viewWe beat the rain!
01 April – 18:30
Over the seven years that we've lived in this house I've hired two different yard men and taken upon myself the lawn care chores for a number of those years. This year I've hired a new man. Today was his first time working for me and he did an excellent job.
The weather was perfect for yard work today but I just saw the local weather forecast calling for rain and thunderstorms starting tomorrow and lasting for four days. Friday is supposed to be the most stormy and Friday afternoons will be the day we agreed upon that will be best for him to work here.
Depending on the grass and the weather I'll call him on every other Thursday, or every third, and give him the “go ahead” to come over that Friday. This week he did his work today and we won't have to worry about the upcoming rain.
#SeniorLiving #chores
by Roscoe
view“Eww! That is NOT the prettiest thing I've seen this morning!”
30 March 2020 – 17:45
That's what I told the nurse on the other end of the line. She giggled and replied, “Well, I think you have it set up properly.”
I am scheduled for an appointment with my primary care physician in a few days. It's just a routine appointment and I'm not even to see the Doctor himself, but his Nurse Practitioner.
His office called me this morning and told me they were starting to use tele-health services and asked if I would be willing to meet with the Nurse Practitioner over the phone. Heck, yes! I'm totally fine with staying home instead of being driven downtown to the office, then waiting, then being driven back home.
The girl from his office then asked what kind of phone I had: an iPhone or an Android. And she asked if I'd be willing to download the duo app, as that's what the Doctor likes to use. So...
I'll be waiting by my phone for the office to call me at the time of my appointment. And we'll see how it goes.
#SeniorLiving #SevenTwoProject #health #technology
by Roscoe
viewAll is well here, not much new.
29 March 2020 – 19:45
Like most folks (I hope), she and I continue to stay home, stay safe, and stay well.
Yesterday we learned that a friend had fallen ill with what appears to be the CCP-flu that is causing all this pandemic hooplah. He was more her friend than mine, being the husband of a friend of hers. We had him over to our house for a party two years ago and haven't seen him since then. He's been tested and is waiting for the results. Hope he recovers.
I ordered nearly $200.00 of household supplies today that will be delivered over the next few days and weeks, saving us some trips to the store.
This afternoon I cleaned off the back patio and washed a gravity chair kept back there. I can hang out back there during the afternoon now that the weather is nicer. So even though I have to stay home I won't have to stay in the house all the time.
And the adventure continues. Quietly.
#SeniorLiving #pandemic #stayathome
by Roscoe
viewPlaying with budget projections
27 March – 20:45
It would be nice if I could tell the future, if I knew when travel restrictions were going to be lifted between here and the Philippines, Will we be allowed to go there later this summer, or will we have to wait until later in the year, or maybe even until next year? Who knows?
Today I considered how best to build enough flexibility into my budget over the next six months or so to enable us to move there by August, if travel restrictions are lifted, or to stay in Texas for several extra months if the Philippines remains closed.
And it would help if I knew what the economy was going to be like over the next few months, too. Knowing how much budget I'm going to have to work with would make planning a lot easier. So I try to develop primary plans, and back up plans, and be imaginative and realistic at the same time.
#SeniorLiving #plans #Philippines
by Roscoe
viewA happy consequence...
26 March 2020 – 18:15
... of Sylvia being home all day now (both places where she worked are now closed due to the Chinese flu general economic slowdown) is that her health seems to be improving.
A few minutes ago I mentioned to her that her coughing and sneezing have slowed way down. She's had a scary cough and sneeze combination for as long as I've known her, seven years now. But over the course of this week that has practically disappeared. She replied that, yeah, she's noticed that, too.
I suggested that maybe her stress levels are lower now that she no longer has to go to work.
#SeniorLiving #health
by Roscoe
viewI wonder if an Ace Bandage...
25 March – 20:50
... wound properly will give enough support to my left foot to allow me to walk without too much of a limp, and with enough stability to go up and down a small flight of stairs safely.
