Day One

of my week off.  I managed to get everything taken care of that I could in that week I was still working so my backup will hopefully only have to deal with add-on surgeries (we're only doing fractures and casts at the moment) or urgent offsites (the University of Kentucky, our main imaging partner, is scheduling non-urgent scans in July as of yesterday).

I tried to get up at a reasonably early time for someone who had really nothing to do today, although I did reset my alarm so it wouldn't start at 5 am.  I tried for 7 am but instead wound up getting up about 9:30.  I got ready and went out to Kroger for a prescription I had waiting for me and finally managed to score a package of paper towels while I was at it, then came home and since then I have mostly been looking at the news, or Facebook, or listening to music, or downloading audiobooks and looking at books to read.  So today is my preparatory day for the rest of the week.

So far I haven't been very bored, although both the food in the refrigerator and my bed are calling to me, so maybe a little. I have discovered that my roommate binge-watches 'Dark Shadows' on Hulu at the moment to wake up and meet the day.

Last night the kitten was inconsolable because his toys were all missing except a ball with a bell in it that really held no interest for him.  I had the intuition to move a marble-top washstand in the living room and voilà! we found his hoard of toys, including the butterfly with the crinkly leaves he adores but I had never actually seen because he hid it the day he got it. Now I've got both cats on my bed and I'm listening to Bastille in my room facing the window with the orchids and a blooming redbud tree outside.

I put a little laundry away, but today was about relaxing after working a week and a half out in the world while most people have been off or working from home.  Our hospital is screening everyone with a temperature check before they come into the building--patient, visitor, staff--and distributing homemade masks that are primarily to help you remember not to touch your face and keep out any droplets.  It won't protect from the virus such as the ones the first responders and ERs have (the lucky ones, anyway), but it'll keep us from pulling any from other places that may need them more.  Our team approach is reducing exposure.  I haven't been able to eat with my lunch bunch all week--my boss directed us to eat lunch in our offices and keep the doors shut.  The only time I go to any other place in the hospital is to go to the bathroom, get a drink, check the mail in the mailroom, check my offsite folder (which I can see through our department door, so I don't have to go in unless there is one) or, in yesterday's case, I filled in at the sign-in desk for a half an hour so someone could go to lunch.  I had to stamp passes the parents had for parking, so I was very cognizant not to touch my face and then washed my hands really well when I was done.  I also wiped down the whole office with disinfectant before I left for the day, as someone else from upstairs might use it while I'm gone.  Of course, when I come back next week I'll do that all again.

I think I will lie down just a bit.  Governor Beshear is going to give his update at 5 pm, so I want to be up by then.  The updates have become known outside of Kentucky, and people are creating memes and videos of him.  There's a fund set up to help with the COVID-19 fallout in Kentucky and someone created quotes on t-shirts with 100% of proceeds going to that fund.

This evening I may go for a walk (by myself).  I have some new shoes that (unlike the walking shoes and Mary Janes I had) are completely level and not worn down from my natural walk, which is on the outside of my feet.  My Mary Janes, which were three years old, were so worn down they were at a 0-45 degree angle and my foot was rolling over every time I walked, so I had to throw them away.  They were in such bad shape there was no reason to try to donate them.  The walking shoes were getting there, too, as they're five years old.  So it was beyond time.  I only have a pair of sandals (which also need replacing) and a pair of house shoes, as I'm pretty utilitarian when it comes to shoes and keep them to a bare minimum.  So these are work shoes but look like a sneaker.  They are from New Balance, and they come in an extra-wide size and don't press badly on my feet (which is bad when you have diabetes), but they also have a steel toe, anti-static protection, and skid-resistant shoes, which probably isn't bad since I'm accident-prone.  So I'm trying to break them in before I go back to work. I wore them to the pharmacy today, and like I said, may go for a walk in a little while.  They're a little heavier than normal due to the steel toe, so I had to be careful not to put the accelerator down too far when driving. Talk about a lead foot. :)

Okay, that's all for now.  Hope you are having a wonderful socially-distant week.  Hopefully, you are staying at home unless you're an essential worker or needing to go out for supplies.

Ouch!

