Too much?

I now have Google Calendar, a small purse-size 4" x 6" planner, a matching 8" x 9" paper planner for my backpack, a desk pad calendar, a wall calendar, and a Kindle planner that is hyperlinked between month, week, and day, all synchronised.

On the one hand, I feel very organised. On the other hand, it's a bit much. The main one is the one in my purse. After all, I can jot down appointments in the MD's office, etc. and then transfer them, because I suck at getting my phone to come up well when people are working and waiting on me. But I acknowledge things can go wrong. So every couple of days I do a sort of inventory. But still..it is a lot.

When I get a job, the calendars will separate a bit. The desk calendar will be at work; the planners will be with me. The wall calendar is on the door of my bedroom, and of course Google Calendar is on my phone and computer. I can also get to it on my Kindle Scribe. It would be nice if I could get the book to link to that, but I don't think it can. But it does go through 2027, so that's nice.

Huzzah!

Well, I:

• Drove to the UK area to pick up my friend's jacket, which he accidentally left at a friend's house while celebrating the new year
  
  
• Drove to the grocery store to pick up food, especially as we were out of coffee, so things were dire
  
  
• Drove to Captain D's through the drive-through to pick up dinner
  
  

It was odd to drive after eight weeks, but it felt nice to get some independence back. Yay, I'm back on the road!

Today I cancelled the Chandler Pharmacy's standing order to mail me my prescriptions, so I'll have to pick up a couple after PT tomorrow. So now I can go to my appointments by myself.

To everyone who drove me to my appointments, though, thank you so much for helping me! I really appreciate it.

Finally got it all together

Had my first day of showering with chlorhexidine disinfectant soap. I have to do that every day and then use the chlorhexidine wipes the night before and morning of. I can't shave for the last 3 days till surgery, either. So we're in that prep window now. I also finally have drivers set up for the pre-op PT, surgery day, release from the hospital the next day after a 23-hour observation, and the post-op PT the day after that next week. Thank you to Glen, Brenda, and Stephanie for helping with that. It really has put my mind at rest. My stress levels were starting to go up. I know what to expect with the surgery, etc., of course, but that was the one thing I still hadn't gotten taken care of. I think we're in good shape now.

UPDATE

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: I have a driver! Yay!!! 👏👏👏👏👏
UPDATE: They just called and I took a 2 PM appointment to give me some time to get a driver. Don't know if that could have made it worse since it's in the middle of the afternoon. But if you aren't particularly busy and you can help, please let me know!!! Thank you!!!

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Okay, early bird Saturday friends, a general plea. Most of you know I am the only driver in our household, but I am currently unable to drive due to the total knee replacement surgery being just a little over a week ago. Yesterday I had a PT session scheduled. I had my main driver come in from a neighbouring county for a grocery and bank run, as well as the PT session, and when the PT agreed with me that I should call my orthopaedist about the swelling in my leg, she went to the ER with me, essentially spending 10 or more hours away from home, most of which were unplanned. She had plans with her sons this morning that she was willing to change, but.... The main thing I needed yesterday, the duplex venous ultrasound study, closed right after I got to the ER but before I was seen. The ER doctor, Dr. Creech (very nice, treated me very well, despite the shell game that was last night) tried to get a study ordered stat and get someone to stay to no avail, then ran bloodwork to at least rule out other causes of swelling and something that would still remain high in the case of post-op but might point to a blood clot. The labs did indicate that I should have the study, so I should receive a call first thing this morning from their imaging center there (it's right next to the ER, I believe, in a trailer). If I don't receive a call by 10 AM I'm to call them. So that I don't have to drag my friend back to Lexington again after so many unexpected hours, would anyone be able to take me to the ultrasound? Most ultrasounds don't take more than an hour. The plan should they find it is not to repeat the ER visit (protocol is usually to refer to the ER, but he said there was no need since I'd already been through. He already has a script waiting for me at Chandler Pharmacy of oral blood thinners to pick up if there is a clot; if the test is negative I just come back home and cancel the prescription. So it's really either a there-and-pharmacy or there-and-home. If you can do it, please let me know and I will message you my phone # and address if you don't already know it. It does mean being on standby until shortly after 10 AM possibly until I know more, unfortunately, as I have to wait till they call. PS I am still on a walker but ambulating pretty well. A very high vehicle might be too hard for me to manage, as I often have trouble with them anyway, although with enough leg room it may not matter; I'm not sure--in some ways this knee bends better than my other, I'm just not used to it yet. On the good news front, my flexion was 84° yesterday. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tired and hungry

