[HowlinAtTheMoon]

Dagmar, congrats on weight control! It's always uplifting to see a happy number on the scale.

JayEll, I probably won't fly this year either, except I do want to see the new grandson who is due next month in Washington state. It's a 14 or 15 hour drive, but only a couple of hours on a plane, so I guess I'll have to think about it. I bet passengers will cheat like mad anyway.

Today I'm beginning to set up my outdoor kitchen. DH put up a shade tarp over the deck and built a nice shelf over the table I plan to use. I never use the oven in the summer because it heats up the house too much, but my new Breville toaster oven/convection oven/air fryer arrived and it will be perfect for outside baking!

I'm having my routine 6 month oncology appt via telemedicine today, so I'll get to find out what that's all about.

[Mudpie]

Originally Posted by HowlinAtTheMoon

Dagmar, congrats on weight control! It's always uplifting to see a happy number on the scale.

JayEll, I probably won't fly this year either, except I do want to see the new grandson who is due next month in Washington state. It's a 14 or 15 hour drive, but only a couple of hours on a plane, so I guess I'll have to think about it. I bet passengers will cheat like mad anyway.

Today I'm beginning to set up my outdoor kitchen. DH put up a shade tarp over the deck and built a nice shelf over the table I plan to use. I never use the oven in the summer because it heats up the house too much, but my new Breville toaster oven/convection oven/air fryer arrived and it will be perfect for outside baking!

I'm having my routine 6 month oncology appt via telemedicine today, so I'll get to find out what that's all about.

How was the telemedicine appointment Alice? Comparable to one with a face to face doctor?

Dagmar

[JayEll]

Thought I'd check in with you folks! How are you all doing?

Things are much the same here. The restrictions on some things are being lifted, but so far it hasn't affected us much. Still ordering takeout when we get tired of cooking. Still have to go grocery shopping.

The only excitement so far this week was that I had a kidney stone attack early Wednesday morning. I've been through this before, so I know the drill. I managed to get through it with some pain pills we had--I did not want to go to the ER! The pain meds relaxed the ureter spasm enough to allow the stone to pass. I'm grateful for that.

[Mudpie]

Originally Posted by JayEll

Thought I'd check in with you folks! How are you all doing?

Things are much the same here. The restrictions on some things are being lifted, but so far it hasn't affected us much. Still ordering takeout when we get tired of cooking. Still have to go grocery shopping.

The only excitement so far this week was that I had a kidney stone attack early Wednesday morning. I've been through this before, so I know the drill. I managed to get through it with some pain pills we had--I did not want to go to the ER! The pain meds relaxed the ureter spasm enough to allow the stone to pass. I'm grateful for that.

I'm glad you were able to weather the kidney stone attack at home JayEll and that you are OK now.

Nothing new here other than they are now messing up some of my traffic shortcuts to make work and driving in general harder. Supposed to provide "quiet" streets for pedestrians etc. They have done this type of thing before with "turtle" bumps and it's quite ineffective for the pedestrians and the drivers. Just makes everyone more stressed.

DH got a bonus at work for manning the office while everyone else stayed home. Great for him! He's going to save the money because everything is still so uncertain - good man!

I just heard that the food supply chain has been disrupted re chicken. That's one of our household staples so now we'll have to eat something else until the prices come down again. I was expecting this sort of thing so will have to adjust my cooking.

We have a long weekend here. Was thinking about getting very very drunk but that would mean standing in line at the liquor store for hours. Pass. That's a good thing I suppose.

Dagmar

[JayEll]

We have a long weekend here. Was thinking about getting very very drunk but that would mean standing in line at the liquor store for hours. Pass. That's a good thing I suppose.

Hahaha!! That's one thing I'm glad I don't have to think about anymore! Back in my drinking days, it would have been alcohol before toilet paper for sure.

Glad to hear about that bonus for your DH, Dagmar. And glad to hear he wants to save it!

We have some chicken and some beef frozen just in case. We don't believe in hoarding--people were actually buying extra freezers!--but it doesn't hurt to have a week or two ahead.

The good news is that some of our staples are back on the shelves now. We finally scored a bottle of rubbing alcohol yesterday! And the paper products shelves weren't completely empty.

Hang in there, folks.

[BillBlueEyes]

Happy Victoria Day, Dagmar.

Gotta admit that Queen Victoria (1837-1901) was a remarkable old gal. Wish we honored her down here. My understanding is that Victoria Day is only celebrated in Canada.

I'm surviving in self-imposed isolation. All the events we'd normally attend are cancelled. But we're retired, so not suffering. My best wishes to all of you trying to get back into the work environment.

[Mudpie]

Originally Posted by BillBlueEyes

Happy Victoria Day, Dagmar.

