Friday, January 27, 2023

Friday, January 27, 2023, MN

There sure hasn’t been much going on around here that is worth writing about.  I still try to fill my days with some sort of craft activity, cleaning, my fitness routine, getting outdoors and playing with Joey.  Starting tomorrow our weather is going to get cold again, hovering just above zero so we will be cooped up indoors again for at least the next week.

My neighbor, Elaine invited me to join her for dinner at Willy McCoys last Thursday and it sure was nice to be in a restaurant having a beer and a nice dinner with a friend.  We are going again tonight.

Last Saturday, I went to watch the twins play basketball and that was sure fun to see how they work together with the team - and the two of them worked together and did some pretty good passes and dribbles. They each made baskets but their team lost by 8 points.  Charlotte was at a swim meet and I heard that she did really good too.  She got her first Blue Ribbon on the 100 meter backstroke competition and placed third, fourth, and fifth in some others.  


I worked with another resident to organize a Papa Johns pizza potluck on Wednesday, put up a sign-up sheet and got 12 people signed up.  I ordered the pizza for delivery and ended up holding the bag because we counted on those 12 people, charged accordingly, and only seven showed up plus three who didn’t sign up showed up and paid.  Also, I was unable to get any coupons, so the pizza was pricey and wasn’t even very good. It ended up costing me $20 for my few pieces that I ate.  I guess people don’t understand how this works - that if you sign up you show up and if you don’t sign up, you don’t show up, as the food is ordered according to how many sign up. If there is a next time, I will definitely make this clear and figure the cost once everyone is there to eat.

I got a haircut on Monday and while I was waiting to go in the building, I noticed this giant pile of snow in the parking lot.  Judging by how the girders on the utility pole were placed, I figured it had to be 35-40’ high - definitely higher that the roofs of the stores in the shopping center.  When I was checking out, I mentioned it to the manager and she said that the snow removal company offered to move it for a fee and she said “why didn’t they just do that in the first place”.  There is a vacant storefront at the end of the center with a huge empty parking lot.  What a world we live in these days.



Speaking of ‘what a world’, the news is full of crazy stuff right now - several mass shootings, 5 police officers charged with murder, assault, and several other charges for killing a man during a routine traffic stop, Donald Trump’s possession of classified documents - now have been found at the President’s home and former office and also at the home and office of the former Vice President Pence, and then there is Rep George Santos who lied to his constituents about his finances, his character, his education, his sexual background all through his campaign but refuses to back down when called out by his fellow Representatives.  As far as the classified documents are concerned, I believe that many others (senators, representatives, judges, governors) probably have them on hand too.  Again, what a world!

Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Wednesday, January 18, 2023, MN

The temps around here have been in the 30s, even up to 37° on Sunday, making for a nice day to go for a walk. Since then, we have had rain and wintry mixes of snow and rain. I am still wearing my Yak Trax when I go out and about, as the snow has not melted from the sidewalks and they are uneven.  At the dog park yesterday, I got off the walking path (also difficult to even see because of white on white) and stepped into the wet, mushy snow almost up to my knees. Yuck! Joey didn’t mind one bit and just trodded through in order to get to the next interesting smell or dog.

I learned early this week that our Assistant Manager is leaving her position for another and there will be a farewell party for her on Friday.  I have heard that she is leaving because of the new Manager’s approach - too bad, she has been here for 10 years and is very well liked.  I wish her well.

Ben had an appointment in Edina on Monday morning, so I met him for coffee at Rustica. It sure was nice to sit and chat uninterrupted for an hour.

I finally found a small, square dining table on Facebook Marketplace yesterday and went to pick it up in Farmington. Deb helped me get it out of my car and into the apartment, then loaded the old one into my car. I have it listed on Marketplace now.  The new table is about the size of a card table and gives me another 10” of floor space. I can now seat 4 people at the table.

We made some cute valentines cards on Monday with the Stampin Up group and had a nice time chatting with the ladies. Pat fell on some black ice as she was approaching the building and they now have crime tape around the area. You just never know where there might be a little patch of ice.

