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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 23, 2024 15:56:15 GMT -5
Got some bad news from Missouri. My cousin Janet's daughter Jennifer passed away Thursday. I asked Janet what was wrong with her and she said, "Multiple things, and they all snowballed."
Janet not that long ago lost her hubby Mike to myodysplastic syndrome (what Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" had a bone marrow transplant to treat). He was going to come to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston but he got too sick too fast to be on a plane. Mike was dependent on platelet transfusions, at that time I was able to make platelet donations for somebody in Houston with a problem like Mike's.
Mike went to the University of Kansas Medical Center, just barely over the border from Missouri in Kansas City, Kansas. They're good, I went there when I was about ten years old and had the doctors in Missouri stumped.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 23, 2024 16:20:07 GMT -5
Sneakers--Wow, that will be a high electric bill. This month the city changed our pickup days from Mon-Thur to Tues-Fri. Also, the truck comes between 7:30 and 8 AM, so I have to get up early or take the can out the night before. But we have to leave the can 5 feet from the curb on the cul-de-sac or the driver says he has to have one wheel in our driveway. Sometimes across the street neighbor has vehicles parked which make it difficult for the driver. But sometimes these teenagers drive around the cul-de-sac so fast they would probably bit the can and send it to who knows where. One Saturday night a driver hit one of the across the street neighbor's pick-up. Next morning the police asked us if we had a security camera. Considering getting some as there is some crazy stuff going on. Two houses seem to be active place for drug deals. Sad that one of them belong to a church.
It's for two months, and I have averaged billing. Better getting a bill around $340 every month instead of getting one for $754 when we have a cold spell.
I'm usually up before the trash truck comes here, and I get to remind the boys to take out the trash. Seems that if I don't remind them the trash collects in the back yard. All we have to do is get ours off the curb. The trash truck gets filled by two helpers and they go back and forth in the cul-de-sac to minimize the amount of walking from the curb to the truck.
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Post by patty7841 on Mar 23, 2024 17:12:50 GMT -5
Sneakers: Sorry to hear about your cousin Janet's daughter, Jennifer. I would never have surgery on my back due to scoliosis. That is very risky when you are older. There is a tenant who lives in this complex who had surgery on his back for the same diagnosis. His back pain is worse now than it was before surgery. We don't live in TX so we have to live with a lot of medical issues.
Soutxed: Is your wife feeling any better? We are not seeing the eclipse here. Not a big deal. Make sure you have good eye wear to view it.
Uncle: That is a long way to go to get your car fixed. Is your vehicle under warranty? Congrats on winning at curling. You have to be very flexible at your bus company. It is hard enough being a school bus driver, but then having to change vehicles is hard as you are not used to how the bus drives.
Ed: I still cannot eat frozen pizza from the grocery store. The sodium level in them is through the roof. I like Papa Ginos, a small pizza place where the pizza is sooo good. it is about 2 towns away from here, but one day I am going to take a ride and get a small one to go.
Have a good weekend Everyone!
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 23, 2024 17:41:14 GMT -5
Friday afternoon, I watched KPRC Channel 2 news until the cable feed of it glitched out. Then, I switched to ABC 13 for the last forty minutes of news.
AJ fixed a pork chop and some totally tasteless mashed potatoes for supper. Not even Chalupa dog will eat them but I cut up pieces of pork chop and ate them with the sawdust-like potatoes.
Turned on SiriusXM Classic Rock Top 1000 on the Amazon Echo Dot. Kept it on until nine o'clock. Watched the CW 39 nine o'clock news and the KHOU Channel 11 ten o'clock news. Then, watched about the first 25 minutes of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on ABC 13. Had a couple of banana nut muffins that Isaiah made from a mix I bought at HEB. Had one of my clindamycin pills.
Went to bed, woke up a few times for comfort stops. One time, I got up and thought my skin graft bandage had come off. Realized I couldn't tell in the dark.
Got up about nine o'clock in the morning. Ate a couple of Isaiah's banana nut muffins when I got up, having breakfast which is atypical for me. Listened to the ABC 13 morning news. Fell asleep and woke up during an infomercial for Shriners' Hospitals for Children.
