Springtime in OK

 I used to have severe storm anxiety when I was a kid but as I got older it mostly went away.    I seriously thought when people talked about tornado alley they were talking about the highway that ran by our house. A lot of my childhood memories involve the storm cellar 😳.

 I can say since I have lived on my own I have only ever been scared/concerned 3 times that I can remember.  One was just from the look on Dennis's face after he walked in the house, the second when the tornado went over my old office building about 6 miles from my house, the last is the Father's Day storm last year.  We only took shelter the first time.  I think that last storm has reawakened some of the irrational part of the fear I had when I was a kid.   Of course radar wasn't near what it is now.  We have a commercial from one of our local weather gods that has him saying what time a tornado was going to hit an area that cuts to a family holding up a clock that showed the exact time the storm hit their home.  That and being older and having a better understanding and appreciation of storms has kept me calm.  Let me tell you that is not the case this year.  I am freaking out with just about every storm.  This last one we had felt like there was literal electricity in the air.  I ended up taking a valium to keep me from a panic spiral.  It ended up hitting 40ish miles outside of where I live. Close enough that we had to do the accountability check in robocall for work.  Our Chief's parent live there and his dad rode it out in the closet,  He is fine but the house is destroyed.  Just wow.  

I haven’t been doing much, I remember just how much I love teleworking though.  AP has been an ass hat as usual.  If I don’t respond almost immediately to her messages she will call me.  She was copied on some stuff I needed to update, which I did but she threw a fit that I didn’t send her a message letting her know it had been done.  She has way too much time on her hands.

Thursday I had my follow up with the surgeon.  My weight was about 101, which he was happy with.  He said I am still swollen and I told him I was still sore.  He said that the spot that hurt was where they took the band out and he expects it to be sore for awhile but it will hurt me before I can hurt it.  I would like to go to dance on Wednesday but I forgot to ask him about it.  I will probably wait another week.  He did say I could start eating real food but that I needed to  take it easy.  I stopped and got a burger for lunch and stopped at Costco to get grapes because those were the two things I had been craving.  

I had made plans for Mother’s Day with my mom and the mil and I got a call while I was shopping from Dennis saying his mom was going to call me.  Apparently his sister got off her ass and made plans for MD lunch and that offer looked better than the one we had.  It really hurt Dennis’s feelings but I pretty much expected it.  The worst part is that Friday was his birthday so it was kind of a MD/birthday thing but she didn’t give a fuck.  His family has a history of waiting until the last minute, or at least waiting to invite us or the parents for whatever occasion they are planning until a day or to before.  I didn’t expect any different this time.  I guess Dennis told his mom that since I had invited her and made the plans she needed to call me and cancel with me.  I have never heard her more uncomfortable. Again, I expected it especially since the great grandkid was born in March.  I even asked her when I invited her about it and she made sure to tell me that they hadn’t planned anything so she was looking forward to going. Dennis did get a text from his sister Friday saying that we are invited over for dessert after lunch. He sent her a message back saying that mil had accepted an invitation from me but had since changed her mind, which he had several thoughts about.  She noped out of that conversation quick.  Of course he is still working his ass off at his mom's house.  I don’t get it, that is what gets me.  When someone tells me I am their second choice I tend to reciprocate.  He said “there are some things I need to finish up” but whatever.  Instead of going to eat with us he went to her house and worked and she went to eat at his sister’s.  That made irked me at Dennis.  He told me later that he ate a can of soup for lunch.  I told him I didn't feel bad for him because that was his choice.

Friday was his birthday and he was all pissy.  We met with the contractor to sign the contract and give the deposit on the roof.  They aren’t going to be able to start until mid-June, but that is probably for the best because I probably don’t want to be working from home while they are doing it.  We are trying to figure out a plan of action for Bai but we have a few weeks to figure it out.  Plus it depends on weather and storms.  We did go eat at one of our favorite places, The Brook.  I got chicken fajita nachos and he got fish and chips.  They have the best fries and I swear those were the best nachos I have ever put in my face hole.  I got a half order and only ate about half of them, but I did inhale some of Dennis’s French fries.  I was pretty tired by the time I got home and fell asleep early.  I regret that now because they had predicted a chance to see the aurora.  I thought it would never happen but some of the rangers posted some amazing photos not far from me.  Oh well.  Still on the bucket list.

