The "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...and Day", edition.

Good Friday morning. Nice and sunny.  And chilly. We do acknowledge that chilly has an entirely different meaning out here than it did in Detroit. It's 55 degrees right now. Brian muses that 55 in Detroit this time of year is warm. Out here, since we've already hit the 90s, it's chilly. It's all in the perspective.  

We started back to painting on Wednesday. I hadn't been since August, when I descended into sick hell. I'm slowly getting back to "normal". So of course we're in the advanced watercolor class. And the instructor gives us an assignment that incorporates everything we ever learned. Lol. Media techniques, stroke techniques, style techniques. It's coming back and coming together. The interesting thing about painting is while I'm painting, I'm less than impressed with my work. When I put it down and revisit it later and am not on top of the painting, it looks ok. Anyway. I prefer watercolor. Acrylic is just ok and I'm not trying to do oils. Brian, he likes oils. He's complicated like that.  :-)

It was chilly enough when we left for class on Wednesday that I took my sweater. Sometimes the classrooms get cold with air conditioning. The room was fine.  When we left it was cold and raining. Brrrr.  By the the time we got to the condo, it was pouring. And it rained all night. Then by the time we left for deep water fitness yesterday morning, the sun shining. Schizophrenic weather. Because of course, by late afternoon, we had a thunderstorm. With hail. Lol. 

But check this out. We plan out meals (sort of) for the week. I'd seen a slow cooker Mexican soup recipe and I told Brian it looked easy and good. We planned it for Wednesday. 3 chicken breasts, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper (and I added chipotle chile powder), red and yellow peppers, onion, 2 cloves garlic, large can of crushed tomatoes, 1 can of Rotel, 3 cups of unsalted chicken broth. I opted out of the black beans but they go in the crockpot in the beginning also. Cook on high for 5 hours. Shred the chicken, add a bag of frozen corn...this was my substitute for the black beans...cook for another hour. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime in the soup, then serve. Toppings we used were avocado, cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. Sooo good and so appropriate for the chilly day!  Dad referred to it as stew. Since Brian shredded the chicken into chunks, it probably could qualify as a stew. 

On the dialysis front, no news!  Some treatment days are better than others. Last night, my blood pressure stayed low. I know my nurses are going to comment about that. And sometimes my blood pressure dips while I'm out and about. I not fond of that. Lol. I try to fight it, it's probably not something I want to fight, but should deal with it instead. 

Well that's it for today. Have a great weekend! 

The " Aseptic Technique", edition.

Good Wednesday morning. It's 6:30 AM and I'm here alone. Brian is on his way to Crossfit and Dad is out walking. I need to get up off my butt and do something also. I mean in addition to deep water fitness. I visited Brian's Crossfit session. I dunno. At any rate, I need to talk with my health team to make sure some of the activities I can work with my fistula. I'm not willing to have it explode or something. I do know weight lifting is limited. We'll see. 

Ok. Aseptic technique. What is that?  "Aseptic technique is a method designed to prevent contamination from microorganisms. It involves applying the strictest rules and utilizing what is known about infection prevention to minimize the risks that you’ll experience an infection. Common settings where the aseptic technique is used include surgery rooms, clinics, and outpatient care centers. ". I use the aseptic technique before every treatment. Always ALWAYS. I was taught this during my home hemodialysis training. My technique includes actions and tools. Aseptic technique is used to prevent infection. Because I am inserting foreign objects into my body, I need to make sure everything about the process is clean. The last thing I want is an infection...like an infection in my blood that's bad.  Very bad. 

My tools are antibacterial soap, Exsept solution (  Skin and Wound Cleanser for epidermal and dermal wounds. A safe non-sensitizing, non-allergenic wound cleanser. It is non-irritating, non-sensitizing and safe for use on skin and wounds), alcohol prep pads, betadine prep pads (This product contains antibiotics that work by slowing or stopping the growth of bacteria.... I had to move to this because my skin was reacting to the other antibacterial pads), hospital grade examination gloves, and a surgical face mask. 