About eleven o'clock in the morning, I took another clindamycin capsule and washed it down with a tumbler of water along with my other morning pills.
Got my brick and mortar bank's VISA card bill. They want $132 for this month.
About one o'clock, I went in the kitchen and got lunch. Two bagel sandwiches with Provolone cheese and sliced chicken lunchmeat.
Got a text message from cousin Sonja telling me about cousin Janet's daughter Jennifer's passing. Called Janet about two o'clock in the afternoon.
AJ thinks I need a shower. I am reluctant to shower because the skin graft has to be kept dry.
At five o'clock, I told the Amazon Echo Dot to be quiet and I turned on KPRC Channel 2 for "The Texas Bucket List" and the national and local news. Now watching the NBC Nightly News.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 23, 2024 17:50:54 GMT -5
Sneakers: Sorry to hear about your cousin Janet's daughter, Jennifer. I would never have surgery on my back due to scoliosis. That is very risky when you are older. There is a tenant who lives in this complex who had surgery on his back for the same diagnosis. His back pain is worse now than it was before surgery. We don't live in TX so we have to live with a lot of medical issues.
Main thing the medical profession does in Taxachusetts is transplant a GMO pig kidney into a human and get on TV bragging about it.
Sonja seems to be happy she had the surgery but then it was done by a surgeon in the DFW Metroplex.
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Post by patty7841 on Mar 23, 2024 21:08:53 GMT -5
Sneakers: The medical profession here has a lot of doctors and scientists who do research. Apparently one of the research projects was the pig(s) that was (were) genetically modified for the kidney(s). If it works for the patient, it may save a lot of people from a death sentence. I just live here. I cannot help the kind of work people do here nor their attitudes towards what they do in research. I have always said that you have good doctors in your area, that you should be very thankful for. This area used to be great for medical care. But unfortunately things change.
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Post by Unclebal on Mar 23, 2024 22:18:02 GMT -5
Forgot to mention, on Thursday, the day of the bad weather, one of your rural drivers made a wrong turn. Ended up in a ditch. Can't remember the last time that happened. Luckily he had taken all the students home by then and was heading back. soutxed, on Thursday I had to keep the bus away from the curb. The snow, which hadn't been packed down yet, was making pulling away a little hard. We are still getting snow this weekend, but Monday things should start to get better. Does you governor make schools any kind of priority? Or is that beyond his control? I've been having problems with my somewhat new printer. It keeps having paper jams. Got to keep the paper feeder set just right. Today I watched the women's world curling championships, hockey and some March Madness. There sure are a lot of different schools in college basketball compared to football. It doesn't cost as much I guess. patty7841, my car is not under warranty. I've had it for ten years now. I do prefer my favourite make of school bus. Just like someone likes Chevy over Ford, or something like that. I was just glad I got past Thursday without something bad happening. This coming week, no school Friday, as it is Good Friday. Then we get the next week off and the following Monday. So I am looking forward to this week. Especially if the weather smartens up. Take care everyone.
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Post by jimco22 on Mar 24, 2024 6:53:03 GMT -5
Visiting wife Frances in hospital at new location Brampton, Ontario Hope it goes well. They are better equipped to look after her there after the fall she had earlier last month
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soutxed
Champion Member
Posts: 4,832
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Post by soutxed on Mar 24, 2024 8:05:52 GMT -5
Sneakers--When I first moved here in 1970, we had alley pickup. Put our own cans back there and two men would pick them up and put the garbage in the truck. Sometime in the 1980s, the city switched to trucks that picked up the cans, but it had to be their cans. Most residential neighborhoods got the big garbage bens shared by 4 households. But for some reason, the city decided we had individual cans that had to be in the street. About 8 years ago, the driver stopped in front of our house and started homing the horn. I went out to see what happened and the driver came down and told us where to place the can so he didn't have to enter our driveway. I was so pissed after he left, I went in the house, got a can of spray paint and put an X where they wanted the can. You are so lucky to live where medical care is excellent. One of wife's brothers 20+ years ago was bleeding when he had a bowel movement, but demanded family take him to MD Anderson. But by the time he went, it was too late for them to do anything. Remained there until his son-in-law knew of a doctor in Corpus Christi where they lived who could help him. Sadly BIL and wife kept the seriousness of his illness from family. CC doctor opened him up, took one look and closed him up and said it was too late. Sorry to hear about Janet's daughter. So hard to lose a child. Prayers going her way.
