Quiet Day

For a Monday, things were pretty quiet. I felt like I was going to fall asleep all day, so around 11:45 I got on the treadmill. I realized I had a 1pm meeting, and didn't give myself enough time to shower. Thankfully it was an "internal" meeting and not a client meeting. Whew. 

My hair looked like Miracle Max's wife Valerie (if you remember the movie, some of you do) but I kept it together.

Before the treadmill I got chicken going for chicken salad, and then finished making it right before the call. 

I had thought about pushing another 5k run, but, chicken salad needed made and I was hungry! 

I did make up for some activity by taking Toffee on a walk. It is so super advanced dark out there at 8:45pm. Yikes. 

One thing I noticed is over the past several days that my 9pm steps are usually zero! I made up for that today. Good walk. 

Really nothing much more to say on this one. 

We have a site launch at 11am tomorrow, and this one is coming down to the wire. I don't think we have the grace to push it back past this coming Friday because their contract with their current web situation expires on Saturday, cross your fingers that we get 'er done. 

Oh - and I had to buy a new glue gun, which arrived this evening so now I can get back to my arts & crafts.

Yay! 

Digits, below. 

digits

exercise: 12/12 hours. Treadmill run during lunch. 30 min/2.21 mi; Toffee walk, 30 min/1.34 mi. 13k+ steps by bedtime

blood glucose: 

8am: 146
4pm: 118
10:30pm: 121 

food & meds
8am: jardiance & new meds
9:45am: 2 small pumpkin muffins
1:30pm: bowl of chicken salad (made with apple chunks and pecans); met+glip
3pm: new meds
4pm: 2 celery sticks w/pb
6:30pm: 2 italian sausages w/cheese & sauce, no roll, onion/pepper/mushrooms 
8pm: met+glip
red wine

Freeze Warning

This morning we were up and enjoying the Steelers' game from Paris. My one regret was not doing some frenchie french french brekkie spread with croissants, pain du chocolat, a little tasty le petit déjeuner as it were. Just was not thinking ahead and regretted it. Oh well. 

After the game, we brought in our outdoor plants to overwinter in the mudroom. Overnight tonight we're expecting a big freeze, at least, according to the weather report I saw, not the one he saw. 

But we didn't argue about it. At least they are in. 

I need to buy some of them there plastic saucers to go under the pots for 4 different sized plants so we can water them, because you should water them. Or so I learned last year.

Once everyone was moved inside, we puttered around some more and Doug made a face when I asked him to help me build the bookshelf. 

He said he had other things he wanted to do. And one of those was to put tung oil on a table that he had brought back from his mom's. 

Admittedly, I agreed that needs to be done but. Does it have to be today? I guess when one is in the mood to do a thing, one should. 

The table has been sitting in our living room under the picture window this whole year, I like it there because that's where I set up Christmas. This summer, I damaged it a little by .... not having a plastic saucer dealie the right size under the monstera. Oops. Terribly sorry. I know this disappoints him but. We will just keep stuff on that spot forever. It's fine! It's fine!

He rubbed it all down with the tung oil, it looks great, except for where the circle of damage is. He said we can probably get some stain and freshen that all up in the spring. Like I did with the corner hutch when we bought that a couple years back, in this blog entry here. 

Also, if you go to that entry, that first picture of Phineas makes me smile so much. I miss that little fella. 

Once the chores were done, Doug napped and I went to the treadmill. I was aiming for 30 min and was going at a good pace by the time I got there so I kept going. I did slow down to a walk, and then ran again and shaved about 2 minutes off of yesterday's pace for a 5k. 

Hell. I doubt I can or even would do a 5k every day but. just doing that two straight days feels pretty decent. 

Geoff made cheesesteaks for dinner, I skipped the roll on mine but did have some steak sized fries (spicy and so good!). I then made whipped cream to go with the pumpkin pie that I made yesterday. I like making homemade whipped cream because I can control the sugar content in it, and keep it lower than store bought. 

And it tastes great. 

I made a lot of whipped cream so tomorrow I may be treating myself to dollops atop my coffee maybe. Why the hell not! 

After dessert and during the 8pm football game that was rather dull, I decided Toffee needed a walk. It's been a couple days and no one has taken her. So even though it is zero dark thirty around here at 8pm (only to get zero darker thirty next weekend at this time) we went out. I fished my LL Bean head lamp out of the closet and winter things, happy to see the batteries were still active. 

Sometimes I take us on a walk up the street to where there are no street lights, and there is a part of the journey with no sidewalk. So I figure it is time for safety! I even put on a warmer jacket, it was 50, which sounds like nothing and to be honest, it isn't! I got out there, thought it was chilly and half a block later regretted my warm clothing option. And we didn't go to where the sidewalk ends and the road is dark and full of terror. 

