November chitchat

[agate]

We're past Hallowe'en and the time change. Getting an extra hour each year is like receiving a very special present.

So here we are in November, and how is life treating you if you're reading here?

Reading is fine--posting would be even finer but anyone is free to lurk here.

Leaves and pine needles are falling in this area where I live, and the plants on the patio are looking as if they're waiting for that first frost that will finish some of them off.

I keep on crocheting hats. By now I have such a large stash of yarn that I've been organizing it. This meant getting rid of a few things to make more space around here. I've been on a campaign to make things more accessible in this apartment.

What is going on with you? Movies seen, books read, concerts attended? Or have medical issues been taking up your time?

[jingle]

Tomorrow, Nov. 2, is election day. Our polls open at 6AM. Rain, cold and wind are forecast starting late in the morning so I plan to be at the polls as early as I can get there.

[agate]

I remember waiting in line at the polls. I've used an absentee ballot for the last 40 years or so--first as a disabled person but nowadays in this state all voting is done by mail.

This time there was ranked-choice voting on part of the ballot. That was new to me.

[jingle]

Where is everybody? I sure hope you're OK. I'm OK ....... This morning I made a couple batches of cookie dough that I'll bake this evening. I took myself out for lunch - my favorite place - a nice Chinese buffet. Then a fast trip to the local Walmart for much needed eggs. Gee, I live an exciting life!!!

[Prot]

A bad 8 days. Oct 30 my youngest granddaughter goes,with my daughter, to check on a friend of hers that’s been out of contact. They find her dead or dying(not sure which) by hanging.Her friend had 6 children

This Tues my youngest niece had an op.It was successful,but the next morning she had 3 heart attacks. We have been given time to say goodbye before life support is stopped. She has a 3 month old baby boy called Albie.

[jingle]

Oh Prot - I'm so sorry. What an awful time for you and your family. I wish there were something I could do. I will add you to my prayers.

[agate]

Tim, that is so sad--losing your niece so tragically must be very difficult for you and your family, and of course for the infant who is going to be left without a mother. And your daughter and granddaughter must have been very traumatized by finding the friend in that calamitous situation. How old is the granddaughter?

jingle, I've been really busy lately because the rollator I depend on developed a problem I couldn't solve. In the past I've always been able to fix any problems it had but not this time. A front wheel wouldn't move. In a bit of a panic I decided to bypass getting a replacement through Medicare, which would involve much paperwork and maybe a very long wait, and ordered up the same rollator on Amazon. Amazingly they were able to deliver it the next day.

Meanwhile I had to get the rollator back into some kind of working order, and so I've been applying myself to that project, going at it with a magnifier and pliers to remove threads and hairs and applying oil, etc.I finally got it working pretty well again and was even feeling foolish about having been in such a rush to order a new one.

I guessed that I'd had the rollator about 5 years but was very surprised to find I've had it 10 years. When I found that out I didn't feel quite so silly about replacing it. But since the new one arrived, I've been busy just unpacking it from its oversized box and assembling it and thinking up a way of getting the box out to this building's dumpster.

I could (a) break it down with a boxcutter and take pieces of it out on the rollator, or (b) borrow a dolly from this building, put the flattened box on it along with the rollator, trundle all of this out to the dumpster, return the dolly to its closet and remove the rollator so I can use it for the walk home. I'm not sure yet how best to dispose of this large carton but where there's a will, there's a way. I'm leaning towards option (a) even though it will take much longer. The flattened-out box is just too big for me to carry while pushing the rollator and too big to sit on top of it. It's amazing that they can ship it with so much of it already pre-assembled.

The new rollator seems just fine and was very easy to put together. For once. So many things aren't so easy to assemble.

Sorry about this long and probably boring story! I'm so enthusiastic about this new rollator that I can't shut up about it.