A couple of nice days out as Marian (a short post)

 

Both RQS and I took it slowly on Friday, not just because my legs were misbehaving, but because RQS was aroused by an unexpected phone call.  The person she was supposed to visit at the end of the month would be unavailable due to health reasons.  And that would mean we have more time together.  We're both glad that I didn't book a 5-day cruise to Bermuda as I once planned over a month ago.

I got moving slowly, and we had a bite to eat before visiting the book store.  It took a while to get there, as I didn't want to go to the store nearest me.  Instead, we drove down to Hartsdale, and RQS found the magazines she wanted to buy.  Then, it was back to the house to rest.

It was not much of a day.  But after the day before's rush to take care of things, it was nice to spend a day without a schedule.

- - - - - -

Saturday came, and it was time for us to see the legal case of the millennium: 

Coyote vs. Acme

Although the opening says the film is based on a real story, this is pure fiction and inspired by a story in a magazine. It is a fun film, and well worth seeing.  Most of the major Looney Tunes characters appear in the film in one form or another - including Bugs Bunny leaking information to Coyote's attorney. The film is a David vs. Goliath story, and an indirect indictment of the corporate structure that caused this film to get shelved for tax purposes.

We went to a mid-afternoon showing of the film, and we noticed that half of the multiplex was being torn apart.  Modern seating was being installed, and it appeared as if the multiplex was being reconfigured for these seats.  There were only a handful of people in the theater, and it made me wonder - will people return to the multiplex when the renovation is finished?  I'm not sure.

A visit to the foot doctor, with more medical appointments to come.

 

Sometimes, I feel like the old lady pictured above.  I had one main thing on the docket for today, and I made sure to visit the foot doctor on schedule.

But first....

Although I'm feeling better than I have been feeling for the past few weeks, I know I'm operating at 50%. I've only had one opportunity to go out as Marian, and I'll likely be more limited in my outings due to appointments that have to be scheduled.

I started getting ready to visit the foot doctor around 1:00, and accidentally cut my big toe on a disposable razor.  AARGH!.  But if I was going to do some damage to my foot, this was the day to have it happen.  So, after a quick lunch at a local diner, I drove to the doctor's office.  And I couldn't find the office, as it was in a corner of the building that I hadn't been in before.

After checking in, I met with the doctor.  She told me that I might have spinal stenosis (based on other information I've given her) and said that I should see an Orthopedist. And whe prescribed a regimen of physical therapy to strengthen my muscles.  For my feet, she prescribed an antifungal, and scheduled an appointment for two weeks from now.  (I showed her a picture of me as Marian, and told her not to be surprised if she sees me this way next time.)   I'll discuss this and more when I see my GP next week.

This left me with a free afternoon.  I didn't feel like running off to the bank to change my account status.  I can do that tomorrow before I go to RQS's place for the weekend.  If I'm up to it, I'll do some laundry tonight. 

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Reflections (09/08/26)

A little over two weeks ago, I wasn't sure if I'd be able to go on my cruise.  It'd have been a great shame if I had not done so.  In it's own way, this cruise opened up my eyes a bit more in seeing the world.

- - - - - -

When I went off to take this cruise, I was not sure if my legs and back would hold out through the cruise and get me home.  While on the cruise, my leg/back problem was always on my mind.  I'd get up in the morning and wonder whether I'd be able to make it to breakfast, not even sure if I'd have the ability to go on any of the upcoming shore excursions.  And I had good reason for doubt.  

In Cobh (the port for Cork), I could barely move.  It was a long walk from the ship to the Cobh Heritage Center, and I was constantly looking for places to sit while touring the museum.  Would I be able to make it on other shore excursions we had already paid for?  Dublin would prove that with a little help, I could make it through a long day's shore excursion, as I was able to tour Malahide Castle by using a portable collapsing stool provided by the castle.

Now that I had proof that I could deal with the pain, Liverpool may have been the worst pain I had to deal with before things got easier for me.  We had scheduled a walking tour of Beatles' Liverpool, and knew we couldn't keep up the pace.  We still walked over to the Beatles Museum on Mathew Street (about 1 km away), and got a little lost going back to the ship.  When I looked at the fitness tracker on my phone, we had walked about 2 miles that day.

