We are manicured!

And I don't mean that in the sense of a mani pedi, although there is nothing wrong with that!
It's a wonderful thing, I am very sure...personally, I only had the mani, manicure, part of that, French nails. Never experienced the foot, pedi, pedicure of those nails, sadly... So it was natural for me to notice the other day that they are still popular, the nurse in Dr. Nord's office, LaGina, a Boston gal, had them,  just last week, but for me it's been two decades ago!
Can't fool with classics.

The title tonight refers to Hubby's completion of the mowing, which is a mulcher, which means it chops the grass up finely to help the lawn by not smothering it and no need to dump a collector bag, by the way, next is his electric trimmer system, and lastly the electric leaf/grass blower to clear the driveway, patio and the walkways! Both are smart in not causing odors or wasting fuel and are much,much lighter to carry!

I mentioned the mulching and electric only due to our natural concerns for the earth, we recycle diligently, we also compost and have 110 gallons worth of rain barrels for our veggie gardens etc. This year the garden, a tiny one, is much smaller amount of crops in containers, which seems to be pur-fect, pun intended, due to dealing with the feral cats using our gardens for litter boxes! Hubby also is using the two liter bottle drip system in them, filled from our rain barrels supply. (PS vegetable oil in the top on the water prevents mosquitoes from laying eggs and is non-toxic.) The plants are thriving, we have flowers on the two tomato plants as well as cucumber plant too!

I know, I know, minuscule in comparison to our usual side yard with raised beds, but you do what you gotta do to co-exist with wild life, true?
Yes, they won, sort of...
People deal with deer, bears, but not us for those two, yes to squirrels, we even had one of those eating our avocados, a squirrel! And the birds eat seeds, but we feed them to be honest and enjoy watching them... and they enjoy our grapes too...it's okay.
Not to mention the opossums, enjoying our citrus, and they appear to be quite prolific, multiplying in their numbers significantly!
We are a perfect buffet for many locals, of the animal persuasion, with our citrus trees, lemon, tangerine, not to mention our grapes on their vines again, banana plants and avocado tree again, and soon, hopefully our mango tree will be fruiting too; so that side yard full with rows of veggies for all tastes was just an additional smorgasbord  temptation for the masses!

So although our veggie choices of three plants sounds like we cut back, but all those others are trees or vines, so in reality we still have what most would consider an edible yard!

On that note of realization that is an upbeat one, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all those overages and we will too!

 And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

The part was slightly elusive to attain...

 Again when you think life is going to be oh so simple, it is not...
Hubby went out to get the drive belt for the lawn mower today as per decision of yesterday, but not at Home Depot, he went to Lowe's, since it was slightly closer by a couple of miles. And they sold him a belt alright, but when he tried putting it on it was the wrong size! Now he had the old one with him and they used that one to exact an identical; in lieu of its shredded appearance, of course a new one.
I suppose that could have been the problem, but as I understand the story ala Hubby's own mouth, there were measurements involved, but alas it was not to be and so our $16 plus change and tax fix had to be returned...

So Hubby set out once again and this time to his original destination of the Home Depot.
But they did it this way,  brought up the part on the computer from the Craftsmen, Sear's site and so Hubby said he could do that at home...
Although, Hubby had another try up his sleeve, the one place he had avoided, but does like for many of our household needs, but at times it has proved to be a bit more pricey on certain items, our own Morton's Ace Hardware, the place of your helpful hardware man!
Hubby arrived home late afternoon with a smile and drive belt that should fit from Ace; he's working on it now and perhaps this will be the answer?

Until that sucker is on and that machine is purring and running mowing; then and only then I will believe that a less than eight dollar belt will be the answer to assuming the positioning of succeeding in the green turf manicuring business called doing the neighborly thing by keeping up with the Kelly green felt like rolling flatland we lovingly call Florida our home!

I hear an engine sputtering!  
Damn, now I hear nothing, better investigate...be right back...
Well, he had to shut it off, it was still up on the jack and he hadn't put the rear tires back on, all is well and success has been realized, OMG, HALLELUJAH!
The part that did not break the bank and was determined to be correct and needed and it was dx (diagnosed) properly!
And so life can now go on as the almighty intended...

Of course I'm kidding y'all; it's just my way!
He and I are happy though that this problem has been resolved, wish others in life were as simple, hmm?