Earlier today I was trying to mow the back yard when a sudden sharp pain and weakness in my left foot forced me to stop. Heck, I'd only pushed the lawnmower about 10 feet. And I was barely able to make it back into the house.
That foot has been giving me problems for awhile, forcing me to limp noticeably when walking for any distance at all. But this afternoon... whew! I'm glad the current economic slowdown has Sylvia at home now, rather than out working. And I'm glad she doesn't mind getting things for me and saving me steps around the hose.
It appears I've dropped an arch and now have one flat foot. Learning to deal with this will be a challenge. At least it takes my mind off the Chinese flu hysteria.
#SeniorLiving
by Roscoe
viewHappy to be hunkered down
23 March – 20:00
My goodness! There's a lot of violent and weird behavior going on around town.
Ordinarily I'd be listening to talk-radio at this time of evening. But the “talk” these days is neither edifying nor entertaining so I'm listening to local law enforcement via the scanner app on my tablet. I expect to hear a lot of activity on Friday and Saturday nights, but early on a Monday night? Geeze, Louise!
In just the few minutes I've been listening this evening I've heard call traffic about: a domestic violence call, two assaults in progress, a fight between a group of 4 or 5 homeless guys, suspicious person sighted with a gun, a welfare check from a guy on self-isolation who would only talk to the cops through his screen door, a wreck involving 3 vehicles, a call about a diagnosed schizophrenic who was drinking and off his meds, another possible suicide threat, a complaint about loud music, investigation of a break-in and robbery, and on, and on.
I'm glad I'm hunkered down in my house and not out there with the crazies!
#SeniorLiving #apps #lawenforcement #crime
by Roscoe
viewMore chess? Why not?
21 March ~ 09:00
This Saturday in the Roscoe-verse starts like most others: old Westerns are playing quietly on the TV in my room while the rest of the house sleeps, the mug on the table in front of me is about to be refilled with coffee, and weekend plans are being made.
When she returned from a shopping trip last night she told me to be careful when walking out in the front yard, she'd just found two piles of dog poop. Sure enough, when I took the trash out this morning that's what I found. And I found a pile of cat poop on the other side of the yard; I saw a neighborhood cat deliver it yesterday evening. Yuck! So I'll be out front with the poop-scooper in a few minutes.
In happier news I've added added one more active CC game to those I currently have in play. As the China-virus isolation project continues it seems I'll have more time to work on my games. And rather than using my chess time as a casual diversion, I'll have time to study the games more seriously. Who knows, I might even be able to boost my active rating.
#SeniorLiving #chess #chores
by Roscoe
viewEight hours before Noon on St. Joseph's Day
19 March – 12:30
Last night was a particularly bad one for sleep in the Roscoe-verse. There was far too much insomnia in it. One long spell ended about 03:45 when I prayed The Apostles Creed and entered it into my HabitShare app.
Later in the morning, after Sylvia had left for work, I prayed what has become a common combination for me: 1 Our Father, followed by 3 Hail Marys, and 1 Glory Be.
Even later in the morning I did 5 Decades of the Rosary, the Joyful Mysteries, and ended with the Salve Regina.
Though it took me eight hours to do, I was able to pray a full decade of the Rosary, from the Creed to the Salve, on St. Joseph's Day.
#SeniorLiving #SevenTwoProject #prayers #apps #MyHabits
by Roscoe
viewAfter cleaning up the poop...
17 March 2020 – 13:00
... left on my front walk by that horrible old man's dog, I decided, “What the heck, as long as I'm out here with rough clothes on,” that it would be good to get some more yard work done.
I had already mowed a patch of the highest grass prior to taking care of the “poopy” chore. So now I hauled out the weedeater, the blower, and a couple of hand trowels...
... and got to work. And I must admit that after that bit of mowing, and cleaning, some trimming, uprooting a few obnoxious weeds, and blowing the sidewalk and driveway clean, things do look (and smell) a bit better out front.
#SeniorLiving #chores #yardwork #SevenTwoProject
by Roscoe