Things started to become easier for me when we went to the Giant's Causeway and to Skara Brae.  Walking a distance wasn't that bad, as long as I found places where I could take a rest now and then.  By the time we were ready to go home, I could have walked a couple of miles and survived the effort.

- - - - - -

Strangely enough, on our trip home, RQS had arranged for us to get mobility assistance from the airline, getting us from the check-in counter, through Heathrow security, to the Handicapped persons' waiting room, and then to the gate.  And in New York, the same assistance was provided getting us from the plane to customs, luggage pickup, and to the ride share pickup.

In short, I found that I was capable of much more than I thought I was capable of doing. And by taking on the challenge of this trip, I enjoyed experiences I never would have enjoyed had I given in.

 

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Le Havre (09/06/26)

Today, I had no plans to get off the ship.  Visiting Paris on a curated shore excursion might expose me to leg pain that I couldn't manage.  And I had to save myself for the flight home tomorrow.  Instead, it was another day on the ship, where I could eat and drink (usually diet cokes) as I please, and be able to go back to my cabin to rest.

RQS has been a doll about this, taking care of little things when my legs didn't want to cooperate with me.  I'm grateful to have her around.  But I digress....

Although I started packing last night for the return home, I still have much to do.  Somehow, even with only a teddy bear for my neighbor's child as a souvenir, I have to fit ALL the stuff I brought with me into the luggage I have with me.  And that may be an effort with compression bags and the like. 

- - - - - -

RQS was interested in getting off the ship and exploring the town for 30 minutes or so.  After seeing the price of the shuttle bus that would take her to town ($20), she considered it not worth the price.  (Even if my legs and back were feeling up to it, I likely would not have bothered with this port stop for reasons of my own.)   About the only thing I might have made the effort to visit here were the D-Day beaches at Normandy, and to pay my respects at the American cemetery there. 

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Sea Day #3 (09/05/26)

 

Another sea day, and it's time to do some laundry before we leave the ship.  Tomorrow, the ship may empty when it makes port at Le Havre, but we won't be taking any excursions from that port.  It's a long trip to either Paris or Normandy, and I'm not in the mood to suffer another bus ride to see any part of France right now.  Bur, if I had to make a choice, it would be the D-Day beaches at Normandy, where America last did something worthy of our ideals. But then, I am a little disgusted at the current VPOTUS who claimed that POTUS (also known as the Orange Monster in this blog) has won the war with Iran, while claiming we're not in an undeclared war.  (I'm glad I qualify for a second citizenship in a land which is both free and respectful of human rights.)

For the most part my back and my legs have been behaving.  I shudder to think what will happen if they give out before I return home.  But I'm not going to think much about that for now.  Instead, I'm going to think back on this trip, and be thankful that I was able to enjoy it as much as I did.

- - - - - -

RQS sent me a Facebook post about a lady who made an authorized deviation from her cruise itinerary, and got burnt because of it.  Yet, she may have an amazing adventure to talk about when she returns to the ship....

One lady made arrangements with the cruise line to depart the ship in Greenock and board again in Edinburgh. This would give her an extra few days in Scotland to be with her friends.  One problem: We couldn't make port in Edinburgh due to high winds.   So, she was stranded, even though everyone did everything according to the rules.  So now, she had to find a way to make it from Edinburgh to London, London to Paris, and Paris to Le Havre before the ship leaves for Southampton.  I hope she makes it.

This is why I'm extra careful about shore excursions.  They can and will go wrong.  Somehow, a person must be able to get back to the ship as planned. 

 

PS: I met this woman as she was at guest services while in Le Havre.  She ended up flying to Paris and then took the train to Le Havre to get back on the ship.  Hopefully, she'll post more of her story online soon. 

 

  

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Sea Day #1 (09/02/26)

 

It was not the best of days outside, and we had nowhere to go except for lunch and dinner.  So, we took advantage of the option to have Room Service breakfast to start our day.  And we found that the quality of the food delivered to us was slightly better than would be found in the buffet, as the hot food we had was a little warmer and fresher. 

