Small Talk: The Welcome Mat

[chitowngirl]

9 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Speaking of which, isn't it strange how cinematic credits have changed over the years? Old B&W movies rolled all the credits at the beginning before the opening scene of the show. At the conclusion you got a "The End" or "Fin" and you were done. Nowadays you can reach 10-12 minutes into the movie (or TV episode) before a single line of credits rolls. And the final credits can run for 15 minutes, with great care being taken to ensure that the guy who wiped down the lunch counter in the Albanian set is not excluded!

I found this interesting (at least to me!) rundown of cinema billing.

[Netfoot]

5 minutes ago, chitowngirl said:

I found this interesting (at least to me!) rundown of cinema billing.

Very interesting. Crazy, but interesting non the less. You got to ask yourself who makes these rules up and why do we let them tell us what to do?

[chitowngirl]

I think a lot of it had to do with the studio system breaking down in the 50’s, billing became important and therefore, fought for. George Lucas needed permission to put credits at the end of Star Wars, something that is common now. Previously, as Netfoot pointed out, credits were at the beginning of a movie.

[Netfoot]

Fortress of Solitude & Dust Bunnies. 

Mo doesn't like any interference in his domestic affaires. Unfortunately, I think a book fell down between the bed and the wall so the bed has to move. And if I go under there, I'm sweeping out any "treasure" that I find. 

I'm sure he will get over it. He can generate new dust bunnies and accumulate new treasure in no time!

[Netfoot]

This bag contains a roll of toilet paper.

It usually also contains a pill bottle with Nexium, Gravol, Immodeum and Panadol tablets or capsules. It usually lives in my van but I removed it recently. And it was in the house waiting to be returned to the van.

This evening, as I set off on Garden Patrol, I noticed that Mo was a little hesitant. Then I noticed the bag lying on the driveway. It was open. The roll of TP was still inside, but the pill bottle was broken and shards of it were scattered all over the driveway, along with all the meds. 

The Nexium is over $4 per capsule. Panadol is cheap, Gravol and Immodeum aren't. But the worst thing is that I have no idea what his chances would have been, had he eaten the meds. 4,000mg of Panadol probably wouldn't have done him much good. It's unlikely that several doses of each of the other stuff would have helped.

So I took the drawstring of the bag in hand and I walloped Mo with the roll of TP as hard as I could.

He ran off into the house. I retrieved the meds. Thankfully, everything was still sealed in its bubble-packs, so at least I didn't have to wait to see if he had poisoned himself. 

I went back in the house. Mo was standing in the passage. So I walloped him four more times with the TP. Then I left him standing there and went and watched a movie.

I have no idea where he went or what he did with himself after that, because I have not seen him since. When the movie was over I took a shower, locked up the house and retired to bed. I don't know if he is inside the house, in his Fortress or hiding elsewhere. I don't know if he is outside. I don't care. If I wake up in the night and find him snuggling up against my feet that's fine. If I open the house in the morning and he comes in from outside, that's fine. If he hides in the garage or yard for the next week, that's fine. He will get food and water at his usual feeding station. If he wants a cuddle or a tummy rub I'm happy to give them him one.

It's all to him. 

Edited April 15 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

He was outside. He barked twice under the bedroom window and I let him in. He ran to the window to look out. And knocked the Bluetooth speakers off the table onto the floor.....

[Browncoat]

On 4/12/2024 at 12:36 AM, Netfoot said:

I watched a movie tonight, called Wicked Little Letters. A true story, apparently. Quite amusing. I must admit I had no clue who was guilty until it was revealed by the show.

I saw this movie tonight, and thought it was quite funny -- I laughed out loud quite a lot.  I suspected the guilty party from the trailers I saw beforehand, and wasn't surprised.  I liked the woman police officer a lot, too.

[Netfoot]

Mo has a particular way of asking for the door to be opened in the morning. I usually ignore him if it's much before dawn, but his procedure is like this:

He stands next to me in the bed and barks loudly in my ear. If I don't respond, he continues barking, while pawing at me with one paw or the other. If I decide not to open, I swipe ineffectually at him with a pillow. He will then go away and try again in another 10-15 minutes. 

Should I decide it's OK to open up, I will swing my legs out and put my feet on the floor in preparation for standing up. Transitioning from lying down to standing up can be fraught with dizziness, etc, as I've mentioned (endlessly) before. So I like to sit on the edge of the bed for a while before trying to stand. But having got me to the point where I'm sitting, Mo does not like to wait! He immediately begins his "Wakeup Dance." Which is highly annoying and actually painful. First, the barking goes to 110% in pace as well as volume. Second, he had this maneuver which, honestly, I don't know how he does it.

He's standing on the bed. I'm sitting on the edge so he is essentially behind me. He springs vertically up, so all four feet are off the mattress. At the same time, he spins 360° like a top before landing on the bed again. But only for the instant it takes him to launch himself up and around again in another spin. It's quite a performance and I wish I could film it. But don't forget it's probably pre-dawn and the lights are off, I was asleep only a few seconds ago, I'm trying not to faint and, well, I'm not dressed for appearance on camera.

It's unusual but what is annoying about it? Well, every time he jumps and spins, he slashes across my back with his front claws. My back, covered with 100% grafted skin, guaranteed to be more delicate and subject to injury than normal skin.

So when it's time to get up, I have to try to push him out of the bed, to save myself from his claws. He sees this as a game or a challenge, or what ever - I don't really know, but try as I might to stop him scratching me to hell, he insists. If I push him out of bed he immediately jumps back in. And eventually, I have to put my feet out, thereby turning my back to him. 

And all the while, loud, hysterical barking. 

This morning he was extra hyper and it was like trying to get out of a bed occupied by a runaway chainsaw. 

Brain Stew by Green Day. The fire that resulted in the aforementioned skin grafts also turned my record collection into a puddle of black vinyl on the floor. It was a long time before I was in a position to even think about it but eventually I realized the time had come to rebuild the collection - only, on CD. Since album on CD could cost as much as $120 locally (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by Smashing Pumpkins), I ordered from the USA and bargain hunted like crazy. But my first order of 8 Albums contained this one (Insomniac). 

I was ordering as many as 12 albums at a time (64 in one memorable week) and bargain pricing was one of the primary selection criteria. But still, one of the first CDs I ever bought. 

Mo is a trencherman. He loves his grub. So I fried up between 1 and 1½ lbs. of meat from the "Dog Scraps" bag in the freezer, for his lunch. He wouldn't eat it. Next I tried chow. He wouldn't eat it. Then some corned beef stew with beans & tomato. He wouldn't eat it. So I stopped trying. An hour later I tempted him with a piece of cheese. He wouldn't eat it. 

As dinner time rolled around, I realized I had had no dinner last night and only dry Eclipse biscuits for lunch. But Mo first. I went into the kitchen and took the fried meat out of the fridge. Putting the pieces into a pan with water, a little salt, and a sprinkle of garlic, I let it simmer slowly until the water reduced to a thin gravy. Then I went to get his bowl. That's when I realized that in the mean time he had finished the chow he'd rejected for lunch. I gave him the pork. He ate that too. 

