Tuesday, November 9, 2021

  

Tuesday, November 9, 2021

   When I got up in the middle of the night, I noticed a light coming from the living room/kitchen area.  I checked and discovered a blue light coming from the apparatus Brian and Tommy had installed with had something to do with the new Internet connection they established.  I like it to be as dark as possible. This was not going to work for me.  If there wasn't a way to shut the light down, I wanted to know how to switch off the Internet connection when I needed to. I don't need it in the middle of the night as a rule.  

    One of the many wonderful things about living on the Big Island is the darkness at night. While I live in a section with streetlights, they are yellow to prevent light pollution that would interfere with the telescopes on top of Mauna Kea. When I go out in the driveway at night, I can see a sky full of stars, unless the vog is too bad. Love it.

  When I woke this morning, the sore tooth that started bothering me the night before was still active. Is this from a sinus infection, or do I have an infected tooth?  I massaged the acupuncture points under the chin bone. That usually works to relieve pain if it is a sinus condition. The points felt sore, but the massage didn't relieve the toothache. 

  As I walked, I could feel the breeze on my tooth. Hmm! That suggested an infected tooth instead of an infected sinus.   Then I could taste something strange. I had dialed the dentist's office earlier just to find out when they would be in. Now, I dialed it to leave a message. Susan answered the phone; it was 6 am.  She could give me an appointment for 1:30. That was all she had available. It meant canceling one of my tutoring appointments. Could she give me another time? She proposed something on Thursday. "Oh, no. I'm coming in today." 

   As I walked, I heard a snorting noise behind me. Was this coming from one of the dogs in the fenced-in property? No. Was it a pig out at this hour of the morning? They are nocturnal animals; that would be a cause for concern. I turned around to check. Ha! Ha! It was Vince out to scare me.  Julie wasn't with him.  He said her arthritis was bothering her. I have to talk to her about this.

   While my new Internet connection worked last night, I couldn't get it to work this morning. I texted Brian immediately to tell him. He said they would be over when they finished something.  Then yoga started.

    I started approaching how I'm doing the yoga slightly differently.  I watched a series on Netflix called Move. It's a series featuring dancers of different sorts.  The first was about two young men who were bringing hip hop to the concert stage.  The second was about an Israeli dancer who taught the importance of listening to your body.  He based his choreography on this principle. While he choreographed a movement, he expected his dancers to vary the movement following what felt best in their own bodies.  This is radically different from what you see in classical ballet, where everyone wants to look just like everyone else. He called the principal Gaga, having nothing to do with the lady of the same name. 

    What captured my attention was his instruction to find what movement gave you the most pleasure. One of the dancers said it was a way of healing the body. I applied the principle in yoga today, listening to my body differently than I had before. Hopefully, it will help promote healing in my body.

    After class, when I mentioned the principal to Yvette, she thought I said to follow pleasure in your body to "avoid pain." No trained athlete works to just avoid pain, babying a damaged area.  They all know the difference between "good pain" and "bad pain."  

    After yoga, I continued the conversation with Brian and Tommy about the Internet problem. Tommy texted to say he had come over, but the gate was closed.  Just as well, he didn't come in. It would have seriously disturbed the class, which we all value. Tommy texted he would come by later in the day to fix the problem. According to their information, I had an Internet connection.  I told them I couldn't get my server to open my account. I could get along for most of the day without service, but I had an appointment at three. I asked them when they would be back. Did I have to cancel my appointment?  I had their account listed.  Brian sent me their password to use temporarily. 

  I spent the morning catching up on Updates, napping, and getting in my 10,000 steps.

   I had a 1:30 appointment with the dentist. As I left, I felt a heart connection between Elsa and me for the first time. Periodically, I flip through photos of Mike on my phone. There are many with Mike and Elsa.  She spent a lot of time on his lap.  She had a special relationship with him.  She always greeted him when he came home. She greets me, but always with a ball in her mouth. She's glad to see me because there is something I can do for her. Today, for the first time, she greeted me when I came home from the dentist without a ball. 

   Darby called asking for a ride to the airport Friday morning. They have to be there by 6 am.  They will be staying in Honolulu for two weeks while Patrick gets treatment for his melanoma.

   Another day went by without Elsa's bath. I have been good up to now, every Saturday for several weeks. I am four days late. It looks like I will skip this week.  I gave her flea protection last night. This means I can't bathe her until Saturday. Perfect.

     I spoke to my friend Jean in Arizona.  The other day she told me her mom fell twice. The second time she broke some bones and was taken to the hospital. Oh, boy. When a ninety-one-year-old with some dementia breaks bones, it doesn't bode well.  Jean was in grief over the prospect of losing her mom.  She has been very involved with her care, visiting her regularly.  It will feel like a great loss.