The "The End of August", edition.

Good Sunday morning!  A lazy Sunday morning. Last week Brian's Mom (Rose), aunt, sister (Sandra) , sister's husband, mom's friend, brother of mom's friend and wife of brother of mom's friend. Did you get all that?  Lol. And the sister of the husband of sister  joined us. I think there were 11-12 of us at Sunday brunch.  Anyway, they were all here for Brian's mom's birthday.  Sandra takes Rose anywhere Rose  wants to go for her birthday. This year it was Las Vegas. It's almost always Las Vegas. Lol. But we did have that year we went to New Orleans. We enjoyed the visit. We enjoyed the company. 

Not much going on here. All of our activities went on hiatus for August. The instructors needed a vacation. and the buildings needed the cleaning and maintenance thing.  We've been relegated to the condo pool and hot tub. The horror!  Lol. A couple of incidents in our condo building this month. Someone disconnected a refrigerator and caused a minor flood. We were sort of affected. At least it was on a higher floor. And a few weeks later an electric meter box exploded. Lots of fire trucks. We were not affected by that. But several units on different stack and floor were out of Commision ..for about a week. Ugh. Oh. And what's a stack?  It's a stack of apartments. Like our apartment number is 123. Building 1, 2nd floor, apartment 3. Other units in our stack are 113, 133, 143, 153. Units in our "stack" are up and down. And yeah, the temps were like 108-109. Some people went to a hotel. We also talked with some people who stayed in their units. That had no electricity. But they could plug the refrigerators up in the hall. And we were fine because the elevators worked. And oh yeah. The HOA payed for the repair. We understand it was in excess of $9000.00. Wow. 

I've been doing doctors appointments this month. I guess it's just that time of year. My favorite so far was meeting with the gastroenterologist  after the colonoscopy. He had me look at the photos of my colon. Explained my colon was fine. And here's the best part. I don't need another colonoscopy for five (5) years!!!!!!  Whoo hoo!  Except I probably will need one sooner as a part of the transplant readiness. Until I get a transplant. But yay anyway!!!

My blood pressure is still scary low. I average about 88/62. Standing up too quickly is scary. A few weeks ago I got up to head toward the front and ended up doing a face plant on the sofa. In other words I made it there just in time. I was thisclose to passing out. Last night I got up, stepped into the hall and then needed to step right back into the bedroom and sit down. The room spinning is not fun. And that shit can happen randomly. Anyway. I finally am seeing the cardiologist on September 8. Which is pissing off my nephrologist. He wanted me to see a cardiologist in June. But I had to schedule an appointment with my primary care physician, then get an approval from the HMO to see a cardilogist, then schedule an appointment with the cardiologist. Hooray for HMO. So yeah. I could die before I get there. Isn't that a fun fact?  

Finally can you believe Shawn is starting her fourth year at University of Illinois (UIUC) in the doctoral program?  She is a TA this year. My child is a night owl. And has never liked waking up early. And this started when she was in pre-K. So her TA class is at 8AM. Lol lol lol. 

That's it for today. Life will start ramping up in a few weeks. Sorority meetings will start. Classes start up again. And next weekend dad is heading to Ohio for a family reunion. And Shawn will drive to Ohio also. They're all looking forward to it!  Enjoy your Sunday!  

Photo of my dad and Brian's mom! 

The "Easy Like Sunday Morning", edition.

With apologies and acknowledgment to Lionel Richie, Good Sunday morning! Did a mid afternoon treatment yesterday. During treatment 4 fire engines visited the building. One of the electrical boxes arced, blew up and caught on fire. Yikes! Took out 10 units. Fortunately ours was not one of the 10. And yes the affected residents have been relocated.  There are some residents that go out of town. You know. For the hot summer. The home owners association is taking care of the repair, but it is estimated to be completed by Wednesday...no guarantees. Yikes. And it's a 110+ day today. 

 I bet you're wondering what would we have done if the power has gone out while I was in the middle of treatment?  Well. We've been trained for an emergency removal. Heck. I was trained for that when I was a patient in the dialysis center in Detroit. I know how to get the hell off the machine quickly if I need to. Of course I'd be running out of the building with needles still stuck in my arm!  With the tubes clamped. And as a mobile patient I was assigned to assist less mobile patients to safety because the staff would be assisting the totally immobile patients. Yes there were people brought in to the center in gurneys. 

