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Totally Random Chat Thread

39K views 163 replies 35 participants last post by  moon 
#1 ·
I thought it might be fun to have an ongoing chat thread for totally random off topic thoughts.

I spent the weekend exploring the city (San Antonio, Texas) for some urban photography shots and hanging out with my grandkids.

Cloud Sky Property Building Window


What's going on in your world? :vs_coffee:
 
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#2 ·
I manage the financial (and other) affairs for an old friend who got dementia from an aneurysm clipping (open brain surgery.) The latest is: she has a mouse infestation! And - her disability just isn't enough to throw $$ at the problem, I've gotta throw myself. Fun.

Uch - did some clean-up in prep for the professional coming this week. Nasty work. Loathe wearing masks. Droppings were everywhere! Mice are smart creatures - I'm afraid they'll learn to avoid traps once we snare a bunch of them, after all entry points are sealed.
 
#4 ·
I just got back from a work trip to Austin, TX. My job has radically changed this year and now I travel 1-2 weeks each month to speak at tech conferences. Hurray for frequent flier miles!

I love flying to Texas, they always have the best BBQ. In Chicago, the BBQ is really just broiled to make it fall off the bone, then slathered in a sweet sauce. I am really enjoying biting into smokey dry-rub ribs and having to work at it a bit. mmmm BBQ..... :D
 
#6 ·
I like the idea Cricket and I really enjoy it when people post pictures from different places. The thing that would make it better is to have a description of where it is and what we are seeing. Being an international community there is an opportunity to visit places from all over. :thumb:
 
#9 ·
It has definitely been a Monday. No less than 3 times I have reached for the same empty coffee cup. I was 99% certain that I had re-filled it, but once again it is empty. Since I tend to be on the ADHD side, I figured I must have gotten distracted and simply hadn't done it. To make a long story even longer, I just walked into the kitchen, very deliberately to get coffee this time - to FINALLY actually fill my coffee cup and found that the pot was empty. It's official. I have lost my mind.
 
#10 ·
Spent most of the day at our local thrift shop where I volunteer. I do two jobs. 1) sort and price craft and sewing supplies and maintain orderliness of that section (which can be a full-time job in itself since people rummage around in the bins and often move things around. 2) work the checkout and run the cash register. A fun job and I love talking to the people who come through the line. I only work the checkout one 4-hr shift on Monday afternoons.

The best thing about working there is that, since I do crafts myself, I get first-dibs on anything I'm sorting through. I have bought way too much craft supplies.
 
#11 ·
Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but my adventures - of late - are all focused on trying to rearrange my life to accommodate treating/curing the breast cancer I was diagnosed with 2 weeks ago today.

I don't really have an easy break in my life until the last 2 days of July - but the surgeons aren't willing to wait that long - so I have to figure out how to fit 2-8 weeks of recovery in about 4 days :)

Bummer. Full day of medical and practical consultations tomorrow.
 
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#41 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hate to be a Debbie Downer, but my adventures - of late - are all focused on trying to rearrange my life to accommodate treating/curing the breast cancer I was diagnosed with 2 weeks ago today.

I don't really have an easy break in my life until the last 2 days of July - but the surgeons aren't willing to wait that long - so I have to figure out how to fit 2-8 weeks of recovery in about 4 days :)
I am a breast cancer survivor (surgery 1997) and my prayers are that you have as good a recovery as I do. I credit the following and hope you can use this for your recovery.

1. Get a buddy with whom you can talk things through. Anesthesia fog is sometimes a problem so a friend you can listen and give feed back is very helpful. It would be great if she has already recovered but someone going through treatment would work also.
2. Take a notebook with you to all consultations. Just because you think you heard something doesn't mean you got it right.
3. Drink lots of water. (Get rid of that anesthesia,etc.) Helps a lot for chemo also.
4. Rent funny movies. Everybody has a different idea about what is funny so think about the last time you laughed out loud at a movie. Rent that one. Not only does it help your mood, the laughter actually does something good to the body.
5. Do those exercises. (at some point, someone will give them to you.) Also exercise is like the laughter. The chemical change is good for healing.
6. Refuse to think negative thoughts. Have a soothing scenario in your mind and go there when the mood gets black. (Mine was winning the lottery. You would not believe the island I bought; not to mention the cars. :) )
Good luck and God bless I pray that in 19 years you will be as free of cancer as I am. :smile2:
 
#13 ·
@neohdiver - I empathize. Cancer is consumptive! A nasty curve ball. I recently got permission to be away for 9 days in the midst of chemo, and the best part of it was being out of reach of docs, tests, and all the rest of it. Freedom! For two weeks prior, every single day I had a medical appointment of one sort or another.

It's disruptive enough in my life and I'm retired, so you have greater rights to complain. Am hoping they caught it early, and that in time we'll be talking about you having been cured and your cancer will have turned into a memory ...
 
#16 ·
@neohdiver I am so sorry you are dealing with this dreadful disease. I hope you can figure out how to take the time you need to recover, 4 days is not enough and waiting is not an option. I hope the surgery is a success and you'll be caner free. You're in my prayers! Sending you hugs though.
 