After breakfast, we had to rebook our Edinburgh excursion.  Our original shore excursion was cancelled, and we had to find (and book) one that would both fit our interests and our budget.  Luckily, we found one, and were able to book this excursion without any complications. 

We had nothing left to do until lunch.  And this would be a hearty one, as we had reservations at the Crab Shack pop-up.  This restaurant is not part of our fare, so it is the one time we're paying extra for our meal.  And it is generally worth it on all Princess Cruises' ships.

- - - - - -

 Around 1 pm, we sauntered down to Crab Shack, where we had a filling lunch.  Unlike the last time we ate at Crab Shack, I was unimpressed with the Clam Chowder.  But the Signature Seafood Pot made up for it, even though they had to substitute Snow Crab Legs for Dungeness Crab.  By the time 2 pm came, we were filled to the gills, and not in the mood to contemplate dinner at 7 pm.

At 7 pm, we went to the ship's casual dining restaurant to have some pizza.  It was good, and we didn't have to suffer the slow service we had in the ship's main dining room.  Additionally, it was a much shorter walk for me as well - less wear and tear on the legs.

- - - - - -

While editing my cruise blog, I lost the entire contents of an entry which I've been writing for the better part of 10 days.  AARGH!  Now, I have to take the time to reconstruct it from notes I made in this blog.  Wish me luck! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 British Isles Cruise 2026 - Sea Day #1 (09/02/26)

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Belfast (08/31/26)

 

Today's port stop was in Belfast, where we had a shore excursion taking us to the Giant's Causeway.  The trip was scheduled to start at 11 am, arrive at the National Historic Site, and return us to the ship by 5 pm.  

But first....

I haven't getting a full night's sleep since we started out to take this cruise, and last night was no exception.  After I woke up at 4 am for a bio-break, I couldn't get back to sleep.  Around 8:30, we had gotten dressed, and went up to the buffet.  While there, we encountered a crowded buffet area, with staff telling us that the downstairs dining area was open for breakfast.  After the last time there, we didn't want to deal with slow service when we had a shore excursion to go on.

Around 11, we left the ship and found the bus that would take us on our excursion.  The tour guide kept our minds occupied for the 2 hours it took to reach the Giant's Causeway.  We reached our destination shortly before 1, and proceeded to the welcome center, and then to the bus that would take us to the lower  part of the causeway trail path.  Both of us were very glad that we brought cool weather gear, as it was quite chilly outside.

We walked around a little bit (my legs were feeling better than the usual normal), and decided to take the shuttle bus back to the welcome center.  It was a 20 minute wait with no place to sit and wait.  (Actually, I did find a seat, while RQS held our places on line.)  Strangely enough, we were not the last people back to the bus.

On the way back to the ship, the tour guide told us more about the history of Northern Ireland and its separation from the Irish Republic. And then, when in Belfast, he told us about Belfast's RMS Titanic heritage before reaching the ship.  (We could have done without this part of the tour, as we had no opportunity to get a bite to eat.)

We were in our cabin by 6, and then having dinner by 7.  It was a good day, but a little bit too long.... 

  

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Dublin / Dun Laoghaire (08/29/26)

 

This was a day we knew we had to get up before dawn. We had a shore excursion that left for Malahide Castle at 7:45 am, and that we'd be away from the ship for an entire day.

- - - - - -

As usual, I didn't get enough good sleep last night, and was awake since 4:30 am. Luckily, I found that laying/sleeping on a pillow sitting under the weak part of my spine made it possible to walk without intense pain the next day. So, when I got up, I found I could get around and get showered, dressed, and out the door with more than adequate time to have breakfast before the assembly for our shore excursion.

We were off the ship by 7:45 and on the tender boat to Dun Laoghaire. This was an easy process, as we met at the assembly point in the ship's theater, then took the boat to the tender boat dock. From there, it was a little bit of walking until we reached our coach.

Our tour guide regaled us with vaudeville one-liners combined with tidbits about Irish history to keep us occupied during the trip to Malahide Castle. When we didn't know was that there would be a bit of walking involved, with no place to sit and rest. If I had been able to change to a different excursion, I would have done so. But I was already in for a penny and in for a pound, so I ended up walking up and down several flights of stairs while at the castle.

