Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[jcbrown]

4 hours ago, Jenniferbug said:

Must be a tux thing then! He's so noisy! He cracks us up, unless he's yowling at 4 am. He is way less amusing then 😆 Our other cat is a tabby with a little tortoise shell coloring, and she's fairly quiet. She chirps at us when she jumps up and meow squeaks a bit at meals, but that's it.

 

4 hours ago, Sew Sumi said:

Our tuxie was very quiet. We currently have a tuxedo gone to seed (too much white to be a full fledged tuxedo), and she is very vocal. Maybe she thinks she's a tuxie. 😁

Our black kitty, Lucy, has a secret patch of white on her tummy so she is a stealth tuxedo cat. She is also at least part Oriental Shorthair, which is related to Siamese, and she is SUCH a talker. She will also come and play “ got your nose” with her paw if you are not awake to pet her first thing. It’s cuter when you’re not trying to sleep.

Edited July 16, 2020 by jcbrown
IPads do not make it easy to type

[BetyBee]

Our all black cat is the most vocal cat I've ever known. We have conversations every day. It sounds like he is saying, "Hellooooo" and "I love you"  and also just general wailing. We started closing our bedroom door at night (he's 15, we've had him since he was 7) and that has helped us with sleeping. He adjusted quickly to the change, so I wish we'd done it years ago! When we first brought him home from the shelter, he gabbed all the way and he hasn't stopped. The only down side to Midnight is that he is not a cuddler. He'll sit beside us, but never on us. But he's very sociable and enjoys being around us, especially Mr. BetyBee. The other downside is that he's a barfer. Boy, do we move fast when we hear him getting started. He has an aversion to barfing on hard floors and much prefers the sofa or the carpet. 🙄

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, BetyBee said:

Our all black cat is the most vocal cat I've ever known. We have conversations every day. It sounds like he is saying, "Hellooooo" and "I love you"  and also just general wailing. We started closing our bedroom door at night (he's 15, we've had him since he was 7) and that has helped us with sleeping. He adjusted quickly to the change, so I wish we'd done it years ago! When we first brought him home from the shelter, he gabbed all the way and he hasn't stopped. The only down side to Midnight is that he is not a cuddler. He'll sit beside us, but never on us. But he's very sociable and enjoys being around us, especially Mr. BetyBee. The other downside is that he's a barfer. Boy, do we move fast when we hear him getting started. He has an aversion to barfing on hard floors and much prefers the sofa or the carpet. 🙄

My bedroom is a cat free zone. Although I can sleep through anything I don’t want them knocking things off the nightstand etc. Charlie used to vomit A LOT (long haired orange tabby), and I don’t have any rugs in my house (just bathmats in the bathroom) because it’s so much easier just to mop. 

[Ijustwantsomechips]

16 hours ago, Temperance said:

I think it's good that Walmart is now requiring masks. They should have done this sooner, but better late than never.

@Ijustwantsomechips I was thinking of you just now and I remembered that I saw a forum for single mothers by choice, which gives support to women who want to have kids and who already have kids.  It might be nice to have a forum for support besides this one. 

Thanks @Temperance. I have a book about choice moms and am going to look into whether there are any SMC chapters in my area. 

I’m also thinking about @lookeyloo and her family. I pray all is well for you guys and that you get the support and care you need right now.

I hope everyone is okay. Whether it’s school, kids, work, or health and personal issues, please know that I’m thinking about you and I hope things get better for you soon.  We are living through difficult times, but we have to make the best decisions to keep ourselves and our families safe.  To hell with anyone who doesn’t like or agree with our choices!  In the timeless words of Hushpuppy from  Beasts of the Southern Wild, “I’ve got to take care of me and mine!”

[Ijustwantsomechips]

7 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

I have been battling wild bird mites in my house. So far it's a losing battle. I'm ready to set my f'ing house on fire. 😡

 I know that's what they are because it all started after my husband brought in a bird's nest to show me. He pulled it out of our bathroom's outside exhaust vent.

It's on the second floor, and not easy to get to. I googled the heck out of this, and finally figured out that this is what the problem is.

