Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Day 66: Works in progress

 


Remember the bridge into the neighborhood park I blogged about a couple of weeks ago?  Well, it is still closed, but some boards are starting to be replaced.  I saw them down there working on it in Monday's oppressive heat.  At least it is shaded!

There's one board that's obviously still messed up, and they have not yet painted the new boards.  They haven't re-opened it yet.

The Blog Review and disposal project is also a work in progress.  Yesterday morning, I was looking at 111 pages of blogs or 1693 individual blogs.  By end of day, there were 96 pages left , or 1437 individual blog entries.  The math says I only "touched" 216 blogs.  This is understandable as life was going on in addition to that project.  

I got through the last of 2015 and got a good start on 2016 blogs yesterday.  I did a boatload of events in those two years!  

I had been on a morning walk yesterday, and had my healthy breakfast by the time I got a surprise opportunity to be "tech support".  This was kind of a blast from my past.  I was so thrilled to hear Lynda's voice, and from her own lips that Tess was home, and how kind the vet had been... and even more thrilled later in the day to see the results of just a few little "walk-through" tips, a full blog from her, over here on BlogSpot.  The life raft community is so much richer, as this woman has given us so much of her life-view from beside a lake in rural Ontario!  Any time, Lynda, any time!

I also had a noon workout with my trainer... his small gym was a busy place, yesterday.  There were two other trainers there with their clients when I arrived to warm up.  Plus my trainer and the client ahead of me.  I went in masked because... well, because the local Covid-19 numbers are going up in our community, and they are recommending (not requiring, recommending) everyone 65 and up to mask when in a public place indoors... and that gym is indoors.

The trainer is looking so much better since his out-patient procedure last Friday.  Clearly he has a way to go to get back to his "normal" athletic self, as this thing kind of knocked him off his pins for a month, but they addressed the problem and are continuing to treat and monitor.  He was feeling enough better by Sunday that he scheduled our workouts.  And we're already on the books for tomorrow, too.  I am relieved, and grateful, and I thank all who prayed along with me on his behalf!

 In the afternoon, the public health director held a news conference and invited a local pulmonary ICU physician to speak... it was a reality check for everyone about the Delta variant and how it is affecting us locally.  The doctor gave the personal example of how two weeks ago she had 10 patients in her ICU suffering from Covid-19, and by now, four of them are deceased, three are in the ICU on ventilators, another two getting increased oxygen, and only ONE of the ten has recovered.  Of the deceased, three were not vaccinated, and the one who was had a compromised immune condition.

Our risk dial has been bumped up again.  As I said a few blogs back:  here we go again.  It's not as bad as it was a year ago.  At least we HAVE safe and effective vaccines, which is the underpinning for community health.  But Delta changes the game, so extra caution is merited, even if we are vaccinated!

Today is a new day.  I went out for an interval walk/jog this morning before breakfast.  I came home and had fresh pineapple as the treat in my oatmeal.  Full of vitamin C!  

The approach for today and the blog review is to clear out some of the more recent ones.  I've already started in, getting rid of many of the countdown blogs, and renaming those that contain instructions / tips for how to operate on Blogger, which moves them closer to the front page, in the hopes of any stragglers on Spark finding them.

Onward!  Now let's all live as best we can, this one and only Wednesday, August 11, 2021 we shall ever get!  Because we are worth it, and life is good!  Let us have a few more adventures before dementia, fellow seniors!  💖✨👍


35 comments:

  1. I’m so glad your trainer is doing so well!! And I am, for one grateful to you for helping Lynda. I know the work that you’re doing is taxing. You were steadfast and getting it done! What a gift that is to the rest of us!!

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    1. It's slow going at times, for sure... and I've been kind of dragging my feet, but tomorrow for sure I have to print off July to November 2019!

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  2. It sounds like you had a good day. How exciting to be able to talk with Lynda.

    The Delta variant is really causing problems. In the paper this morning, there was an article about how it is affecting kids who are too young to be vaccinated. It is very scary.

    In the meantime, take care and stay well. (hugs)

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    1. One of the problems with being where I am is that our state always "lags" the coasts and other regions of the country. We look for a while like we're going to "escape" the next wave, but it shows up two or three weeks after it hits the others. Anybody who's lived through the last year and a half should know to expect that second shoe to drop!

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  3. Our county in upstate NY is "very high risk" according to covidactnow.org The county's own website says there are 2 in the hospital. I believe we have 6 beds total. Most people go to the nearest big city 2 hours away, I believe.

    Stay safe, and great job with the blogs. :-)

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    1. Here, we "are" the next big city for a lot of the state (there is one bigger up the road a piece). So they report the numbers as "56 hospitalized with Covid, 43 are county residents, the others from other parts of the state".

      It's not a pretty picture at the moment. But it could be a whole lot worse. So, taking precautions and staying safe... but I still hug my sister, and with a mask and my vaccine status, I still go inside the grocery store to pick my own produce, once a week.

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  4. Thank you for helping Lynda, and all of us really! I would miss updates on Tess and Beau and wonder if the Queen ever shows up for tea!

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    1. Wouldn't you just love to be a mouse in the corner when the Queen came to tea? I would bet the Queen would be impressed with Lynda. She's a treasure to us all!

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  5. Building materials are in very short supply here these days which has delayed construction of new homes and repairs from the Polar Vortex freeze damage earlier this year, along with general maintenance repairs -- supply chain disruptions from pandemic times given as primary reason for the shortage and sharp price increases.

    Good news on your trainer.

