February 2022 in 2020s

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2022
I was having so much fun sharing pics from my various trips on VZfit but lately, they’re not transferring over. There always has to be a fucking issue. I guess it’s no biggie, though, because I’m doing it to exercise and not to share pics, but it was a nice bonus. I was getting sick of having to transfer them one at a time too. You would think these things would be simpler, but apparently not. Anyway, I’m only gonna do 10 miles a day on my trip so I can do other trips in between for variety. There are a million miles of boring Nevada desert with nothing much to see but the same old stuff. This is a very ugly-looking desert compared to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts.

I jump back and forth between Chicago Med and new Lifetime movies and in the latest episode of Chicago Med, there was a young woman who didn’t know that her own mother had her sterilized as a teen because she was promiscuous and they were poor. The mother didn’t want the daughter to end up in her shoes. Apparently, this was legal to do in some states up until 1973. The daughter thought she had an appendectomy.

The first thing that came to mind as I watched this was how my mother would have jumped at the opportunity to have this done to me if she could have, even though I wasn’t with anyone. She never wanted me to have kids. I don’t think it was just that she believed I would be a bad mother. No, I think it went beyond that. It was also about money and her not wanting the burden that grandchildren bring.

The only thing that didn’t make sense in the show was that the woman was too poor to find out why she couldn’t conceive. Well, if she was that poor, how would she afford a kid? I understood the reason this woman sterilized her kid and why my mother would have gladly done it to me if she could snap her fingers and have it done but it’s still wrong. It should always be up to the woman to choose whether or not she does or doesn’t have kids.

I fought all the fighters on the easy round and even beat the champ on Thrill of the Fight. Tomorrow begins the next level up. Tom’s on the endurance round and he’s been cremated by the champ a few times, LOL. He’s going to keep trying. I’m sure it will get tougher and tougher for me as well, even though I’m in better shape, lighter, and have more muscle.

Another nightmare woke me up but I don’t remember what this one was about. I did have a dream that he started a drug for his essential tremors that began with an E. Funny name for it. Why is it “essential” that you tremor?

Unfortunately, I’ve been hit with yet another round of anxiety. I really think it is about the medication. I just can’t believe I’m suddenly anxious about being on nights after I’ve spent nearly half my life on nights. Nor can I believe my hormones are that powerful this late in the game. So what do I do? I cut my waiting time down, of course. At least I’m not skipping. I think I’m always going to have to adjust my waiting time based on how I feel. I’ll get anxious as the stuff ramps up in my bloodstream and less anxious as it drains a little when I wait for only a half-hour instead of an hour before having my coffee. It’s no wonder that I felt so good during the summer. It’s also why I was so exhausted. I would still rather be tired than anxious.

The Russian/Ukrainian war still rages on. It’s easy for me to say that I don’t think it will spark a nuclear war, but what the hell do I know anymore? People can be as unpredictable as they can be predictable. It makes no sense for them to do so, but people don’t always exercise logic in their actions. People do things all the time for no reason. Oh, I’m still sure there will be one. I just think it will be after we’re gone. For now, I don’t think Putin wants to destroy what he wants to take over. If he destroys Ukraine, then it can’t become part of his territory.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2022
The red sports car is still there, but they’ve been fairly quiet. The motorcycle hasn’t gone out since the 20th. It seems projects and company are mostly with keeps him off of the thing so I’m hoping they stay awhile longer wherever they’re from. They’re a little too far to make out the plate, but Tom thought it looked like an Ohio plate. Also, I don’t think there are kids over there after all. I think what I initially heard was just a teenager with a high-pitched voice. They were barbequing a little while ago. It’s hard to believe they’re in for the night on a Saturday night but maybe they are. It’s not late, but it’s not early either.

With the way Darren is sometimes gone without Carrie for 9 hours at a time, I wonder if perhaps he’s working somewhere in the state at least part-time. He strikes me as a construction kind of guy.

Tom thought he would hear something today because there was a scavenger hunt going on, but it was quiet. Someone was calling for their lost pet yesterday and he thought it could be Toni’s cat.

No, they weren’t in for the night. They both left at 7 for an hour. The motorcycle still puts so much stress on me that when I was watching a Lifetime movie, I couldn’t help but think of them. In many Lifetime movies, the bad gal/guy casually kills whoever gets in their way. I wish I could just keep killing my neighbors until I got the ones I wanted, LOL, and that life could sometimes play out like a Lifetime movie.

Because we pay for it and there is so much space - a terabyte to be exact - we decided to sync my pics to OneDrive. After I get used to it, and if there are no problems, I’ll sync my docs as well.

Tom had a full panel of labs done and everything came back OK except that he’s pre-diabetic. He’s been that way for a few years now. He’s been more active, but like me, he’s not willing to make dietary changes. We’re more active, but we don’t want to give up treats forever, and I certainly don’t want to half-starve myself to get to a healthier weight.

According to Margaret, Dixie has been moved to a care facility for “unruly” patients who are constantly under lockdown. She also has seven figures in her account and said something about her leaving her money to a couple she was friends with for years that would take Diane in sometimes for a few days at a time. I remember them and that the friendship ended in one of my last visits with Dixie. She said they were saying bad things about Diane or something like that. Who knows? Dixie was/is so far out of her mind now that you can’t understand or trust anything she says.

I don’t know enough about the daughter who supposedly married a wealthy man, but I feel bad for the son. I don’t know him either, but I know I would be pissed if my mother was leaving millions to her friends and not me. That’s got to hurt a lot worse than my parents leaving more to her bratty grandkids.

I can totally see Dixie as being unruly too, and I doubt she’ll ever be going back home. It’s sad, but not surprising. Old or not, Dixie did bring on a lot of her own problems with her stubbornness, selfishness, and stupidity.

This shit with Russia is a reminder that some people make their own haters, and it isn’t always that people are racist or hateful or anything like that. What’s scary is that it’s not just Putin (he has such ugly Mona Lisa eyes) that is ordering this shit against Ukraine, but the thousands and thousands of troops that are going along with his orders. How do you just blow up and shoot innocent people like that and sleep at night?

I know humanity – or most of it - will end because of a nuclear war. I just don’t think it will happen while I’m still alive. However, now I’m not so sure it will be the T-heads or North Korea to start it. Maybe it will be Russia instead. They obviously don’t give a shit about the sanctions being put on them by various countries, otherwise they wouldn’t be doing this. I just don’t get it though. How much fucking space do you need when you’re already the biggest country in the world space-wise? And is what they’re doing going to encourage them to take over and invade other countries as well?

I’ve been working on this entry on and off for hours. I think it’s time to finish and post it. First, I was hearing the thumping of bass earlier and it went on for more than just a minute. It wasn’t across the street, though, but so much for not hearing that shit here. Doubt it was in the park. I sure hope not anyway. More than likely it was a very loud car stereo outside the park. The things people do for attention!