We watched Simone Manuel swim the last leg of the relay last night like she was being chased....  Bad joke!  Lol.  And then we watched the men's relay. Watching Michael Phelphs butterfly from the head on view is a thing of beauty. His wing span is impressive. The butterfly stroke is such a busy stroke. I'm a freestyle girl. And if your old school, you learned it when it was called the Australian crawl!  Learn. To. Swim. 

This morning we headed out to the hot tub. Ahhhh.  I went into the pool first.  Brian went straight to the jacuzzi. My back was hurting. Not a lot.  Just enough that I knew it was there.  Once I got into the pool and moved to the deep end, the buoyancy of the water eased the pressure on my back. Glorious relief!!  Then I moved over to the hot tub. 15 minutes and we're good as gold!  

Today is brunch day. We're headed to Bonefish grill. Grilled fish sounds good. On the dialysis front, I've had my colonoscopy. I've put that sucker off for a while. It was time. It had been 4 years. It's necessary for me to be on the transplant list. The prep was worse than the procedure. But!  The prep was decidedly much better this time than it was 4 years ago. And Brian reminded me of the prep 20+ years ago...the enema. ;-(  So as I complain, I realize it could have much worse. So. Let me tell you the difference. 4 years ago I had to drink a gallon of nastiness starting around 6-8 PM and drink it in an hour..then endure hours of major discomfort. This time I had 2 doses of nastiness. 16 ounces at 2 PM followed by 32 ounces of cold water. Mild discomfort for 2 hours. Then repeat at 7 PM. And that's it. Of course I was on a clear liquid diet all day, but that was it.  The procedure lasted 15 minutes. I arrived at the surgical center at 6:30 AM and was back home by 9:30 AM. 

Finally on Friday we volunteered for the sorority for the Department of Family Services (DFS) annual Back to School event. The event was for children in foster care. Last year we passed out back packs.  This year we manned the thank you banners where the kids and their families signed their thanks. But more AKAs were assigned other tasks.  That was just as much fun as passing out the school supplies! And as last year the event had swag  and swag and more swag. And the obligatory ice cream truck waiting outside!  Lots of social service agencies had tables. We were told that if the organizations wanted to participate, they had to have stuff to give away and had to have at 1000 items.  The kids backpacks were stuffed!!  I loved seeing the kids. They were so excited!  <3.  

That's it for today.  Leaving you with photos of the prickly pear cactus. We have about 10 of them on the grounds. Last year only 2-3 bloomed. This year they all bloomed!!!  And now they're starting to fall off. And a photo of back to school event. I took a photo of the Bikers Against Child Abuse booth. They showed up en mass!  I told Brian I bet they all rode to the building together...because they all came in to the building together!  Stay cool. We're hot out here,but we don't have the humidity. Be careful!  

The "Dad, Brian and Me", edition.

Good Monday morning!  I haven't written because...I guess I've been lazy. And we've been in life's routine. And that's not a bad thing!  My cousin from Ohio was in town for the Omega Psi Phi convention. He's a board member. He was supposed to be in town earlier for special board meetings. However he got caught up with Southwest Airline issues. So he arrived a day and a half late. He wasn't pleased. Anyway. Afterwards he stayed a few days with us. We all enjoyed his visit. When I was a kid we used to visit his family in Cleveland. As a matter of fact, so many families would visit their home in Cleveland it would be like a family reunion. People sleeping in every.single.room. Great times!  And yeah. My cousin and his brother are older than me and would tease me. They called me Rapunzel. Which eventually got shortened to Rap. Lol. Anyway. Dad, Brian and I enjoyed the visit. And oh yeah. Dad took this as an opportunity to take us all to Fogo de Chao. Again. And. We've been there enough now that the server remembers us. :-(  Lol. 

Our workouts are getting better. Getting  better means that The trainer is adding more reps and harder stuff. She has Brian training for TRX level one. He has a circuit has to complete in a certain amount of time. TRX is suspension training. I'm not anywhere near that, but I've started using the TRX equipment. There are 4 trainers at the gym and at any given time they are also working with clients. We are all at different levels. Some of the workouts are impressive to see. And you know what?  I still have to force myself to go and I whine during most of the workout. (I am whining less). But I feel damn good afterwards and am glad I went! 