Every site said they are a b*tch to rid of, and they are. They also said exterminators aren't much help with this, unless they specialize in wild bird mites, and that those are hard to find. Wtf.

PLUS..I wouldn't let my husband clean it out, because I kept hearing baby birds chirping in there, so I wanted him to wait until they left the nest.

Before I thought "aw, how cute! baby birds!"  Now I think birds are @$$holes!😭

The mites are microscopic in size but have been eating me alive. They only bite ME..and not my husband.😭

I thought I was losing my mind (and I think he did too) until I finally captured some and showed him under a magnifying  glass (they look like grains of salt.) 

  Sorry..didn't mean to write a novel..but I'm so discouraged, and 2020 can go away!

Btw, the websites all say they like to bite women more than men..the little misogynistic jerks. 😠

 

Try this website @ChiCricket. They sell the same products the professionals use. 

https://www.domyown.com/

[On the Bias]

On 7/15/2020 at 6:35 AM, jcbrown said:

My sister's COVID test was 17 days ago and she still does not have the results. She has all the symptoms, though, and is still feeling terrible 20 days in. I am the conduit for her information to my dad. He is hallucinating like crazy and mentally declining a lot from being locked down for months. He has kind of forgotten how to talk on the phone, even though he calls me multiple time a day for updates. Sometimes he just stops talking and I think we have been disconnected. I don't even know how to do this sometimes.

@jcbrown, I feel for you.  These times are just crazy-making.  

[SunnyBeBe]

On 7/15/2020 at 12:35 AM, jcbrown said:

My sister's COVID test was 17 days ago and she still does not have the results. She has all the symptoms, though, and is still feeling terrible 20 days in. I am the conduit for her information to my dad. He is hallucinating like crazy and mentally declining a lot from being locked down for months. He has kind of forgotten how to talk on the phone, even though he calls me multiple time a day for updates. Sometimes he just stops talking and I think we have been disconnected. I don't even know how to do this sometimes.

If she's sick and waiting a covid test, I'd insist that the doctor get me the results.  Seventeen days when one is really sick is outrageous. I might even get adamant and call some other people who may intervene on her behalf.  

Ref. you father.  I do feel for you.  He likely isn't able to process information anymore.  My cousin was in Memory Care for about a year, before she was not able to really understand basic information.  Words didn't mean much, though she could talk.  Her words had little meaning though and she would just look at me when I talked to her and smile. I don't think she understood much.  So, I just did small talk and pretended everything was fine.  She seemed okay with that.  Talking to her on the phone became impossible. It's like she didn't understand how a phone works.  I eventually just called and told the staff to tell her that I called and sent my love.  

[lookeyloo]

I want to thank everyone for your kind and supportive comments to me.  It does mean a lot.  Sometimes I want to say something and Mr lookeyloo is very supportive, but he is in the same sinking boat as I am, and then we find ourselves going down fast.  Nothing is under our control except how we deal with this.  And I haven't found any resource that offers anything that I find useful.  And I am a social worker with access to social work friends and therapists.  But, what can anyone tell me that will make any of this easier?  I have taken so many "self care" workshops.  I do what I can.  So thanks for being a safe space for me.

These are indeed crazy-making times.  Sometimes I think this isolation isn't enough and I want to go someplace alone where food will be dropped at my door and I won't have to deal with anyone.  Oh, and booze too.

[Mindthinkr]

@zenme Try going online and looking up Kahn Academy. The offer most subjects (besides math) and offer free lessons. You can choose which level or area you need help with the most. I took a math class on it as a refresher. They aren’t too long and I got a lot out of it. I hope it helps you. 
@lookeyloo I’m glad you got to make some good memories on your trip. 
 