We still play miniature golf on and off, sometimes by ourselves and sometimes with each other. It’s not only fun playing, but it’s also fun flying around the course and collecting lost balls even if most of them are dull-looking.

Had a shitty dream involving Tom. For some strange reason, he accidentally swallowed or inhaled an impossibly long earbud. I thought he was joking at first but when I realized he wasn’t and was about to do the Heimlich maneuver on him, he fell to the ground on his back. He was unresponsive. I pulled the earbud out of his mouth and woke up a split second later while he was still unconscious so I don’t know if I was able to revive him or not.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2022
I exchanged some tweets with one of the Lifetime movie actresses, Sydney Meyer. I’d probably have a crush on her if I was younger and still had those “fun” hormones. She seems friendly. I’m just surprised she responded to my tweet. I figured she’d see it but I didn’t think she would reply to it. She may not be a big celebrity but celebrities don’t usually respond no matter what, although Jenny Seagrove once did and she even followed me even though I asked her to. I don’t care if she follows me, though. I don’t mind friends that are younger to a degree, but I don’t know if I want any that are in their 20s despite how mature and intelligent she seems to be for her age.

I still miss Aly. I think that might be why I’m not into Twitter as much as I used to be. Twitter just isn’t the same without her. I go there and I expect her to check in or to take a peek at her tweets even if she’s not on at the time and then it’s like damn, she’s dead. She really is dead. She died almost a year ago and she’s never coming back. And then I feel tears begin to sting my eyes. I miss her updates. She didn’t tweet very often but just the little things are things I miss at times. Yes, I can go to Jessie with anything but Jessie isn’t Aly and she’s not nearly as smart as Aly either. Aly was smart, intuitive, and observant in ways most people aren’t.

They didn’t wake me up when they were spreading the rocks. I did sleep with the nature sounds a little louder and added an earplug, though. Tom said you could hear it in the kitchen, but barely hear it in his office. I hear better than he does, so I’m sure I would have more than barely heard it. I’m just glad I didn’t get woken up. These people are way too fucking noticeable!

A little later, the truck came to pick up the containers. So at least I don’t have to worry about that much. Then a red sporty car came with a young couple with at least one kid that I heard screaming its ass off. Then they left, came back, and left once again. It looked like they may have taken Carrie with them. It’s hard to judge from a distance, but I swear Carrie doesn’t even look like she’s 40 years old.

Remembering that nothing is private in this country, we did a little research. It seems that Darren bought the place in 2019, so no, I can’t see him selling this fast. I also don’t think he rents the place either. I think he would have mentioned any plans to sell when we spoke and also if he was just renting. Besides, why would you put his name in the park phone book if he was just a renter? I just hope to hell he doesn’t rent to others when he’s not here because I can just imagine the kinds of people he would rent it out to. I wonder, though, when Tom heard Maurice mention renters, was that what he was talking about? Could it have been someone Darren rented the place to in the past?

He didn’t come back until just after 9 last night. I saw him go across the street and chat with Linda for a minute and then head back.

He’s run the motorcycle nine times since early November, three of which were only for a few seconds. Remember, though, there’s a two-month gap in between.

Then he haunted me in my dreams by making me worried he was going to leave the mutts outside all the time when I heard outdoor barking at night. The place didn’t look like this park, though. It was just regular houses with fenced-in yards.

Then the yard suddenly became my parents’ yard and I lost their dog that I had let out to take a dump while they were out somewhere. The yard was dark and I couldn’t see well. Then I began to fear that the dog escaped through a hole in the fence. Especially after I picked up and carried a dog I thought was theirs just to find in the light of the kitchen that it wasn’t but some other dog instead.

Then I was back with Tom and we heard these weird screams. The screaming was unlike any kind of person you’d hear screaming in reality, and it took me a moment to realize that they were human screams. Then I thought I heard someone begging for help and then silence.

If some of our dreams are actually glimpses into other dimensions, I wonder if the reason they seem to morph from scene to scene is that we’re glimpsing into multiple dimensions and not just one.

When I read back on old entries of mine, I sometimes laugh at some of them while others I realize I’ve forgotten about. Then there are those that piss me off. I read a journal entry from the early 90s that had me pissed at myself, my parents, and Fran.

“Why did I do that?!” I asked myself. “Why did I take the blame for something I wasn’t responsible for?”

I stupidly gave Fran my parents’ number when I went down to Florida to visit them. That’s how dumb and naïve I was. Then the bastard had the nerve to call them to complain about me prank-calling him after I headed back up north. The real truth was that Fran made prank phone calls with Andy and me and sometimes Fran pranked us. I honestly don’t remember pranking Fran, but if we did, it was because he was pranking us and we knew it.

So my bitch of a mother wouldn’t talk to me for a few weeks because she chose to believe a stranger over her own daughter and her friend. When I called them in Florida one time, either Dad answered or she did and she gave the phone to him. Pretending as if I wasn’t hearing anything, I could hear her muttering insults in the background, even though I don’t remember what she said. Finally, in the end, I took the blame for everything supposedly “to make things easier.” I was with Kacey at the time who said I shouldn’t have done that, and that she would never do such a thing.

She was right. Oh, how differently I would handle her today! Although more than likely I just wouldn’t have anything to do with her. I have no need for people like that in my life whether they’re related to me or not. She did and said so many shitty things to me.

I can kind of understand in some ways why I did that and why some people break down and tell people what they want to hear. Sometimes it’s the only way to keep the peace and not have to deal with people’s shit. Even though it would have been wrong of me and I would have been the liar Andy once accused me of being, perhaps it would have been easier if I’d simply told him years ago that I could control my schedule, I got a job, started driving, made more friends, etc. I’m sure he would have judged or picked on me for something else, though, even if I’ll never understand what these things have to do with him or how they affect him personally.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022
I got the art print that I won but didn’t win. The one where I got a winning notification congratulating me just to open it and find it was someone else who actually won the print that I complained about. It’s a lovely panoramic view of Adobe-style homes. It looks like either Arizona or Southern California. The only thing I don’t like about it is how orange the sky looks. What is it with artists painting orangey skies and photographers making their skies orangey, too? That’s just not natural. Especially when it’s a solid, even color. I like everything else about it. The woman who painted it is definitely talented, and I sent her a picture of it on my office wall. I taped it to the wall. Oh, the artist just told me it was in Palm Springs.

The project junkies across the street got rocks delivered today. The bad news is that they didn’t get a pile dumped in the street for them to spread out. They got them in large metal containers and it’s no doubt going to make quite a racket when they dump batches into their wheelbarrow. Then the truck has to return to pick up the containers. Tom said they were home most of the morning, but since I got up at 11:30, the truck hasn’t been there. Carrie is, though, because she waved and said hello to me when we were on our way out.