And the trainer is working with us on nutrition. My dietary needs are different because of the kidney disease. She wants us to eat whole grains. Whole grains are not recommended for me. I don't like whole wheat spaghetti or brown rice anyway. But we're making adjustments. I know she'd rather we eat out less. And we've cut it down. She's also been in touch with my dietician. So all is well. We are looking and feeling healthier. And yes, we're still doing deep water fitness. 

Every Sunday Dad, Brian and I go out to Sunday brunch. We alternate who selects the location..and who pays.  :-)  It started with a rotation of buffets, but that got old. Now we hit restaurants and end up trying new things. My dad was an old school  meat and potatoes guy while I was growing up. He didn't eat barbeque ribs. He didn't eat rice. He didn't eat fresh pork chops. Yada yada yada. And Mom catered to him. When Brian and I moved out here, our meals were more ... varied. And guess who ended up liking the food?  And if we brought food home, guess who'd rummage through the carry out boxes. And then ask about the food and comment that he liked it?  lol. So guess who is adventurous in his eating now?  My 90 year old dad!  Lol. 

We went to Lolo's, a chicken and waffle restaurant. The combination was foreign to him, but he tried it. As an aside, I asked him what he wanted. He said 2 pieces of chicken and and 2 waffles. I told him he wanted one waffle. He was adamant that he wanted 2 waffles. I told home him he was thinking of pancakes. But I think he just wasn't listening. There was no option on the menu for 2 pieces of chicken and 2 waffles. Brian said there was a 3 chicken 2 waffle option. Dad said that was fine. So the food comes. And he realizes.  He was thinking of pancakes. <smack head>. Lol. 

This past Sunday was Dad's turn to select. We'd taken him to the Mexican seafood restaurant before. He decided he wanted to go this week. Before we go to the restaurants he looks up the menu on the web. He discusses his choices with me...and I have to remember what he wants when it's time to order. Lol. He pretty much knows what he wants before we get there. This time he pulled up a photo of a molcajete. Yes I had to look it up. He declared he wanted "that". It has shrimp, chicken and steak - his favorite foods. Lol. I was impressed that he wanted this strange looking dish. He's come a long way!  I'm pretty proud of him. He's a cool dad. <3. 

What I didn't mention was as we left the restaurant and were walking to the car, he tripped and fell. He scraped his hand and hit his head...not hard, but now he has a black eye. :-(    He's doing fine, but we're keeping an eye on him. He likes the attention.  

On the dialysis front, my tests have started. I have a cardiology test to schedule. And the dreaded colonoscopy is this Thursday. { cry }. Although. I've managed to put if off for 4 years. It's time. I picked up the wretched drink Saturday. The pharmacist asked if I had any questions. I asked if it could be less miserable. She laughed and sadly said no.  Lol. 

That's it for today. Watching the Olympics. I didn't think I'd watch it, but I got pulled in by the women's bike race and here I am. And oh yeah. Brian had me watching fencing Sunday morning.  Lol. And we're asking each other how is it scored?  And I mentioned that for a brief moment in the 10th grade we had a fencing class.  En garde!  Have a great day!!! 

The "A Couple of Things of Interest" edition.

Good Friday morning!  I swear I started writing an entry earlier today, but I guess I didn't save it. Which is fine as I didn't like where it was going. I do that sometimes. I have 11 unpublished entries because I wasn't satisfied with the content. That's life. Today I went to have 4 medical tests. 3 just because my HMO thinks I need them on a yearly basis. A mammogram, which wasn't so bad   And I have no modesty anyway.   An ultrasound to look at my non working kidneys. I'm pretty sure they're still shriveled up but whatever.  And ultrasound on my lower legs and feet to check my circulation. That's because a large percentage of dialysis patients are also diabetic....no I'm not.  But I have to get checked anyway. So I had an ultrasound on my lower legs and feet. That was a new one!  And finally an ultrasound to check on my liver. My nephrologist is concerned with some of my blood test numbers so that was checked out. That will go along with my upcoming colonoscopy. :-[  Yeah so. I haven't had a colonoscopy in almost 4 years. It's time. I've been able to get out of it this long so I shouldn't complain.  So yeah. When was your last colonoscopy?  24 hours of misery instead a lifetime of slow death. It's worth it. 