My daughter works in the NC educational system. Everyone is scared about the impacts of kids sharing germs and potentially fatal viruses. She said people are quitting left and right. Since they only have just found out about the reopening plan, they have very little time to replace these teachers. In theory they want or need to double up class sizes to account for having less teachers, but there is no feasible way to do it without adding substantially to the risks. She goes outside for all her breaks and lunch for fresh air. 
Even worse...she used to work in an elementary school. They have no hot water for students. The boiler has been broken for over 10 years. How are those children supposed to do effective hand washing in cold water, especially in the winter? They can’t and the county has no money to fix it. Even at the state level they seem to think that this is acceptable. 
I really understand your feelings @Christina87. Teaching in a school is like going into a war zone of germs with no support or hazard pay. Especially as you are a music teacher and so much depends on interaction and instruments. Whichever decision you make about returning I will support you. 

@Jenniferbug I have black cats and one is very vocal. I think her brother is quieter because her screaming seems to get them both what they want! 
 

@ChiCricket Bird mites! I remember wanting to bring a bird inside as a small child and my Mom adamantly said no, because of bird mites. This was many decades ago. I hope they have a good solution for you. I would hate getting bitten all the time in my own home  

To everyone else...Stay safe and be well. As well as possible under all the challenging circumstances that we are having to negotiate  .

 

[CalicoKitty]

12 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I’m one of those few people who isn’t wild about my air fryer. 
 

I just gave my air fryer oven away last week.  I have an egg-shaped one, that I use for chicken and grilled cheese.  I guess it is moving with me; the packers packed it before I could decide it I wanted it to go.

[CalicoKitty]

9 hours ago, jcbrown said:

 

Our black kitty, Lucy, has a secret patch of white on her tummy so she is a stealth tuxedo cat. She is also at least part Oriental Shorthair, which is related to Siamese, and she is SUCH a talker. She will also come and play “ got your nose” with her paw if you are not awake to pet her first thing. It’s cuter when you’re not trying to sleep.

My tuxedo cats have always been very quiet.  Now, the calico-- what a whole different story.  She was a loud taker who never stopped.  I just  got used to it because she was such a sweet cat, but, once she was gone, I was very aware of the quiet.  I have a tuxedo and a silver tabby now, that they are very quiet and content.

[MargeGunderson]

My silver tabby is quite the talker, and loves to have a back and forth conversation. She doesn’t meow so much as chirps and trills, more like a Siamese than a regular shorthair cat (which she is). My calico sounds so grumpy when she meows, even when she’s happy. She also likes to carry around a toy in her mouth crying, which is kinda creepy in the middle of the night!

I really feel for teachers, parents and students. There are no good choices right now. 

[Christina87]

13 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

I have been battling wild bird mites in my house. So far it's a losing battle. I'm ready to set my f'ing house on fire. 😡

 I know that's what they are because it all started after my husband brought in a bird's nest to show me. He pulled it out of our bathroom's outside exhaust vent.

It's on the second floor, and not easy to get to. I googled the heck out of this, and finally figured out that this is what the problem is.

Every site said they are a b*tch to rid of, and they are. They also said exterminators aren't much help with this, unless they specialize in wild bird mites, and that those are hard to find. Wtf.

PLUS..I wouldn't let my husband clean it out, because I kept hearing baby birds chirping in there, so I wanted him to wait until they left the nest.

Before I thought "aw, how cute! baby birds!"  Now I think birds are @$$holes!😭

The mites are microscopic in size but have been eating me alive. They only bite ME..and not my husband.😭

I thought I was losing my mind (and I think he did too) until I finally captured some and showed him under a magnifying  glass (they look like grains of salt.) 

  Sorry..didn't mean to write a novel..but I'm so discouraged, and 2020 can 'bug' off.

Btw, the websites all say they like to bite women more than men..the misogynistic jerks. 😠

 

That is crazy!!! One of my birds has mites, and she’s been on medicine. She suddenly got really lethargic, and her feathers started breaking off, so I was really concerned. The vet said we could try meds, and it turned out to be mites, because the meds worked. She was scratching all night, and rubbing on the cage bars (thus breaking off her feathers), and then feeling tired all day from that. Poor baby! I’m glad she is better, but my vet didn’t say anything about them transferring to humans! That is super scary! I hope that goes away really fast, because I have seen how miserable Sunny was, and I can’t imagine having that as a person!