The question is why are they doing this? Do they really care about appearance? Is it just to have something to do? Or did the park get on them about that area being so patchy? I still can’t believe they’re doing it to sell the place although that would make me as happy as it would make me worried.

It’s too late in the day now for them to work, but I just caught a glimpse of the white SUV pulling out that visits often. Looks like she might have been in the passenger seat. I heard one bark from the big dog and a few from what I’m guessing is the smaller one unless it was someone else’s dog I was hearing. This was before I saw the SUV, though.

I got to try another Chinese place earlier. I got $18 worth of beef fried rice, beef and mushrooms, and fried wontons. It’ll last two or three days. This place is better than the last place.

We also stopped at CVS as well. I like how they’re selling individual pieces of candy if you don’t want a whole candy bar.

Tom has to go to the lab early tomorrow morning. He’s having a full panel done. He’s going to Quest instead of LabCorp. It’s a standalone lab instead of part of Walgreens.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2022
They’re still landscaping in front of their place across the street. They’ve been going about it quietly, though. I’m still surprised they can get away with letting the dogs run around loose, although they don’t bark, bite or take off anywhere. One did start to chase a golf cart going by, but he yelled at it. The only time they bark is like last night after they took off in the truck. I never used to hear this before and I hope it doesn’t gradually get worse and worse. It was only for two or three minutes, but still. I didn’t come here for that.

The landscaping surprised me because he never struck me as the type to care about appearance like most guys. But then Tom says he’s seen him washing the truck and motorcycle two or three times, just in the time he’s been here. So maybe he is into appearance, but I think mostly he’s just like Jesse was. Big dogs, projects, and motorcycles. I think he needs to keep his hands busy and I can’t picture him touching a computer very often, if ever at all.

For a second, I wondered if they could be fixing it up to sell the place, but I doubt it. Wouldn’t he have mentioned that to me when we spoke? And where would he go? Normally I would be thrilled by the idea of them leaving but then realized I could end up with something much worse over there. Dogs that bark more and a motorcycle that’s taken out every day without fail. Full time.

Woke up tired today because I woke up hot flashing in my sleep again. Now that the new AC is in, I’m going to lower the temp at bedtime. This AC is supposed to be easier on the electric bill, so we’ll see.

I messaged Galileo about my reoccurring groin rash, answered some questions, and sent them a pic, but they didn’t tell me anything I didn’t know about that might help with keeping it away longer and better. Gold Bond is what they recommend. It seems that my older skin doesn’t like things continually touching it, which is why I have to remove my wedding band every few days or so. Well, our underwear touches our bodies more than other areas and the groin is an area that does get heated up and sweaty easier.

So now they want to amend the appalling Don’t Say Gay bill by making teachers mandated to report gay students to their parents. But how the fuck are they supposed to know they’re gay if they’re not allowed to discuss their sexuality in the first place? And what do they expect the parents to do about it? “Straighten” out their kids?

sighs disgustedly I’m sure the “logic” behind it is to further drive kids into the closet so they’re not outed to their no doubt equally bigoted parents.

Kind of twisted that scum-sucking countries like Colombia that are filled with drug cartels decriminalize abortion while the US is gearing up to make it illegal in at least half of the country.

Another disgusting deed committed by my so-called fellow humans is that Russia has invaded Ukraine as expected. Russians have always been a bunch of shits, but come on! They’re a huge country. How much more space do they believe they need?

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2022
Might as well start today’s entry while I wait to have my coffee. The AC guy is here now. He pulled out the old one and he’s waiting for some guy to bring the new slab or something. I just hope there are no delays because it’s going to be in the 80s today! Then I guess it has to be inspected in a day or so. I hope they don’t wake me up while doing it because I’m starting to sleep in. Love that they’re gonna make an appointment to come out every six months to check on it.

This week begins my new regimen of two 88s a week. I don’t think it’ll be successful, but I got a $15 VR meditation app that will hopefully help. I started feeling anxious yesterday, but after taking my Gennev and then following a meditation video on YouTube, I did feel better.

I’m now 6% into the trip and I made it to Nevada a couple of days ago. I hit a stretch of shitty imagery on Google Maps, though, so a part of my trip has blocky images. I guess some of the rural areas have low-quality cameras that don’t get updated regularly.

I wonder how annoying they’ll be across the street today. As he was sitting on the motorcycle waiting for her to climb on behind him yesterday, I swear he looked right into the camera. It was hard to read the expression on his face from the distance. He also had sunglasses on. They took off at 9:30 yesterday morning and didn’t come back for six hours. But then they turned around and left in the truck and didn’t return until 8. Whenever they both leave, the dogs howl for a few minutes. So much for “remarkable” dogs. They are just way too noticeable between the motorcycle, the honking, and the howling. I’m definitely looking forward to the end of next month!

A couple of people on motorcycles visited one of the houses up the street. They wouldn’t have woken me up either, but still. This isn’t the place for that shit!

Andy is as selfish as ever, but that’s just Andy being Andy. I gave him the latest update on my health and instead of responding to it in any way, he said, “I hate to change the subject, but…” and then he went on to bitch about all the unwanted gifts he got for his birthday.

Jessie’s memory is almost as bad as his. We’ve talked about how she loves dolphins a few times yet when she received the diamond painting, she was like, “Wow, how did you know I love dolphins?”

I guess Andy was disappointed to receive a Fitbit because, as he said, he hates wearing watches and doesn’t give a shit how many steps he takes a day. Then he complained about those opposite-doers I’ve always complained about, and how one of his brothers asked him what restaurants he liked and didn’t. He said he wasn’t very fond of Applebee’s, and sure enough, he was given an Applebee’s gift card.

“Why not give people what they actually want if they’re gonna spend that much money to begin with?” he asked.

Good question! This is part of why I wonder if the increase in motorcycle use has anything to do with me thanking him for not using it too often or if it’s purely coincidental. I can’t make up my mind on that one, but I guess it has to do with the weather warming up and all that. I suspected all along that I would eventually hear it more and more so I doubt I have anything to do with it. A little while ago I knew without seeing over there that they both left in the truck because I could hear the howling. Andy has a neighbor with a really loud muffler to deal with.

Andy was also an opposite doer himself. I clearly remember him going out of his way to do things that he knew annoyed me. If I bitched about blacks being thugs, I would get more pictures of the damn thugs on the old Ask.

Anyway, the AC company is just down the street outside the park, but the grill, which is an odd size, has to come from Tampa. The guy said it will take a few hours or less to completely install. I’m in no hurry. It’s not going to warm up that fast inside the house, even though it’s to be in the 80s today.