Then it was time for my dinner. And as I ate my ramen, The Hot Breath was on my hip. Sorry, Mo. None for you!

Whenever I go to cook ramen for my meal, I always tell myself I should cook two packets. But I never do. When ever I eat my ramen meal, I always tell myself I should have cooked two packets, and that I will do that next time. But I never do. It always seems like two is gluttony. But one is never enough.

Now, on YT you can find infinite numbers of videos on how to eat ramen, with pork or eggs or asparagus or broccoli or all of the above. And yes, if you did that, one packets of ramen would be sufficient. But if I had those ingredients and the inclination to spend the time in the kitchen, I probably wouldn't be eating ramen anyway!

Uh-oh! Just remembered I have to prepare laundry to go out before bed. No word from Dr. Kristi on the PT/INR results but I'm hoping for something tomorrow. (Results usually come back the next working day but the lab is sometimes slow. The test on the urine took 3 working days.) And then I have to go to the pharmacy and I will get the laundry out at the same time. So I have to get the laundry ready to go without delay. Better now than to be scrambling in the morning. 

Then a shower, lock up and lights.

Mo's ridge. All "Surfer-blonde". 

[Netfoot]

Mornin', Mo!

[Netfoot]

Off to Edgar Cochrane polyclinic with Mo in the navigator's seat and his non-spill bowl full. Got my meds fairly quickly, including Spirolon, which they have not had since January. This means I can avoid a trip to Winston Scott polyclinic, a real dump.

I asked about getting a periodic PT/INR. I would have to ask for a doctor to be assigned to the case. They would then sign an order for a blood draw. An appointment would be made. So, not on one of the days I'm already there. No, on a day which is completely inconvenient.

Onward! QEH! I went through Security, who handed me a ticket. #41. I walked into the pharmacy. "Now serving #42..."

I made a fuss. They filled my prescription but told me I should bring back the pill bottles, zip-loc bags, the cardboard boxes they gave me because they have to reuse them!

And back home.

Mo got chow. In the wake of yesterday's comments, I cooked two packets of ramen. And sliced some cucumber and cooked the world's smallest pork chop and sliced that paper thin. 

It wasn't a bad meal. I actually feel full and the taste was OK. I will follow through with a mug of tea in a little while. Ramen on its own may not be a fantastic meal, but put together with a few other bits and pieces it can make a semi-decent meal.

Dr. Kristi says no results from the test yet. Heidi says they have lost the sample (because she always knows what went wrong). Nothing from Dr. Jacinto about a new appointment. Her next clinic is in 3 days time. I just renewed meds based on her last assessment, which might be obsolete in a couple days, if she decides to see me on Friday. 

Will now go and spend some time cuddling with Mo-baby....

[andidante]

5 hours ago, Netfoot said:

They filled my prescription but told me I should bring back the pill bottles, zip-loc bags, the cardboard boxes they gave me because they have to reuse them!

 

I have never heard of this! How strange. 

[Netfoot]

1 hour ago, andidante said:

I have never heard of this! How strange. 

It's a true pain. Look at this photo.

On the bottom you can see my warfarin. I take 7½mg daily. (That may change if the lab ever sends us the results of the latest PT/INR, but probably not.) To make up 7½mg I must take 1½ tablets, which means I  have to break some tablets in half. When I get around to it, I might break a dozen tablets or more at a time. In the bottle, you will see a tiny, rolled up zip-loc bag with half-tablets in it. 

The other, empty bottle, is what the warfarin actually comes in. The adhesive on the label is aggressive and is not easy to transfer from one bottle to the next.

So for convenience, I have to transfer newly acquired warfarin from the smaller bottle to the larger. But now, when I go to get a refill, I have to find the original bottle and transfer the tablets back again and take the original bottle with me back to the polyclinic.

Also, sometimes meds accumulate. The doctor says "Reduce from 2 a day to 1 a day for two weeks!" (For example.) So at the end of the month I have 14 pills left over. I am not supposed to get more yet, because I have not run out. But I will run out in two weeks, and if I don't get the new pills today, I will have to make another trip back to the polyclinic in a fortnight. And it's all swings &  roundabouts because I might have to bump the dosage up for two weeks at some later stage so it all works out. 

But now, I can't take that bottle back with 2+ weeks of meds in it, so I will have to temporarily store the excess at home somewhere, when I take the bottle with only 3 pills left, to the polyclinic to get a refill. 

I don't know what these pill bottles cost to buy. But given the many thousands that must get used daily in even a small country like this, I imagine the price per unit must be pretty low. And pills can be (and are) dispensed in zip-loc bags of different sizes and even small manilla envelopes. So things must be dire, budget wise, at the Min. of Health if they need to go to these lengths to save a few bucks.

But then, it's been over a year since they could afford to buy biopsy needles, so...

So the Right Honourable Minister should stop stealing money from the budget!

[Netfoot]

Another long post eaten.

Here is a strange photo of Mo. 

I'm not retyping one more word.

[Netfoot]

Prediction: within the next 48 hours I will be reporting on how I fell down in the kitchen.

I was cooking Mo some pork scraps for his lunch (I had linguine) and somehow, the pan of sizzling scraps and hot oil ended up uʍop ǝpısdn on the floor. 

So with the floor swimming in hot oil I fled and returned 10 minutes later to recover the pork and clean up the ocean of oil. But you know, the floor is as slippery as an ice rink now, and in I'm often pretty unsteady on my feet. Not to mention I keep wandering in there, not remembering that the floor is slippery! 

So I have a sneaking suspicion I will flat on my face in there pretty soon. Just hope I'm not carrying a hot beverage at the time!

Speaking of hot beverages, I think I will go and get myself a mug of coffee.

Yes, coffee! 

Edited April 18 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Both hands have been knotted with cramp since I woke up this morning. Can't pick up a spoon without difficulty. Can't fry some pork scraps. Can't use keyboard or mouse without difficulty. It's approaching 10 hours now. 

It doesn't hurt particularly. A little uncomfortable. A dull ache. But it makes life difficult. I can barely hold this phone.  I don't know why there is no solution for this. I'm pretty sure it is nothing to do with electrolytes or anything like that. I've tried salt, mustard... None of that stuff works. Kind of silly to think that something like this could be cured instantly by a spoonful of brown sugar or a slice of lime. But I guess if you are desperate enough to put a stop to it you will try any crap anyone suggests. 

[Netfoot]

Hey, Baby!

[Netfoot]

Back again?

[Netfoot]

More?

[Netfoot]

Sometimes, when I stand up suddenly, I feel like I'm about to fall down. Sometimes, I get an urgent, immediate need to pee. It's particularly unpleasant to get both at once. You can't rush to the bathroom because you can't walk without falling down.

Today was particularly fally-downy. And crampy. My hands have been giving me hell all day long. 

