Dave has gone to cardiac rehab; I'm making potato salad — just for us.
I began August by writing a sensible, informative, and entertaining post every single day.
Then the computer died, and I discovered that I hadn't backed *any* of that up. (And if I could remember what I wrote, I wouldn't need to write it down.)
Dave fiddled with the computer for days, then finally opened it up and found two bulging capacitors. That computer has gone to the recycling center.
It has been replaced with another Linux Mint computer, and DOXBOX works beautifully on it — save for the minor little detail that I can't possibly edit anything I write. The display is supposed to be white (or amber, in old monitors) on a black background. The programmer had a cute idea for accomplishing that: Just make each character a black rectangle that exactly fills up the space allotted to it. When fitted together, they will look like white letters on a black background.
With white background all around. This is particularly annoying on the ragged-right edge, where it makes it nearly impossible to flip one's eyes to the beginning of the next line.
So I've been taking notes with Notepad and today I'm cleaning them up with the less-convenient DOSBOX on my Web, Usenet, and e-mail computer.
9:08 AM 8/5/2022
First Friday. I recall seeing an event advertised that I wanted to attend, but can't remember what it was.
I learned last night that if one covers the aggressive surgical tape with A&D half an hour before bedtime, it peels right off with very little stress on my skin.
10:08 AM 8/11/2022
I took my first full-body shower since the surgery. I thought it had healed enough to withstand shampoo and peroxide if I got some in the face, then realized that if I left the dressing on and completely covered it with A&D, it wouldn't get wet. I could have washed my hair weeks ago!
Shower over, awk I washed the tape off! At least the dressing is still in place, glued on with Vaseline Pure Ultra White Petroleum Jelly. Searched and searched the shower: The tape *couldn't* have gone down the drain.
I gave up searching for tape that matched the floor and tried to pick the dressing off so I could wash with the special soap and put on a new dressing. I had picked several times before realizing that the greasy ointment and the heat of the shower had rendered the tape invisible.
11:18 AM 8/8/2022
Awk Scrickle! I don't see mustard seed in any of those jars. I got it out of the freezer together with the celery seed. I must have put the celery seed in, then put both cans back into the freezer.
10:20 AM 8/11/2022
On Sunday, I was given three English cucumbers after church, and on Monday I made them into PBL pickles. I was regretting that I hadn't bought any small onions, then remembered that August is when winter onions have bulbs. I pulled up one from each of three main-row clumps, and found bulbs that were just right for pickling.
I put up three pints, plus a quarter-pint to give to the man who gave me the cucumbers. The quarter pint was the only one that sealed.
It would appear that I didn't forget the mustard seed after all; I find sporadic seeds in the left-over syrup containing a couple of slices of onion and cucumber that I'd "put into ref & use". I measured the celery seed and the mustard seed with the same spoon; I don't know why the celery seed is conspicuous and the mustard seed invisible.
Yesterday or the day before, I pulled up nine onions from the end of a place where I'd planted bulbils in a gap, and never got to them during scallion season. These are much smaller than those from the established row, but quite convenient to have in a sandwich bag in the fridge. I chopped up two of them for our hot dogs yesterday.
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After Dave had rested up from his rehab on Monday, we went to the Wong place to celebrate our anniversary. What a change from last time! We'd taken Nancy and Jim, so that was a long time ago, and we had much amusement over being served dinner rolls with chinese food.
Later, I went there for a refueling stop on a bike ride and found it a good old Hoosier family restaurant with some chinese food on the side. This must have been before I started carrying ice everywhere, because I ate all of my chicken livers. Riding on a stuffed stomach is a bad idea. Riding with a stomach stuffed with fried chicken liver is a *really* bad idea.
The interior was quite elegant, and the buffet almost as good as the China Palace (food much the same, not as many different dishes) and quite a lot cheaper. The staff appeared to consist of the Maitre d' and one female busboy, but both were quite attentive.
We must go back when they have full service.
6:28 PM 8/11/2022
I expected the bike to be done on Friday or Monday. Tuesday, "I think they are closed on Tuesdays." Wednesday: "Where's my bike?"
This afternoon, I walked to the Trailhouse and found that the mechanic had somehow got the idea that I wanted it held until the middle of August. He said he'd bring it down from the storage area and I'd have it next week.
Which is the middle of August.
I'm strongly tempted to walk to Zales tomorrow, using my pedestrian accelerator as a cane, and riding it when conditions are suitable. But I think I'll go by car, and pick up a case of water bottles at Aldi on the way back. There are also some Aldi finds that I want to look at.
1:57 PM 8/12/2022
Just as I was about to undress for my nap, the Trailhouse called.
I've got my bike back!
10:27 PM 8/16/2022
Hot dogs tonight. We had no relish, so I chopped some 2019 PBL pickles marked "peppers, garlic cloves" with my big Japanese vegetable knife. It made a quite respectable relish. Since the left-over syrup from my latest batch of PBL was nearly gone, I put the relish in its jar.