I start out by washing my hands for 30 seconds with the antibacterial soap. I then rinse my arm with hot water where the accesses are for 30 seconds. Then I lather the access sites for 90 seconds. I let the soap stay on the sites for 30 seconds, then I rinse off the access sites. Yes, I do this every time. After I finish this, I prepare my workstation. This includes attaching a sterile pad on my equipment cart, with plastic tape, setting out my needles and syringes.  Yes, there is a difference!  The needles are inserted in my arm, the syringes hold the meds that are administered, or they get filled with saline solution. I lay out 8 pieces of tape .. Brian will use the tape to keep the needles in my arm in place. And as with everything, there is a precise way to place the tape. Of course. I digress.. Other items are the betadine, gauze pads for the Exsept and the taping process. And finally the heparin, a blood thinner, every treatment, to minimize clots and epogen, 3 days a week,  specific to dialysis patients for anemia (do you smell the financial racket...another topic for another day). Whew that's a lot. 

Anyway. After I set up the station, I drench 2 gauze pads with Exsept, place them on my 2 access site and soak the area for 5 minutes. During this time I put on the gloves and the mask. After the 5 minutes I swab both access sites with the betadine. I then use the pick tool to remove the scabs from the access site...we don't want scabs inserted into the access site and into the blood. After the scabs are removed,  I wipe the site again, with betadine. And now, finally. I can insert the needles ( stick myself, cannulate..whichever term you prefer). Yep. The prep time for me and Brian...he has an entire different set of procedures and tasks, takes us about 30 minutes. And remember this is just what I'm doing to prevent infection...aseptic technique. 

And now I have the audacity to give you a dialysis update!  Monday, after we'd finish..Brian bandaged me up, I was sitting in the chair doing, I don't know what, and I felt the telltale warm feeling on my arm. I looked down and blood was coming out of one of  my access sites. Sometimes that happens. Not often, though. It was a little messy, but basically it was just my arm that got bloody and not much. We caught it in time. Pressure was applied, we removed the bandages and found out it was the venous access, the top one. Cleaned the area, reapplied the antibacterial ointment and bandages and it was over. 

Well, that's it for today. Maybe rain or thunderstorms today?  That's cool. Makes the prickly pear cacti bloom!  Enjoy your day!! 

The "Good Days, Bad Days, Good Days", edition.

Good Monday morning. I like Purple Rain, but it's not my favorite song Nor is it oneof my favorite Prince songs, but damn, it sure is stuck in my head. I wonder why! {eye roll}. Had to start playing the 1999 album to get that ear worm out of my head. I'd find my self mindlessly singing it. lol. Did y'all check out my photo of Prince with Andre Cymone and Dez Dickerson?  You are officially old school if you remember the three of them playing together. Sigh. I am still randomly sobbing. I did that with Michael Jackson. I can now officially blame my mood swings to my ESRD. Heheheh. 

Good Days and bad days and good days. Thursday was good. Friday started out good. After lunch...and it was a good lunch and I'm not willing to blame lunch, I felt miserable. Miserable enough to skip treatment. Lots of belching and farting. And napping.  What was that all about?  Lol. Felt fine when I woke up Saturday. We did our weekly Saturday morning casino run. No problems. Came home and did treatment. Brian cooked steak for dinner. He has become a steak master.  The grocery store butcher has these insane deals. Like buy 1 ribeye, get 2 free (!!!!!!!!!!). His steaks are seasoned just right and are so tender.   Yum. He wanted me to fix mashed potatoes. I did.  And yum also. And mixed vegetables.  

Felt fine Sunday. My sister in law let us know she was bringing Brian's mom out here in August and that they would be staying at Lake Las Vegas. Yes. There is a "man made lake" Las Vegas. It's a resort area north of Henderson with a (paltry) few hotels and a resort village.  There are also residences there, homes, condos and apartments. For the record, Celine Dion resides there. It took us about 35 minutes to drive there. It's kinda through a desert and past mountains. There are no casinos. Two of the three hotels are Westin and Hilton. My family will be staying at the Westin. We were told that there is a shuttle to the strip. My question was, is there a shuttle from the airport?  Once we drove out there, the question was even more relevant.  Because of the twisting turning up and down drive with no apparent lighting, it wouldn't be a fun nighttime drive. And in Las Vegas manner, major intersections have stop signs with blinking neon lights instead of traffic lights. This of course will be addressed in a few years as more and more houses and  businesses are built. One day ill get into (the lack of coherent) zoning out here. I digress. 