So I fell off a short ladder hanging the hooks to bring the hanging plants down a bit. But I think I'll be okay. Thank goodness I didn't hit anything hard. But it does look better than this morning. They'll get plenty of light and I'll be able to reach them to water. Funny thing, I looked down before I stepped and thought I was on the bottom step already. Afraid that wasn't the case. But having fallen down an entire staircase before, I'm beginning to get used to that awful feeling when you realize there is no step and you, like Wile E Coyote, are about to fall.

I started my morning drilling holes in my ceiling to hang plants. I have now demonstrated that you can knock over a blooming orchid multiple times and even have it fall down behind some boards and blocks, and the blooms and plant survive. Here's to having a little more room for the plants to spread out.  Somewhere in this apartment there are at least three iron 'barrel of monkeys' s-hooks that I've had for 25 years, but good luck finding those, so I got some nice iron hanger hooks with an open globe spiral in the middle.  Unfortunately, I took a tumble while hanging them.

I have not put a hook into the ceiling in the bedroom yet, but I do have one, and I purchased an extra iron hook for that.  But I think I'll wait a little before getting up there--I'm a little sore.

Here are this morning's results:

Before hanger hooks

And this is with the iron hangers:

With hanger hooks

I put the middle one lower for a better composition but also I can switch the bottom hook around, as those are shamrocks (Oxalis) and grow towards the sun, so they need to be turned daily to keep from being on just one side.

I don't have ice, but I do have ice packs--I think I'm going to put it on my left shoulder/neck/back, which took the brunt of the fall.  Then I'll get up and start working on eliminating the entertainment centre.  It's been a good day--I took some friends out to Texas Roadhouse for salmon meals and then we went to Howard Curry Shoes, Rite Aid, and K-Mart getting new shoes, corn pads, and flip-flops (respectively) for a friend who's on his feet an awful lot, has to wear dress shoes most of the weekend while doing a standing job, and whose feet has been giving him fits.

I've got about an hour and a half until I go back to get him and take him to a meeting.  So there's the entertainment centre full of books to deal with in the meantime, but first the icing and the lying down.

Tired

Apex Janice Mary Jane shoe

I went into work by 7 this morning, even though my normal Thursday time is 8:30 am. I was trying to make up some time, as I had an appointment about mid-morning at the podiatrist to pick up my diabetic shoes. They're very nice--Mary Janes that are actually wide enough for my feet (7 extra wide; my foot is about as wide as it is long). The doctor was a little concerned about the straps, which are a kind of Y-shape with Velcro fastening, in a sort of hook and loop. But the nice thing is that I can wear them with pants or skirts, socks or hose, and they're pretty comfortable, although I'm breaking them in. I also got some inserts that can be moulded to the foot by using a hair dryer to warm them, sticking them into the shoe, and then inserting the foot and standing on them a couple of minutes. I'm allowed one pair of shoes a year--my insurance pays for them--and over the last three years I've gotten some New Balance walking shoes, a pair of A2 boots for winter wear, and now these for dress wear, so I'm pretty set on shoes at the moment. The other great thing about the Mary Janes is that they are closed toe but don't have a heel (I can't walk in heels), and if I were to get a job at the Lexington Public Library, one of their rules is closed-toe shoes only, so the Vionic sandals I wear in the summer would be right out, and these make a great alternative, as they're not heavy like my others. The podiatrist did want to see me back in 9 weeks to do another x-ray; last time he discovered a piece of bone had broken off and might be causing some of the mild pain I've had in my ankle. He suggested getting a sleeve for my ankle (which I did) and also checking with the representative who delivered my bone stimulator three years ago to see if it can be reset and used. My understanding is that it's a single use, single person device that shuts itself off after about 270 days. If that's the case, I have a $5,000 paperweight in my closet, which did help a lot in terms of building up my ankle after I broke it, but may not be used now, and might as well be recycled. But I'll see. I doubt my insurance would pay for another one due to a fragment of bone that's come loose. But he thought the sleeve would at least provide a little support, and if I could get the bone stimulator reset, it might help the situation.

Today I also got my flu shot and TB skin test. After work, I went and got some medicine for my friends and I. I accidentally got home with someone's dementia medicine (Aricept/donepezil), so I need to take that back. After that I took care of one of my friends who wasn't feeling all that great. We watched 'Heroes Reborn'. I recognised Harris as the same actor who played the first Ash in 'Lost Girl' (he has an extremely deep and hypnotic voice, and comes off a bit creepy because of it), so I felt a little proud of myself. But despite having great blood sugar all day (it was 126 this morning before breakfast) and taking my medicine, I was a little off when dealing with YKWIA--I just didn't seem to get the banana at times. That might just be me being tired for having been up since 5:30 or 6 am, and waking up practically every hour on the hour throughout the night.