I'll also see a cardiologist and test to see if there is a problem for the low blood pressure or if it's just a side effect of dialysis. Oh. And I got a new gadget to take my blood pressure. It goes on my wrist like a bracelet. Winner!!!  Now I purchased this myself, but I can get a reimbursement through Medicare.  This is because of my ESRD.  All (most) of my medical equipment is covered by Medicare. And I have a lot. The dialysis machine (cycler) and Pureflow machine (dialysate mixer) are covered of course.  The dialysate kit, the dialysate bags for travel, the saline bags, the syringes ( 3 separate types - 2 different sizes with needles  ), the needles that go into my arm...we have to use the correct terminology..needles vs syringes!, sterile gloves ( 2 sizes.. 1 for me, 1 for Brian ), paper tape, plastic tape, gauze pads, sterile underpads, different medicines that we administer via the needles, sharps disposal containers, antibiotics, the blood pressure cuff,  Purel(!) test tube for taking blood samples, a centrifuge and even fedex boxes with postage paid to send out the blood. Whew. And I'm sure I leaving off stuff. Medicare would also pay for a treatment chair.  What we've purchased is a large trash can, a metal shelving rack to store supplies. We purchase anti bacterial soap, paper towel, bleach and black trash bags on a regular basis. 

As you can tell, Medicare is very important to me. Especially important since my health insurance was crapped on when the City of Detroit filed for bankruptcy. I was able to grandfather into a great Medicare advantage plan, but I lost it when I moved to Las Vegas. Ah well. Life happens. But here's the deal. Under normal circumstances Medicare advantage is not available to people with ESRD. We are left with regular Medicare..Part A, B and D. In a nutshell this means I am responsible for 20% of all my medical costs. And Part D is the medication component....and you're already familiar with me ranting about the dumbass donut hole. Anyway.  I end being responsible for almost $1,000 a month for my treat...not including my drugs. This could be a problem. Except. Humana in Nevada started a trial Special Neec Meficare Advantage Plan for ESRD in January 2015.  !! !!!!! !!!!!!!!  How flicking fortunate was that?  It's still nowhere as good as my Blue Cross Medicare Advantage, but he'll, it's better than straight up Meficare. Look. If someone says Meficare is an entitletlment. Tell them no sir. You tell them you responsible for 20% of all costs. And that can add up pretty quickly if you're ill. Or you do incenter dialysis at a cost of $17k a month. 

This a a bill I. The House to allow ESRD patients to be eligible for a normal Meficare Advantage plan. It's moving sloooooowly through congress. :-(  Anyway. My point is. Health insurance is something we all need. When you're looking for a candidate to vote for, look for one that understands that we all need affordable insurance. I am fortunate in many ways that I can literally afford to be sick. But there are many that can't. It's heartbreaking to read about people who are getting massive bills for treatment just to stay alive. You can feel the panic when people write about medical bills is excess of $250,000.   Or the cost of their medications are outrageous. You already know some of my meds cost from $400-$1800 a month if I'm in the donut hole. Just think about that. And think about what if you or someone you love has to go through this....and it's not just ESRD. It could be any illness or condition. 

Ok. Off my soapbox. Temps out here still in 110s out here.   Looking for a 10 degree temp drop. And we'll feel it!  And it's gonna rain next week!  Whee!!  Stay cool! And enjoy your weekend!  

The "Two Years in Las Vegas", edition.

Good Monday morning!  Two years ago today I flew out to Las Vegas on a one way ticket.  I'd say we've settled in quite nicely. We're kind of acclimating to the desert summers. We can discern the difference between 102 degrees and 112 degrees. And believe me, there is a difference!  No complaints. Shawn and I were talking about the weather and she chuckled at me. I told her she'd change her mind in February. <wicked evil grin>

Dad wanted to go to Zydecos for our Sunday brunch/lunch yesterday.  Zydecos did not disappoint. I usually get the shrimp po boy. This time I decided to try something else. And oh yeah. The last time we were there, Chef Brandon had us try boudin balls. OMG. So good. Anyway. This time I tried the red beans and rice. I ordered a small. Lol. Small my ass. If that bowl was small, I'm afraid to see what the large portion is!  So my mistake was ordering the boudin balls and the small red beans and rice. You get three boudin balls per order. I took 2 balls home. 

