JAN 1-8 -- HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012

January 1, 2012 – Happy New Year!
Spent Monday in bed hoping to kick this lung stuff and really getting sick and tired of being sick and tired. Down in the 30-40s at nite, sunny but not much above upper 50s during the day – windy. Fortunately I have lots of soup made up and in the freezer & fridge - sure do like my new fridge! Kids and I nap a lot and seem to go to bed earlier and earlier every evening. It's so much easier to breathe when I am doing nothing but sucking oxygen going thru a face mask! Watched some parades and bowl games, fixed some creamed fish to pour over my left over biscuits.

Still having hard time breathing if I do anything more energetic than set and do nothing! Just wish I had some energy. I get up to do one thing and I’m outta air - oh, well, it will come back eventually - it always does....just seems like it is taking longer -- but we are in another 'cold snap.'

Headed into town on Tuesday to pick up meds and some essentials. 47 sunny, not too windy, degrees but chilly enough to keep me from walking up for ladies coffee. Met Donna for lunch at Whataburger, then went to visit Deryl & Elke; hadn’t seen them since they got out of the hospital on Christmas.

Wednesday I woke up to 62 sunny and not-too windy degrees and coughing again - just when I thought I had it under control. I think this is aggravated by allergies. Will definitely be glad when the road construction is over out front. They have all of the graders and sand/gravel trucks working in front of the park and it doesn’t take much wind to blow it in my direction. Would have been nice to have the windows & door open. I finally just decided to kick on the oxygen, put on the c-pap and go to bed!

I’d love to find some chicken breasts with SKIN on them. I hate buying a whole chicken and cutting it up myself. That’s what I like about shopping Fareway in Iowa, can buy just the breast fresh with all the skin!

Thursday was 60 not-too-sunny degrees, but not too much wind. The graders seem to start earlier and earlier, running up and down the road, on the nice days. I just stay in and stay closed up! Turned foggy later in the day so I avoided huffing and puffing up to the activity building for the pot luck. Had made a chicken casserole to take but divided into 3 portions and froze it!

Friday was another 60 degree day and I WANT BEEF! Going into town while I've still got energy! I need BEEF! Even tho I don't think much of Texas beef, I need BEEF! Also need to take my garbage out and stop and pick up mail. Ended up costing me $13 for a small roast! Oh, well...I'll just have to stretch it out!

Stopped at the little Euro Pizza wagon on the way home and got a slice of their Tuscan Veggie pizza - YUMMY! Nice size slice with lots of chunky veggies and feta cheese. Ate it while setting in the traffic line up waiting for the "pilot truck" to take us on down the road! So much for lunch!

I've been craving pickled beets/onions/hard boiled eggs for a couple of weeks! No, I’m not pregnant! I think it is ‘cuz I’m loosing all sense of taste between meds, respiratory treatments, etc., and I need some thing with strong tastes. I could give up all other foods for those things! I hadn't made them in years. I found they taste nearly as good if I just buy a jar of pickled beets and add the eggs and onions; saves me all that standing at the stove, cooking and stirring!

When I was working home health, I could never understand how the 'little old folks' could eat the same thing over and over, day after day - I know now! I'm one of them!

Oh, Saturday was definitely NOT a good day at my place. Couldn’t get the ball games! Local NBC affiliate is fighting with Time Warner and we can't get NBC on cable. I even brought the TV from the trailer back to the RV so I could hook it up to my antenna (TV in RV needs digital converter box.) No luck; not sure if it is the antenna or the connection, but I caught the games the old fashioned way – on the radio! And what a treat that was – got to use my imagination – and I could do it in bed with the oxygen going!

Saturday I was starting to feel human. Even sat outside for awhile with the dogs; nice weather - 65 sunny degrees, no wind. Sunday I walked up the hill to church without my walker! It's probably about 1/2 block and the hill isn't much - but enough that I notice it! Even managed to huff and puff up the hill for the ice cream social Sunday evening. Maybe I should have avoided the ice cream – by Monday, I was back in bed!