Sunday July 5th 2026

Folks, This is the last morning I'll be able to sit in my bed leaning against pillows while waiting for the AM meds to kick in. Today, at some point, the mattress will be loaded into the POD, and I'll be sleeping in one of the other beds tonight and tomorrow night. When I get up I will strip the bed and tote my comforter and pillows downstairs to sleep in Nannie's ex-bedroom/laundry room. I chose that bed, because the one in the 'master bedroom' is quite high and Tinker would have a hard time getting up and down, even with a footstool placed beside it.

Last night my legs were a bit swollen above the socks, from being on my feet in the heat for so long. Naturally I elevated them on two pillows and they are fine this morning. But seeing my own legs with that edema was a shocker, because that I know of, it's never happened before. Extreme circumstances, I suppose. But the 'good' news is that it will ONLY be at 95 degrees, though the humidity will still be with us.

I have to pack the Winter coats, Tweety, because they are like the ones you wear when it is VERY cold and/or snowy; one is a very thick, wool pea-coat which is actually too large for me since I lost weight. The other one is very generously lined parka and has 'fur' around the sleeves and the hood. I can get by with a turtleneck jersey, a thick sweater and a jacket if it ever gets "cold", which I doubt will happen this Summer! I don't know where I will be this time next year; I'll probably have to have done due diligence in a search for senior housing of some kind, at some point, and I don't have any idea where that might be. J says she has been thinking of Nashville, where we met, but I don't know; I think she has rose-colored glasses on when viewing that city in her memories, as it was "the happiest time, ever" in her life. It is such a big, crowded city now and quite a bit more expensive than it was back then. I know, weatherwise, they have started having some tornadoes since I lived there, and I do remember the snowstorms that accumulated 12-14" during the winters. It WAS a nice little city before country music started becoming such a BIG businessman and of course, Vanderbilt University is there, too, for the monied people. Thinking about climates, it seems like ANYWHERE on the continent has quite bad weather happening these days. Don't want to live up in the very Northern states, or any further South than I am going now. And the Midwest is plagued by floods or drought, or both; and certainly they have their share of horrendous storms and twisters. Welp, I don't need to think about that right now, thank goodness.

So, time for that second cup of coffee and the last little bit of relaxation for the day. Aside from packing for the immediate future without most of my stuff ( ie, before the POD arrives in Florida on the 14th), I may just end up slinging most of my clothes in a garbage bag, and stuffing the bags in between boxes and/or pieces of furniture (such as they are) to cushion the stuff from sliding around in transit. Not sure when the iL's are going to be coming over here today. Not looking forward to that, though, quite honestly. But I do need their help, so it is what it will be. And of course there is the SHED to poke around in. (sigh) Tuesday morning the POD will have to be ready to be ready to go, as it will be picked up early. First it goes to the POD facility in Charlotte, and then to the one somewhere near Jacksonville, before it arrives at my new residence.

I'm sure I will be back by later, though, doncha just know it!

It has started its sprinkling (56 % chance) of rain. I have left the shed door open, so I will have to dash out and close it. The POD door is only open about 10" because I am not strong enough to raise it any higher (talk about frustration!). Well, I might as well go upstairs and do the mediset filling and bag up some clothes that won't need for the next little while. I sure will be glad when this ordeal is over with. Even though I can't and won't be taking too much more with me, there is still some refining to be done. And I sure am going to be leaving one heck of a mess for BiL and SiL to clean up. When I rearrange, or straighten, or neaten things up (or in this case, packing) I make MORE of a mess while I am doing it.

Okay, I was just down in the shed for the last hour and I am one soaking, wringing ball of sweat! The paper towel (TMI?) that I folded and stuffed down between "the girls" is actually 'wringable! I found a bunch of interesting stuff, but still have not located the framed print called ROCKPORT IN THE RAIN. Still have a lot to go through, so maybe it'll show up; I sure hope so!

BiL is supposed to be coming over, and I think SiL, too, around 4 PM. "When it is cooler" Uh-huh. it is not cooler and it never has rained, just a little thundering and not much of that. I texted her about being in the shed and sweating so much and she said I should sit down and cool off. (Yuh. I know. And replace more fluids!)

I see someone(s?) has posted, so I will go back and read.

PS: Of COURSE I did NOT go up and fill the mediset, because I told you I was going to! I guess I'll never learn!

Good evening.

No Stars, you won't need heavy northern coats. I usually get away with a late jacket and wear my heavy Winter jacket maybe once in a blue moon. I had a coworker once after moving hear had to buy a jacket because she left them all up north because "I thought Florida didn't get cold".

As I eat my plate of whole wheat spaghetti I'm sorry carbs are an issue with some of you.

I'm not liking the new crop of coworkers we got. One called in saying she's not coming in for three days because she's out of the country, apparently she said it was arranged with management. If it was, then why are you calling off an hour before your shift? And no, management made no such agreement. Another CNA in her first few weeks off of orientation called off FOR THE THIRD TIME. Another tech today was a no show FOR THE SECOND time in the two weeks she's been off orientation. Well actually she called at 11:30 so say she wasn't coming in. Thanks for the news flash.

In the meantime those of us in the trenches taking the heat for being understaffed are getting tired. Morale is low. Especially when administration doesn't understand the downstream effects on us for their poor decisions.

Sorry for the vent. I'm back for an overtime shift tomorrow. If everyone shows up we'll be staffed as three of us signed up to do overtime. Most likely it will be a big green flag to administration to float some of us because God forgive we sign up extra and staff our unit.

On that happy note. I'll shut off the computer, finish dinner and go to bed and try to find my gratitude and zen.

Yeah, I have never understood someone who got hired and then started calling in for whatever stupid reason, like they feel entitled to just not come in to work because it doesn't suit them. Irksome is a very MILD word to describe them

It is 11;45 PM and I am totally wiped out! I went up and bagged (very sloppily) the clothes I want or need to have later in the year. But the bags are good to go into the POD. I'm probably going to have and wash them then dry them to get the wrinkles out (because I don't iron anymore!) But I am more interested in getting the things ready. And I so have the things together and ready that I will have to cram in the car so maybe after I set up the car, I can relax . I think the POD people will leave me an email on Monday night after 6 PM, giving me a three hour window in which I can expect to come and de-POD me. Tinker was excited when I spread out our bedding and her toys on the bed we will be sleeping in for the next two nights. She got the idea pretty quickly, and is no longer shadowing my every move. However, when I sit for a few minutes she is right there glued to my hip.

I am about to fall asleep as I sit here. Hope things make sense in this post...., but actually they only need to make sense to me

I will have to 'do' the shed tomorrow, so I felt the need to bag the clothes and the etc's that can go in the POD when the iL's show up tomorrow afternoon. There might be 3 or four boxes from the shed to go in the POD, but that's about all. Amazing the 8 x 8 WILL hold it all

Midnight, so I'll get into our bed and read a VERY short time because feel the need to SLEEP! I am most assuredly will HAVE to shower in the AM ! I am going to have to feed my growljng belly. But I am falling asleep as I sit here!

Good night!