Here we are again! Pathetically short days. The weather many places has turned on a dime: comfy to freezing; red-hot with fires to gloomy; etc. Thanksgiving (U.S.) is just next week -- and that means full holiday madness is nearly upon us. Hold on for the ride!
I do at least have my dishes worked out for the Fabulous In-Law Turkey Extravaganza! Need to get cracking on holiday cards, stocking stuffers, and at least some kind of presents for the kids. (We do not do presents for same-generation folks, except spouses.)
Meanwhile, my beloved has a birthday this week. He is impossible to shop for, because he just gets things he wants. But we are going to dinner at one of his favorite places, so I think that will do.
What's going on at your place?
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38 comments:
Happy birthday to your beloved, Kathy! I understand the question of what to get the man who buys himself whatever he needs: my brother's partner and I have been trying to figure out what on earth anyone can get him for Christmas (I drew his name this year). He's a really minimalist guy who doesn't really want for much! Apparently his favourite band has an album coming out, but we can't all get him that album, y'know?
AW: using the inhaler helped E's nasty cough this morning.
W: her aerochamber is missing, and so she just had to have it puffed straight into her mouth, and she did NOT like that. Off to the pharmacy. (Those are EXPENSIVE! Okay, $47 isn't a lot in the grand scheme of health expenses, but in terms of November expenses, it sure is! It looks like we'll be able to get money back from Mr. Q's health insurance, but we might need a doctor's note about it. I'm hoping that Mr. Q can write to the insurance company and show them that she has an Rx for the puffer, and that will be enough, because I really need to go get that thing today, and we can't see the doctor for a prescription today.)
Well, since it is a covered item and necessary for kids, hopefully you'll get the reimbursement! $47 strikes me as an outrageous price for such a simple item. (My son did learn to use the inhaler w/o that, but he was older.)
Has anybody mentioned a nebulizer? It's a machine that puts the med into a mist, and they can breath it through a mask or tube. More expensive, and a treatment takes a few minutes; but also works better for younger kids than an inhaler. (Obviously, less portable than an inhaler, too.)
Oh, I just got the best blind call ever, asking for [my full first name]. And because that's also my SIL's full first name [she has a different last name], I did what I always do and asked, "Which one?" That totally baffled the guy, who tried a recovery with "Uh, the senior one, please." So I laughed and said, "Honey, I'm on some list, even though I'm on the DoNotCall List. Put me on *your* do not call list." [insert dial tone.] Don't think I've ever referred to a male cold caller as "honey" before, but a person has her limits, you know? Besides, it cracked me up to say that.
Also, Clyde would far rather watch Laugh In reruns in the dog room than potentially expose himself to the off and on light drizzle outside. He is not even whining.
Happy birthday to your sweetie, kathy!
I hope you're able to get a reimbursement for the aerochamber, QWP.
W: FIL called about an hour ago to say the hospital called. They can't get my MIL calmed down, so they asked him to come and try. I asked him if he wanted me to join him and he said no (thinking more people would agitate her more). I think she's starting to understand how serious this is, and that wherever she believes "home" to be - she's not going back to it.
Hubby's cousins arrived tonight from out of town. They will see her tomorrow I suppose, then here for supper. Dang, this is awful.
AW: Another family meeting tomorrow. It may turn out that her episode tonight will mean quicker placement, as ward nurses can't be vigilant and attending to these kinds of patients as well as specialized care homes. Silver lining?
Oh Sue, I'm so sorry that MIL got agitated today (and likewise hope that this prompts a quicker placement).
So, right after I last posted, I found E with rosy cheeks and low energy: I checked her temp, and she was feverish again. Thankfully, even with the shortened hours in lieu of Saturday's holiday, we were able to get her to the walk-in clinic and the pharmacy. Ear infection, as I have been suspecting for days. And the walk-in doctor was able to write her a prescription for a new aerochamber. Our pharmacy only charged us $36, and with the prescription, we'll be able to get that back from insurance. (Also, and this should be an indicator of what kinds of bugs have hit with the early snow, E was able to get the last bit of penicillin that the pharmacy had in stock. They gave us half of what we'll need this week, and I have to go back tomorrow for the other half.)
