Are We Having Fun Yet?

 

Sometimes timing is everything.

Like just managing to catch your dog with his head inside a stuffed toy (thank you, Cordelia!).

Which just goes to show that pretty much everyone is a better photographer than I am.

[sigh]

But I’m ok with that.  These days, I am unable to do photography, for two reasons:  (1) my computer is full, with no room for new photos until I manage to clear out a bunch of crap; and (2) I am essentially disabled and housebound at the moment, due to the fact that I am awaiting surgery for a prolapsed bladder.

Years ago, I asked my then primary physician if it was possible for a prolapsed bladder to actually fall out of one’s body, and he said it was highly unlikely.  Relying on his “expertise,” I ignored the situation – until I had that bad fall a couple of years ago, after which it seemed I lost a couple of inches in height, and yes, the bladder subsequently fell out completely.

(BTW, that was the same doctor who later told my husband he simply had a muscle strain when, in fact, he had a ruptured appendix.  Needless to say, we are no longer seeing that doctor.)

Now I understand why walking became so difficult.  It wasn’t just laziness, as my husband seemed to think (he has since revised his opinion, now that my surgeon has confirmed that I’m basically trying to walk around like a cow with a full udder dragging under her).

So, for now I stay as still as possible, and hope that once the surgery is completed in a few weeks, I’ll be able to start moving around normally again.  I’d love to be out of pain and able to rebuild my atrophied muscles.  Summer is just around the corner and Mother Nature is calling to me.

If nothing else, I’m hoping to be able to start driving myself again. Currently, hubby has to drive me to all my appointments because, even though I have a handicapped sticker (and a cane), I find it very difficult to walk from the parking lot into any building, so I rely on him to drop me off right outside the front door.  So annoying.

And I never thought I’d say [write] this:  I am so looking forward to surgery.

Fingers crossed.

Of course, I’ll have all those un-planned-for medical bills.  There have been a number of medical appointments and pre-surgical tests for which there are co-pays.  My Medicare Advantage insurance will cover most of the testing and the surgery itself, but the out-of pocket costs will still add up and will need to be taken from savings.

[double sigh]

The good news is – while we were unable to qualify for SNAP (food stamps) because we were only a few hundred dollars over the maximum income limit, we have received HEAP (for heating) and EEAP (for electric).  Plus (and this is a biggie), my GI doctor has agreed to try to help me obtain assistance for my Remicade infusions – not having to pay that nearly $400 every six weeks would go a long way towards stretching the very, very tight budget.

I don’t know if I’ll be posting again any time soon, so wish me luck.  If you’re religious, I will gladly accept any prayers for a successful surgery and recovery.  I admit to being scared that my advancing age will finally catch up to me on the operating table.  What a  bummer that would be.

Hugs, all.

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com
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Image by “Cordelia”

Posted in Health, That's Life | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Time Passes

Another year down.

Once again, I have allowed my WordPress subscription to renew automatically. But at least this year, it was an active decision.  My stats have increased ten-fold recently, and while I’m pretty sure it’s due simply to an AI glitch of some kind, I would hope that at least some of those new readers are actual people.  Just in case, I opted to keep this site live so all those newly found fans can catch up on those hundreds of wonderful posts I’ve published over the years.

Yes, the cost of the renewal subscription is a bit of a strain on an already stretched-to-the-limit budget, but hopefully will be worth it.  ‘Cause, you know that somewhere among that plethora of new fans must be at least one publisher who’s dying to add me to their roster of ups-and-comings.

One can only hope.

Of course, any such interest would have to be based on past posts as I so seldom publish anything currently.

These days, I don’t have much to say.  Most days are humdrum, with no events so exciting or so devastating that I feel a need to write about them.  Probably that’s a good thing. There’s much to be said about living life on an even keel.

Sure, there are many national events that I could write about, but these days in the U.S. it’s best not to say or write anything that could be even remotely construed as critical of the current powers that be.  Heck, even writing a negative review about a book or movie could probably get one branded as a “domestic terrorist.”  ‘Nuff said.

So basically I just muddle by from day to day, taking paid surveys to build up a little extra cash for my Amazon orders, and listening to hubby yap 24/7 about this, that and the other thing (don’t ask for specifics, I stopped listening a long time ago).  At this time of year, it’s been too cold and snowy to even go outside, so mostly I’m housebound except for medical appointments.  Perhaps come spring I’ll manage a little more motivation – who knows?

The good news, however, is that thus far we’re able to just squeak by on only our Social Security benefits without having to dip too much into the limited savings.  Of course, it means giving up all the fun stuff like eating out, ordering in, or buying wine, but I’d rather sacrifice those than have to give up my home.  Puppy Cody loves her backyard, and hubby and I love our privacy.  Squeaking by is good, right?  And it did help that although we were unable to qualify for SNAP benefits (food stamps), we did manage to get HEAP – so at least we don’t have to be overly stressed about those heating bills during the current cold snap.

Things could always be so much worse.

How’s it by you?

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com
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Image by Cordelia’s Mom/TeddyRosalieStudio

Posted in That's Life | Tagged , , , | 22 Comments

The Seduction


IT’S “OVER-THE-HUMP DAY” FOR THOSE WHO STILL WORK FIVE DAYS A WEEK. I BELIEVE A LITTLE LIGHT READING IS IN ORDER AS A PICK-ME-UP, SO ENJOY THIS RE-BLOG FROM MANY YEARS AGO!

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I was seduced by an expert.

Knowing there had been a long period of abstinence, the devil started ever so slowly.  Just a little wink, a tiny whiff of that intoxicating scent, an alluring whisper.  Rumors that others had enjoyed the devil’s offerings and craved more.  Rumors that succumbing would result in overall stimulation, flushed cheeks, heightened awareness, tingling in the tummy.

