Category: Life

Eye Doc, Kitchen Cooking Disaster, Shooter on the Loose, and Big News on Mom’s House

On By BackporchwriterIn Food, Life9 Comments

Here it is Friday, and I’m as tired as everything! But still moving forward. It’s been a very fast week.

Eye Appointment: Good News, Bad News

Wednesday morning I had my annual eye appointment. All is well. Not enough of a prescription change to warrant new glasses. I’ll be keeping my artsy glasses for another year. The need for cataract surgery he says is a long way off. And he’s asking me since my eyesight is not critical – for me to step back and go to his partner, an understudy who is NOT an ophthalmologist but an optometrist. He assures me that he knows what to look for in eye diseases such as glaucoma and macular degeneration (the latter runs in our family) and that if I should develop those I would return back to seeing the ophthalmologist. He says that they are doing “share care” with their patience because my doc is doing more surgeries as there is a shortage of opthalmologists with so many baby boomers retiring. He also said the government controlled the numbers because of the training involved and expense. I’m assuming he is referring to government grants – only so many given. We had an interesting conversation about all this. I’m not sure I totally understand the government control part but it had to do with how expensive the training is so I guessed there was only so many grants and no one can afford the training. If I were going to be a doctor of any kind, I’d be an eye doc, but probably would not want to do surgeries. I’d say Optometry would be my thing. I always loved the study of the eyes in science but also liked the ears as well. So ENT would have been an interest. But I was never wanting to do more than 4 years of college. I still got my Masters but it was on my own terms – on line, at my pace (but within doable parameters), and not paid for by me.

I am not sure I want to be seen by an Optometrist when I had made the move to see an Ophthalmologist, but I suppose I will remain under him unless I find another situation I like better. I will keep the next appointment and then consider it after that and make a decision. I had a good Optometrist and left him to go to this other doc because of Mom’s condition and because of my pre-diabetic situation. It was recommended by several as the Ophthalmologists had more training. Life is always changing. And I just can’t take any more change right now. lol. I mean good grief.

Photo by Sarah Chai on Pexels.com

My Cooking Night was NOT Successful in My Opinion

My culinary experiences in the kitchen were disastrous Wednesday night. So I’m not going to recommend the recipes. Some of it was my fault. Some not.

The Orange Teriyaki Steak was just “ok”. Mom and George said it was good. But the meat was tough. It was supposed to be George said as the recipe called for a type of meat that was tough. I think it was round steak. It had marinated overnight. And it cooked in the oven bag. The recipe didn’t really have proper measurements – I can say that as it had no measurements at all, lol! So I guessed. The sauce was good though. The cooking degrees and for how long was off. It wasn’t done. I had to cook it 10 min longer and on higher heat.

But the real disaster was when I was preparing the spinach orzo, normally an easy one for me. I’d not tried this recipe but it was seemingly easy.

First off, before I set into cooking Wednesday night, I reached for a bowl by opening the cabinet. A wall of Tupperware fell out onto my face as I looked up and then landed on the counter. ::sigh:: And I noticed a stack of bowls with the heavy bowls sitting on a smaller bowl, all about to topple out. So before I could even start cooking I had to rearrange the dishes in that cabinet. ::double sigh:: I got the Orzo out as George said we had enough for my dish, but it was short by 1/4 cup. ::another sigh:: but I carried on.

Then as I got the ingredients out I noticed George had bought the spinach in a bundle with long stems instead of the nice pre-washed kind in the little box, so I had to stop and rinse it and chop that off. And then when I needed the strainer it was dirty because I had used it to wash the spinach off so I used the smaller one in a hurry. I had to hold it in the sink as it was unsteady for whatever reason. While doing that the steam from the water was so hot and burned my hand and I let it go. I went back to making the sauce and noticed that 1/2 the orzo had spilled into the sink. I cursed at this point. I was not using the now tainted orzo. Mom said use it anyway but NO – none of us need a food borne illness at this point. So I used 1/2 of the orzo which was already less than what was called for. So…..my sauce was made for the entire thing. So we ended up having orzo flavored garlic as a dish. Way too garlicky for that small amount.

Not Feeling Well, iOS Update, and Shooter on the Loose

I was a nervous wreck by the time I got dinner on the table. Nothing had gone well. As dinner was over and I realized how cranky and crabby I was, I just flat didn’t feel good so I went and took my temp and it was 100. I normally get this about once a quarter when I get tired and run down. It’s some kind of undefined autoimmune thing I’ve had for years. I’ve not pushed for diagnosis but have learned to live with it. Sleep and nutrition and supplements and vitamins and rest will help. So I went to my room, sat in the dark and rearranged my iPad apps after the new and big iOS update, which had reshuffled my home page. I stayed up and took an hour to fix it back as I’m geeky like that and want everything to be where I put it!!!

