Vaxxed

Checking every day last week with Walgreen’s, where vaccine and appointments were available, but just not in my area; while simultaneously checking Costco for vaccine availability, on Saturday I saw that Costco finally showed "vaccine available" and immediately began the process of snagging an appointment.

I was ready to get it done that day, Saturday, but today was the earliest appointment day available and, thus far, there are only three appointments available per day — 10:15 am, 10:30 am, 10:45 am.

That seems strange and, to me, reads as an indication of there might not be a lot of vaccine available, they are limiting how much they use in a day to make what they have last until more becomes available.

At any rate, I was lucky to have snagged the 10:45 am at not my regular Costco, but a different Costco within driving distance.

So, not only are appointments limited to 3 slots per day, not all the local Costco’s have vaccine available.

I guess we can thank JFK, Jr. for the chaos, but at least I got it done.

The price went up a bit — from $139.99 last year to $141.99, not reimbursable by my medical provider, but it is what it is.

Once the friendly pharmacist jabbed my arm, complimented me in "looking so good for my age", to which I replied, "Divine Grace, the Grace of God", I browsed the holiday decoration isle. Halloween was up one isle, Christmas down the other side, with Halloween already sold out on some decorations.

I don’t need any more decorations; actually, I don’t have room for anything other than the usual spiderweb stuff and a pumpkin for my skeleton to trick or treat with, but I still like to look at what’s out there.

This was cute ……

I did actually think about buying it for the great grandkids, but I don’t think I’ll make it down that way by Halloween. In fact, who knows when I’ll make it down that way again (Long Beach). Hopefully, it’s before they forget I even exist.

Driving back into the complex, I drove past what looked to be a uniformed caregiver pushing a woman in a wheelchair, with another woman following carrying groceries.

I flashed back to just yesterday, when seeing Not Dead Nancy’s next-door neighbor out and about, asked if Nancy had returned, she'd said "Yes. She's in a wheelchair now".

For newer readers, Not Dead Nancy is thus named because, at one time, we had two Nancys — a Black one and a White one. When the White one passed away and there were conversations where the name Nancy was mentioned, the talker clarified which by saying, "The Nancy that’s not dead".

Not Dead Nancy came to us from New York, and was a hoot and a holler with her relationship with the financially well off alcoholic resident, who passed away, and her pursuit of other males on the complex after he was gone. Like the time she walked up to my old buddy Apache, asked "Do you need a girlfriend?", LOL.

NDN was bold, brash and a lot of fun until, in 2021, she suddenly disappeared. When asking if she'd moved, I was told she'd been hospitalized.

Since then, asking about Nancy, it's been that she’s been in/out of hospitals, for what I never knew, but was technically still a resident here.

Yesterday, seeing Nancy's next-door neighbor when I went to pick up mail, I was told Nancy was back, but was now wheelchair bound. I thought to pay her a visit, but had not yet gotten around to it.

Driving past that group with a woman in a wheelchair got me to thinking, "Is that Nancy?".

I hurried up to park, fast walked to catch up with the group, arrived at Nancy’s door just after the group had entered, called out to her.

What I saw was heartbreaking. I didn’t recognize her. The voice was the same, but gone was the vibrant fit Nancy I knew. She’s aged considerably, but that's understandable because illness will do that to a body. I know when I have a gut episode, the constant discomfort begins to take a toll on my body, I begin to look and feel worn down, ratchet.

When telling Nancy that I've not seen her in four years, she said she kept getting hospitalized but had seen me in the Community Room a few weeks ago.

I didn't remember seeing Nancy in the room but later, after thinking about it, I flashed back to that Pizza Tuesday when the seniors were arguing, I’d seen what I took to be a new resident in a wheelchair at the door, told everyone to not fight in front of company, THAT WAS NANCY!

OMG! I didn’t even recognize her and they wheeled her right by me, which tells you how much she's changed.

I don’t think I’ll be visiting Nancy again. It hurts my heart to see her the way she now is. In fact, right now, I’m feeling a throbbing sensation on my left temple, like a lopsided headache.