Speaking of which, I think I'm going to go on to bed. I think I'll totally unmake the bed this time, because I want to rub some lemon lotion on my feet and give them a good rub, and I think the lotion would discolour the comforter, but not the blanket. Good night.

I had an x-ray at the podiatry appointment

and apparently there is a reason for the occasional pain I'm having in the ankle that was operated on three years ago. A small piece of bone has come off near the screws, and the screws themselves may be irritating the area. So, we wait and see if the pain gets more than occasional or worse, because if it does, then they can go in and remove the screws and possibly do a bone graft to help the situation. But right now it's really minor and happens only sometimes, so I'll wait.

I also ordered some shoes. About the only perk of being diabetic is that my insurance will pay for a pair of shoes once per year. This year I'm trying to get some dressier shoes that I can wear with a skirt (still closed toe, for the winter), and I just hope they're wide enough. That's always an issue with my feet, and the swelling doesn't help. I did get the extra wide, but depending on in the shoes run narrow, that may still not be enough. We'll see.

I need to work on the bedroom and vacuum the carpets, along with taking out the trash. But first I'm going to take a short break (maybe 20 minutes), as my stomach's a bit woozy. I haven't eaten yet today, but I took my medicine, so that's probably why. But after it settles down I'll make some pasta (which is basically the only thing in the house, except for some crackers and I think a can of soup) to settle my stomach. Hope your day is going well.

I'm assuming this is satire, please God, tell me it is

But it is hilarious! There's also a website: http://www.miz-mooz.com/selfieshoes. Alas, if it were real, I could never actually make it work, as I am a complete and utter klutz, so no strappy selfie (or as YKWIA would say, self-portrait) shoes for me. :)

Drat

I opened up some salad I'd gotten a couple of days ago, and the lettuce is icky and soggy. I managed to save the cranberries, walnuts, balsamic vinaigrette, and feta cheese that was in a separate compartment, Oh well, tortillas and cheese for dinner it is.

This morning I went to work, then over to my podiatrist to pick up my new shoes and inserts. I had quite some trouble getting them on, and at first we thought they were too narrow, but they do actually fit. I just have trouble bending my right knee fully in a chair (I put my shoes on by putting my feet up on the bed). I took them back off at the doctor's office, and then put them back on after I got back to work, as it's carpeted, and I can't return them if I wear them outside at all. They're kind of boots, or hightop athletic shoes, with an athletic-style shoe in black that comes up on the ankles for full support. I thought they'd be better then my lower New Balances this winter for walking on uneven snow. They're are the brand Answer2, which I hadn't heard of before, style 442-1. They're made by Apis. They also gave me several Sure-Fit inserts, which I'm supposed to change ever four months or so, and there were a couple of thin ones that go under the regular inserts to help raise the foot if needed to keep it from slipping up and down. I have a slight discrepancy between my left and right leg in terms of length, so I have that secondary insert under the right one but not one on the left, and they were doing pretty well this afternoon. The inserts are a little different than the diabetic orthotics I have in my regular shoes, though. They were much easier to get on the second and third times I tried. I'll have to keep a weather eye on my feet, though, and look for any rubbing, etc. But I think they'll be a decent fit after all. I do need longer laces for them. Even my New Balances that I got last year have boot laces in them. I have such a wide foot (I wear a 7 2E in the New Balances, XW in these shoes), that I need longer laces than they ever include. I really do appreciate that my health insurance will pay for these as part of my diabetes care. I had the same type of New Balances several years ago that were $115 when I paid for them myself. These go for about $135 online. They look like this:



The nice thing is that they work under my pants for work pretty well, and I noticed they seem to be This afternoon, after work, I:

1. Went to the bank to dispute a couple of ATM charges. Yesterday I tried to get money from the ATM at work twice, but got a 'database error' and no money. Turns out the money came out of my account, along with the fee they charge for giving me my own money and the one the bank charges for not using their machine. All told, it came out to $49. I got one returned, the fees from the bank taken off, and the second one should be taken care of soon (it needed 'more investigation', beyond what they could do right there).
2. Got some gas for the car and washed the windows. I really need to take the car to be washed.
3. Checked out a book I had on hold from the library, called House of Stone, by the late journalist Anthony Shadid, as well as the DVD for the movie Oculus.

