Returning to Reality After the Cruise

 

We returned my place in Croton and were exhausted, something that always seems to happen to us after a cruise.  I am not sure whether it was from waking up at 4:30 am with minimal sleep, or whether it's because we're just getting old.  A third possibility exists for me, as I've been coughing and feeling a bit achy today.

When we arrived at my place, we decided to rest a bit.  I couldn't fall asleep, yet I was tired all day.  Eventually, we needed to go out and get something to eat.  So, it was off to a local Mexican joint for dinner. We wanted to go to a place where we could hear each other speak, so the two closest Mexican joints were out of the question. So it was off to the "new" Mexican joints in Croton. We were pleased that we made this choice, as the place was busy, yet quiet.  We could chat without shouting for a change.  I ordered  the Fajitas while RQS ordered the Enchiladas Mole.  Both were very good, and made us put this place on our list of go-to restaurants.

Our next stop was at Stew Leonard's in Yonkers.  $120 later, I had enough food to restock my larder. But I was running out of energy.  After 1 more stop at CVS for cough medicine, we were home for the night.  Hopefully, I don't have anything more serious than a common bug....

PS: While at the new Mexican joint, I received a text from the firm supplying me with a new CPAP machine.  Why they would send this the night before my appointment is a total mystery to me.  So, I clicked on their link for a facial scan, and also gave them information on both my health and the CPAP Mask I prefer wearing.  Since I know more than the average newcomer to CPAP use, this was a waste of my time.  But, I know that certain inefficiencies need to be tolerated, so that adjustments for the individual can be made ahead of time....

PPS: The facial wasn't needed when I picked up my new machine and new mask. Why they bothered with this extra step befuddles me!

RQS's cat stayed alive just long enough to see her one last time.

 

Cats.  Those who have them love them.  Those that don't often do not understand how these animals attach themselves to us, and how we bond to them.

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RQS 's cat has been ill for a while.  We didn't have a clue about what the problem was, but we knew that it was related to the cat being 18 years old.  Things started out with this cat not being able to control when it had bowel movements. Yet, after a visit to the vet, the cat seemed to be responding to medicine, and was regaining control - or, so we thought.

Recently, RQS had to put one of her cats to sleep.  It was both an emotional and financial decision, as this cat was "only" 13 years old.  When RQS was confronted by the knowledge of the treatments this cat would need, without any assurance that the cat would survive, RQS made the hard decision to put the cat to sleep.  As she said, it was her "husband's cat", a cat that never recovered from the death of RQS's husband. Putting her younger cat to sleep was a very emotional decision for RQS, and she knew that she would soon have to do the same for the older cat - "her cat", as she called it, as it attached itself to her when it was a kitten.  Sadly, today was that day.

This morning, I dropped RQS off at the train station, and she had an uneventful ride home.  Despite a very healthy appetite, the cat had been losing weight for a while.  However, she saw that this cat could not control its bodily functions any longer as she entered her apartment.  The cat was very weak.  So, off to the vet she went, and it was the day she feared.  "Her Cat" had to be put to sleep, and she was crying all the way home.

Chatting afterward, RQS sadly noted - "We won't have any scheduling problems anymore with our cruises."  To me, that's a sad byproduct of a heart wrenching loss....  Both of us would prefer to deal with the problems associated with this very lovable cat....

Things seem to be conspiring against me.

No, don't think that I feel that I'm being paranoid.  It's simply the random rolls of the dice that are getting to me today.

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Lately, I've been reserving Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to be with RQS.  Unfortunately, she was sick last weekend, and will likely be sick this coming weekend.  (She's playing it safe, keeping away from people for a minimum of five days, as per CDC recommendations.)  So, that leaves me with a Friday I can spend with others.  One problem - I'm already booked to see one person for lunch, and two other people want my time as well.

A week ago, FH suggested that we get together on a Friday for a leaf peeping trip in the Hudson Valley.  This is the type of trip I want to do with RQS before all the leaves are off the trees.  Another woman (from a meetup group) wants to change our dinner night from a Monday to a Friday, as her work schedule has changed.  If I were unattached, I'd have no problems seeing either of these women.  But I am attached, and do not want to risk what I have with RQS for a "distant" friendship.

I don't mind putting off Friday's lunch date for a week to see one of these two women, but I don't like making anyone unhappy.  So, I might have to let FH go, since she's the higher maintenance one of the two women.  (The other two know me, and see me as Marian.  FH only sees Mario.  This becomes a simple choice for me, but one that will sadden me a little.)

And sometimes, I even get phone calls.

Last night, I was talking to Maria for the better part of an hour.  She needed someone she could talk with, and I was the designated recipient of the phone call.  So, I listened to her vent about her husband's illness, her daughter's chemical imbalance and irresponsibility, and the breakdown of her computer.  Today, we had plans to talk with each other when she got off of work.

- - - - - -

This morning, I had totally forgotten about Maria's call as I went about my day.  Not having that much to do, I had the TV on in the background when she called. It seems as Maria was helped by last night's chat, as she was telling me about the sequence of events for her day - work, dropping the computer off at a fix-it shop, and then taking her husband for continuing medical care.

Maria is the type of person for whom doing the right thing isn't enough to keep bad things from happening.  When her first marriage ended, she was left with only the roof over her head.  For 6 months or so, she was sleeping on a bed she borrowed fro me.  Her ex-husband had taken almost all the furniture in the house as he left.  Her second (and current) husband had his own issues that I won't go into right now. It is the aftermath of these issues that is adding to Maria's problems.  Couple this with a daughter who is irresponsible, a grandson that Maria is raising, and a granddaughter on the way, and Maria is highly stressed.

Sadly, I don't see a happy end in sight for Maria.  Her husband is not the type of person who could advocate for himself that well, and seems to have given up on life.  I hope I'm wrong, but I'll be there for my friend of several decades when the worst inevitably happens.

Ending the week on an off note

I only had a visit to Arts Westchester on the docket for today,  Last week, I said that I'd be making a return visit - and my contact at AW forgot that I was coming.  So she wasn't prepared for me when I arrived.  Yet, there was work that I could do that involved miscellaneous office chores . And I did that work for a couple of hours, until there was no more work to do. On the way home, I got a call from WDJ telling me about the first meeting of her new meetup group.  It didn't go as expected, but what first gatherings go as planned?  I wish her a lot of success with the group, and then remembered to sign up for it when I got home.

As you can guess, there wasn't much to occupy my day.  Since I was very tired when I got home, I stripped off my clothes and took a nap.  GFJ would likely not be coming down tonight, as she wasn't feeling that good.  Hopefully, she'll feel good enough to go for her hike tomorrow (with dinner afterwards).  If not, I'd better start looking for a meetup to go to on Sunday.  Or, I should prepare to drive to Long Island (in male presentation) to see my family. No matter what happens tonight, I still have no idea about what I'll be doing come Sunday....