It's Been FOREVER

Close to a month from last update - holy cow, time flies these days.  Yes, I most definitely am one of 'those' retired people who ponder how they ever worked.  Days just fly by.  Routines have become 'the norm' and before we know it, another day has passed.

Sometimes feels like retirement is one medical appointment after another.  Finding healthcare and getting everything set up has been a challenge - a huge shortage of doctors here.  I've actually never met my 'primary care' doc - I see her Physician's Assistant instead - and I see him virtually since he doesn't live anywhere near Carson City.  But he's great - thorough, listens.  He actually suggested trying a medication for my spinal arthritis that seems to help quite a bit.  I've seen a gastro doc and will have the every five year procedures done at the end of August.  And at sixty, am finally being tested for gluten sensitivity.  Actually (again) didn't see a 'doctor' - say his PA - and she said 'gluten sensitivity is an easy blood test so let's do that.  If the blood work shows sensitivity, then when they do the procedure, they can actually take a biopsy of your colon and test for sensitivity there, too - that may be the answer and eliminate a lot of the symptoms you're having'.  I've had IBS symptoms forever - would be nice to figure out what's triggering most...if not all. 

H. has been sick for a couple weeks - not COVID, thank goodness.  Seems like a combo of a bad cold along with some mental health stuff.  We've had some good discussions and I think he's realized that the mortgage job doesn't truly interest him - he was pursuing it because he knows he has to find a job that pays better - but he really wasn't sure he wanted to do the mortgage job and I think he made himself sort of 'sick' fretting about all of it.  He's applying at warehouses again - pays well and it's work he enjoys - so fingers crossed he'll find something soon.  He's been off work for two weeks and isn't on the schedule for this week, either - and I'm a little confused how/why all that happened.  He actually asked me about taking a couple weeks off - to do the class, supposedly - but....then he didn't do the class. 

He needs a job with medical coverage so he can get some medication for his anxiety and get some counseling for his psyche. 

B. had a heat stroke last Thursday - pretty severe from what we heard.  He was 'out of it' for many minutes and ended up having convulsions.  The nearest hospital is 45 minutes away so his squad members did everything they had to - poured water on him, got him in the van and back to the hotel and in an ice bath ASAP.  He was better after that with a bad headache that lasted a few days.  Scary.  But the team is trained for what to do and they did it - so kudos to them for taking care of him. B. is who informed us - bless his heart.  Hard telling your Mom - my Mom-ness kicks in pretty quick.  But he's doing better and that's what's most important.  Damn Texas heat and humidity. 

Earlier this week, we had a designer come out from Laz-y-Boy - she took measurements of the rooms we're updating, got ideas of the colors we like and the art work we're using as focal points for the Great Room and prepped some ideas and sketches.  We spent a chunk of time there (at the store in Reno) yesterday and ordered three rooms of new furniture.  Also a couple rugs, accent pieces and three barstools for the island.  It was more $ than we were thinking but...everything was 30% off and we get zero interest financing for 36 months.  We don't use credit much but when financing is free, it's something we will do.  Put 30% down to get the order going and now we'll wait 8-12 weeks for everything to arrive.  They make every piece when it's ordered which is kind of cool - made in the USA!

It's exciting to see the house start coming together -

Next up will be finalizing landscaping plans and getting that work on the calendar.  The company we're using is doing homes all over the place in our neighborhood so we just need to confirm our ideas.  We're thinking about doing a labyrinth - nothing super complex.  I was so excited to find a company that sells kits - kits that start at $3500 and go up into the $20K-30K range.  Cancel the 'kit' approach - we'll figure it out ourselves.  Hopefully, our landscaper (who hasn't heard our idea yet - he's heard lots of our ideas, but the labyrinth is 'new') will say he's built one before and be all in to help us with the design. 

In the mean time, we bought two lilac plants in a pretty purple that will be a focal point in the backyard somewhere.  We also put our two bird baths in the yard - fill them with water daily and have had a couple doves use them for drinking.  We'll have those baths in the garden somewhere, likely surrounded by stones.  Stones are a huge part of landscaping here.  I'm trying to adjust. 

J.'s had a week of health stuff - some tests that required him to be sedated.  He took three Xanax (as directed) which resulted in him being completely out of it (of course) - it was hard to get him to the car and scared the crap out of me.  He had zero balance and trying to get him to move where he needed to go and not fall in the process whilst also not making me fall with him was challenging.  Everything went fine once he was there and got him home and in bed - he slept for hours and was much better when he woke up.  I told him any other tests, he's to take only TWO Xanax and save the third for when we're getting him into the building for the procedure.  It was scary - an eye opening experience on aging together. 

Today, he's had Vertigo for much of the day - something he's had before only he doesn't currently have any medication for it - I went to Walmart and bought OTC meds - he is better now and was already improving even before I got home with the meds.  He's been vertical for a few hours now so fingers crossed he's on the mend.  He has a host of appointments this week so one of the docs he's seeing will hopefully be able to prescribe the medication he needs to have on hand for this issue. 

He's scheduled to play golf with his men's group tomorrow - here, on our 'home' course' - but he'll see how he's feeling in the morning. 

It's super hot these days - we're used to the heat.  Carson City is so much like Tracy in many ways - it's super windy - though CC winds make Tracy winds look mild - we have winds so strong that you watch the speed limit signs move violently and plants at all sorts of weird angles.  That's true in Tracy, as well, but the winds are considerably stronger here.  It's a beautiful place - we are really enjoying nature around us and the quiet is awesome.  We've been going out nightly to look for C/2020 F3 NEOWISE - and seeing the comet is just so amazing - it's a nightly treasure hunt that always takes my breath away.  It's moving quite a bit nightly so it's interesting to hunt it down. 

That's a synopsis of the haps since last post.  We continue to work on unpacking, organizing, continued culling and general settling in activities.  Cats are blissful and happy - lots of birds to watch and they mostly sit in a window and pass the day away. 

Feel so blessed to be here.