Now I'm home, listening to 'Somebody That I Used to Know' by Gotye (featuring Kimbra) on the radio, have the windows open and the fan in the living room blowing on me, and I'm finishing up dinner. The plan for tonight is:

1. Work on the game notes.
2. Work on the house.
3. Do some reading.
4. Water the plants inside and out (although I'm down to only two window boxes--one fell and pretty much what was in it disintegrated).

I'm hoping by having the fan out here in the living area rather than the bedroom, I won't just go in there and lie down.

Success!!!

Howard Curry Shoes rock!

The same woman who answered the phone earlier waited on me, and she was great! Not only did she measure each foot when I told her what I was looking for, she let me try a pair of her personal shoes that were something she could order if they were still available. But then we found something better in the Vionic line (which is the same orthotic-sole brand that had first brought me there) that worked worked perfectly. They are two-toned black slides that adjust width and have Vionic's supportive podiatrist-designed Orthaheel Technology in the soles, which make everything--feet, knees, and back--feel more supported and are so much better than what I was wearing. The physical therapist hadn't had this particular style, and they were much more expensive there, about $120. The ones we were going to try to order, a pair of Haflingers [sort of like Birkenstocks, with a cork sole, which gives me some trouble, as I supinate, so they wear unevenly], were about $114. These were 30% off $75, so just over $50 with the tax. Yay!!!!

These are dressy enough for work, but are easy to slide off and are fully adjustable. Plus they feel great....

After just wearing them to the grocery and driving in them, I love them. If you're interested, the style is called Shore and they can be found online at Vionic's website, among other places. But if you're in Lexington, I would really recommend Howard Curry Shoes on Nicholasville Road and Moore Drive near Jimmy John's and Raising Cane's. The lady there (and I'm sorry, I didn't get her name) was incredibly helpful, in the good sense. Not every clerk would just let you try on their own shoes. :) And she found me the Vionics even though she potentially had a higher-priced sale to make if the shoes were still available to order. It was great. Also, the store is particularly known for its children's shoes, and the Talking Tree. If your kids have hard-to-match feet, they are particularly good at finding the right size. So give them a try if you're in the area. As far as I know, they're still family-operated, just like they were when they started downtown in 1948.

Weekend plans

I just got home a little while ago after a good day at work, running some errands (including paying my rent and talking to the leasing agent about getting in to a more accessible apartment). I should have the day to myself tomorrow. We did the grocery shopping tonight and my friends are meeting their family for lunch, so I'm on my own then. My plans are:

1. Stop by the Bluegrass Farmers' Market for fresh veggies and/or fruit
2. Go to the Eagle Creek branch of the Lexington Public Library (across the street from the market) to pick up a book on hold and one other that's available
3. Go to the Tates Creek branch of the Lexington Public Library to pick up another book
4. Head over to Howard Curry Shoes to see if they can do anything with my swelling, super-wide feet in terms of sandals
5. Have lunch somewhere I don't normally go [decided not to and be fiscally responsible at home]
6. Read!
7. Pay a bill (must remember that it's due)
8. Finish the game notes, even though we're not playing Sunday (I'm over half-way finished!)
9. Watch something fun
10. Listen to music
11. Take out the trash and recyclables
12. Wash dishes
13. Play with the Atari
14. Water the plants, inside and out
15. Put water in the fish tanks
16. Generally do what I can to get the place ready for my upcoming surgery, although at least things are where they're supposed to be

Then, on Sunday:

1. Go over to my friends' house and help them clean
2. Do laundry
3. Take A over to my place and watch a Bette Davis movie called 'The Old Maid'
4. Generally visit with friends and have some fun
5. Watch the last episode of season 1 of 'Salem', as well as the second episode of season 2 of 'The Witches of East End'

Highlights of today

• Work wsa a bit slow. Tomorrow should be a good day for things I don't normally have time for; a lecture is going on at the hospital, so no clinic or surgeries, hence not much in the way of data entry to do. Perhaps I'll finally get some of those boxes out of the library. I normally take off on this occasion, but simply don't have the personal time to do so this time.
• Picked up my shoes and orthoses from the foot surgeon's office. I am now officially considered healed, being followed up on a yearly basis due to my diabetes, but the ankle/foot injury is officially in the past. Yay! And the new orthoses are soft and cushioned, and I think once I break them in they'll be much better for my feet, especially to start exercising by walking.
• Took a friend and his dog to the vet and got her situated so hopefully she'll be feeling better.
• Watched the second episode of 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'.
• Watched the holiday episode of 'The Big Bang Theory'
• Watched most of The Princess and the Frog. It was actually better than I expected.

