A Good Day

Yesterday...  Last night... 

First, I got my new iPhone XR working.  Not that it was EASY getting to Apple help, but once there, the assistance was great!  The agent I spoke to (on my old cordless phone) was patient, helpful and knowledgeable.  I also need Verizon help and got it.  5 hold minutes each is nothing to complain about.  I called my neighbor friend Deb to try it, and my sister later.  It worked.

HURRAY!

Apps and contacts come later.  Knowing the iPhone worked was the major event.  I do miss having a printed manual though.  Looking stuff up in print is "sometimes" easier than visiting a help site that makes you figure out even the QUESTION to ask.

Second, I cooked outside the first time this year.  The Boston Butt was cut into 2 slabs for greater dry rub exposure and smoked for 2 hours.  Well, quite frankly, after 2 hours the surface is sealed and it is easier to complete the cooking in the oven at 225F.

Third, removing the pork allowed space for 12 chicken boneless skinless thighs to get smoked for an hour.  They finished in the oven just as the pork came out.   

The pork was SO GREAT I just noshed on cut parts all night.  Best pork butt I ever cooked.  BTW to those with other names for parts of pork "butt" is not actually "butt".  Its' a shoulder part.   Sorry, sometimes I get "eww" when mentioning "butt" LOL!

I drowned the meat in dry rub overnight, and it really pain off.  I bet the chicken thighs are the same (dinner tonight).  

Sometimes I get lucky, and the pork was IT.  Maybe the chicken too. 

I walked better yesterday.  It comes and goes.  Yesterday was better than average.  Maybe going out to the smoker helped distract me.  Any port in a storm, as they say.

New seeds arrived in the mail.  I better get busy with some of them as I'm behind schedule with some early ones.  I've been spending more time in the basement lately (laundry, litter-boxes and some seedling tray platform tray repairs).  

Had to "glue&screw" some of the platforms.  The drill was "heavier than I remembered it".  I got by carefully.  It's funny how slight differences in strength make big differences in handling tools.  Took both hands to hold the drill straight, and also to move things around.

But I couldn't have done that at all 2 weeks ago.  

Next project is to get all sites listed in my password manager so that I don't depend on old lists and marked-out scribbles.  It's a pain to change everything, but I can see the ones I've done make life easier. The hardest part was figuring out how to add passwords to start.  It is easier after the first few.  

At least it seems to work.  And I have wicked long and complicated password manager password.  Takes minutes to type it, but I don't have to do it often.

I only wish everything went that easy...

2 Months

I'm disappointed!  Depending on how I count the day I fell and today, it has been 2 months since I fell.   It is starting to feel like this may never end, and I have this worry I'm as "good as I'm going to get".  Or next month I may look back on this post and laugh as I do cartwheels on the lawn or carry a big laundry basket down the stairs easily.  But not yet...

I had some problems before I fell.  I was routinely getting leg and rib muscle cramps for a decade.  I had involuntary finger-clench cramps, but usually only after doing hard gripping of tools.  Oddly enough, those went away for weeks.  Well, they are back.  Maybe the muscles were shocked from the fall and are recovering.  

And I'm feeling sorer around my lower back and (coff, coff) butt than earlier this week.  It moves around some though.  Maybe that's a good sign of healing, but I could do without it.  I'm walking a bit stiffer again.  Maybe it is that I stopped taking even Ibuprophen last week.  I may start a daily OTC dosage again.  If it is the same in a week, I'll call my primary care Dr.  

But it is really annoying to get worse after getting better.  Maybe that's normal; 2 steps forward, one back.  As I've said, I don't have much experience with lingering problems.  Maybe I've been walking too much or too little.  Maybe I've been comfortable enough to sit awkwardly lately.

My right arm is weaker than I realized.  I have some simple platforms I use to adjust seedling tray heights under my basement shelf stand lights.  They were originally just glued together and I screwed some in place last year.  I missed a few (probably in use at the time).  Well, one came loose and I decided to check (and screw) all of them.

It was harder than I thought!  I had to use both hands to hold the drill upright and straight.  And pulling the drill bit OUT took some effort (which normally requires no effort at all).  At least pushing DOWN on the screws as I drove them in wasn't a problem.  Drill straight and pull out, bad.  Screw in, good.  Well, at least I got them all reinforced...

So it was time to make dinner.  Pork stew (tastes better than it sounds) and a tossed salad.  But more cutting and chopping.  But more gripping the knife handles.  More finger-clenches...  I had to physically pull some fingers back into place.  

Ever had a basic recipe you've made a 100 times and one time it just doesn't work?  Last night was like that.  The potatoes and carrots in the stew wouldn't soften!  I even put it all in a bowl and M/W it 3 more minutes.  Still not stew-soft.  I ate it anyway while watching TV.  I like good food, but sometimes (so long as it is not spoiled), I'll eat what I end up with.  

2 hours later, I realized I had a pork roast (Boston Butt) and chicken that needed to be marinated for cooking later today before it went bad.  More slicing and knife-gripping!  I slice the big pork chunk into 2" slabs for smoking and cube them later when they cool.  The chicken is boneless/skinless but also gets smoked.  

After slicing, I made a dry rub mix.  It works on both pork and chicken.  More grabbing stuff with the hands...  I don't have a "special recipe" but ask if you want the general mix of stuff.  I just "guesstimate" each time.

I really packed it on this time!  I'm not a spicy-hot type of cook, but brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, etc can  add a lot of flavor.  But by the time I was done and had the meat back in the fridge, my fingers were going all whichway.  

Thank goodness for NSAID muscle rubs.  I had to slather it on my hands and it took 15 minutes to take effect, but it did.  Otherwise, I would not be typing now...

Which leads me to the last thing for today.  Typing causes the finger-clenches the most.  The muscle rub is working for now, but I'm finding it hard to post every day and visit as often as I would wish.  I appreciate the visits from you.  

I will get back into a more regular habit of posting and visiting as soon as I can.  And after smoking an 8 lb pork roast, 12 chicken thighs, and having frozen steaks and shrimp in the freezer, I will not be doing serious "slicing and dicing" for a while).

Each day, I expect "next week" will be a lot better.  And I expect that, one week, that will be true.  I'm so very much looking forward to that week.

Yet Another Update

Well, I had a followup visit with the orthopedic surgeon yesterday.  I almost cancelled it for several reasons.  First, I couldn't think of anything useful she could tell me  (I was mildly wrong about that).  Second, sitting around the waiting room is really boring.  

Third, half my driveway still has ice on it. And it was raining lightly, so it was slick.  And my driveway goes downhill to the street.  And across the road where the driveway joins it, there is an 8' drop to a drainage easement.  So I was unsure about risking it. 

I was cautious.  I stepped on the ice first.  The light rain HAD made it "punky" enough so my shoes made an impression.  So I backed the car out of the garage so the rear wheels were on the ice and the front still in the garage and then pulled forward again.  Nice crushed tire tread marks!

The street-side half of the driveway was bare asphalt, so I couldn't slide beyond that, and the street was bare of any ice, so I could certainly stop there.  And the car is 4 wheel drive.  So I decided it was safe for several reasons.  I decided to visit the Dr...

And there were NO problems getting the car to the street safely.  If that still seems "un-cautious", I'll mention that I did NOT put on my seatbelt AND kept the door slightly open in case I had to bail out.  On the street, I attached seatbelt etc...

At the Dr's office, a person interviewed me about changes in condition since the last visit, any specific problems and questions, etc.  I mentioned having no specific pain anymore, very mild hip stiffness when I first got up in the morning or after sitting for an hour, not taking any meds (not even OTC Ibuprophen for several days), getting back to some normal household activities like laundry and cat litterbox cleaning, but feeling some weakness lifting anything above my right shoulder (where the clavicle is separated from the scapula.  Complained slightly that I probably couldn't bowl or golf again, and that my gardening activities might be very restricted.

The Dr arrived 10 minutes later.  After asking questions for 5 minutes, she had a few  observations/suggestions.  First, I was healing quicker than average for my age and most people with similar injuries were still on meds.  I'm not playing "tough guy".  If I was hurting, I would ask for a med.  

Second, she asked if I had seen a physical therapist.  I hadn't, but that was because I had visited my primary care Dr (who has the same shoulder injury) and he showed me the mild stretching exercises he was given.  Plus, I looked it up on the net and it was obvious stuff I was already doing.  Drs HATE that, but hey, this was from professional sites.

Third, she mentioned that I might be self-limiting about bowling and golf and gardening.  The clavicle/scapula connections is not a strength joint.  She suggested I try a few frames of bowling (just to swing the ball gently and release it, and try some gentle golf chip shots in the back yard to see how it felt IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.

Fourth, she reminded me that surgery IS an option at any time.  She said a minor incision to insert a pin holding the clavicle in place with the scapula is an option, though it takes 6-8 weeks of general shoulder immobility.  She says the operation would essentially return my shoulder to pre-fall condition

That's both a possibility and a concern.  I find the shoulder "annoying" and come Spring when I can do things outdoors again, I might find my new limitations unacceptable.  On the other hand, I can't quite image being essentially left-armed for 6-8 weeks as being manageable.  

But I don't have to make that decision now.  The shoulder problem is more weird than limiting at the moment.  I will see how things go when I'm out in the yard again.  Trying routine yardwork in a month or so will help me decide.  As the Dr said, and this point, the operation would work the same tomorrow or next year.

So I've been testing myself (gently) with indoor things.  I normally clean the cat litter boxes by lifting them to the workbench and doing the scraping/sifting there.  I was doing it on the floor on hands and knees a few weeks ago, but have done it on the bench twice since.  It works, but let's say I'm about 80% good at the lifting.  It doesn't hurt, but the right shoulder is weak.  

