Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

The vagaries of Australian temperatures! I live about 500 miles north of Cyn so it should be hotter here. It's actually a quite comfortable 31C today, a nice reprieve after a week or so of 36 to 38 over Christmas and New Year. (Yes, we absolutely skipped the roasts and puddings and zeroed in on the prawns, cold meats and ices!)

“Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter around. Throughout history, ‘tender loving care’ has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing.” ~ Larry Dossey

Hi, Everyone!

Heidi, I'm glad to hear that you are breathing more easily. Hopefully, lots of systems are getting back to normal for you. Hoping you get good reports from the doctor on Tuesday, even if you can't talk back to him. Be sure you have paper and pen or pencil!

Echoing what Heidi said about the fires! I hope everyone is far removed and safe!

Suzy, I'm glad to hear Alie is still singing & has a list of songs she wants to learn! Music can be a real steadying force.

Cyn, I can understand your feelings about high humidity and 'glistening.' Perhaps it's true what they say about 'dry heat' being easier to deal with. I know I WILT when temperatures and humidity are both high. Luckily, they don't usually last for weeks at a time here and they're easier to deal with if there is an end in sight. I like your cheerful avatar!

Sending warming thoughts to all northern hemisphere friends and cooling thoughts to our southern hemisphere friends! Healing energy, positive thoughts, , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and prayers for all!

Wonderfull TOPP and TOPP-plus-one, slate! I still hope you can stay cool!

Julie, your 'spell-checker' needs a lesson. (it totally mangled saltie.)

It’s now officially cooler outside than inside, from about lunch time we had a gradual slide down from 42/107 to 24/75. I can’t complain about the weather anymore today...

I was just thinking about Heidi’s results and remembered they’re still a few days away....

Saltie, I’m guessing it’s humid where you are, for some of the year at least. Is that something you can get used to?

How your Phone could save your life.

You may want to check this out....


The first link is for iPhones

http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2018/01/07/how-your-iphone-could-save-your-life.html

The second is for Android phones.

https://www.komando.com/apps/362426/one-app-you-need-in-an-emergency

Suzy, you never get used to humidity!! And it get worse with age, particularly for women already dealing with hot flushes because it's a constant hot flush. And it doesn't go away at night time. Even if our night temp is 22c, it is still humid.
Can you tell I am soooo frustrated with it. But I wouldn't live elsewhere, so I must put up with it and pay my exorbitant power bills.

I think I have a quiet week this week. My son and his girls are flying to Melbourne tomorrow (first flight for the girls) for a week. Col's back at work. It is Maddy's 17th tomorrow but we had our family celebration yesterday before the others went away so I don't expect to see her. I'm going to one of our closer Bay Islands with the Art Group on Thursday but that's the limit of my social activities for the week. Yayy! I can read the books I got for Christmas, catch up with 2 weeks of recorded TV programs and maybe do some sketching - as much as my carpal tunnel allows.
Next week is constantly busy with my birthday, my son's birthday, and friends coming to stay for a few days. Plus Optometrist and Doctor appointments for both of us. Phew!

Greetings friends. I have been AOL once again. No excuses, just have my nose stuck in a book, and enjoying the more pain free hours of the day with the current pills. I almost hate to try the patches when this lot of pills is working better.

Heidi, will be thinking of you Tuesday when you get results of tests. I hope your voice returns by time of appointment.

the plants, Fatsia, I thought were goners have survived. I gave them a big drink of water and they perked up. the water in the fountain is frozen solid still, hope it can thaw this week. I am slowly taking flower pots to storage, two more moved today.

My heat is still working, still cold air coming through/around unit, but hey, I am warmer than a lot of people, and not having to worry how I will pay greatly increased heating bills.

Hope those of you near fires, or suffering from temps as high above normal as our temps are below normal make it with the least possible discomfort.

CynB would love some of your sun. We are in our winter pattern here. Low temps and sun, changing to warmer temps with clouds and rain. I just wish the humidity would increase a bit. I took a long hot shower yesterday and my bathroom did not fog up even a little, the humidity inside is so very low.

Time for night time meds and get ready for bed. I did more today than usual, and am tired. Hugs to each of you, with extras.

I'm pretty much used to the humidity here, Suzy. We may get a couple of weeks of high humidity and then it drops off for a spell. Also nighttime temps usually drop enough to give us some reprieve. I lived in Darwin in the 1980's, and the humidity there was truly oppressive. Daytime temperatures weren't especially high, but they didn't drop much overnight either, and there was rarely much change from day to day or week to week. The year I left we still had 24c minimums in May (late autumn/fall). I found the absolute constancy of it truly wearisome.