@Mindthinkr thanks for the kind words, and I really appreciate the support. ❤️

[galaxychaser]

https://people.com/food/woman-demands-half-money-starbucks-barista-shamed-not-wearing-mask/
 

yeah Karen you don’t deserve a dime.

[emma675]

My neighbor just brought me cucumbers and tomatoes grown in their garden. The husband considers himself some kind of urban farmer - he tills up half of their backyard every year and has a huge garden - and apparently their crop took off like crazy this year and they have more than they can handle. So nice! I have herbs and container tomatoes growing on my back porch, and while my basil is growing all over the place, my tomatoes are pitiful (I had just three cherry tomatoes on one plant). They apparently are also growing gourds and pumpkins so I'm interested to see what fall brings for those crops, lol. 

[jcbrown]

5 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

If she's sick and waiting a covid test, I'd insist that the doctor get me the results.  Seventeen days when one is really sick is outrageous. I might even get adamant and call some other people who may intervene on her behalf.  

Ref. you father.  I do feel for you.  He likely isn't able to process information anymore.  My cousin was in Memory Care for about a year, before she was not able to really understand basic information.  Words didn't mean much, though she could talk.  Her words had little meaning though and she would just look at me when I talked to her and smile. I don't think she understood much.  So, I just did small talk and pretended everything was fine.  She seemed okay with that.  Talking to her on the phone became impossible. It's like she didn't understand how a phone works.  I eventually just called and told the staff to tell her that I called and sent my love.  

My sister called the health department, actually. When they heard she had been tested at CVS, they said, "oh, yeah, they're taking a really long time to get results." She will have been severely symptomatic for three weeks as of tomorrow. Ridiculous. Edited to add that her doctor must not have known about the delay because she is the one who sent her to CVS. Or that was the best they could do. The ER wouldn't even test her when she went there. This is in Indianapolis.

Yeah, Dad has good days and bad, and some times of day are better than others (he sundowns). I dread the time he cannot talk on the phone at all anymore because I am 2500 miles away. It is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that it is entirely likely I will not see him until we are through this pandemic, which I think will be next year at the very earliest. Thanks for the support.

1 hour ago, MargeGunderson said:

My silver tabby is quite the talker, and loves to have a back and forth conversation. She doesn’t meow so much as chirps and trills, more like a Siamese than a regular shorthair cat (which she is). My calico sounds so grumpy when she meows, even when she’s happy. She also likes to carry around a toy in her mouth crying, which is kinda creepy in the middle of the night!

I really feel for teachers, parents and students. There are no good choices right now. 

My Hillary used to drag around an 8-foot rope and you could always tell she was bringing it to you because she would yell at the top of her lungs, often while dragging it up or down a flight of stairs to wherever I was. We called it the rope song.

Edited July 16, 2020 by jcbrown

[Oldernowiser]

23 minutes ago, galaxychaser said:

https://people.com/food/woman-demands-half-money-starbucks-barista-shamed-not-wearing-mask/
 

yeah Karen you don’t deserve a dime.

Wow. That is some kind of ballsy. And delusional.

Yes, those ovarian cysts certainly mean you can’t wear a mask!  On your face! Oh and mask acne???!!! Why you poor, poor dear. And absolutely, a handwritten note from your chiropractor’s office makes all the sense in the world!!!

Humans can really, really suck.

[SunnyBeBe]

22 minutes ago, emma675 said:

My neighbor just brought me cucumbers and tomatoes grown in their garden. The husband considers himself some kind of urban farmer - he tills up half of their backyard every year and has a huge garden - and apparently their crop took off like crazy this year and they have more than they can handle. So nice! I have herbs and container tomatoes growing on my back porch, and while my basil is growing all over the place, my tomatoes are pitiful (I had just three cherry tomatoes on one plant). They apparently are also growing gourds and pumpkins so I'm interested to see what fall brings for those crops, lol. 

Omg....I love, love basil.  I should have planted some.  I used to. So much going on right now.  