Part of my recovery has been adjusting ways of doing some things.  I've always been better at using my left arm and hand than most people.  In fact, I suspect I was originally a "lefty" but was discouraged from it as a child.  In the 1950s, that was considered a "problem" for kids as they tried to fit into society.  

So for now, let's say that I am in pretty decent shape (all things considered), that what I am now is what I WILL be (into every life, some rain must fall), and that at some point "life" was going to catch up to me.

I'm 70.  Some physical problems were inevitable.  I've been lucky.  One finally got me and it was my fault.  Ya can't be lucky forever...

50 Days Of Annoyance

This is an update, but not the usual one.  There are effects of injuries that aren't strictly sore muscles and healing ribs...

I've spent more time in bed these past 50 days than the previous 2 months.  Usually, about 10-13 hours per night.  While I may be healing and can get around better now, my body still reminds me that I'm not going on long walks for a while yet, and I may never golf or bowl again.  Not that I've done either for several years, but it is probably not an option anymore.  

I have to be careful lifting heavy pans.  I can feel it when I lift a full mug of tea above my shoulder (I have a M/W on a raised shelf and may change that).   Lifting Marley feels like lifting an anvil (he's 18 lbs now).   I still have to be careful on stairs.  

The right clavicle will never be the same.  The orthopedic surgeon was being optimistic when she said that unless I was a pro athlete I didn't need surgery as "I could do about anything else normally".  So, this is a bit awkward and I don't WANT to sound sexist or questioning her judgement (though I am), but I don't think she understands how much stress men (and some women) put on their bodies in some hobbies.

BEFORE I fell, I did a lot of things that pulled on most muscles and left me sore a few days.  Partly (for me) it is living alone and HAVING to do everything myself.  Partly, it is WANTING to (otherwise, why do it?).  I can hire people to do hard work, but I don't want to.  

Unless the shoulder improves dramatically in the next few months, there are a lot of things I used to do that I can't anymore.  I won't be digging up and chopping out invading tree roots entering my garden beds. I won't shoveling out a trailer full of mulch to add to the garden soil to keep it enriched.  I won't be climbing the ladder to cut off droopy tree branches.

There are some psychological effects of reduced mobility.  Some of you understand that personally.  This is MY first experience with it.  I sit a lot when awake and I mentioned staying in bed many hours.  When awake, it is just easier to sit.  Oh, I move around regularly (cook dinner, do laundry, water plants, clean litterboxes, take trash and recycling bins to the street, etc.  

But I sit more because I'm depressed.  I don't (think) I mean clinically, I just can't do much these days and it is frustrating.  I actively want to, I just can't.  Carrying around a stepladder on ice is just too much for now.  

And I probably lay in bed more hours because "why get up"?  The waterbed is warm, soft, and comfortable.  And The Mews collect around me much of the time.  It is easy to just lay there in relative comfort.  It's more comfortable than sitting in the easy chair, and sitting in the easy chair is still more comfortable than walking around.  

As I said, I still "feel it" when I walk.  There is a difference between "can walk" and "comfortable walking".  One day, I will just notice I am walking again normally.   Or not.  There are just somethings you have to wait to find out about.  And some things I can do well enough and some things that make me hesitate...

For example, I looked at the birdfeeders today.  I have gone out in serious snowstorms to refill them in the past.  I got myself up to fill the thistle feeders yesterday.  Well, they are reachable from the ground.  But I looked at the 8' high black oil sunflower seed feeder and hanging suet cages.   

I sighed at having to carry the stepladder to the feeder (it feels heavy these days) but went into the basement to fill the tub with seeds and open 2 containers of suet.  No suet left...  I went upstairs and added suet to my shopping list.  The cardinals will have to find seeds at neighboring yards tomorrow.  I feel very guilty.  

Before I fell, I had a flock of 6 male cardinals and some number of females (they are harder to see).  I wasn't able to refill the feeder for a month+ afterwards. I refilled it once and was empty in a week.  Most have moved on.  Or maybe died (that's the "guilt" part).  I hope they are finding another neighbor who feeds them.  

They can probably find some seeds, but suet is high-density calories and they need that in Winter.  When the sleet stops tomorrow, I will put a pan of seeds on the deck rail.  They'll find it; I've done that before.  And go shopping...  But I bet suet is hard to find now.  

On the other paw, that means people are putting suet out for the birds and that is a comfort to me.  As long as they get it through these days when I can't provide it well, they will survive.

It was about time that I started to feel age creeping up on me.  I am glad it took a while, I am grateful for all those years.  But just as our pets have to go over The Bridge sometime, I am feeling "aging".  

Aside from the effects of the fall, I already had a "trick" right knee. It will just suddenly weaken randomly. I have some routine muscle cramps in the calves and thighs in bed, and rib cramps while awake the past few years.  More annoying then anything, but painful.