Just watched a movie called Green Book, starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. I'd seen it before but it is a movie well worth a rewatch. It's about a journey made through the Jim Crow south in the early sixties by musician "Dr. Shirley" (Ali) and chauffeur & bodyguard "Tony Lip" (Mortensen). And about their growing appreciation for each other. While not without flaws, if you have not seen this, I recommend it.

Mo has been in and out all evening, transferring sweethearts from the yard to the house as fast as he can. When we were on Patrol, he would stick his head under a bush, his tail would wag vigorously, and when his head came back out again a minute later, it would be green. 

Normally, I'd brew up a cup of tea and let it draw while we were on Garden Patrol but coffee doesn't have to draw in the same sense as tea. So all I had to do was put the kettle to boil and pour the hot water when we returned.

I do like coffee as well as tea. Sometimes I feel for one, sometimes the other. The jar of coffee I was gifted today says it makes 50 cups at one spoonful per cup. Those are 6 oz. cups and my mug is 16 oz. Even using way less than 2⅔ teaspoons of coffee (it doesn't have to taste like I bought it from an ironmonger in the Dayton airport, now does it?) the price per mug is about five times higher than tea. 

I finished my book last night by simply refusing to stop reading until I reached the end. I have no idea when I finally shut the light off. I must now decide what my next book will be. I'll do that when I get up to shower and lock up.

Heroin by Billy Idol. Some have a low opinion of Idol but I've always found him entertaining. I don't celebrate "heroin chic" but he is hardly the first to engage. Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton... The list is endless. 

Not fallen in the kitchen yet, but had a couple fun moments skating around in there. But I think if I can avoid a fall first thing in the morning (when I'm not thinking about it) I may get away with it. 

Mo was here a moment ago but has departed. Last night he alternated between the tiles in the passage and curled up between my shoulder blades, moving back and forth several times. He can get in and out of this bed without my knowing (Ninja dog) but when he does his side-fall maneuver against your back it is hard not to notice. And of course, if I wake and his warm fuzz is absent from my back that is also fairly obvious. 

It's 11:30-ish so I am going to have my shower (after selecting a book) and then lock up. I'm thirsty, but I don't know if I should get a glass of water (or milk, even) or not. The night is on the warm side. There is virtually no breeze in the window to help out the old box-fan. 

May cook a simple soup tomorrow. Veggies with I dunno what meat. May also run out to get one or two vital supplies but that will depend upon the state of the bank balance (perilous, as usual) and the state of my balance (varies, day to day).

Shower!

Edited April 18 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Nearly fell twice between bed and shower! Why so unsteady today? It isn't always this bad...

[Netfoot]

PT/INR results just in:

PT (should be between 9.4 and 12.5): 39.1
INR (should be between 2.0 and 3.0): 3.53

So a change of dosage and another $45 test in two weeks time.

 

[andidante]

19 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Green Book, starring Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortensen. I'd seen it before but it is a movie well worth a rewatch. It's about a journey made through the Jim Crow south in the early sixties by musician "Dr. Shirley" (Ali) and chauffeur & bodyguard "Tony Lip" (Mortensen). And about their growing appreciation for each other. While not without flaws, if you have not seen this, I recommend it.

 

 

I loved that movie! I need to watch it again at some point.

[Netfoot]

Well, after nearly a week waiting, we finally got test results today. Too high. So in accordance with Dr. Kristi's instructions, I stop all warfarin for three days then restart at ⅔ the previous dosage. We check again in 2 weeks and tweak as necessary. I'll keep you informed if anything interesting happens.

Has an idea for a different lunch today. Minced beef & onion fried up with potatoes, carrots, cucumber, plantain and tomato sauce. Leave the lot stewing away until it's all good and then chow down. It was bad. The potatoes wouldn't cook. Everything else was pretty much mush by time the potatoes were starting to soften. And it didn't taste very good. (Although that fault might be in my mouth and not in the pan!) I had some for lunch and tried to have some more for dinner but I couldn't face it. 

But Mo loved it! And I'm glad because I didn't like the prospect of throwing it out. So he had some for lunch and some for dinner and with what I managed to get down, we finished it off. 

Today has been a dizzy day but nowhere near as bad as yesterday. And tomorrow is Friday, Dr. Jacinto's day to be at QEH but I have not heard anything from her or her staff so I won't be going. 

Cat Stevens sings Peace Train. When I was young this guy was very popular, and this track is from that era. I understand he had some sort of (re)defining moment and changed direction in his career/life. It would be selfish to wish he had continued on a path that suited me, so I will just enjoy the music from his earlier life and wish him well.

Reading Count Zero by Bill Gibson. Went looking for Neuromancer, which was his breakout novel, but couldn't find it. If I said Gibson was the father of cyberpunk there would be plenty of people who disagreed, but I think if he was not it's sire, he undoubtedly had much to do with popularizing it. I've also got Burning Chrome and Mona Lisa Overdrive here, and I hope to find a few more to besides.

It's another warm night and the fan is getting no support from the window. I will end my hot shower with cold water and hope that helps a bit. According to my phone it's 29°C (84°F) at a quarter to eleven at night!

Think I will have to go out tomorrow, to pick up a few essentials. To be honest, I've been avoiding leaving home the last couple of days because of the dizzys. When people see you staggering around in public the usual presumption is that you're drunk. That actually happened a few weeks ago when I ran I to an old friend in the supermarket. Hadn't seen her in years and was so glad to be able to touch base again. But it was at the end of a very tiring day and I was not operating normally by then. She was so sure I was drunk she wouldn't talk to me. So I guess she still thinks I was drunk because I never had a chance to put her straight. 

While removing sweethearts from Mo's fur this evening, I discovered a little cut on his neck that was healing up. It always distresses me to find something like that which I was previously unaware of. How did it happen? Why wasn't I there to prevent it from happening? I feel like I'm guilty of neglecting him. 

Going to read for a while and then go for that shower. I'm hungry because my dinner was not nice so I only ate a little of it. Unfortunately I can't be bothered to try to find anything else to eat in the kitchen. There is bread, a few eggs, some cheese... I could make a couple sandwiches, but I just can't be bothered to get out of bed right now. Far less make the effort to fry eggs, slice cheese and all that. Or I could cook ramen again. But I was already nodding off in my chair at six this evening. I don't have any butter, mayo, PB&J or anything I could put on Eclipse biscuits. So, no late snacks tonight. Even if I did go and make myself something, it would probably taste like iron filings anyway....

Edited April 19 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

One...

Two...

Three!

[Netfoot]

Went out to buy bread and some other items and when I got back to the van I noticed the brake lights on. Opening the driver's door, I saw a pile of green, plastic chips on the carpet. 

Uh-oh! I've heard of this before!

There is a switch that is part of the Toyota brake pedal assembly that controls the brake lights. The little plastic actuator button will eventually perish with age and crumble to dust. With the button missing the switch turns on the brake lights and they won't go off. 

I drove to the mechanic who took one look and confirmed my suspension and gave me a replacement button FOC!