The good thing about the headlamp is I can see where she pooped. 

That's about the wrap up. Digits below this beautiful pumpkin pie action!

digits

exercise: 12/12 hours. Treadmill run, 44 min/3.12 mi; toffee walk, 30 min/1.47 mi; 16k+ steps by bedtime

blood glucose: 

9:15am: 130
4:45pm: 84
10:45pm: 158 

food & meds
9:15am: jardiance & new meds
9:45am: pumpkin muffin
10:30am: 2 slices of sourdough bread, toasted, buttered, w/ cherry preserves
1pm: left over very small cheeseburger w/corn salsa on top (tomatoes, peppers, beans, corn)
1:30pm: met+glip
4pm: new meds
6:30pm: cheesesteak filling in a bowl w/some steak fries. Onions, peppers, mushrooms steak bomb style
7:30pm: slice of pumpkin pie w/homemade whipped cream
8:30pm: met+glip
red wine

Success and Failure and Baking

Not much happening today. Doug hasn't been feeling himself for a couple weeks. Just very tired, sleeping plenty, sleeping well, just wiped out all the time. He said he's going to make a doctor appointment this week. 

It is like tables are turned as of late. Me? Constantly moving, hardly sleeping, never napping, walking/running/whatever. And he hasn't wanted to walk or do or go. Forever I was the big slug-a-bed. Now it is him. And now I know how he probably felt every time he asked me if I wanted to go for a walk or something and I said no.

Today was no different. He said he was going to mow the lawn, but then took a nap and after he woke up he didn't want to. 

While he was napping, I built a shoe rack. I had bought it because I have been sick of shoes all over the damn place. Massive success. I love it. I should have bought a bunch of these and stacked them on each other, so easy to make. 

But.

I also bought a bookcase, and well. not a success. I can't assemble it by myself. It was kind of hiiiiiilarous me downstairs attempting, solo, and failing miserably. After a bit, I read something in the istructions that said "you will need two or three people to build this bookcase." Damn.

Geoff was at the gym and I didn't want to bother Doug at all, he was napping. 

I did ask him if he'll give me a hand tomorrow maybe. 

Here is my success and failure. 

The Steelers are playing at 9:30, so yeah? Maybe after the game. I feel like I'm making such great progress on getting this office situation all set and don't want to lose momentum.

I got on the treadmill at about 5, and instead of a podcast today, I decided on music. I will say, if you asked me this time last year if I could run at all, I have said no. If you asked if I could run AND sing at the same time, I'd have laughed. 

But I was listening to the Avett Brothers, and as much as I do very much love them, most of the songs aren't at a fast enough clip for me, but, I can sing while running. 

Very pleased with myself, I must say. 

And I put in a full 5k to boot. Just because.

After dinner was cleaned up and put away, I decided that to redeem myself of my failure-state and do something I'm good at - Baking. 

I whipped up a pumpkin pie. And the can of pumpkin I bought was too big for one pie and too small for two pies, so I took the remaining pumpkin and got a pumpkin oatmeal muffin recipe. I smashed up some pecans to put the mix, and used full sugar maple syrup instead of the low sugar stuff I have. 

Brilliant. 

House smells great, I just wish I had some vanilla ice cream. 

Digits below! 

digits

exercise: 12/12 hours.  Treadmill 5k. 46 min (tried 45 but didn't quite make it) 13k+ steps by bedtime

blood glucose: 

9am: 100
4:30pm: 105
11pm: 93 (surprising based on muffins below....) 

food & meds
9am: jardiance & new meds
10:45: slice of banana bread
2pm: mac & cheese w/ground beef; met+glip
3:30pm: new meds
6:30pm: cheesey pasta w/shrooms & broccoli a la Geoff
8:30: met+glip
white wine+diet ginger ale
10:15pm: 2 pumpkin oatmeal muffins 

Sunrise Sunset, Sunrise Sunset

Thursday I headed into the office in DC. It's a schlep. I believe I've mentioned this before. Geoff was up getting ready to go to school/hotel/school and so I got ready to leave right after he went. 

Pitch dark out there in the world at 5:45am, friends. 

I was ready to go by 6:30 and hit the road. Normally, I don't see too well to drive in the dark anymore, but I've figured out a route from my house over to the highway that is fairly well lit by streetlights. And then once on the main drag and the highway, the problem becomes the driving due east right into the sunrise. 

In the summer, she's up by the time I hit the road, that Sun. This time of year not so much. I was on the interstate and she was peeking up,  almost where I'd be exiting to head south and thankfully there was a line of clouds low on the horizon, it blocked the blinding rays and I was able to successfully avoid being zinged. 

