Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

'Common sense is like deodorant,
The people who need it most, never use it'

Just a thought in the wake of the current hysteria over the Coronavirus.

I'm pleased to see that self-isolation is being carried out everywhere. As well as Midge's son, I have a friend just back from the UK languishing for 2 weeks at home before she can come and regale us with pictures and anecdotes about her new granddaughter. And I have a friend in the UK who, with her husband, is self-isolating after returning from a holiday in Egypt. They cant wait to get out and see their family.

Self-isolation is great if you were, previously, stocked up with the 'essentials'. However, if you weren't or don't have anyone to fetch and deliver, it's not so great. I guess delivery to the curb or gate is an option if it's not an immediate need...

Great TOPP, CynB!

Hubby is home & had a follow-up appointment with the surgeon today. The surgeon likes the way the incisions are healing and wants to leave the sutures for 1 more week. At least hubby has been graduated to a shower instead of a sponge bath. I still will need to change the dressing every day. He's still not supposed to be on his feet for more than 30 minutes, which wasn't too hard to enforce when he was in the hospital. I think it will be more difficult now that he's back at home.

I'm wondering if enough people will willingly self-isolate. Many planned activities and sporting events are being postponed or canceled in an effort to slow the transmission of the corona virus. It's going to be an interesting time. We just hope the changes coming aren't too little too late. I'm wondering about the follow-up appointments hubby has scheduled in the next few weeks and wonder if they'll also be canceled. I wonder if he'll be allowed to drive after the sutures are removed.

I'm really dragging today. Neither of us had a good night's sleep last night After taking hubby to his doctor appointment this morning, I needed to do some shopping. I still need to do more. I'm not stocking up like a crazy person, but also don't want to have to go out & shop again in a couple of days.

Cyn, I'm sending some positive thoughts and energy to Col and hope he will soo be better and hope there will be improvement before his next ophthalmologist appointment!

I have run out of steam, so no more energy to write further comments. Thinking of everyone & sending lots of healing energy, positive thoughts, prayers, , and {{{{{HUGS}}}}} to Everyone! Good Night!

Just had a lovely red heifer calf born, sired by Mike's Balancer bull. So she can be bred to Laird when older.

Mike has only one cow left to calve, and she looks due in about 4 to 5 days. My remaining 2 cows have at least 2 weeks to go, probably more like 4 weeks. My fingers are crossed that they will both be heifers, since I need the replacements. But I could also use the income from steer sales. My one 2019 heifer, #24, a Duke daughter, will be bred in late May to one of Mike's bulls. He has 3.

Julie, I'm glad to hear your hubby is out of hospital. It seems that we will all be safer staying indoors where possible in the coming weeks. I am concerned for Col's next appointment with the retinal specialist. When we were there last, the waiting room was small, cramped and full of people. I think we will check in and then wait out in the corridor rather than sit closely with everyone else.

Congratulations on the new red heifer calf, Heidi! I hope the remaining cows provide healthy calves that work best for the new herd you're developing.

Cyn, I think that's a good idea to wait in the corridor for Col's next appointment! It's a tough call to go to a doctor appointment when you know the waiting room can hold so much potential risk. Hubby has 6 appointments next week. It's my understanding that the 'ordinary' masks essentially are used to prevent passing the droplets on to someone else, not to prevent you from being the recipient. I'll be glad when we finish next week!

Thinking of everyone and sending warm and positive thoughts, healing energy, , prayers, and (((((HUGS}}}}}. Stay healthy, Everyone!

All you need is
love. But a little
chocolate now
and then doesn't
hurt.
~ Charles Schulz ~

I'm going to be on line very little over the next few days. Molly (my youngest Catahoula) got hold of my mouse last night, before I could snatch it back, and chewed on it just enough that it is very reluctant to work. I've ordered several replacements (since I prefer not going into the only place in the county that sells them: the pharmacy, where I'm more likely to encounter people exposed to covid-19), but they won't be here for 3 or 4 days.
At least the rain has stopped for now. It came down in buckets all yesterday, along with a cold front. It had been tee-shirt weather, but I'm back to wearing a winter coat.