We arrived at the resort area. It's pretty large. It's self contained. If you want to shop, you need to go to Henderson...about 15 minutes away. Your best bet is to have a rental car. I didn't see any taxis there and apparently even using Uber is no bargain. It is just that far out.  Anyway. We found the Westin, parked and headed inside. The first thing we noticed was that it was busy. Then I realized it was busy with Jewish people. I'm talking Grand Central Station busy.  The lobby was huge...and full of people. We could see people outside in a pool. We headed in another direction and there was a second pool, surrounded by cabanas. And lots and lots of people. We later found out it the entire Lake Las Vegas resort was a Passover destination. And it will be through next weekend. All kosher all the time and rabbis in residence. Always learning something new. I asked Brian if he had noticed that none of the women wore pants. 

Back to the mission. We talked with the lady at the desk. There is no airport shuttle and the strip shuttle goes to the Westin "near" the strip...the old Maxim Casino and Hotel. Alrighty. That's 2 long Las Vegas blocks to the strip. In August. When the average temp is 3 digits. :-(    Mom in law likes her penny slots. I'm not clear Lake Las Vegas will fit the bill. Brian tells me let it go. I will. But I have my doubts. Mom in law is used to just heading down to the casino from her room. They've stayed at The Orleans, Paris, New York, New York just to name a few. Ok. I'll stop. Lol. Reading the hotels they've stayed at are locations. Lol. 

Good days. Resumed treatment last night. Had a major victory. I'd been creating a buttonhole access for the last 2 weeks using sharp needles to create a track. Yesterday was the moment of truth. I cleaned the arm. Soaked the area with Exsept. Wiped it down with betadine. Took the needle from its package, got the pick tool. Pick the tiny scab off (have to do that. Scabs in bloodstream are bad. Very bad). Reached for the blunt needle. Poked that blunt needle in the hole.....and voila!  Flashback!!!! ( no it doesn't hurt).  Yay!!  Access drama over!!  After weeks of issues, I can get back on track. The issues were even affecting my labs because I couldn't complete treatments some of my lab results sucked. Fortunately my team acknowledged that. 

Well. That's it for today. Long entry. Windy day today. I guess getting ready to blow in the serious heat. Lol. Have a wonderful day!  

The Westin at Lake Las Vegas. 

The originals. 

The "I Remember The Moment When....", edition.

Good purple Friday morning.  Yesterday was a great day at deep water fitness. Tuesday, however, was really hard.  I woke up tired and the workout seemed so difficult. The barbells wore my arms out within the first 2 minutes.  Afterwards, I went home and napped. Yesterday was so much better. I was like the energizer bunny!  My arms were fine and I was moving fast around the pool. And I wasn't (as) winded. 

After the workout, I showered.  I use some Estée Lauder body wash. It smells soooo good. Intoxicating!  Then the body lotion. Anyway. After I finished and am walking out, the instructor tells me that a lifeguard told her that Prince had died. Shock and disbelief. I mentioned he was younger than me. I exited the locker room and Brian is coming out at the same time ( a rare event - lol ) and I tell him.  He hadn't heard. This was about 10:15 AM our time. In the car I checked TMZ on my phone and there it was. :-(  And then quite unexpectedly I started crying. And I've been crying periodically ever since. I'm not sure why.  I had the same reaction to Michael Jackson's death. Anyway. By the time we finished breakfast, satellite radio was playing all Prince all the time and taking calls from people about Prince memories. 