Off work for Presidents' Day and spent my morning going to and from an appointment on the bus. Left at 8:15 am and it's almost noon now. I should get home about 12:30 or so. While at the transit centre, I snapped this picture of the Lincoln mural. I never noticed his leg has pink triangles on the side near The Bar (a gay bar that's been around for a long time). I don't know if it was on purpose, but I approve. (I had a better picture lined up, but the bus pulled up, and I'm on it now, waiting to pull out.)

It has been a very busy weekend

Here's what I accomplished:

1. Went to the pharmacy. Got to see my plants.
2. Got nitrogen put in my tyres and discussed my treads and whether it was worth getting an alignment or rotation now or just waiting till I get new tyres, which will have to be soon, although I'm not sure how I'm going to swing that.
3. Repotted the aloes.
4. Repotted the orchids.
5. Did my laundry on Saturday and my roommate's on Sunday. Managed to do that and the kitchen linens with the very last of the detergent.
6. Moved a couple shelves in front of the library windows so I could put the orchids on them and they could get some actual light (eastern exposure). I'd temporarily placed them on top of my bookcase headboard, but they were between the windows and couldn't get any light. A grow light might have worked, but there's a painting that could be damaged by the full spectrum light. So I decided to try this. They are behind the nightstands, so it's a little crowded, but it passed muster with my friend.
7. Went to the library and took some books back and picked up my roommate's hold.
8. Took the other two shelves and summer clothes to the storage unit.
9. Cleaned out the car.
10. Did a boatload of plastic dishes.
11. Went through the clothes I was given and pulled out the ones that needed mending.
12. Incorporated the new clothes into my existing clothes, and put away laundry at the same time.
13. Organised my closet and prepared some things to take back to storage and to donate.
14. Organised the cedar chest and the clothes in the footboard of the bed. The kitten has been pulling my bras and other things through the little divet that's used to open the drawers.
15. Put the coverlet back on the bed, which will hopefully deter him, as it will be out of sight, out of mind.
16. Watched several episodes of a cartoon series.
17. Generally straightened up my room.
18. Took a nice long shower today.
19. Swept and mopped the floors.
20. Did the regular dishes.
21. Took out the trash and recyclables.
22. Cleaned the bathroom.
23. Entertained the kitten, who was inconsolable that he'd been closed out of the bedroom while my roommate slept because he was gnawing on him.
24. Packed my lunch for tomorrow.
25. Laid out my clothes for tomorrow (I don't do that very often. I should.)
26. Actually blogged! Twice!

Things that got put off till tomorrow:

1. Go by the bank.
2. Go over the grocery list and see what we already have.
3. Shop at the grocery store for Thanksgiving (we already have the Quorn roasts).
4. Get some cat toys for the kitten and food for the older cat.
5. Complete replacement of the cat litter (once we get some from the store).
6. Clean out and organise my nightstands.
7. Take things out to the car that are to be donated or go to storage.
8. Double check the smoke alarm/CO monitor. I think the batteries are in wrong, and it'll take both of us to change the batteries, as I'm not tall enough, even with a stepstool. I got some new batteries.
9. Call in the morning and reschedule an appointment to finalise the draft of my revamped will--with my boss' announcement I didn't feel I could ask to leave early the next business day with so little warning and get a good reply.
10. Get the duvet cover on the duvet and get it on my roommate's bed (it takes two to do well) and take back my heavier blanket.