I have the occasional "finger-clench" finger thing that probably is a sign of oncoming Parkinson's.  It used to happen only when I did hard-gripping of heavy tools.  Now it surprises me when I haven't done much work.  My Mother had the "clench" and lead to Parkinson's, and it seems to be genetic.  So that seems to be in my future.

I'm grateful for all the many years without any problems, but age does catch up to you eventually.  This fall from the ladder is probably not going to help anything, LOL!  Hey, all you can do is take what life hands you...

Well, I better end this for today...

The Good Neighbors

My great neighbor Deb called saying she was going to get a kitten and asked for advice.  So I returned the walker as an excuse to ask her about it.  It's not complicated; any DSH is kind of fine with her.  I guided her to Craigs List (where I was once guided to Marley) and she and John are considering shelter kittens.  

We talked for almost 2 hours and that is pretty rare for me.  They are both great people.

Sometimes, you get lucky about neighbors...

An Update

Getting better, but it has oddly varied the past few days.  One day or even hour is fine then another is not.  I've been avoiding even ibuprohen the past few days (4 weeks of it is a lot of even mild meds to my way of thinking).

Sitting is actually a problem.  It is comfortable, but the longer I sit, the harder it is to get up and walk around.  I need to be careful about that.

I am really a lay-about recently.  12 hours in bed seems good.  Well, it IS a heated waterbed.  Hard to leave, LOL!

On the other paw, I can walk better when I get myself up out of a chair.  I am still careful on the stairs but level-walking is a lot easier.  I went out to get the mail/newspaper, and it was "almost" normal.  I may actually be being more careful than I need to be.  Some "push" on the muscles is apparently good.

It's the good/bad moments that are annoying these days.  But there is sure a lot better than just "bad moments".  I'm recalling the first week when it was nearly impossible to get in or out of bed without grunts and serious pain, so it sure is a LOT better now.  

Driving the car and shopping is easier.  I even managed a delivered 50# bag of thistle seed and a 40# bag of black oil sunflower seed.  Not like I could lift them, but pushing them into a trashcan on its side and leveraging IT up worked.  I cut the bottoms and slowly lifted the bags up to spill into the containers.  I used a small hand dolly get the trashcans into the basement where I carefully scooped seeds into smaller containers.   I've gotten good at doing things "easy".

I AM refilling the birdfeeders and suet cages regularly.  A 6' stepladder is not a 12' extention ladder and I make sure it is solid. It's not like I have to stand on the top step.  Besides, I'm not trying to pull a cat off the birdfeeder...  LOL!

Little Requirements

I'm healing but not "healed".  I can drive the car safely and get through a store OK,  but getting in and out of the car is (literally) a bit of a pain.  

I have to help my right leg under the steering wheel in and out.  It's more "annoying" than anything else.   But I'd rather not do it anymore than I need to.  So I went shopping just for a can of fish flakes in spite of that.  Why?

They needed food suitable to their mouths.  I have some adult fish, some catfish, some baby guppies and a Betta (not all in the same aquarium).  The betta has pellets it loves (beats me why).  The catfish will eat anything that falls on the gravel.  I have frozen brine shrimp for the adult fish.

But the baby guppies need crushed flakes and I was OUT of flakes entirely.  Not even dust in the container.  I'm responsible for them as much as for the cats and the outside birds accustomed to getting suet and sunflower seeds.

So (reluctantly) out I went out bad weather notwithstanding...  I pay more attention to "the closest parking space" than I used to.  The shopping strip has speed bumps.  It drives me crazy when people come to a full stop before easing over them.  They are designed to be passed over best at about 10-15 mph.  

So I followed a car coming to full stops at each speed bump.  And there was a place where we had the right of way and the side lot area had a stop sign.  Guess who came to a full stop to wave the other driver on?  THAT messed up the expectation of 3 drivers and almost got me rear-ended!

I know people like that MEAN well, but they don't understand how it confuses others.  SOME people leave a trail of car accidents behind them and wonder how "others" cause them.  AARGHH!

Then I saw a close parking spot.  Guess who backed into it?  Of course that "full stop speed bump" driver had the right to it, but my bad luck meant the next open space was 50' more walking.

I was shopping at a pet store because I thought I would get a few middle-tank fish like serpa tetras (I'm down to 2 of them) while getting the fishy flakes.  No such luck; the tanks were nearly empty.  Maybe they are going out of business.  Or fish are hard to stock these days.  Whichever, I just got the fishy flakes.

The cashier is apparently required to ask if I found everything I wanted.  I know that if I say "no" they get all distressed and waste time trying to help me find it.  I mean, I already SAW they didn't have the tetras, so I said "yes".  

Which I'm sure goes into some report that they have everything I wanted (which suggests I wasn't looking for fish and was inaccurate).  Sometimes you can't win.  

Something else that annoys me is that EVERY SINGLE CASH REGISTER I EVER MEET NOW demands that I actively decline some charity or another.  I give to my choices regularly by credit card; I shouldn't need to have to press a button to say "no" at every cash register.  Besides, I bet the store would get a %.  And there is some slight public shaming (Oh look, he didn't give to save a homeless pet).