Now I'm home. I'd planned to clean house tonight but spent the evening with my friends instead. Oh, well. Tomorrow is another day. But I didn't take the Icy Hot with me today and I've been in a lot of pain all day, so I think I'm going to go into the bedroom, get comfy with the heating pad (good thing it turns off on its own after awhile), and maybe read for a bit. I've got to get up early and take a friend to work. :) Good night.

Today

I did some laundry at a friend's house and we visited for about 10 hours or so, watching some streaming videos, especially more episodes of 'Better Off Ted' and 'H2O: Just Add Water' (just when the theme had finally left my brain). :) I had a good time, and it looks like tomorrow I'll have some time for the house and other stuff I need to do.

It is still raining, although fireworks are going on outside, so maybe we have a lull. Of course, it was raining last night when I went to the professional fireworks, which were quite splendid, despite the downpour. The rain was not light, maybe moderate, and I got a bit wet with the driver side door rolled down (and the car smells a little 'swampy' as a result today), but all in all it was fun.

So, that's two quiet days in a row, one with 'me time' and one with my friends. I still haven't gone to the Y. That's on the agenda for tomorrow. I have discovered the Reeboks work pretty well over the course of the day without pinching my feet.

Okay, I think I'm going to take it easy and listen to some music. The one thing I don't have to do before Sunday is the notes for the game; I finished those last week, yay! So here's to some fun before bed. If I don't write anymore tonight, have a great night, and a great weekend.

Having a decent day despite steady rain

I woke up right on schedule at about 7:50, went back to sleep, made it till 9, took my Lantus and went to bed till about 10:30. Then I got up, got ready, went over to Subway for lunch, got a six inch tuna sub and a drink, and then, figuring the festival was probably a bust, and not wanting to stand under an umbrella from booth to booth, I went over to Gabriel Brothers for awhile. I got two six-piece towel sets, two tops, a pair of khaki capris, and a purse for just over $50. Now I'm home and looking at a large pile of hand-wash laundry that should really be taken care of today. The rain has picked up, hitting the windows (which is good for my window boxes full of herbs). I just got off the phone with our security chief, who has kept in communication with the folks at Idle Hour Country Club and golf course, and the fireworks planned for tonight will go on regardless of rain intensity so long as there is no lightning activity in the area, starting at about 9:30 pm. So, I'm planning on going if the weather holds.

Things I need to do around the house:

1. Wash that laundry
2. Wash dishes
3. Clean out the refrigerator
4. Put away things on the dining table
5. Give the bathroom a once-over
6. Take out the trash
7. Take out recyclables
8. Charge the laptop

I also am trying out a pair of Reeboks I had around the house to see if they would work for going to the Y. So far, so good, but it's not late enough in the day to be definite. I'm not putting my inserts in, so they're a little roomier than my New Balances, and they're an overall athletic shoe, while the others are designed for walking, and they come up on the top of the foot a little differently, which is good, because that swells, too. I probably will not go to the Y after all today, but hope to tomorrow evening during open swim, where I can also work out on the equipment if these shoes do okay. If they don't, then I guess I'll be taking my swollen feet to John's Run-Walk Shop and looking for shoes that fit. I just want to make sure I don't do anything to my feet, between my history of foot issues and the diabetes concerns.

I think I'll take a little time to relax, start the laptop charging, and then start working on the house. I hope you are having a good day. I wish I could send some of our rain to the Southwest where the fires are such an issue right now.

Discovered

yesterday that where my feet and ankles swell, my New Balance shoes pinch my feet on the sides and top rather painfully at end of day, which happens to be when I tried to go work out last night at the YMCA. So, no go for that unless I can get better shoes or work out early in the morning. I'd rather be in the pool anyway, but that's an issue right now as I can't go in with my fever blister. :( So, we'll see. I promise I won't use the shoes as an excuse for very long. I think I'm going to go to John's Run Walk Shop and get their opinion; they're supposed to be really good. It's where a couple of friends get their shoes.

