Crone Cronies - As an Introvert, I'm All About Social Distancing. March 22

[Laura S.]

I got up and went to Whole Foods this morning. At the door, they asked me if I was 60. I had no idea they had instituted senior hours, but am glad they did. I said that I was in my upper 50s with three underlying conditions and they let me in.

Today, I want to get the air cleaners rinsed out and refilled. And I will try to clean one room, probably a bathroom. I'm trying to get 2-3 things done around the house every day. Plus, I want to get more done on blog post/videos. I'm getting blog posts done and I'll probably try to film some of them this week. And I'll try to go for a walk before it rains.

Anita - It sounds like your friend may have shielded their parent some from the people in the facility. It has to be worrisome, even with that. Yeah, the circus will probably be closed for longer. Like Fauci said, the virus is usually ahead of where we think it is.

Paula - So, did you master the doohickey? It's amazing what we don't do that occurs to use when we have time. I hope you figured out how to use it and that it helps the state of your bangs. The hair salons here have been closed through the end of April, and I'm not looking forward to how thick my hair will get.

Dede - Your rain is getting here today. Ugh. I'm ready to see the sun! Routines are definitely changing during this time. There's nothing wrong with later workouts.

[Paula]

Good evening. Workout this morning was Pahla B. Chair Cardio and Strength followed by the PT routine.

Anita, I hope you were able to get your MRI today. DH's prostrate biospy was scheduled for 4/2 and they called today and postponed for an undetermined length of time. When I was getting the 500 error it was my machine, can't remember what I did to fix it. My bangs are at the poke me in the eye stage, I so wish I could get a haircut. DH has offered to cut my bangs but I know what a disaster that would be. Hoping the best for your friend and her parents.

Laura, they just started senior hours at some places around here too. I haven't tried to use them yet - always seems to be earlier than I want to get going. I went by Target today to get a few things Ralphs didn't have - total waste of time the shelves were empty and so was the store pretty much. I did a quick pass and hurried back home. I did not master the doohickey - it will take a lot of practice to master it, but I did figure out how to give my bangs enough swoosh to the side to not poke me in the eye. It actually looked sort of good for about ten minutes. It was raining today and the damp air made the curl drop right out. I suspect there's some product you're supposed to use to help the curl hold but I have baby fine hair and nothing I've used in the past ever worked for long.

[ddj]

Laura, I hate to break it to you, but we had more rain today. Not as bad as yesterday. DH has offered to go shopping with me so we can get in during senior hour, but it's hard for him to get up that early since he's not an early riser. I shall venture out again tomorrow, but dread it more each time I go.

Anita, I hope the MRI went well. Do you know when you'll get the results? We have a patient portal and can access them the next day.

Paula, I'm still looking for alcohol. (Not the drinking kind. ) I did see a gal at Walmart yesterday who was talking to someone on the phone about how she'd found toilet paper. You would think she'd won the lottery.

I just finished another late workout. I did Virtual Active Panama bike. I was on the computer all morning looking for hand sanitizer. I found some on Etsy. I also found some lotion sticks. My hands are cracked and bleeding from all the hand-washing, and I hate lotion. I have tactile sensitivity, hate the way it feels. I thought this would be easier to use as a roll-on. I hope it works. After spending a ridiculous amount of money on all this stuff, I figure the shelves will be fullof Germ-X next week for pennies. Still dreading that credit card bill.

We now have three covid-19 cases in the county, and one is where DH works. We are just taking it day by day at this point and praying for the best.

Everyone have a good evening.

[sciencelady]

Good morning!

Planning on putzing and walking Gus - pretty normal day for now. I did get MRI results back - very advanced arthritis in the hip joint affecting the femur head as well as my acetabulum. All my ligaments are intact though and they didn't see any floaters in the joint. I don't know what will happen after this... I don't want to plan any surgery, if that's what's indicated, until after the coronavirus wave. No explanation for some good days of walking and some hell days of walking when I use a cane and still hurts badly. Luckily yesterday was a good day.