Tomorrow

I'm going to try to go into work earlier than normal so I can get caught up on some things from last week before going over to scheduling and helping them out. Then I'll work there for three hours, and then take a lunch, followed by about a couple of hours of Monday's tasks before going to an appointment. I think I can do everything I need to.

Today was the game, and I really have to find a solution to doing the game notes so late in the evening/morning before the game. I'm thinking Monday or Tuesday might work. We'll see how things go tomorrow.

On that note, I should go ahead and update the computer and then head on to bed. Sorry for the short post, but I don't normally post on Sunday nights since I'm usually away all day for the game and am pretty tired. Anyway, good night!

We did play the game today

but talked a lot out of gameplay as well. As far as the game went, it was downtime, and one of my character's is dealing with the fact that she has married a necromancer, is about to deliver their baby any day, and he's being somewhat controlling and sounds damn reasonable at the same time. Since asserting myself is a problem for me, I'm having trouble playing her as she should be, which is much more forthright and furious. I'll have to work on that.

I did get in late, though, and I don't normally post on Sundays, so I'll keep this short. But I hope your weekend has gone well. I remembered I have an appointment at 8 am tomorrow on the other side of town while I was driving home tonight. I just hope I can get up in time.

So I went ahead and gave blood

and that went well. The folks were very nice, and took my iron level first before I filled the paperwork out. Apparently those children's complete chewable multivitamins help, as I was at a good level. All in all it took a little less than an hour. I think they separate the blood into three parts usually, so a donation can help save the lives of three people. If you've never donated, and can, or maybe haven't donated in awhile, consider it. With all the horrible winter weather lately, blood drives get cancelled, regular donors can't make it, etc. Every bit helps. It's actually quite easy to do.

I went over to my friend's house afterwards, visited for awhile, and we watched an episode of 'Hart of Dixie'. Now we're at the appointment, so I'm typing on my laptop with the hotspot from the phone going.

It's been pretty nice to have a day away from work today. It's been a bit leisurely, even with times to be at various places. I'll be back at work tomorrow, though. But then in a couple of weeks there's the Chicago trip, so that will be fun--three days of mostly vacation with some meetings, too.

Speaking of Chicago, I brought my Fodor's book with me. I may see about looking through other places in the Loop and nearby environs that I can go to while I'm there. I'm sure there are restaurants, etc. I don't really have the money to go to the Adler Planetarium and the Field Museum, although it would be nice to. I went to a planetarium in Wichita years ago as part of a school trip and really enjoyed it, and of course there's the Hubble Planetarium in nearby Richmond at Eastern Kentucky University, which I haven't been to before. But I definitely want to do the Field Museum.

That was incredibly easy

I got over to the hospital at 8:30, and since I'd already pre-registered, they just needed me to sign a couple of sheets of paper and give them my ID and insurance card to verify. Then I waited just about five minutes after being taken back to radiology. The CT scan itself was much easier than an MRI--I didn't feel closed in (of course, they were just doing my sinuses), and was able to stay still, except for breathing. I got back to the waiting room by 9:01 and the longest wait was actually the one for my disc with the scan on it that I have to take to my doctor. But I was still out of there before 9:20. I could have actually gotten to work by 9:30 or 9:45. But a friend has an appointment of his own today at 2 pm, so I took the day off. I really thought the scan, or at least the waiting, would take longer.

So now I'm eating some plain low-fat Greek yoghurt with raspberries and blackberries because 1) I haven't eaten yet today and am a bit peckish, and 2) I'd like to give blood, especially since I have time now. So the plan is to finish breakfast and then drive over to Mapleleaf to the Andover branch of the Kentucky Blood Center, which opens at 10 am, and see if I can donate (sometimes my iron doesn't cooperate). Then I'll head over to my friend's house.