About then we got a text that there was a shooter on the loose on neighborhood streets nearby. By road it was probably two miles, by bird – about a mile. Our neighborhoods backed up. So it was a little concerning. I warned Mom and George who do not get the alerts. Mom takes Fancy out to potty before bed. Soon helicopters were on the edge of our neighborhood. I peeked out the window. It was a little crazy. The neighborhood next to us was on lockdown suggested by police to remain inside. Mount Juliet police is really good. I knew they would catch him and they had him by the time I got in bed. We got the alert that all was good and shooter was in custody.

I got up yesterday morning and although still tired, I felt good otherwise and fever was actually under by a degree which never happens. I went to work and felt fine. I still feel fine but feel more tired today than yesterday. I’ve had some mild pain in my right abdomen but it comes and goes all the time. I told my doc this a few weeks ago and he did not seem concerned if it was not severe and no nausea or vomiting etc. We both laughed that my appendix may be ready to blow. He said there had been a rash of that lately – but mainly from old men in their 70’s but women can certainly experience it as well. We left it at that. It’s not persistent so I’m not worried either, but I have felt it more this week than ever, I’ll just say. But today I kinda feel like a washed out tired. Like my normal tiredness when I need to rest.

Mom’s Wonderfully Southern Meal and Chess Pie

So Mom cooked last night and fixed a wonderful chicken and dressing dish along with mashed potatoes and peas and even a chess pie. It was a LOT of starch and she piled our plates HIGH! I was feeling a sugar/starch buzz going through my body at bedtime and went through a bottle and a half of water over night and many trips to the potty. It was great but my body says “hey you…slow down on the starch would you”. I have to be careful being pre-diabetic that I don’t wake up and find myself having crossed the line.

Temps were cool enough that we ate in the sun room. It was all so good but we were stuffed and then ate pie on top of that.

I had added the apple table cloth for fall. I’m enjoying using the tablecloths in there. I guess we need a Christmas one but enhhhh, we won’t be in there much so I’ll probably just put the grey one back in January.

Big News

So Mom got the call that her “Welcome Home Walkthrough” is Nov 1 and the closing on the house is Nov 5. How about that? So we will be starting to plan from here, rent trucks, vans, etc. So much is still in the air. We don’t have times yet and can’t order appliances yet til we know we’ll have access and someone available for delivery and such. So much to work out but once piece at a time. We don’t have to be in a hurry this time. She doesn’t have to be on a time frame. But we will likely take PTO days to get some things done. The big moves on the weekends but we’ll have to set up utilities and do a few things during the work week. Anyway, time is drawing near!

And I need to get ready and get to work. I also need more coffee to get going this morning. I’m so glad it’s Friday. But work is just really busy.

Weekend plans are formulating. George is going to play golf and Mom and I are going to eat at a place on my bucket list, go to a shoe shop, and get my car washed and then I’m coming home to do laundry, a Canon lesson, KDY55 plans firmed up, and whatever else I can work in.

George and I are wanting to cook up a Julia Child dish Beef Bourguignon together and we have plans to video it. I found the recipe we used years ago. I will share it soon. It was really good. George said it sounded fun. I’m so glad he enjoys doing the videos.

I got to work on the videos yesterday morning. Thursday mornings are a good time to do it. I was further along with it than I thought. Still made good progress yesterday. I still think we are a week or so out. I’ll shoot for the finish by end of next weekend but we’ll see. Life has just been so busy.

More updates tomorrow – might be later tomorrow or even on Sunday. We’ll see. Pray for George as he travels about in KY for this rare golf event. It’s a tournament and he doesn’t usually play. But it’s the best shot of a group of four. He’s the 4th guy and they asked him to please play. He’s stepping in for the guy that ended his life as his son had asked George to please take his spot. So he is going. And he plans to stop at the Amish in Scottsville KY.

Ok I gotta hurry now, I’m about 15 min behind but I could NOT get up this morning and was not willing to budge on my routine. It is what it is.

What are you doing this weekend? TGIF! 🙂

Oh Just a Little Bit of Identity Theft and Fraud Discovery. So How Was Your Day?