Who knew that Catahoula's were rodent exterminating machines?

Sorry for the inconvenience, Heidi!

Thinking of everyone, but no time to read or comment. Sending healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and for everyone! Stay safe and healthy!

Take care everyone. We are living in scary times these days.
Hoping you get your new mouse soon Heidi, so you can check in so we know all is well. I suppose for you, living away from the city you are less likely to get the virus.
I have been self-isolating since Saturday but today am venturing out to collect groceries I ordered online. Delivery was going to take until Thursday afternoon but collect was available today. I just park in the allotted place, text them a message with my order # and they bring it out to me, so minimal contamination.
Unfortunately, Colin can't self-isolate, he has to work.

I am loving the way the Italians and the Spanish are going out onto their balconies and singing and dancing together. There's a real sense of camaraderie and support. I can't see it happening here - well certainly not in my street, we all keep to ourselves. Just a quick wave is the best we can do. I'm sure I used to be friendlier than I am now.

Thinking of Everyone and sending wishes for good health and avoidance of the coronavirus.

Cyn, that's great that you can order groceries online and pick them up in your car at the store.

I may need to venture out - hoping for cold or snow to scare others off, and finding a quiet time when few people are in the store. Other than a need for groceries, we have been self-isolating. I don't even go out to pick up mail until after dark, when it's less likely to find any neighbors on the sidewalk with their dogs. I think tomorrow is the first day that all schools will be closed in Illinois. Parochial schools were closed the end of last week. Restaurants, bars, etc. are supposedly only allowed to sell carry-out. It's an unusual time.

Hubby had a doctor appt. this morning, but needed to reschedule tomorrow morning's appt., as his temperature spiked a week ago, though nothing since. But he's supposed to go to his appt. tomorrow afternoon. We're still trying to find out about an appt. tomorrow & Wed. to pick up & return equipment for a home sleep study. There don't seem to be consistency applied guidelines.

Sending healing energy, positive thoughts, , prayers, and {{{{{HUGS}}}}} for Everyone! Stay healthy!

Well, I may have made a $600.00 mistake. I bought one of those 'whiz-bang', wood pellet grills. You know one of those cookers that promise amazing BBQ, brisket, etc. Got it all put together, and fired it up for the first cook. I just wanted to do something simple for the first try. Chicken thighs. They turned out OK, but 'nothing to write home about'. May be I just don't know how to, properly, season them.

The grill seamed to keep the set temperature just fine, but what a mess to clean. All the fat falling on the drip tray, as well as what was stuck on the grates, will take me a long time to clean. plus the whole inside of the grill is covered with greasy residue.

As I'm, currently, living in a caravan, the kitchen sink and counter space is small. If I had a Big sink it might be easier. I may, very well, try to return it. The Weber Kettle is, I think, easier, to clean with no drip tray. The drippings go into the fire unless one uses a pan to collect them.

Smoke with the Weber is no problem, just add wood chunks. The main drawback is having to add charcoal periodically. A little messy, but hey we are supposed to be washing our hands anyway. The pellet grill, on the other hand, you just put the pellets in the hopper and let it go. The pellets aren't dirty to handle like charcoal.

I will give the pellet grill one more chance as I already purchased a pork shoulder for a 'pulled pork' attempt.

I've used a charcoal Weber Kettle for nearly 40 years with some great results. I may end up staying 'old school'.....

Sometimes old school is best, DOrA.

Not spending much time on line with my wounded mouse. I have to push really hard to get it to click on anything, and moving the curser is really hard. The replacement should arrive in the next 2 days.

Hi, Everyone!

Sorry to hear that the pellet grilll didn't live up to the hype, DOrA. Sometimes it's difficult to get comfortable with something new, but it sure sounds messy. I hope the pork shoulder works out better. Pulled pork sounds like a good dinner, certainly better than anything I have planned for the next few days.

Heidi, it certainly sounds difficult to work with the damaged mouse! It's a wonder you were able to get anything posted. I hope its replacement arrives soon!

We've had a long day, and another long one tomorrow, so I hope to get to bed soon. Sending healing energy, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, , and prayers for everyone. Take care and stay healthy!

All the hoarding going on has made things difficult for me. I'm on a special high protein diet with lots of protein drinks. I buy them on line and have them delivered. They're getting to be very hard to find right now and the price has more than doubled. Not good.

Hi Everyone!

Wow, Heidi! It didn't occur to me that special high-protein drinks would be hard to find and that prices would double on them. I had only heard about toilet paper, wipes, and hand sanitizer. This is getting crazy! I hope you'll be able to get them as you need them!

Another crazy day today, and my first cello lesson via 'Zoom' - one of the sites developed for online meeting sharing. It was the first time I've ever had to do something like this. I had missed the last 2 in-person lessons because of hubby's medical issues, and didn't have much time for practicing. We had been concentrating on the music for orchestra, which has been canceled indefinitely, so there was no point working on that music, so we worked on something from the end oof first semester. At least I know what to practice for my next lesson.

It's time to head to bed, so I'll send the usual healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, positive thoughts, prayers, and

My new mouse has arrived!!!

Heidi, glad you got your new mouse.
That's not good about the price of your protein drinks. I'm sure there is a lot of profiteering going on in these uncertain days. We certainly have been seeing a lot of disgusting things going on. Finally our supermarkets are checking people's ID and not letting them back in, and restricting bulk buying. I'm hearing that people at stockpiling and then loading containers for export (to where, i won't speculate) but this has to stop. They are sending busloads of people to clean out stores. Country towns are worst hit because their deliveries are not as often than in the city. We have certainly seen examples of the lowest form of human existence!!

I am seeing my daughter and her family tonight. It will be strange, not being able to hug and kiss my family and trying to keep the 1.5 metres safe distance. But it's better than not at all and if they put us in lockdown, it could be weeks before we see one another again.

Sad news on Tuesday, my grandie Emily miscarried her little one. In just the space of the week between learning about her pregnancy and the loss, that little one had become very real to us all as we talked about it, made plans, suggested names and shared hopes and dreams. Em is very upset. I did tell her that while she will never forget this child, life will go on and she will have more children. I told her how I miscarried my first child and if I hadn't, her father would never have been born - he was born 10 months after the loss - and therefore she would never have been born and so on. Fate can be cruel, and kind.

Please send Emily a virtual hug from me. She must be hurting emotionally. That hurt will always be with her because that baby was a part of her. Hopefully there will be others, when she's older, to help ease the pain.

Greetings to Everyone!

We're so glad you received your new mouse, Heidi!

CynB, how lucky you are to be able to see your daughter and her family, even if you need to avoid hugs and kisses.

Condolences to Emily and all of the family. Sending lots of virtual {{{{{HUGS}}}}}! It's hard for everyone, but especially for Emily. At least people are now more comfortable talking about a miscarriage. Hopefully in time the memory will be easier to bear for Emily. She's so fortunate to have a loving and supportive family!

My sister-in-law had a miscarriage, as did her daughter. Our daughter had a miscarriage on her birthday. Our nephew's wife lost their first baby, but has been blessed with four beautiful children since.

Thinking of everyone and sending healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, positive thoughts, and for everyone! Take care and stay healthy!

I'm off in 15 minutes to go pick up the other birds. I don't know if I'm getting Lily (turkey hen) and Skeletor (guinea fowl) only, or if I'm geting the peacock, too. The seller has been wavering back and forth over whether she wants to sell the peacock after all. But the people who own the farm where she keeps them have said that she CAN'T have any more birds there. So I'm prepared to transport the peacock as well. My fingers are crossed that I get him. He's a beauty.

I'm back home with the turkey and guinea. She'd sold the peacock to someone local so she could visit him regularly. I'm happy enough with the birds i have, tho'. The 2 tom turkeys are delighted to have their lady friend back with them. Now I need to find some more guineas to keep this one company..... even tho' she's used to the company of the turkeys.

I thought I'd change to a bright avatar. We're going to need some brightness in the coming months
Thanks Heidi and Julie for your condolences for Emily. I saw her yesterday, she is still emotional as I would have expected.