I did get my dress for my friends' vow renewal yesterday and it fits and looks fairly nice on me. It was really low cut, though, so I bought a black lacy camisole for $6 at Gabriel Brothers to put under it, and I think that helped, as you can see in the picture.

Today I did some running around after work, spent some time with YKWIA (who chastised me rightly on one count and who talked me out of adopting a cat for now), and now I'm going to try to work on the game notes for awhile. Sorry I didn't write yesterday. I'll try to get back on schedule. :)

Ouch

So the only way to be somewhat comfortable is to place my entire lower leg on a pillow so it's elevated, with ice on my knee (the ankle got iced earlier at PT). Not sure what I did to really aggravate it. I think tomorrow I'm going to look for some shoes. I have a pair of fake Birkenstock sandals that are very comfortable and don't seem to aggravate and swell my foot, but they are worn to nothing in terms of tread and just normal wear and tear. My Easy Spirits are adjustable, but seem to still constrict too much. Even my New Balances, which aren't sandals, still have issues as my feet swell. :(

I would have liked to be more productive at home tonight

Having two things to do--laundry and cleaning the bathtub/shower so I can hang a new liner. But today was very busy at work and included me moving about fifteen boxes of books to various places, as I am losing some of the storage I had reclaimed from my former closet. They're playing musical offices; in total four people/offices are involved, and the person who got the office in the library needs the back closet office as well. So yesterday we were told about the move and could I have my stuff out by Friday?

Well, I got it all moved. I also cleaned out my grey totes that were near my desk (the totes are mine; the stuff was the hospital's, but I found most of it could go, being files from 2001 and such). I've brought one empty tote home. I didn't bring another one home today because I was going to the store for the shower liner. But I'll bring one home a day, so three more to go. I'm getting an actual filing cabinet in that space for all the sheets I'm creating with referrals and the ones for charges. I have some items to recycle, and then all that will be finished. But tomorrow I need to be sure to order and copy some articles for one of the doctors, plug get a jump on the referrals for next week--there are several surgeries.

Unfortunately I wound up with a pretty substantial headache with all the moving, and then being out in the heat and sun, so I laid down for awhile this evening. The one good thing about today was that the buses were free. Well, it didn't impact me a lot because I have an unlimited pass, but it was a good thing and I got another one of those nylon bags like they gave out on Earth Day, which I've found are very compact and useful. It was Dump the Pump day, so all rides were free. So for those folks paying a dollar or so a ride, that was pretty good.

I think I'll put some music on and chill for a bit. A friend said he'd talk to me later about his day, so I presume he'll call me about the time I'm ready for bed. :) But for now I think I'll curl up with a book and listen to music.

The one sad thing about today was I found a turtle? tortoise? dead as I got off the bus this morning. That put a bit of a damper to my spirits. Also I wore shoes without inserts that contributed a lot to pain in my ankle and around the old area of the stress fractures. I couldn't wear my sandals (which do pretty well with my feet) today because I was going to be loading things on carts and moving it, and didn't want to roll over a toe or something without protection. I chose some white trainers instead of my normal black New Balance shoes which I usually wear, and that was a mistake. Anyway, tomorrow it's back to sandals. And it's jeans day, woo-hoo! so I'll wear my jean capris, which will be better than today's outfit, which surreptitiously included jeans--they're khaki though, so most people don't notice. I wanted something that I could get dusty in. But they were full pants to the ankle, and fairly heavy, and that's no good in 90 degree weather, even with a fairly thin shirt.

I broke down

and turned on the air conditioner when I got home. It's after 7 pm and it's 81 degrees. I don't normally do this in March, but it's not normally this warm. I thought about just opening the windows like I have the last few days, but I've only truly been comfortable in front of the fan in the bedroom, so I figured, hey, I might as well. I did put it on 74 though, so it's not like it will get really cool.

I had a good day at work, and got a dozen or more compliments on the new hairstyle. It was such a drastic change, people were a little wowed, and I went ahead and used some thickener and blew dry it this morning (it took all of two minutes), then actually applied some makeup. One woman said it really made my eyes (which I think are my best feature) really 'pop' (that's good). I wish the pictures of me really showed what it's like. I'm not very photogenic; I haven't been since I was three. (Prior to that, I would have given many people a run for their money on sheer cuteness.)

