Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Turquoise]

23 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

Office is closed 

Does your doctor have a client portal? I'm in a city too (Nashville), I would think NYC should have something similar. When I had to do my pre-surgery COVID test, they sent a message through the portal if it was negative. A nurse would call if it was positive, with further instructions and to start contact tracing. My doctor also gave me the pathology results through the portal. Maybe you have a message waiting for you?

[Minivanessa]

@SunnyBeBe, I'm sorry for your loss. I've been through one situation where the loved one was gone from us mentally before her body passed, and it was (for me anyway) grief plus a strange bunch of other feelings. @lookeyloo, thanks for coming here and letting us know how you're doing. I hope we are a bit of distraction for you right now. 

In COVID news, I got a call yesterday from my chiropractor. He's tested positive for COVID although not sick, and we rescheduled my next appointment. I see him once a month and it's been more than 3 weeks since the last time, so I'm not personally worried. But I'm sorry that despite what seemed to be strict protocols in his office, he got the dang virus anyway. I mentioned last week that three young adults in my local family are sick with COVID, not bad enough to be hospitalized, but still, that sucks. (They weren't reckless; one of them is a first responder and they are sure he contracted it from someone at work.)

[Liddy52]

I found out last night that my nephew, who is first responder is sick with Covid.  I have been concerned that he would catch it since this all started. He has a history of asthma and heart issues, so I am worried about him. Right now he feels pretty badly with a lot of aching. 

[emma675]

I'm glad so many people who have unfortunately tested positive are taking precautions and following contact tracing. We're never going to beat this without people following protocols and safety measures (and the vaccine, of course). A friend of mine had to unexpectedly take her grandmother to a doctor's appointment this morning and she was so worried about potentially exposing her (she works for a school district and has had to go into the office) that she took one of those rapid response tests this morning before picking her up. 

[PikaScrewChu]

19 hours ago, Zella said:

@SunnyBeBe Very sorry to hear about your cousin. You and your family have my condolences.

@PikaScrewChu and @awaken, I've also been dealing with mask acne. So are a couple of my library coworkers. We all have oily skin, and the one it doesn't seem to affect has drier skin. Not sure if that applies to you or not, but that's our theory about it. I finally started putting a clear bandage over the acne to provide a layer between it and the mask. It's helped it not get worse, at least. 

Oily in some spots. Dry in others. 

There's two things that suck

1) I was on meds for 2 months to clear up my skin back in April/May. It was perfect timing because I didn't have to worry about slathering on zinc oxide sunscreen every day because of the meds. I had almost blemish free skin. All that effort? Poof. Gone. 

2) the contouring feature in Zoom only helps so much! 😭 You could see one of the huge pimples by my mouth very clearly on the Zoom call I was on Friday with the contouring option on. 

I feel like I'm 15 again and slathering on layers of foundation to try and even out my skin. I suppose I'm keeping Sephora in business at this rate.

I'll deal but the medication I was on was a one time use only. I have a few benign cysts on my nose (again) which will need to be chopped off by a dermatologist. At least you know I've wore a mask properly this entire time. That will have to wait a bit because last time I got it done, I couldn't wear glasses until the incisions healed. Can't imagine a mask that goes over the nose.

It's a small sacrifice I know but with how shitty this year has been, all my "wins" were short lived.

[GeeGolly]

3 hours ago, emma675 said:

I'm glad so many people who have unfortunately tested positive are taking precautions and following contact tracing. We're never going to beat this without people following protocols and safety measures (and the vaccine, of course). A friend of mine had to unexpectedly take her grandmother to a doctor's appointment this morning and she was so worried about potentially exposing her (she works for a school district and has had to go into the office) that she took one of those rapid response tests this morning before picking her up. 

I couldn't agree more following the protocols after contracting covid is just as important as following them to avoid covid. Two friends of mine have it now and although they were careless in avoiding it, they're doing everything their supposed to do now. Unfortunately the husband is not doing well, but has yet to be hospitalized.

[iwantcookies]

8 hours ago, Turquoise said:

Does your doctor have a client portal? I'm in a city too (Nashville), I would think NYC should have something similar. When I had to do my pre-surgery COVID test, they sent a message through the portal if it was negative. A nurse would call if it was positive, with further instructions and to start contact tracing. My doctor also gave me the pathology results through the portal. Maybe you have a message waiting for you?