- - - - - - 

 

After an hour and a half, we got on the coach and went to have a traditional Irish lunch at the Abbey Tavern. We were entertained by traditional Irish music and Irish dancers. The show was interesting at first, but got monotonous after a while. We couldn't wait for the bus to come and take us back to the ship. With a brief pit stop in Phoenix Park for a bio-break, we were off to the tender boat dock and back to the ship.

 
- - - - - -

After a short break to rest, it was off to dinner. When we were done, we went to the photo studio area to pick up a compact cell phone battery pack. There was a minor delay in RQS getting her battery pack, as the salesman had to go to the ship's internal warehouse to replenish the supply in the public store.

British Isles Cruise 2026 - Falmouth / Cornwall (08/27/26)

 

Yesterday, I felt comfortable walking around much of the day.  By the time I started my morning ritual today, I could barely walk to the bathroom without the support of my cane.  And taking a shower, well, don't get me started about the pain I endured to do that.

But first....

I've been noticing that the pain in my lower body tends to ease off the later in the day it gets.  Laying down on the bed may set my spine off kilter, and cause the problems I've been having as of late.  So, when I got up, I needed to lean on things to move anywhere.  Getting dressed has been difficult for me lately, as I don't have the leg flexibility to put on a pair of trousers the way I'm accustomed to doing.  

Walking to the back of the ship for a served breakfast was a little painful.  When I sat down at the table, I accidentally pulled the table cloth and pulled my plate and flatware off the table.  And this was the least of issues.  Even though we got to the restaurant 30 minutes before closing, they should have been ready to serve us throughout the meal.  Instead, it felt like they forgot about us until I used my "New York Voice" that always commands attention (by surprise).  Then, a few minutes later, our main breakfast course arrived.

Once done with breakfast, it was off to the stern of the ship for a few pictures, and then to our cabin to rest again.  On the way back, we found the laundromat we'd be using several times during the cruise.  And this made our morning complete.

- - - - - -

After a long nap, we found ourselves strangely not hungry.  Although we missed the chance to explore this port, we both were grateful not to have attempted to walk far when our legs (for different reasons) were bothering us.  Yet, we made it upstairs to the buffet for a small snack before going to the steakhouse for dinner.

One thing I can say about the ship's specialty restaurants is that the food is both plentiful and good.  And tonight's steakhouse dinner was no exception.  We both ordered rib-eye steaks and were unable to finish them!  (The appetizers were just as good and just as plentiful.) 

When we were done with dinner, we went to see a comedian perform.  Although most of the audience was laughing, I found his act to be dull and predictable.  There was no magic that would make me go out of my way to see him again.  Yet, it was a serviceable 1/2 hour of entertainment. 

 

 

 

 

My upcoming cruise - will I survive it? (a short post)

 

 

This is a port intensive cruise which will either strengthen my legs or ruin them.  Either way, I'll be away from home, and I'm not looking forward to it.

- - - - - -

Normally, I am a little apprehensive about overseas travel, and I'm more so regarding this trip.  I had to struggle to get my bags to RQS's place, and still not be sure if I packed everything for the trip.  My doctor has advised me NOT to drink alcohol, and I may have a single glass of wine with dinner, and stick with "Near Beers" for the rest of the time.  

When we get to London, our plans are to rest on the day we arrive, and on the next day, visit the Jack The Ripper museum a short walk away, then see my niece for dinner.  It's not exactly what we want to do.  But with my legs, playing it safe may be the wisest thing we can do. 

Once on the ship, I'll try to stay as active as possible, knowing that inactivity may make things worse on my legs.  And then, I'll have to deal with the headaches of previously planned and paid for shore excursions.  At least, I know we'll have good food for the better part of two weeks, as we have unlimited meals in the ship's specialty restaurants.

- - - - - -

I'll write more once I'm underway.  Hopefully, you'll enjoy my upcoming posts. 

 

Getting things ready to go to RQS's place. (a short post)

 

I'm getting ready to leave for my upcoming cruise.  My bags are packed, and I've been taking care of last minute errands today.  For example, my cable box died last night, and I might as well go down to the cable company's offices to get a replacement box.  So many things to do, and so little time left to do them.