Patty--Wife is feeling better. We are back to normal. We purchased some glasses from Amazon. Sent us five so we will share them with anyone who needs them. We get pizza from a local restaurant that makes them brick oven. Sadly, a fire closed the place down until this week. We were one of the last customers to get a pizza there before it burned down.
Uncle--Can understand you get use to a bus and don't want a substitute. Our governor has some say as he can veto a bill that doesn't give him what he wants. He vetoed several spending bills for schools because he didn't get his vouchers. Saw where a similar bill in Arizonia is about to wreck the state's budget. Problem with printer is black ink cartiridge ran dry. HP was supposed to be monitoring my printing and send me one before this one went dry. If this happens again will cancel. Two friends have the program and had no problems, but it seem I am always the one who ends up with problems with something everyone else has success.
Ed--we haven't bought frozen pizza in years. Had one at SIL house a couple of years ago and it wasn't as good as Dominos, let along the restaurant we mentioned, but best they can do in San Perlita.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 24, 2024 16:51:54 GMT -5
Sneakers--When I first moved here in 1970, we had alley pickup. Put our own cans back there and two men would pick them up and put the garbage in the truck. Sometime in the 1980s, the city switched to trucks that picked up the cans, but it had to be their cans. Most residential neighborhoods got the big garbage bens shared by 4 households. But for some reason, the city decided we had individual cans that had to be in the street. About 8 years ago, the driver stopped in front of our house and started homing the horn. I went out to see what happened and the driver came down and told us where to place the can so he didn't have to enter our driveway. I was so pissed after he left, I went in the house, got a can of spray paint and put an X where they wanted the can. You are so lucky to live where medical care is excellent. One of wife's brothers 20+ years ago was bleeding when he had a bowel movement, but demanded family take him to MD Anderson. But by the time he went, it was too late for them to do anything. Remained there until his son-in-law knew of a doctor in Corpus Christi where they lived who could help him. Sadly BIL and wife kept the seriousness of his illness from family. CC doctor opened him up, took one look and closed him up and said it was too late. Sorry to hear about Janet's daughter. So hard to lose a child. Prayers going her way.
Our trash service has worked the same way since 2014. You put it off the curb and two men will come and grab it. Cans, trash bags, tied together tree limbs... they'll take 'em all.
I complained that UTMB Webster has not yet billed Medicare for the ER visits I had the first eight days of January. I am not happy about that. I don't like bills hanging over my head. I got on their online portal and wrote them a nastygram. I used the term "idiots" three times to describe their billing department, I was pretty blunt about it.
My cousin Martha last night reminded me that Janet had lost her older brother Larry last year. Suspect he didn't take good care of himself. Had an uncle (fortunately NOT a blood relation) that didn't take care of himself and he passed at 69 from a massive heart attack. Don't expect that to hit me because my cardiologist was investigating an abnormal EKG and did a cardiac catheterization on me. All the coronary arteries were clean. Thought I might get a pacemaker but none was indicated.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 24, 2024 18:02:22 GMT -5
Last night, took me until about eleven o'clock to finally get in bed. Got up at 9:30 AM. AJ wanted me to take my shower first time in the morning.
I got up and headed into the kitchen to get a trash bag to wrap my left foot to keep it dry. I had on a T-shirt and a diaper. Isaiah came unglued that I was running around without any pants. I said, "But all the naughty parts are covered!"
Went to the business room, bagged my left foot, taped the bag down, and headed to the bathroom for my shower. Can't get the walker in the bathroom and I left it at the door with the door opened. AJ decided to close the door.
Took my shower and dried off. Wrapped the towel around me and pushed the walker back in my bedroom. Got dressed.