Nope 

[DangerousMinds]

22 minutes ago, iwantcookies said:

Nope 

Did you call today to get your results?

[iwantcookies]

 negative but that test was taken 9 days ago . 

7 minutes ago, DangerousMinds said:

Did you call today to get your results?

 

Edited December 1, 2020 by iwantcookies

[doodlebug]

On 11/29/2020 at 5:56 PM, lookeyloo said:

Hello everyone.  I sit here crying, yet again.  I am so sorry for everyone's sadness - @SunnyBeBe - I am so sorry.  No matter what the circumstances, it is hard to lose a loved one.  I'm also happy to hear that some of my small talk friends have had good news.  Honestly, for me it is a minute by minute struggle.  Our dear son in law has lost his life partner.  I told him it is harder for him.  His house is empty. He has been here, but, still, not the same.  This is the third major loss in my life, and the hardest.  Sweet son made me promise I would be "okay".  I am trying. At least Mr. lookeyloo found out he doesn't have prostate cancer.  It is the year of new "firsts", none by our choice.  I am thankful for what we do have, but still this is hard. I'm going to try and be more regular because maybe it will be a distraction.  Thanks to everyone who has prayed for us, thought about us, etc.  

Dear Lookey,  You promised Sweet Son that you would be ok-eventually.   It's still early days and to everything there is a season.  Right now, that season is one of grief and pain and there's no way to avoid it and I'm sure Sweet Son knew that, too, and would be proud of the way you are caring for one another, especially his husband One of my favorite quotes about grief is from CS Lewis:

C.S. Lewis: Why love if losing hurts so much? I have no answers any more. Only the life I have lived. Twice in that life I’ve been given the choice: as a boy and as a man. The boy chose safety, the man chooses suffering. The pain now is part of the happiness then. That’s the deal.

[doodlebug]

56 minutes ago, iwantcookies said:

Nope 

Your primary care physician doesn't have a patient portal for you to access?  I am pretty sure that is not possible.  As I recall, the switch to EMR (electronic medical records) which happened 10-15 years ago by law, required that all practitioners have a patient access system where results can be accessed, questions asked, the entire chart reviewed.  There is no way your doctor could treat any patient using government insurance (Medicare, Medicaid) without a means for a patient to electronically access their records.  And I know of absolutely no doctors in this day and age who don't have Medicare and/or Medicaid patients.

[DangerousMinds]

4 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

Your primary care physician doesn't have a patient portal for you to access?  I am pretty sure that is not possible.  As I recall, the switch to EMR (electronic medical records) which happened 10-15 years ago by law, required that all practitioners have a patient access system where results can be accessed, questions asked, the entire chart reviewed.  There is no way your doctor could treat any patient using government insurance (Medicare, Medicaid) without a means for a patient to electronically access their records.  And I know of absolutely no doctors in this day and age who don't have Medicare and/or Medicaid patients.

I got a mammogram last week, and the tech told me the same thing. That they were required by law to make my test results available within a few days on the patient portal. 

[emmawoodhouse]

5 minutes ago, DangerousMinds said:

I got a mammogram last week, and the tech told me the same thing. That they were required by law to make my test results available within a few days on the patient portal. 

I had my mammogram results online the same day. This was just last month, but it's been this way for years.

[DangerousMinds]

1 minute ago, emmawoodhouse said:

I had my mammogram results online the same day. This was just last month, but it's been this way for years.

6 years ago I had a hysterectomy, but in the months leading up to that I had what seemed like every diagnostic test known to man. Ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, I had them all. And all of the results were available quickly on the portal.

[emmawoodhouse]

Just now, DangerousMinds said:

6 years ago I had a hysterectomy, but in the months leading up to that I had what seemed like every diagnostic test known to man. Ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, I had them all. And all of the results were available quickly on the portal.

Same. Also 6 years ago. 😊

[emma675]

I have to have thyroid labs every 6 months and I get access to the results through my patient portal at the same time as my doctor. It's an easy way to keep track of everything and prepare any questions ahead of my appointment. 

emmawoodhouse, I'm impressed at that turnaround! My mammogram results usually take a day or two to show up. 

[doodlebug]

5 minutes ago, emma675 said:

I have to have thyroid labs every 6 months and I get access to the results through my patient portal at the same time as my doctor. It's an easy way to keep track of everything and prepare any questions ahead of my appointment. 

emmawoodhouse, I'm impressed at that turnaround! My mammogram results usually take a day or two to show up. 