Is that from the shock of seeing Nancy looking nothing like the Nancy I knew, or from this morning’s vaccine ?????.

So far, the arm only hurts when I move it.

Boosted

Vaccine booster is off my bucket list.

At the pharmacy bright and early, I signed in and, following Mike’s suggestion, made sure it was the "latest" vaccine.

It was.

Then I thought it wouldn’t hurt to see if I could switch from cash to Medicare — Karen’s suggestion.

I could but, just as I surmised, it would have been a headache — as is everything when my provider is involved, because they’d have to contact my provider for approval for medicare.

"No thanks", said I. "I’d rather pay cash".

I was about 15 minutes early, so I browsed the plentiful Christmas isles, located right next to the scarce Halloween row, where I saw this cute little pillow.

I was tempted to purchase, but made a commitment to myself some time ago to stop buying things based on being cute, only purchase that which serves a purpose.

Not only was this store, and others, offering Christmas wares when we’ve not yet had Halloween, there was Christmas music.

The pharmacist giving the injection said she was shocked and commented how sad it was my health care provider was not serving its members ………… that I was the third person to come in that morning from the provider.

It was early, so many more probably came in for the vaccine before the day was over.

My provider’s bad reputation is getting around, but at least I’m not reliant on them for much, lean towards holistic care because I can’t rely on them, so there’s no point trying to find a better health care provider, if there even is such an animal, at this stage of the game.

On the way out, I walked by a woman who spotted my bandage, asked, "Did you just get the vaccine?".

"Yes".

"I got it yesterday and my arm is still sore", said she.

Oh, goodie. Something unpleasant to look forward to, and thanks for sharing that which I did not need to hear.

Tomorrow is the meeting with management.

I’ve already decided that if none of the ladies who have a beef with Bill (Di, Lu, Homegirl, the Baker, the little new resident that wants to do great bodily harm to Bill, and numerous others I don’t personally know) …… If they don’t speak up about him, I am not going to bring it up for them.

I am done with sticking my neck out for weak namby-pamby people who don’t have the guts to stand up for themselves and don't have my back in return.

I’m still sore about the time the Black Witch was bullying residents at bingo, and how no one had my back when she got around to me, and I stood up to her.

Not only did the ladies not have my back, they also tried to make me be namby-pamby like them.

When the Black Witch came for me and I told her "I am not the one. You have picked the wrong one today", she called me the B word.

I retorted with a spell to cast out whatever demon was possessing her ("I rebuke you demon. I rebuke you in the name of Jesus Christ. Out out evil spirit"), whereupon the Baker and Red Light tried to silence me, told me to not "argue" with her. The others in the room stuck their heads in the sand, tried to make themselves invisible.

I lost a lot of respect for the Baker, Red Light, et. al., that day. So, if they don’t speak up for themselves, and I myself have had no problems from Bill, then whatever happens henceforth is on them.

The excessive heat seems to be cooling down. It was only 90 yesterday, and 82 today. So, when I headed for the car this morning, I ran into one of the newer residents taking advantage of the cooler weather, out on an exercise walk.

We greeted each other and she asked, "Would you like a little Jesus?"

I had no idea what she meant, but I was down for what I imagined would be some kind of blessing.

She reached into her pocket and gave me this ………

Little Jesus

Cute, but not the Jesus I know, so I fixed him.

Little Black Jesus

Trifecta

I hit the trifecta at the medical center this morning.

At the center early, to get the doctor-ordered fasting blood work off my bucket list, I saw a sign for flu shots.

Didn’t realize it was time for that already but, since I was there, I went back to the desk, registered for and got my flu shot taken care of; after which, I thought I’d get ahead of having to come back for a doctor ordered blood pressure reading.

So off I go to the desk for a third time, registered for a BP test, got that taken care of.

The nurse calling those of us there for BP test, greeted with "Happy Friday Eve".

Never ever thought of Thursday like that before, and I’ve never ever heard the saying before.

Have you?

If the medical center offered the latest Moderna booster, I could have hit the Superfecta — gotten the latest covid booster, as I saw they had a vaccine station.

I keep getting notices to get the vaccine, but my provider only offers Johnson, and I do Moderna.

