right.

Karen--I'm afraid it's going to be a long time before borders get opened up again. There's a lot of chatter about the issues with the Maine/Canada border being so tightly closed, families that have members on both sides, people who live on one side but work on the other and all the border businesses are really having a hard time. Some couples have not seen each other in person in months except for standing at either end of the bridge.This is going to be one very difficult winter, I'm afraid.

Cammy Cat--Don't you love it when something broken magically fixes itself when someone comes to help you with it? I swear techy stuff is actually alive and thinking and does stuff like that just to mess with our minds! Hope you had a nice visit with your niece.

Goldie--you're not being nosy, if I didn't want something known I wouldn't say anything about it in the first place! Yes, the original plan for Wednesday was for me to help with flu shots for the staff. But that got changed when there were multiple calls outs overnight and into Wednesday. I said "no" to working overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, I needed to locate Mom, and if I couldn't find her after work it was going to be time to list her as a missing person. So the Director of Nurses worked overnight, and I went in early to let her go with her DH to an appointment and then take over medication passing. The train ride is Saturday afternoon. Not going to be much foliage to see with all the wind bringing down all the leaves so quickly, but it will still be fun to get out and have something to do. Fall colors are past peak now, the peak only lasted a week or two this year between being so dry all summer and then so windy this fall. But it's also kind of patchy, lots of very green leaves on some trees. These fall rides are one of the major fund raisers for the Belfast and MooseheadLake Railroad, a little, local preservation group maintaining a section of the old train system that ran through Maine to Canada. Their biggest fundraiser is taking people from nearby towns to the Common Ground Country fair, a big Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association agricultural fair that, of course, was cancelled this year. This trip goes around a nice size pond and will have some nice scenery even without the colors. I will take pics to post, I promise! Too funny that you both forgot your anniversary!

Chi--sounds like that allergy "challenge" test is a real test starting even before you go in! Hope you are very uncomfortable.

Karen--3 kids, 3 countries, 2 continents, wow, gives new meaning to "extended" family!

Goldie--I tried for a while having the Mom and Dick over for Thanksgiving, but Mom didn't like not cooking the meal and having lots of leftovers to make soups and such with, so it didn't last!I cannot imagine what she is going to do this year!

Slightly Windy

Ingredients

• 3 oz Ginger Dry sparkling soda
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
• 1 1/2 oz dark rum

Instructions

1. Combine lime juice, simple syrup, bitters and dark rum in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice and top with Ginger Dry Sparkling soda. Stir.

From <https://www.greyisthenewblack.com/slightly-windy-a-rum-ginger-cocktail-tipsy-tuesday/>

We keep losing the musical greats too quickly these days. Van Halen's "Jump" was the theme song for the White Sox' playoff campaign back in 1983--every time I hear it I expect it to segue into a pregame show. And I even remember Nash's debut hit "Hold Me Tight" from 1968.

Kim, too bad you don't have even a cheapo hi-deductible insurance plan--until you go on Medicare or Medicaid, having insurance makes you eligible to use pharma co-pay and even free coupons for brand-name stuff. Until I went on Medicare, I was able to get Dexilant & Benicar for free, and Gordy still gets his Symbicort asthma inhalers for free.

Had my semiannual MO visit today. My MO (who spent the last 6 mos. on sabbatical, holed up communing with nature in the U.P. and Thoreau-ly enjoying it--sorry, it was too easy) gained the "quarantine 15" and then some. She was very impressed with my weight loss (it is a bear to try to maintain rather than keep losing). She gave me the all-clear on my breast exam, and a choice between seeing her annually or semi-annually. I chose the latter, because I'm coming up on 5 years on letrozole and also surveilling my ocular melanoma. (Still no biopsy results yet--there probably weren't enough cells harvested). She did have me get a consult with one of her partners who specializes in melanoma, to keep tabs on my liver (the most common initial mets site for ocular melanoma). And I will get a 3-month followup chest CT next week for that little lung nodules--but she said that with improved sensitivity of modern CTs, about half the people scanned have small lung nodules. In fact, she said that a truly clean chest CT would make her suspicious. (I held for over an hour when I called the first time, only to learn her nurse hadn't entered the order yet. I held for 45 min. when I re-called. Sorry, Jazzy, but New Age sax music will forever remind me of "music on hold").