When my patients have their mammogram done just prior to coming to my office for an annual exam, I am able to access the report and let them know the results while they are in my office more than half the time.  Turnaround on mammogram reports is often under an hour, particularly for routine exams done during regular office hours Monday through Friday.  Anymore, radiologists are able to remotely receive the images online and finish the report minutes later.  The large system where I work has radiologists who do nothing but read routine mammograms from multiple sites every day.

Edited December 1, 2020 by doodlebug

[Zella]

I had some bloodwork done for my thyroid a couple of years ago. (My doctor told me he thought my thyroid felt weird, so he wanted to be on the safe side and see if there were issues or if I just had a weird-feeling but functional thyroid.) Even though they told me they'd call me with the results, I found them on the online portal before the phone call. (Verdict: I have a weird-feeling but functional thyroid.)

Edited December 1, 2020 by Zella

[emmawoodhouse]

22 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

When my patients have their mammogram done just prior to coming to my office for an annual exam, I am able to access the report and let them know the results while they are in my office more than half the time.  Turnaround on mammogram reports is often under an hour, particularly for routine exams done during regular office hours Monday through Friday.  Anymore, radiologists are able to remotely receive the images online and finish the report minutes later.  The large system where I work has radiologists who do nothing but read routine mammograms from multiple sites every day.

This is definitely the case with my medical group. My appointment was at 1:30, and I had results around 2 hours later. 

[realityfan26]

45 minutes ago, emma675 said:

I have to have thyroid labs every 6 months and I get access to the results through my patient portal at the same time as my doctor. It's an easy way to keep track of everything and prepare any questions ahead of my appointment. 

emmawoodhouse, I'm impressed at that turnaround! My mammogram results usually take a day or two to show up. 

My breast center even has an option to wait for results. It’s convenient if they need to do another angle or in my last case, schedule a biopsy. (Negative)

[DangerousMinds]

This all reminded me to check my mammogram results online. They were there and all is well 🙂.

[marypat57]

I started with a new healthcare system earlier this year.  I liked the patient portal, but what impressed me most was that the provider, not a nurse or assistant, called the next day to discuss blood test results.  
My allergist, who I have been seeing for over 12 years, finally decided to retire (he’s probably over 85), and sold his practice this month to a group that specializes in allergy/asthma care exclusively.  I will definitely miss Dr S, who was a great practitioner.  He had an excellent office manner, and was always very generous with medication samples.  The new practice has met my expectations so far, but I will always miss Dr S.  
 

 

[DangerousMinds]

2 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

 negative but that test was taken 9 days ago . 

 

Did you tell them about your current symptoms? It may have been a false negative. I would imagine they’d recommend another test.

[GeeGolly]

8 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

 negative but that test was taken 9 days ago . 

 

Great! How'd you find out? And how are you feeling? Are you still having symptoms?

[Scarlett45]

As soon as I got my sister calmed down my Mom wants to act like a huge baby. 
 

She was sick this weekend eating things she shouldn’t be eating (because she’s 72, no gallbladder, on meds and post surgery), but she ate them anyway and ended up spending Saturday night in the bathroom. Of course I took care of her and cleaned up. I told her I wasn’t going to be the food police, but maybe THINK about how these things make her feel before she eats them. 
 

THEN yesterday she tells me as we are about to leave for PT that she’s canceling because she doesn’t feel well enough to go.

I ask her “are you sick? Do you have a fever? If you’re too ill to go to PT take off your clothes, put on your nightgown and get back in bed.”

”no I’m not doing that- I’m coming with you.”- my mom

”No you’re not coming with me, you’re going to PT or you’re going back in bed.”

 

YES I DID say that friends. I did. I felt like my grandfather came back from the dead. It was like deja vu. 
 

She did go to PT pouting like a child. So I let her come with me afterwards to the suburbs to get my Bath & Bodyworks box. In the drive home you know what this woman said?? “On Thursday can I have fried shrimp?” 
 

NO!! No fried food. Omg what’s with her obsession with junk food lately?? She’s more concerned with junk food than she is WALKING. 
 

Save me. 