I told my mom I was going to skip going over on Saturday and go over after work on Wednesday instead.  I had a few things I needed to do that would have been a pita to drag her to.  I have to get some money moved around for the roof project, take my old ipad in to the Verizon store, and go to Target (they never have an electric cart charged).  They have the cutest dresses and with the sore spot on my stomach the little summer dresses they have are perfect and inexpensive.  Anything with a waistband just rubs and is uncomfortable.  My friend that does my nails lives across from SuperTarget and she just happened to call while I was there so I went by and saw her.  Her dog and cats were so happy to see me, lol.  

That brings me to today, Mother's Day.  We had 11:30 reservations at Ti Amos, our normal holiday spot.  They do sort of a buffet with a ton of variety and the food is always good.  It was just me, my mom, and my little sister.  I usually get a small plate and just a little bit of everything and go back and get more of the cream pasta and chicken piccata instead of dessert. Just as I sat down a waitress dropped a plate and I saw something splatter.  I didn't think much of it until I started to smell ketchup a few minutes later.  I moved my arm and realized the ketchup had splatter all over me.  Thankfully I didn't feel up to putting a lot of effort in so wore a Shein dress and a pair of Rothy's.  I have never been more happy with my decision not to wear my Fluevogs.  If I had gotten ketchup stain on a pair I would have not ben nearly as mild mannered about the incident.  No one said anything to us when the plate fell but I got up and asked a member of the waitstaff to get me a bunch of napkins.  I went to the bathroom and one or the waitresses followed me to try and help me get it all off.  When I tell you it was all over me, I mean it was all over me.  When we thought we found it all we would find more.  The manager came over and game me her card in case I couldn't get the stain out but I'm not really worried about it as cleaning would cost more than the dress.  It wiped off the shoes.  The smell was the worst and kind of killed my appetite.  My meal was comped but it was just an accident and our waiter didn't do it so I left more of a tip to make up for it.  The biggest issue was I had a few things I wanted to do on my way home.  There is an Old Navy close so I stopped in and got a little swing dress they had 50% off and ended up loving it so much I ordered another in a different color when I got home.  

Tomorrow Dennis has an appointment with the cardiologist to go over the latest results of his stress test.  His cardiologist team is supposed to be amazing but not the best at communication so he wants me to go with him.  Tuesday I have an appointment with the rheumatologist.  My left thumb has been clicking and popping really bad so I will be curious to see what he has to say.  I normally see the PA but this time I will be seeing the actual doctor.  Wednesday I am taking my mom to dinner, which might be something I start doing instead of going on the weekend and wasting an entire day.  Thursday I have my annual performance review virtually, curious to see how that turns out since I have a lot to say about AP.  

Till next time

 

I survived

 Surgery went about as expected.  

I was supposed to take off the day before to get my mom to the eye doctor for her shot but sharp guy messed all that up with the program the day before and I didn’t get out of the office until almost an hour late.  Obviously nothing got done that day.  I ended up working until about 11 from home and another hour after I got home.  As always, my mom had list of things she wanted me to do.  I reminded her that I still had work to do and get ready for the procedure so she begrudgingly let me head out.  Oddly enough when my little sister does anything she always makes a point to tell me that she had to make up the work.  Like, yup, that's kind of how that goes.  The doctor told her that her eye is doing much better and set up her next shot for 3 months.  While I was waiting for my mom, I got the call telling me my surgery would be at 10 and to be at the hospital at 8.  On my way home I got a call that one of my co-workers had sent me flowers and the florist had left them on the porch.  I obviously had to tell work I was having surgery but they have no idea what it is.  I find it is better to give just enough information to keep the vultures at bay but not to go into detail.  The more blanks you leave the more people like to fill them in.  I really didn't want a rumor starting that I was dying of guinea worm (shout out to my man JC).  