Last night was my first Zoom choreography rehearsal for one of the group Bar Show numbers I'm in. Aaaargh: my webcam "mirrors" me when I watch myself onscreen (like when taking a selfie), but shows me in the proper orientation when others see me. Confusing! And I really do have to stretch beforehand, so I can raise my arms high enough overhead. Good workout, though. The first video, a teaser montage of stills from previous shows to the tune of Friends theme "I'll Be There For You," now "We're Still Here For You," is now live. Will find the url and post it. Next week's release is a duet I'm not in, but I will post it anyway (with a disclaimer that it's quite political). Totally free of charge to watch--not even a "donate" link.

DOTD? Will kill off that Aussie bubbly, and maybe some of that Dolcetto as well.

Good Morning, Loungettes!Happy TGIF day! I've given in and am turning on the heat in thelate peeyems and early ayems, but still turning it off overnight and during the day. I was hoping to get closer to November before doing that, but mother nature isn't playing along with that plan. Such is life, right? Sadie and I had a very nice day yesterday just puttering around the house and getting a bunch of on line errands done. I ordered a few things to be delivered to Mom's place as a housewarming gift, a one cup coffee maker, a grabber, some lidded storage boxes and a set of shower curtain rings. I know perfectly well that she will pick up a shower curtain she likes pretty soon but will not think about the rings for hanging it with. Hopefully, that will make her laugh, or at least smile when she gets it. She's always talking about getting clear plastic containers, shoe box sized, to sort and store things in but never actually buys them, now she's getting a case of 30 of them. If she doesn't like them, I'll take them and use them myself! Planning to go in to work for a few hours today, then do some grocery shopping on the way home. Probably will take Silly Sadie with me today as a guarantee that I don't stay for hours and hours but just long enough to get a couple of time critical items taken care of.

Cammy Cat--we must have bumped each other into the pool!I did get a late start yesterday. That Sex on a Snowbank looks COLD!!!!!

Jazzy--Ah, yes, the good old TB and MMR routine. Once you get a copy of the MMR titer results you really want to keep it where you know where it is. I suggest laminating it to keep it from disintegrating during multiple trips through a copier! If you get a flu shot somewhere other than where you will be working make sure to get a written confirmation, many states, including Maine, are now passing legislation requiring health care workers to get annual flu shots just like having to prove MMR and pre-work TB testing. Mom is ok with her little falls, at least so far. She bruised her ribs in a fall a while back, thinks she's re-injured that area a bit from the aching she's having. She's made friends with the neighbors, and has learned about the people in all the houses within site of the apartment already. It seems like an older neighborhood.I've got to get myself introduced to the neighbors and make sure they have my phone number sometime soon. Maine has very few safety nets outside of the Medicaid program, and only 2 insurance companies in the government insurance market place, and only a couple more commercial insurance companies that are registered in Maine. Those are Harvard Pilgrim and Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and both keep trying to pull out of Maine but the state insurance commission won't allow it because that would give the remaining company a monopoly.The population is too old, with too high a cancer rate and other chronic illnesses, they can't make money off us. So health insurance has been a struggle here for decades. Maine requires employers over a certain size offer health insurance to anyone working 32 hours per week or more, consequently, the vast majority ofjobs are 24 hours. Almost no one offers health insurance to part timers here. But I'm ok with that, dollars and cents wise I'm better off without than with right now, and am willing to take the gamble that I won't run into another catastrophic diagnosis in the next 3 to 4 years. I will ask about that, though, particularly if I run across a remote job that is home based in another state where the rules may be different.

Chi--I only use 2 brand name prescriptions, both for asthma, and your comment reminds me to contact those pharmaceutical companies and see what I can find. It's surprising what programs the pharmaceutical companies have that they never advertise, you have to know to ask about them! OH, my, the Zoom rehearsal with the mirroring must be a real headache to adapt to!Can't wait to see the clips!