I have plans to go off-site for Moderna, as I did last time, but have yet to get around to it because I've been dreading the headache of fighting with member services.

Some readers might recall how it was, when last I heeded the call to get a booster, member services refused to give approval for the vaccine when the off-site center called for authorization. I paid out of pocket, then filed a complaint with the medical center because ……… what am I supposed to do when you don’t offer Moderna.

I got a reimbursement.

Before leaving the center this morning, I checked with the covid vaccine station nurse, just on the off chance Moderna might now be available.

No such luck, and she tells me, member services will no longer reimburse those of us who go off-site for Moderna.

WHAT?! …… You text message harass me to get the vaccine, but won’t approve/pay unless I go to your facility, take what you offer.

Cheap bastids.

It’s not worth the time and effort to hassle with member services. The vaccine is only $139.99, so I’ll go off-site, eat the cost.

After leaving the medical center, I stopped by a craft store for needlepoint floss that wasn’t available when I last made a run by the local craft store, and found a Halloween outfit for my patio skeleton Skelly.

I think Skelly is going to love being a witch, complete with boom, this year.

I had the cashier at the craft store in stitches. When I saw she was struggling to get the broom into a bag, I said, "Oh, don't worry about bagging that. I'll just fly it on out of here".

I could hear her still laughing as I exited the store.

Black Friday at Walmart

Not as bad as you might think.

While a turkey leg was slow cooking in the crockpot yesterday — Thanksgiving/Stolen Land Day, I spent the day pulling Christmas decorations out of storage.

Testing the mini lights, seeing they were in perfect working order, I attached them to the patio rails, tested again and saw a great number of bulbs in one of two strings had suddenly blown out.

Nothing a quick trip to the local Walmart couldn’t resolve but, after googling closures, I learned Walmart was closed.

Having waited as long as I have, now anxious to get decorations up, I was willing, after this morning’s workout, to brave the day after crowd — Black Friday at Walmart.

In between then and now, I feasted on the usual turkey and dressing, only my dressing was a tried tested addictive gluten free, not made with bread but with tortilla chips recipe; and instead of cranberry sauce, it was homemade pico de Gallo, that I put on everything.

Towards the end of that day, granddaughter sent me a photo of what family showed up at her place.

As expected, it was my deceased sister’s boring husband and not one, but two of her brothers.

Nice photo, but Whew! dodged a bullet in not having to play nice with relatives I’m not all that fond of.

"Be well but be gone" as my blog friend Dawn the Bohemian would say.

At any rate, it was a surprisingly quick in and out at Walmart this afternoon.

The log jam appeared to be outside, at the Curbside Pickup side of the building.

That back lot was completely full, with cars 40+ deep on the roadway, all the way back to the end of the block, waiting to get in.

Unfortunately, I had two packages of a gluten free bagel product to pick up.

I’d recently discovered the bagels at the market, found no ingredients that would set off a gut episode, tried them, liked them, and then couldn’t find them back in stock at the market.

Having since discovered they’re sold at Walmart, knowing I’d be making a run today, I’d ordered them last night; but seeing the curbside pickup line was hours long, it was never mind, I’ll go inside for the patio lights, pick up the curbside order tomorrow.

Once inside, it was quick shopping and I was on my way out when I thought to check to see if I could pick up curbside inside, avoid that long line of cars and a return trip.

Approaching a woman I’ve seen working there for years, she said she didn’t know, but head to the back of the store and see if they’ll accommodate me.

They did.

A ton of sodium and carbs, but worth it.

At any rate, it appears the curse of this terrible week has come to an end, I’m batting a thousand because not only is DMV and the Covin Shot behind me, Walmart was easy peasy today, including pickup, Christmas decorations are now up to be enjoyed, complete with Skelly Claus.

AND ... I received an email from the medical provider's office saying, "You will be receiving a check for $139.99".

That’s right folks. Here I was gearing up for a fight and they folded in the first round.

Angry Black Woman

I did sense and say this week looked to be challenging, but I had no idea how challenging.

