Catching UP!!!!

June, 2014
It has been a year and a half since I last posted on my blog.  Very lax indeed.  So much has happened and that is probably why I haven't ........ just hit the wrong key and wiped out the two paragraphs that I have completed already.  I could really learn to hate this machine if it didn't provide me with so much, i.e. place to save my writings, photos and keep in touch with family and friends via the social network.  So I put up with the quirks.  It's just that when things like this happen and I don't know what I did to make it happen - it makes me a little bit paranoid.

I have been been on this machine since early this morning.  My first task was to print out the message that I typed for my son a month ago in honor of  father's day. He is not a father for real, but he has done his best to help his girlfriend with her son (15 already - was six months old when they started going together).  He would have made a good dad, too bad it is never going to happen.  That's just the way it happens sometimes.

I have organized my photos and saved them to a flash drive to protect them in the event my computer decided to crash or some such thing.  I also saved some of my more important writing projects.  I would not want to recreate them in any way, shape or form.  I enjoy writing and I really have not done enough of it during the past year.  Probably would have felt better if I had filled up my time but putting my fingers to the keyboard and produced words.

I did this because a virus attacked my phone and in order for it to be fixed they had to do a Master Reset-they managed to save my photos and my contacts, but the info in my task and memo folders was erased and had to be recreated, which I did with flying colors.  Buggar!!!!!!  The only thing that I have to do is to put birthdays back on my calendar (already replaced the dr. appointments etc.).  It was my fault that the virus hit my phone - I thought I was doing good but in actuality I did bad.  A message popped up telling me I had three viruses that I needed to handle and that I should click okay to start the cleaning process.  Guess what - clicking on okay is what gave the viruses the go ahead.  I paid for it - took a couple of hours at the AT&T fix-it store in Pikesville to get rid of it.

This past winter did not treat me well.  I was not a happy camper.  I do not like cold and I do not like snow and we had tons of both.  Unfortunately the snowblower gave up the ghost so it was shovel time.  I did get plenty of exercise because of the shoveling.   We had two major storms that if I had my way would have closed down the household until it melted, these were the two times that I was very glad that the neighbor from across the street came over with his snowblower and moved the majority of the snow before we went out to shovel.  God bless neighbors who look out for us.

There have been a lot of storms this spring as well - wind, rain and once or twice there was hail.  The temps are still on the cooler side, but that is going to change this week.  Looks like we have some warm and clear days coming up this week.  They will be greatly appreciated.  Doing my outside projects has not been easy cos it hasn't been dry enough long enough to get them done.  Painting does not like wet.  Still have some weeds around the perimeter of the yard that need to be sprayed, but once again rains reek havoc with that as well.  I am actually hoping that we are almost past this stuff.

I have not been very faithful with my exercise routines.  Haven't been to the gym in months.  In fact, I am not even sure that the  gym is still in the same place.  The jist of the last Facebook post is that it has moved.  I am going on a hunt tomorrow to see if I can find it - I really need to get back into a routine.  I have gained a few of my lost pounds back - more due to inactivity than eating too much because I have managed to maintain my 1200 calorie limit for the day.  Something to be said for that - even if I do say it myself.

Time to think about cutting this off - it is almost dinner time and I am in need of a cup of coffee.  Take care world......hi to anyone who might run across this and take the time to read.  I can get pretty long winded sometimes.

The New Year is here, already!

It is a great surprise to me that it has been six months since I posted anything here.  Lots has happened in that time.

I have gotten good words from the doctors - I am healthy as a horse and doing everything right to make my recovery go good.  My docs were all very pleased with my progress and the fact that I am doing so well - so am I.

I made a trip to Detroit in August.  I jumped in my car and drove.  I really surprised myself and proved to myself that I can do it.  I had a nice visit with my friend Diana and look forward to going back again and again for as often as she will put up with me.

The work in the basement (making it habitable for my son, his girl and her son) is going well.  There has been a lot of improvement - a really nice bathroom, painting, floors being put down and finishing touches.  Too bad that money has gotten short.  But tax money looms so I am hoping that the job can be finished.  Then I can start with the projects that I want to do upstairs - painting, refurbishing old furniture into new and just freshening things up.  Fortunately it is all stuff that I am going to be able to do myself.  My hubby taught me enough in the way of carpentry and painting etc. that it is going to be a "cake walk".