My Prince memory?  I went to the 1999 concert in 1983 at Joe Louis with Spencer. His little sister was upset because she didn't go. So Spencer bought 2 more tickets and had me take her since he had to work. I saw the concert twice!  Vanity was the opening act, followed by The Time and finally Prince. I was mesmerized by the way he moved on stage with impossibly high heels and jumping on those 6 foot speakers!  Best. Concert. Ever.  Oh. And what is tickling me is that a lot of my friends feel as I do..that somehow Prince was our own personal friend.  lol. How the heck can an artist do that?  But he did. He will be missed. <3

Finally, let's tie this all together. Dialysis angle?  Well deep water fitness helping me get not only exercise in, but increasing my strength and stamina. And remembering!  I remember exactly where I was when I heard Elvis died.... I was in front of the Michigan Union in Ann Arbor. I remember where I was when I heard JFK died.... I was in first grade in elementary school and the announcement came over the PA system.  I remember where I was when I heard Michael Jackson died... I was in my car on my way home from work.  And I will remember where I was when I heard rinse had left us. 

The way I handle death is to remember happy times. Go ahead and listen to DMSR, Dance Music Sex Romance and dance!  

The "Good Days, Better Days", edition.

Good Wednesday morning!  Looking to get in the 90s today. And it's going to get warmer. I knew what I was getting into by moving to the desert. Shawn and I visited Mom in the summer of 2012.  We were overwhelmed by the heat. And when I moved here in July 2014, I never really adjusted to the heat. It took time for me to cool down. I'd have the car air conditioning running at full blast and it didn't seem like enough. I recall going into an air conditioned store and at best I was clammy, rather than cool. Ugh. Then last summer, I started having a reaction to the intense sun. Lol. No catching any breaks here!  So now I wear special gloves while in the car, keep sunblock in the car and have a special steroid cream for my hands. At least the reaction only affects my hands. What happens is the skin on my hands gets very fragile and tears easily. Even scratching can tear the skin. Bleah. Heh. And this is remotely ESRD related. 

So. I apparently am a craft fair fan. I get this honestly from the Ann Arbor art fairs. I got some pretty nice items from the Ann Arbor fairs including purses, jewelry, a hat(!) and a rocking chair with a footstool. I've attended a few craft fairs here. But as with most things, there is no comparison to anything in Michigan (man, I miss Eastern Market). And because we're in the desert, the fairs are mostly inside. Many years ago I discovered titanium jewelry at an Ann Arbor fair. The colors mesmerized me. Over the years I purchased several years. The earrings hardware eventually wore out. I never was able to find any more. Until last year at a craft fair out here. You'd have thought I found a pot of gold. There was a vendor selling what I thought was titanium jewelry. Well, they've moved on from titanium to  niobium. I was delighted. I bought a pair of earrings last year. And I purchased another pair this past Sunday. It was so hard to choose! 

Anyway, we left the fair with bags o' stuff. I got some nice bling for the formal dance coming up. Brian got a fancy pen. I bought a small bag of Carmel macchiato carmels. So rich. And they melt in your mouth. Brian purchased some apple butter and jalapeño jelly. I think Brian also got something for garlic preparation. Heh. A craft fair can be a dangerou$ thing. 

On the dialysis front, much of the access and run time drama has diminished while I'm creating a new buttonhole. Yes, I am sticking myself with a sharp needle in the same spot for a while to create the track. I'm still marveling at how easily the needle just slides right in to the vein.  And it doesn't hurt. Really. The track should be ready for my Sunday treatment and I'll go back to using the blunt needles. I'm really marveling at the fact that I am doing this. This is something the nurses and techs did at the dialysis center. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be doing this. Of course I never thought my kidneys would fail {rim shot}. Heh. I recall at my Detroit center there was an RN who was unable to cannulate (stick). My tech convinced me to let her try on me. Lol. Apparently I trusted my tech a lot. Anyway, the RN couldn't do it. As an aside, she'd just completed her Masters degree in nursing and left for another job. In her defense, she was trying. No hate. 

Oh yeah. Brian is doing cross fit. He had me come to watch. It's a pretty intense workout. The trainer wants me to try. And I'm willing, understanding that my starting pace will be slloooooooooow. I also need to check with my doctors to make sure my fistula won't be damaged by some of the exercises or what modifications would need to made to the routine. 

That's it for today. It's movie day. We just have to decide which on to see. Wednesday is senior (55+) day and the movies cost $4.00.  Unless we go to a 3D IMAX movie, which I like, but there still is a significant discount. Even a discount on snacks. Yeah!  Anyway have a great Wednesday!!!  