I stopped by Gabriel Brothers and got some sandals that seem to work well with my feet. They were so comfortable, I bought two pairs, one black, one purple (of course), for the price of a pair I saw yesterday while browsing there after the haircut, since the bus wasn't coming for awhile. The pair I'd considered was one of those with the strap between the toes, which I don't really like, but they did seem comfortable beyond that. The ones I actually got have three adjustable straps, are meant for wide feet, and have nothing between the toes, with a strap in the back and a nice sole. I decided that the strap between the toe thing might not be good for a diabetic, if it rubbed and caused a sore. So I came out with a better deal and a more comfortable shoe, for that matter. These are made by Easy Spirit. I hope they do well. I'm glad I found these; my old sandals had lost all support and tread, and were really no longer comfortable, plus they were slowly falling apart, and weren't really nice enough to wear to work any more. My feet feel better in my New Balances, but when it's warm, I really prefer sandals, so the goal was to find a sandal that gave good support. We'll see if I succeeded.

I missed the bus (it moved off away from the bus stop just as I came out of the store), and the next one wasn't for an hour, so I started to walk home. A neighbour with whom I've talked before who works at Wal-Mart offered me a ride, and I took her up on it. (I know, getting into random cars, but Alice is very nice, is not a complete stranger, and I was very thankful for the ride).

So I'm home, I've tried on the shoes and walked around a bit, and putzed around a little. I've had some lentil soup and I'm thinking about reading for awhile. My Kindle library book is due back on the 24th, I think, and I'm not quite halfway through it. I haven't been reading much lately, although that may change, as my lunch buddies have been eating outside in front of the building, and I'm just not all that keen about sitting and eating in the sun, at least without sunblock. So I'm going to start bringing the tablet with me to lunch each day in case they go out, so I can read, or play a game, or catch up on the news.

Okay, I think I'm going to go put my feet up (they hurt from wearing my old beaten-up sandals) and cozy up with my book. I'll probably write later, but if not, have a good night.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Today I made sure I wore my Mardi Gras beads and enjoyed some red beans and rice that the cafeteria had specially made for me without meat. Yay for them! I don't expect to have people cater to my dietary restrictions, but it is nice when they happen to. I did eat a couple of small beignets as well. A couple of my co-workers didn't know what they were and were quite intrigued with them.

It was a good day. My feet feel better. The new shoes are helping. I took the shoelaces out of an old pair today and re-laced them onto the new pair so I'd have longer ones than the ones that came with the shoes.

The only bad thing about today is I forgot to bring a second insulin pen and pretty much used up mine with breakfast. I came home, took one of both types out of the refrigerator, so I'll have the one tonight and the other for tomorrow.

I did my hair up in a couple of braids, then pulled back with lots of bobby pins. Later in the day I let it down and it was very poufy for me, as you can see. :)

I went through the news and while there were some things of interest, there wasn't anything I particularly wanted to post here, but I'll check later and see if there's anything.

Within 10 minutes of waking

I was taking out the recyclables on my way to getting a drink at the laundry room, and then I came back and cleaned off the couch (and not just by putting everything on the floor). Today's aim is to get the apartment in good order. Someone in my family is unable to care for their little corgi, and I'd like to take him in, but I'd like to get the house dog-proof by then. I would have mentioned it to my mom last night when she called, but with the house a mess I didn't think I should. Tonight, maybe....

I forgot my Saturday alarm was set for 6:30 am (which means the Gentle Alarm application starts chiming at 6:00), and snoozed and finally dismissed all four alarms, but woke up at my normal time, 8:30. I've taken my blood sugar, which is holding steady and lower than it had been by 50 points, so the increase in insulin must be working. It's nice to see the weekly and monthly averages on my tracking application go down. I've eaten and I'm now staring at the (now) six pills I'm supposed to take every morning, up from two. That's in addition two more of one of the pills, plus four injections of two types of insulin per day. Bless the pharmacy, there was one pill that I take 1/2 a tablet of, and they went ahead and split them all for me. :) At least they're all relatively small.

I've called the hospital and the receptionist said he'd have the security guard put the package on my desk. If that's the case, then I may just leave it till Monday, so yay, one less thing to do.