With first the fiasco in getting my license renewed, then the bozo at the gas station and now what happened at this morning’s pharmacy appointment, it’s taking all I have not to turn into the stereotypical Angry Black Woman.

Arriving five minutes early, checking in for the latest Covid vaccination was easy breezy.

Told the pharmacist would be with me in 15 minutes, I sat where I was told to sit and waited.

Then I waited and waited and waited well beyond 15 minutes until finally a pharmacy clerk walked over, paperwork in hand, said my medical provider was refusing to authorize the charge.

Why the refusal is unknown, especially since I couldn’t get the vaccination at the medical center because they only offer Pfizer and I do Moderna. But my provider failing me, and other patients, is now legendary, so I rolled with it, said "I’ll pay".

Then I waited and waited and waited and waited some more.

Beginning to get hot and bothered, I went back to the window asked, "Did you people forget I’m waiting for a shot?"

Guy at the window said, "Sit over there. The pharmacist will call you up shortly".

"That’s what I was told 30 minutes ago", said I.

I wasn’t loud, but my voice was at a tone and pitch that got his attention, the attention of all others working behind the counter, AND the attention of customers waiting for pharmacy orders.

A little aggression goes a long way because he got up, went over to whisper something to someone and, before I knew it, someone walked over, asked for my payment of $139.99 and the pharmacist called me in for the shot, and I was outta there in less than 7 minutes.

Is the Universe testing me?

Is it just that it’s my turn … my astrological moon is in manure?

Whichever it is, it appeared the test wasn’t quite yet over because, feeling the need for chocolate to calm down, clean eating went out the window and I used the cellphone to put in an online order at See’s Candy Store, knowing it would be ready for pickup by the time I arrived.

The order was ready and to make certain the correct person was picking up, the young lady asked for my name and the last four digits of my telephone number.

Of course, I knew my name, but my brain was still so raddled by the problems at the pharmacy that I scrambled the last four digits of the phone number.

She questioned it.

"Look! It’s me. No one is going to come in here and commit fraud for a box of chocolates" said I.

I left with my candy, no further questions, and a treat for my Little Knock Knock, as she’s sure to come knocking before the holidays are over.

Now back at the complex, chocolates and hot coffee having pulled me from the edge, and thinking clearly, you already know I'll be putting in a claim for the $139.99 with the provider on principal, which they probably will decline.

Another thing that occurs to me is that perhaps the pharmacy is in the wrong, because I also have medicare.

I don't know how those things work but, when the provider said no, could not the pharmacy have billed medicare?

They have a record of my number. Who did they bill when I had my other shots there?

As for why the provider refused to authorize the transaction, it's probably because so many of its members, tired of not being serviced in a timely manner, have been going off plan; but inasmuch as they could not give me Moderna, will be interesting to see the reason for declining when I request reimbursement.

Oy Vey! What a week, and it's not over yet.

What is Wrong with People???

Along with everything else going around, there appears to be an epidemic of rude behavior.

Pulling into the gas station yesterday, assessing there was no need to mask up, as I could see through the window only two customers roaming around inside, none at the counter, I entered maskless, stood at the counter, waited while the attendant set up pizza in the microwave.

He approached the counter, asked how he could help me but, before I could say $30 on No. 6, he began coughing.

Though he put his head down, did not cough towards my face, I nevertheless began taking steps backwards, away from him.

Whereupon, after done coughing, he took both hands and laughingly, with a backhand sweeping motion, began waving his germs towards me.

What is wrong with people!!!???

Needless to say, I was not amused.

I turned around, walked out but, if he thought he’d so offended me that I was leaving, he thought wrong.

I went to the car, dawned my mask, walked back in, requested $30 on No 6 to his now somber looking face.

He couldn’t see me laughing behind the mask at his discomfort at seeing me so pointedly exiting, returning all masked up, but maybe he could read the amusement in my eyes.

She who laughs last laughs best.

I feel for the customer that ordered that pizza.

Gas station pizza is precarious eating at best and totally dangerous eating when handled by a guy who’s not wearing gloves, switches to the cash register where he handles coins and dollar bills, thinks it’s funny to wave his germs at a customer and then returns to removing the pizza from the microwave.