((( Sue ))) This part is really hard. I really hope MIL can be placed soon, so that adjustment can begin. It is true that more visitors and longer visits can increase agitation -- so, I hope the cousins keep things on the short and gentle side. xoxoxo
Oh, Sue, that's so hard.
QWP I hope the medicine kicks in quickly and E starts to feel better soon.
Funeral for the hospice friend was today. It was a beautiful service, well done. The music was amazing. There were 500 or so people there--quite a tribute.
I'm a bit fried, but coming through the worst of the rush hour traffic on the bus saved some of my energy, I think.
I'm glad you got into the walk-in clinic QWP. xoxo
(((esperanza))) Even when they're beautiful in every way, those funerals are so very difficult. Take care of you, okay? xoxo
So many hugs, esperanza.
(((esperanza)))
(((sue)))-- so sorry about your MIL. Hoping for quick placement.
(((QWP)) so glad she got some penicillin, and will soon be on the mend.
Hugs to all!
xoxo
Neighbor lady
((( Esperanza )))
QWP, hope all is on the road to renewed health! Ear infections are so miserable.
Hi, NL!
Baby snuggling was as restorative as I had hoped. And now my shirt will smell like sweet babies for the rest of the day.
Awwww!
That's wonderful, esperanza.
AW: E is back at preschool today!
Yay for baby snuggling!! It's the best. I love that sweet milky scent of adorableness.
I'm glad E is well enough to be back at preschool, QWP!
AW: Though the reason for their visit is unfortunate, it has been so great to catch up with hubby's cousins this week. We've spent a lot of time telling stories and laughing. Good medicine for all of us, I think. MIL has enjoyed seeing them too. She needs re-orienting occasionally to remember names, where they live, etc...but she's been pretty good.
W: I'm on study leave this week, apparently to do some planning for the upcoming Advent season. That really isn't happening at all yet.
AW: It's only Tuesday. Still plenty of week left....
Oh, Sue, glad the visits with cousins are going well! And that your MIL is enjoying them, too.
Here's to having more week left!
Clyde has decided it's not bad being in the yard, even though it's pretty darned gloomy today. He begs and cries so much when The Dog Man is around, because he wants to be with him every minute, and *somebody* around here has a tendency to completely spoil dogs on the ground that we don't have grandchildren at present.
Do you remember the Batman theme, on the old TV shows? Just substitute "Tax Plan," and voila, a soundtrack for this ridiculous set of tax proposals. "Na na na na na na, Na na na na na na, Tax Plan!" Pow! Zowie! Ahem....
That's good kathy - now you just need an actual superhero to stop this mess from passing! :)
AW: Hubby's cousin made a fidget quilt for MIL and gave it to her yesterday. It's got silk screen photos of all the family, with names and roles (ie "sister") and various things to touch. It's beautiful.
W: It's been great seeing everyone again, but I'm done in. And now I've caught a miserable head cold. We've established a "hot zone" in the bedroom which hubby is avoiding as much as possible. He slept in a non-plague-ridden part of the house last night, so hopefully he won't get it. Ugh. *off to get more tea*
Love everything about that quilt! The photos and ID's; the textures; the love sewn in. xoxo
Bleah on the cold thing. Sending get well vibes.
Meanwhile -- fireplace the fireplacing fireplacers in the House who don't give a fireplace about regular people, just want the rich to get richer.
What kathy said about the House.
Sue, sorry you're feeling ick.
Today's the beloved's birthday, and we have a date at a nice restaurant! (And the specials are amazing tonight; 3 are going to catch his eye for sure.) The dog is at day care until after dinner! I said I wasn't getting him presents besides dinner, but cheated a little with small things he'll like. (NOTE: that's the good kind of cheating.)