Well, phooey

I just got in from class a little while ago and was trying to use my new University of Kentucky online account that was set up today to get my unofficial transcripts to apply for a job at a local college by Friday (I just learned about it yesterday). Unfortunately, something wasn't submitted when they built my account and I can't access the transcripts at all, and won't be able to until at least a couple of days, meaning I'll miss the deadline. While I could pay $10 and get an official transcript, I'd still have to wait till sometime tomorrow or Friday for that because the older transcripts are on microfilm, hence there needs to be someone at the office who can scan them and send them to me, and technically the HR department at the college had requested a mailed résumé, cover letter, unofficial transcript, and three professional references, although there is an option to upload a résumé and cover letter on their website. While I certainly could do the job, I suspect they have an internal candidate in mind, as it wasn't posted the last time I checked a few days ago, and so I'm going to chalk this up to an omen that the job wasn't going to pan out, get my access for future use, and go on my merry way. Still, it's the first job in awhile that would be a good fit, and I really like their library; I interviewed there years ago. So anyway, I think I missed the boat on this one, and that's my fault. I should have been more vigilant about looking, although in my defence last week I was mostly preoccupied with the snow storm, cold, and just getting to my current job.

I got my airline and hotel confirmation for the Chicago trip today, and went by Office Depot and got a padded lightweight bag with an over-the-body strap for my laptop at a price less than the sleeves alone, which I plan on taking on the trip. I'm so hoping everything like weather, etc., goes off without a hitch. I should have time the first day to go to the Field Museum of Natural History, and then there's the morning of the second day before our seminar for a little sightseeing. On the third day there's a morning meeting and then I'll have to head straight to the airport. But the idea this time is to definitely see a bit of downtown Chicago.

Okay, I have a CT scan of my sinuses first thing tomorrow morning, and should see if I can find the paperwork in case it's needed. I've already pre-registered and paid for my part (which was a bit of an annoyance, because I'm within $47 of my out-of-pocket maximum for the year but had to pay $127 over the phone yesterday. I just couldn't make the clerk understand that I shouldn't pay that amount, and if I did, they might owe me a refund.

I also have to take a friend to an appointment tomorrow, so I've taken off from work for that day. And afterwards I need to go by the pharmacy because another friend got only a partial fill of his medicine and needs more. I am in high demand this week. Friday there's another appointment and Saturday I'm taking two other people, three dogs, and a cat to the vet--in a Taurus. That should be fun. :) But it's nice to be needed.

Okay, on to finding that paperwork. I've never had a CT scan. There doesn't seem to be much to it, but I did want to read their recommendations and make sure everything was as planned. Good night!

After a very rainy day, the sun has finally come out

It is streaming through the living room windows as I write this. My bounciness yesterday, while doing a lot for me then, had the effect of not being able to sleep well last night. I kept waking up every hour on the hour. I don't remember hearing any storms, although apparently there were some. And I spent most of the night on top of my bedspread, which is sort of scratchy. I finally got up and put a blanket down and slept better. But my mind wouldn't shut down. At three or four in the morning, I felt like going for a walk. Given the time of night and the fact that it was most likely raining, that was not such a good idea.

I'm having a quiet night alone again. Dinner will be more spaghetti (I made several servings at once). I think I may watch a little TV--I'm sorely behind on 'Doctor Who', and I'm intrigued by the last episode with mummies on the Orient Express. :) I have them on the DVR. My DVR is actually almost full of things I should really watch. And I'm going to start on the game notes, maybe even finish them if I'm lucky. That would put me way ahead for the week.