By the time I got to the business room, cousin Martha's church service was underway. Missed the opening announcements but watched the rest of the service.
When the service was over, I went in the kitchen and got a tumbler of water. Did my morning pills and my clindamycin capsule.
About 12:30 PM, AJ came in the business room and asked me if I wanted to go grocery shopping. I like getting out of the house. I told him "Let me go to the bathroom and put on my shoes, then I'll be ready to go." AJ was behind me as I was navigating out of the front door. AJ was about to leave me in the Escape until I said, "I want to go in and go shopping." He then dropped me off by the entrance door and I hobbled to a scooter. Unlike the last time I went there, I had no trouble with the scooter suddenly stopping.
Bought $68.10 of groceries, all of them food (no candy or pop, those are taxed unless you are on Food Stamps, which peeves me to no end) so no sales tax on the order.
Went out to the Escape and AJ loaded what he got and what I got.
On the way home, AJ was hungry and he decided to eat some raw green beans. I decided not to partake. AJ said, "Good. More for me!"
About 2:30 PM, I had a couple of bagel sandwiches with cotto salami and Colby Jack cheese. Then, I had a couple of tumblers of sugar-free tea.
Listened to SiriusXM Classic Rock Top 1000 on the Amazon Echo Dot until a few minutes before five o'clock. Then, I told the Echo Dot to be quiet and turned on the ABC 13 national and local news. Only five minutes of news left as I'm writing this, plan to go back to SiriusXM at the top of the hour.
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Post by sneakers (Metro Houston) on Mar 24, 2024 19:13:41 GMT -5
Went grocery shopping in the one o'clock hour Sunday with AJ. AJ went to his preference in grocery stores. AJ comments that HEB, which is my preference, is too crowded. I comment that Food Town, AJ's preference in grocery stores, is too expensive. I spent $68.10 at Food Town and got: Four Red Baron Classic Crust four-meat frozen pizzas Two six-bagel bags of Thomas Plain Bagels (they were out of "everything" bagels) A package of Kraft Expertly Sliced Double Cheddar cheese A package of Borden sliced Colby Jack cheese A package of Kraft Expertly Sliced Mozzarella/Cheddar cheese A package of Bar-S Cotto Salami A package of Bar-S bologna A nine-ounce package of Buddig sliced Honey Ham lunchmeat A nine-ounce package of Buddig sliced Chicken lunchmeat A jar of store-brand crunchy peanut butter (much better than the creamy Isaiah eats) Two one-gallon jugs of Red Diamond sugar-free tea (sweetened with Splenda)
HEB wasn't totally left out: I used their VISA card to pay for the food.
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Post by patty7841 on Mar 24, 2024 21:01:20 GMT -5
Hi Jim,
Hope all goes well for your wonderful wife, Frances.
Both of you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Take good care!!!
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Post by Unclebal on Mar 24, 2024 21:06:49 GMT -5
Looking forward to a short week, followed by seven weekdays of no school. Also, an improvement in the weather. jimco22, best of luck with your wife. Sounds like the new hospital is a good change. soutxed, a lot of drivers can't wait to get their bus back. I can't wait to get back to my favourite make of bus. Maybe someday you'll have a governor that takes better care of schools. If that happens, we might be dead and buried by then. HP monitors your printing? Interesting. Take care everyone.
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soutxed
Champion Member
Posts: 4,832
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Post by soutxed on Mar 25, 2024 8:03:44 GMT -5
Jim--Hope your wife is doing better. Do you stay with her day and night?
Sneakers--Glad you got a working scooter. Wish we could get SIL to use one when shopping, but says she is not smart enough to use one. Hard for her to walk around with cane. Doesn't want to use walker either.
Uncle--You are probably right about being gone when we got an administration who favors public schools. Texas is a deeply red state. More Hispanics are shifting from Democrats to Republicans. Other are frustrated with both parties.
Church went well. No streaming issues.
Watched March Madness off and on, but the Houston-Texas A&M game was a classic. Saw my Heart rate went up doing that game.
Doctor's visit in an hour.
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