11:36 AM 8/19/2022
While reading a recipe in a magazine this morning, I came across the words "makes it easy to incorporate vegetables without sacrificing taste."
Whatever this guy has been smoking, I DON'T WANT ANY.
How many of you watched Rowan and Martin?
Lunch is simmering on the stove. It's half a slice of bacon, bacon grease, and a small potato that I sliced to fit the bottom of the skillet. To add flavor, I topped this with celery, chopped sweet pepper, a sprinkle of smoked paprika, a nosegay of garlic-chive flower buds, and several winter-onion bulbils.
I also put a couple of purple cauliflower florets on top. Purple cauliflower is almost too tough to eat raw, but very good if you cook it just long enough to get hot through.
For cauliflower, I snitched the garnish from the relish tray. Yesterday I spent half an hour creating a beautiful relish tray — and then forgot to serve it.
Supper was half an ear of corn each, with half a serving of left-over taco meat. Dave had half a tostado, and took only a third of the meat. I had a whole tostada with the rest of the meat. I chopped a few winter-onion bulbs, then a bit of the fresh tomato.
12:45 PM 8/19/2022
When I listed the ingredients in my lunch, did you see "salt" anywhere? Salting potatoes on the outside isn't nearly as good.
The cauliflower was a bit too soft. must leave it until later next time.
There *will* be a next time. We have three more half-strips of bacon, and lots of potatoes.
Dave came back from rehab and said that the new walker is the cat's meow for maneuvering between the machines. But he absent-mindedly left the basket in the car, and had to put his water bottle in the bag.
The plumber came back and fixed the front outside faucet. I literally mean "fixed" — when he installed it, he left it loose. When he came back, he was accompanied by a mentor.
Yesterday's trip to Fort Wayne was uneventful; we got back about the time we normally get up.
Only bit of news: when I asked whether I should cover the wound when out in the sun all day, she said that "we" prefer sunscreen. Yay!
I'll have to remember to take a pocket mirror on bike rides so I can re-dab the scar along the way. I think that the mirror that came with my dressing-changing supplies will fit into my wallet.
1:05 PM 8/19/2022
The middle pocket fits perfectly, but that's where I keep my deck. The right pocket is a tad too narrow, and the left pocket (where I carry folding scissors and folding pliers) is a *lot* too narrow. So I dropped the mirror into the checkbook pocket. Since I *never* write a check, I'm at risk of forgetting that it's in there.
Forgot I was washing clothes, and didn't think there was daylight enough left to dry towels and cleaning rags. (Not to mention that it's now nap time.) Washing hot whites would take a while, because there is a bucket of rags that need to be pre-washed before they mingle with the towels and the other rags.
8:24 AM 8/22/2022
24' long
8" wide at base
23" in circumference above the side branch it broke off at.
On Sunday morning, must have been the twenty-second, Dave was listening to the hickory nuts hitting the roof when THUMTHUMP! and the house shook. That was no hickory nut!
I didn't hear it, but it must have woke me up. It was an oak branch that would have make a respectable tree. The big end hit the ground, but a branch put a hole in the roof. Beaver Dam carried the branch away — I hope they sell firewood! — and found the hole while clearing debris off the roof. (We got in line to have our oaks cleaned up in October.)
Lake City Restorations and the insurance adjuster are co-ordinating the repair of the hole.
I got to church on time for a change.
12:02 PM 8/25/2022
Dave learned something today. We cleaned out the garden cupboard and had a boxful of pesticides to get rid of. Today he took them to the recycling center and was told "We will charge twenty-five dollars to take them and lose money — but if you take them to Open Air Nursery, they will use them.".
So he went to Open Air and the guy said "Look at all that Sevin!"
1:08 PM 8/25/2022
We're running out of August. I hope I soon find time to write, as opposed to jotting down notes to be developed later.
7:51 PM 8/30/2022
Monday's storm brought down another limb from the oak tree, not as impressive as the first one, and it didn't hit anything. Dave cut it up and disposed of it today while I was gallivanting on my bicycle.
I spent $62.82 on thirty-six little cans at PetSmart.
I had to come home by way of Harrison, as there was a willow tree down on the bridge on the south branch of the Byer Farm Trail. It probably came down Monday morning; the leaves weren't wilted. On a bike, one can usually get around one end or the other of a fallen tree, but not when both ends are in a creek.
Winona Avenue was still closed, but the sidewalk was open.
Checked with Dave to ask whether to stop at Jimmy-John's or Penguin Point; we were both fed up with carry-out, so I came home and steamed corn, and Dave found left-over taco meat in the fridge. He had some on Hillbilly bread with shredded cheddar and the salsa I bought at the tomato festival. I had the same on an Aldi tostada. We agreed that it was delicious.
Dave came back from his blood tests, and said that he doesn't have to be treated for multiple myeloma after all, and he can lift whatever is all right with his physical therapist (his cardiac rehab is all exercise.)
Whatever it is in his blood is just below the cut-off line, but much better than his previous test. All we can think of is that the physical therapy did it; nothing else is new.
And it might continue to drop.
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