Tonight I need to do those things and arrange for a payment of a bill. Tomorrow will be somewhat tough. I'm hoping I have enough gas to get to work and back. But Thursday is payday and I can fill up the car and pay some bills. That would be very good. Thursday and Friday there are appointments to go to, so it will be good to have gas. :) I also need to make an appointment with the gynaecologist, which if I'm lucky I can get in maybe next week. I haven't heard back from the psychiatric practice. It occurs to me that I may have given the wrong phone number. (The prefix for my home phone and cell phone have the same numbers, in different order). I'll call back tomorrow. I don't know what the weekend looks like yet. As far as I know, we're playing the game Sunday, but anything beyond that is somewhat up in the air.

I have to admit, I'm a bit pooped. I did very well at work today, despite the lack of sleep. But my brain is trying to shut down. I wonder if I can lie down for an half hour without wasting my whole evening? Experience tells me no. Maybe I should just eat a bit and then take it from there. :)

Today after work I:

• Took a friend to two appointments
• Worked on and submitted a job application
• Took another friend on a small grocery run, and
• Fixed the first friend dinner

Now I'm home, but I'm more than a little tired. I've driven over a good portion of Lexington today, as the appointments were almost on opposite ends of town. But we actually made it to them early (for the first) and on time (for the second). Tomorrow it's back to the pharmacy for a friend's medicine and then I'm going to help make asparagus deviled eggs. I'm not sure what I'm doing Saturday yet. Sunday should be the Cthulhu game. I started the notes tonight at one of the appointments, but didn't get very far yet. It's only 9:30 pm and I should probably work on them now, but I'm tired of being on the computer, and I'm just feeling pooped in general. I think I'll go listen to some music and chill out for awhile. Tomorrow I have to get up early for a dental appointment of my own, which is half and hour before I'm normally at work. I think it would make sense to go to bed early.

I pretty much crashed yesterday

I came home a little early and napped for about an hour and a half, then got up and ate and did some stuff on the computer (but not the notes or the job-hunting related stuff I planned to do last night). Then I spoke with YKWIA for awhile on the phone and decided afterwards to get away from the computer for a bit, listened to Loreena McKennitt, and promptly fell asleep. That was about 8 pm. I got up about 10:30 and took my nightly medications and set the alarms for 5 am, in the hopes of working on them before I had to do anything else today. But that didn't work. I wound up finally waking up at 8:40 am and getting up about 8:55, took a shower, got dressed, ate a little cheese, did a couple of things I needed to, and then by ten I was over at my friends' house to do some errands and get him up for an appointment. We are now at said appointment and I've loaded the game recording onto the computer, but really haven't gotten much further, and there's only about a half-hour left before we go. I'm getting really hungry; that cheese wasn't enough to stay with me apparently, and anyway that was almost five hours ago.

I'm not sure what else we're doing today, other than doing a grocery run, but I'll try to get home fairly early to work on the notes. I think I'll use the time left at the appointment to work on cover letters for two jobs I'm applying for, although my computer is getting low on battery. I may have to cross the room to a less comfortable seat and plug into the outlet there.

Apparently I am withdrawing from caffeine

I was irritable to nearly the breaking point earlier and went through all the usual suspects such as not taking medicine, wonky blood sugar, or premenstrual syndrome, and realised that they were not the culprit, but rather the fact that I've cut down on my soda intake, the way I get my caffeine, may have something to do with it. I've had only two 20 oz. diet drinks today; everything else is water. Once I realised this (and took some ibuprofen for my headache) I did better. I played the game and enjoyed myself, although I did discover the string cheese I bring is actually a far worse culprit sodium-wise than most soda. There's 200 mg of sodium per serving. Brenda brought some veggies out of her garden for both of us, yay! Here's to squash and snow peas and various lettuces.

I don't normally post on Sundays, but thought I'd write a short bit. I'm home now and I've been looking for a book for a friend (one of those questions librarians get where they get very vague plot points and description, that we see as a challenge). I should go on to bed, though, as I must be up very early to take said friend to an appointment. I have to get over there by 7:15 or 7:30. At least that's what I'm shooting for. So I'm going to go on to bed. Good night!