Even though I didn’t hear the damn thing honk when it returned, they’re obviously back next door because I could see the dog running around loose and the lady next door talking to them. Wonder if she’s telling them that they howl when they leave. I doubt they give a shit either way.

Here we go with the honking now. It isn’t just when they pull in, but every time they go into the fucking truck. One of the dogs is being left unattended at the side of the house. It looks like it’s digging at something. I swear these people just can’t take a day off from the projects when they are home. I saw them with shovels and buckets, so I don’t know what they’re doing. Can’t wait for today’s motorcycle ride! rolls eyes

Updating this entry in real-time. Dick and Irma took off for a walk and stopped to chat with our little honkers for a few minutes. He just took off in the truck. Only he went the opposite way, deeper into the park. Maybe to pick up a friend. She’s got to be there, though, because there was no howling.

Oh, so it’s a palm tree they’re planting across the street. Finally, they’re doing something I like! Most of the front of their place is blocked by the AC truck right now.

Getting a bit chilly in here now because he’s running the new AC to test it. It has a softer and smoother hum to it which I like better, and no more eerie whistling sound through the bathroom vent. The old one was too big for the place at three tons. All you need is a 2.5-ton AC for this house.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2022
Ugh, I totally regret thanking the guy for not riding the motorcycle too often. When I got up this morning and saw it covered, I thought I would get a break from it for a while. However, he and his girlfriend took off on it. No helmets either, so hopefully they’ll get in a bad accident. Accidents are common here, after all.

Anyway, I don’t know that my saying that has anything to do with the increase in the use of the damn thing despite many people being opposite-doers. Probably not. I think that before, they had out-of-state visitors and it was too cold. I always had a feeling it would escalate. The question is, is it going to become multiple times a day or even at night now that the weather should be nicer more consistently?

The dogs howled after they left, but only for a few minutes. If there was ever a time I wished they would go on and on like Jesse’s mutts did, it was then as I don’t see how that would be tolerated here.

Unfortunately, a few of the diamonds fell off the diamond painting. At least now I know. She was surprised, though, and grateful.

Galileo asked for me to enumerate all the medications I’ve taken in the past that I’ve had side effects from, so I gave them all the psych and cholesterol drugs. I will begin taking 88s twice a week tomorrow, although I really think it’s going to backfire. They said my hormones could still be a factor, but it’s hard to say if they are entirely responsible for the anxiety. Well, they’re definitely responsible for the hot flashing. Anxiety? I still think most of it is on the meds.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2022
What a rude, inconsiderate little bastard across the street. I loved yesterday and the day before because he was gone all day. They leave the lanai windows open for the dogs, who miraculously don’t bark at everything they see going by. They did squeal with delight, though, when they returned because they were out for so long. They let them run around loose too, but do stay confined to his property. Well, his and next door’s. He’s on the corner.

So after he washed and waxed both the car and the motorcycle, he ran the motorcycle for about 20 seconds, maneuvering it up the driveway and into place. Like he really couldn’t walk the damn thing into place? Tom says he was checking the charger. Unfortunately, it’s not covered yet and I doubt it’s because it’s still wet but more like he plans to use it more often. Fucker looks like a biker too. Stocky build, tats up the arms, etc.

Anyway, I napped for a bit before this started because I again woke up hot flashing two or three times in my sleep.

No energy to go out for a walk today. We went out yesterday morning and it was a very misty but pleasant walk. If I didn’t know any better, I would think it just rained because there was so much dew all over the place.

I’m 4% through my trip and heading for the Nevada border. If I can get the energy for at least that much, I’ll make it today.

Galileo called in my refill and also said that my hormones could be at play, but it’s hard to say if they’re entirely to blame or not. Not surprisingly, they asked if I tried a therapist and I told them I tried that, a shrink, and psych meds to no avail. I swear something doesn’t want me treating the things that I get for the most part. Can’t treat the anxiety, can’t fully treat my thyroid, can’t treat my cholesterol. I’m still guessing the bulk of my problem is on the medication, which really sucks because my need for it isn’t going to change nearly as much as my hormones may. I think I’ll always have to be hypo and adjust my waiting time. At least I haven’t been skipping though!

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022
I’m a bit tired today and it’s definitely more due to how I slept than anything else. I kept waking up hot flashing. I definitely slept better with the temperature under the 70s. I just don’t want to drop the temperature anymore and really jack up the electric bill.

Very disappointing TSH results at 13. So I only dropped by one point. The number 13 kept popping into mind before I got the results, but I rejected it quickly. I just hated to think I could only be down one point. I still didn’t feel the greatest yesterday either. If only I could quit the med for a year! That would definitely tell me one way or another if the medication was involved. Eventually, I’ll address the anxiety with my docs. I picked up my lab results on LabCorp. I haven’t heard from them yet. I want to see what my doctor has to say first. Today and yesterday I decreased my waiting time to 1/2 hour. So we’ll see if that and being back on days helps.

My docs just acknowledged that I have anxiety on this medication, so they wanted to know if I would be willing to increase my dose to two 88s a week rather than jump to every day and if I needed refills. I told them I needed refills on the 75s and that even though there has been an increase in anxiety since adding one 88, I’ll be willing to give it a try and hope for the best. I asked if I could still be affected by my hormones, even though it’s been two years without a bleed as it’s a coincidence that my struggles with anxiety didn’t begin until after the medication. I still highly doubt I’ll ever be able to stand to get my numbers normal.

The 9 that I saw in my dream was in the lab results. It was just in the wrong test. My T4 is 1.29.

Chatted with C for a while. It was a nice chat.

Downloaded a meditation app, but I’m sure it won’t do me much good. Again, I’m not stressed out because of things going on in my life. It’s something going on in my body. Although, I will admit I felt calmer after getting the results, as disappointing as they were.

We went out yesterday looking for the waterbed place but started to turn around when we saw it. At least now we know where it is. At some point, I may get a waterbed because I think it may help me sleep better. Then I also won’t have to deal with sagging, lumpy mattresses and change them every few years. I’m thinking that if I keep the heater turned off or down really low. It will keep me from overheating in my sleep.

We stopped at Burger King on the way back.

Jessie should get her stuff in a day or two. Hopefully, she won’t wait on letting me know that she got it and if anything broke. I hope nothing breaks and I hope she’ll be kind enough to let me know if it does because that’s how I know if I can ship like this in the future.