- - - - - -

Well, it was hard to get moving this morning, as I must have slept in a way that put pressure on the wrong spot on my spine.  Yet, I got myself moving and by 12:30, I was out the door and off to the cable company store to exchange my cable box.  This took less time than expected, so I took time out to go to the "Mexican Phone Company" (read: Taco Bell) for lunch.  After a short stop at the bank to pick up some cash (I decided not to change the status of my account relationship until I return), and then I was free to leave for RQS's place.

Once at home, I connected the new cable box, and decided to relax for a while.  I had no wish to travel through Manhattan during rush hour, so I made plans to leave Croton around 5, and arrive at RQS's place around 7:30 or so.  This would give RQS time to make dinner, and for me to cool off after getting to RQS's place.

- - - - - -

Normally, I'd have more to write about the day.  But my laptop was already at RQS's place, and I wanted to use my desktop machine at home instead of my Chromebook.  So, this entry would need to be shorter than I'd normally write before going on a trip. 

 

Taking care of business ...slowly

 

I'll be glad when I get back from my trip, as I can move forward with taking care of my legs.  Today, the thigh and calf muscles were "sort of" behaving, but my knees bothered me when I stood up.  Pain killers will help a little, but I bet that there will be more things wrong with me that the doctor has to diagnose.

- - - - - -

I didn't really start moving today until noon.  This time, my knees were bothering me.  So, I added some pain killers to my morning regimen of pills.  But, I couldn't go out until after 2, as I had someone from a financial firm I had to talk to.

In mid afternoon, a lady from the financial firm called, and we proceeded to start signing me up as a client.  Seems like the registration process stops when no beneficiary Social Security number is entered.  Although I got the information from RQS (she's going to be my beneficiary), their system wouldn't allow me to continue - there's a bug in the environment.  So, I'll have to make a phone call tomorrow.

Next, it was off to the drug store to get some pain killers.  While there, I got new passport photos for the foreign birth registry AND a digital copy of the photo for use when renewing my US passport.  Although the injectors (whatever you call the needles) were ready for me to pick up, the GLP-1 drug wasn't ready.  I had to give the drug store my Medicare ID again.  AARGH!   Let's hope everything is taken care of before I leave on my trip.

- - - - - -

With the possible exception of tomorrow, this will be the longest stretch of time I'll be spending as Mario for a long while.  I can't wait to get back home from my trip, so that I can schedule more doctor appointments, and in-between, spend some time as Marian again. 

 

Returning home with an empty car. (A short post)

 

Whenever I think of the problems I now have in getting around, I should think of our former president (pictured above).  He had polio in middle age, and yet, that didn't stop him from becoming one of America's greatest presidents.  So, if he could do that, I can handle the aches and pains I'll encounter when RQS and I leave on our next cruise.

But first....

It's hard to believe, but it was the first day in ages that I woke up around noon.  My body is telling me something, and that is to take it easy.  And I'm trying to do this before my upcoming trip.  RQS cooked me some breakfast (she's a great soul!) and I proceeded to get showered and dressed shortly afterwards.  Unlike most days, I wasn't going to risk slipping and falling just to shave my legs and other parts of my body.  That can wait until I get home.

Around 2 pm, I dropped RQS off at the drug store while I drove home.  I wasn't feeling too bad, but I knew that I wouldn't walk much further than up my steps and into my apartment,  For the rest of the day, I rested, and ordered a pizza for delivery around 7:30 pm.  Yum!  But by then, I needed my cane to walk to the doorway to get my pizza.

As you can guess, I can't wait to call my doctor's office and find out the next step I need to take for recovery.  More tomorrow.... 

Waking up without extreme pain (for now)

 

Last night, I tried resting on my side to minimize the type of pressure on a section of my spine that comes from laying on my back.  And I can't be sure that it helped.  However, I was functional when I got up, and had few problems when closing up my large suitcase and getting it ready to go down to RQS's place.  And I hope I can feel this way for the next few weeks, while waiting for doctors to figure out how best to relieve my pain for the long term.