Because Friday is the Day After Thanksgiving, the Office closed, the Community Room unavailable to us seniors, this week’s Bingo Friday has been moved to tomorrow ……… Monday.

Monday and bingo on the same day!!!! All I need to make the start of the week extra challenging is rain.

As Trainer is taking no days off for the Thanksgiving Holiday and my workout days (M W F) don’t fall on the actual holiday, after I get through tomorrow, the remainder of the week is a regular week for me …… except for a trip out of the area for the latest covid booster.

Don’t yell at me, but I’m late getting this shot because I wasn’t planning on getting vaccinated again because of problems I’ve had with skin rashes ever since I began with the vaccinations. However, wanting to get a look at the new baby next month, I’m taking the precaution.

Besides, with no help from the medical professionals, through trial/error I’ve discovered the cure for what had been plaguing me was organic castor oil and a homemade rice filled heating pad.

So, I'm not too worried about a reoccurrence, now that it's under control and can be handled so easily if necessary.

So anyway, looking at the news of holiday travel already in progress, I’m beyond happy not to be preparing for and facing that nerve racking drive to Long Beach this week.

I’ll be facing all that soon enough — next month, around Christmas.

The Lost Weekend

That booster shot turned into a knockout pill. I ended up sleeping the entire weekend away.

After losing the weekend to hypersomnia, I woke up well rested this morning, and it was back to the regular grind.

No problem keeping up in the Pain Cave, not even when Trainer increased the incline.

While changing out of workout gear in the bedroom, I happened to see the Talker’s Karen neighbor come storming out of her unit, stop beneath Trainer’s unit, look up and stare.

Oh oh. She’s mad about something, thought I.

I’ll have to catch up with Talker, ask what she did to annoy Karen around 1:30 this afternoon. LOL.

Tomorrow is Activity Director’s turn at bringing Bingo back.

I’m not really interested, but I’ll go just to see if anyone shows up for her.

I'm hoping not any, because she's really pissed me off.

Activity Director has changed a lot over the years — and not in a good way.

Hanging onto her job through 7 of our 9-1/2 managers, she’s become somewhat of a butt hole — occasionally taking her obvious frustrations with her life out on the seniors by speaking to them in a disrespectful manner and, lately, sticking her nose in where it doesn’t belong.

She happened to see my Buddy Apache visiting last week, ran and told 9-1/2 (the temp manager from corporate) that there had been problems with Apache in the past, he’d been evicted and wasn’t allowed to be on the premises.

Now what business was that of hers?

Where in her job description is “troublemaker” listed?

At any rate, 9-1/2 took Activity Director at her word, ran outside, confronted Apache, told him to leave.

This ain’t Apache's first time at the rodeo. He said he laughed in her face, told her — legally speaking, she did not have the right to tell him to leave as, just like any other person visiting a resident, he’s allowed to be on the premises.

9-1/2 backed down, said, "You’re right" and hopefully it blew up in Activity Director’s face that she put 9-1/2 in that position of being embarrassed, schooled on what she can and cannot do.

At any rate, I’ll be checking in on Activity Director’s event just to see.

Nothing new to report on finding Bonita’s family. If there is no response to the Seth letter by end of week, I’ll move on to the other brother — Gabriel or Seth’s new wife.

Rockstar

I was a rockstar in the Pain Cave yesterday. I handled the hill training like a champ, sweated a lot but energy level was high and nothing hurt at end of session.

This morning’s booster shot has left me feeling a little lightheaded, a little slow, the arm feels heavy, so we’ll see how Monday’s training session goes.

Bingo that afternoon was pure torture, because the Baker made cake and pies for the break.

There was fresh baked Chocolate Cake, Apple Pie, Coconut Crème Pie and, my favorite ... Cherry Pie.

I didn’t have time for lunch between leaving the Pain Cave, making it down to the Community Room for Bingo, so I brought lunch with me to eat at the break.

So, while everyone was feasting on fresh baked pastries, I had to content myself with …………

Life just isn’t fair.