A few of my craft fair purchases. 

The "My Glass is Always Full", edition.

Good Wednesday morning!  Forget about half empty or half full glasses. I'm taking the full glass every time!  Yeah, I know sometimes life kicks us in the butt. But somehow I keep looking forward. I've accepted that this worldview is part of my makeup. Even when I get in a funk, it's hard and draining to stay there. Yes, my failed kidneys is horrible and I clearly am not happy about having to be on hemodialysis. And I'm not holding my breath for a kidney transplant. But rolling over into a fetal ball isn't going to solve anything. Like I said early on in this journey, I have thangs to do. And the list of "thangs" keeps on growing!  Lol. 

Let's start with my treatment update. I hate dialysis and yet I look forward (sort of) to treatment. I sound schizophrenic. Lol. I figure once treatment is over, I can function pretty well until the next treatment. And if I do well, I can even skip a day. Whee!!!  So the past month or so when I was having issues, I wasn't happy. Now that we (me and my team) have solved the issue, I'm happy. Lol. 

The issue is solved, but I have to execute the solution.  I have to create a new buttonhole for my venous access. This means I have to insert a sharp needle in my arm in the same place for the next 6-9 treatments. This is like creating an ear piercing...except instead of one stick, it's 6-9. I'm creating a track with a sharp needle, so I can then use a blunt needle on a regular basis. I've never stuck myself with a sharp needle. The techs did that when I first started dialysis in Detroit, but I was quickly moved to the buttonhole method and never looked back. But as with all things dialysis and my body, things change, so a new button hole had to be created. And now I have to do it. 

The first day I was asked to stick myself, I couldn't. The next time I did it and it was insanely easy and there was no pain whatsoever. I swear. But that was all I got. A one time supervised shot. After that I was on my own. I asked that the nurse to map the angle of where the needle should be inserted and right now I have a permanent black sharpie line on my arm.  That's fine. And it's prompted questions. Which I answer. Anyway. Last night I was on my own. I took a deep breath and ... Bam!!  I did it. Inserted that needle like a boss!  Or a dialysis tech. Lol.  Piece. Of. Cake!!!  It was great not having cannulation issues like we'd experienced the last several weeks!  And no alarms during treatment!  A nice regular treatment!  Whoo hoo!!  

Oh?  The things I have to look forward to?  Well, the sorority is having a formal gala. That sounds like fun. We Brian tuxed up yesterday. He cleans up well!  Heading to Augusta in June to visit Shawn at her summer dig. We're heading to Ohio and Michigan this summer. It's time for a new car. We need to visit the Ethel M chocolate factory. We want to visit the Springs Preserves. I'm looking forward to being less tired when I finish deep water fitness class. My painting class is starting soon. I'm also thinking about going to class with Gabbie at the art store. I want to see a few shows on the Strip. And we're contemplating moving to a larger condo.  That's is in the early random thought category.  And oh yeah. Seeing Shawn finish the doctorate program. 

That's it for today. I got my dress for the gala, now I need shoes. And special undergarments  * wink wink. Enjoy your Wednesday. I'm headed to DSW!  

This is an excellent representation of what my fistula looks like. It even shows the needles. Blood to machine is arterial access. Blood from machine is venous access. The machine will raise holy hell if it detects blood clots or air in the lines. 

The "Dialyzing at the Center. What??!?", edition.

Good Monday morning. iPad shuffled to Roy Ayers, "You Send Me". Huh. Haven't done this in over a year. Not to worry.  I mentioned I was having issues with my venous access.  Well, I'm at the dialysis center to reestablish my venous buttonhole. Somehow the actual hole shifted or something. I'd get the needle in but there'd be problems...no flow or an insane amount of blood clots or very high flow pressure...burst my vein pressure. That shit sounds scary.  So here I am learning how to create a new venous buttonhole. What does that mean?  It means I have to stick myself with a sharp needle in the same (new) hole for about 2-3 weeks. Yikes!!  Before the techs in Detroit did this. Now I have to do it myself. 