Good Morning, again, Cammy Cat!

Insurance Policy

Ingredients

1½ ounces Angostura bitters

½ ounce Luxardo cherry syrup

½ ounce lemon juice

Ice

2 ounces dry sparkling wine

Directions

In a mixing glass, add the bitters, syrup and lemon juice. Add ice and stir. Strain into a flute and top with the sparkling wine. Serve.

From <https://www.tastingtable.com/cook/recipes/Insurance-Policy-Cocktail-Recipe-From>

Good Morning all! I have been kinda busy so have not popped in for a few days. Been working in the yard and doing a few social things. My DIL’s birthday is coming up soneed to think of gifts. Found a pretty sweater yesterday and will order some outdoor lights for her new patio. I also plan to paint an older strawberry pot as a “basement” find to continue my pandemic basement shopping. Then I should start thinking about Christmas!

Sounds like everyone is really busy. Cami is even going out to eat! Good luck with the Zoom concert, Sandy. Do share the link as I am sure it will be entertaining. I am impressed with all your job prep, Jazzy! Enjoy your dinner. I do hope Goldie is having a great time camping. NM, your mama is an independent, stubborn woman. Hopefully once she gets familiar with her new home and some of the boxes out, she will stop falling.

Today DH and I will walk, then I will start working on my pot painting. Did read that my Baylor football team will suspend playing as several players are positive for Covid-19. Not sure why people are so willing to risk their lives for a sport that might kill them.

Take care and stay safe!

Hi ladies- it's friday again, and just a few tidbits before I head to da pool for a noon swim.

New Mexico's infection rates are jumping really high again after being really good from mid August through most of Sept. We were below 100 per day (whole state) and now ranging close to or over 400 a day. Governor did a state of the state yesterday and sounded the alarm bell and said she is worried we could become a hot spot again. A couple weeks ago, we heard through our collaboration that some of the native communities that got hit so hard had serious outbreaks and thought it might be coming to the whole state. No changes to the public health order yet, but I feel it's coming with the next update next week. I am going to rethink my get away to Taos in another weekend (supposed to go a week from today for a couple nights). I will decide by next Wed based on the numbers and what I think may be coming if I just cancel out on that. A friend told me at dinner last night that she had some friends up there recently and no one is wearing masks, restaurants are crowded, etc. Sigh......

NM- we have the same issue here in NM with companies pulling out of the ACA market. We had four or five to start, but as we have a poorer and sicker (and aging) population too, and without enough young people in it, the insurance companies are loosing money. One of them who actually formed around all of this to support the NM community is calling it quits here end of the year. That will leave BSBC and Molina, plus supposedly 2 coming in that are new but not sure who they are. I wish they would at least drop the Medicare age to 60, it's been talked about.

And yes, I am doing a better job going forward of keeping all my immunization info together. They gave me a sticker to put on my future badge around the flu shot (and brought the confirmation yesterday). I should be able to see all the result in my on line profile they have set up probably by next week. She said if I need an MMR, they will give me time to get it. She also suggested I am due for another pneumomia shot (had one in 2006) and going to ask the PCP about it on Monday during my annual check up.

Chi- glad you got through your physical this past week. I am sorry you have not seen anything from your biopsy and wish they would at least tell they can't answer whether this is cancer or not. I guess you go forward and assume it is and think you said there is nothing more to be done at this point. I hope the scans go okay. Once they start with those MRIs and CT scans, they find lumps and bumps....

Karen- I think I had heard Israel was not doing well. I hope she can stay safe as well as the rest of the young people. Hard to not be able to see everyone this year. Sending big hugs.

Cami- well I hope you can enjoy the outing and not worry to much about what to wear. Comfort is key right now. We will want to know everything you drank and ate because well, it is what we do here.

JCS- hope your day is going well today.

MinusTwo- thanks for your PM and fun note about you know what.....

Gotta run but will share more on my dinner last night and the whole bottle of wine I bought (but had corked and sealed to bring the rest home)

Jazzy - did you know there is a newer pneumonia shot? I had the Pneumococcal vaccine when I was in the hospital for my BMX in 2011. Then in 2016 my PCP said I needed to get the Prevnar 13.