[CalicoKitty]

4 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

My silver tabby is quite the talker, and loves to have a back and forth conversation. She doesn’t meow so much as chirps and trills, more like a Siamese than a regular shorthair cat (which she is). My calico sounds so grumpy when she meows, even when she’s happy. She also likes to carry around a toy in her mouth crying, which is kinda creepy in the middle of the night!

I really feel for teachers, parents and students. There are no good choices right now. 

So did my calico, and it was creepy.  She had a favorite pink pig that I would find all over the house.  She would carry it around and make yowling noises.  As you said, no fun in the middle of the night.

She also had to be spayed twice.  They left  part of one ovary the first time, and it grew back.  Two years later she went into heat and was spayed again.

Edited July 16, 2020 by CalicoKitty
added more info

[fonfereksglen]

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Omg....I love, love basil.  I should have planted some.  I used to. So much going on right now.  

Search ....Aero herb gardens!

[SunnyBeBe]

39 minutes ago, fonfereksglen said:

Search ....Aero herb gardens!

Alright!  One more day til the weekend. I’m looking forward to a a cold adult beverage Friday night.  I think it’s been a long week for a lot of people around here. 

[Suzn]

2 hours ago, CalicoKitty said:

So did my calico, and it was creepy.  She had a favorite pink pig that I would find all over the house.  She would carry it around and make yowling noises.  As you said, no fun in the middle of the night.

She also had to be spayed twice.  They left  part of one ovary the first time, and it grew back.  Two years later she went into heat and was spayed again.

My 8 month old little calico girl cat has taken up this habit of carrying a favorite toy around and meowing loudly.  She is the second cat I've had with this habit.  We believe that the toy is her "baby" and it is her mommie instinct that this is about.

[Marshmallow Mollie]

When I was a petsitter, one of my houses was two whippets who would take stuffed toys and leave them in the food bowl. I tried to figure this out from every angle, and the only thing that ever made sense was that they were bringing their “puppies” to the food bowl.

Add my cat to the list of cats who “kills” stuffed animals and loudly presents her prey to me at night.

[Zella]

9 minutes ago, Marshmallow Mollie said:

When I was a petsitter, one of my houses was two whippets who would take stuffed toys and leave them in the food bowl. I tried to figure this out from every angle, and the only thing that ever made sense was that they were bringing their “puppies” to the food bowl.

Add my cat to the list of cats who “kills” stuffed animals and loudly presents her prey to me at night.

My Chihuahua had a stuffed animal--I believe it was a hedgehog--that I would always find face down in the water bowl when he was locked up and I was gone. It happened with such frequency that it started to creep me out, so I stopped locking his victim toy in with him. 😉 He almost never gets locked up now when I leave the house, and he has stopped drowning inanimate objects like some demented tiny canine serial killer. 😄 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Zella

[CalicoKitty]

My niece had a dog that had a false pregnancy.  She would make a nest and gather up the boy's stuffed animals.  She would cry over them.  When the kids moved them, she would fix her nest and go find them again.  It really was very sad to see her with her "babies".  They had to put her on hormones for a while, and she finally stopped.  Now she chews up stuffed animals.

[jcbrown]

55 minutes ago, Marshmallow Mollie said:

When I was a petsitter, one of my houses was two whippets who would take stuffed toys and leave them in the food bowl. I tried to figure this out from every angle, and the only thing that ever made sense was that they were bringing their “puppies” to the food bowl.

Add my cat to the list of cats who “kills” stuffed animals and loudly presents her prey to me at night.

We had an 18-pound orange tabby named Zeke who carried Sid the Squid all over the house and left him in the water bowl nightly. I love cats but they are weirdos.

[PikaScrewChu]

Cases just skyrocketed where my parents are. They were getting by but things have gotten bad. My mom told me there's no point in wearing a mask there, no one else does when she is in the store. I told her does it matter? Wear it. 

I've resigned myself to not getting home for Christmas this year. It was looking okay-ish with precautions. Now it is looking unlikely. 

2020 can suck it. 