- - - - - -

Don't think that I am not feeling "fine" today.  My legs won't carry me for long, especially with heavy luggage.  But I had to get my suitcase to RQS's place, and I had to move slowly to do so.  So, I lugged my suitcase down my staircase, one step at a time, and tossed it in my car..  And I started down to RQS's place at 1 pm on a Saturday afternoon.

Normally, I take a simple path to lower Westchester county, and then take the Hutchinson River Parkway to the Whitestone bridge.  Not today.  The Hutch was backed up, so I took local streets to bypass the jam, and get back on the approach to the bridge.  And then, traffic moved until I hit the area where I had to make a go/no-go choice: Do I take the Jackie Robinson Parkway to RQS's place, or do I drive through Forest Hills on local roads to get to her place.  Given that traffic started bottling up around Jewel Avenue, I took local roads.  

Now, driving through this section of Forest Hills is almost pleasant on a Saturday.  The Orthodox Jews are not driving their cars because it's Shabbos.  This means that half of the usual traffic isn't there.  And I made it through this bottleneck with relative ease.  Then, I was on predictable local roads the rest of the way to RQS's place.

Next was the headache of finding a parking spot.  Like many older, more densely populated neighborhoods, there is never enough parking for residents, much less their guests.  I was prepared to drive around for a while, but I found a space less than half a block away from RQS's place - I was very grateful for that, as my legs were weak, and I couldn't walk far or long.

- - - - - -

Once at RQS's place, I knew we weren't going to go far for dinner.  Luckily, there was an old standby 2 blocks away.  That put me at my limit for the day.  Tacos were the only meal in walking distance, and I could barely finish what I ordered.  At least, I will likely not eat too much while on the cruise.... 

 

You aught tp be in pictures. OUCH!

 

Now, I know what's likely wrong with my legs, and it has nothing to do with my legs, save for the nerves that lead to them and signal pain.

But first...

Today, I woke up early (and with pain in my legs) to get dressed and go to the x-ray location of my health care network.  Getting there around 11 am, I had to wait a little bit, and got up when the x-ray technician called for another person with my same first name.  Then, a few minutes later, I was called, and I was hurting.  Once the x-rays were taken, I was told (not officially) that I will likely need surgery on my back.  AARGH.  I'll have to suffer for at least another month before a surgery date can be scheduled, and then be out of commission for another 6 weeks or so.  

Once out of the radiology area, I called RQS to tell her the news.  I didn't want to say to her that I might have to ask her to go on the cruise alone.  But I'll make up my mind on this within the next week.  Then I went home to rest.  Later on, I ended up chatting with Vicki for a couple of hours, and then decided to go to dinner at the local diner.  Initially, she wanted to go into problem solving mode, when all I needed was an ear.

Around 7 pm, I met Vicki at the diner and we continued the conversation we started over the phone. From what I said, she has a low opinion of my doctor, and recommended a different doctor to try out after work on my back is done.  Hopefully, all necessary procedures will be complete by year end, so that I can start cruising again in the spring.

 

My legs didn't hurt when I got up, but....

 

OK, I'm not talking about pantyhose today.  But I figured my readers would want to look at something more interesting than my aching legs.

- - - - - -

When I got up today, my legs didn't hurt much getting out of bed.  But they did remind me that I couldn't count on them too much.  Yet, they gave me an idea - if I keep getting up and moving around, the muscles that support me will stop degrading, and start building up strength.  Let's see what happens....

The key task I had on my docket for today was to start packing my suitcase for my upcoming trip.  Somehow, I have misplaced many of the items I depend on for long distance travel, and I've had to reorder some from Amazon.  Even with that being done, I still have to pack my bag and get ready for my trip.  And that's where I have the problem.  It's no longer something I can automatically do, the way I did last year.  I need to have the kind of "go kit"  with a dedicated place to store stuff, so that I can load a suitcase, and unload it as needed.  Clothing is easy.  It's the other stuff that can be a problem, as I'll always need travel adapters for electricity, chargers for my phone and tablets, etc. to leave the house for a week or two away from home.