It was beginning to look like I’d not win a game this time around, but I got Bingo at Game 7 and opted for the Bling Nail Kit from the prize table.

One resident was using buttons to mark her cards.

Some very unique buttons in that jar of hers— it's a treasure, and I can already see Management tossing the jar in the trash when her time comes and they go in to clear her unit.

Now that high heels tight pants Manager No. 9 is gone and Corporate has sent one of their people to cover for the time being (let's call her 9-1/2), we’re getting our Monthly Activity Calendar on a timely basis.

I see Activity Director is hosting bingo this coming Tuesday.

That’s a free day for me, so I might go just to see how many show up.

Activity Director has also scheduled a "Welcome Summer Social" and a "Summer Craft" event .

So, with bingo on Friday and these other events, looks like we’re at long last getting back to somewhat normal up in here.

I Love a Parade

Today started off well.

After a day of rest yesterday, I woke up this morning back to feeling fit and ready to seize the day.

Tuning into Good Morning America, I see the Queen’s Jubilee is getting good coverage and it’s nice to see Harry and Megan have been invited to the party.

Now that’s something I bet you readers across the pond never expected to see — Prince Harry and Megan in, Prince Andrew conspicuously absent.

A lot happening with Pride and the Queen’s Jubilee simultaneously going on.

No parades or festivities of any kind for any reason occurring anywhere near me, and I do love a parade, so I’ve plans to spend a few days in Long Beach, attend the Pride festivities and parade.

That’s a long way to go for a parade you might think, and I agree except the Mayor has asked Twin 1 — due to her, a hometown girl, being awarded CNN’s Hero of the Year, to be the Grand Marshall.

Because so few are wearing masks these days, with that event coming up — where I’m expecting to be surrounded by thousands, I figured I’d better get that last booster, so that’s on my schedule for tomorrow, which will give me time to recuperate if there’s a bad reaction.

Since I’m physically back up to snuff, I expect Trainer will have me on incline this morning.

I hope it doesn’t wear me out like it did on Monday because I want to be able to make it to this afternoon’s bingo session — not for purposes of reconnaissance, not for info gathering, but because I’m actually beginning to enjoy the camaraderie.

A Hard Pass

Trainer was making good natured fun of me yesterday. Calling me a human pincushion for having taken the Covid vaccinations and continuing to go masked in the studio. This is something he often does because he’s an anti-masker/anti-vaxxer.

When I said I had an appointment for the 2nd Booster this Saturday, he rolled his eyes, called me an addict and told me the story of how the grandmother of one of his clients is now experiencing ailments she never had before being vaxxed.

Trainer’s taunts and anti-point of view doesn’t bother or worry me. It takes all kinds to make a universe so, just like I tolerate my buddy Apache’s support of No. 45 — because I enjoy Apache as a person, I tolerate Trainer’s views because I like him, and his training is worth the risk of being in his non-vaxxed non-masked presence.

I humor him, continue to wear a mask, wipe down with disinfectant wipes at the end of the sessions and, yesterday, I poo pooed that grandmother story.

THEN, catching up on blogs last night I saw where Catalyst, over at Oddball Observations, experienced neuropathy after his 2nd Booster — which he described as “Severe nerve pain, coming/going in his feet leading to prolonged moaning and occasional screaming and cursing”.

That’s twice in one day. First the grandmother story and then Catalyst’s story.

Taking them as signs, I cancelled Saturday’s appointment.

I’m taking a hard pass on this 2nd Booster and any future vaccine shots. I'll take my chances on coming down with one of the variants, which doesn't appear to be as severe as Covid or vaccine side effects.

Speaking of cosmic signs, I’ve been dreaming quite a lot lately. My subconscious is working overtime.

I think I know what the dreams are alluding to, how they relate to what I’m experiencing in daily and family life — like that dream/nightmare I had a week or so ago about the dentist.

I’d surmised it was the result of being traumatized by that lying dentist, fearful now of future dental visits.

Wanting to verify I’d interpreted it correctly, I attempted to dig my dream manuals out of patio storage but, seeing that particular container of books is buried deep behind Christmas decorations and other heavy containers, I decided it wasn’t feasible until December — when Christmas decorations are moved out of the way for display.

