Thursday July 9th 2026

Imagine this! J's niece just spent one minute with my laptop, changing it to work off the WiFi here, and abracadabra! Although, the laptop is slower than cold molasses, and I probably will need to get a new one soon, I can get back into the allnurses site! YAY! Maybe the laptop is having culture shock or maybe it's just OLD. Anyway.... Here I yam!

I loaded the car yesterday morning in 101 degree heat with 93% humidity, which was REALLY draining! Had to stop and drink every other load. And I didn't think I could fit everything I had collected to put in the car, but I sure got it all fit in! Sadly I sent my new Keurig in the POD, so I won't see it until the 14th ☹️. J's niece went out after a while to get her breakfast and was nice enough to bring me a LARGE black coffee. I would like some more, but I'm not sure I will be able to get it. Maybe I can find my way thru the little snaky roads in this neighborhood to the Wendy's which is not too far away. I can get one large cup for today and save the 2nd large cup in the AM. I think I must have a coffee addiction, though at least I don't get a headache when I don't have it. I "just" start JONESING!

Tinker was an ACE traveler, once she saw her bedding all piled up on the passengers seat she smiled! And sniffed around and found it quite satisfactory and didn't need to be held at all! She watched out the windows a long time. After a few hours, she was trying to sleep, but the roads were rough, especially I-77 South, and then where there had been re-paving of the bridges themselves; there was a lot of bumping around, which would wake her up if she even managed to sleep for real. We were both pretty exhausted when we got here.... She would stand up and peered out the windshield with an "ARE WE THERE YET?" expression on her face. I think around `11:30 or so by the time we pulled in the driveway. On the way, when I'd stop, I'd have to walk her, then carry her into the women's restroom so I could do my "business". Then we'd go back to the car and she had a drink, and I had a drink, and off we'd go again! We stopped and each had some Mickey D. burgers, hers minus the bun,and a few mcNuggets, hers minus the coating. So it was always 20-30 minutes per stop; my arms and shoulders and wrists got sooooo weary! I'm not so much of a hearty young chick as I used to be! ~sigh~

My sister in Maine was pissed off that I didn't tell her all about the drive., when I got here. I just texted her "I'm here." Then this morning I had a little delayed reaction to the alertness required and tension of driving 70 mph in the dark on the last leg of the trip; this AM as soon as I ate something, it was IBS-D in a major way, and now I am having to do a laundry because I have already 'run thru' the undies and blue jeans.....And the bathroom attached to my bedroom isn't working right anyway, so my contributions didn't help. S. says he has an 'electric plunger' but I don't know how well it works, especially if he used it two days ago! I'm more in favor of some kind of heavy-duty Liquid Plumber, but I am to tired to go out to find a store to get some.
Once I leave this neighborhood I-17 is lined up, down, and back with every kind of store and restaurant you'd need. There's a lot of traffic lights but all the street signs are really well done, so I won't have to squint to make them out.

Both J and S have bad knees; she (J) just had replacement of the (L) one done about a week and 1/2 ago and has to bedrest with the thingy on it (I'm not sure which kind of thingy it is 😉)

Their bedroom is on the other side of the house, and since neither of them have an easy time walking, I don't have to worry about people coming into my room all the time....They just call me on the cell-phone, which I think, despite their difficulties, is kind of a riot. "The palace is soooo huge, we have to PHONE each other! Lah-dee-dah!"

It is nice, though to have the privacy and quiet! Tinker got to go around the house while S took J (and their dog 'Wolfie') to the follow-up post op visit today. Tinker is not barking at their dog, it is their dog barking at me and/or Tinker. She is nervous of new people and tends to stay away from us. And the black cat "Corniellia" (sp? They often call her "Neilly") Well, I think Tinker doesn't even know there is a cat here, as it just slinks 'quietly around on those little cat feet', like in the poem, although the cat in the poem doesn't SLINK.

I am so tired it was hard to stay awake this morning, even though I was texting back and forth with my sister and brother. Oh! And last night I was sitting in bed reading as I usually do, and apparently fell asleep and since the edge of the mattress seems to sag at the side (which mine at 'home' never did)....I found myself waking up on the floor, face down at 3 AM! It was one of those "HUH??" things. I didn't get hurt though, just momentarily confused, like WTH?? Guess I'll go try to find the Wendy's so I can feed my 'needs' for the bracing affects of coffee!