I didn't bother bother rushing to pack my suitcase, as I have tomorrow to finish this task.  But I got a lot of little things done, and that's the important thing for me.  So, around 5 pm, I showered, made up my face, got dressed, and headed out the door for game night.  After a brief stop for dinner in a trusted diner, I was off to game night.  And then, I was in for a surprise - I was the only guest there!  Everyone else bailed out for various reasons, and I was caught by surprise.  Well, I ended up playing a couple of games (lost both) with the host, hostess, and their son.    It was a nice evening, and even "Murder Mouth" (their dog) was taking a liking to me.

All too soon, the evening had to end.  I called RQS on the phone and chatted for a while.  When I got home, I put a 25-pack? in a shopping bag and carried it upstairs.  It was at the upper end of what I could do.  But it gave me home for when I have to bring my bag to RQS's place prior to our trip. 

 

 

 

The day started slowly and in a little pain, but....

 

There's a part of me that feels like I should have been in a hospital bed this morning.  The walking I did yesterday, coupled with transiting my staircase several times did me in.  My legs didn't want to support me when I got up, and I made sure that I was going to call for appointments to go to the foot doctor and get the X-Ray done.

- - - - - -

With the above being said, I decided to stay in bed much of the day, not snacking, eating or drinking.  That wasn't because I didn't want to do these things, but because my legs didn't want to do them.  Yet, by the time I decided to get up in the afternoon, things had changed a little.  So, I made my appointments and decided to cook something before taking a shower.  (As I thought about things, I realized that my weekend will be spent presenting as Mario.  But that's another story for another post.)

I exchanged a couple of emails with my doctor about the name of a drug that my pharmacy isn't filling.  All the doctor would do would have me contact the pharmacy to find out why.  I may do this, but I'm concerned that he's passing the buck on tasks he (or his office) doesn't want to tackle.  But I was able to set up a post-trip appointment with the foot doctor, and found out when I could go into the radiology practice to get my spine X-Rayed.

Even though I was feeling better later in the day, did I go out?  No.  Instead, I took it easy, and planned to work on packing my suitcase for the trip.  Did I even do that?  No.  I didn't want to be uncomfortable.

 

A visit to the doctor

 

A cruise ship's doctor - one of the few people I never want to meet professionally.  Both RQS and I have done so on separate cruises, and it's no fun.  In my case, I was lucky - I was prescribed an antibiotic to deal with my issue.  In RQS's case, she hobbled around for weeks after someone on the ship fell and injured her ankle.

Recently, I visited my doctor's office to discuss the problems I've been having with my leg, causing any attempt to walk to be painful.  I arrived before noon, and it took over 45 minutes for him to see me - he was backed up with other elderly patients.  When he finally got to see me, I discussed the problem I was having and told him how painful it was for me to walk this past weekend.  He instructed me to walk around, hit my legs with a medical hammer, tested my sensitivity to light touch in each leg, and examined my feet.  As a result of all of this, he wants me to see a foot doctor and get some x-rays.  (I have flat feet, and he wants to check out an issue I have with my spine.  Too bad that he wouldn't understand the joke which references American slang:With these flat feet, I should have been a policeman walking a beat.)

While in his office, he asked me about the GLP-1 process.  I was a little annoyed at him, as I said that the onus was on him to start the process of qualifying me for the Medicare "Bridge" program, not me.  He has to contact the pharmacy, get the Medicare form, fill it in, and hope that my GLP-1 drugs can be subsidized by the program.  Luckily for me, a couple of his staff were in the room, and they understood what had to be done.  (You can imagine what was running in my mind.  I had told him that HE had to take the next step, and he didn't - for reasons unknown to me.  How dare he hector me about weight loss and GLP-1 drugs, when he doesn't want to do his share of the paperwork needed for affordable drugs.)

Once done with the doctor's office, I went home to rest. Soon, I'll start getting my luggage ready to go to RQS's place, staged for our upcoming trip.

- - - - - - 

Later in the evening, I decided to do a light load of laundry - Mario's underwear.  Given how rarely I present as a male these days, I don't know for how long the earliest items of dirty laundry have been sitting in my hamper.  So it's going to be "fun" folding and storing what's been around for a while.

