Category: Hodgepodge Stuff

Tidbits of what ever crosses my mind.

Where things Stand with US

Been quite a while since I took keyboard in hand and addressed this blog. Sadly I am also remiss in addressing my other blogs as well, but life goes on, I am at 83 still upright and breathing and my life is still looking not so bad.

Where are we now

Back in January of this year, my wife achieved a specific milestone in her life. She gained the status and birthday enabling her to join the greatest group, Senior Citizens, yea HER. During a conversation following her birthday, in our Alexandria, VA condo, she commented that she would prefer to retire, when that happened, nearer the water. Plus, she most assuredly did not want to retire in Alexandria, due to the hustle-bustle, high cost of living, traffic woes, etc. Having started a new senior management position with a new company, there was some concern that she could even consider a return to the area where there were many areas of water, rivers, Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic. In this new firm, she was fortunate in that she was hired with the status of remote/work from home, and as a bonus of having an excellent manager who embodied the very tenent of being the epitome of a strong, vibrant manager style. So it was decided at the end of our multiple discussions that she would approach her manager with the idea of her moving her remote location to the Tidewater area of Hampton, Newport News, or the History Triangle. Her manager agreed with the condition that she would report in person to the office on a reasonably regular basis. So our search for a real retirement location began with the agreement of her company’s management for this remote work location. YEA Us!

A large hurdle presented itself, purchasing a new home while selling our existing one. Remember at this particular time, interest rates were rather high considering where they were when we originally bought this home. It was a Condo Apartment in a very nice building, in a very nice neighborhood, but it was a bit pricey and our monthly condo fees were a tad on the high side for the area. Still we had on our side, the world’s greatest real estate agent! This lady was super, having sold our earlier condo home at a better price than we imagined, then later when we had to relocate back to NOVA, helping us locate and buy the current one and now she would help us sell that same condo apartment while we moved out of Northern Virginia and back to the peninsula area where the water environment was extensive and the cost of living significantly better than the Alexandria/NOVA area.

We located a great community in Williamsburg, VA and purchased a very nice townhouse unit there. But the condo sale was not moving as rapidly as we had hoped. So for the first time in our lives, we owned two housing properties, UGGGGH. We moved into our new house at the end of March, 2024 and our Alexandria Condo finally sold after an additional three months on our books, and even then at a very large reduction from our initial price. Thanks to the high interest rates!!! But it was done, and we were settling into our new retirement home. Ready to avail ourselves of the plethora of history locales in this area. Though I can’t do a lot of walking through these area, I can still get around using a scooter when they are appropriate and available or going to the driving tours of some places. A really great place to live, and to retire in.

What’s the status of my Cancer?

Well so far, I am still holding on. With the move from Northern Virginia and the great oncology team I had there, I had some concern about finding a good cancer specialist in this area. As luck would have it, we found an oncology practice that was connected through a parent company with the oncology group in Northern Virginia. My records, treatments, chemo prescriptions were all immediately available to the new penninsula group and my cancer fight was continued as if I were still with the other practice. Different Oncologist, and nursing staff, but still a practice of highly competent, dedicated professionals.

Just recently one of my chemo medications was changed to a different type. Stronger, and better at the next phase of my cancer program. Cost was considerably higher, but such is the environment of our medical environment and specially the cancer segment. At least the cancer staff for the oncology medications are working to keep me supplied with sufficient samples of the oral meds to get me through the year and my new insurance benefits will roll over making the cost much more acceptable. Oh yeah, the oral medication is a much larger pill and a larger dosage! But with a bit of water, I am able to get it down. Minor reactions, but actually increasing of the severity of the previous medications.

I am not trying to make light of this cancer invasion of my old body. Frankly, it terrifies me since many of my family and close friends have been taken from this life by Cancer. Anxiety, fear and of course depression are my companions quite often. In some months they become almost a daily companion.

But hey! I am still in the fight, I am upright, breathing, mobile, and still alive.

Things have changed though

2024 was a year of change for the Bride and I. She reached the first of the golden age, I was fighting cancer, heart problems, and other old guy stuff. But it was a good year for other things. In January we traded our Buick Envision SUV for another GMC Terrain. Remember, I loved the Buick, but we felt that it was time for a change. So our dark blue suv was changed to a very red suv and with updated electronics including a new approach to our navigation system. The new GMC was a bit larger than the Buick, but it had a smaller, more efficient drivetrain including all wheel drive and a turbo four cylinder engine. A very comfortable vehicle, especially comforting to this old guy when travelling any distance.

Our retirement house was very different from what we were used to. IT was a townhouse, and while we had actually owned a Townhouse style in Leesburg, this one was radically different. First of all it was the largest house we had ever owned standing at over 2200 square feet and three large bedrooms. It is in a senior citizen restricted community that includes a club house, a fine dining restaurant and a pub style cafe in that clubhouse location. There is an 18 hole award winning PGA grade golf course, tennis and pickleball courts, two swimming pools, one outside and one inside. So all in all, a great place for seniors to gather with others of their age ranges. Our house hosts a second floor two bedroom and bath, with a balcony overlooking the first floor. Char’s remote work office has been established in this balcony area. There is sufficient additional space for buffet style tables, a sofa, and other items, including perhaps a third TV. She is sufficiently removed from the rest of the house so her company activity can be conducted without outside interference. And the really great thing about this house is that the price was considerably lower than we paid for any of our Northern Virginia homes, except for the Leesburg house.