Well my resolve at keeping a safe distance from my family lasted about 30 seconds. I love these people, I have to hug and kiss them.
I'm just going to have to stay away from them, and in my mind I'm thinking 'like that's going to happen unless it's enforced'.

It's only a problem if one of the people you hug or kiss has the virus. Hugging and kissing unexposed people does not cause Covid-19.

I had a bit of a surprise today. I picked up the birds in Daviess County, KY. Just as I was driving out of the county after picking up the birds, it came over the radio that they just had confirmed 5 new cases of coronavirus in Daviess County!!! Fortunately, I met with the 3 people outdoors, way out in the country, and didn't get within 10 feet of any of them. There has not been a single confirmed case in my county yet.

Heidi, I'm glad you got the turkey and the guinea fowl. Too bad about the peacock, but I guess I understand her reasoning.

I like your bright avatar, Cyn! You're right; we could use something bright and cheerful.

I feel so sorry for Emily. I wish there were something anyone could do to help her deal with her loss. It must seem like the end of the world for her. Sending more {{{HUGS}}} for her.

Cyn, as long as you and none of your family have been exposed to the coronavirus, you should all be all right expressing your love for each other.

Heidi, I'm glad you were able to maintain social distance when picking up the birds. It's good to know that there haven't been any cases in your county!

It's way too late and I need to get to bed. Sending lots of warm and positive thoughts, healing energy, prayers, , and {{{{{{HUGS}}}}}} for Everyone!

I believe hugging Emily right now far outweighs the need for social distancing. She needs to know that your love and sympathy for her outweigh ALL other concerns. If I was there, I'd risk hugging her myself.That poor girl has known too much pain and rejection.

I was reasonably safe hugging Emily because she had been home from college all week and Chloe has been off school because of the virus and came to her Dad's to spend time with her sister Emily, which was nice of her. I possibly took risks hugging Lachlan because he works in a big Government office and Maddy but she works with pre-school children. Karin works in the office of a small airport for light planes, which should stay safe because they don't interact with the people from the planes. So fingers crossed.
I think we'll be in lockdown before too long anyway.

They have had to close the beaches here. It's the weekend so people went there in droves for some sun, sand and surf - and germs!! Idiots!

Mike the Vet met my new birds today. One of the tom turkeys let him pet him, and the guinea hen approached him in a friendly way. Mike said that this was the first friendly guinea he'd ever seen.

I just ordered 15 guinea keets (baby guineas) and 4 peachicks. They're supposed to be shipped on Monday.

Cyn, i can't imagine being with family and not hugging them. No doubt it would have felt quite unusual to everyone if the spontaneousness were missing. It seems unlikely that anyone would have been exposed, and we'll all be keeping positive thoughts that everyone will remain healthy!

I didn't realize you weren't already in lockdown. The beaches in Florida have not been successful in enforciong social distancing. I don't think they had officially placed people on lockdown there yet.

Heidi, how nice that one of the turkeys and the guinea hen are already comfortable with Mike the vet! How exciting that you have ordered more guinea keets and some peachicks so your new birds will have others to socialize with.

Another late night, so I'm off to bed. Sending positive thoughts, warm {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy prayers, and for all! Stay healthy!

Had an awful ride on Pandora today. She was a world class *itch. She has 3 gaits... walk, buck and bolt out of control. The latter 2 are done without warning, or if I try a trot. We were walking today, and she spotted a tractor 1/4 mile away (she sees them up close almost daily and doesn't react) flipped out, and took off on me completely out of control. I'm still not in riding condition, thanks to her antics, and barely held on. I'm sorry to say, I lost my temper with her. She might end up getting relegated to the status of brood mare only, or sold, if she keeps this up. Riding is supposed to be fun, not a fight for life.

And now the rain has returned for many days to come.

Julie, we are still not in lockdown but getting close. Any day now.
Heidi, sorry you are not having success with Pandora. Last thing you need is to be bucked off her.
Hope everyone is safe and stays safe.
I think this is the bottom of the page, I shall turn over if I can find a quote.