So, needing fishy flakes and not finding fish, I purchased and left.  I was advised that I had $3 reward points and used it.  Felt stupid using a credit card for the additional $2 and change, but I hate coins these days.  They just go into a large jar.  I need to bring them to my bank on a Thursday (they only accept loose coins then with some machine they have).  I understand; it is a bit labor-intensive.

Stopped at the local DIY store to drop off burnt fluorescent tubes and buy new ones for the plant stand.  They didn't have what I wanted.  Went to the next and they did (almost).  Not all artificial lighting is the same.  Watts are not that important.  Lumens and Color/Temperature are.  Very basically, Lumens are brightness, which is like "volume of light". Temperature in this regard isn't how HOT the bulb is; it is the red/green/blue color spectrum like in a star.

Plants mostly use red and blue for photosynthesis.  We see most plants as green because they DON'T use it and reflect it away.  The colors we see are what they DON'T absorb and use and (in light) expressed as "Kelvin" (temperature above absolute zero).  Long story not TOO LONG, plants grow best at 5000 Kelvin which (for reasons I do NOT understand) means mostly red and blue.

A typical room bulb is something like 2500K (which means it has green and gives us balanced color from OUR POV.  Pants like higher Kelvin to a point.  5000 is best, 4000 to 6500 is OK.  All I could find was 6100.  I bought some.  

Sorry for all the details, I never know where to stop.  Maybe I should have been a teacher...

I was pretty much worn out by the time I got home.  Too much walking and I can feel it.  But the fish needed the flakes and the baby guppies moreso crushed small and the plant stand had a few bulbs to replace.  You have responsibilities to things you keep.

So I take care of the birdfeeders even when I have to climb a 6' stepladder, go driving to get fishy flakes when they need them, etc.  

You do what you think you must.

The Battery Minder

I mentioned the "Battery Minder" previously that helped my 2005 Toyota start in its last years.  Well it may not have been the Toyota's fault.  I just don't drive far or often.  I know most people enjoy driving; I don't.  But it did make up for my lack of driving.

I discovered my new Subaru Forester was starting "slightly" slower than before I fell off the ladder and was taking some steps to attach the battery-minder to it the day I fell off the ladder.  But the Subaru battery is farther back under the hood than most batteries are.  The wire wouldn't reach!  I had 2 wires with the Minder and I spliced them together.  Used some brush-on rubber insulation to help prevent a short.  And there it say for 7 weeks!

Well I got back to hooking it up to the Subaru battery a few days ago.  I wrapped electrical tape around the new rubber insulation on each wire and them wrapped both together.  And set about attaching the spliced wire to the battery with the hood open.  The wire worked; the Minder came on flashing the appropriate lights. But you can't just leave the wire there, the hood will crush it when closed...

So I set about feeding the wire through the grill to the battery.  What a PAIN!  It didn't want to go from the battery out through the grill and it didn't want to go in through the grill to the battery!  It is REALLY cluttered in there.  No room for human hands...

I tried a bunch of different ways to feed it through and/or grab it with something.  It was getting REAL uncomfortable bending down into the engine compartment.  I FINALLY found a space I could get a hand into, but it wasn't enough.

Well, when several approaches don't work, try something else, right?  

I pushed a stiff wire in through the grill, and with one hand, guided it into view.  I made a loop on one end and tied some string to it and tied the wire to the string.  Perfect.  No.   The outside plug wouldn't pass through a narrow spot.

So I had to reverse the pulling wire.  The battery connection has 2 flat washers that slip over the battery posts.  I got the stiff wire through the grill from inside and attached the washers to the wire.  THAT didn't work; too stiff to get around a sharp corner.

So I pulled in partially back out, tied the string to the pulling wire (crushing the loop tightly) and pulled/twisted the pulling wire carefully.  

SUCCESS!!!

The Minder wires were through the grill and reached the battery.  I attached the washers over the battery posts and tightened them.  

Attached the Minder plug to the grill (so it wouldn't get pulled in).  Plugged the Battery Minder to an extension cord, the Minder plugs together, and the Minder showed normal charging signals.

And the car needed it!  It stayed on trickle-charging (solid red light) for hours before it turned green (charged).  HURRAY!

I just don't drive enough to keep a battery charged without help.  Seriously, my new-bought 2005 Toyota only had 30,000 miles on it when I donated it to Vehicles For Change in 2020!  My new Subaru has only 500 miles after 7 months.  

But I got that battery-discharging problem fixed, and that is the important thing.  When I want to do a short errand, the car has to work.  So I make sure it does.

It's the story of my life; I am just not "standard".  The world just isn't built for my habits.  I always have to struggle...

I usually win eventually, but it sure is never easy.  ;)

Scene Of The Fall

First, I've felt slightly stiff the past couple days.  I suppose it is because I am re-engaging some muscles  that I had previously been favoring.  Well, I've been more active lately.  Partly just because some degree of activity is recommended for healing; partly because after 7 weeks there are simply some things that MUST be done around the house.