Friday, the nurse got the new location. The Dramatics, "Be My Girl"(wheeeeeeee!!!!). I attempted to stick myself, but I punked out. :-(  Today, I did it.  And guess what. Sticking that sharp needle in my arm didn't hurt. Really. That sucker just slid right in to that vein and voila!  Flashback. Good stick. The nurse will mark my arm with a Sharpie so I know the location and angle for when I do this at home.  Getting back on track. During this time I've been off schedule due to cannulation (stick) issues. Aaron Neville, "Tell It Like It Is".  I'm looking forward to getting back on my dialysis schedule. Oh. And many thanks to my team. Again, this includes my 3 nurses, my nephrologist, social worker, dietitian and even the receptionist. :-) 

The Moments, "Not on the Outside".  Wow. It's great listening to the music. Having the playlist on shuffle gives me a pleasant surprise each times new song starts. So we celebrated Dad's  90th birthday all weekend. Well it started last week with the haircut. He enjoyed himself at the barber shop and the barbers had a good time with him. Then on Saturday he had the fresh corn .. He shucked the corn ..that's his job!!! .. And tri-tip that Brian sloooooow cooked.  Detroit's own, The Floaters, "Float On". And. The only people can talk about this song are Detroiters. If you're not from Detroit and you dis the song, we're gonna have to throw down. I digress. The tri-tip melted in your mouth. No knife needed. Yeah. Brian scraped the corn off the cob and I cooked 20 ears. We froze half of it. Mmmmmmmm sweet corn!!  We sound like a well functioning team of 3!!!

Jamiroquai, "Virtual Insanity". Sunday Dad treated us to Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian Steakhouse, for his birthday. It is his favorite restaurant. He likes the parade of meat. Lol. He took his birthday balloon to the restaurant and placed it on our table. The head waiter hovered over him. The Gauchos wore a path to the table. He glass was kept full of wine. After dinner the head waiter delivered a huge hunk of strawberry cheesecake with the Happy Birthday written in the syrup around the plate. And gave Dad a Fogo de Chao  knife.  The knife was inside an engraved knife sheath. He had a great time!  And after his walk this morning he stated he was ready to do it again!   Lol. 

The Isley Brothers, "Make Me Say it Again". Lol. When you heard this coming from a room in the dorm, you just kept on walking by. ;-)   It rained here most of the weekend. On Saturday Brian and I made it back from running errands with about 30 seconds to spare. The funny thing is, it didn't feel like it was was getting ready to storm. But storm it did. Thunder and lightning. And it did it again that evening. And flash flood warnings. And flood it did in certain parts of the valley. 

Well that's it for today. I'm enjoying the music. If I'm gonna be incenter, I might as well make it good!!  Signing off with.  Ramsay Lewis, "Sun Goddess". Works for me, living in the desert!!  :-)  Have a great Monday!!! 

The "The Beautiful Sunrise", edition.

Good Wednesday morning!  I enjoy watching the sunrise out here. With my bedroom facing east, I get to see some of the most spectacular sunrises coming over the mountains. It takes less than 5 minutes, but during those 5 minutes, there is a wonderful explosion of color.  And today I needed the beautiful sunrise.  Yesterday was a bust for treatment. About an hour in, we got alarm after alarm and finally the venous pressure spiked dangerously high.  Brian said the venous pressure number was 613. I asked him what that meant. It meant my vein was close to blowing. Anything over 300 is cause for concern. Yikes!  After consulting with the nurse, I had to stop treatment. There may have been a clot, or I'm having trouble positioning the needle. So today I'm heading back to the clinic for observation. I'm fine with that. I need to get this treatment done. But I really, really hate dialysis. Or rather, I hate that I'm even in this position. Ugh. 

And yet, I need to stop the pity party and keep going. Remember a few weeks ago I told you that Pauline had trouble breathing and had to go to the hospital?  Then she was in a rehab facility?  Then she came home with home health aides and oxygen?  And how since she couldn't come down for Easter dinner so we took it to her?  Well she passed away last night. She celebrated her 96th birthday in January. And she was quite active up until that morning she called Dad to take her to the doctors office. And yes, she was still driving!  