Gotta admit that Queen Victoria (1837-1901) was a remarkable old gal. Wish we honored her down here. My understanding is that Victoria Day is only celebrated in Canada.

I'm surviving in self-imposed isolation. All the events we'd normally attend are cancelled. But we're retired, so not suffering. My best wishes to all of you trying to get back into the work environment.

We don't call it Victoria Day any more unfortunately. Now it's known as the "May long weekend" or the "May 2-4 weekend" (referring to a case of beer and usually it's around that date as well). Usually the unofficial start of cottage going and camping in Canada.

Dagmar

[HowlinAtTheMoon]

Sympathies on the kidney stone, JayEll. Glad it passed relatively fast. I haven't experienced kidney stones but I did have something going on with my gall bladder once. They couldn't find anything but it was debilitatingly painful for several hours.

Bill, we are retirees also, and not suffering. Our lifestyle isn't even changed very much, because we live out in the sticks. The biggest difference is that DH, who is a very active AA member, does zoom meetings rather than in-person now.

Dagmar, when will you be able to dog walk as normal? Do you know yet?

Our county in the central valley of California (Tulare County) is not doing very well at containing the virus. I see little mask-wearing or distancing among younger people.

[Mudpie]

Originally Posted by HowlinAtTheMoon

Sympathies on the kidney stone, JayEll. Glad it passed relatively fast. I haven't experienced kidney stones but I did have something going on with my gall bladder once. They couldn't find anything but it was debilitatingly painful for several hours.

Bill, we are retirees also, and not suffering. Our lifestyle isn't even changed very much, because we live out in the sticks. The biggest difference is that DH, who is a very active AA member, does zoom meetings rather than in-person now.

Dagmar, when will you be able to dog walk as normal? Do you know yet?

Our county in the central valley of California (Tulare County) is not doing very well at containing the virus. I see little mask-wearing or distancing among younger people.

Alice I am able to dog walk as normal except for the physical distancing. I keep hoping the clients who dropped off will ask me back but they are all still working from home. No idea if I will be able to get back to my previous level of income. Due to the number of reactive/less than ideally trained dogs I walk I rarely use the off leash areas and that won't change.

Dagmar

[Mudpie]

I haven't put on the "COVID 19" but this weekend signals the start of going back to my no alcohol, no cookies policy. I think I've put on about 4 lbs. and I'm going to get serious about taking it off. This pandemic will be with us for a long time and I'm not going to continue to use it as an excuse to overeat and drink. I will go back to having my once a week splurge night after two weeks of straight maintenance eating.

Dagmar :

[HowlinAtTheMoon]

It's interesting how many have gained during COVID. I'm sure a lot of it is stress-related. My weight is holding steady, with an eye towards 125 by Election Day. Right now I'm 127-128.

We have a raven nest in our giant eucalyptus tree. The first baby came out of the nest Friday to much commotion by our dogs and the parent ravens. DH was able to pick it up unharmed and put it in with the sheep. This morning it was getting flying lessons from the parents, circling over our pasture. We think there are still two babies in the nest.

Greta got spayed two weeks ago. She had to wear the Blue Donut after a few days, when I guess the stitches started itching. But the stitches are now out and she doing fine. The cats were terrified of her when she wore the donut!, when usually they either ignore her or chase herI I think she has reached her adult weight of 33 pounds.

[Mudpie]

Alice Greta is a beauty! Just the right size too! Glad your weight is not being affected by the pandemic. :

I finally found an awning structure that fits our small back deck! Trixie and I sat outside this morning for the first time in 2020, with our chewie and our coffee, listening to the birds sing. What a nice way to start the workweek.

Dagmar

[JayEll]

Hey Howlin I had a gallstone attack many years ago that ended in surgery. That was the same kind of pain. Anyway, I'm glad everything cleared up.

My weight has not gone up--in fact, if anything it's dropped slightly. I think Intermittent Fasting has helped with that--I've tried to stay with it, even though my food choices have not been the greatest. But that's one advantage of IF--it's not about what you eat but when and how often.

Dagmar, good for you for finding an awning that works. I found one to go above our bathroom window on the west side, and it made me very happy. It also helps the bathroom stay cooler.

[JayEll]

We live in interesting times...

[Mudpie]

Originally Posted by JayEll

We live in interesting times...

We do indeed. DH and I went to get tested for COVID on Monday night, more to rule it out than to see if we had it. I've had a nasty head cold for over a week that moved down into my chest on the weekend. I've never experienced uncontrollable coughing before ( nor do I want to ever again) and DH started feeling kind of peculiar on Sunday.

He now has what I believe is a bad but regular stomach flu and I'm almost done the cold. We chose to exercise caution and get tested and wait at home until we get results, since the COVID symptoms can also be present in a bunch of other things.

Hoping tomorrow or Friday we'll have results.as I'd really like to go back to work.

Dagmar