I couldn't ask Deb to take care of me forever.  Thankful as I am for all that wonderful help, I feel a deep need to start to do some things again myself.  Oh for sure, I will ask for help if I need it, but there comes a time...

Which reminds me I need to return the walker to her so that John can return it to his workplace (before it gets "missed" maybe in an inventory).  I wouldn't want to get anyone in trouble.  And besides, that gives me an opportunity to bring a "thank you" gift.  They said they loved my home-baked bread, but I also make an old family banana cake recipe that surprises people.  Think of spice cake in texture and appearance but with banana and walnuts.  The family recipe calls for a bundt cake pan (for even cooking) but I've learned how to make it in muffin trays.  

I was going to bring flowers, but it is near Valentines Day, so I will wait a few weeks on that, as I don't want to confuse a simple THANK YOU with a rather romantic holiday.  Anyway, I will continue with gradual and home-oriented thank you gifts.  My intent is "thank you" reminders of appreciation...

So I am doing more (having a couple minor setbacks) and expecting better things each week.  

Second, here is a pic of the "Beware Of Falling Idiots" zone!  The small ladder was there so I could raise the top of the extension ladder.  I am usually so cautious that I would have tied a rope to a middle rung and tied it around the tree so it couldn't move.  But when I bounced on the lower rungs and pulled side-to-side, it wouldn't move (and indeed it did not).  There is a "U-shaped" stabilizer bar on the top (for roofs) and it was very snug around the trunk.

The branch going to the left at the top is where Laz was sitting and calling for help.  That's why I had to stand on the top rung to reach him.  Well I had the trunk and branch to hold onto.  THAT wasn't the cause of the fall.

BTW, the pale circle near the top of the ladder is where I had a weak fork in the trunk cut down a few years ago.  I keep telling myself I should paint it bright yellow and then paint an emoji on it, LOL!

The ladder on the ground shows where I hit and the orientation.

Well, I had that ladder out to fill the birdfeeder, so I set it down afterwards to take the picture as a good reminder...

Superbowl Sunday And Other Stuff

I LOVE Superbowl Sunday.  It means I can shop at the DIY store without a crowd there, LOL!  It's like shopping for flowers AFTER Valentines Day or grocery shopping after Thanksgiving Day.

It is supposed to start snowing later today.  The weather-forecasters have (by self-admission) been all over the forecasts this week.  Snow, no snow, snow.  Heavy, light, etc.  Apparently, the conditions are so uncertain that they just can't tell exactly where this storm is moving.

Which is not a great surprise.  Washington DC is a turbulence zone.  That means Southern warms meet Northern colds where the Jet Stream crosses the uneven Appalachian Mountains, so almost anything can happen.  

I mean, we got a foot of snow on Veterans Day one year and they didn't even think it would RAIN.  Took 3 hours to get home!

So they are saying tonight we might get 1-3" of snow followed by rain here.  Or not, depending on some high pressure front moved north or south 20 miles.  Let's just say I usually just look ouit the window to see what is happening.

1" of snow will melt.  3" might be annoying.  I'm not recovered enough to shovel 3" and the snow-blower doesn't real deal with lesser amounts well.

But with the possibility of snow, I had to check the bird-feeders.  I could see the thistleseed ones were about empty, so I brought out enough to refill them.  On the way, I checked the sunflower seed feeder.  The 2 suet feeders were OK, but the main seed tray was nearly empty.  Damn!

Well, I love my birds and snow causes them hardships.  So I carefully set up the ladder and dragged the seed bucket out and up.  I was VERY VERY careful.  I have to order more thistle and sunflower, I'm out.  The thought of dumping a 50 pound bag into the metal trash can I store the sunflowers in is daunting.  Maybe I'll just cut the top off and scoop.  Same with the thistle seed.

You make adjustments to the usual routines when you have to...  But I like my birds.  The cardinals are my favorites in Winter, so very bright red.  But there are many others who depend on the suet and seeds.  The thistle feeders are visited by goldfinches and sometimes by purple finches.  The goldfinches are the Spring/Summer glory around here.  So I support a small flock of cardinals and finches for Summer/Winter viewing.  

I'm still stiff in the morning and after sitting at the computer, but maybe some less each day.  I have to remind myself not to put a foot up on the opposite knee.  It doesn't bother me at the time, but it hurts some after.  Habits are hard to break.  

Cleaning the litter boxes is awkward.  I can't lift them to the workbench where I normally do it (resting the ribs for another 2 weeks) and gettting on hands and knees is not the easiest thing yet.  But I CAN carefully and it is a requirement.

Walking around is not much of a problem the past days.  Not like I can walk FAST, but it is mostly straight-forward.  I can return the walker to Deb anytime.  I plan to do that along with a loaf of warm bread.  She and John loved it cold; warm will be better just before dinnertime.  