I left my office at 4:15, any later and the traffic is hell. Sooner and I wouldn't have been able to attend the office hours with our clients and have a yap with my boss who was in town for big meetings. 

The way home, I experience the same sunny problem with the driving due west. In the summertime, I can stay at the office later but this time of year really have to go on time. Thankfully, the sun was off to my left due to how the magic of tilting of the earth works out, and it was not direct into my windshield, so I was able to safely drive. It was pitch dark by the time I pulled into the driveway. 

And I feel like I really need to talk to my doctor about this night time blindness. Yet another thing to deal with as we get older. 

Friday morning I had a chat with a co-worker in her 30s and she's got a gorgeous little almost 2 year old. She was telling me how he got up the ladder to the next level on the playground apparatus, and how she was internally screaming for him to get down and externally being that most supportive and most wonderful helpful mom. I'm super proud of her.

I've kept this blog long enough that I can recall how many instances I've experienced, especially with Geoff, where I wanted to save him from himself. Stop. Do not do this thing. Danger, Will Robinson! Danger! 

But we let him do/try/experience and he survived and our (my, usually) heart(s) were sometimes aged prematurely by the parental inner-trauma we give ourselves. 

I recalled this blog entry where I wrote about "Stop Growing,"  and I shared it with her, and I'm sitting here thinking not just of how 28 years ago I didn't relish the thought of the children not growing up to do amazing things, I'm also pondering the me portion of things. I'll be 60 soon, which is mindblowing... How the hell are we 60? Yesterday I was talking to my friend J about how it's weird that we met in Junior High School way back in the day, and now we're going to shows together and hanging out, and talking about our gardens, and being "us" but we're old. 

I used to think 60 was "old people" but I don't now because I'm in the middle of it. 

And except for the vision issues I'm feeling pretty good about turning 60. 

My friend Rob told me his birthday in July sucked. He avoided everyone, didn't connect with anyone. His dog was very very sick and he was so angry, "If my dog dies on my 60th birthday this is going to suck miserably" he shared when we chatted recently. I felt that. When Brodie was sick a few years back, Thanksgiving was when we almost lost her. I was at the market walking around crying because she was at the animal hospital and I was trying to buy food for dinner that didn't include a 100% frozen turkey. Thankfully she didn't die that day, or I'd associate Thanksgiving with the death of my pup. 

But even so. We don't have control over dates things happen, and I think I've learned to just accept sometimes multiple things happen on the same day. 

Just like a sunrise, sunset. Just like Fiddler on the Roof sang to us. The years move swiftly. 

And it is okay. 

Monday would have been Doug's dad's 86th birthday, and how I miss him. But instead I'm focused on the fact I may have jury duty. 

Sigh. 

Anywhoo. At the office yesterday I got fuck all nothing done. It's like that when I go in. So today I made up for a lot of that. I tested digital widget embeds with a colleague on the visuals team, or Viz as we lovingly call them. 

I have my annual review on Monday, thanks to the fact that I called and do not have Jury Duty this Monday, but, I do have to call every day next week to see if my number comes up. They needed jurors #1-106 and my number is 112, so, I would bet I am on the list for Tuesday. I kind of wish instead of chit chat yesterday that my boss and I could have done the review then, in the same room. 

Not ever saying I need to/want to go back to the office on the reg but it is nice to be in the same meat space sometimes. 

After work, Doug ran to the market to get something for dinner (Geoff wasn't back yet) even though we have a fridge full of left overs and really need to have a left over bonanza. He grilled burgers, and I took Toffee for a truncated walk so I could get back and eat. Geoff got home right at the same time as Doug got back, he's always happy when he gets home. 

Not sure what we are up to this weekend, I may try to get Doug to go to the antiques store with me, I really want him to see it. 

Digits for 2 days below this hilarious calendar entry on the wall in my office. Duly noted for next year. 

Thursday digits

exercise: 12/12 hours.  No run, but plenty of measured walks; 11k+ steps by bedtime

blood glucose: 

5:45am: 98
xpm: n/a didn't bring monitor
9pm: 163

food & meds:

6am: jardiance & new meds
9:30am: piece of sausage and 3 strips of bacon
1pm: small bowl of cheddar cheese soup w/bacon & jalapeños (cafeteria at work)
3pm: met+glip, new meds
7:30pm: 647 everything bagel w/chive cream cheese
8pm: healthy slice of stromboli w/sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, cheese, green peppers
9:30pm: met+glip
one beer (poured a 2nd and didn't want it, gave it to Doug)

Friday digits

exercise: 12/12 hours. Treadmill 30 min/2.15 mi (slower than usual pace... hmm);  Toffee walk, 16 min/.75 mi; 11k+ steps by bedtime

blood glucose: 

9:30am: 118
4:30pm: 164
10:30pm: 98

food & meds
9:30am: jardiance & new meds
1:45pm: english muffin w/pb and bonnie maman's wild blueberry preserves
2:15pm: met+glip
3pm: new meds
5pm: handful of mixed nuts
6:45pm: cheeseburger, no bun, mixed greens, bleu cheese
8pm: met+glip
white wine+diet ginger ale

Paper cuts

Today I opened up some mail and got a paper cut. I opened up a box, and got a paper cut right below the paper cut I got from the mail. 

I honestly cannot recall the last time I got an honest to goodness paper cut. 

Well, yesterday. I got paper cuts yesterday from other boxes. 

Good grief. I hate you, paper cuts! 

So my fingers are bandaged, and I hate it.  They hurt like a mother. 

Anyway.

Today was a pretty good day. I went on the treadmill when I was listening to our All Staff. The laptop/internet connection absolutely failed when I brought it out to the mud room, which means, of course, when I want to use video down in the office I'm slowly but surely moving my ass into, it won't work. 

I need to get a good wifi signal booster. That's for another day.

Today's overall day was great, the running on the treadmill during All Staff was a very good idea. Great use of 30 of the 90 minutes of the meeting. Super happy with myself. I took Toff for a walk after dinner, like we've been doing, an got a lot more steps in. Tons of steps today. Super proud of me. 

Doug went to bed at 9 because darkness? So early. I emptied the dishwasher at 10 and reloaded it. Geoff had made a slow cooker dinner and so I was wanting for it to be tidied up before I went to bed. 

He has school/hotel/school tomorrow. I'm going to the office tomorrow. I probably should be smart, like Doug, and go to bed early. Because I need to be up stupid early to leave. It'll still be dark when I go but luckily, enough street lights along the way and tail lights on the highway and I should get to a good point by sunrise. I'm slightly worried about coming home and it being super stupid dark, but I'm hoping it won't be an issue. 

Geoff is taking the wagon that had the coolant thing issue the other day. I've got the "good" and healthy car .... I offered to swap with him and he said no - the wagon is registered at the college and he does not want to go to public safety and get a temp pass for the other car. Okay 

So please send him in your heart of hearts a little bit of grace and mojo. 

Here's a picture from our garden. Our neighbor put a bunch of shit out on the curb recently, one of those things was a flamingo light that is solar powered. 

I stole it. Because, of course I did. Guster fans know. 

She's cute. I like her. 

digits

exercise: 12/12 hours. Treadmill, 30 min/2.25 mi; walk with toffee, 30 min/1.34 mi. 14k+ steps by bedtime. Not too shabby.

blood glucose: 

8:30am: 130
4:15pm: 126
10pm: 111

food & meds:

8:30am: jardiance & new meds
9:45am: slab of banana bread w/butter
2pm: met+glip
3pm: slice of seed bread w/pb
3:45pm: new meds
white wine w/diet ginger ale
6:15pm: hungarian goulash a la geoff's slow cooker recipe
wine, wine, wine a bunch of wine sorry.

Cars and Crafts

Geoff left for work at 5:30, I realized I needed to pee, and I knew Doug's alarm would be going off shortly. I wanted to keep sleeping but also, he needed to be on camera at 7am so. I went downstairs. I didn't even hear Doug come down, feed the dog ad let her out. She had been sleeping with me, but of course, brekkie time. He let her out and I just kept sleeping. After a while, I knew she was still out there, and he was in the shower so I went and got her. Back to bed.

He attended his 7am meeting, I vaguely could hear voices but they wove into my dreams. He came downstairs to get some coffee and headed out to the car. 

All the lights were on on the dashboard with a giant red exclamation mark, turn vehicle off now. 

The hell?

I drove that car on Sunday when I went out on errands. She was fine. 

I got out of bed at like to find him still here, which surprised me since I knew about the in person meeting he was supposed to be going to, starting at 10am. With lunch following. And stuff. 

He told me the saga. No coolant in the reservoir. At all. 

"Do we have a leak?" I asked.

"Dunno, not sure yet." he replied. 

We just had like 500 dollars worth of work done. But not on the cooling system or anything. Did our mechanic forget to attach a hooziewhatsit to a thingamabob? Did a lid not get put back on a thing? 

I recalled the time I got an oil change at a jiffy lube, and the dudes forgot to put the cap back on the oil holder. I was driving down the road, and smoke came pouring out of the engine, and I could smell the oil, basically slapping all over the inside of the hood, all over everything. 

I pulled over and a guy stopped and helped me open the hood. Sure enough, oil everywhere and no cap on the thingie. 

"Here's your problem," the roadside volunteer said.

"Sigh. Thank you. I see that. But thank you for opening the hood, I didn't even know how to do that."

Friends, I was in college, it was my second ever car. It all worked out and hey, I got a gift certificate for a future oil change at that place and never used it. Fuck those guys.

So I was wondering what could suddenly all of a sudden make a sudden oh no we're out of coolant thing happen on our car. 

I also was anxious, because, Thursday both Geoff and I need to be places. Places that are not near the house. Doug came back from the auto parts store, filled her up with coolant, drove her around. We'll take her for a spin later. Drive her again tomorrow, and just see how it all goes. And, we've got an extra container of coolant just in case. 

If things start to get worse and whatever, back to the mechanic with you! 

He's actually a really great guy, and if he broke something, I'm sure he'd make it right. I'm happy we found him because it is sometimes a challenge when you move to find a good mechanic, a good dentist, and a good veterinarian. 

Work was incredibly quiet today. I ended up doing a little bit of arts & crafts preparedness for myself. I had bought a corkboard and frame, on the advice of the girl at Michael's who said it would be much less expensive than going to staples and getting a whole ass bulletin board thing. 

Stupidly, I didn't realize the frame has a plastic front dealie to it, Cool. No. Not Cool. 

So I had to gently but forcibly get the plastic out of the frame and of course she's glued in there. Awesome. I cut my middle finger on my left hand a little bit, not gushing horrible murder bleeding but enough that I said Fuck. Fuck you you fucking why didn't you just go to Staples and buy a corkboard dummy. So what it'd cost a little moarrrrrrr! 

But. I finished it and got the corkboard in the frame. Take that everybody! 

The basement office is obviously concrete walls, so I don't think I can mount/hang anything on the walls successfully. 

I need to build the bookshelf next. 

But also I need to find the box of push pins that I have 9 million of, of course, I have no idea what box they are in. I bet they are in the basement. But. I did go ahead and buy some cute ass flamingo push pins because that's fun. They'll be here tomorrow. Progress, babies. Progress! 

Geoff started dinner, so I got on the treadmill. About 10 minutes into it my friend A called, recently relocated from Arizona to Lancaster PA. She likes to chat on the phone, and the past couple times I have not answered but today, I did. We kept me on the treadmill for a solid half hour and I think we would have kept up a yap if she hadn't gotten to her destination. 

Right now, we're aiming for getting together in the weekend between Hartford and Brooklyn Guster shows. I cleared it with the husband. We STILLLLLLLLLLLL have to get together with our friend Smittay up in the Harrisburg area. Someday. It feels like all the time one of us has a thing on some weekend or both of us have a thing on the weekend. 

This year is going to go fast getting towards the end of things. 

After dinner, I took Toffee for a stroll. It's still nice out, it was chilly but no wind. You all know how I can handle walkies in the cold, but not in the wind. And miss Toffee sure did have a great time. We met a lady hanging out her halloween decorations, in the dark. And there was a man using his weed whacker as a sidewalk edger, in the dark. There were baseball games going on, so the big lights were on up at the big park and our little park. Lots of cheering. 

I pretended it was for us. 

Alright, here is the bulletin board, framed, in process, and more to come with this tomorrow. Digits, below. 

digits

exercise: 11/12 hours.  Missed 8pm while loading the dishwasher; Treadmill, 30 min/1.92 mi (walked some of it while trying to talk on the phone; Toffee walk, 30 min/1.36 mi; 12k+ steps by bedtime

blood glucose: 

9:30am: 161
4:30pm: 98
10pm: 146

food & meds:

9:30am: jardiance & new meds
9:45am: 2 heel slices of super seed bread w/pb
4pm: new meds. handful of mixed nuts
4:45pm: 3 Oreo cookies
6pm: cheesey chicken pasta alfredo; white wine
7:45pm: met+glip

Jury Duty Summons

About a month ago, I got a letter informing me I have been summoned for jury duty. I set the document aside and thought oh crap,,, is it today? Today? Am I supposed to be there today?

Next Monday. Okay, alright, okay alright.... alright. Minor panic attack resolving. 

I basically saw the blue text for Trial Jury Summ........ and put it on the table and didn't read the rest of the document. I was supposed to complete the form and send it back within 10 days of receiving the letter. Ope. It is way beyond 10 days but okay. It has an online version so I filled that out. Done did that. 

Sigh. 

I am all for serving on a jury. I think it is a very important part of our citizenship, for our nation. I for one would like to know a good bunch of jurors would be on my jury, if ever (God forbid) I need a jury. 

I don't hate it. I don't hate the idea. 

But wow do I not feel like doing this. I have to be there at 8:45am. That is so freaking early. Parking downtown is an absolute nightmare, so maybe Doug can drive me? I can walk home, it is just about a mile and a half. Weather permitting, of course. 

Heck, maybe I could walk there. For sure, I could walk back.

There is a cute bookstore nextdoor, so if I don't get picked, I can stop in. I could also take myself out to lunch at my fave downtown bar. Or dinner if I have to sit.

After all, I get the full day off technically. 

Our downtown is cute. I like it. And the summons says to expect to be called for a week, so I could be spending a bunch of time down there. 

Thankfully it isn't this week because on the 22nd, I am supposed to go to the office. And I don't want to miss that. 

This morning, while listening to a meeting on my ear buds I baked a banana bread. I had bought bananas and Geoff didn't eat them all so four of them were available to be converted to baked goods. It was a little drier than usual, even with the four bananas, so that ws a tiny bit disappointing? But it didn't stop me from enjoying a slice right out of the pan. Gosh, that's good. 

In other stupid news of stupid, your girl needed new sheet pans. The ones I have had, over 11 years old at this point, are kind of falling apart. Two have holes in the bottom so you can't make a tray of chicken parm, the sauce drips out. Good for cookies but not much else.

Yesterday at Target, I saw some nice shiny big wonderful NordicWare sheet pans. Fuck yes. 

Well, they are bigger than the other ones, and do not fit in my dishwasher standing up on the bottom shelf. The other ones just barely fit. You can stand one up fully straight and if you wash a second, it has to be in there at an angle so as not to get hit by the spinny watery arm dealie. 

These, well. One at a time, at an angle, and a bigger angle at that so you can't really put something under it. 

Or, I can hand wash them for life. 

Well. They're awesome and I'm not mad. I just wish I hadn't actually impulse bought something without knowing how big it should be. 

I made a roast chicken for dinner, and should have put it in the oven at 4pm instead of 5. Good thing Doug had a meeting at 5:30 that went for over an hour, and then worked after for some time. After dinner, I was short on steps, because I'd only done 15 minutes on the treadmill running so Toffee and I went out. Wow, was it cold at 8pm. Damn. I'm not ready for cold.

Doug has another meeting tomorrow morning at 7, and then he has to go to the office in Virginia. I think Geoff may be working tomorrow?  Not sure. 

If he is, I'm here solo for the day and I think I will bake a pumpkin pie.  

No pictures today so digits, below!

digits

exercise: 11/12 hours. Somehow missed 11 am?  Treadmill, 15 min/1.11 mi; Toffee walk, 22 min/1.01 mi. 10k+ steps by bedtime

blood glucose: 

8:30am: 118
4:30pm: 167
10:30pm: 190

food & meds:

8:30am: jardiance & new meds
11am: slab of homemade banana bread
2pm: met+glip
4pm: new meds
4:45: 6 ritz crackers w/pb & dollop of cherry preserves
5:15 pm: 6 more ritz crackers
7pm: roast chicken, carrots, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy
8pm: met+glip
2 beers

Almost like grown ups

Quite some time back, in the Phineas years, we got a new bed. We started out with a queen mattress and it wasn't ... right? It was too small. So within the window of opportunity, we traded her in for a split king. 

Friends, I can't remember if I have told you, but split kings suck. Honestly. We always had this gap between our sides, and stuff fell down in there. We bought a "filler" and that would slide all the way down... And then we'd have a gap but not as deep a gap. 

Miss Toffee was never happy in the middle of the bed, so she had to be up one of our asses at all times. I tried. So hard. Soft pillows, blankets, in the middle so she could be on them. Nope. 

So I basically decided we needed an enclosure to unify East and West Germany ... Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! 

A month or so back, I went to target. I bought one, marketed as an allergen protector that you can unzip the top and wash it, but the bottom stays wrapped around the bottom of the mattress. Pretty smart. There were a bunch of fancier online companies, I almost bought something along those lines but dude, 300 bucks? nnnnnope! nope. no. For 90 bucks, I got what I needed/wanted.

But then, we didn't do anything with it. 

Today, I asked Doug if he'd help me because honestly, the half a king mattress weighs so much that I honestly could not do this myself. 

He agreed. 

And today, we have a united bed. Very happy. Very very happy. Have not slept in it yet, but ... she's put together and waiting for us. 

Finally. 

I also went to target today and got a bunch of stuff. Forgot a couple things but I think I can get those at Weis. I also went over to Michaels, because at Target, I bought an Ikea Style 4x2 cube bookshelf unit. And i wanted a bulletin board to stick a mess of Guster stuff on. Target didn't sell those. Michaels doesn't either, but, they have a kind of poster board that is bulletin board-ish, and a frame. I bought those. And more glue sticks for my glue gun, and some pretty glass beads that I can glue around the frame. 

It is hilarious to me, that I have dragged my feet on getting my office put together because I need a "trophy case" to display all my fun shit. Literally cannot bring myself to get organized down there until I have ... art. 

I was kicking myself for not bringing a couple posters to size them up for frames. I guess Michael's is more expensive than you expect... but they do a good job. I was impressed with what a friend of mine had done with hers. 

Anyway. 

Back home, I emptied another box that was in our bedroom, found a bunch of damn good treasures to put on my new bookshelves, organized all my stickers and pins, my 5k medal and bib number, some fun stuff from work. There's more stuff downstairs, it's been sitting down there waiting for me. 

Now that my brain is engaged with this project, I literally feel like not working tomorrow or another day this week and getting this all done. 

Finally. 

Geoff doesn't have work tomorrow because of a data breach at one of the stores he was supposed to go through. That's awesome. The stores are still open, but for some reason they can't do this inventory dealie. So he'll be around tomorrow. I may get him to sherpa stuff up and down the stairs for me. Or clean his bathroom. Ha. 

After the bed was built, dinner was ready but I wasn't hungry. I had skipped the afternoon meds since I was at Target when I'd usually take them, and, I was about 2 hours behind when I would on a "regular" day. Doug took Toffee for a walk, and I loafed around. 

Since I walked a lot at Target and Michael's, I only needed about 1k worth of steps to hit 10. I regretted not going with Doug and Toffee. I hit the treadmill to finish that up, and then some. 

So thrilling. 

I also bought brand new sheets too. I didn't get a comforter yet, I'm not sure what color I want, and, comforters are tricky. I sleep super hot - so I don't want anything heavy. Doug mostly sleeps on top of the covers, weirdo that he is. 

But at least we have a nicely made bed now. And soon, I'll have a nicely made office. Hopefully sooner than later. 

Digits below our "grown up bed." 

digits

exercise: 11/12 hours. slept through 9am. 15 min treadmill run, 1.05 mi. 11k+ steps by bedtime.

blood glucose: 

10:30am: 140
5:30pm: 130
10:30pm: 137

food & meds:

10:30am: jardiance & new meds
noon: 2 egg mcmuffins (I only wanted one but Geoff didn't want one... so I had to eat it) 
3pm: met+glip
skipped new meds, timing wise it wasn't smart
6:30pm: small piece of french bread pizza
8:45pm: met+glip
no wine/alcohol

Cold and Windy

Dudes, it was freeeeeeezing today. Absolutely freezing. I went out with Doug to do yardwork and came back in and put on "hard pants." Yinz know about hard pants vs. soft pants right? Soft pants are yoga pants, PJs, sweatpants, dorm pants. Hard pants are pants you wear to work or out to dinner, or just generally out in public if you're so inclined. 

Yoga pants will do just like, going to the market. But I'm not one to wear PJ pants with puppies and kittens or Christmas ornaments.... in July. The way I've seen some humans act. 

I have at least a little bit of standards. Ya know?

Outside, I was not very helpful. We allegedly are getting a freeze tonight, and we talked about bringing in the planters, but I need a waterproof thingie to put them in so we can water them as they over winter.

I know I need some things from Target or Walmart, like dog food (Geoff was right, we're down further than I thought). So maybe I'll take myself out for errands tomorrow. Get some things. 

This morning I took a good hard sleep-in. Cuddled in the guest room with the dog, I turned my alarm off when it sounded at 9. Usually I like to be up by 9 on the weekend.

I got up just in time to do the 9am steps. Yay me. Ha. I hate missing an hour, if I can help it. Sleeping in does throw the meds/food schedule out of whack a bit so I had to bump everything back by about 90 min to 2 hours... It's the routine, not the time, that matters.

Doug took a nap and I hit the treadmill. I knew I was NOT going to make a trip out tonight with Toffee, sorry girl. Just ... not ready for cold. Oh, and it is windy as hell. Not conducive for walkies. She seems to understand. 

After my treadmill and shower, Jess and I had a yap. Caught up on some things. I could hear Doug talking too and I thought he was chatting with Geoff but no - his mom called (and woke him up from the nap). So we each had family catch up time. 

Jess and I are plotting their thanksgiving trek here, what day/date here and what day/date back. It is good to yap on such things. 

I unpacked a box. Yes. We have two boxes sitting in our bedroom so I decided I'd go at it. I know one of those boxes is shit for my office that I still have not set up (dudes, for sure... gonna do it. Soon. Soon). 

the other box was .... ties. All ties. A giant moving box full of ties. 

Good lort. 

When Doug's dad passed, his mom gave Doug all his ties. I think she offered some to Doug's nephew and brother in law, they took a cursory few. 

But she gave the rest to Doug. 

They need to be organized, but I put them all on 2 hangers and put them in our closet. Then I found another box of ties in the closet on the floor. 

For the love of all that is good and pure, please, no one on earth ever buy my husband another tie. Promise me. 

Digits below. Ties, and the cute cuddle dog.

digits

exercise: 12/12 hours. Treadmill, 30 min/2.25 mi. No toffee walk. 10k+ steps by bedtime.

blood glucose: 

10am: 120
5pm: 156
10:30pm: 144

food & meds:

10am: jardiance & new meds
1pm: turkey & bacon cheddar quesadilla in my panini press. yay! 
2pm: met+glip
6:30pm: chili, w/fritos, cheddar, sour cream; white wine+diet ginger ale
after dinner while cleaning up, 4 oreo cookies
8pm: met+glip

Naps

I felt low key crummy all day today. I was going to hit the treadmill at 1 since my 1pm meeting was canceled, but then I said.... meh. Instead I made chicken salad with diced apples and walnut. Normally I like little red grapes cut in half, but since it is fall, it just felt autumnal. 

My 3pm with my work son was fun, and I did some needed things after. Then did the treadmill but felt fat and slow and like my belly was full.

And it was. I had more than a normal serving of that chicken salad, and it was later than I usually have lunch-ish. Much closer to dinner so I knew I wasn't going to be too hungry for that. 

I thought okay, did a less than stellar go on the treadmill, let's take Toffee for a walk after we check emails and whatnot. 

Everything outside got super dark, very fast, and very spooky looking. Then the rain hit. 

Well. 

I guess we are not taking Toffee for a walk. She will melt if she gets a drop of rain on her and that's a lot of drops of rain. 

Instead, I went to take a nap. Or, I should say I tried to take a nap. 

Dear readers, I used to be the queen of naps. I could just flop down and sleep and sleep. Any time, day or night, no amount of coffee gonna keep me from gettin them delightful ZzzzZZZs. 

Lately not so much. Doug naps every single day around 4pm and I hate him because I'm jealous. So I knew he was napping upstairs. And I went into the guest room. Toffee came with me. We listened to the rain bombarding my neighbor's AC unit. It was almost musical.

Geoff was going to run to the market because I had a little shopping list, and he wanted to go to Target because we only have 6 days worth of dog food and 3 rolls of paper towel. So that's dangerously low supply! 

But he took one look outside and said "Bruh." I heard him and laughed a little. I said "Bruh, I know. Look at that nonsense." 

Luckily we had stuff for two or three meals in the house. He could have made chicken parm but it was close to 6 at that point and that is easily a one hour process. Instead, he made a box of mac & cheese with bacon. Not what I personally wanted but. He made it, I'll eat it. Thank you. And I didn't fall asleep. Between him bumping around in the kitchen, that pounding on the AC unit, and the fact I just can't fall asleep in the day anymore. I got up out of the bed at around 6:30 when he yelled "Okay, it's ready."

I told Doug when he came downstairs about how I just felt gross and he said, "NOT THIS AGAIN!?" 

Not, "Oh honey I'm so very sorry you have a tummy ache. Here, let me rub your back and make you tea." 

No. None of that.

I looked at him and I was like ugh fuck you "No, I pooped yesterday and today so things are going through the Hormuz Strait, I just think I ate way too much chicken salad for lunch."

"It was exceptionally good." He nodded. 

Yes, it really was. And we have a bunch for this weekend. 

Around 9pm, I realized I was way behind on the steps since I did the lackluster treadmill performance. It had stopped raining, and it felt cool but not sweatshirt cool, so I grabbed a long sleeved t-shirt, put on my shoes and got the dog ready. 

I took her on a longer route. Seeing as 9pm is advanced darkness, we don't go through the park, and walking up on the road to the east there isn't a sidewalk. So we stuck to well lit roads, and it worked out nicely to get more than a mile in. 

Got all the steps I needed. 

Tomorrow, cold but sunny. We have absolutely nothing planned. Let's see what we get into. 

Digits below, and I'm back-dating this post to Friday since it is now well after midnight. 

How I'm still awake, I have no idea.

digits

exercise: 12/12 hours.  Treadmill run, 15 min/1.07 mi; Toffee walk, 40 min/1.75 mi; 11k+ steps by bedtime

blood glucose: 

9am: 140
4:45pm: 118
11:30pm: 160 (*see meds below)

food & meds:

9am: jardiance & new meds
9:30am: the last 2 toll house cookies w/coffee 
1:45pm: met+glip; big bowl of chicken salad w/walnuts & diced apples
3:45pm: new meds
6:30pm: bowl of mac & cheese w/bacon
11pm: met+glip (oops. Forgot to take after dinner)