Not sure if she’s reporting 100% of what she hears, though. She told me she didn’t hear any boom car stereos on the way to and from Tampa and right away I knew that wasn’t possible. We heard three or four of them just seven or eight miles out. That and the loud engines from some motorcycles and muscle vehicles were pretty obnoxious and noticeable. Tom says maybe she just doesn’t notice them because she’s not bothered by these sounds. But how can you not notice something so obvious? I notice subtle sounds that don’t bother me like chirping birds. I get that I’m more observant than most, but still. She’s either deaf or playing things down. I don’t see why she would play things down intentionally, though. Either way, I would be willing to bet she’s hearing the same things we hear.

They’re back to being out a lot across the street, which I like because then that’s less time to worry about the motorcycle. I expected it to be taken out yesterday since it was taken out two days in a row, but it wasn’t. For a while, they seem to swap with next door. Next door was going out more often while they were staying home more often. Next door doesn’t matter, but hopefully across the street will be out more often, like yesterday.

I passed the 100-mile marker into my trip! I should make it to the Nevada border today. Based on my calculations, if I continue to do 4% a week I should complete the trip in early August. Right now I’m just south of Lake Tahoe. I’m going by Caples Lake. I passed a place called Tragedy Springs earlier and I looked it up to see why it was called that, figuring some people drowned there. Instead, I learned that some campers were murdered in the 40s.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022
It was like pulling teeth for some reason, but I finally got Jessie to tell me her address so I could send her stuff to her. It’s going to cost $8, but hopefully, it will be worth it. I love sharing my crafts with people I know. I just hope none of it breaks along the way.

Yesterday was the second day in a row that the motorcycle was out. The only good I can say is that there’s no risk of being woken up. Not with the window inserts, the doghouse, and nature sounds. It’s still disappointing as these things should not be in adult communities! I was afraid it would come to this, though. I suppose it’s only a matter of time before it’s out multiple times a day and maybe even at night. His stealing my nights would really suck because that’s the only time I feel a little more comfortable with lowering the nature sounds a bit, knowing that the only threat at that time is likely to be a low-flying helicopter or paramedics. I just thank God the bastard is a snowbird! About five more weeks with him.

Went to the lab yesterday. As usual, there were issues poking my vein because it’s hardened up due to all the blood draws I’ve had over the years. Right now I’m impatiently awaiting the results, although I don’t expect to get them today.

I’m at 3% on my trip. I passed through Pine Grove and now I’m winding my way through a pine forest heading for the Nevada border. I don’t expect to make it today, though.

I dreamed I was hugging Chris Noth of all people. Not with all the sex abuse allegations against him!

I also had a dream where I learned we own the cottage that my parents used to have in Connecticut. We went to check it out and found it old and in shitty condition. I wasn’t all that excited about it because I didn’t think we could get much for it.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Andy turned 60 yesterday. Andy, who wants to be called Mark. He said it took his family a while to get used to the idea of it and it will definitely take me a while too. I’ll call him that directly, but will refer to him as Andy in my journal and when discussing him with Tom.

I’m not sure who the hell it was, but I was hearing some kind of power tool for a few days. It wasn’t a circular saw. If anything, it reminded me of an electric drill. I first thought it was across the street because of the way he moved his golf cart back into his driveway. Then for a split second yesterday, I saw him with a blower. Maybe it was coming from behind him. I saw an old guy stop at his place the other day. They chatted for about 20 seconds and at one point the guy gestured behind his place. It wasn’t nearly as maddening as when Bob and the guy that moved in across from him would be at times. I could drown it out with the air cleaner on low, but couldn’t drown out anything at the old place on high.

While I was unwinding with my audiobook at 3:30 yesterday, out went the motorcycle for an hour. I could hear it, but I could also definitely see how I could sleep through it with the underwater sounds playing. All I had on at the time were the air cleaner and fan.

I saw him put the golf cart in back again as well. This was while watching on the camera.

Interestingly enough, as soon as I asked Jessie to text me her address and she agreed to do so, so I could send her the gifts, I didn’t hear from her for a couple of days. Tom suggested that maybe asking for the address freaked her out, but I didn’t see why it would after all these years. Instead, I figured she was busy even though she did check in on Facebook on and off over the last couple of days.

She just told me a little while ago that they got their moving pod and have been busy unpacking and she’s working as well. It is a weird coincidence, though, that does make me wonder. She had time to check in on Facebook but not to text me her address? She said she’s not freaked out at all and I would hope and I would think that she would say so if she didn’t want to divulge it. Even though I shouldn’t let it get to me, I get tired of waiting on people who claim they’re busy. We’re all busy. I’ve never been busier. I can’t remember the last time I looked at the clock and realized I had four or five hours left of my day to figure out what to do with.

The AC guy came out yesterday, and all hopes of getting an AC for 4K have been dashed with the ongoing inflation crisis. They did, however, offer to sell the same AC for 6K that the first guy wanted to sell for 9K. Still, that’s a lot of money we owe. He was kind enough to throw in a new grill for us and also add smart features. It’ll be done by next Monday.

I guess I misunderstood Tom when I said he’d given up on the rest of the projects. He said he just doesn’t want anymore. Unless an emergency comes up, I can’t imagine what more there is other than what we’ve already talked about. They left some Round-Up here so he went out and used it up on the weeds that were growing by the house.

Today’s lab day. I’m just a little tired because I forced myself to get up a little earlier, not wanting to sleep too late in case they can’t get the AC in before Monday. It takes the better part of the day to do it, so they’re going to be out at around 10:00.

For once I had some unusual and interesting dreams, even if they were still negative. It started off with me thinking of Andy traveling alone and thinking how boring it would be if I was traveling alone.

Then Tom and I were staying at a hotel. When I got up in the morning, the coffee machine exploded. As I was cleaning up the mess, I realized my medication was sitting there and I thought to myself, didn’t I already take my med this morning? I was afraid to take it in case I was double dosing, but then I was afraid not to because I didn’t want to mess up my lab results. I opted not to and we left the hotel, which was a brief and quiet stay. I don’t know where we were or where we were going.

Then Tom and I were sitting in what looked like the center of a mall. We weren’t sitting right next to each other although we could see each other.

I noticed a young girl who had been a part of a group of girls who were wearing matching dresses and quickly singing something. One was heavily pregnant. The girl who was in her 20s or 30s kept looking at me. Finally, she approached me and told me how pretty I was and how she wanted to get a picture of me. I thought it was odd that anyone would find me attractive at this age but consented to have my picture taken.

“I would have worn makeup had I known you were going to take my picture,” I said.