Here is my brake light, a pile of green plastic chips that is all that's left of the old button and above that, a new, black replacement. (The chips may not look green in the red brake light but trust me!)

And here is the upper brake pedal assembly, under the steering wheel and dash. 

You should be able to see a little, green fragment of the original button and immediately above that, the white switch. (To get into position to take this photograph you need to have your spine surgically removed and both legs broken.)

With the pedal pressed a gap opens under the white switch, exposing a little hole in the steel bracket. The nipple on the button should be snapped into that hole, so when the pedal is released the button comes up, presses the white switch and turns off the brake lights.

Mo is too little to press the brake pedal. I don't have the strength in my hand to press it down far enough. I've tried and tried and I'm now exhausted, and can't continue. The button had escaped my grip and been flung away by the brake pedal return spring at least half a dozen times. When this happens, I have to crawl out of the bottom of the car and search high and low to find it. I just don't have the strength to keep trying right now, and the light is failing. 

But if I don't do something, the brake lights will be on until I do. Placing my hand on the red brake light lens, it is already very hot. Because it's been on for a couple hours now. To wait until tomorrow will have those brake lights burning all night and by morning my battery will be toast.

So I got a scrap of wood and wedged it in place of the button. The lights went out. No drain on the battery. First time I press the pedal the scrap of wood will fall out and I'll be back to square one. But at least I can relax until tomorrow when I have better light. And maybe in the mean time I can have a brain wave and think of a clever way to get this problem solved.

And yes, I could get a spanner and slacken the nut that holds the switch, which would allow me to snap the button into place with ease. But then I'd have to reset and test, readjust and test, reposition and test the switch to make sure it was properly set up and was operating the brake lights like it should. If possible I'd like to avoid that. But we will see what happens in the morning.

Edited April 19 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Today deteriorated fast. 

I had to drive right across town, with every single traffic light stuck on red and every intersection blocked by four motorists threatening to kill each other. Then I had to drive back again...

I'm knotted with cramp in both feet and shins, both hands and (a new one) both hips, plus my stomach. Trying to fix that brake light took it out of me big-time. On Garden Patrol I could only walk 12 steps before stabbing back pain made me pause to give it a chance to fade. We had a slow Patrol tonight! And I brought back a couple dozen real burrs. Not sweethearts. I'd post a photo but the forum isn't allowing that option for some reason. 

(OK, saved and re-edited to get the photo in.)

Showering was also a chore. 

My right hand and right thigh are hurting and I can hardly type a word. Sometimes a simple word requires 15-20 corrections. My eyes are in full blinky mode.  I've already taken a couple of Panadol and maybe the aches & pains are fading, but it's hard to tell for sure 

Thinking about how to get that button into place. I could use the jack to push the brake pedal down hard but what would I jack against? Only the bottom of the steering wheel comes to mind. And I don't want to break it. Yes, steering wheels are strong but it is something to consider. Maybe I should just slacken the nut on the switch and re-tighten it after fitting the button. If I don't move the nut on the other side the switch should go right back into it's original position. 

Eight Days A Week by The Beatles. Trying to remember which of the Fab Four's albums this is from but I'm blanking. I could look it up, but don't want this post to get black-holed before I can post it.

Mo was a trooper today so I added an entire tin of tuna to his chow for dinner and he didn't hesitate. I had cutters for dinner. Egg, cheese, cucumber and actual tomato. $2.20 per tomato. You have to buy "plum" tomatoes whether you want them or not, because they sell for more so the farmers won't grow any other kind. The cutters were nice enough but by rights should have tasted better. My taste buds playing up again?

Hot again tonight. But after I posted last night we had a short, sweet shower of rain (then Assault By A Wet Dog) and the night was pleasantly cool thereafter.

Now I have two cramps in each leg (instep & shin) and both hands knotted with cramps of their own. Don't know how I'm going to get to sleep with all that going on, but I will start by posting this now. Now there is an ache working it's way up my spine.....

Edited April 20 by Netfoot

[b4pjoe]

30 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

Eight Days A Week by The Beatles. Trying to remember which of the Fab Four's albums this is from but I'm blanking.

Released on their December 1964 album Beatles for Sale.

[Netfoot]

Six hours in bed last night with every muscle from hip to toe in both legs (plus both hands) being twisted with cramp. I got no sleep and gave up trying two hours before the alarm. 

When I finally got out of bed the leg cramps mostly went away, but the cramped hands remain even now. Those leg muscles though, are sore from being under constant tension all night. I stopped stooped down to grab Mo's bowl and couldn't straighten my legs to stand back up without assistance from my arms. 

By nine o'clock I was half asleep at my desk. 

I made penne for lunch, with fresh tomato, cucumber, onion and cheese. Bully beef provided the meaty component. Mo didn't seem too impressed but I ate mine well enough. There is some left so I guess I will have that for dinner and Mo can have chow.

I'm exhausted and have not gone back at the van today, although I've given it some thought. Right now I have decided to attempt a nap and I've been lying in bed several minutes without my limbs indicating they want to act unbidden.

I'm going to post this and try to read a bit. Will be lucky to finish a page, far less a chapter. But what I really need is some shut-eye. 

Edited April 20 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Yesterday was a bad day. It started of OK but went down hill fast. Last night was one of the worst I remember.

Today wasn't too bad. I was tired from lack of sleep but cramps were minimal and mostly in my hands. Which is no fun, but manageable.

So I was weak and tired all day but I had a good, long nap without cramps and I feel better for it. Still weak but not so tired as before.

Been thinking about the button for the van's brakes. The main problem is that it's small, round, slippery and has a tendency to go flying and then get lost. And when trying to manipulate it into position, your fingers get in the way. So I thought about this:

A piece of stiff card with the appropriate size hole punched in it and a split at the end. It should be a little easier to manipulate into place. 

Once in place, I can pull the card out. It should tear away, and if a fragment or two remains behind, it won't stop the button/switch from operating as expected.  Tomorrow, I will give it a try. If I still can't get it into place, I will fetch out the ignition spanners and slacken the switch retaining nut. 

Leaf And Stream by Wishbone Ash. This band and this album (Argus) were popular when I was a little nipper. Like to hear the old, nostalgic stuff now and again!

Dinner was the remainder of the penne from lunch. It tasted fine then, but less so when I had the leftovers. I really can't figure it out. A really tasty meal these days is so rare that food is becoming little more than fuel. But I keep thinking how roti or chips or pizza would be great and if I engineer such a meal, I do enjoy it. But maybe it's just anticipation fulfillment I'm enjoying?

So the house is secure, I've had my shower and I'm lying in bed with no sign (so far) of cramps. I managed 1½ pages this afternoon before my nap so I will read more now and douse the lights when tiredness tells me it's time. 

Mo was here a while ago (helping me drink a glass of milk) but he has now wandered off. Prolly lying on the tiles in the passage. He will come for a snuggle when the lights go off, and periodically during the night. But he does move around as he sees fit and cool tiles are probably more attractive than warm bedclothes these days.