When I returned to my apartment, I found an email ostensibly sent from the daughter of a friend. It looked authentic until I saw the email address of the sender.  I was lucky NOT to go any further into the process of opening invite.  Instead, I sent an email to my friend's daughter, asking her if she sent anything to me.  (I'm also glad that this woman is a distant enough acquaintance to know that the only communication I can expect from her is when her mom dies.)  Hopefully, she can undo any damage a scammer has done to her computer.

 

A painful day at home (a short post)

 

It's the day after our drive to Hudson, and I ache. That's not an accurate description of what's going on with my body.  I'm not aching when I sit or lie down.  I'm simply in pain when I try to stand up or walk.  The muscles in the back of my calves simply do not want to support me.  There may be a set of pinched nerves in my back causing my problems, or it may be something else.  But I know that the doctor is going to ask me why I'm using a cane when I visit him soon.

Getting out of bed and taking care of myself lately has been troublesome at best.  I've put off doing a load of laundry for several days, simply because I'd hurt too much while going up and down the stairs. This weekend, RQS has been doing much more than I could ask of her to keep me out of pain.  And I'm grateful for that.  She has done all of the cooking, and a bit of the cleanup after meals - and more.

For the most part, for me to get around in my apartment, I need my arms for 3-point support.  At least, one of my arms needs to support my body in addition to the 2 legs that normally do so.  So, it hasn't been much fun for me to get around.  This is why I'm a little bit afraid.  I have a trip coming up, and I need to be mobile for that trip.  

But enough of my venting for now....

This morning, I received a delayed reply from my Canadian pen pal.  She's doing well, but is very busy.  She doesn't live with her wife yet, but visits her every so often.  When her parents die, she and her wife will find a way to live together - either in one city or the other,  Until then, my pen pal will be taking care of her parents.  And that's the sign of a good adult offspring.

My brother is likely going to be out of a job soon, and has started interviewing for a new one again.  He works in a place which is in receivership, and doesn't think that the banks will bail the firm out a second time.  This makes me glad that we've sold the family homestead, as my brother has a small financial cushion to tide him over until finding a new position.  It won't be an easy time for him - he suffers the from the discrimination our society has against older workers.

I'm still waiting on New York City to send me a copy of my grandmother's marriage licence.  That's the hardest thing for me to get to complete the requirements for the foreign birth registry.  I'm still going to see if I really need this document.  But, I need to get on an online chat to do so, and I haven't found the time for this task.

As a wise person said in four short words:

"This too, shall pass." 

Antiquing on a dismal day.

 

Today was a day we planned to drive up to Hudson, NY and do some antiquing.  The big problem was with my legs - I couldn't walk far, and I was grateful to have my cane with me.  Thankfully, I'll be seeing my doctor in a couple of days, and hopefully he'll able to help me walk properly before my cruise.

But first...

We got up at our usual time today, and got out of the house around 2 pm.  I knew it was going to be a long drive to get to the Antique Warehouse in Hudson, NY - 80 miles away.  For the most part, we made good time getting to Hudson, stopping only for gas and a bio-break.  By the time we got to the warehouse, the heavens had started opening up, and we rushed inside to get out of the rain and explore the place.

Once inside, we were overwhelmed by the size of the place.  Half of the building was occupied by the warehouse, with a smaller section occupied by smaller, independent shops, and a small section occupied by an Amtrak maintenance department.  I could barely walk, and was glad I could sit on any chair I could find in the place.  However, our stay in the warehouse was short, as it was warm and humid inside.  I couldn't wait to leave the place, so I could get comfortable.

Our next stop was a restaurant that Vicki and I went to when we returned from our trip to the Flax barn sale.   Savona's is part of a 4 restaurant group operating in the Hudson Valley.  I have wanted to go back with RQS in tow, and today was our opportunity to try this place together.  However, we had to pay for 15 minutes of parking, and it took some time for me to use the app to pay for those minutes.  Once I paid for those minutes, we went inside and ordered our meals.  RQS said that I made a better Caesar Salad than the restaurant, but that's because I make the dressing from scratch.  When the main course came, neither of us could finish our food.  RQS loved the place and would go back in a heartbeat.

We got home around 8, and I was aching - my legs could barely support me.  But I was safe, and I was at home.  And that's the important thing.