She said that was no problem and then another woman who was a little older was smoothing back my hair to one side. A split second later I was nodding to Tom as I was heading out of the mall with the women and sitting between them in a car heading towards a place I assumed they were going to take my picture in. But then I started getting suspicious about their vagueness and what their true intentions were. I began to fear they were taking me to a strip club. I told them I was open-minded and I had been a stripper way back when and was bisexual and all that but had only agreed to have my picture taken and didn’t want to be gone long. They said something about 15 minutes to three hours. I didn’t have my phone with me, so I asked to use theirs so I could let Tom know where I was. Although the woman did hold out her phone to me, I suddenly realized I couldn’t remember Tom’s number. So the dream ended with me never knowing for sure where I was going or with any way to reach Tom.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2022
If all goes well, Florida will feel like Florida starting tomorrow. So, 6 weeks of winter. It’s better than 6 months, but I was really hoping for 6 days.

Speaking of 6, it seems the good doc only sleeps about 6 hours a night. She seems to go offline around midnight and get up at 6. I wonder if I’m the only former or current patient she’s got on her list. I asked Jessie and Andy’s opinion on the matter and whether or not they would be surprised if a former doctor accepted their friend request and Jessie said maybe she’s just friendly to everyone and only keeps in touch with those she’s close to. That’s what I’m thinking.

Andy’s response was a little surprising. He said his current doc gave him her cell phone number and said to call anytime he wants to chat or has questions. He doesn’t contact her very often because he doesn’t want to bug her knowing how busy she is. But back when he was losing weight and was all excited about it, he called her for advice.

Yesterday I didn’t have any anxiety and today I feel slightly borderline. We’re going to the store later, so I’m sure that will help.

I finally finished Jessie’s diamond painting! It felt like it took me forever. Later on, we’ll spray it with the sealer outside on the grass. I asked for her address and she said she would text it to me. So yeah, she’s definitely afraid to do much on Facebook. I don’t know if it’s because she had a bad experience with it or something else, but she’s definitely paranoid about what she shares. She never appears to post anything and I’m guessing she has me excluded from being able to see her posts. That might kind of sting a bit depending on what it is and how often. I do understand wanting to stick to sharing with family and all that but I just would think good friends would be included. I can’t help but wonder out of curiosity what she posts, how often, and who sees it. I do remember a long time ago she mentioned something about being hesitant to post things for future employers to see. I understand her on that much because unfortunately, you can be fired for what you do outside of work.

If you say “Hey Facebook” on the Quest it does things for you like shut down the device, take pictures, and record videos. I recorded a quick clip of me boxing and also riding my board. I’ve taken snapshots as well for a photo album I created for my VZfit trips.

I’m still in NorCal and 2% through the trip in a place called Sutter Creek. It’s going to be a while before I get out of Cali.

I’m a little frustrated with Tom because he doesn’t seem to want to finish the rest of the home projects. He was supposed to make the living room shades smart, replace a couple of old blinds, and a few other things as well. At least the AC guy will be here tomorrow. The day after that is lab day. Who knows when he’ll get the guy out to look at the roof? I’ve pretty much given up hope of fixing up the lanai to use as an extra room. He really seems determined to keep that as a storeroom of sorts.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2022
Had a shitty night last night. I was anxious for most of it. Tom thinks it’s because I was on nights, even though that’s not the only factor, which is why I don’t always have anxiety at night. I’m just wondering how many more fucking years I’m gonna have to deal with this shit. Maybe it really is for life. So far so good today, but I decided last night that I would cut my waiting time to a half-hour today in case there’s any connection.

Still no contact of any kind from Doc A, and I’m now thinking that she simply accepted my friend request as a kind gesture. I don’t think she’s reading my posts. She never viewed my story and unless she’s hiding, I don’t see her state on my blog visitor report. She has hundreds of friends, so I’m guessing even if half of them weren’t very active, there’s still no way she’s gonna catch every single thing that comes in. If she can run around for hours at a time, she could have made the time to contact me, so now I at least know why she accepted the request as surprising as it still is. My guess is that I’ll never hear from her.

It took 15 miles, but I’m now 1% through my cross-country trip. Looks like I’m gonna be going by Neverland Ranch.

Later…

I’m making a pork tenderloin roast right now. Remembering that the recipe called for about a pound of meat, I looked at all the meat I had on the cutting board and thought to myself, that looks like a hell of a lot more than a pound of meat. Sure enough, the package said 2.5 pounds, so I’m only using half of it this time.

My HR went up and I started feeling wired and anxious but then after I got done cooking I realized I was calm. It’s like cooking is oddly calming. Especially a complex recipe like this that took a lot of ingredients, measuring, and thinking to make the juice the meat sits in as well as the rub. Beforehand, I said fuck it, I’m only waiting half an hour tomorrow. Yet I won’t decide that for sure until I see how the rest of my day goes. 10 minutes from now I could be wound up again.

The doc sure spends a lot of time on Facebook. Or at least appears to. I still don’t get how the hell you have time to be a doctor, run marathons, raise three kids, and then have time for social media. Either way, she hasn’t checked out my Facebook “story,” nor has she appeared to check out my blog unless she’s a hider. So I would say she’s not interested in my stuff or actually following me and taking note of anything I post. Still a little surprised she accepted the invite. I wonder if I’ll ever hear from her or if she’ll ever react to any of my stuff, but if I don’t, that’s OK. I don’t mind her sitting there silently observing… Or not observing.

She is married too. I didn’t think she was because I never saw a ring on her finger. It’s to some white guy from Eureka. They both seem to be as liberal as I am. Pro-choice, pro-equality, etc.

Dick and Irma went somewhere overnight the other night, but they’re back now. I’m sure they’ve been honking in and out across the street. I’m also sure the motorcycle is going to be used anytime now since it’s been 10 days.

I created a trip from Sacramento to Tampa. It’s 2978 miles and will no doubt take months! It ought to be a lot of fun though. That is provided there are no issues along the way. I was going to do CH to here but it had trouble understanding me and the only way I can create rides easily enough is to do it on the headset using speech-to-text.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022
You know what all the monstrosities going on in the world have taught me? It’s taught me that there’s no hope for humanity whatsoever and that things will never change for the better. The fact that it’s 2022 and we’re still enacting laws to enable discrimination against some groups while enacting others to favor other groups tells me things will never change.

Here’s some amazing news, though, and that’s that they mowed yesterday and I slept right through it with the underwater sound playing on Volume 4. Even though it’s been a month, I didn’t think they would return the next day if it was too rainy on the usual day. Good thing I didn’t know that too, otherwise it would have put stress on me. It does, however, not only ease my stress with that, but with the motorcycle as well since they’re similar in volume. Tom thinks the mowers are louder. I still question whether or not I can sleep through the thunderstorms, though. I sure hope so!

The VZ guy was kind enough to jump my Kappadokia ride up to 83% because I had problems at 82%. I had no problems finishing the ride. The only problem was that I only got coins for the rest of the ride and not the entire trip. I tell you, I can’t even earn money when it’s fake! That’s OK, though, I’ll still earn more coins eventually.