It's another still night with no breeze in the window to help the old box fan. But that can change at any moment. 

Right, I will call it quits now.

[Netfoot]

Slept well last night, with no cramps.

Just after posting yesterday, Mo insisted on being let out. No problem. But a dozen times during the night, he was under the window barking to be let in again! I ignored him. I wanted to let him in and get some snuggles, but every now and again he has to be told that he can't go back and forth as much as he wants.

I won't force him to be inside if he wants out, but what he really wants is to be able to come in for a few minutes every so often, spy out the window to see who needs to be dealt with, and run back out again. I wouldn't mind if he came and went all night long, but not if it means I have to keep getting up repeatedly to let him out and then to let him back in and then to let him back out again.....

Mind you, the barking under the window does disturb my night's sleep, but at least I didn't have to get out of bed and traipse through the dark to the front door.

ETA: I did have a brief attack of reflux during the night, but I repositioned my pillows and all was well thereafter.

Edited April 21 by Netfoot

[b4pjoe]

Maybe you need a pet door he can come and go through when he wants to? 😆

[Netfoot]

18 minutes ago, b4pjoe said:

Maybe you need a pet door he can come and go through when he wants to? 😆

I've thought of it...

But the door is steel-clad so adding a doggie-door would be difficult. I'd have to build a complete replacement door with doggie-access, and replace the existing door with it. If it were my house, I would consider this, but as it stands I'd have to get the approval of my landlord. And he is the least approachable idiot I know.

[Netfoot]

Earlier today I made two liters of iced coffee. Mild iced coffee. Left it in the fridge to chill. After Garden Patrol, rather than my usual hot mug, I had a glass of the iced coffee. It was what we call moreish! So actually, I had two glasses.

Another Day In Paradise by Phil Collins. 

Watched a dumb movie. Can't remember the name. All I do remember is that 1) it had the word Moon in the title. (Dark Moon? Summer Moon?) And 2) there was no mention of the moon any time during the movie, nor was there even a momentary glimpse of the moon.

I had cheese and guava jelly sandwiches for lunch. Dinner was ramen noodles with some crispy-fried pork of (let us say) questionable freshness. Mo had chow both meals and of course, levied tax on my meals as well.

Since I've kept very quiet all day I've not experienced any dizziness or wobblies until a few minutes ago when I set off for my shower. And even then it was only a slight swoon, requiring me to put my shoulder against the wall in the passage and slide along it on my way to the shower. I was able to walk back again without any difficulty.

It's a little cooler tonight than the last couple. But the breeze in the window can come or go at any time so who knows what will occur between now and morming?

Mo was snoozing near the front door but as soon as he saw me get up and head towards the shower, he took off outdoors. He did pay me a momentary visit once I was in bed, but he has gone out again. I will read until I start to fall off to sleep and then I will let him know I'm locking up and give him a chance to decide: in or out. Annoying as it is to have him barking (loudly) under the window 8-10 times a night, I'm not going to keep getting up to let him in and then back out again, all night long. If he's in and he wants to go out, I'll let him out. But if he chooses to go out, then he's out. At least until I am prepared to open the door and leave it open, which is dawn or thereabouts.

My book is close to finished but I have several others in a stack waiting. I have two more Bill Gibson's right here (not Neuromancer, alas!) and a bunch of others besides.

I wish Mo would come and give me just a little cuddle. He can be a very cuddly baby when he wants to be. Even when he is lying on his back, wriggling about, making yelpy noises and kicking with his two back legs at once. Or lying alongside my leg and chewing my toes. Or just curling up between my shoulder blades. Speaking of which, he has just put in an appearance. 

So I guess sometimes if you wish hard enough....

Anyway, I will stop here and spend some time with him until he decides that there is a dry leaf in the yard that requires his attention.

ETA: before I could finish posting, he was gone again.

Edited April 22 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Three days I've been trying without success. But I've only just noticed something. Here is another view of the white switch and a little fragment of the crumbled, green button, over to the right. But look what is circled in red:

On the left, there is another button/switch operated by the same pedal. You can see a (fortunately intact) black button and a silver switch body which is parallel to and in the same alignment as the white switch on the right. The actual switch itself is smaller and looks like some type of silvery metal, prolly aluminum. 

I think the function of this switch is to prevent you from changing out of Park without putting your foot on the brake. You want to change from Park to Drive (or Reverse) you must put your foot on the brake. This switch will detect whether you have done so and if not, you can't come out of Park. 

If I'm right (and I'm pretty sure I am) then it's a good thing this isn't the one that failee failed. Because at least the car can be used, albeit with the brake lights on. 

After three days of not being able to figure out how to keep the brake pedal pressed, a friend said "Brick." I will try that tomorrow because right now I'm knackered. Again.

Edited April 23 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Back when I was working down in Cattlewash, I used to take my lunch with me every day. Nothing major, but a couple snacks. A pack of peanuts, an apple, some Teatime biscuits, or whatever. I bought a little container to put this stuff in, alongside my bottles of ice. 

After watching a movie, I jumped up to go on Garden Patrol. But I immediately felt the need to pee. I had to stop and hold on four times on my way to the bathroom, but was able to hold it until I got there, so I didn't pee myself. 

Afterwards, grabbing a torch, I went out to do the Patrol. And found this:

I flung it at Mo's head. Of course, I missed. I don't actually want to hit him with it. What I want to do is take him back to the Ark and leave him there!

Every day, he steals something. Sometimes half a dozen things. If he can manage it, he destroys whatever he steals. No matter what sort of punishment - a serious talking to, spanx - it makes no difference. He will steal the same item tomorrow. How he hasn't destroyed my Crocs yet I don't know. And since a replacement pair is over $100, when he eventually does, I will be barefoot unless I want to clump about in steel-toed boots.

He wakes me up, sometimes 10 times a night. He won't just sleep at night like any other dog. If he eats too much grass and decides to puke, he holds it long enough to run in from outside and puke either on a piece of carpet or in the bed. No, never on the easy-to-clean tiles. 

Now, there is a way to deal with adding like this. You have to break him. You beat him unmercifully, every day, whether you have a reason or not. Eventually he has no spirit left. He is too scared to come when you call him and too scared to run when you go to him. He ceases to be any use to himself or anyone else. This is not the dog I want. I want a dog with character and spirit and intelligence. A dog that is a companion. One who you will give your food to when he is hungry, because you don't want him to do without.

I do not need a dog who is nothing but a pain in my ass every hour of every day, day after day. I got enough troubles dealing with right now. Mo just doesn't want to be part of the household. He doesn't want to coexist. He wants he's whims catered to, food provided, and otherwise to do what ever he wants. I am just his servant and personal chef. I fetch him water, give him my food to eat after he's eaten his own, and rub his tummy from time to time, or get a double-kick in my arse if I fail in that duty.

Watched a comic-book / superhero movie tonight. I usually avoid them because they are such crap. They say the later ones are rubbish but the early ones are good. No. The early ones are crap too. And the reason is that the comic-books they are based on are all rubbish. The only comic-book character worth one damn is Batman. Because he isn't a super-anything. 