I had the MMR blood test and am only immune for Red Measles - so I'm planning to get the MMP vaccine. Also there were no DPT shots when I was a kid. I've had tetanus boosters over the years when I stepped on rusty nails & such, but my PCP recommended I go ahead and get vaccine. In any case apparently the immunity only lasts for 10 years before you need a Td or Tdap booster.

NM - Just double checking with the resident nurse to make sure this is correct.

Just as an aside, of course Medicare does not pay for these shots. I've found the price varies widely - the most expensive being at my PCP's office. The second most expensive is WalMart.

MinusTwo- I think I did know that but it has not come up in annual physicals but it will be on Monday.

I think I only had the "german measles" shot as a kid (the rubella part?) because in the 1960s, I remember it was a big deal with pregnant women getting infected and having babies with birth defects or stillborns. I expect I am going to probably need to get the MMR.

Chi-sorry about that, it was your MO apt. I think getting an antibody test is a great idea. Let us know how that works and what you find out. I think masks may become the new normal after this in public places.

The pool was good!

Hi all, I’m here, reading along mostly. I cut my right index finger pretty badly on a double sided razor blade that DH annoying discarded in a bathroom drawer instead of the trash, it didn’t require stitches luckily but did bleed a lot. So, I’ve taken a couple of days off from cleaning and packing. Not cooking much either since any pressure on the finger tip is painful but I did get a delicious takeout burger and onion rings. Both were excellent 😁

My BFF is Canadian, rural Nova Scotia-born & raised. Though she's lived here almost 40 years, she never did apply for US citizenship. She holds a Canadian passport. Nevertheless, she can't cross the border to visit her ailing (heart condition) brother in Halifax--acc. to Canadian immigration authorities, siblings are not considered close enough relatives! (Only spouses, parents or children--no exceptions).

Good afternoon friends- another lovely fall day today. I am staying home for the most part, getting some summer clothing put away (most of which I never wore this year) and making sure my fall and winter wardrobe is more handy and ready to go. I am putting more things together for consignment and donations. Less is more, right? I am going to finish my garage cleaning this weekend too.

Anyone watching The Vow documentary on HBO right now? If you are, I have a story for you......

NM- well that is too bad you are on call and will miss your event this weekend. I hope you can get to the next one. You are a wealthy of info around this immunization stuff. And yes, kind of weird about the mark that you had the flu shot. Probably will do another one when the Covid vaccine comes out? I hope you can get some rest when you can and enjoy some of the last of the pretty fall up there. I noticed today my red oak is starting to change color (it goes the last and is really deep red by Thanksgiving).

Ill- I am sorry about your injury, and hope that is all better soon. I am glad you had something good to eat this week. That burger and the onion rings look really good! I am a total foodie and love photos of tasty food.

Cami- I think the career plan change will be a good thing. As NM said, ACA, the cost for some the market place plans can be as much as a house payment. I got rid of of the house payment close to a year ago, and now get to keep mo money with a guarunteed paycheck to plan around. I really just want to save more money for retirement at this point along with being sure I have health insurance. I have talked to others about FT jobs in the past few years but the fit wasn't there, but this one is. Two more weeks to my start date and getting ready.

I am interested to hear about your lunch outing yesterday and if it all went okay?

Chi- that is sad about your friend not being able to visit her family in Canada. I have a cousin who lives in the EU who really wants to come visit a friend who is in poor health in the states and she does not want to get stuck here.

Karen- thinking of you enjoying the last of your fall break.

I went to dinner with a former client the other night and had a delicous meal, including roast duck in a cherry zinfandel sauces. One of their signature dishes for this restaurant and had not had it in awhile, but so yummy. I ended up buying a full bottle of Kermit Lynch Cote due Rhone and had her cork and seal it to take the rest home. I forget that is an option sometimes instead of buying an expensive by the glass option, or not having the option for a glass or two of something on the wine menu. I am enjoying the rest of the bottle this weekend (one glass last night and one will happen tonight). I am into the reds now as we head in to fall.