So on that note I will tell all of you to get back to the Triple Crown like I am, ha, and have a happy good night and kindly count all those blessings and share all those overages and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

GO CALIFORNIA CHROME! DO IT! WIN!

Met my expectations today...

Have you ever had a day go nearly as you expected?
Perfectly; who has?
As far as my extremely low expectations for peace and quiet goes... they, for the most part, were met.
The only fly in the ointment, glitch in the temperament (of mine) due to a temperamental unfortunate breakdown of an animate object that is Hubby's, now nearly ten year old ride-on lawn mower crapped-out, oops did I say that?
Cringing now, any-who, at first he thought it was the transmission. So while he had to get the stuck in the front yard dead as a doornail, temporary lawn ornament, winching it to get it into our backyard to go under close examination by his knowledgeable scrutinizing eyes of experience was how it had to be relocated, a tedious deal...
While he did that I Googled the Sears company ride on and tractor parts department for Craftsmen products. Fortunately, Hubby had the book that came with it, which not only contained its Model number and the possible culprit's parts number. And so I called to see if it was in stock and it was and priced at $162.15 plus tax of eleven dollars and thirty five cents, with free delivery if we could wait eleven more days, otherwise a $44 dollar charge for a couple of days sooner one, for the ninth, today is the sixth, not that great, in my opinion.
Bringing the part total cost to $217.50, as I was questioning in my mind, whether buying a new self-propelled one for three hundred bucks might be a smarter idea; since Hubby was up for that, that is if all else failed. Mostly due to knowing that the last time when we were at Home Depot we made a mental note of their prices, just in case...since this is the second time this oldie but goodie cutter machine had difficulties fulfilling its required job description, of manicuring our compound's palatial quarter acreage!

But Hubby's relentless investigative skills for most all home repairs that have positive outcomes by he finding out what is the cause and fixing the negative effect, barring air-conditioners or TV's. 

This time, once the "clipper" was on our Lanai, my suggestion, since our garage was way over on the opposite side and this was more in the middle and we have a paddle ceiling fan out there.
Hubby was able to ascertain once the machine was up lifted via the big body jack, innovations in simplicity, thy name is Hubby!
Anyway, he was able to see that the drive belt was disintegrated, chewed to pieces, as if an animal ate it, but his conclusion was its age did it!
Gosh, hope I don't do that!
So, now he is going to go out tomorrow since he did try one place this evening before picking up our dinners at Bob Evans and no I won't tell you what we ate, since it was not considered healthy and way too big/much, but the rest will be eaten tomorrow, and the place that he stopped at for the belt, he had asked at said that Home Depot should have it, thus tomorrow, need I say another day?Oh well... I did say it...       

Moving on...
Today, was a major anniversary the 70th of D-Day and we have to remember and never forget those who freed many and were responsible for ending WW II by storming the beaches in France, of Normandy!
Here you go: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jun/6/d-day-anniversary-events-around-us-and-abroad/

Have a very happy good night and kindly count all your blessings and share those overages and we will too!

And next time  please be here or be square, ya hear!

Whew! Last doc visit for the week today...

What a week, four days of doctor office visits, only one for Hubby.
Neuro, eye doc, and internist for me; Hubby's an eye doc too.
Thank heavens for calendars.
Keeping it all straight is like having a second job, our first one is called, retirement!
The first job means that we are obligated to find things to do to enjoy life, and the second job is to make sure that we can!

Sure, sure life would be much happier if the second job didn't exist, but it is what it is...
And we are not alone with all the busy waiting rooms!
Who would have thunk it with all the snowbirds having flown home?

Today's, doctor is in charge of my blood pressure, cholesterol and borderline diabetes, all within normal range now, and is my Primary Care Physician, so I was reminded once again today.
She, Dr. Nord, wants to have access to all my medical tests records and so I brought the ones I had, but she would also like for my other doctors to keep her in the loop.
And that makes me feel as if I have a medical team which most people with any chronic illness does need.

Tomorrow's our day off so to speak as well as with this weekend, but next week is my EMG for telling how severe my cervical stenosis is affecting me and if I need surgical intervention.
EMG is done: " An EMG is done to:

• Find diseases that damage muscle tissue, nerves, or the junctions between nerve and muscle. These problems may include a herniated disc, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or myasthenia gravis (MG).
• Find the cause of weakness, paralysis, or muscle twitching. Problems in a muscle, the nerves supplying a muscle, the spinal cord, or the area of the brain that controls a muscle can cause these symptoms. The EMG does not show brain or spinal cord diseases."

Thanks to: http://www.webmd.com/brain/electromyogram-emg-and-nerve-conduction-studies

Just in case some of you did not know what it is...

So I suppose there is a necessitating determining factor to the neuro's reasoning, and I have had an EMG before for other neurological diagnoses.
For my impingement of my ulnar nerve in my right elbow, years ago, around 1997-8, and for my lower body determining my bladder's neurological insufficiency way back in 2006, initially from my first neurologist who I liked, but left the area with the downturn from the hurricane and the economy back in 2007-8 or there about, sadly.

The test can be a bit painful, due to the needle like circuits to determine if your nerves are working properly, but I am aware of that, and with these last several years of having medical injections of medication for my MS, daily, although now only 3X a week, and IV's for days several times and Insulin shots because of them, as well as gallons of blood taken for test purposes, too bad not to donate, really? I have no diseases that can be transmitted or are lethal to others anyway, just thinking... such a shame, this last time ten vials were filled, before the hospital visit, the very next day, when they took who knows how many more!

Any-who...
These thoughts go through this vast muddled brain of mine, which at times has too much clutter. I have been told many a time that I over think things, ya think?
Let's put it this way I am more concerned about when the day comes when I STOP THINKING!
So now I will stick out my very adult tongue to any of you who concur with over thinking to be detrimental, to you I say, huh?

I suppose obsessing is not good, yeah, nope it IS bad! But that is not what I mean, what I mean is looking at a problem from every angle,and doing research to find answers to questions you might have...I am just a very true believer of "Knowledge is Power", to quote Sir Francis Bacon, an old tried and true concept. But I also believe that ignorance is NOT BLISS! Which is my dissing of Thomas Gray's quote. But to be fair his actual quote was, "Where ignorance is bliss... tis folly to be wise." Thanks to:  http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1ecmrj/til_that_the_full_ignorance_is_bliss_quote_by/

On that something of note to leave you all with, allow me to be the very first to wish all of you a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share those overages and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

Optic neuritis...again!

Is the why/diagnosis for the need of Alphagan P with the steroids, both are topical eye drops and even the Alphagan P has been readjusted to 2X a day from the short run of 3X a day and with the Durezol (steroid, the actual name) to be continued at 3X a day!

Both the neuro and eye doc are well aware of how I grew into this largess gal, all those 1000MG. of IV Solu Medrol for only three days at a time, but too many times...with each creating an average of 15-20 pound weight gain!
So they have both taken the conservative route with my Multiple Sclerosis, if for no other reason than that doing less takes longer, but does eventually work, we hope, they hope, I hope? (PS the neuro doc, to be fair had said the same reasoning why no IV steroids this time basically and that is admitting that I did have another exacerbation of the MS with those additional brain lesions on that MRI)

In fact, Dr. Klein, said what most of us with MS know is that even though the surgery (cataract) and even the YAG laser were helpful with my eyesight they could be responsible for setting off this "flair/flare" and his attitude is that it will work, that is what he is doing and that my right eye just needs time with this medication and I have another visit in three weeks to check on how it is going. But I do believe it started much earlier with all those infections I had to be treated for... and the surgeries just added to it all...
The two docs are like night and day with attitude, but both doing what they do for many years; between the two I do believe I counted 78 years in their practices!

Gosh, for someone like me, who was born without the "patience gene"... this is a BIG test!

Now, one may wonder why I would be so anxious to have major stenosis surgery too?
I'm NOT, but if my cervical stenosis is that severe, pressure on my spinal cord due to narrowing, which can cause paralysis! And mine is in between c5-6 and c6-7, and that is significant!

Oh well, I will know more when the EMG is done next week... it seems that seeing all these docs is all that I do these days. Not my idea of enjoying our Golden Years!

All I want is the same things everyone else wants for their families and themselves to be happy and healthy and thankfully our sons are, so far...We are working on ours...Happy is where we can find it... fun things to do...as you all know.

So that is why I say to each and everyone of you to have a HAPPY good night and ask you all to count those blessings and never ever take anything for granted (sorry too preachy, but I mean well) and share those overages and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?

Conclusions...

1. Allow for mistakes.
2. Not all fixes are doable.
3. Trying is not always as easy or useful as others may think.
4. Besides in reality not everyone cares as much as you do. (Caveat: some might.)
5. Letting it go is just an Oscar award winning song title, and not necessarily a way to handle all of life's
   issues, sometimes stubborn doggedness is better; I'm just saying, ya know?
6. So today I was going to double dare to be a twofor blogger and the best made plans and all...
7. And nope, Hubby had his eye doc visit today and he chose a different doc than mine and I went with him to his, as his silent listening partner, and he does have small cataracts that could wait or be removed and he is leaning towards going for it, since it would mean no glasses for distance, just readers after twenty years... and last night I awoke at three A.M. and never looked back...and that's why I didn't do my twofor.
8. Excuses... I have had twofor naps today, one after we got back for about fifty minutes and then another later this afternoon before dinner for another forty minutes or there about... see real busy?
9. What can one say?
10. So far my twofor surgery, cataract and laser, righty eye is taking its time coming back into the clear seeing fold, oh poo, disappointed and a wee bit impatient? I think not or perhaps?
11. Had that taste of normalcy. Then even Dr.Klein used those twofor words that are all too descriptive of a nasty thing that I had not wanted to hear, "optic pallor", yep, I forgot to tell you. Definition of optic pallor:

"Visual function in patients with optic nerve pallor (optic ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2594524This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between the degree of optic nerve pallor (optic atrophy) and visual function."
 As per:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2594524/

12. That explains a lot...
13. Should this numbered entry feel superstitious to me? Maybe. Okay let me end here with my reminder of trying harder; cause that's all I got... with thee ye olde standby of, tomorrow's another day, hee hee! Besides what else can go wrong; we are already into hurricane season, day three and so far so good really?!

No, no, no, nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!! I sure did make contact, but not with anything I wanted to!!!!!

In an effort to save what I was writing here tonight I inadvertently hit publish instead of save and then sadly when I tried to delete this to take it off the publishing frame, it accidentally removed my last night's blog by my mistake of my hitting the wrong key. June first 2014 is wiped off my blog and it is forever lost into cyberspace I fear! I just confirmed that sadly it is....

And so to preserve some decorum, very little with my shaking hands, as this has definitely happened ...and unfortunately that was my only copy of June 1, 2014, Lazy Crazy summer; I am dismayed.

Any-who...
Today was a more adaptable to my actual needs kind of day.
I let my eye doc's office know via phone call how the new eye pressure medication was working as per their request on Friday; answer: vision has been going in and out.
They would call back and leave a message on how to proceed.
Only because we had my follow-up neuro doc appointment to go to this morning and this time I did bring all my questions in written form ala computer word program and printed out.

My MS brain lesions are not responsible for my arms, wrists, shoulders, legs pain and numbness after all!
Cervical stenosis appears to be the culprit and for that reason I will be having an EMG on next week's early schedule in his, the neuro's office, a preliminary to determine how to proceed and if surgical intervention is the next step.

The doctor (neuro) did say, not too unkindly that none of what I have will be getting any better, only worse, including my eyesight...denial seems to be what might work here... nah, I need to know what to do in the interim while waiting for the total me to go to hell in a hand-basket, ya know?
I tried again with, but this cervical stenosis, arthritis is fixable with surgery I queried, he said yes; not too comfortingly, he continued though, but not the MS and he added that my vision that will eventually deteriorate over the next few years...how to start the day, hmm? And this time the wait time to see him was less than an hour, only forty minutes. Hubby keeps track; while I talk to the rest of the waiting room people...

After... on to ...
Hubby ran into Lowe's for a plumbing part he needed and then we decided to eat lunch and Panera's .
When we arrived home there was a message on the phone from the eye doc's office saying to up my steroid meds and the pressure meds to three times a day and my appointment that I had to reschedule  was moved to this week, instead of next...!

So I suppose I was a bit verklempt; understandably so, true?
Thus the harsh, never able to fix MY BIG Mistake!

Oh well, I have to move on...from beating that dead horse, that ship has sailed, and all those other cliche's that make's one realize...nothing will change the fact of what they/I did; no backsies!

And so I will...on that very sour note...
Bid you all a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share all your overages and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?