Oh, I don't mind being unable to speak. The throat doesn't hurt. But I suspect that my voice will have improved some in the next 36 hours until the appointment. I feel better by the hour. I'm coughing up less junk out of the lungs, and not coughing as much as before, thank goodness. The ribs don't hurt as much because of it.

Sweet relief! The temp dropped 10/18 degrees in half an hour. There’s a southerly, cold, wind and a tiny bit of wet stuff. I noticed driving Alie to work today that the river is the lowest I’ve seen it. Probably not the lowest it has been, but I haven’t always driven near it. Sydney draws from our river, which is weird because they are 160km away, and the news said they used a lot of water today. We go on water restrictions long before they so, but what the h3ll, it’s only a river.

Last night there was lots of noise and bright lights in the sky, but we only got 2mm of rain, and 3 fires. In my area, but over the mountain. They are fighting it with aircraft because they are inaccessible by road. I saw photos of fire fighters being lowered from a helicopter. Did you know 70% of our rural fire fighters are volunteers? The training is rigorous but they don’t get paid.

Saltie, I start to melt at 50% humidity, but that could be my menopause.

Which reminds me of a story, my next door neighbour suggested a hysterectomy to stop my hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. How does a woman get to 70 and not understand how menopause works?

MizT, I was happy to read you’re enjoying pain free hours! I hope it stays that way!

Cyn, enjoy your quiet week! I’ve been reading too! I read faster on my iPad because I can make the print really big. I’m also doing a 100 day challenge. I’m going to write every day for 100 days. I’m writing down stuff about my youth because the kids seem to like hearing about the past. I’m editing an awful lot though. There’s some sh1t they don’t need in their heads!

Heidi, I’ll be checking in to see your test results....

Most of our local firefighters are volunteers too, Suzy. Is that the definition of HEROIC?

Heidi - I'm pleased to hear you are starting to recover. I too will be anxious to hear how your results go.
Suzy, write your memoirs. I have. I started easily until I got to subjects I did not want to go to or did not want my kids/grandies to be aware of - for instance, the gory details of how my marriage to their father/grandfather broke down, neither of us were blameless. I found ways of talking about 'stuff' without being specific. I think that when/if they read this after I'm gone they won't want to know the intricate details, only if or how it changed my life and theirs. (I am happy enough with it that I think I will let Karin read it.)
MizT - I am happy to send you some of our hot weather in exchange for some cool weather. If only.
I agree, Saltie, we get used to the humidity mostly but it is difficult when it's still humid at night - last night was like that.

Cyn, i had only made it to third class and rewrote leaving a bunch of stuff out.

Hi, Everyone!

I apologize, saltie! Yep, autocorrect mangled your name, & I missed it. Then, it tried to mangle it again tonight, but luckily DOrA had tipped me off.

Suzy, I'm glad the temperature is beginning to drop! Now, if you can get the inside of the house to do the same!

Thank you for the links, DOrA. I hope none of us will ever need to use these tips, though.

MizT, I'm so glad to hear that the pain is better controlled and you're enjoying reading.

Suzy, good for you, another reader enjoying her books. I hope you aren't melting. Too bad the noise & lights in the sky didn't bring some rain with them! Hooray for the volunteer fire persons!

Heidi, hoping the doctor appointment will bring some better results and continuing improvements! SO glad you're getting your voice back! And hooray for the volunteer firefighters in your area!

CynB, enjoy your quieter week and reading. Sounds like next week will make up for it.

Seems like this week will be crazy for us. All music activities are back in swing, monthly meeting & committee meetings for our wood turners group, dental hygiene appointment & hubby doing a high school visit for an upcoming wood turning workshop. Next week will be more of the same.

Time to get moving, so I'll send the usual {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, healing energy, , and positive thoughts! Good Night!

Off to see the doctor and hear the good/bad news.

Very good news, and some bad news. The good news is that the lungs look a lot better, and I'm recovering nicely from the pneumonia. The bad news is that we need to increase my thyroid medication, which is easily done.... AND it looks like I'm pre-diabetic. I'm hoping that it'll look better when we do the next bloodwork in 4 months. I kind of suspect that the sugar levels were high because people had been dropping off carbonated drinks for me when I was so sick, and I had been drinking them. I rarely drink carbonated drinks.