When out of the area on Tuesday, passing a Barnes and Noble, I popped in, purchased 12,000 Dreams Interpreted. The book interprets it thusly: "To dream of a dentist working on your teeth suggests that you will doubt the sincerity and honor of someone you have dealings with".

BAM!

Pretty much what I thought that, because of Dr. C, I now have trust issues with dentists.

Last night’s dream/nightmare was a doozie.

It involved waking up to find that lamp, mentioned in the last post, had been moved from the window to right next to my bed so that, when I awoke, I bumped it, and it fell across me. No harm to me, but placed as it was to let me know someone had been there during the night.

My queen bed in real life was twin beds in the dream, with the lamp placed nearest to the bed I was sleeping in.

The dream continued with my grabbing a weapon, in case the intruder was still in the unit as I cautiously made my way to the front door and outside. Banging on Next Door Neighbor’s door, I had her call the police. They searched the unit, the closet, found no intruder but did see the patio door had been breached and shoe prints indicating someone had exited the unit through that area.

Would you believe that out of 12,000 Dreams Interpreted not one covers the topic of "intruder".

Seems I’ll have to wait until December, dig out my other manuals to figure that one out.

I’m also still waiting to see if those lottery tickets I purchased on double egg yolk day will pay off.

I had a Power, Mega, Super Lotto, paid $5.00 and won a whopping $5.00 back on two of the three.

Breaking even, I rolled the $5 into a scratch ticket which yielded nothing, but has been entered into the Second Chance Draw. So, there's still a slim chance the double yolks may yet pay off.

No sign of that Karen character since the day she saw me see her. Don't know if this is because I've not been fortunate enough to catch her when she's out, or whether she's not been out.

Maybe she's embarrassed at being seen scrounging for tree droppings.

Double Yolk Day

Seeing double egg yolks hit the pan this morning made me feel a lot better about today’s dental procedure because of a dream I’d had two nights ago. Actually, a nightmare.

In the dream, I was in the dentist’s chair. He turned on the drill, made a movement towards my mouth to remove the broken cap BUT he’d not numbed the area.

I said "Stop! You’re not going to numb me?" Whereupon the dentist said, "If you want. Sure, we can do that".

I said, "I’m not doing this", got out of the chair and began to walk out.

No way, after that misstep, was he going to work on me.

As I was exiting, the receptionist called out that I’d still have to pay for the time I’d taken up that day.

I refused and called the cops — because I wanted a record of the call to protect myself from their calling the cops after I’d left to say I’d done so without paying.

Then as I was leaving, I told the receptionist I’d see them in court if they later tried to bill me, and that I was going to put them on Yelp blast for what the dentist had tried to do.

My Dream Interpretation book is in storage, so I can’t easily research what that dream really means. It may just be that, after how that last dentist played me — and the area he worked on still feeling like he went too far into the tooth, I’m a bit traumatized, fearful even of future dental visits.

At any rate, the double egg yolks are comforting, a sign this is going to be a good day, a lucky day.

I’ll be sure to play the lottery before the day ends.

In other news, my friend Q got his 4th Pfizer already.

Q is only in his early 50’s and I didn’t even know a second booster has been approved. Last I’d heard, a 4th shot was being discussed as a possibility.

Oh well, I guess this is my life now — dental visits and covid vaccinations.

Monday Funday

It’s Monday again, but that’s okay this time around, because I need it to be Monday.

On Saturday, while driving to the booster shot location, I got an alert on the car that ALL tires were low, especially the rear driver side one.

Surprising, since I recently had the car serviced.

I suspect the mechanics did not rotate and check tires as requested.

Does no one do their job any longer?

Does no one these days care about work ethics?

I’m going to put fingernail polish on one of the tires so I can double-check they’ve been rotated next time, and have the tire pressure checked elsewhere to double check that as well.

So, anyway, the tire place was a hop skip jump from the vaccine location, so I pulled into the Air Check Section — hoping that’s all I needed … just air, and there wasn’t a slow leak problem in the rear driver side tire.