On By BackporchwriterIn Life, Uncategorized2 Comments

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Well, yesterday my employer informed me that a fake unemployment claim had been submitted in my name, using my information along with my social security number. Apparently it was not just me but has happened to a few others as well. The claim said that I was a Sales Activity Manager, which that part made me and my spouse laugh. I’ve never heard such a title. And would never be such a thing. Was not a very good made up title either. “Bless their hearts”. Probably not a very educated crew to be doing such a thing, lol. I mean let’s face it if they were educated, they wouldn’t need to work so hard to steal government money with my information.

First of all though, so I did not go into full on panic mode, and leave work to take care of the situation, I just informed my spouse. To get his take. Life is stressful enough. I figured my spouse would be very upset at whatever “breach” has occurred from wherever it has occurred. But he was fairly calm and said he was surprised it hasn’t already happened. That said, we have frozen our credit with the three major sites, which we can go in and unfreeze when/if we need to buy anything that will require our credit report and such.

I also have filed a claim with the Department of Justice because of the fact they used “the dreaded illness” which I try not to use the term in my blog post so it will send you an alert and not cause my post to be buried in SEO guidelines. Anyway- any fraud based on this or any one taking advantage due to emergency situations during these times can face a federal crime – it included the dreaded illness, hurricane damage, and other natural disasters or emergency situations. And this person used “labor dispute due to _______(the dreaded illness)”. So I filed that yesterday since it qualified as a place you could file a complaint.

So my employer of course, as they should, denied the claim and said it was fraud —so they took care of that part on their end. But today I will also file on my end, that way I have a fraud claim filed not only with the federal government but with the state. So if they catch the person(s) they will be facing a bigger situation than they ever dreamed. I also prayed they would be caught.

Unemployment fraud is however, a huge problem as is company breaches, hacks, and leaks. I guess everyone can assume your information has been leaked somewhere sometime. Not everyone follows or even has guidelines as to inform individuals that their data has been breached. But I was appreciative that my employer let me know that my personal data was used, and that they let me know I wasn’t the only one. So who knows whether the breech was a massive scale within the government and a few of our people just happened to be picked, if it was our breech or a third party. Who knows? But hopefully the government can do a bit of hacking of their own to find out!

So tomorrow we go and file the police report. I asked George if we needed to hire a lawyer for any reason. But he said no, not at this point anyway as we (as of yet) have no monetary loss against us, nothing stolen, nothing charged in our name – that we know of. But the government websites say to file a police report of the stolen identity so that you don’t have any troubles later and can show proof that it was filed. It gives you a document to show so if anything goes wrong with credit later.

He has checked on some of our accounts but we’ll be checking on the rest as we can get time to do so.

After a long day at work yesterday, and it was my turn to fix dinner – a meatloaf, pasta salad, and lima beans, rolls – then after we ate, I had to go and freeze the accounts through the 3 main credit agencies. ::sigh:: George had frozen his while I fixed dinner. But he was kind to sit with me for moral support while I went to the three websites, created an account with each and froze each. I can think of better things I’d rather do with my time!

I considered doing a Life Lock account, but that makes me feel uncomfortable really. You have to give them all of your accounts, and that is just one more agency that has your data that can leak it. But I think having done our research and taking care of freezing our credit – I think we’ll be good. But we probably have to take a few other steps with some of our accounts. But at least they can’t go buy a car in our name, like another person experienced. :-O

Have you ever had your identity stolen? It’s a shame people go to so much effort to get $. It seems easier to just go get a job.

A Little Note to the Criminal

So to all you people out there spending hours trying to be someone you are not – I hope you get caught and you live a life of having to look over your back and hoping not to be in prison for years and in debt the rest of your life. I wouldn’t want to be you. But I will pray for you and I will pray that you are caught. My God is bigger than your devil, and he can whip you and your devil in shape in a heartbeat —or rather a sound of a trumpet–lol. So you best turn your life around! It’s a shame to have to live a life that way. To not be able to go to bed at night without trembling over what you did today, no good sleep that you did an honest day’s work. How bad you must feel to be a low life, and to have made a nothing of yourself, to be on the bad side of the underworld and not triumph with anything good in your life – only lies, fear, dread. And what do you have to look forward to? How miserable. Maybe you have a nice car, nice house made with money you didn’t earn with an honest days work? How’s that make you feel? I can’t imagine that would make you feel good for long. So you probably have to drown it out with drugs, dope, and drink and all that right? Yeah, I’m right aren’t I. You are in a cycle you can’t get out of. That is why I’m praying for you. Bless your heart. Oh, and “bless your heart” in case you are not from the south, is not always a good term! But it’s a nice way of saying a few other things that we don’t want to have to say because we do enjoy a good sleep at night.

A Little Note to Wherever the Breech Came From

What are you doing to fix this if you are aware of it? Have you told others of the breach so they can take steps to protect their info. Or have you just swept it under the rug and hope it goes away? What are your policies regarding this type of thing? Do you even have a policy regarding this type of thing in today’s world?

I don’t have all the answers, but God does. And I’ve put Him on it! 😉 As well as the authorities.

The tribe has spoken. And will likely speak again!

How’s YOUR Psyche Doing Today?

On By BackporchwriterIn Life, Psyche6 Comments

Red Spider Lillies

These caught my attention pulling in the drive yesterday. Often we are so busy I don’t notice as they are in the back yard next to the tree line. But bright red with the sun shining down on it caught my eyes. See, after yesterday’s post, I may not have stopped to smell the roses (didn’t see any) but I did stop to admire the spider lilies!

I also stopped mid-day to go to Logans and get salmon on top of rice, a side of broccoli, a side salad, and ice tea. Yes, I ate a buttered roll for dessert. I was going to tell her no rolls but she brought them to the table when I sat down. It was meant to be but I only ate one. It was so good. I have to have a salmon fix every now and then. Mom does not like much fish so we’ve not fixed it at home. Sometimes I don’t either unless the fishy taste is covered up good with a good sauce. While at Logans I blew through some 400 something emails. I have not taken the time to check them in a few days. I am going to have to eliminate some of them. But I missed my bone density results. I haven’t even looked at them yet. I saw the email sitting there and didn’t want to log in on my phone. I would mess up the password. I can get in on the Mac w/o having to log in again. So I will look this weekend at the results.

What if we went around asking each other “How’s Your Psyche Doing Today?”

I slept from 9:15 last night to 7:10 this morning. I woke up around 1:30 and sipped water and had to go to the bathroom. This is most nights. One time. Sleep was just wonderful. And my psyche is doing a lot better. A rosier side.

What if we went around and asked each other “How’s Your Psyche Today?”. That would be interesting conversation wouldn’t it? But can you imagine? “My psyche is pleased today. I’m not as stressed. I’m letting go.” or “My psyche is in a weird place today, a little depressed, and moody, and dark.”

People should really talk about their psyches more I guess but we all have so much baggage at times, in a hurry, and who wants to go there really? Well I’m all about loving anything psychological so I’d be for a good ole psyche discussion most any time. But I’ve always wanted to go deeper into conversations than most people want to go. So I try hard just not to talk as I know that about me, but if I ever get going and someone listens, I tend to go overboard b/c I think I’m conversation starved sometimes. That said, sometimes I don’t know what to talk about so go figure! As I’m typing this, I’m realizing the art of conversation has just really changed in my lifetime I think. What do you think? We are less interested in each other and spend more time just getting our opinions out there.

I suppose everyone talks about weather, sports, the dreaded illness that is so rampant. But not many really talk about what is on their mind, or ask each other genuinely how they are doing, or how’s your Mom and ’em? It’s as much my fault as anyone’s. I always dive into what we are doing or what we’ve done or what we are dealing with and go from there to start conversations. Honestly really hadn’t thought much about it until I started typing. I usually don’t know where I’m going when I start typing. It’s kinda both amazing and freaky what happens when I type. lol

Been a while since we went to a Titan’s game. We had a lot of fun adventures when George worked for Gibson. We met a lot of people. Many became friends. Or at least for a while, while paths crossed, businesses ventured, and geography allowed it. I haven’t really thought about these foodie Tailgate adventures we loved so much, celebrating life, enjoying a day out, watching football, eating cold brats afterward and riding with friends on their tailgate bus back to the car. I saw this pic and remembered those days.

We had many an evening that vendors took us out to nice places. Now so much has happened in our world, I am apprehensive to even be in Nashville at night. I’m sure it’s fine, but not always. It seems in so many ways, the carefree days are over. The days of fun and food and adventure and travel. I know that is not entirely true, but it’s not like it was anyway. And here I go zooming down the dark path again like yesterday. Not meaning to, but recognizing the difference. There is a sadness now I didn’t have back then. Mainly in looking at our world, not me, just our world is sad and angry and different as a whole.

This makes me realize if I feel this way, others must also. It means a lot in our world when someone smiles even and honestly wishes you to have a good day. Or speaks to you with kind words. I have noticed it has greater meaning! We must do it more. Being kind to our waiters and waitresses, checkers, people we pass on the street. We need more nice and kind.

