Apr 23

Well, Maybe Not…

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Thinking I should go back on the chlorthalidone and Potassium pills. While I’m used to my left leg being swollen (almost all the time), now my right leg is doing it. And some cramping in my right thigh. AND this morning I weighed 250 lbs. That’s an 11 lb gain over less than a week. I haven’t changed anything diet wise.

My BP is back up to 140/70 fairly regularly. Also my right eardrum is making its own beats; not matching my pulse but pulsing none-the-less. Which is not good.

So, Old Guy Complaining!

Dipshit me decided to refill the garden planters the other day. Hooked up the utility trailer and went to the dirt place and got a yard (ton) of compost/dirt mix. $54. Even using the tractor to lift the mix out of the trailer (glad for the tilt) I still wound up shoveling the whole ton by hand. Got it all done, plus new planters in the ‘front’ yard, but, turns out, it was NOT good for the new knee.

Pulled something at the top of the tibia and now can barely walk when I first get up from sitting (too long) and in the morning.

It’ll get better, but, fuck. I’m getting too old for this shit.

On the plus side: Wx is getting way better and I got my peas planted. Some carrots and radish’s this year. My grape and the blueberry bushes are already leafing. SWMBO is talking about starting potato’s again this year.

SWMBO also bought a new door going out onto the deck. A new triple-pane slider with a built in cat-door. That’ll be $1250 down and $13k total thank you. We’ll pay on it for awhile then just pay it off like we always do. And she gets the door she wants. And since she’ll be living here a long time after I’m dead there’s no reason not to.

But, no box scraper this month.

So I went out and mowed the back yard today.

Chicken Pot Pies & the last two episodes of “Stargate Atlantis” for dinner. Think we’ll start “The Librarians” next. At least until it proves either too silly or too inane.

Apr 18

Short Post: Doc Says I’m Doing Well …

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Since he took me off the Chlorasomethingdone (water pill), and had me take EXTRA Potassium for a few days, now he’s taken me off the potassium completely. AND since my blood pressure is hanging consistently around 110/70 (or less) he’s going to drop my bp meds levels and see how that goes. AND my PSA is smackly in the middle of the Normal range so I don’t have to worry about that particular cancer (for now).

So, Old but reasonably healthy. Still relearning to walk and doing my daily exercises (which hurts) but slowly getting back to “normal.” Whatever “Normal” is? My normal is pain. Still. So, SSDD but the prognosis is good. Doc says I’m doing pretty good.

SWMBO took me out looking for a box scraper and dinner tonight. Got KFC ($32 for two 3-piece chicken strip dinners and soda’s!!!!! so we won’t be stopping there again anytime soon (if ever)) which we ate on the Port Orchard waterfront. Was nice.

Box scrapers at the tractor store are $1099 and come in a shitty orange/yellow color I’d swear I’ve seen in way too many full diapers. I’m thinking that the $1100 box scraper at the place I bought my tractor at least comes in the same blue as my tractor is. That’s worth a buck!

Apr 11

How My $280 alignment/brake adjustment turned into a $1407 New Tire Odyssey

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But, maybe, you don’t want to know. Ah well.

Yesterday I dropped by Les Schwab to get my brakes checked; since I’d previously gotten a box on my dash display saying “Check Your Brake Rotor.” That’ll be $140 please.

The guy working on my brakes came to me and said “You need to see this.” The inside edge of both my front tires were worn right down to mid-2nd ply. (2nd ply? Inner ply? Whatever is just before blowout.) So, damn.

Alignment: $140 just so happens. Which should be done or any tires put on the front of my truck will wear the same.

So, today: $1407 for 4 brand new all terrain tires.

And I had just paid the new fridge off.

Damn.

Otherwise it’s still mostly SSDD around here. Leg is slowly getting better. Trying to get outside stuff started.

Did pull my garden towers out of the FILA and up to the garden area behind the house. Got “stuff” planted in it. The Wx is keeping it watered. For now.

Oh, my blood test the other day showed I was low on Potassium so the new Doc has me taking ‘extra’ potassium. Fasting blood test slated for tomorrow to see if that’s helped any.

BUT, my blood pressure has been right around 110/76 for the past couple of weeks, today it was 106/68, so I’m thinking that maybe I’m getting away from needing the bp meds.

Man, that would be nice.

And in case y’all were wondering: SWMBO is as beautiful as ever.