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#18 ·
Neohdiver, I don't recall if you live alone or have someone with you. I was alone when I had my double mastectomy in 2013 (no recon). My kids came for a couple of days but that was all they could get away. I was very lucky in that the cancer was small and early so no rads or chemo. Hoping for this for you too!

My suggestion is make meals ahead store in serving sizes. Paper plates and plastic cups save a lot of extra work. Put things on the counter that you would normally have to reach up to get. You aren't going to be able to reach way up for a bit.

One of the most annoying things are the drains. I took an old zip up hoodie and cut off the hood and sleeves. Turn it inside out so the pockets are inside and slip the drains in them. Oh and satin type jammies make it a lot easier to get out of bed, they slide nicely.

I was driving in a week and doing most things on my own by 4-5 days. I had to, I live alone. I have always been a fast healer, I think being in ketosis helped a lot with the whole process.

Good luck to you, I'll keep you in my prayers!
 
#21 ·
I got a new 3-pc. Bistro Set (small) for my balcony.

I have a horrible habit of eating my meals at my desk while I am working. I thought it might be a good place to start my day, eating my breakfast out there.
 
#26 ·
I have a screened back porch and until it gets too hot, I like to sit out there with binoculars and watch the birds. Right now is when the migratory birds are passing through and its fun to spot them. How they find my yard to stop in every year is a mystery to me. I do have a feeder and a birdbath, so its like stopping at a diner for them. But not all of them are seed eaters.
 
#22 ·
Until it gets too hot! Sounds great, Cricket. I grew up in Texas (East) and the summers get pretty warm even in the mornings. Maybe get a ceiling fan too? Where do you live...it is a big state with different weather patterns. I lived where the humidity was pretty heavy. It sounds like a great idea. You can observe nature and enjoy your day's beginning.
 
#23 ·
I live just outside San Antonio, so we don't get the humidity quite as bad as places over on the coast do. I usually don't mind the heat too much - at least not until it hits triple digits, at which point I hibernate.
 
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#24 ·
Thank you all! I had a horrible day with doctors. Continuing the miscommunication that has been the norm - this time they forgot to tell me that the doctor they were sending me to charges $95 - $200 in facility fees, on top of the copay. These fees are typically not covered by insurance - and with no advance warning I didn't have the ability to check with my insurance company in advance so that I could make an informed decision - and I will be charged these fees every single time I see this doctor for frequent post-reconstruction follow-ups.

Good thing I didn't like him much - so it is not much of a loss.

They did catch it early - so a lumpectomy + radiation would be sufficient to cure it. Unfortunately, we now have 6 cancers in 4 generations (5 breast and one abdominal). They suspect bad genes. So we're waiting to make the decision about how extensive the surgery will be until the results are back (perhaps as early as Friday).

@grammaB - I've got family around, so they will be pressed into service. I've had drains before (I had a rib removed), and experienced the inability to reach very high (the rib, again). Drains are a royal pain. I'm glad to hear how quickly you recovered from surgery - that was my mother's experience the second time around (although not the first).

What I'm dreading a bit is the radiation - primarily the possibility of both short and long-term fatigue. I just got rid of most of my diabetic fatigue. Not looking forward to it returning.
 
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#25 ·
They did catch it early - so a lumpectomy + radiation would be sufficient to cure it.
...
What I'm dreading a bit is the radiation - primarily the possibility of both short and long-term fatigue. I just got rid of most of my diabetic fatigue. Not looking forward to it returning.
I had exactly what you describe - a lumpectomy + radiation about 20 years ago. It all went smoothly and I've been cancer free since.

I knew an MD who had a foot in the alternative medicine camp as well, and went weekly for an intravenous vitamin/mineral cocktail which kept the fatigue at bay past what most women experience, and when it did finally hit me, it wasn't all that bad until the last couple weeks. I just planned for it and took the time to rest a lot.

I knew a woman at the time who had gone through radiation for breast cancer just a couple months before I was diagnosed - she gave me some good advice which I followed. She said to plan on something to think about for each time you go in for the treatment so your mind is occupied. Really, its only a few minutes, but they can seem like an hour if your mind is dwelling on it. Anyway, I did that (usually scripture, but sometimes a song or poem, or making a list) and it did help.
 
#27 ·
Random thought of the day...

Child proof caps drive me CRAZY!

Every time I tell the pharmacy to PLEASE use regular caps on my prescription and every time the bottle get tough to open.
 
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#28 ·
My pharmacy used to use a cap that was both. One end was child-proof, the other just a simple screw on. Could yours be like that? It didn't know this at first and called the pharmacy. Felt like an idiot when they told me to turn the cap over.
 
#30 ·
I spent some time out in the country today, mostly just enjoying the wildflowers. I was playing with this photograph I took in the editor. Sometimes I like the artistic stuff better.
 

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#31 ·
Nice job on the photo editing, Cricket.

I'm getting back outside and messing around in the dirt. I don't have too many annuals anymore but there's always weeds to pull up and tree debris to sweep up. I don't care what I'm doing, as long as I'm outside.

The house wrens are back - just today I think. A pair usually nests in the gourd birdhouse I have hanging under the arbor. Last year the Carolina wrens, who live here through the winter, nested first, and when they left it after their chicks fledged, a pair of House wrens moved in.
 
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