Be someone’s hero for the day! So let’s challenge ourselves:

  1. Say something extra to those you come in contact with.
  2. Smile more and say hello.
  3. Be helpful even to strangers.
  4. Genuinely ask your friends how they are doing and mean it.
  5. Reach out to three of your social media buds by commenting on their picture, post, etc. Comments mean a lot.
  6. Just Connect.
  7. Say more to your coworkers when you are in the same room or pass.
  8. Have lunch with a friend(s)
  9. _______________ Keep going with this list and make other suggestions in the comments. It’s endless, but we have to make our daily world a better place. What if we changed someone’s day by a smile or a few simple words or actions?

Or it’s a Disciplined Mind and a Wild Eye or a Wild mind and a Wild Eye but probably never a Disciplined Mind and Disciplined Eye? Who knows! lol

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

Ok so….Mom liked her doctor on Thursday and was able to get her Rx’s filled. However, after sleeping on it, decided that she didn’t like the fact that he didn’t take her blood pressure, temperature, and that I had mentioned how dingy the office area looked (it was for a doc office). So she has decided she doesn’t want to stay under him. We’ve kinda gone through all the doctor’s practices in Hermitage, Lebanon and Mount Juliet that take the hospital system she wants to be under. So many of them not taking new patients. Many of them not taking Medicare. So she is backing herself now into us having to go to Nashville. Or she will have to relax her standards. I am probably going to refuse to go to Nashville. I don’t drive there and park downtown, so…..I’m setting boundaries. I mean I would do it if there was just an emergency or the only doctor in town that will do xyz! But not for a primary care. It’s been shocking to me at how many doc offices refuse to deal with medicare. Mom doesn’t want to be at a doc office that ONLY does medicare b/c she says you don’t get the best care. She also doesn’t want any care from 2 of the 3 hospital systems in our area b/c of the same reason. So we’ve dwindled down to having to relax some standards here. I have spent SO MUCH TIME researching docs with her criteria and still can’t seem to find the one.

So I told her while she sits here all day and plays games on her tablet and reads political agendas on Facebook (we hear about it at dinner) then she will have time to do research on the doctors in the area. lol. That way she can see what I’m talking about. It’s my opinion you have to manage your own health care in a way. I told Mom “tell ’em you want your temp taken and blood pressure checked, tell ’em how you want it to go”. I understand her concerns though. I’m not heartless. It’s also concerning to me that they did not do these very basic things most doc does. They even called her back before she finished the paperwork, leaving me scratching my head. So I’m not sure what the answer is. I just know I’m tired of trying to find a doctor to please so “I’m gonna let” her do it since I’m striking out. At least we found a good heart doctor. Maybe they will be able to make her a good recommendation.

Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

Anyway we are going out to Lebanon today to see Mom’s house, eat some BBQ, and check out some parts of Lebanon, maybe stopping at a few places – a butcher shop, a gourmet farmers market, and so forth. Not really sure what all we are going to do but we are taking Mom out to get her out of the house some.

Tomorrow we are hanging out with my SIL and BIL going to a newer brewery they’ve not been to, and out to eat and to see their new place in Lebanon. We miss them and need to catch up. They have sold their house in Gallatin and living in Lebanon a little closer to us and certainly more accessible to us since we will be in Lebanon a lot. Of course they have two locales, as they have a condo in the mountains near their grandchild (what a thought huh?) Well their grandchild is only 4 hours away and ours is more like 14! Yes, we have considered having an apartment in TX! But it’s not worth it b/c we wouldn’t be there enough to warrant it. At least not right now while we are working FT.

Anyway, I think this is a good point to end the blog. But it’s a good day. We’ll be open minded, sipping coffee, doing laundry, doing some weekend routines and getting ready for a little day out. Sunny and 84 today. And I’m going back for more coffee if there is any left. My heart is just so glad it’s the weekend. There’s nothing like working on YOUR OWN agenda. Even if you love the job you do, it’s just nice to be on your own turf doing your own thing. Not hustling (no hurries) more coffee. Maybe I should have named the blog “lesshurrymorecoffee” but at the time, I was doing a side hustle of network marketing and made an abrupt turn after circumstances, sprituality, and some soul searching changed my thinking.

Sometimes I think of changing the blog, the blog title, and so forth but I already have SO MUCH invested in this title and in building up the blog, the videos, and social media- so I stick with it. Even though my growth is not very big. I don’t want to lose what steam it has. It’s not a bad theme. It’s still me – I don’t want to hurry – I want to enjoy life – and I love my coffee to get me started and my wine to finish! 😉 What you all doing on this fine Saturday in September?

Meanwhile in Texas…

I absolutely LOVE these photos of my grandson. He is so cute in the hat and overalls! I think I shall order one for a frame! Or two or three! So precious. I can’t wait to hug him at Christmas.