She and mom had been friends long before I was born. Once Brian and I moved out here, I felt the need to celebrate every holiday with my seniors.  And my seniors were all dear to my mom. After dinner, I loved to hear stories of their lives and their experiences. Like Pauline's dad was a police officer in Hamtramk. ( lol. Spell check didn't know what to do with Hamtamck). We're talking a black police officer in Hamtramk in the 40s!!!  She was principal in the Detroit Public School system. She'd traveled all over the world. She and Dad would check on each other every morning. She was just a most gracious lady. I loved her and enjoyed her company. She will be missed. 

Well, the sun has crested the mountains. The flip side of the gorgeous sunrise is the sun bearing down through the windows. Lol. I'm not ready to shut the blinds, but I'll have to do it soon. And it's not because of the sunlight. The heat will bear down through the window and heat the room. You can feel the heat coming off the Windows. Yes. The temps have hit the 90s. And yes we snickered about Michigan. We have no shame. I haven't brought the shorts out yet. And yes we're having weather spikes not unlike Michigan, but we spike between the mid-low 60s and the 80s-90s. Much more tolerable. :-)

Signing off with this tidbit. You can get a pool out here with 12 year terms (who's gonna do that??!?) with no credit check (!!!!). Apparently I can get a $60k pool. I think I need a big ass yard for that. But 12 years to pay for a pool?  Lolololololol. Have a great day. I'm gonna push through today. Looking for good outcomes. 

My seniors. And that's Pauline next to Dad. 

The "A Few Moments With My Kid", edition.

Good Monday morning. We've been busy and I'm not sure how or what we've been doing. Lol. Shawn flew in Thursday evening. I fixed her vegetarian beans and rice. Brian was was my sous chef. He had to dice green pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper, orange pepper, poblano pepper, onion, celery and garlic. I sauteed the veggies. We cooked the beans in the Dutch oven. Brian used the immersion blender to mash some of the beans..you know, thicken it up. Then I added the veggies and vegetable broth to the beans. I wanted to add some chipotles and adobo, and I thought I had some but I didn't. I did have  Rotel, so I added a can of Rotel. Lol. That one can of Rotel was quite enough for a giant pot of beans!  Spicy!! We covered the beans and set the heat on low for about 3 hours. When Shawn arrived, the beans were done and tasty. And the heat from the Rotel wasn't as intense.  Yum. 

She spent Thursday night with us.  I took her to her hotel on Friday morning. Her dad?  Oh he has cross fit on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. I'll tell you about that one day. So yeah. Shawn and I arrived around 8 AM. Lol it was insanely busy at 8 AM. We dropped off her luggage. There were 4 of them from UIUC. Anyway. We went to have breakfast in the food court. It wasn't too good lol. Apparently I'm a food snob. Did a lot of walking in the hotel. The distance from the door the elevator was impressive. The distance from the elevator and hotel room and back to the elevator was impressive. The the food court was in the rear of the hotel. And it was a large hotel!  Then I had to walk back to the car. I did have a treat through. I got valet parking and for some inexplicable reason, my car was just sitting to the side of the valet station...looking pretty. Lol. The attendant got a nice tip.  

I got home about the same time Brian got home. We decided to to treatment early on Friday in case of Shawn. But we really knew better. Lol. She was hanging out with her friends. And that was fine. We saw her again Sunday morning. We took her to breakfast at Eggworks then brought her back to the condo. Grampy was delighted to see her again. Brian did her laundry. She took a nap, then it was off to the airport. She called us when she arrived back home. And oh yeah. Next weekend she's off to Orlando to present a paper at an archeology conference. Lol. Whew!  

On the dialysis front, I've been having issues cannulating my venous access.  Or in English, sticking the needle in the top hole is getting hard.  Lol. But it's getting better. Some times though, it's taken up to 3 needles to get it right. See, if I pull the needle out while trying to find the track, I need to get a new needle because of the chance of infection. I go though a lot of alcohol and betadine pads doing this. But it's getting better. It's as if the tracks have shifted in my arm.  I go to my monthly meeting this week, so I'll talk to my nurses about it. 

That's it for today. Have a great day!