Laura, I'm glad the grocery stores are prioritizing the seniors or immunocompromised people first in the morning, but grocery shopping at 7 am isn't easy for many of them. I listen to Dr Fauci talk but am entertained by his cringing when the president says something incorrectly . I should do lots more cleaning around here in the house, but I don't .

Paula, my haircutter tried to get my bangs cut to a stage where I wouldn't need to trim before seeing her again, but I've got three weeks to go for a normal appointment time. I don't know what will happen when business returns for them - go in the appointment order or reschedule those that have gotten missed? It'll be a bad catching up for them...

Dede, the MRI results were released yesterday evening - I thought that was nicely quick! I expect I'll get a phone call to discuss what's next this week. So far grocery shopping has worked out - lots of substituted brands or alternate products from what I normally get, but still covered on the shelves. Toilet paper hasn't been on my list for purchase - I should be good for another three weeks or so with what I had in the house before this hit. My hands are getting dry and cracked from all the hand washing also - I've got a really thick foot creme that I use on my hands that doesn't leave them feeling slippery. We've got several breweries that are switching to making hand sanitizer now. Hard to tell on case numbers nowadays as testing isn't available easily...

Waves to all!

Anita

[ddj]

Anita, I don't know what to make of your MRI results. I understand why you wouldn't want to have surgery now, but I imagine they wouldn't offer it anyway. It's sad what is considered nonessential these days. Lots of people with other issues are going to suffer.

As I said, I'm watching Dr. Campbell on YouTube. I haven't seen Fauci as much. I feel sorry for him having to work with this administration. Some of the stuff that's being said........oy.

We have had a positively beautiful day. Sunshine! No rain! We had too much rain this winter. As much as I hate snow, I almost wish we'd had some of that instead. Global warming - not good.

I did my customized upper body routine today and added two miles with Leslie. Well, Leslie and Kamilah. It wasn't much of a workout, but after dealing with shopping this morning, it was all I felt like doing. The only crowded store I hit was Costco. I got there ten minutes after they (supposedly) open and the parking lot was covered up. Some people were already leaving! But boy, have they taken measures. We had to walk through a maze to get inside, everyone had to get in one line to checkout and you were told which lane to get into, you had to stay behind the yellow line until they told you to approach the conveyer belt, they have sneeze shields in front of each register, and someone was spraying them after every customer. And most employees were wearing gloves.

There were employees at Whole Foods and Kroger who were wiping down carts, but at Walmart, you were on your own. I picked up my scripts so I'm good for three months. Shelves are still bare, but some items are being restocked. I did snag a box of wipes at Costco (they were handing them out near the entrance so no one would get more than one box - I got one of the last ones) and found a huge bottle of Vitamin C. The sugary chewable kind, but I'll take what I can get.

I hope you all are having lovely weather and staying safe. I noticed Louisiana is becoming a hot spot. I guess Mary is glad she didn't move back. I hope she is well and wish she would come back to us.

Keep looking for the

[Laura S.]

It was a gray cool day all day until the last 30 minutes when DH looked out the window and said, "The sky is blue!" It's supposed to be sunny and warm the next few days.

We got out for a walk this afternoon and then I came home and did some strength work with my bands and light weights.

Other than that, I got work done on a blog post. I have three written now, so I need to focus on filming them next. And I cleaned parts of two bathrooms. And I had a telemedicine appointment and picked up prescriptions. I had a UTI hit yesterday and the doctor diagnosed it and called in prescriptions. I've never had one before. It's one of the few types of infections I'm apparently not very susceptible to.

Dede - Your sun got here! Yay. I used to work for the institute at NIH (National Institutes of Health) that Fauci is the head of. He is a boss that yells at staff and is pretty arrogant. You'd never guess it watching him on TV these days. He's good with the press. I do crack up when he flinches, too.