[Minivanessa]

Good morning, friends. I'm sitting here drinking my first two cups of coffee and working up the oomph to go get on the company laptop in my home office for another workday. Had a restless night's sleep because of pesky back pain, mostly it's like a muscle cramp. I probably shoulda gotten up and taken some Tylenol, but I have a nice heating pad that I was able to put under the achy area. Naturally now that I'm up and about it's not hurting like it did all night. And, @Scarlett45, I'm also 72 and ate some junk food yesterday, and I think my restless sleep was due in part to that. Imma have to finally break up with potato chips for good, so damn. Bless you for taking good care of your mom and yay for your strength and common sense!

I'm not up for the hard news this morning, and my TV is on the Weather Channel. Where they are reporting on the snow from Cleveland, so of course I thought of @doodlebug. *waving hi!* They're all excited about five inches of snowfall with more to come. And then they are reporting that that the South is having a cold snap, and when they checked in from Georgia I thought of @Happyfatchick. *also waving hi!* Stay warm and safe, friends.

Somehow I got on the Transport for London email list - I think when I was last in London in late 2018 and registered my Oyster Card online. I've unsubscribed from most blast emails but not from that one. Today they sent out an update on their operations and policies in light of London's going to a different level of COVID restrictions tomorrow. I like their graphic about masks, and the slogan:

I'm wondering if I'm going to stick with this temp assignment much longer. I used to enjoy signing on and starting work but not so much these days. I'm hoping to finish out the month (and year) and then maybe be done. 

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Good morning, friends. I'm sitting here drinking my first two cups of coffee and working up the oomph to go get on the company laptop in my home office for another workday. Had a restless night's sleep because of pesky back pain, mostly it's like a muscle cramp. I probably shoulda gotten up and taken some Tylenol, but I have a nice heating pad that I was able to put under the achy area. Naturally now that I'm up and about it's not hurting like it did all night. And, @Scarlett45, I'm also 72 and ate some junk food yesterday, and I think my restless sleep was due in part to that. Imma have to finally break up with potato chips for good, so damn. Bless you for taking good care of your mom and yay for your strength and common sense!

I'm not up for the hard news this morning, and my TV is on the Weather Channel. Where they are reporting on the snow from Cleveland, so of course I thought of @doodlebug. *waving hi!* They're all excited about five inches of snowfall with more to come. And then they are reporting that that the South is having a cold snap, and when they checked in from Georgia I thought of @Happyfatchick. *also waving hi!* Stay warm and safe, friends

 

Hi from the Great White North!  It's not all that cold, low thirties, just below freezing and we've got several inches of snow on the ground with intermittent flurries expected until sometime tomorrow afternoon.  I made it to work just fine, my commute is usually 8 minutes and it probably took 10; but the main roads were clear enough and salted.  I use a side street to get into the parking lot, though, and that was another story, drifting snow in multiple areas. It is also windy and the snow is blowing around making visibility iffy.  I don't know anyone here who would say they were 'excited' about the snow, though.  My next door neighbors just moved here from Florida last summer and the husband was out shoveling the drive this morning.  I asked him if he was re-thinking the move; yep, a little bit. He was excited for his kids to wake up and see the snow, though.  They are 5 and 3 and have never been in it.  He got out the sled and was looking forward to playing with them later.  The snow is the perfect packing kind, good for snowballs and snow forts, etc.

Cleveland has a split personality weather-wise though.  I live to the west of the city where we get regular snow while the east side gets lake-effect snow until the lake freezes over (if it does).  If you look at the map, there's a little quirk of geography on the south side of Lake Erie where the land curves upward east of the city.  That means that the wind, which blows across the lake, picks up a lot of moisture from the water and then dumps it east of the city in what is laughingly referred to as the 'snow belt'.  My brother lives east as does one of my sisters and I can guarantee that they already have twice as much snow as we have here in the balmy west.  Buffalo, NY, famous for its snowfall, is on the eastern side of Lake Erie and gets the full blast of lake-effect snow.  There are only about a half dozen places in the world that get lake effect weather.  I think near the great Salt Lake is the only other place in North America besides the Great Lakes.

Westiepeach lives out in snow country east of Cleveland.  Perhaps we can get a weather report from her.

Edited December 1, 2020 by doodlebug

[DangerousMinds]

3 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

As soon as I got my sister calmed down my Mom wants to act like a huge baby. 
 

She was sick this weekend eating things she shouldn’t be eating (because she’s 72, no gallbladder, on meds and post surgery), but she ate them anyway and ended up spending Saturday night in the bathroom. Of course I took care of her and cleaned up. I told her I wasn’t going to be the food police, but maybe THINK about how these things make her feel before she eats them. 
 