That's not actually mine, but darn close.  I need to remember to take a picture.

Ordered some new seeds.  Most of mine are fresh (refrigeration helps) but some are old.  Late for ordering and so some are out of stock, but I made adjustments and am trying 2 new-to-me heirloom tomatoes.  One is a cold-tolerant early producer and the other is a pear-shaped Japanese type that is supposedly very meaty with few seeds.  

Have to replace some lights in the plant stand.  Naturally, they are at the bottom which is awkward.  Oh well, what is life without a few challenges?

Ran out of fish food yesterday, so off to the pet store I go today.  I thought I had a large container half-full stashed away, but no.  But while there,  I could use a few more fish.  They only live a few years and I am down to mostly guppies and a couple catfish.  I want some tetras.  The guppies hide in the floating plants on the top.  The tetras swim around the middle.

Laz loves watching the Fish TV from the stepstool.  He doesn't go after them or I would remove the stepstool.

I am slowly catching up on things here.  Quite a To Do list after a month ignoring clutter and grime.  I wish I could just flood the house with soapy water and suck it up with the shop vac, but one thing at a time will have to do.

Hanging in there...

Fixing My Computer World

There are computer problems you expect and ones you don't.  I have been gradually examining all my apps to see which aren't 64 bit.  There are a LOT, so I have some work to do.  That is likely the source of most of my problems.

I have also added a Password Manager and better security software.  Until I actually go through them, though, they actually cause problems.  For example, when is the last time you turned on your computer to be met with the sound of a growling lion?  That surprised ME for sure.  It turned out it was a signal from the security app that I had malware ad apps that needed attending-to.  Not the easiest way to start a day, LOL!

Fortunately, Consumer Reports magazine has a 10 part step-by-step article on computer security.  I will follow that over the next week.  Some I learned myself; some I was not so aware of.  For example, I had just gotten their recommended password manager, but I also just acquired my first smartphone and was clueless.  So it is very helpful (and includes things I don't have but you might).

I will be spending some time following MOST recommendations.  I have a problem with deleting cache and cookies.  It always causes problems getting into some standard sites.  For example, I deleted them on recommendation from my security software (which, naturally, I don't want to identify for security reasons, LOL!).

But it took me almost an hour to get back into Feedly.com.  Apparently, I have it directly through Google, and they didn't want to recognize me for Feedly.  I got around it, but it took a while.  I'll be more careful of security advice.  After all, their purpose is "security", not "accessibility".  

My password manager may help on that, but my list is daunting.  I have so MANY sites with accounts.  Well, time to trim the list.  Many sites are old, and some are easy to access once a year as a "guest". 

Such fun!

Like, I only order seeds once a year.  I don't need to keep track of an account with 6 companies when I really only order from 1 or 2.  And entering my address once a year as a "guest" isn't worth keeping track of username/password.

Simplify and update.  Keep a clean machine.  Search for and delete 32 bit old stuff and replace with 64 bit apps.  That's my new rule...

After that, get my darn email straightened out.  I may reduce to one.  Having several themed-accounts was nice when it was supported by Verizon, but it is getting impossible to keep them working on AOL (which Verizon sold my account to).  Time to accept the inevitable and go with one.  

And that "one" will be "cavebear2118@verizon.net".   The others receive but replies stick in the outbox.  I will miss them, but I won't keep fighting about them.  You can always reach me at cavebear2118@verizon.net.  The others are less certain and will vanish eventually.  But they receive so it's OK to use them for the time being.

One Day At A Time...

Some Random Thoughts...

As I review my posts, I noticed something I have failed to mention.  I have been oddly temperature-sensitive since the accident.  I have normally kept the house at 72F daytime and drop it to 68 at night (having a heated waterbed has some benefits).  And in daytime at 72, in Winter just I usually wear light slacks and flannel shirts (cuffs rolled up).

Since the accident, I've felt cold.  I expect that is because I haven't been as active but it may be some reaction to healing as well.  I had to bump the temperature up to 74F night and day and even then, sometimes wear a sweater in daytime.  I should have remembered to ask my Dr about that.

Also, I notice that, even drinking about a gallon of water per day (yes, I fill an actual gallon jug), I often feel dehydrated.  I initially blamed the meds, but I'm not on any anymore.  What's causing that?  It's not like I spend the day eating bread or crackers...

It's funny how the accident stopped all my projects in mid-work.  I was in the basement and noticed one that I started THAT DAY!  Because I seldom drive far or often, my old Toyota car battery tended to get discharged.  So a few years ago, I bought a "battery-minder".  It is a smart version of a trickle-charger.  Starts and stops when needed and you can leave it plugged in.  

It kept the old 2005 Toyota running and I noticed the new Subaru was slower to start too.  My fault for not driving much (joke - I couldn't drive at ALL for almost a month).  The Toyota dealer said "well drive 15 minutes every couple of days".  But I don't.  So I have the battery-minder.  But you can't just slam the hood on the wires.  It has to come through the grill.

