Tuesday, August 23, 2022

 Tuesday, August 23, 2022

    Jean, my Hanai sister, called at 5:15. I was up but unwilling to admit it to myself, no less her. Elsa's limp was gone. After walking her for my usual 2,000 to 3,000 steps, I fed her and sat down to meditate. I always fall asleep. I fall asleep so quickly that I sometimes think I'm narcoleptic. I shouldn't make a joke about that. Some people suffer from that problem; some have insomnia, another difficulty I don't have. 

  As I meditated, Scott turned on his van and sat in the driveway. Gas fumes came wafting into the house. When I texted him about the problem, he moved out to the road. He was waiting for Yvette. It usually wouldn't have been a problem, but we opened the windows on that side of the house when he had Covid.

    I got Wordle on the third try. I evolved new strategies. I didn't know if anyone else used my strategy; I didn't check the YouTube videos on the subject. I was having fun figuring things out on my own. I finished off all the Mini NY Times crossword puzzles back to 2014 for August and was doing the regular ones. I love doing it on the tablet, where I can cheat like anything.

  I had an acupuncture appointment this morning. She had been coming to my house since Covid. I wasn't comfortable meeting in her small windowless room. In my house, we met in an area with a bank of windows all open. She proposed we start meeting in her space again since she had Covid now, and the cases were generally mild. I agreed, but then she changed her plans. We did the session on my lanai, where I had moved the table from the guest room where Scott spent his quarantine during his Covid episode.

   I showed her how I could bend my left leg at the hip. The improvement with the surgery was impressive. My PT noticed I got more flexion if I bent both legs. She thought the restriction came from protecting the hip. I thought it was caused by tightness in my glutes and back. The acupuncturist showed me a pirus formis stretch. It was even out of my range getting in a position to do that stretch. Then she had me lay on my stomach and worked on my back. She was impressed with how tight some of the muscles were. It was amazing that I wasn't in more pain.

  Shortly after the acupuncturist left, I went for my haircut appointment with Randee. I told her there was a strong smell of gardenia or jasmine this morning. It didn't last too long. I wondered if I was hallucinating. Randee told me she had the same experience. She thought it must be the flowers just bloomed. I always enjoy seeing her. She loves my hair and enjoys me. What a pleasure!

  I asked her if the person I gave her name to had called. She said, "Oh, Willow!" Well, Willow did call to make an appointment. Randee was booked till forever and gave her an appointment with Meaghan. Then Willow asked where she was located. She said she had no way of getting there. Randee said to take an Uber. Willow canceled at the last minute, leaving Meaghan high and dry. Too bad.

 I stopped by to pick up a potato salad at the next-door deli. It's labeled Scandinavian potato salad, but it tastes just like the German potato salad my mother used to make, using vinegar instead of mayonnaise. Today's serving didn't taste as good as usual. So sad.

  I went home to start reading the second book W (of the M & W sisters) will have to read in her sixth-grade class at this new private school, The Barren Grounds. It begins with a heavy emotional load, a young girl starting out in another foster home. I have faith that it will work out okay in the end; it's a children's book.