Later, youse guys!

Hooray, Stars! Glad you're getting started getting settled in. Coffee is a must. There are some not-too-bad instant coffees so all you would need is hot water.

I've read enough to decide that my headache/tense shoulders and jaws/extreme insomnia are due to the keto diet. And "they say" those symptoms should ease up. I didn't really experience them at first but this last week has been hard. Maybe because I ate all that good stuff over the 4th and had to go through getting into ketosis again. I don't know. Could be emotional, too, though. I was very anxious about meeting the mayor last night to talk about his campaign against the hospital. I'm feeling less tense today. Not that it went all that well... I thought this meeting was a chance for me to explain my position, but that's not how it started out. And I made it clear that that was what was going to happen and I don't think he liked it much. But he seemed to listen and take heed of one or two of my points. After 37 minutes he said he had to go because he had another commitment. I hate feeling emotional when I'm trying to explain myself. I have this really strong sense of injustice. He listens to all the stories from unhappy people and believes it all. I, of course, can't tell him why some (most) of those stories are bull-hockey.

Nope, no coffee at Wendy's, but I did find my way to DUNKIN, and had two of my thermoses (thermi?) with me, so I got three large cups of hot black coffee and filled the thermi and drank the one in their paper cup. Now I feel beddah! And look-it me going out in rush hour traffic, too! Tomorrow I will go to WalMart since I saw that on my trip this afternoon. I don't know where all the dog food is; I am not living out of a suitcase, I am living out of the heavy-duty grocery bags. I have yet to figure out where to put things in my room, and I don't want to unpack the car any further until I can obtain a certain level of organization. But I am still in recovery from "The Great Drive South", so I ain't pushin' myself over that! We don't have quite as big a yard here as in NC, but it is sufficiently interesting to Tinker, what with little lizards darting about and there are some ducks in the pond (they say it's a river, but it doesn't flow anywhere). And it is just as hot and humid here as it was in NC.

Supper is ready....S. made some really good chili and I am about to chow down!

Good morning!

Welcome to the "Free State of Florida" do you feel more free than in NC? You all the time in the world now to get organized and get settled. But yes, getting the coffee situation fixed is a must.

Joe, glad you had a better day.

Ado, that sounds miserable having to do that but good for you for the effort.

When I travel I bring a 2 cup kettle for heating up water and instant and I'm good to go.

When best friend stayed with me recouping from his broken hip he texted me when he woke up. I had a coworker that would text her kids from the living room while they were in their bedrooms..."dinner is ready"..."bring me a glass of water". These are those days.

We have been extremely busy for some reason during our "slow season". The ER had 25 holds when I was leaving and was sending four of them our way. We discharged 13 patients and were doing our share to help the ER but also had post ops.

Day 3 of being on BP med and it seems to be taking effect as I was 134/77 at work this afternoon. I've rarely been in the 130's this past month and never in the 70's.

J and I took our dogs out in the fenced back yard, since they seemed to be okay with one another. Well, all was just fine.....UNTIL>>>> the black cat ran through the backyard and slipped through the spaces in the fencing..... with Tinker slipping through the spaces in the fence just as easily! I had to go back thought the house to go out front to try to catch up with her, and I had on slippers and my legs were not agreeable about running, so I did as fast a walk as I could safely manage, calling her name, and she ran on completely ignoring me! AUGH! But fortunately a woman up the street saw her run by and went out to try to keep her from getting to a road where the traffic was a bit heavier. And just as fortunately Tinker is always agreeable to meeting new people, so when the lady called out to her to "Come here!" and I yelled out "Please grab her, she doesn't bite!" the woman was able to pick her up; we had trouble getting the harness back on her, so the lady said she would just carry her back to the house for me, because I was obviously kind of SPENT, as it was still quite hot and humid! Thank goodness for nice neighbors! So I have rec'd my first "Welcome to the neighborhood!" and boy, do I appreciate her being conscientious enough to go out to save a dog even before she saw me chasing her!

All my laundry is clean and dried, we have eaten supper, and all have retired to their rooms.

Tomorrow, no, never mind, I'll tell you AFTAH it is done! 😁