I do still have to go to the grocery. I'll do that today and then get some things for the game and the game master (whose e-mail I just read shared with me the fact that you can get your eyeballs tattooed, which has a big ewww factor--fortunately there were no pictures in the e-mail) on the way to the game. Hopefully snow will not be a factor. I haven't seen the forecast today but yesterday they were predicting anywhere from 1"-8", but admitting they didn't know how it would track. that's an improvement from years ago when our 'dusting' became 14". :)

Okay, I'd better start. I think first I'm going to put in a load of dishes and then while that's running, tackle some of the clutter. Maybe I'll put on some Les Mis. I like cleaning to show tunes.

So I was thinking today

that it is time to get some new shoes that actually feel good to walk in and match my outfits that I wear at work. I'm hard on shoes because of my supination (tendency to walk on the outside of the foot), and they lose shape after awhile, making it worse. I have a pair of shoes that are decent but are a little long for my foot and I've had them for awhile now. They're Reeboks, and were free (someone was giving away things from her grandmother's closet), but they're white and don't go with anything but my jeans. Basically, they look like running shoes, whereas the black shoes don't look so obvious, and I almost always wear black pants at work. I used to wear the Reeboks and then change into my black Birkenstocks at work, but where the Birks have soft cork soles, they're now worn down at an angle, putting stress on my ankle tendons. So that's really not an option anymore. Besides, the podiatrist told me it was important to wear lace-up shoes that would give me the support I need.

When I got home, there was a coupon in the mail for New Balance shoes for 20% off plus free shipping, and I decided it was a sign. So I ordered a pair of shoes and paid much less than normal. These are black, very similar to a pair I had before but a half size up, 7 2E, as my feet have gotten longer as I've aged and the last pair were a bit too short. They are approved as a diabetic shoe, as well, and are built to keep the feet even, rather than supinating. That, along with my orthotic inserts, should help. I told myself that one of the things I would do with my tax refund was take care of my feet, so this worked out well.

I feel energised

Yesterday one of my co-workers was looking for someone who could fit a pair of shoes they had found in her grandmother's closet that had never been worn, and she asked if I wanted to try them on, and lo, they fit, so she gave them to me. The only pair of athletic shoes I own are some New Balances that have distorted since I tend to carry my weight on the outside of my feet, so these were very welcome. They're Reeboks and pretty comfy.

In celebration of this, I decided to wear them today and go for a walk midway through my day, in that after lunch period when I'm usually so sleepy. Some time ago I downloaded a free exercise and weight application for my phone and although I've been logging meals and weight (and I have lost 6 lbs!), I had not tried the cardio workout feature before.

When you use it, it starts playing music from your phone and then a voice that sounds rather British comes in occasionally, telling you how far you've gone, how fast you're going, and how long you've been walking. You can choose other means of exercise as well, such as running, biking, stationary biking, etc. I walked a mile in 18 minutes around the hospital parking lot and driveways, and the GPS kept track of where I went. I averaged between 3 and 4 miles an hour, enough to break a sweat and get my heart up, walking faster than my normal amble. It's a start.

I feel so much better. The pain in my back and arm went away due to the natural endorphins released during exercise, and my back still feels relaxed and wonderful, even after doing the data entry for the day. I'm just now getting hungry, and I'm eating a light meal of cheese and crackers. My mood is good and the sleepiness I normally have in the afternoon did not present itself at all. I need to start doing this regularly. One thing I may change, however, is I left the hill till the end, although it probably was a good thing, in retrospect, to haul myself up it, as the incline provided a better workout.

So now the plan is to walk as much as I can, weather permitting, and increase the length and speed of walking, at least as best as I can within my break time. I may just repeat the circuit as needed. I started to walk down to the next bus stop when I left work, but someone offered me a ride, and I decided I'd get home much quicker.

My foot gave me just a bit of a twinge here and there, as the shoes pretty much supported my foot.

The key, of course, is to do this regularly. My neighbourhood is good for walking, too, so if it's too hot at midday I could come home and walk a bit when it's cooler. I may not be able to run, but walking is really good exercise, too, and easier on the joints. Wish me luck.

They arrived, and they fit!

They're so purple!  They will also be easy to clean.  And you can really feel the ice under your feet well, and that helps keep a good footing, despite having a nice tread. They worked better than my athletic shoes, which I left at work.  I wouldn't want to stand for hours in them, but since I bring my Birkenstocks with me when I'm going to be somewhere for hours inside, that's no problem. :)