THEN yesterday she tells me as we are about to leave for PT that she’s canceling because she doesn’t feel well enough to go.

I ask her “are you sick? Do you have a fever? If you’re too ill to go to PT take off your clothes, put on your nightgown and get back in bed.”

”no I’m not doing that- I’m coming with you.”- my mom

”No you’re not coming with me, you’re going to PT or you’re going back in bed.”

 

YES I DID say that friends. I did. I felt like my grandfather came back from the dead. It was like deja vu. 
 

She did go to PT pouting like a child. So I let her come with me afterwards to the suburbs to get my Bath & Bodyworks box. In the drive home you know what this woman said?? “On Thursday can I have fried shrimp?” 
 

NO!! No fried food. Omg what’s with her obsession with junk food lately?? She’s more concerned with junk food than she is WALKING. 
 

Save me. 

I don’t have a gallbladder either so I feel her pain! Sometimes it doesn’t even matter what you eat, the stomach just doesn’t cooperate. She is lucky to have you!

Edited December 1, 2020 by DangerousMinds

[Minivanessa]

40 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

 I don't know anyone here who would say they were 'excited' about the snow, though. . . .

Westiepeach lives out in snow country east of Cleveland.  Perhaps we can get a weather report from her.

Oh, I meant that the Weather Channel reporters were excited about the snow. Being weather geeks and all.

I'm rarely excited about snow, either, especially if I have to drive to and from work in it. I'm glad you don't have a long hairy commute, anyway.

Yes, it's always fun to hear from @Westiepeach - whether about the weather, or anything else. 

[Westiepeach]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

Hi from the Great White North!  It's not all that cold, low thirties, just below freezing and we've got several inches of snow on the ground with intermittent flurries expected until sometime tomorrow afternoon.  I made it to work just fine, my commute is usually 8 minutes and it probably took 10; but the main roads were clear enough and salted.  I use a side street to get into the parking lot, though, and that was another story, drifting snow in multiple areas. It is also windy and the snow is blowing around making visibility iffy.  I don't know anyone here who would say they were 'excited' about the snow, though.  My next door neighbors just moved here from Florida last summer and the husband was out shoveling the drive this morning.  I asked him if he was re-thinking the move; yep, a little bit. He was excited for his kids to wake up and see the snow, though.  They are 5 and 3 and have never been in it.  He got out the sled and was looking forward to playing with them later.  The snow is the perfect packing kind, good for snowballs and snow forts, etc.

Cleveland has a split personality weather-wise though.  I live to the west of the city where we get regular snow while the east side gets lake-effect snow until the lake freezes over (if it does).  If you look at the map, there's a little quirk of geography on the south side of Lake Erie where the land curves upward east of the city.  That means that the wind, which blows across the lake, picks up a lot of moisture from the water and then dumps it east of the city in what is laughingly referred to as the 'snow belt'.  My brother lives east as does one of my sisters and I can guarantee that they already have twice as much snow as we have here in the balmy west.  Buffalo, NY, famous for its snowfall, is on the eastern side of Lake Erie and gets the full blast of lake-effect snow.  There are only about a half dozen places in the world that get lake effect weather.  I think near the great Salt Lake is the only other place in North America besides the Great Lakes.

Westiepeach lives out in snow country east of Cleveland.  Perhaps we can get a weather report from her.

Checking in from the heart of the snow belt! @doodlebug is accurate in saying Cleveland has a split personality snow-wise. I live in the extreme - if the forecast calls for 4-10 inches of snow, we will get 14. 
Today, we lost power at 4:30 this morning. The sound of the generator kicking on woke us up. It has been heavily snowing all day long. The heavy, wet snow. If I had to guess, right now we have at least a foot.

Husband left for work at 6:20 am. He said the Mayfield Road hill (you locals know where I am talking about) heading west right before you get to Hillcrest Hospital, was a parking lot because a truck jackknifed at the bottom of the hill. He somehow turned around and came home. He left again about 9:30 and promptly got stuck at the end of our driveway. Made it out. He called me and said the roads were “passable” and I would be able to get to my office 5 minutes away. 
Left to go to work and... realized when we had the generator hooked up, we didn’t hook up the garage door, so no power to open the garage door! So I was doomed to a free day of watching cheesy Hallmark movies!