Anyway. The red beans and rice. Soo good. Big chunks of sausage. We're eating and Chef Brandon comes out to check on us. He chuckles as he commented that he manages to ask his customers about the food when they're mouths are full. We were no exception!  I commented that the red beans and rice were delicious. And that I couldn't make mine that good. And I like my red beans and rice!  Chef Brandon smiled and the said use the best sausage you can find.  And that he uses the left over bits and juices from his bone-in ham that he uses for other dishes in the red beans. I kinda felt honored that he shared his tip with us. But I guess he knew I wasn't  going to ever cook a bone in ham. lol. I don't even get that large a ham for the holidays from Honey Baked!  I'll fix my own red beans and rice and like them and when I want a treat, I'll get his red beans and rice. 

Dad opted out of the catfish po boy and got a catfish basket. Lol. Why bother with bread and vegetables?  Lol. He got so much catfish he couldn't finish it all. And believe it or not, I have no idea what Brian ordered. I know he got a po boy but I don't know which one!  We were pleased to see the place staying busy while we were there. I've seen more and more good reviews of the restaurant. For sure we like it. Oh. And he had banana pudding.  So yes. We got some to go. And yes. It was good also. 

I don't know if I mentioned that just before we left for Georgia, I hosted a meeting for an organization I belong to. I took a page from the cooking shows for my entertainment strategy. I made a fruit bowl. Lots of fruit, but then I ordered mini sandwiches and a Cajun salad from Zydecos. Best idea ever. All I had to do was pick up the order a few hours before the meeting.  And the members liked the sandwiches!  And chef Brandon gave me extra sandwiches.  Lol. I really didn't need extra, but thanks! Lol. 

My cousin is in town this week for the Omega Psi Phi conclave. Dad wants to take him out to lunch today. I see the rest of the week being very lean meals. I'm going to try a gazpacho with grilled shrimp later this week. I need to offset the eating frenzy of the past week.  

On the dialysis front .. Nothing special. Treatment early yesterday. We thought we were going to take cousin out to dinner tonight, but it will be for lunch.  But early treatment was fine. And we'll be ready for tonight. I was trying to get it out of the way because cousin will be spending the night and I didn't want to be in the back doing treatment while he was here...but that's life.  And. A few medical appointments this week. Let's hope some mysteries will be solved. 

That's it for today. So much smoke in the sky from the fires in LA that the sunrise was muted. I usually need to close the blinds when the sun comes up because it's so bright. Not so this morning. And The distance is almost 300 miles!!  "Now that's a fire". Stay cool wherever you are!  

Brian comtemplating his move to Las Vegas. Or Pimp Reflctions. (Complements of The Roots - lol) 

Boudin balls. 

Wall of hot sauce at Zydecos! 

"The Mexican Food Nirvana", edition.

Good Friday morning!  Feeling good today!  Felt great yesterday also. Visited the trainer. She made the workout harder..of course, but I hung. And more importantly, I didn't have that low blood pressure crash I'd been having the last several visits. Perhaps it's because I had 2 boiled eggs and took my "high blood pressure" pills before we left home. High blood pressure pills <eye roll>. And she worked the crap out of Brian. It's a pretty cool place. Yesterday there were 2 other trainers working with their clients also. All of us at different levels. 

Anyway. Afterwards, we needed to go cross town to get to the credit union. Then we wanted to get something to eat. We decided on Mexican. Now believe it or not, Las Vegas is Mexican food heaven. Lol. Yeah. I'm being funny. The catch is finding the places you like. And believe it or not, Taco Bell has a large presence here.  As does Del Taco and Pollo Loco (never tried it). But we have tried other places that have caught our interest. One place was Roberto's Tacos. It's a family owned chain that is very popular. And you know when you walk in and you're the only people who don't speak Spanish that food is pretty authentic. Alas, it didn't tickle my taste buds..and then I didn't feel to well after eating it. Scratch that off the list. 

Then there was this sit down restaurant not too far from us. We decided to try it. What we didn't realize..because we really dont speak Spanish..is that it was a Mexican seafood restaurant. Well, that was quite the pleasant surprise!  We went several times without ordering seafood. Shawn shamed us. So we took her and ordered seafood. I got some spicy as hell shrimp dish. Yum yum yum!  Shawn got a fish with its head intact!  But it was good also. Lol. We could also order octopus, squid or even lobster. The menu was quite extensive!  We took Dad and he ordered steak.  Lol. 