The holidays came with a bang and kinda slithered out with very little fanfare.  I have two (no make that three) wreaths outside and a tree inside (which is going to come down this weekend).  That is the extent of my decorating for the holidays.  Everything - energy, money and time - went into the basement, which is okay.  Did get a gift card from WalMart and a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant - Mo's.  Spent my gift card today (a new coat, two new blouses and two pairs of leggings) and have had two meals at Mo's so far.

We have had three snow storms already this year.  Luckily my exact location was not affected all that much.  Western Maryland got major inches and lots of ice as well, Eastern Maryland got mostly rain, and the Northeast was lambasted again.  Snow on top of Sandy, what a way to end the year!!!!!

That has been the last six months.  Lots of down time, lots of lunches with friends, lots of gym time (lost 60 pounds so far with 35 more to go to get to goal weight) and lots of time doing e-mails and Facebook.  I have been keeping busy and that is all that counts - doing what I want, when I want and how I want.  Retirement is great.  I have done nothing earth shattering, nothing that would change the world in a major way, and nothing that would be considered major in scope.  Just me being me.

Miracle of Life

The other day at about 4:00 p.m.,while I was walking around in Wal Mart, I came across a young mom holding her baby.  Me being the nosey thing that I am asked how old the baby was.  To my astonishment she replied 15 hours - yep, 15 hours. 

She explained that she had given birth to the little darling at 1:15 a.m. that day at a birthing center (water method was her choice of procedures).  She and the baby were doing well and had been released.  Fifteen hours - WOW!!!!   I was amazed.  She was walking around like nothing out of the ordinary had happened that day.  Shades of the pioneer spirit.  She was a little surprised with herself because she said it was an easy birth with not much pain involved.  Something to be said for that "water thing".

This is the youngest baby I have ever seen except for my son when he was born many many years ago.  This has given me a new found faith that just maybe the next generation is going to do okay.  She had courage and a fortitude that not many young ones exhibit in this day and age.  Bless her heart.  I wished them both well and went on my way with the realization that I had witnessed a minor miracle.

Farther into the Future

I am moving even farther into the future of high tech computer stuff.  My old cell phone gave up the ghost - it was turning itself off whenever it decided that it was a nice time to do so.  Very inconsiderate of the blamed thing especially when I use it for my alarm.  A missed appointment is no fun.  Soooooo, I upgraded. 

This new phone lets me do everything - most importantly it can be set up as a WiFi hotspot that will handle up to five items (computers, etc) at a time.  I can now be in the middle of nowhere and use my laptop - will wonders never cease.  I can actually get on the internet with the new phone, but it is a little small, especially the keyboard.  My fingers are not compatible and I was doing a lot of backspacing (more than normal) to correct things.  I solved this problem by getting a stylus.  I do so much better with this little tool.

I bought a portable netbook the other day as well -has a 7 inch screen and will be good for traveling.  It actually fits in my purse.  I am toying with the idea of taking it back,but probably won't because it is convenient for traveling like I said.

I have truly become a techie - I like using the things, but when it comes to the inside workings I am not so good.  I have to rely on people that are smart about the inner workings of these modern marvels.

Graduation Bell and More

May 11, 2012 was the big day - It was my last day of 7 weeks worth of radiation treatments.  You are given a bell on a pink ribbon to ring as you walk down the hall for the last time so that everyone could cheer for you.  Since that day I have gone to several doctor's appointments for follow ups -  all of whom are very pleased with my progress.  The only thing that I have to get through now is five years worth of Exemestane (a medication that takes estrogen out of your system to keep any cancer cells from transferring to any other part of your body) and mammograms every six months.  Better to be safe than sorry.

I am back to my normal daily routine - which really doesn't mean much.  I go out to lunch with friends, go to the gym at least three times a week and sit around home thinking about all of the things that I should be doing in the way of house work (cleaning and/or laundry) that I don't have the motivation to do.  Procrastination is my middle name at the moment.

The weather has been very nice for the past few weeks - winter was warmer than normal, spring was wetter than normal and so far temps are bearable as is the humidity.  I am hoping that it continues this way because I really want to do some traveling in August.  I am hoping to visit a friend that lives in the Detroit, MI area.  It will be a two day drive, which some of my friends are concerned about.  They can be over protective at times.  If  I don't do it because I am worried about what could happen to me I would never walk out the front door.  None of my friends in the area are retired yet so I have no choice but to do things on my own.