I was a little concerned that since surgery was at 10 it would be noon before I actually went back, but it went right on time.  It was supposed to take about an hour and Dennis said it was about 2 hours so that is probably right on schedule.  I don't think I was in recovery very long because I remember coming out of it and the nurses acting like the weren't expecting it but that could have just been a dream.   They informed me that I would not be going home and would have to stay the night.  I wasn't overly thrilled but I was really too sleepy to care too much.  Nurse assistance Betty was getting on my last nerve.  She told me I had to eat something and gave me the menu I could use to order from...broth, jello, popsicle.  I relented and called the kitchen who told me that they had me on nothing by mouth 😠  About that time Betty went off duty and I really wasn't hungry so I just slept.  I asked Betty before she left if I could change into my pjs and she said no I had to wear the gown.  She did give me a robe, which I got to keep as a lovely parting gift, part of the perks of going to the fancy hospital.  I was kind of glad I stayed when the nerve block wore off.  Laying back in bed was pretty painful.  Not long after Betty started her next shift the doctor had come in and told me I could eat pudding!!  The dietician was there and heard him say it so she went and got me some.  When I tell you Betty came back in and went ape shit seeing me eat the pudding.  The dietician was there and said I heard him tell her that!!  I don't think that women lets much get passed her.  I called Dennis and told him they were going to discharge me and I should be ready about noon.  He hadn't been there long when they showed up asking if I was ready for my wheelchair.  They didn't even give Dennis time to go get the car.  Easy peasy. 

Recovery has been fine.  I am still on soft food but I swear to all things holy my body is starting to bleed protein shakes and pudding.  It is going to be a long time before I eat pudding again after this.  My all time low was 87 pounds but when I weighed this morning it was 102.  Not sure how much of that is real and how much is inflammation.  I have probably been more cognizant about getting calories in for recovery so it might be real?  I don't feel like I look like my skin is melting anymore.  Now I just need not freak when the scale does start to move up.  My therapist and I are already exploring that.  

Obviously there hasn’t been much going on. Weather has been the El Niño to el Nina or vis versa that wrecks havoc with the atmosphere.  We are really close to flooding events.  Lots of parks closing.  Luckily we have only had some noisy storms, nothing serious.  I may wish I had bought a boat instead of a car.  I have had some. Extra time to plan the next NYC adventure.  HMF says she is really excited.  I bought the tickets to see the Outsiders but I think we are going to wait until we get there and try rush or TKTS and roll the dice.  Our hotel is close to Rockefeller Center so we will do top of the rock at one point.  I also want to see the Statue of Liberty cruise/ferry.  I am really not as worried about it as I was with my sister.  HMF and I have traveled together many times when we ran so it will be good.

Speaking of, my sister, Barbie had bought tickets for a fund raising event before the surgery date was set and I was feeling well enough to go, so Thursday I met her at the ‘Raise the Woof’ gala.  They had shredded chicken and brisket and I might have eaten a little bit.  We got drink tickets but I gave them to Barbie because I thought wine or Tito’s spiked lemonade might be a bit much.  I told her Barbie that I was going to have them make a lemonade and have the bartender run the glass of vodka under my nose so I could get the spike lemonade experience.  My sister is not one for moderation so she probably would have drank anyway.  My competitive side came out on the silent auction.   There was a session with an animal communicator and we decided I had to have that for Bailey.  No one had bid on it but for some reason that bitch Sarah outbid me.  The war was on.  I swear she tried to outbid me on everything and I took it personally.  I ended up with the session, a spa gift certificate (which I didn’t even want but that bitch Sarah bid on it so I had to) and a sweet little hand painted tile that no one bid on and I felt sorry for.  Barbie got a bike, lol.  

I’m not sure she really even wanted it but it was way underbid.  It’s some fold up commuter bike that’s big in Japan.  As much as she swears she really didn’t want it she sure looks proud.  Luckily her husband was coming to pick her up so he was able to help her get it home as I am helpless.  It was a fun night and it gave me a chance to get out of the house after a week of house arrest.  I didn’t get many pictures as I spent a lot of the time there sitting on the little couch they had in the back.  That and showing that bitch Sarah what happens when you fafo.

That was pretty much the highlight of the week.  

On my way back from DC my iPad was doing funky things so I called my Verizon friend.  My iPad was pretty old and had very limited storage so he upgraded me to a 10 and I spent the weekend playing with it and setting it up.  I have to wipe the old one and run it back to the store so I can get the trade in credit even though it is barely functioning.  Even trying to transfer the stuff it kept scrolling through the app icons so t was in a doom scroll.  I hope I can get it to a point where I can at least see if there is anything I want to keep.  I don’t use it much when I am home but I do use it when I travel.  

I go back to the doctor on Thursday and I hope he clears me to eat like a normal person because we have plans to take the moms out for Mother’s Day lunch.  I am desperate for something to chew!!