The kid pumping air said, "It’s probably just the cold weather".

"I’ll find out soon enough", said I. Thanked him for the service of bringing ALL tires up to 36 psi and said "Hopefully, I won’t be back soon".

No such luck because, after getting the booster, driving home, the car began telling me that left rear tire was already losing air.

Arriving back at the complex, I got online to set up an appointment to have the tire checked on Sunday, only to learn the place was closed Sunday. Which meant, I had to worry all the rest of the weekend that I’d have enough air in that tire to make it to this morning’s workout and the appointment I’d made at the tire place this afternoon.

For the first time, Monday couldn’t get here fast enough.

Going downstairs, checking the tire on Sunday, it was still at 35, so I was comfortable I’d make it to the tire place today. However, the car indicated the front driver side was also losing air.

How is this possible? Do I have two slow leaks?

I’ll find out as soon as I get to the tire place today.

Though I had stopped at the tire place on the way to the booster shot, I made it to the location right on the button 11:00 AM. Did not get my booster until 11:30, because it was a complete sh!t show, with a crush of people showing up for boosters. Some with appointments, some not.

And there was paperwork to be filled out because, even though paperwork had been submitted online, they’d been too busy to pull it up for those of us who had appointments.

Annoyed, I managed to remain cool calm collected in the midst of all the chaos, because I spent the time chatting with a Golden Retriever named Jonathan.

Jonathan was one of those who did not have an appointment, just showed up and was allowed to sign in. Jonathan also opted to pay out-of-pocket, which I overheard as $170.

WOW!

I had no idea these shots were costing that much.

Jonathan opted to pay because, as he put it — even though he has Medicare, he didn’t want to use it. That every time we use that card, instead of cash, we’re giving out information. That the government and other agencies track that information — learn what we like, where we go, what we do.

I said I didn’t mind that because all the government would see is me at home, working on my laptop, watching TV or crafting. LOL.

Jonathan said, wherever possible, he pays cash and keeps all his important information on his cell phone, including a digital vaccine record — which he showed me and instructed on how to get mine, so I don't have to rely on the paper version.

I made a joke that, if all his important information is on the phone, he’d better not lose that phone; but I’m pretty sure data on a phone can be tracked just as easily as a card.

Am I wrong?

I gathered Jonathan is financially comfortable, well off, because he said he’d opted to pay $400 cash for another procedure (I can’t remember which), instead of using his card.

When I expressed $400 was a lot of money, when he could have gotten the service free with his card, he brushed 400 off as "nothing", which is why I deduced he’s well off.

I know what you’re thinking ... that Jonathan was trying to impress or come onto me, but I didn’t get that at all. He was just this nerdy little Golden Retriever who seemed to sense I was open, he could talk to me, and I’d not think him weird or be judgmental of what he had to say.

What did strike me as strange is that he’s being super careful, to avoid being tracked, by not leaving footprints — doesn’t want what he does, where he goes out there in the open for prying governmental eyes. But then, he revealed to me, a complete stranger that could have been a spy, where he goes, what he does. 

His job is “fixing computers”, work that has him travelling all over the country. He doesn’t trust air travel, so he drives everywhere — his next stop being Hilton Head. He recently had a diabetes count of something like 170, which frightened him into changing his eating habits. He no longer eats bread, starchy foods, is mostly vegan and measured that day at 80.

He has an implant in his right arm, that allowed him to take out some little device, hold it to his arm, and check his level.

At any rate, it was an interesting chat while waiting for the booster.

Unlike Moderna 1 and 2, which shots made me weak, I've had no adverse reaction to the booster, other than itching and puffiness at the injection site. So, no problem working out this morning, then driving back to the tire company.

Last chance. Voting ends tomorrow.

Speaking of CNN and not leaving footprints ... how stupid was Chris Cuomo to leave a trail of emails that indicate he used his connections to gather information against his brother's accusers.

He's a news personality, or was until yesterday's firing, and thus, of ALL people, should have been aware of the past scandals discovered because email was used to transmit this that the other.

Every time his handsome face pops up on the news, with word of his firing, I shake my head.

Unbelievably Stupid!