Ember is a happy pup, having enjoyed three days in day care in a row. Her hu-mom is mostly exhausted from peopling, but the peopling was both fun and productive.
The dentist found two things that need to be repaired, so an appointment has been made for that follow up.
The eye doctor pronounced my glaucoma as "stable" and we settled that I don't need to go see him on a regular basis anymore. The regular eye doctor can monitor anything that might need specialist attention. If that happens, he can refer me at that point. Yay! Only one eye doctor!
Reminders of who I used to be...
I was in for a surprise at the financial guys' breakfast meeting on Thursday. On the walk from the car park into the building, I was randomly asked by another client whether I had ordered this cold snap! I said I probably used up my budget for nice weather, so yes, of course I'm responsible!
It turned out that this couple and I sat next to each other at breakfast, and over the course of the usual chit-chat it came to light that she's of my generation, and also trained in engineering school, but she married an ag worker and moved to the Western part of the state where the work she could get was as a teacher... so she spent her working life teaching math. We swapped stories about our experiences in college as women in engineering fields. We laughed over things like the introduction of calculators and the high-end slide rules of our day. I left there with warm memories of "who I used to be" back before I became a triathlete or a dog lady. I had found a new friend with whom I'd be ecstatic to spend more time, if ever we get the chance. Even if we don't, we recognized one another as kindred spirits. It's amazing what it feels like for those of us who are retired, to revisit our professional lives with the fuzzy pink of good humor!
Thinking of the month ahead...
Ember and I have a normal weekend and week ahead. On Saturday the 24th, I'm hosting my son, his wife, their foster kiddo, and my son's cousin for lunch. I haven't seen the two cousins together since the year her mom passed, back in 2013! This is a friendship / cousinship I'd like to see grow. Both of them are "singletons" at this point in their lives, being adults with no living siblings. That description also fits my daughter in law.
The last week of January and the first week of February introduce the next "medicalizing week." Friday the 31st of January, feeding into Tuesday the 3rd of February I have the annual exam stuff: the blood draw, Medicare "wellness" interview, then the annual physical with the "real" doctor. Then dental work identified at Wednesday's visit is slated for the 5th. I hope that will be the end of all this stuff until July, when we start the cycle all over again.
I'll close out with greetings from The Prisoner, in the sunshine through the window, from Wednesday morning. Ember wasn't the only one who was happy that she got three day care days this week!
Life is good. Keep taking good care of yourselves, keep Sparking!
How nice that Ember had 3 days in day care!
ReplyDeleteI am beginning to dread dental check ups as it ends up in MORE work to be done. BUT alas, grateful the work can be done. Good luck to you.
Such good news that your glaucoma is stable.
Oh my gosh! How nice you met that woman in the restaurant. Nice to swap stories w/someone who shared similar experiences. My Dad, an engineer, LOVED his slide rule. Us kids bought him a slide rule tie clip one Father’s Day. He wore it every day!
That is nice you will gewt together w/your DS, his family and your DS’s cousins. Always nice to connect!
Good luck w/your medicalizing!
LOVE the photo of the Prisoner in the light. Miss Lilly loves bathing in any patch of sunshine she can find!
Here’s to a good week ahead.
hugs
barb
1cd
The fur-kids are so good at finding the spots that are most comfy, aren't they?
DeleteSo sorry about your stormy Winter weather, but glad you were able to reschedule things and didn't have to go out in it! We got a few dancing flakes here this afternoon, and Saturday is supposed to be brutally cold (comparatively to the recent above average temps we have been enjoying). So, bracing myself for two pets inside!
I love the idea of you kids giving your dad a slide rule tie clip! We gave our dad (a photographer) one with a tiny camera on it one year. He wore his every day, too. Gifts "from the kids" are prized!
Have a good weekend and week to come!
hugs,
t'other Barb (OKM)
Happy to hear you have a quiet week before the medical-go-round starts up again. Hopefully all goes well. Yes, winter weather has come back here too. I am sure happy I got that walk in Wednesday morning because it is going to be awhile before I can do another. Have a great day my friend!
ReplyDeleteI get it. There is a certain satisfaction in having actually taken advantage of the last nice day to go for a walk. Well done!
DeleteMay your next week be a peaceful one.
We continue with odd weather ... for this week we have highs in the 60s with lows in the 30's daily. So, I'm still having bumper crops of weeds because we also got the big rainstorms back to back in December. (Big enough that we still have some roads closed due to undercutting of roads ... deserts are interesting places; very little rain, so that sustained heavy rain causes lots of damage.) I was out on the end of a hula hoe late this morning ... light sweatshirt. Often this time of year we've had snow on the ground.
ReplyDeleteOdd weather seems to be the order of the year! Is there such a thing as a "normal" year? I don't know any more.
DeleteWe've got a cold weekend here, with the high yesterday in the single digit Fahrenheit range. Today is "warmer", if one can call the teens "warmer". But it's not snowy, just a dusting.
So... we live, right? Have a good week ahead... safe in our individual places!
Le sigh - I went ahead & scheduled a long-overdue follow-up w/the new hotshot MD Anderson endocrinologist, Dr Hu (cue the Abbott & Costello routine: Dr Who?? Who is Hu?? etc etc)
ReplyDeleteLet's hope it goes better than my last trip - they pissed me off almost 10 yrs ago when they didn't go to bat for me when BCBS denied to approve me for radiation therapy (M.D. ANDERSON, the pre-eminent cancer center of the Southwest??)
How disappointing it is to have your Dr. office not fight for patient care! Yikes! Hope things go better this time!
DeleteHu knows? (Lame continuation of punny routine). He / she might be better than the last Dr.
Hugs & good luck!
- Barb (OKM)
What a wonderful whirlwind of a week! It’s such a win to graduate from the glaucoma specialist—one less waiting room is always a reason to celebrate. I’m so glad you found a kindred spirit in that "financial breakfast" engineer; there’s nothing quite like bonding over slide rules and being trailblazers to make the "peopling" exhaustion totally worth it.
ReplyDeleteGive "The Prisoner" an extra ear scratch for me—it sounds like you both enjoyed your respective breaks! Good luck with the upcoming family lunch and that final hurdle of medical appointments. Hopefully, by February 6th, you can officially retire from being a professional patient and get back to the much more important business of being a "dog lady." (((BIG HUGS)))
LOL! I also look forward to the end of this year's "medicalizing", though I left out a couple of scans that will likely be ordered at my annual physical. Sigh. Seems those come around so much faster than they used to!
DeleteHere's to warm doggy cuddles! ((( Big Hugs ))) to your crew!
Hi Barb…I can truly relate to the “Medicalizing” onslaught of appointments! This past week saw visits to primary care, dermatologist, cardiologist, and dentist…all routine and all good!
ReplyDeleteI am so relieved to put that behind me…for 6 months! Always enjoy reading about your adventures with the fur babies, son/wife, and foster GC. Glad that you are busy and active! Stay warm! Eissa7
(Karen)
All these rounds of appointments seem to be part of the "tax we pay for more trips 'round the sun", huh?
DeleteI hear you got a cold snap down in the Southern part of the states, too. Florida doesn't often see much "winter", but I hear the iguanas down there were dropping from the trees for a couple of days recently (things one overhears at the gym)! The good part is that the cold doesn't last that long. Up here in the Northern half of the lower 48, it can stretch out a bit!
Stay warm yourself, Karen!