If it's based on a comic-book, it's crap. 

Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd. Not much to be said, is there? I'm told that David Gilmour became a bit of an asshole in his old age, but hey!

Cooked a pot of rice with tinned vegetables, pumpkin and corned beef for lunch. Mo and I split that. It wasn't bad. Mo had scrambled eggs for dinner. I had a cup of coffee.

Started reading Burning Chrome last night. Got halfway before potting the lights out. Don't plan to read that late tonight. Fortunately, there is a nice, cool breeze in the window. Gusty. I hope it continues throughout the night. But with any luck, there will not be any rain to accompany it. If it rains, the breeze will blow it in on me! Uh-oh! Doni detect a bit of moisture on the breeze? Yes! Gotta go and see if I can find Mo and get him inside before he is soaked to the skin and covered in mud!

BRB....

Of course, he wouldn't come when I whistled because he knew he'd done wrong. I had to get dressed and go fetch him. He has a little bump under the fur near his collar. So I took his collar off to get a better look. It's a little scratch or cut that is healing up. But the funny thing is, Mo hates it when you take his collar off. He just can't tolerate anybody stealing it from him. Even for a minute. 

Anyway, the breeze continues but the sprinkle did not become anything more than the few drops I felt. Of course, the night is young.

Battery is at 15% so time to post and put this on charge. 

[Netfoot]

I cooked macaroni with a corned beef sauce for lunch and divided it in two. Mo didn't want to eat his for some reason. But about an hour before dinner, I saw him finish off his lunch. For dinner I had PB&J on Eclipse biscuits until the J ran out, then finished the biscuits with little slivers of NZ cheddar and a few drops of pepper sauce. I took the last three eggs in the house and beat them with a little milk before pouring them into the pan. I didn't pour all at once. Just a thin skin in a large pan. When that firmed up I poured some more. Kept going like that until all the egg was gone. It produced a much larger pile of scrambled eggs than I expected and Mo ate it up with pleasure.

Listening to Jarvis Cocker from Pulp. The track is Common People which is a great track and justifiably acclaimed in many circles. Based on a real experience from Cocker's life. I also have the same track by William Shatner & Joe Jackson and produced by Ben Folds. Captain Kirk may not strike you as a musician to expect much from but the Shatner/Jackson cover is also excellent and I always enjoy it when it comes around.

My text has turned red again. But will the colour persist after posting?

Watched another comic-book movie. Thought I'd give the genre another chance in case I'd been wrongly describing it as crap. I wasn't - it's still crap. I had a hard time sticking with it until the end of the show and that is despite the presence of Emily VanCamp in the cast. 

Emily VanCamp. I must now drink iced water.....

Have not seen Mo since dinner. Well, except for Garden Patrol. He's probably outside enjoying some coolth. Last night, the breeze in the window stayed cool and blustery until morning and I slept pretty comfortably. Tonight there is a slightly less blustery, slightly less cool breeze but unless it fades it should make for a comfortable night. 

It's late - just gone midnight. I've not had a shower yet and honestly I don't really want to go and have one. But I'm feeling dirty, despite having done SFA all day long, so I think I will be forced to go and have at least a sluice-off.

I've lost the kitchen salt shaker. I keep a regular sized salt shaker to sprinkle salt on my dinner plate. But I keep a much larger one (2½" diameter by 8" tall maybe?) in the kitchen. It's for salting a pot of water for boiling pasta or potatoes. So it holds more and it dispenses more. But it's now gone missing. My kitchen spatula vanished without trace weeks ago and never showed up again. I hope the kitchen salt shaker doesn't go the same way. Now, I know I have not thrown it out. There are only so many places I might put it. It's hard to figure out what he might do, but I can't see Mo reaching up to the counter to steal it. Yet it's definitely gone walkabout. Now tomorrow I will pull the stove & fridge out from the wall and look behind them, look in every drawer and cupboard systematically and check the freezer and fridge just in case. But I'm not feeling hopeful.

Anyway, I think I will go and pat Mozie on the head (wherever he is to be found), have my shower, and return to bed to read a bit more of my book. So I'd best post this now.

Looking forward to TAR tomorrow. Can't say I think it's been a great season so far, but I can forgive much, especially if I make allowances for the state of the world at the time this series was recorded.

Right! 🎶 Off to see The Wizard...

[Netfoot]

My last appointment with Dr. Jacinto was 16th of February. I was supposed to meet with her on 12th April but she cancelled. I just got the new appointment:

23rd July.

Yes, the new appointment is 102 days after the one that was cancelled. More to the point, it will be a total of 158 days after the previous appointment in February.

In the mean time, I have no idea how I am to get medication since my existing prescriptions have no repeats. I could go and beg Dr. Kristi and I feel like she would write a new prescription for me, but she does not have the expertise in neurology to advise about titrating the drugs down to minimum levels. Also, as she is not a QEH physician she can not (I'm pretty sure) write a prescription to the QEH pharmacy. This means that the Pyridostigmine that I get for free from QEH will have to be replaced with Mestinon which costs $300+ per month at other pharmacies.

[Notabug]

1 hour ago, Netfoot said:

My last appointment with Dr. Jacinto was 16th of February. I was supposed to meet with her on 12th April but she cancelled. I just got the new appointment:

23rd July.

Yes, the new appointment is 102 days after the one that was cancelled. More to the point, it will be a total of 158 days after the previous appointment in February.

In the mean time, I have no idea how I am to get medication since my existing prescriptions have no repeats. I could go and beg Dr. Kristi and I feel like she would write a new prescription for me, but she does not have the expertise in neurology to advise about titrating the drugs down to minimum levels. Also, as she is not a QEH physician she can not (I'm pretty sure) write a prescription to the QEH pharmacy. This means that the Pyridostigmine that I get for free from QEH will have to be replaced with Mestinon which costs $300+ per month at other pharmacies.

You cannot contact Dr Jacinto's office, advise them of the problem, and get them to prescribe enough medication from QEH to tide you over until your next appointment?  It seems to me that it is the right thing for them to do at the very least.

[Netfoot]

5 minutes ago, Notabug said:

You cannot contact Dr Jacinto's office, advise them of the problem, and get them to prescribe enough medication from QEH to tide you over until your next appointment?  It seems to me that it is the right thing for them to do at the very least.

I am pretty sure that Dr. Jacinto has a private office for her non-QEH patients. But as a QEH patient she does not have to agree to see or talk to me at all.

As for contacting her at QEH, the system is designed to prevent patients from contacting the doctor at QEH. The doctor never contacts the patient directly. All communications come through the Records department who are not able to take messages or give direct contact information for the doctors.

I would have to go without an appointment and sit and wait for the chance to see the doctor when they have a moment to see me. Assuming they agreed to. I could go, sit for the entire day and then be told the doctor had to leave, so try again in a week.

 

[Netfoot]

Oh, by the way, 

Big salt shaker with black lid found behind the stove. 