Sadly this past month, we had to say goodbye to the last of our four legged kiddos, our little kitty girl Penny left us to join her pals, Jessica, Norman, Dutchess on the other side of that Rainbow bridge. Another grief hole opened in our hearts with her passing and we have decided that there will be no more in our family. At our ages, the pain of loss of these loving little beings is simply more than our aging hearts can stand. So our household will now be bereft of the sounds of those little feet padding around our floors, or their little furry bodies curled at the foot of our beds. But we had their love for several decades, Penny with us for over 17 years before her leaving and Jessica our first furbaby was with us for almost 19 years. Through several moves, Virginia to Texas, back to Virginia, several homes in Northern Virginia, a home in Southern Virginia, and over four years aboard our classic motor yacht, Misty Lady (Dutchess and Penny despised those diesel engines) these wonderful little souls lightened our lives, gave us laughter, love and joy every day of their lives with us. They were not pets, they were family members.

I realize that I have been remiss in my entries to this blog and will try to do better. With the election coming in just a few more days, I will try to make every effort to offer my research results, my humble opinion and of course my old curmudgeon rants in more frequent issues. As our inlaw friend Kate closes her commentaries, ONWARD.

8th Day & Counting

Well, the initial five days of isolation was not sufficient for us. Neither Char or I have a clear end of our COVID infections. As of today, Monday July 3, I am still having COVID indicators, including low blood oxygen readings. I see numbers of 94 and slightly higher, but also see numbers of 86 to 91 which are below the safe 92 readings. So, here it is, eight days into our COVID infection and we are still unable to leave our home for fear of spreading our infection to others! Especially to family members. We will continue to monitor our status, looking at the oxygen level of our blood (a strong indicator of COVID activity), and congestion.

What happened? We were very careful, word masks, got the vaccines and boosters and respected the six feet distancing. So someone, came within our personal space with a COVID viral infestation and shared that viral germ with either Charlotte or myself. We don’t know which of us was first infected, but I was the first diagnosed at the VHC Medical Center/Hospital Emergency Room. At the time, my fever temps were in the well over 100 range and I was physically exhausted. When the ER Doc gave us the news that I was COVID positive, it was a total shocker, considering that I thought it was just a flu infection.

So, now we are into that second isolation stage, of 10 days and on Day 8, things don’t look bright at all. Just want to thank the inconsiderate boob who shared his or her COVID infection germs with us. The infection process for us much older folks is not a super positive outlook and I hope to high heaven that my already diminished ability for fighting off infection with be able to fight this latest battle.

Far too many folks with COVID who are admitted to hospital observation and treatment, do not come home. I pray that my old body is able to ensure that I am not one of those statistics.

Hoping for a lot of positive thoughts out there from all my senior and my cyber friends that this old man will be able to eventually overcome these GOVID bugs and not have to go back to the hospital.

Is the Pandemic really over?

To the majority of our country, the Covid19 pandemic is over and Covid19 the disease has been beaten, Well how wonderful that would be if true. However, many in the medical professions and health research do not accept this stance. To them Covid19 is still a danger to the public and they still have patients who are experiencing the symptoms of this disease arriving at their clinics and Emergency Rooms quite frequently.

How do I know this you say? Am I just another “librul” trying to scare people into vaccines and masks? Oh boy, I sure wish that were true. You see, Sunday evening I became ill with symptoms that indicated a flu onset. Fever got rather high and the Bride took me to the hospital’s Emergency Room. We were expecting to be there for some treatment, perhaps an overnight stay in the hospital the usual kind of things for flu symptoms. Alas, that was not to be.

When the swab results came back, there were no flu indicators, BUT I had COVID19! Man, at 82 who would have thought it, took all the precautions during the start, ongoing times, and the ending of the Covid19 pandemic. Wore my mask religiously, kept my hands disinfected, the whole magilla. But now, as the rest of the country has declared the pandemic over, I wind up with a case of Covid19! Where’s the justice? I took all the vaccine injections, including the two boosters, I wore my mask, I kept my interaction with people to the six foot range. Then everyone decided it was over, well everyone but the Covid19 viruses.

So, here I sit, confined to my home for the initial evaluation period of 5 days, but if things aren’t better, then we stretch it out to 10 days. So, for the next several days, I will be confined to sitting in my living room or at my computer workstation, perhaps watch a little TV, but no interaction with other people, no trips to the grocery store, no taking the car for maintenance, simply no nothing. Sure sitting on one’s duff in their home and doing nothing might seem like a nice respite, but take it this way, you are FORCED to remain in your house, you are FORCED to not interact with other people, well, except for perhaps a text chat or a ZOOM meeting, but your freedom to move when and where you wish is not present at this period of time.

IF things get worse, I have difficulty breathing, I have pain in my chest, well you get it, all the symptoms of Covid19 full blown, then back to the hospital and admitted to a isolation room, no visitors, just me, the machines and a medical professional. The major concern we have right now is my overall health and what this means with Covid19. See, I am a diabetic and just recently had a cancerous tumor removed from my bladder and then in a follow up surgery was found to have evidence of prostate cancer. None of these are helpful when one is diagnosed with Covid19. In fact we are considered high risk for Covid19. Who knew!

So, I guess the next few days will find the Old Curmudgeon resting on his laurels, grumbling at the injustice, and finally coming to accept the finality of the Covid19 diagnosis. The next few days will tell the tale folks, if I make it to Friday and have no more lung congestion, no sinus blockage/pressures, no aches and no feeling of being so very tired, then I will hope that I have been able to successfully beat the Covid19 disease and can go back to living a regular life. If not, my primary care doctor has indicated that he will prescribe a medicine that is developed for fighting the disease. We decided that it wasn’t prudent to start that medicine at the five day, but instead to wait and see if the current activity would make it go away, you know, plenty of rest, lots of liquids, and Tylenol or ibuprofen for pain or achy feelings. So, fingers crossed that this day 2 is near the peak and day 3 will begin the down hill path of the Covid19 infection.

But man oh man, this coughing is really hurtful and irritating!