Where I was 58 in the dream where Tom died, I was 41 in last night’s dream. How the hell does my brain come up with this kind of shit in its sleep? Again, I can’t help but wonder if I’m glimpsing into other dimensions at least some of the time. Do I exist in another dimension where he died at 58 years old? How about one where I’m 41 years old and we were discussing having IVF?

We lived in a very strange adult community in another dream. One where baby deers poked their heads through our open windows and stole our pens. Guys doing stretching exercises in a field between the houses were distorted and the ground was full of hidden holes, depending on where I stepped.

At one point I looked out the window and said to Tom, “Look at that!” A big brown grizzly bear was playing with two people.

Then we were sitting in a large living room in this guy’s house. There were at least a dozen guests and the guy that lived there was talking about being lonely and depressed a lot of the time while a lady was talking about moving.

Later…

I still can’t believe how cold it’s been and continues to be. I just didn’t think Florida had winter. Maybe a hint of it up in the Panhandle, but here? He did say it was nice outside though. It’s just the house that stayed cool. Can’t deny that it’s better for sleeping and working out.

What’s harder to believe is that Doc A accepted my friend request on Facebook. Lol, Yeah I decided why not send one for shits and giggles. I was just curious. I sent a message as well, giving her a quick update on Florida and my health. I would be surprised if she accepted it if I’d waited years to send it, but even more so since it’s only been 310 days since I saw her.

My headset inserts came today and it makes things so much better. Still a little blurry, but way better.

I also got a gorgeous variety of crackle beads in 15 different colors. I’m going to make Jessie a green bracelet. So she’ll have that, a gold and green necklace, and then the dolphin diamond painting if I can ever finish it once and for all.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2022
A horrible nightmare woke me up, although I’m not tired, thanks to the new thyroid regimen working out. In the nightmare, Tom had died. It had only been a matter of months or so and I was living with the termite of all people. In the dream, I was thinking to myself that I was only 58 when he died. It started with a bad cough. It was such a sad dream. Can’t help but wonder if it was a glimpse into another dimension. Because I’m 56 now, it has me a little worried, but not too much. I try not to let these things worry me because I know we have to go someday. I would just prefer to live another 20 years or so first.

It hasn’t been a month and already there have been changes and glitches with VZfit. The changes haven’t been too bad, but the glitches get to me. I don’t think it’s their fault though, but Google Maps instead. I kept getting nothing but a blue screen on my TR trip and from what they told me that’s Google Maps not being able to retrieve data. Things seem to be working again, although I was frustrated to be 82% through a 28-mile trip in Cappadocia just to get set back to the beginning. The guy told me that they’ll go into my account and reset it for me, which was nice. Strangely enough, though, it says it’s at 82% on the website, but on my headset, it says 3%.

The weather has been cold and rainy. I totally feel like I’m back at the old place. It makes sleeping and working out easier and it keeps the guy across the street off the motorcycle, but it otherwise sucks. Should be partly sunny at 60 degrees tomorrow though, so he may ride then. A week to 10 days seems to be how long he goes in between rides.

No landscaping today, so that makes a month. Everybody’s yards are half dead anyway.

Ran out to CVS because I needed to get out. My emotions weren’t the greatest the last two nights, though not too bad. I was pleasantly surprised to find they had White Merlot in stock. It must be really popular because there was only one left and I would have gotten two cases had there been more than one. Grabbed a Hershey’s candy bar too.

Next Walmart order, I’m going to grab a pork tenderloin to make in the cooker for both of us. I’m also getting pork neck bones for myself. Those I’m going to bake.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022
I had been feeling so good emotionally, but yesterday I found myself a little blah. Almost like I was borderline anxious but not quite there. I still marked it on the calendar because it was still noticeable enough. Today I’ve been fine, though, and I only waited for a half-hour before having my coffee.

Watched some of the Olympics in VR. It was cool to see, but I prefer to watch replays of the women’s figure skating on the computer. That way I can skip over the boring parts.

Ordered some crackle beads from Amazon. They’re so cool-looking because they look like balls of cracked ice with different colors.

I was right in suspecting that soon enough there would be changes on VZfit but I don’t see anything bad so far. Love the new French countryside virtual ride at night! Normally I don’t like virtual scenery, but I do like how it doesn’t have any distortion and I love the starry night sky and big bright moon. Tom might be happy to know that free users now get 10 minutes a day.

I joined the group on Facebook. I just really hope they don’t go making changes like crazy like most sites and apps and screwing things up. It’s when they take away features you like and change things so it becomes radically different that I have a problem with and even more so with when things get too complex and chock full of bugs.

It appears it’s the beginning of the end for Dixie. She’s in some kind of care facility now, according to what her son told Margaret. He hates to visit her because all she does is demand to be taken home. When he doesn’t give in to her, she takes a shit fit. Margaret says Diane is happy, according to what she’s been told, and is hoping to one day be able to get her address so she can send her a gift. The last phone call she ever got from Dixie was her ranting about some agency refusing to put her in a new shower stall for her because Diane was no longer with her. The demented looney talked until the tape stopped, she said. Her mental test score declined rapidly and I guess there was some talk about bladder surgery, but they don’t want to do it now.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022
Beautiful day today! We walked down the street and it was definitely Party Central out there. Darren and Carrie had someone over for a barbeque and Linda had her usual slew of golf cart visitors. It’s been surprisingly dry. I really thought it would be humid year-round and perhaps it is in Miami but not up here. I’ve been noticing it in my skin. It got up to 81 degrees today, but it’s back to NorCal for the next week or so starting tomorrow.

Dyed my hair deep auburn and noticed late in my day yesterday how sore my diaphragm muscles were from my puke party the night before. My left ankle has been a bit sore too. I’m otherwise doing great. I feel good emotionally and have decent energy. I only slept a little more than six hours last night and that would have left me totally exhausted as would getting sick had I not changed my medication routine.

Even the nightmare I had last night didn’t steal my energy. I guess being held hostage is the new theme. I was back in high school and living with my parents. There was this teddy bear-like teacher that everyone looked up to. He was over 6 feet, barrel-chested, and had a mustache and beard. The guy was perhaps in his late 30s. I went to his and his wife’s home with another classmate or two to find evidence of him being involved in child porn which we somehow suspected.

While the others distracted him, I snuck onto his computer. I found some file folders with various female names for titles. The idea was to email them to myself so I would have them for proof, but I couldn’t find a browser anywhere or email programs. I had to give up, knowing I could get caught any second. I went into the living room and didn’t see the other classmates. I knew the guy had made me, though, and that he wouldn’t let me leave. I tried to pass him at one point and he smiled with genuine amusement as if to say he knew that I knew I suspected him and we could make a game of it. It’s like he didn’t wanna be mean, but he couldn’t let me go either. At least not until I put what I learned from boxing to use.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022
Last night I ended up getting sicker than a dog! This was right after realizing how great I’ve been feeling physically and emotionally. At least this time it was only physical. I crashed at around 10 and for the next two hours, I kept waking up because I would be either too hot or too cold. Then I noticed my stomach felt queasy. I got up and took a Tums. It seemed to help at first, but then it got worse. After the second Tums, I got sick from both ends. We’re guessing I had too much greasy food. First, we had the burger and fries and then I got a bag of pork rinds.