Anita - It's great you got the results to the MRI so quickly. Are the results valid for a long time or is there a time limit on it?

Paula - I'm sorry your hair is being annoying. I guess you will know you are truly desperate when you hand your DH the scissors...

[sciencelady]

Good morning!

Another day here at home... Planning on doing laundry, walking Gus and doing some outdoor cleanup and trimming for spring. We do have a stricter stay at home policy now for Corona virus (till May 1), but I should be able to still work at WRC tomorrow (animal care exempt). I will need a grocery run sometime in the next few days...

Dede, I think Costco has special hours for business owners also before general public get admitted, thus the early crowds... I'm glad the stores are wiping things down - the last two I went to (Menards and Target) just had empty racks where the wipes and disinfectant would be by the carts . They are saying the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans were spreading virus - my brother was down there for a vacation at that time . I miss Mary also...

Laura, cool that the telemedicine appointment worked for you! Did you do it over the phone or computer with visuals? I haven't heard from my doctors yet regarding the MRI results - I think things won't ever get better in there so the results stay valid. I think if replacement is in order, doing it when there's less damage to the ligaments and tendons is better than waiting for a really bad hip. I assume they'll call me to talk about it.

Paula, my usual appointment time is now invalidated as we're stay at home till May so I'll be in the reschedule and walk around with a bad haircut also for a while... I have a neighbor that cuts hair at her house, but it would violate the rules right now...

Waves to all (from >6 foot distance!)!

Anita

[Laura S.]

It was a busy and productive day. I got two videos filmed, one on basic math and formulas in Excel and the other on the basics and most-used examples of functions. I feel like I'm back in the groove and there are multiple videos to follow. Tomorrow, I need to edit the two videos and get them posted.

This afternoon, we went over to Mom and Dad's and caught up - from 6 feet or more apart, of course. Mom and Dad sat in the garage in chairs and DH and I sat in folding chairs in the driveway. It was good to get out and have some social time, even if it was socially distanced.

Our county announced a stay-at-home order that will go into effect tomorrow. DH and I have basically been following that pattern for a while now, so it won't mean much of a change for us.


Anita - I hope they call you soon so you know what to plan for after the craziness ends. The appointment yesterday was via Zoom, so it was full video and audio through the computer. The one I had a couple of weeks ago was by phone.

[ddj]

Today's workout was a premix from Cathe's Legs and Glutes, and the bonus abs from Butts and Guts.

Laura, I haven't seen my mom in two weeks. I don't know when I'll see her again. I think it's smart that your county is telling everyone to stay home. I saw a video of a doctor in New York saying they have 30 to 50-year-olds who don't smoke and have no comorbidities who are on ventilators. And I saw another clip of patients in Italy who were struggling to breathe. I can't understand why people won't take this seriously.

Anita, your sign-off made me chuckle. I can hear Dr. Campbell in his British accent saying, "Two meters distance determines our existence." I was listening to a podcast today and one of the gals, who has a very short pixie haircut, said her appointment was the first day of their lockdown, so she missed it. The way she described what her hair looks like now cracked me up.

We had another day of sunshine. I'm not sure how long it's supposed to last (I think until Saturday night) but I'm enjoying it while I can. I made the mistake of sitting outside with DH. It was beautiful, but I could literally smell the pollen, and when I got back inside, I began to sneeze. It wasn't too bad, but it's only the beginning. That's the only downside to spring.

[Paula]

Good evening. Workout this morning was Jessica Smith's Chair Cardio followed by my PT routine.

Anita, sorry your medical treatment is being delayed. I am glad you can still work at the WRC.

Laura, you're getting a lot done during this down time. How nice it must be to have your parents so close by.

Deedee, California cases are on the upswing, I don't see any changes in the horizon here - stay at home as much as you can and try to wash hands like you're going perform surgery and use hand sanitizer when you can't. By the time all this is over we'll be so self sufficient we won't need half the services we take for granted.