[Scarlett45]

9 hours ago, PikaScrewChu said:

Cases just skyrocketed where my parents are. They were getting by but things have gotten bad. My mom told me there's no point in wearing a mask there, no one else does when she is in the store. I told her does it matter? Wear it. 

I've resigned myself to not getting home for Christmas this year. It was looking okay-ish with precautions. Now it is looking unlikely. 

2020 can suck it. 

I’m sorry. 2020 can fuck off. 

[galaxychaser]

28 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

I’m sorry. 2020 can fuck off. 

Yes 100%

[Jenniferbug]

My tabby cat drops toy mice in the water bowl and then stares at the waves caused and watches it float. Husband and I think she prefers to "kill" without doing the dirty work LOL

@PikaScrewChu, I'm so sorry. 2020 totally sucks. 

[realityfan26]

16 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Alright!  One more day til the weekend. I’m looking forward to a a cold adult beverage Friday night.  I think it’s been a long week for a lot of people around here. 

I babysit my grandsons and my DIL unexpectedly got the afternoon off. I'm thinking of breaking out the adult beverage now!!

[lookeyloo]

27 minutes ago, realityfan26 said:

I babysit my grandsons and my DIL unexpectedly got the afternoon off. I'm thinking of breaking out the adult beverage now!!

I count down every afternoon til 5 p.m. for my adult beverage.  It's what keeps me going lately.

[Temperance]

This is such a dumb issue, but I have trouble saying the word "masks".  I can say mask just fine, but the plural version is hard for me to pronounce. 

Rerecommending F 2020 by AvenueBeat (song). It does have foul language. 

38 minutes ago, realityfan26 said:

I babysit my grandsons and my DIL unexpectedly got the afternoon off. I'm thinking of breaking out the adult beverage now!!

Go for it! (especially if you have nowhere to go).

[SunnyBeBe]

2 minutes ago, Temperance said:

This is such a dumb issue, but I have trouble saying the word "masks".  I can say mask just fine, but the plural version is hard for me to pronounce. 

Rerecommending F 2020 by AvenueBeat (song). It does have foul language. 

Go for it! (especially if you have nowhere to go).

I'm going to check it out later today when I have my adult beverage. 

I got a text from a neighbor near my house that's in renovations telling me that she saw the black kitten that my brother had seen last weekend. I was there for a day and didn't see it.  It's small and skittish. She said it ran across her leg, when she was at her mailbox.  So, I suspect it's feral.  My neighbor knows everyone on the cul-de -sac and doesn't think it belongs to anyone.  So, was it dropped off there?  She said it ran into the shrubs between our yards.  I may just let her handle it. It would be difficult to capture a feral cat in this heat with traps. 

[SunnyBeBe]

14 hours ago, PikaScrewChu said:

Cases just skyrocketed where my parents are. They were getting by but things have gotten bad. My mom told me there's no point in wearing a mask there, no one else does when she is in the store. I told her does it matter? Wear it. 

I've resigned myself to not getting home for Christmas this year. It was looking okay-ish with precautions. Now it is looking unlikely. 

2020 can suck it. 

I'm not sure if she has the option of switching stores, but, I found that some stores have great mask compliance, while others do not.  I don't shop at those that don't.  And, I just saw that Walmart will be enforcing mask usage, as well as Harris Teeter, very soon.   Trader Joe's, Fresh Market and a number of other places enforce as well.  And, there's also curbside that some places provide where they place it in your car with no contact.  And, for seniors, it's often free of charge. 

My covid test is Tuesday, for my procedure that's on Thursday.  So.......I wonder how that's going to work.  

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[doodlebug]

7 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I'm not sure if she has the option of switching stores, but, I found that some stores have great mask compliance, while others do not.  I don't shop at those that don't.  And, I just saw that Walmart will be enforcing mask usage, as well as Harris Teeter, very soon.   Trader Joe's, Fresh Market and a number of other places enforce as well.  And, there's also curbside that some places provide where they place it in your car with no contact.  And, for seniors, it's often free of charge. 

My covid test is Tuesday, for my procedure that's on Thursday.  So.......I wonder how that's going to work.  