There have been several other restaurants we tried.  There was a new one we decided to try yesterday.  An independent fast food restaurant that we'd passed often. We stopped there. Los Tacos. We go inside. We get in line. The guy behind the counter switches flawlessly from the Spanish he was speaking to the customer in front of to English for us. I'm looking at the menu on the wall. And I announce its our first time there. The guy, Daniel, asks me what do I usually have. I say burrito. He says that's what he calls a taco. Huh?  Anyway. We go with the burrito. But then he has a cook bring us little cups of meats. Right then and there we are tasting carne asada, chicken, chorizo and pork!  Oh. My. Goodness. The carne asada and chicken were amazing!  The seasoning was so tasty. I ordered a carne asada burrito with pico, beans, avocado, cheese and whatever else was in there...no rice. Brian got the chicken burrito. 

Then Daniel asks what we want to drink. I say lemonade. He says hold on. I want you to taste something. He then brings us little cups of fresh juices. Pineapple, watermelon, mango and cantaloupe. Agua frescas. I'd seen these in other Mexican restaurants but I wasn't willing to try it. Well here was my opportunity. I ended up with a an order of pineapple Agua Fresca and Brian got the cantaloupe. 

We got our order, sat down and started eating. Best. Burrito. Ever. And there was a green sauce on the table. And of course I am a red sauce kind of gal. But I tried the green sauce. Yes yes. The green sauce was tasty, too. Just a poke of heat. I couldn't finish my burrito. It really was just that big. And yes there is a junior burrito on the menu. Next time. Anyway. Daniel wrapped my remaining burrito and gave me some extra green sauce to take home. Good food. Good service.  

Needless to say when we want a quick Mexican meal, we will be back. Oh yeah. Dad tasted my burrito with the sauce. He took a big bite. He liked it also!  

Dialysis news?  Started the day out ok. Went to deep water fitness. My body rebelled. I had to cut my time short. Ended up waiting in the car for Brian then almost passing out on the way home. Got home. Slept. Now I feel better. Sigh. I really had plans for other things today. Well. Have a great day and weekend. Stay cool. It's hot here, but you have the heat and humidity. Yuck. 

The "Surviving the Heat", edition.

Good Thursday morning!  Nothing special. We're still doing deep water fitness. Still going to the personal trainer. Surviving daily high temperatures running around 107-111 degrees. Summertime in Las Vegas. Taking a break from painting classes.  Took a one day smart phone photography class. Now I just need to practice. Lol. The Omega Psi Phi fraternity will be in town, so a few cousins will be visiting. The sorority is hosting a hospitality suite.  I opted not to participate. The conclave is at Caesars and Caesars is impossible huge. I'd be worn out just trying to get to the suite!  Or else I'd need a hotel room just to get to the suite!  Lol. 

Well. It's time to go to a crapload of doctors appointments. Some I have to get just because they are mandated by the HMO on a yearly basis...because of the ESRD. I didn't have this requirement under the Blue Cross Medicare Advantage plan in Michigan...but whatever. I have 4 radiology tests coming up including an ultrasound. Now some of the tests have been requested by nephrologist. I have been having some issues. You already know about the chronic low blood pressure. He's concerned and wants me to see a cardiologist. Now. Yeah well. I'm in an HMO and have to schedule an appointment with my primary care physician (PCP) to get a referral. Except I got a call in early June that my PCP has left the practice and the oh  yeah, the office moved. Please call in a month to reschedule your appointment. WTF?  

In addition, the nephrologist tells me my liver numbers are off, please see a gastroenterologist. I did get that referral and went. Of course that rolls me into a colonoscopy. Ugh ugh ugh. Lol. Gotta do what you gotta do and I am overdue. I successfully put it off as long as I could!  Lol. That'll be in August. And then the neph tells my the acid levels in my blood are off. Sigh. I have no clue what that means. I'll find out soon. I guess. 

So next Wednesday I'm going to my new PCP. And I had  a nice relationship with my previous one. Ah well. And I'm going to get the referral to the cardiologist. And next Friday Im going to Desert Radiologists and get 4 tests.  Yay. I also got a massive injection of iron at my monthly home hemo checkup. That happens about every other month. And my epogen started again. My protein numbers are still off, but just barely. 

I have good days and not so good days. I push some days and some days I just fall backwards on the bed. Today  looks like it's going to be a good day. And I fell bad for dragging Brian through this. Ugh. Oh and I got new glasses. At least this time I also got a pair of sunglasses. Bifocal sunglasses!  But. What a difference sunglasses make over transition glasses. Smart move. Thanks Brian!  

That's about it. Just waiting out the heat!  Stay cool. :-)