Also, news flash -- daughter's U would not accept a mom report that she had chicken pox. So she had a blood test, and Yay! I remembered it correctly, because every kid in the day care got chicken pox all together, and her blood work confirms. (Now there's a vaccine; that's how old my daughter is, no vaccine back in her day.)
But she's wishing Dad a happy birthday!
Our current pediatrician was not wild about accepting my word that the Baboos had had chicken pox, either. (Mini had had only one dose of the vaccine, then Sweet caught an extremely mild case from her. Fun times at the Esperanza household).
AW: Most Texas lunchbreak ever. 80 degrees F outside, sunny. Went to a new (to me) taqueria food truck. Picadillo was thumbs up. Al pastor was mediocre. That the server/owner switched to English to talk to me was disappointing.
W: I am accepting advice on how to teach a ten year old how to swallow pills. (ADHD non-stimulant meds are in her future, as soon as we can figure this out).
esperanza,
my 13 year old still takes meds stuck into peanut butter! might work....?
:)neighbor lady
I used to do that with the dog, who could eat the peanut butter and spit out the pill! Sweet doesn't like peanut butter. But something similar might work. Thanks.
Do you have a compounding pharmacy there? The one near my house will do prescriptions in forms that are easier to take (I think maybe liquid? I can't remember).
Another note: is this a situation where you're worried she'll be unable to swallow them, or unwilling? Because I have trouble swallowing pills, and I follow up every pill with something dense, like a cracker, or a bit of granola bar.
QWP, these are time-release meds, so crushing or liquefying won't work :( I'm concerned that she is unwilling to swallow them, ie, there isn't a physiological difficulty. I'm filing away your granola bar idea for myself, though...
And I imagine that it's beyond the "a candy with every dose" bribery? (I suspect that pill-swallowing anxiety would also make it much harder to get them down! Also, considering that it took me an entire morning to coax my kid into getting her toenails clipped, as she hid in sheer terror, solidarity!)
Put the pill back of the tongue. Take a huge swig of water and swallow. Then, the major treat. (Take more water if it doesn't go down immediately.)
Last night, the dinner for my sweetie's birthday was glorious! Crab season has just begun locally, and I got a risotto with crab, small bits of still-crisp sugar peas, meyer lemon in the mix. Mmm mmm mmm. Had the last of it for lunch. I will never be able to cook like this, sigh. And also, think my beloved had a good birthday.
My friend is leaving early Monday, and although she's been really busy, having her stay here has been wonderful! She doesn't need much, and the little chats here and there -- I have missed that kind of thing.
This tax thing has a lot of problems. Big ones. Go tell your senators, US Pixies. xoxo
Sorry for my lurking and not commenting, but I've been at work long days and my phone is still cranky about comments.
I remember having to take large pills as a kid (maybe for pinworms?[shudder]), and the thing that worked for me was - sip of water, put pill on tongue long-ways, large gulp of water, spoonful of pudding (or jello).
I'm still giddy at our wins last week, while also being incandescent with rage at Al Franken and, even more so, at the folks who want to pretend like what he did is no big deal simply because he's one of ours. I am not here for that.
Hugs and kisses to you all!
At Mini's request, she and I just made Indian (sic) Fry Bread. Her teacher made it for them on Thursday, and all the kids wanted the recipe! I have doubts about its authenticity, but yum it is delicious. Fried bread, what could be wrong?
Cool! Native American cooking! Go, Baboos.
Leftover pizza is my favorite, so today is working out well. Am laying in supplies for my T-day offerings.
Was it bannock? Amazing. There's a new place in my city that makes bannock burgers, and I really need to go and try it soon. (Confession: until Kathy commented, I thought you meant naan!)
I don't know what bannock is...off to Google. No, that's not it, I don't think. It's a runny dough, like a really thick pancake batter. You drop it into oil by spoonfuls, and fry it. Smaller than bannock. Turns out really dense. Similar to a sopapilla, but you might not know what that is either :)
Now I want naan.
Naan with garlic. But fry bread sounds wonderful, too.
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