 

Hospitals are running their own COVID tests in their labs on everyone having surgery or scheduled for a procedure.  That's the test mentioned about that should take no more than 2 days.  Since the numbers they are running are limited and  predictable, they're able to get the results before the surgery.  All elective surgeries are pretty much requiring COVID testing preoperatively, not only to protect the OR staff, but because there is now some data showing that COVID positive patients, even those not having symptoms, can have significant postoperative complications with clotting or becoming symptomatic afterwarda.

Most hospitals are also doing rapid testing on everyone admitted and everyone coming in to the ER.  That test ideally gives results in 45 minutes, but, even where I work, it can take up to 4 hours.

[SunnyBeBe]

Yay...so, I'll drive through to get my test on Tuesday and I guess they'll know my results  by Thursday morning, before my colonoscopy.  One thing about covid.  It sure has distracted me from being nervous about the colonoscopy.  The procedure, the prep, etc. no problem.  I'm just nervous of covid. I guess they won't let me wear a mask while under anesthesia. lol  The thought of breathing that air in that building for several hours......I try not to think about it. 

[Porkchop]

First I'd like to say how much this gang of friends/acquaintances means to me in these pandemic times! It's such a relief to come here to read rational conversations about caring people. 

And next, I have an upbeat story to share! I have had back problems all my life, but three back operations fixed most of them in the '80s. Still, if I do too much, I suffer for a while, and then I'm better. But in January I had a new pain, in my right thigh. It was dreadful, constant, and intensified whenever I put my right foot on the floor. I'd get up in the night for a bathroom trip and put my foot down on the floor and moan. So I sat around a lot, had a massage, used a cane, watched a lot of tv, read a lot. Sitting was okay, but laying flat was uncomfortable making it hard to sleep. February, March. But it didn't get better. At the time I was in Florida, but getting ready to go back to MA. And the pandemic was creeping up on us. 

One day at happy hour, an older man told me when he couldn't sleep, he slept in a chair. I have a big fat overstuffed chair in the living room, so I dragged some pillows and a quilt to it and bundled up and went to sleep. When I woke up in the morning, I got up and walked with NO pain! All day I was good, getting a little pain back in the evening. The next night I couldn't fall asleep, and the next day I flew home to MA where I had already scheduled an MRI (cat scan? I forget). With my daughter's help, I propped up the top of my mattress with various boxes, and I put two huge pillows under my knees, approximating a chair-like position. My test came back that I had two ruptured discs, but by that time I had been sleeping in my altered bed and all pain was gone. I slept that way for two months, worried that if I went back to sleeping in a normal position I might get the pain back. (You can't roll over in a chair-like position and I really wanted to.) But it didn't come back, and I have been three months now on a flat mattress. 

Now I think everyone who has back pain should try an adjustable bed! I was sure I was headed to surgery again. My doctor wanted to make me an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon, but I felt too much better to talk about surgery. My belief is that I spent so much time in that zero-gravity-chair position, that I gave the pinched nerve a chance to be released. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be out of pain. 

[wilsie]

@doodlebug Thank you so much for being such a blessing always but especially now.  To have you explain things and just to reassure that there really is something going on and that we really haven't gotten help from people in charge who should have been looking out for all of us and not their own agendas.  Bless you!

[wilsie]

@Porkchop  I'm so glad your pain has been relieved without additional surgery.   Thank you for sharing your story.

[SunnyBeBe]

Porkchop, I'm happy you have pain relief! There is nothing like the feeling from getting relief from pain and discomfort, when you have suffered so long.  I had a similar thing happen last year with two different issues. I AM SO grateful. 

It's amazing about what you found out.  I have been researching adjustable beds for about a year.  I was planning to get one for my guest bedroom and then try it to see how much I like it, before getting a larger one for myself.  I found a good hybrid mattress and adjustable bed with remote for a good price online. Trouble is, you have to go by reviews and not actually try it. So, I'm still thinking about it.  I find that I sleep better when I'm slightly inclined.  

[Tabbygirl521]

On 7/14/2020 at 9:35 AM, Scarlett45 said:

I have a question for you all that are social distancing during visitation with loved ones. 
 