I’m glad your tests were so much better Heidi!

Heidi - good news about your lungs, and yes, your thyroid medicine can be increased easily. I know many pre-diabetics who keep it at bay with diet.
I'm glad things are looking up for you.

What a day today has been. I spent most of the day with a phone in hand. Yesterday I got 2 letters from insurance in the mail. One was the approval for my sleep study for tomorrow (Wednesday) night. The other was a denial of same claim. The poor customer service rep I was working with could not figure it out. she was on the phone with the approvals department while I was on hold, until she came back and said she would have to phone me back. See me not happy, because that usually means they never phone and ya have to start again with someone else. I phoned the sleep study office to let them know what was going on, and that I could neither confirm or cancel my appointment at this time.

Later I get a phone call from both of them, they are now working together to get approval, I do not need to call back, they will call me. Well, surprise, they did! it is now approved.

Then there was the saga getting the lift van taxi scheduled, MORE time on the phone. OK, I now have that confirmed, I will be picked up at 7:30 tomorrow evening. Just hope there are no more snags, I am worn out from untangling this mess.

HEIDI, so glad you are improving, keep on keeping on, and back to better health soon.

Anyone keeping up with southern California? thirteen killed from mudslides, a direct result of the fires. Rain at one and a half inches PER HOUR and walls of mud came flowing down the now barren hills. Even with the rain and mud slides, the largest fire is still not contained. those poor people cannot catch a break.

In summer here, our humidity is often 90% and more. Dew points hit over 70, and it is like breathing through a sponge, or living in a sauna. And it lasts for weeks with no relief. Get rain? humidity just increases. No, you do not get accustomed to it, just endure it and run the AC units and de-humidifiers. That is when I do my outdoor gardening around dawn, the coolest hour of the day. Most homes could supply their water needs by capturing all the water in the air we breathe. Our 6 to 8 weeks of 90-90 weather. Temps above 90 F (33C), humidity above 90%. I do not think the weather is perfect anywhere, always something to moan and groan about . Current temp is 52F (11.1C) and humidity is 95% at 10:15 pm. but do not put away the gloves and caps, Saturday night will be sub freezing temps once again, for about a week, with sunshine. Gotta love it.

Time for my cup of warm milk, and hope it is enough, with my sleeping pill, to get me off to the land of nod. I doubt I will get much sleep tomorrow night. MUST get up tomorrow with energy, get everything I need to take packed and ready, including MY blanket and pillows, a snack, my medication, all the completed paper work, and most important, the phone number. someone may have to come down to let me in the door to building, they never know if it will be locked or not.

Hugs to each of you, with extras, till later.

Hi! Hope everyone is well or improving!

Heidi, great news from the doctor about improving lungs and progressing recovery from the pneumonia! I hope the increased dosage for thyroid function is helpful. Do you take the generic - or something else? Your theory about the carbonated beverages could certainly have had an impact on blood sugar levels. Hoping a careful diet will bring those readings into acceptable range by the next bloodwork!

MizT, you have had quite a day. I'm glad insurance & sleep study department got that worked out! I was never allowed to bring my pillow or blanket for a sleep study. My feet were so cold for the first one that it took a long time to get to sleep (finally had to ask for another blanket). I hope the study goes well, and be hope you have no problems getting back into the building in the morning!

We have had an exceptionally busy day, as well, and I have not had a chance to practice cello, but my lesson is tomorrow. I'm heading upstair now (11:10 p.m.) to try to get a little practicing done before bed. Good Night, Everyone!

Sending , healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, and {{{{{HUGS}}}}}!

Hi all, I’ve just been to the tip because Dana needs my trailer. Cried on the way there because it reminded me of promises broken. Cheered up when a stranger helped me, and then they only charged me for green waste even though I had a mixture. Dropped the trailer off at Dana’s and got grandkid hugs. Then I was crying again because a police car, ambulance supervisor, ambulance rescue and ambulance went past me, followed shortly after by another ambulance. Emergency vehicles trigger my PTSD.

Big hugs, Suzy! It's horrible when bad memory triggers happen.
I hope you're feeling happier this morning.

MizT - it must be so frustrating for you having to sort out approvals for any health issue with your insurer - every time, it seems.
Those landslides in California were scary. I saw on the news, one rescuer recalling getting a baby out that had been crying but had stopped and was so muddy they didn't know if it was alive. He was crying as he said it.
Julie, I hope you got that last minute cello practice in. You must sleep well at night after being as busy as you always are. I hope so.

