Story 2Jan2021: Just Above Rest

Again, this is really just a short note as I spent most of the day resting.

I decided that I could stand the non-New York City bagels and was up early as I could not sleep. My feet hurt from cold, but this was not really the case. Since I had cancer-caused anemia, I had found myself freezing when I was perfectly warm. Only movement can change fix this. So I, not really wanting to do it, was up early, 5:30ish, on Sunday. I can tell that the slow bleeding is gone as I do not have that strange feeling of suddenly freezing and getting tired–sort of freezing to death in a warm house–from worsening anemia.

After the surgery and reaching the immediate intervention of anemia, transfusion, I had additional electrolytic imbalances that required lots of pills and infusions when I was in the hospital. Some are solved others are improving. Being a computer expert, I managed to survive the year primarily by using the magical brews universally known by computer people to solve most health issues: Coffee and good quality tea.

I ordered a bad breath bagel, smoked salmon with capers and veggies over cream cheese, and a dozen bagels for later use this week (like this Monday morning) with smear from our local Einstein Brothers Bagels delivered by DoorDash. I did see that the bagel folks, likely due to the pandemic and the resultant worker shortage, changed their hours to be open at 8AM. So I did wait for bagels.

Now awake, email processed, and pain gone from anemia caused cold, I turned to BBC America for entertainment. Top Gear with the new hosts was on–a catch-up on Sunday. I watched three episodes of the revised show while waiting for DoorDash. Years ago, I would slip out of bed and watch Top Gear on Sunday morning while Susie would sleep in. Bagels arrived in the second episode.

I tried, thinking my turn to add more live veggies to my diet, left the onion and tomato on the bagel. Unfortunately, the red onion did not work for me. I did manage the thin tomato slice. It was terrific, but I still missed NYC and Zabar’s near 79th Street Station.

Top Gear was not as funny, nor was the hosts willing to risk their lives like the previous now fired and off-air hosts. I also missed running different car models on the track and getting a proper reading of the worth of multi-million dollar (pounds in the British show) cars. But, once I got used to the new format, I did like it.

I edited another Howard story, his Christmas 2016 story. I was surprised by how harsh and forced the writing was. I wrote it mainly as a Christmas Card to my fellow Call of Cthulhu Role-playing game players. I remember that I wrote it after taking Amtrack to Michigan from Oregon–a total fail as far as I was concerned (no more long train trips for me). I wrote it between the Michigan 2016 Christmas events and our return by train (almost worse than the trip out).

Mariah called, and she wished to watch some football and then maybe visit Powell’s. So I dressed and got ready. Removing the bandage in the process and discovering no bleeding and thus just a clean shirt. Excellent!

I took a short nap while Mariah traveled. It is still a lot of work to get going for me. This Sunday morning, I could skip the blog as I had done two days the night before, staying up late to finish it (make the early morning more painful). But, I still was tired out by dressing and getting started so early.

We watched football with the sound off; Mariah does not care for the commentary. Mariah played professional women’s football and does not need the analysis of the TV hosts. As Portland’s soccer team fans would call Seattle, the northern small fishing village unsurprisingly won again a clearly weaker team. I do like the Seahawks and cannot help but cheer for them softly.

We left before Mariah, who used out washer and drier instead of rising Covid and wasting a vast amount of quarters on the supplied machines at her apartment, put her clothing in the drier. So off to Powells, my first excursion in more than a week.

It was busy, being the last holiday shopping night, and I did wander through the SciFi section looking at what was labeled as new. Unfortunately, the fatigue returned, and I had to sit for a while, and the magic of the books failed to get me to buy, unusual for me. Some new cookbooks, drink books (Death & Co.), and Pacific Northwest culture books might get purchased in the future.

I was happy to travel again. I was tired after that. Mariah collected her now clean clothing headed out.

I called about Susie at Forest Grove Rehab and Care Center (room 44A) and spoke to her nurse. Susie is having more trouble eating and drinking and seemed distracted today.

I felt terrible that Susie was so alone, but my exhaustion was back, and other events (details about some of my recovery do not need to be discussed here) made me sure I should wait another day. Mariah offered to drive me to see Susie, but I was sure it was unwise. I needed another day.

I ordered two pizzas for the game, Chicken with some veggies on a white sauce for me. After that, I was stuffed and had a cupcake and later peanut butter toast (white bread only) for dinner.

I called Kate Rosenburg from Nike, and we talked about Nike politics and what I should expect from the short-term disability payments and process. Messy would best describe the process as Kate explained her experiences.

I finally went to bed and read. Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s  Certain Dark Things (English) is hard to put down. It is predictable, but the vampires, Mexico City, and the Neon Noir are just fun. Highly recommended!

I had trouble sleeping, as usual now, but slept sometime after midnight. Kink.FM is back to playing two hours of Afterdark music on Sunday night. So I rested to that music and then turned off at midnight.