The small shaker with yellow lid is pretty big: 5" tall and 2" in diameter. But the one for the kitchen is bigger: 6" tall by 2½" diameter. Doesn't seem like it but it holds almost twice as much salt. I have an even smaller shaker that would be more than suited for the table, but it contains garlic powder. If I re-tasked it, where would I put the garlic?

These are old, repurposed spice containers. The trouble is, most such containers nowadays have flip-up lids. Designed for people who are too lazy to twist off a screw-on lid, they don't seal properly. If you use one of these, the container absorbs moisture from the air and in a few days the salt is slushy. By the end of the week you have brine sloshing around in there. Of course, you could put dry rice in with the salt, which helps with (but does not eliminate) the problem. And the rice itself gets waterlogged in a while and needs to be replaced.....

[Netfoot]

Cooked rice & corned beef with pumpkin for lunch. Divided it into two regular portions and a very small portion. Only one "pot spoon". I had the small one for lunch and Mo had the other two for lunch & dinner. My dinner was linguine with a sauce of diced fresh tomato, crispy fried questionable pork and the tiniest bit of cheese.

The rice tasted pretty good at lunchtime and the linguine was pretty good too. The tastes were a little muted but still quite enjoyable. 

I have enough coffee left for one more mug. I will have that after Garden Patrol and then, it's char again. Not that I'm not OK with that! The coffee was a nice change and faster to prepare, but tea is fine.

Mo is curled up under my chair. I think he wants more dinner but he has had all the rice and a small tax on the linguine. There isn't anything else unless I boil more rice or more pasta and I'm not doing that tonight. He's had more grub today than I have, so he will just have to hang on until tomorrow when I cook something else. 

I'm watching a show and we will Patrol when it's done. Then I will head in and read a bit.

I will run out of Dr. Jacinto's meds in three weeks. But I don't see her again for thirteen weeks. So somehow I will have to make arrangements. But I would also like a copy of the blood test results that I took over two weeks ago. 

Shit gets complicated. 

Un-pausing my show, now...

[Netfoot]

Tummy Rubz!

Must be applied between each word....

[Netfoot]

Went out and bought some groceries. Not a great deal but it should make meals a little more varied.

Came home and my hip joints went into spasm. My thighs  jumping around like grasshoppers. This has happened once before. I believe there is a condition called "Restless Legs." I will have to ask around and see if that is at all similar to what I experienced. Because I really need more issues to deal with.

It's nearly one in the morning and I am extremely tired. I am going to kill the lights and go straight to sleep. 

Mo is lying on the tiles next to the bed but he moves around during the night. He may join me in bed or move to other parts of the house. He will probably move several times before dawn.

OK, lights out!

[Spunkygal]

Did your homemade fix for the brake button work?

[Netfoot]

11 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Did your homemade fix for the brake button work?

Actually, I was just about to report back. 

I tried for several days but I couldn't get the button into place. I couldn't depress the pedal far enough while crammed under the wheel and dashboard. So I called a friend to some come and press the pedal for me. They came and I described the situation and asked them to stand on the pedal. They immediately pointed out that they were far more likely to fit under the wheel than I was, so instead they went under the dashboard while I stood on the pedal. In less than a minute the problem was resolved, with the new button in place, the brake kights lights working perfectly and the problem solved. 

They also brought me some eggs and a sweet potato. (They keep chickens and have a kitchen garden.)

As we chatted he said he'd had a similar problem with a vehicle years ago and instead of replacing the plastic button, he had used a neodymium disk magnet. It stuck ferociously in place, operated the switch perfectly and had been in use for nearly 10 years without issue.

Back on the road again....

Edited April 27 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Very wobbly tonight. Dunno why.

Mo had chow today and I had bread. Egg & cheese cutters for lunch and PB&J for dinner.

Maybe soup tomorrow? I have sweet potato, English potato, carrot, onion, plantain, pumpkin and white cabbage. For meat I have sausage, corned beef, or suspicious pork.

Buddy used to love the van. And the old Suzuki before it. Mo loves the van too. After the brake peddle work done this morning he had spent most of the day in the van. Here he is with his tail wagging at high speed!

Had to fetch him out for Garden Patrol and lock it up for the night. 

We have a bunch of public holidays coming up, including Monday and Wednesday next week. With the weekend and everyone likely to avoid work on Tuesday..... I don't know what the holidays are for other than May Day on the 1st.

Short Change Hero by The Heavy. If you ever watched a British action show called Strike Back, you might recognize this as the basis for their theme.

OK, it's only a handful of minutes to midnight so I will end here and read two pages before dousing the lights. Mo was here next to me but has fled. However, the house is locked up so he can't get far. He was very snuggly all night last night.

[Netfoot]

Went to Popular supermarket today. Just wanted to get a bag of sugar. Monday and Wednesday are public holidays and tomorrow is Sunday. So with my bag of sugar running low, I thought I'd get a bag. 

Why Popular? Well, they are marginally cheaper than elsewhere. But after driving around their parking lot for 30 minutes I'm pretty sure I burnt more gas than I saved on the sugar. Parking at Popular is always a nightmare. They have a big lots but it's always jammed. And to add a cherry on top, you can pick up your shopping in 10 minutes but you could find yourself in the line for the cashier for 3 hours!

Felt it best to put $25 in the tank on the way back. Needle didn't noticable move.

Also stopped at Kooyman to buy a 2x6. I wanted a 16' board cut in three pieces. But they didn't have any 16' boards so I agreed to take a 14' board cut in three. I'm driving out and the checker at the gate says "This is a 2x8, not a 2x6!" I had a look and he's right. I told them I asked for a 2x6 and the bill corroborated this. The guy who did the cutting agreed he had screwed up. Then it turned out they didn't have any 2x6 14' in stock. Eventually had to get a 20' and cut it in four. Long and short. they got $12 more out of me than I'd intended to pay...

When The Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin. A well known track from their 4th album. Surprisingly, this is not an LZ original. When you realize it was written in the 20s about the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, the lyrics make a bit more sense. "If it keeps on rainin', the levee's gonna break..."

Mo had chow for his lunch. I tried to make Brot und Wurst for myself. Fried up some sausages but the bread tasted awful for reasons unknown. So I ditched the bread and ate the sausage and just used pepper sauce as a dip. Of course, I cooked an extra wurst for my little friend.

Dinner was rice with more sausage as well as pumpkin, onion, carrots and plantain. Mo and I ate that right up!

Tried to watch Gunga Din (from 1939, I think) but at about the halfway mark I gave up on it. I just wasn't in the mood. 

Anyway, I'm in bed but still have to shower and lock up. Mo was here but has gone off. He snuggled with me most of the night last night. Usually, when I wake in the night he is curled up between my shoulder blades. Sometimes against my legs & feet. On a warm night a fuzzy hot water bottle can be uncomfortable. But usually if it's hot the guy in the fur coat feels it first. Last night was comfortably cool and judging by the breeze in the window tonight might be as well.