Guess what?  The cable doesn't reach the battery in the Subaru.  But it came with 2 different cables.  SO, I cut them to splice them together for enough length.  Now, you have to understand that, as willing (and usually successful) as I am at SIMPLE repairs, electrical tape is the bane of my existence (next to 2-stroke gasoline engines like on chain saws).  The stuff sticks to ME like flypaper and I can't get it wrapped neatly around wire splices.

But I had a bottle of "liquid rubber" and was applying it THAT DAY before I heard Laz yelling for help.  It is still there today.  I suspect it is "well-set" by now, LOL!  I feel up to completing that repair now and feeding the cable back through the grill to the battery.

NOW, I'll attack it with electric tape.  It is probably safe from shorts now with all that stuff on it. LOL!

And I won't have to worry about draining the battery again on lots of short errands...

Plus, maybe my best chess game ever against a computer!  If you follow this sort of thing:  I'm White.

A double-rook sacrifice...  I NEEDED a game like that!  LOL...

I continue to feel and walk better.  I'm still stiff when I first get up in the morning or have been sitting too long, but that goes away more quickly lately.  The stairs are easier and I can now carry things AND go up and down almost normally.  

I took the last of the prescription-strength 600mg Ibuprophen today, which is OK.  I think I can get along with an over-the-counter 200mg one 2x  a day.  I dislike taking meds; there is always SOME level of side-effects or consequences if you take them too long.

Nearly OK

I'm beginning to get back to normal.  Not that I mean I will be jogging down the street and digging up the garden soil anytime real soon,  or walk down the stairs carrying an awkward load.  I still feel the stiffness in my hips and the separation of the clavicle from the scapula will probably always be slightly annoying.

The difference is that I can free-walk in a relatively straight fashion rather than waddling a bit side-to-side now.  I CAN carry things even down the stairs (keeping it light).  I can go up and down the stairs when I feel like it rather than carefully planning 1 or 2 trips a day.

I went outside the other day to fill the 3 birdfeeders (1 of which involves using a 6' stepladder which I was VERY careful on).  I dragged the trash bin to the street even with snow on the driveway (I'm going to let it just melt - no WAY I'm shoveling even 3" of snow).  

I had been just filling a large bowl with kibble for The Mews, but I am getting them more canned foods the past 2 weeks.  We were running short anyway, so I ordered more last week and Deb brought the large box in for me.  I got it opened and sorted out into the pantry yesterday.  Ayla really appreciated it; kibble is not her favorite food.  Marley likes both.  Laz grew up on kibble, so that is fine with him.  But I prefer feeding them canned.

I can get down on hands and knees to clean the litter boxes myself.  I can do laundry normally, but I am transporting it downstairs using a tall (unused) rigid kitchen wastebasket as a support on the stairs (I go down backwards and up forwards.  I watered the basement lettuce etc trays myself and that took some walking back and forth from the laundry tub and the lighted plant rack.

Driving the car is easy.  It is nice to just go out and get what I need when I want it.

I guess my biggest question now is how much and how fast I will finish healing.  It has been going well after the first couple weeks, and I feel better every day in general.  But I COULD hit a wall at some point. It is POSSIBLE my hips will always feel stiff after this.  Or that, when I get more active outdoors, my shoulder will always feel "loose and weak".  

The orthopedic surgeon said I "probably" will never need surgery.  My primary Dr (internist) has the same separation I do (he let me feel the lump on his shoulder) and says it doesn't bother him after several years. But they may not understand quite how physically-active I was around the yard.  Since I live alone and have no family or friends nearby, I push myself pretty hard sometimes by necessity.

So I worry about it.  My life may or may not change permanently.  On the other hand, while I seem to be aging slower than average, I AM aging regardless.  At some point, things I could easily do be before would be becoming more difficult regardless of falling off the ladder.  

I certainly can tell the difference between what I could a few months ago (pre-fall) and what I could do at 50 or 30.  It is part of the natural course of life.  If I need to move a large rock, I just need a bigger lever.  If I need to do something too difficult and awkward after this, I'll need to call a "handyman".  LOL!

If I am seeming to make light of all this, it is because I'm accustomed to do that about personal difficulties.  Trust me, a part of my brain is "yelling and screaming" about being injured and getting older.  But since I am injured and getting older and that can't be avoided, I shout that part down and decide how to get on with things.  

A LOT of people have it much worse that I.  And it could have been much worse.  I remind myself I could have landed on my head and died or landed in such a way to cause some various degree of paralysis.  I wouldn't handle that last very well.  I'm not sure I could deal with that!

But let's be cautiously cheerful.  If I was stuck as I am today, I could deal with it.  And I DO expect to heal more, after all.  A couple months from now, when gardening season REALLY starts, I may not even notice a difference.

We'll see.

Thank you all again for the continued good recovery wishes and advice.  They have made a difference.  It is good to have friends...