I slept a long time and woke up at 158 lbs. Wish I could lose weight as easily when I’m well.

So between that and my ankle being sore due to all the working out, I’m taking it easy today.

I got a headset skin with a colorful fractal design and while the design is lovely, it was very hard to put on. It didn’t lay right and I got air bubbles in it. It still looks cool and it’s better than nothing.

No motorcycle today, but the dogs are no longer silent. In fact, next door stepped out to tell them to shut up. Darren and Carrie spend a lot of time out, unlike the people next to us, and I guess when they’re both out the dogs don’t like it any more than Jesse’s dogs did. At least they don’t go on and on. The little dog was yipping away and the big one was howling. I really hope they mention it to them. Either way, I can’t wait for them to get the fuck out. I got to thinking about it and due to the virus restricting border crossings, it hit me that both couples are going to be here more often once Darron’s fully retired and the restrictions are lifted. I think I’m gonna be stuck with them for half a year, but I don’t mind the people next to us. I would rather them full-time than across the street part-time. It seems there is always someone stressing me out no matter where we live. But next year I’m expecting them between October to April.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2022
No, I didn’t win an art print. The rude bitch sent an email to everyone apologizing for the way she worded her message. What the fuck do you expect, though, when you put “YOU WON” in the subject header? Then she goes on to congratulate you for winning Susanna, and I thought that was the name of the print. I can’t stand to enter contests anymore. First of all, I almost never win because of all the competition and secondly, I’m tired of getting congratulated on tons of other people’s wins as if I helped or made them win somehow.

The strangest thing happened before we left after setting the bombs off. I noticed the water tank sounded funny. Well, it was because the water was off! At first I was like, oh no, not this shit again! Why does everything we run from have to follow us? But it was only off for a second. It was making this boiling/hissing sound because it was so low on water at the moment.

I knew Mrs. Twenties would get a kick out of that one, so I told her about it. She says the water has only been off once since we’ve been gone, and that it’s been mostly quiet. That is SO unfair but so typical! I’m happy for her, but it totally figures that things get better after we leave. Tom says he remembers the water not being off for as long as six months, but the longest I remember is two months.

So we set the bombs off and had four hours to kill. So glad our typical Florida weather is back! Traffic was loud and obnoxious as usual, and it’s kind of funny because with all the control freaks running this state, you would think that loud engines, boom car stereos, and people smoking in public would be things they would be dying to control instead of stupid shit.

Our first stops were to Walgreens to pick up my nail prescription and then to Burger King for burgers and fries. Then it was off to Walmart where I got a pair of colorful tie-dye sneakers without laces or Velcro. They’re stretchy with memory foam soles. They might make my feet a bit warm without socks, but I wanted something I could slip into when I didn’t want to wear sneakers or sandals. They’re a size 4 in girls.

I also got new nail clippers and white distilled vinegar. I grabbed some pink Moscato at Walgreens.

We were going to go to Sam’s Club next, but it was so crowded that we decided to skip it. So we passed a salon and I got my hair trimmed. I should have had her take a little more length off, but she did a good job nonetheless.

We grabbed a few things from Publix and then headed home. We still had some time to kill and we had to air the place out of it first, so when I saw the guy across the street out fiddling with the motorcycle, even though he hadn’t started it yet, I decided that was a good opportunity to introduce myself and find out what I could. The guy’s name is Darren, the name I saw in the phone book. So he doesn’t rent the place, but owns it and lives there with his girlfriend Carrie. He’s leaving at the end of March because he has to work for a few months before he can retire. Unfortunately, his absence wasn’t a regular thing but him just not able to get across the border.

I thanked him for not riding the motorcycle too often since it’s loud and he laughed and said, “Oh yeah, you’ll hear it.”

As in he understands that it’s loud or that I should expect to hear it more? I hope I don’t hear it more, but I do appreciate him not revving it. He didn’t even start the motor until he backed out onto the street.

I asked if he was going to come down full-time and he said no. I said that’s understandable because Canada is a better country than the US anyway. He laughed and said he didn’t know about that.

I got a Tom Ford Ombre Leather perfume sample in the mail. It’s a neutral scent with patchouli as its top note, and it smells great.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2022
Good news three times over!

Our eye exams went well. He has a tiny cataract just starting but everything else looks great. The OH in both my eyes is 24. The doctor said he runs at 26 and I guess it’s been that way for most of his life. He told Tom before we were in the same room together that he’s been going to that office as a patient since he was 8. There are a couple of other doctors working there.

So the doctor, who was a bit on the chatty side, was really fascinated by the idea of VR which we mentioned as one of our hobbies. He said he’s going to get a Quest along with his wife.

He said that the cold we’ve been having isn’t normal. It’s actually warming back up. I don’t know how long it will last, but we’re in the 70s again. That means hearing more of next door and their TV. The worst thing is having the people across the street back. So far they’ve been coming and going as usual. And when they’re home, they’re always outside. Pretty sure this is their third trip out today. At least they’re not home all the time. Next door is home a lot more. I kind of regret bothering to introduce myself to next door because they don’t seem friendly at all. They do seem to have friends in the park, though.

Anyway, they’ve got their American-Canadian flag back up across the street, and they parked their golf cart on the back corner of their place. To make room for visitors?

When we got back from the eye exams, I learned that I won an art print. Had a feeling I would probably win one of those. I entered several sweeps for those. Some of photography and others of paintings. This is a colorful painting of a flower. It’s worth $27.00, but I don’t know the size.

Lastly, the dermatologist appointment went better than expected. It took me forever to fill out all the information, they played music too loud, the assistant was a bit hard to understand, but the doctor was very nice and to the point. I was right in suspecting it was a fungal infection. She said to keep the nails short and that she would write me a prescription for a lacquer that I’m to put on once a day. Then every week I’m to wipe them with alcohol. She also recommended white distilled vinegar. It’s great that I don’t have to take any oral medication, but it sucks that I can’t wear nail polish for six months.

I sent a message saying that since I hadn’t heard from Kim, I hope that everything is OK. Carol responded, saying that Kim injured her leg and they have COVID in the house. So it’s been a rough month. She said I’ll hear from her in a couple of days. I told her no problem and to take their time.

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Last updated May 30, 2024