I know you all know I fully respect each person doing what they have to do to keep their family members safe. 
 

My question is do you find a physically distant visit more satisfying than a video call? I haven’t met with someone I have needed to be physically distant with (outside of my god mother when she was finishing her cancer treatment), does it make you feel better to know they are physically present but separate compared to just a video call?

 

For my loved ones that are high risk and not “in my bubble” we have been FaceTiming/phone calls which has been fine with me, I honestly didn’t think to visit and stay distant (which might be a combination of many factors- their being on the other side of the city, energy level etc etc). Also I’m not a hugger by nature so it’s not like I want to hug people (my god daughter hugs me and my sister holds my hand after she decides to be a brat but that’s it.)

I do find distance visits much more satisfying than video chats. We’re all super careful and stay distant, wear masks, etc but there’s still something special about seeing your dear one’s eyes and hearing their voice RIGHT THERE. 

[ChiCricket]

7 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

I’m sorry. 2020 can fuck off

Agreed.

[zoomama]

31 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Porkchop, I'm happy you have pain relief! There is nothing like the feeling from getting relief from pain and discomfort, when you have suffered so long.  I had a similar thing happen last year with two different issues. I AM SO grateful. 

It's amazing about what you found out.  I have been researching adjustable beds for about a year.  I was planning to get one for my guest bedroom and then try it to see how much I like it, before getting a larger one for myself.  I found a good hybrid mattress and adjustable bed with remote for a good price online. Trouble is, you have to go by reviews and not actually try it. So, I'm still thinking about it.  I find that I sleep better when I'm slightly inclined.  

i have an adjustable sleep number bed -- after trying many flat beds. the zero-gravity position is where i sleep every night. i wear c-pap so i cant  sleep on my stomach even if i wanted ( i wouldn't want to). therefore, zero gravity is the ticket for me.  however one thing to know  --- when you buy the bed, you are only getting the bed. not the frame around the bed or the headboard - that's extra. and also, make sure to watch how to set it up. i am maybe getting new carpet and have no clue how to move/reset up my bed to facilitate new carpet installation. 

[lookeyloo]

As far as in person or video chat (or zoom) I prefer distanced in person.  We did our seder by zoom and it made all of us cry.  Very unsatisfying.  Not even doing face time with people who live far away.  It is all too depressing.

[MargeGunderson]

2 hours ago, lookeyloo said:

I count down every afternoon til 5 p.m. for my adult beverage.  It's what keeps me going lately.

Wait, are we supposed to wait until 5? 

[Ohiopirate02]

4 minutes ago, MargeGunderson said:

Wait, are we supposed to wait until 5? 

Ha.  Some of us have still been working every week since March.  There have been so many days that I need a drink or 3 once I get home.  I have been spending so much at the liquor store this year, I am beginning to wish they had a loyalty card.  

[SunnyBeBe]

In NC, it's being left a lot to the counties and from what I'm reading, many are going mainly on line, at least for the first few weeks.  The teachers are scared, as others here have posted, and the schools really have to figure this out before opening up on campuses.  I sense the parents are not too happy about that. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I have considered a Sleep number bed, but, I heard they were rather pricey.  This is for a spare room, so.....if I like it, I might switch for it.  I suppose I could go try out the bed at a show room, but, with covid....I just try to avoid any place that is not mandatory.  I just realized they are out of Queen....I snoozed and lost.  

Just watched F You 2020 video.  What a fitting song. I get it.  The pain. The loss.  The deaths.....it's been too real so far.  I have to count my blessing though. I'm alive. My family is alive. So far......counting my blessings.  One, a nice glass of red. 

Edited July 17, 2020 by SunnyBeBe

[Ijustwantsomechips]

My mom who lives with me just got her adjustable bed delivered this afternoon. It’s a Serta black label, I believe, and the frame is from the Ashley store.  Zero G is what is up! I can’t wait for her to go out of town so I can sneak in there and take a nap. 

Edited July 18, 2020 by Ijustwantsomechips
Too much Nyquil