Sometimes the devil offered chocolate or cinnamon, to spice things up. There were hints that whipped cream might be available in the future.

It became harder and harder to resist.  Because –  chocolate and whipped cream?  Tingling?

Yes, I fell for the devil, and I fell hard.

I used to be a “black coffee, no cream, no sugar” kind of gal.  At home, I would only use a percolator.  No Mr. Coffee for me – I like my brew strong!  But, I developed ulcerative colitis, and coffee became a thing of the past.

Then, the Powers That Be installed a Keurig coffee maker in our office kitchen.

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SO MANY CHOICES!

Now, every day I would enter the kitchen door and be confronted by that Keurig machine, with its multitude of individually portioned drinks in every flavor imaginable. Every day, I would be accosted by people walking around with heavenly scented cups of coffee, tea, and other hot beverages.

I started with just one (I swear) cup of plain Folgers coffee. After such abstinence, it tasted soooo good.   Having been on my Remicade therapy for more than a year, I found I could drink a cup of coffee occasionally with no deleterious effect.  The “occasional” cup became a daily cup – sometimes even two cups a day.  Still plain, no cream, no sugar – but had I been paying attention, I might have noticed the seducer’s ploy.

Seducers are patient – time is their friend. Addictions develop slowly.

One day, as I was filling the water reservoir in the Keurig machine, I glanced over and started perusing the various flavors of coffee, tea, etc. available. It was cold outside.  I had been running late and snarfed down my half bagel with cream cheese.  There, right on the shelf, were Dunkin Donuts Original Blend and Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll K-cups.  Donuts? Cinnamon roll?  I’m so in!  During the day, I had one of each.

The next day, I noticed the Kahlua coffee. Ok, so maybe it doesn’t really have kahlua in it, but we can all pretend, can’t we?  Especially after a whole morning and half an afternoon of dealing with ever more demanding clients?  Can we also order the Timothy’s Irish Cream K-cups? Please?

From there, it was a predictably slippery slope.

While I never (well, almost never) found myself adding cream or sugar, each day I would treat myself to one or two cups of Keurig coffee.  I experimented with different flavors –  Green Mountain Wild Blueberry, Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice, Dunkin Donuts Chocolate Glazed Donut.  The variety seemed endless.

I occasionally offset the soft addiction with somewhat healthier choices – Celestial Seasonings Mandarin Orange Spice tea or Green Mountain Hot Apple Cider.  But the devil continued to entice.

The seduction was not just a one-night stand.   It became an obsession.

Are the sleepless nights worth it?  Will the affair eventually become boring and simply end?  I don’t know, nor do I care.  For the time being, I’m simply enjoying the excitement brought into an otherwise routine existence.

Like many before me, I will continue to enjoy the depravity. Like many before me, I may simply walk on the dark side until God Himself calls me home.

My final words may well be,

Just one more cup, ok?

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post, comment on my Facebook or Twitter pages, or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com or notcordeliasmom@aol.com

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Images by Cordelia’s Mom

Posted in Humor, Photography, Relationships, That's Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Getting By, Still

It was the best pizza ever!

Well, not really – but because it had been many months since we ordered any kind of takeout, I especially enjoyed the pizza that hubby treated me to yesterday.  We really can’t afford it, but damn it made my day.

I bet I enjoyed that pizza more than all those oligarchs enjoyed their recent McCavier dinner at the White House.

Such a simple thing to bring so much joy into the life of this struggling senior citizen.

An additional high note was that this week I was able to pay all the monthly bills (even the newly increased mortgage payment) and had over $100 left!  Of course, that was only because the weather has been mild, requiring neither heating nor air conditioning.  Next month, the utility bills will increase due to colder weather and while I may be able to avoid dipping into savings, there’s unlikely to be anything left over.

[Deep breath]

Anyway.

We’re managing, just.  I did have to cancel a CT scan my doctor ordered because I couldn’t afford the out-of-pocket expense, but I’m ok with that since it was merely to rule out potential problems that probably don’t exist anyway.  If I die soon as a result of not having that CT, I’ll be sure to let you all know.

Next week, we’ll have the dubious joy of meeting with our insurance  broker to choose next year’s Medicare Advantage plan.  As far as I can tell, there are only 3 insurance companies that include my doctors and hospitals in their networks, one of which recently priced themselves right out of my budget (and unfortunately it’s the one I currently use).

But at least I can look forward to getting out of the house and speaking with someone other than my spouse and my dog.  That’s good, right?

And speaking of get-togethers (I was, wasn’t I? Hard to remember these days.), I’m happy to report that my entire family has agreed to a no-gifts Christmas this year.  In fact, a couple of the kids expressed relief to be able to avoid the stress of picking out, and paying for, gifts that no one really needs anyhow.  It will be much nicer to enjoy our family holiday without having to rush through dinner just to open gifts.

(but I do love gifts, both giving and receiving – we just can’t afford it any more)

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On another note –

I’ve recently noticed an uptick in my reader views (yes, I do occasionally still pay attention to those stats!).

Thank you to all those new (?) readers.  I hope you’re finding my posts entertaining and maybe even uplifting.  If you’re really, really enjoying my writing efforts, you can hire me (see the tab at the top of this page), or if you’re feeling generous and have the funds, I’ll gladly accept monetary gifts (just email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com to discuss).

I’m ever the optimist.

Happy Friday, all.

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I love to hear from my readers. You may comment on this post or email me at cordeliasmom2012@yahoo.com
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Image by Cordelia’s Mom/TeddyRosalieStudio

Posted in That's Life | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments