Feb 12

Happy birthday honest Abe.

Here is how my Saturday has been so far.

I got up a bit later than normal. I think the Remicade makes me tired. While it was still a cold morning, it was forecast to be warmer than the day before. I decided to go for a ride. Before I rode I ate a bagel with cream cheese, banana and a glass of Ovaltine. Then I got ready to ride. Since the temperature was in the low 30’s I wore several layers. On the bottom I had long underwear, my padded riding shorts and then riding tights. The tights are lined with fleece on the font part of the leg. On the top I wore a long sleeve tee shirt, a thermal shirt, a sweatshirt and finally a jersey. On my feet my shoes were covered by booties and I wore gloves. The only things not covered were my ears. Below is a picture of most of my riding stuff on the line after being washed.

When I got home I showered and had breakfast.  I had yogurt with granola in it, a homemade cinnamon roll and water.  After breakfast the temperature was quickly rising so Elizabeth and I walked to the nearby Randall’s grocery store.  On the way we stopped at the neighbor to look at the raised vegetable bed they built.  At the store, I got a few last minute St Valentine Days items.  Then we walked back home.  Lunch was my big meal for the day.  It included steak, baked potato and salad.  While the steak was actually only half of what Elizabeth cooked, it was still too much for me to eat.

Now it is nearly 3 and I am ready for a nap.  We plan to go to church tonight and then come home and eat.

Feb 11

Here is how my Friday went. Note our week end is actually three days long, Friday through Sunday.




Friday was a very cold morning for southeast Texas. When I got up the temperature was below the physiological barrier of 30. That plus the fact that I am still recovering from an infection made riding my bike seem like a bad idea. So I left Greg, my bike, in the garage. I made some coffee and had my early morning quiet time. Around 8 Elizabeth got up. Before we ate I took Candi to the groomer. She really needed a bath and haircut. When I got home we had breakfast. I had some cereal. After breakfast I showered and got ready for the day. Then it was off to run some errands. These included stops at the Post Office, library, Hancock’s fabric and Kroger’s for groceries. By the time we got home Candi was done and ready to come home. This was a new groomer we tried. This one is closer to our house. They did a fairly good job. They really cut her ears back. This was good as they sometimes get into her food when she eats. It was also lunch time. I had a chef salad. After lunch it was time to go for a Remicade treatment. It is really not a big deal. All I do is sit in a recliner for about three hours while I receive the medicine by IV. I have a portable DVD player and started watching a series I received for Christmas. It is titled “America the story of us”. I think it was shown on the History Channel. I watched two episodes and it was quite good. I also napped for a bit. On the way home I stopped at Barnes and Noble to look for a magazine for Elizabeth. No luck there. Then it was home. For supper I had a Monte Christo sandwich and some French fries. It was very good. After supper I washed the dishes and took Candi for a walk. Elizabeth did not go with us as she had just taken a bath and was in her jammies. When we got home I dropped of Candi and went to my Friday meeting. Got home from that around 9:30 and had a cup of hot chocolate. Then it was bed time. Except for the Remicade that is a pretty typical Friday. The Remicade I have to have every 4 weeks. I think this medicine caused the effects of this sinus infection to be more significant and longer lasting. I would say than normal but this is my new normal.

A place to hide

Candi hates things the vacuum cleaner. In fact when it comes out she tries to find a place to hide. Her favorite place is under the bed as per the picture below.

 Below is a close up.

Songbirds

The weather in Southeast Texas is so unpredictable. On Thursday I came home early as the forecast included a winter storm warning. This included a predicted 3 inches of snow. The forecast was so dire most of the schools decided on Thursday not to open on Friday. We went to the grocery store to get some last minute supplies. Actually they were things we would have purchased anyways we just got them a bit earlier. While it was not that bad in our area, other parts of the areas did get hit. Not so much with snow but with ice. Much worse. Although the city leaders ask people to stay off the roads, there were hundreds of accidents and 6 fatalities. So Elizabeth and I stayed in Friday morning. By afternoon the sun was shining and it most of the streets were dry. Saturday was even nicer and today better still. In fact it was nice enough that I got back on the bike this morning.

Between the weather and not feeling well it has been a couple of weeks since I last rode. I noticed something different today, things sounded different. There are a few types of birds that stay here all winter. Mostly they include crows, blackbirds and vultures. But today as I rode I could hear real song birds. I was able to spot a Blue Jay, several Cardinals, Sparrows and Red Wing Blackbirds. Right now, 10:15 AM, the sun is shining bright and the temperature is in the mid 50’s. It should be in the mid 60’s this afternoon. It will be a fine day to take Candi for a walk. I may even wear shorts.

Time to get ready for church.