Hugs to Suzy (((Suzi)))

I am on my way down to wait on my taxi, going for my overnight sleep study. I am not looking forward to this, but should be on my way home in 13 hours. I can do this, no other alternative, I HAVE to,

Hi, Everyone!

Suzy, seems like some good followed by not-so-good.{{{HUGS}}} Hooray for the stranger who helped you and not being charged for the mixture of waste. So sorry the emergency vehicles triggered PTSD. I guess there is really no way to avoid ever seeing or hearing emergency vehicles, and no predicting when they might appear. I hope you were able to relax and find something good to think about (besides grandie hugs) when you got home! Also hoping you were able to get a decent night's sleep!

CynB, I have heard about the mudslides, but haven't seen any television in a few days. I hope there will be some survivors found!

MizT, here's hoping the sleep study was not as awful as you expected. Even hoping you were able to get some sleep!

Thinking positive thoughts for everyone and sending healing energy, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and

I hope tou had a good night's sleep for the sleep study, MizT. My pain management doctor keeps wanting me to go in for one of those. I keep putting it off as a low priority thing.

Dana is moving to an even smaller town than this one so that shared custody doesn’t mean being without her kids for 6 weeks at a time. She wants me to move there too. One of her arguments is that they don’t have full time police or ambulance so I won’t have to hear or see many emergency vehicles.

I actually came here to see how MizT did. I’ll keep checking.

This is where all those emergency vehicles were headed.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/01/12/07/50/woman-dies-partner-and-son-critical-ca r-crash-milton-new-south-wales

Suzy, are you contemplating the idea of moving? Or are you like I would be - dithering about wanting to go, not wanting to go. In my case, I would be needing someone to take the decision out of my hands. Is it very far away? I don't blame Dana for not wanting to be away from her kids for that long.

When my first husband and I split, our kids were 6 and 4. I had custody and he had them every second weekend. I can tell you that in that instance, I looked forward to my free weekends!

Heidi, I hope you're continuing to improve! Has your pain management doctor explained why he/she wants you to have a sleep study?

I wonder if MizT got any sleep during her study, or if she has spent a good part of the day sleeping because she didn't sleep during the study! I hope all's well, MizT!

Suzy, what are your feelings about moving? Perhaps Dana has a good idea. Would it put you any closer to Alie's work? Will Dana's children still be able to attend their special classes/activities? Will you have access to the medical professionals you need? Of course, there are many things to consider, including if you feel ready for such a change. Good luck with your decision!

Suzy, what an awful accident! No wonder so many emergency vehicles were involved!

Thinking of everyone and sending lots of , healing energy, prayers, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and positive thoughts!

CynB, I can see your point about looking forward to a free weekend every few weeks, especially with little ones! Sometimes, you just need a little quiet time with no one making demands . . .

Cyn, only because I think I can get a cheaper house and not have a mortgage. It’s 5 or 6 hours drive from here. Alie works here and doesn’t look like moving now. Her ex is moving to Brisbane.

Julie, there was another accident not far from there on New Year’s Eve. It’s getting a lot of press because one of the people in the car is an actress. Her parents died immediately, her sister a few days later. The day after their funeral they turned off the actresses life support. People started posting RIP, only she’s still alive. Probably not for long though. The driver of the other car was on his way home from a methodone clinis and had 60 previous driving offences. He died at the scene too. The cars caught on fire. The woman mentioned in this article got people to use their fire extinguishers and she pulled the girls out. She’s campaigning to make fire extinguishers compulsory in cars. I think it helps her to feel like she’s making a difference.

Okay, so the accident I saw the emergency vehicles for included an ex Olympian so that’s gonna stay in the news cycles too.

Sounds awful, Suzy.
Dana may have a good point about you moving away from an area that triggers your PTSD , but an area that far from regular services could be a disaster if you have another stroke and an ambulance isn't available quickly. Plus, the stress of going through all your stuff, packing, and moving might be too much for you.

I'm slowly improving every day, but ''slowly'' is the operative word. Still don't have much energy. I was going to try to run a few errands today, but it seems we're having freezing rain and icy conditions right now, and I don't want to risk losing control on icy roads and being stranded out there for any time. I have plenty of food here for everyone, and heat & water, so I don't HAVE to go out. It's not a matter of life or death. Most of those errands can be done tomorrow morning or Monday.