Monday, January 9, 2023

Monday, January 9, 2023, MN

I ended up cleaning Ben and Jill’s house on Friday last week (usually on Thursday) as we had a bit of a miscommunication on days and it worked out just fine. Thursday was super cold and I was glad that I didn’t have to leave home and one more day of recovery from the shoveling I did was just fine.  Joey hasn’t been getting much exercise, so I’ve been playing ball with him in the stairway where he is closed in by doors and gets a good run up and down the stairs. I get a few flights in myself. It would probably be ok to play with him in the hallway but I worry that a resident will come out of their apartment and trip over him or be pestered with his jumping and playfulness.

I made vegetable beef soup again on Saturday and invited Leslie to join me. We had a really nice chat and it feels so good to share a meal and have some conversation with it. She appreciated the invite too. I now have lots of servings of Soup in my freezer.

Joey got a bath on Saturday and a haircut on Sunday. I clipped him a little shorter this time but I’m not sure that I like it.  He got to the point of being impatient so I was wrapping up when I grabbed a little tuft of hair on his hind foot and cut right into the pad. Blood was splattering everywhere - on the mat, on my floor, on my couch, as he was impatient and scurrying around licking the wound.  I took him outside, thinking the cold snow might stop the bleeding and Ben arrived for a short visit while we were out.  Ben helped me to get a bandage on it and Joey kept it on until evening when the bleeding had stopped.  What a mess! I did learn that peroxide followed by a cold water rinse dissolves the blood and removes the stain. It worked really well - I could actually see the bubbling peroxide turn pink as it lifted the stain out of the fabric. Magical! And now I have to regain his confidence so I can finish the haircut that I started yesterday (face, legs and feet and tummy).

We went to the dog park today, as the temps have risen to almost 30°. It was nice - I walked the circle around the large dog park, he ran in front of me, coming back to check on me every now and then, and he played and played with some other dogs that were there - a whole variety of breeds. He is so much calmer after he gets a chance to run and play.

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Thursday, January 5, 2023, MN - Up Nort

I’ve had about enough of clearing cars and shoveling pathways to their doors. We ended up with a total of about 15”.  I went out about 1.5 hours ago to clear off my car and got called over to another part of the lot where Irma was clearing her car, she fell, and injured her hip and possibly her arm. Mary stayed with her to wait for EMTs to arrive and I finished clearing her car and got it parked on the street (complete lot cleanup tomorrow). Irma was taken from here on a stretcher in an ambulance.

I finished clearing my car and saw that Fran’s daughter was clearing her car, so I helped her out. I was just heading in the door when Leslie came out to move her car and I helped her clear her car and the area under her tires so she could back out.  I wasn’t alone - I saw Steve, Mary, and Lee, Deb were all out there helping folks.  I’m done. It’s Advil and nap time. 

I sure hope that I have learned an important lesson through this experience and that I am willing to give up my car at the point where I can’t maintain it or take care of it during this part of the winter.  I wonder if some of these people who can hardly walk should even have a car.  I understand the loss of independence but also feel like there are other options that might even be more economical than keeping a car.  

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Wednesday, January 4, 2023, MN - the winter wonderland.

Happy New Year to all.  I celebrated a little.  We had a New Year’s Eve party with about 15 attendees, music, and lots of snacks.  It started at 6pm and everything was cleaned up and put away by 8:30 and I was in bed by 9:30.  It was nice to see folks in good spirits and outside the daily routine. 

I did some shopping on Monday and picked up a roll-up puzzle mat so I could get started on the puzzle that I got from Lois and Dennis for Christmas.  I started it that night, then worked on it a good part of the day yesterday (you might say I was obsessive), and will probably wrap it up before I go to bed tonight.  I did it! Two missing pieces - I think Joey had a snack.


I just came in from clearing off another car after we got 13” of wet snow over the last two days.  I cleared mine off twice yesterday and earlier this afternoon, then took care of Joann’s.  Deb and I got together this afternoon and decided to go down and help some folks out, so she did mostly shoveling so people could get to their doors and clearing the rear so they could back out - all cars have to be out of lot for a complete lot cleanup ( whenever there is more than 4” of snow. What a mess!


My car (right) had been cleared twice before this.