    We are at the highest risk classification on Covid-19 & children are showing up on the hospital counts, including infants per guest pediatricians on yesterday's local news. Spouse signed on for a study of folks over 65 that have had two vaccinations to look at if/when booster vacs are needed and in what strengths.

    Yep, here's to making the most of each and every day.

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    1. Thanks to your spouse for volunteering for those studies. It's a service to the world, seriously! I'm so dismayed that children are more at risk than they were, and pray for wisdom on the part of those who are in charge of keeping them safe-r!

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  6. Very productive busy days! Glad you could help Lynda. Great exercise. And, darn with the Delta variant plus people like my 2 sons who refuse to get vaccinated. It should be by law!
    Have a lovely day!

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    1. To be honest, Lynda didn't need a whole lot of help, just someone to help her get her bearings in a new tool. Which is pretty much what we all need. Just some of us are willing to experiment and pass along what we learn, thank goodness!

      Praying over the folks who are not yet vaccinated, and those who may never be. I don't think they are uninformed, just like everyone, they assessed a risk, gambled on an action, and those who got sick, lost their bet!

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  7. Wow, You've done a great job with your blogs and helping all of us at sparkpeople. Keep it up! Thank you. Hugs.

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    1. You're more than welcome. It won't be the same out here in the wider ocean, on our life rafts, but the more of us we get out here, and the more we keep tying those connecting ropes, the better!

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  8. Thank you so much for your time and support for Lynda!!!

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    1. I am more than happy to help, not just Lynda but whoever needs a little nudge or hint if I can.

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  9. If Lynda can do it, maybe there is hope for me!

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    1. Absolutely there is hope... for all of us. It's kind of like the deep end of the pool, but we can do this!

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  10. Sisters’ friend got COVID last year, recovered, and didn’t get vaccinated. She got COVID again 🤦🏻‍♀️ Her reason for not getting vaccinated? “I was waiting for it to be mandatory” 🤦🏻‍♀️Unbelievable.
    I have yet to stop masking (you’ve seen the outdoor walks’ photos).

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    1. I have seen those photos. Better safe than sorry. Guess you and I are more alike than your sister's friend. A guy here who didn't get vaccinated, and got hospitalized? He was waiting for football season, as he wanted to be "most immune" when going to Husker games!

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  11. At one time I planned to copy many of my Spark blogs and now not so sure...maybe just a few of the "featured blogs?
    Truthfully more concerned with our country and those not getting vaccinated. A year ago we were all hoping and praying for vaccines and now we are hoping and praying that the anti-vaxxers will get the damn shot!

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    1. Many of mine were repetitive, kind of like "newspapers", rather than books worth putting on a shelf. I have been discarding a lot, saving the ones with special meaning, and a sampling of certain classifications of blogs: some pet blogs, but not all, for example.

      I think we have to be a little cautious about letting the news get us too spun up. We *do* need to be aware, and we *do* need to keep ourselves safe. But the things we have no control over (the decisions of others?) we kind of need to let go of.

      By all means, contact decision makers if it seems appropriate, but... don't let the spin steal your peace. I know, I know... easier said than done at times!

      As for the blog review and decision making... perhaps it keeps me from getting spun up to have something else to focus on.

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  12. We are at such a high risk it’s scary. Our highest Red Purple tier shut things down when there were greater than 10 positive cases per 100,000. Some areas in town are at 60 cases and all are at greater than 10.

    Stay home kills the economy. Stay open kills people. Affluent people have the option of safety. There are NO good options and I’d hate to be the one making the choice for others. We stay home. We mask when we go out even for a walk.

    So glad you were able to see your trainer. Hope his recovery is quick.

    Way to go on those blogs. Maybe you’ll publish some like Besshaile is doing. I always thought the Maintenance team was extraordinary.

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    1. Finding that balance can vary by local factors, like population density. Some folks have had zero choice, having to go out to work, etc. And the disease is so... variable, unpredictable, etc. People make risk assessment calls about what they do every day, not just about this.

      Hindsight is 20/20, eh?

      But when it comes to Public health, i.e. the health of the whole community... some things are beyond individual choice. Pray for the leaders to have wisdom.

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  13. Thank you for your knowledge and the support to help so many of us make the transition from Spark to MFP and to Blogspot. Surely if the Queen decides to go to tea, you will be at the top of Lynda's guest list. ;-)

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    1. That would be such a fine tea party, wouldn't it? Somebody would have to tutor me on protocol!

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  14. Yes, life is good. I am blessed to have two surviving beautiful young adult children, and a job I love (even if it exhausts me some days). They keep me going.

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    1. ((( Hugs ))) Looking on the bright side helps, but the holes in the heart are still there. Being useful helps, too. ✨

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  15. Yes, I am expecting our dial to be ratcheted up here, too. After seeing first hand the overwhelming situation in the hospital as I waited in ER to have my lip stitched from a fall in the hospital, I saw how bad it is. I hope people get vaccinated! It doesn't stop the virus, but definitely makes it less severe and avoiding hospitalization.

    Glad your blog retention project is going.

    Thanks for that note about Lynda's Tess! I am heading over there next.

    HUGS and stay safe, stay well.

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    1. As Spark gets closer to closing "for reals" more of us are finding our way to the refugee life raft flotilla! So glad Lynda's on board!

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  16. Lovely that you and Lynda made contact "IRL" at least by phone!!

    And that doctor's personal experience with her own patients: if that's not persuasive, what would be? Yes, it's time to get mandatory since many will NOT take it seriously until that happens!

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