So, if you read through all that babbling... it’s pretty bad here. Constant snowfall. Next door neighbor had 2 trees fall on her deck, and all you hear is the sound of generators in the air. Glad I am safe at home, and I hope everyone drives slowly and safely. 

Edited December 1, 2020 by Westiepeach
I was trying to add a picture but it was too big to upload!

[Ohiopirate02]

I love to hear about everyone's snowfall.  One thing I dislike about living in NC is the lack of seasons.  I know it's fall because I have a metric ton of leaves in my yard, but I miss winter.  We are lucky to get one good inch of snow a year, and we got that back in February.  I live in the land of putting up your Christmas decorations with the AC blasting.  I miss living in the Snow Belt @doodlebug was discussing.  

[Oldernowiser]

Ha, @Westiepeach, even I know Mayfield Road! My sister lives about a mile north from there!

[Westiepeach]

3 minutes ago, Oldernowiser said:

Ha, @Westiepeach, even I know Mayfield Road! My sister lives about a mile north from there!

So you know just how “fun” that hill is in the snow!

[Oldernowiser]

5 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

So you know just how “fun” that hill is in the snow!

Oh, yes. Curves and hills galore. Glad you could stay home!

[GeeGolly]

21 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I couldn't agree more following the protocols after contracting covid is just as important as following them to avoid covid. Two friends of mine have it now and although they were careless in avoiding it, they're doing everything their supposed to do now. Unfortunately the husband is not doing well, but has yet to be hospitalized.

So I'm quoting myself here.

I just wanted to clarify... I didn't mean to imply that only careless folks get covid, plenty of folks contract covid even while taking the proper precautions. These two particular friends of mine did not take the virus seriously. They believe it is real, but thought it was not as easy to catch as it was made out to be.

Edited December 1, 2020 by GeeGolly

[Ohiopirate02]

24 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

So you know just how “fun” that hill is in the snow!

I don't remember that hill.  The few times I was ever at Hillcrest we would have driven up SOM Center Rd to get there, and I was only ever at that hospital when I and my little sister were born.  I do know that the Target across the street used to be a bowling alley once upon a time because my mom is prone to point out stuff like that.  

[emma675]

Hello from Texas, where we started out in the 20s this morning and warmed up to the 60s by afternoon! We have another cold snap coming in behind storms tomorrow, but we need the rain. We haven't had snow here since 2010, I miss it (but our snow is usually gone in a few days and the city shuts down so you're forced to stay at home and make s'mores). My 4.5 year old dog turns into a crazy puppy when the weather finally gets cooler and she about yanked my arm off jumping and frolicking around on our walk today. 

[Scarlett45]

After I calmed down this morning I told my Mom before M (my sister’s caregiver) arrived for the day, how disappointed I was with her behavior and how upset she made me. 
 

She said she was sorry and that she does not want to make me upset. She said she wants to do better because she has to be back at work January 4. She doesn’t mean to be a big baby OR be like grandfather, because she knows how awful he could be and she doesn’t want to put me through that.

 

We are only human and she is forgiven  but no fried shrimp.

 

[rue721]

I’ve been having FaceTime dinners with my parents, and it’s actually really great! They dog-sit for me a couple days a week, but for the holidays (when Covid infections are so high), we’re going “contactless” for dog pickup and drop off. So now when I pick up my dog, they also give me a portion of their dinner. Then I get home and we all eat our dinner over FaceTime. It’s actually really fun, it feels like we’re really visiting — honestly much nicer than attempts to socially distance in person. I think what helps is that we’re all eating the same thing, and we have the dog to catch up over, and we both have the same TV channel on in the background. Just very cozy. It’s crazy but adopting my dog has been so good for the my relationship with my parents!

[Oldernowiser]

Dogs almost always make everything better!

[doodlebug]

7 hours ago, Oldernowiser said:

Ha, @Westiepeach, even I know Mayfield Road! My sister lives about a mile north from there!

When I lived on the east side, I lived right off Mayfield.  Traffic on that dam* street was the bane of my existence.   I used to deliver babies at Hillcrest on occasion back in my first years in practice before I moved west.

 

2 hours ago, Oldernowiser said:

Dogs almost always make everything better!

They most certainly do although my furry son is doing his best to topple the Christmas tree at the moment.