Ok, will read a bit then shower and shut the house.

Edited April 28 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

A very wobbly day. But I kept quiet and had little trouble. 

Went out on Garden Patrol with one Croc on and came back with two 🤨 and skipped my mug of tea because I want to test glucose tomorrow and hope to "fortify" a low result. It's been higher than I like recently. Mostly within the green zone but close to the top, whereas I'd prefer it closer to the bottom.

Taste buds definitely shot. Had problems with unpalatable bread yesterday. Tried PB&Js for lunch but after one bite I threw the sandwiches out. Mo had leftover rice from yesterday for brunch and then chow for lunch. I cut the last of the questionable pork into things thin strips and fried them crisp, then made chips with three potatoes. With ketchup, mayo & pepper sauce the chips tasted OK but not as good as they should have.

I had spaghetti for dinner with sausage, onion and egg. Mo levied a significant tax on this but he had his own dinner of chow first. And then demanded a second helping of chow later. So he has had rice for brunch, chow for lunch, chow again for dinner, spaghetti and sausage, and then more chow after! Then, after Garden Patrol he came and demanded more food! Which he didn't get, because he has had enough and I don't feel like cooking anything more today.

Food has lost its appeal. Everything has a chemical/ metallic taste to it. The only thing that tastes as you'd expect is anything sweet. Tea, PB&J, Teatime biscuits... But I have to put extra sugar. My mug of tea these days is 4-5 teaspoons of sugar. No wonder the blood glucose is higher than I'd like. And even sweet things have a bit of the metallic taste.

Thinking Mo was in, I came out of the shower, locked the door, collected a glass of iced water and headed off to bed. No sign of Mo. So I left the glass on the bedside table and went to open the door. Mo shot in, hopped into bed, stuck his nose in my glass and siphoned out 50% out of water.

Hey Jack Kerouac by 10,000 Maniacs. I like Natalie Merchant. Especially her solo debut Tigerlily. When she joined 10,000 Maniacs at 18, she warned them that she would be a solo artist by 30. A few months before her 30th birthday, she told the band she was leaving. They couldn't believe she would drop out at a time when they were doing rather well! But she wasn't kidding...

Mo has disappeared again. But he will be back, I expect.

Quarter past twelve. Done very little but still feel quite tired. Going to sleep now.

Forum just ate my post. When it "recovered" it lost a long paragraph at the end. Probably for the best: it was a rant about deteriorating health and a health care system that disburses non no health care.

Edited April 29 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

In bed, after Garden Patrol and a mug of tea. This mornings glucose was 4.9 mmol/L so my plan to "fortify" the results worked. Found a hat on the driveway and Mo all hunched down like he expected a licking. Don't tell me that pup doesn't know when he is doing wrong! No I didn't give him any lix. I should have but I didn't 

Ramen for lunch. Had hoped to have it with julienned cucumber but the cuke turned out to be bad. Mo had chow. Dinner was sweet & English potato, carrot and plantain boiled, plus white rice with pumpkin. And minced beef & onion sauce over the top. Would have added diced tomato but the tin opener has disappeared. I guess I will be looking behind the stove again tomorrow.

It didn't taste bad but it didn't taste good. Metallic again. And I've got a lot of leftovers for tomorrow. 

Girls & Boys by Blur. A playful number from a good band. You may know them without knowing you know them. Do you remember a hilarious, short, Guy Richie video with Madonna in the back of a BMW being aggressively driven by Clive Owen? The background music for that video is Blur's Song 2. You don't know the video? Get thee to YT and seek until thee find! It's not a video you're allowed not to see. (Try for the full 5-6 minute video and not the 2-3 minute clip.) (Found it for you.)

A little warm this evening and me feeling too tired to shower. Don't think I'll have any choice tho. Mo already sleeping on the tiles next to the bed. Wait! A little breeze in the window, just now!

I had a post-Patrol mug of tea this evening. I normally put the makings in the mug and boil the kettle while patrolling. It was time for a new carton of milk and I couldn't get the little screw-off stopper off the side of the carton. I tried with bare hands, with a paper towel, with a cloth towel... I found an old pair of pliers in the kitchen but they were too rusty to use. I went for the "big guns" of jar opening (a rubber band) but on the way to the rubber band I gripped it with my teeth and finally got it open. But the fact remains, I can no longer open a carton of milk.

Just finished my glass of water and was crunching the remains of the ice cubes when I discovered this in my mouth:

That's a 1¼" Tee-pin. While I contemplate how much more unpleasant the finding could have been, I will leave you to consider how it got in the glass of water in the first place!

And on the strength of that: shower, shut house and sleep.

Edited April 30 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

For lunch, Mo and I had leftovers from yesterdays dinner. This left enough for one more serving, which I had for dinner tonight. He had chow. 

I threw out half a bag of horrible-tasting bread and bought a fresh bag. I hope it tastes better. Lunch and dinner today weren't very nice. Hopefully I can have some relatively palatable sandwiches with egg, cheese, PB&J or what ever. 

Midnight Runaway by Three Dog Night. I've got a bunch of their albums. But their double disk collection Celebrate is pretty comprehensive if you don't want to be buying albums by the handful.

Cool breeze in the window. Mo leaning up against my butt.

We were all set for our Garden Patrol when the rain came sluicing down. I was watching a movie about the hunt for John Dillinger and the player said it is five plus hours long! IMdB and Wikipedia both agree it's only 2:20 but I decided as soon as the rain stopped to pause the movie and go on Patrol. We walked out together and the over-tall grass was drenched with water. I said, "Mo, how about if we confine our patrol to the concrete walkway that borders the house? We can see the entire garden from there. OK? I will follow your lead!" So naturally, Mo insisted on visiting every last soaking wet blade of grass in the garden! It took forever and I came back soaked to the skin from the waist down, like I'd forded a river. Mo, being shorter than I, was drenched to the eyebrows. 

Last night was cool and comfy, with Mo snuggling most of the night until 4:45 when he demanded I let him out. He was back two minutes later and after that he was for the most part very affectionate and very playful. 

I'm bathed and ready to trigger eyelid shutdown by picking up my book. (I shouldn't joke about my eyelids. It is not uncommon for me to blink and have it take nearly a minute for one eye or the other to reopen fully.)

Mo was here but has nipped off again. I hope he doesn't go out in the grass and return soaking.

I am contemplating getting a cold drink to put on the bedside table. But that would mean getting out of bed. And walking to the kitchen. So maybe I will just pass on that idea. I suppose I could brew up a hot drink instead... 

I should really make up some iced tea and keep it in the fridge for moments like this. Made iced coffee the other day and it was very moreish. The trouble with making tasty things and leaving them in the fridge is that about 10 minutes later you remember they're in the fridge... and shortly thereafter, they aren't any more!

Anyway, with midnight fast approaching I think I will try to read a little. 

Another public holiday tomorrow, and TAR too. 

Oh, look who's back and barking at me in a very authoritative tone of voice!

At least he is dry...