[CalicoKitty]

My new Sleep Number bed comes tomorrow!!  I've been sleeping on an air mattress for the past 5 weeks, and on a bad mattress at my parent's vacant house for 2 months before that.  The packers ruined my bed when they put it in storage in July, so I am very excited to finally have a comfortable night's sleep.  I still have oodles of boxes to unpack, but I have finally found all my clothes, so I have something warm to wear.  I found my dishes and silverware (and glasses), so I can eat on real dishes and not paper plates.  I lost the charger for the new vacuum, but I ordered another one.  I hired two college guys to unpack all the boxes in my garage and sort everything, and I have several boxes for charity, and I took some things to the dump today.  So things are looking up.  My goal is to have all the boxes unpacked by the end of the month.  My tree is not up yet, but I did put a really nice wreath on the door today.  Moving is such a pain, but looking out my windows at my mountain views makes it worth it.  Here's to my LAST NIGHT on the air mattress!!!!!

[Happyfatchick]

@ginger90:  I think you’ve got the posse behind you for sure.  What the actual ... SERIOUSLY???

Mask acne is a new subject for me.  I am mostly at home and leave so rarely I have to look for a mask when I do.  I ordered 25 or so and am down to 2.  That’s how I roll.  

I'm so sorry Lookie.  I often think it would be easier if there was a timer for heartbreak.  I mean, if you had surgery, EVERYBODY knows the 3rd day is the worst. And it gets better from there.  But grief doesn’t have that luxury of knowing when you’ll feel better.  And honestly, there is no “better”.  There’s that kind of numbing over time when you can think of it and not gasp, or not throw your head back and wail.  Some amount of time will pass you can say his name without choking.  Or wake up without your first thought being he’s not here.  But there’s no gauge and no way to know.  You just have to stay on for the whole ride.  It sucks, without a doubt.  We really are here for you, and all of us would love it if we could make you feel that.  

on a brighter note (if you’re wicked at heart - and I am!):  a friend of mine on FB got in her car to leave work today and found a squirrel.  A real furry, living, breathing, UNHAPPY one.   I don’t know why, but the grinch in my soul found that hilarious.  I would be in ICU right now - but as long as it wasn’t me, it was funny.  

[GeeGolly]

Post pandemic, what is the first thing you all will do with the same glee as Mary Tyler Moore throwing her hat in the air? I'm guessing most of you will say travel in the form of flying or cruising.

The thing I really miss the most is hugging. I hug everyone. Other than that, I can't really think of something I would immediately do, other than enjoy the psychological freedom.

[realityfan26]

I’d be at a National Park; preferably one I haven’t been to before. It’s technically something I could’ve done during the pandemic, but would involve flying. 

[Jenniferbug]

3 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Post pandemic, what is the first thing you all will do with the same glee as Mary Tyler Moore throwing her hat in the air? I'm guessing most of you will say travel in the form of flying or cruising.

The thing I really miss the most is hugging. I hug everyone. Other than that, I can't really think of something I would immediately do, other than enjoy the psychological freedom.

It's mundane, but probably wandering Target. I'm kind of a hermit so my life really hasn't changed much as I already worked from home and didn't get out much what with having small kids at home. But I do miss little things like wandering Target and buying more than I need or dropping the kids with their grandparents so my husband and I can go out to dinner and have an uninterrupted conversation. 

[ouinason]

I want to go on a date with my husband.

[CherryMalotte]

Hit a whole bunch of movies, at the theatre, with popcorn...without a mask.

 

[Minivanessa]

4 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Post pandemic, what is the first thing you all will do with the same glee as Mary Tyler Moore throwing her hat in the air? I'm guessing most of you will say travel in the form of flying or cruising.

The thing I really miss the most is hugging. I hug everyone. Other than that, I can't really think of something I would immediately do, other than enjoy the psychological freedom.

I want to hit the road for at least a three week road trip, using my minivan as a camper, staying in campgrounds as a less expensive alternative to hotels. I'm assuming this won't happen until Spring has brought warmer weather to us. I'm not gonna be into camping out in winter temps, lol.

Edited December 2, 2020 by Jeeves

[Scarlett45]

4 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

The thing I really miss the most is hugging. I hug everyone. Other than that, I can't really think of something I would immediately do, other than enjoy the psychological freedom.

Ive never been a hugger, but with the pandemic I have not held ANY babies this year. One of my HS classmates/theatre mates moved back to Chicago with her twin sons, and I havent gotten to meet them. I am gonna HUG AND KISS SOME BABIES! And eat their cheeks! Yes I will.