Wednesday 5 x 5 PWYC

[Twins' Mom]

That's a great thing to do for your your seniors, Kathryn!

Meeting at cemetery was quick and I went to see my case study guy and check in with him there. He doesn't have descendants (thus, I don't have to consider DNA!) so I like to say hi to him and remind him I know his secret.

I had hoped that dh would meet me after the cemetery meeting downtown for supper, but he wanted to go by friends'/clients house first and get something signed. He's having a glass of wine with them and the four of us will have dinner at our favorite close Italian restaurant. She is the one that always suggests we just have dinner with them as she's cooking something up.

[LadyMaverick]

Kathryn - that sounds like a confusing transition. Your knowledge and experience with travel is a priceless asset to those senior citizens! I remember going for my very first ride on the subway system in NYC. I was so thankful to have a guide and mentor explaining how, when, where, etc.

I attended DGD8 monthly school program this afternoon. DGD8 got an award that thrilled her. She had a huge smile and was twirling around in joy. However, the picture I took shows her solemn and serious. #PhotoCaptureFailure

I am still waiting for my blood sugar to drop into the normal range so I can eat. It has been over 24 hours since I've eaten and I'm still waiting. I have been testing frequently because I want to know the moment it happens. I'm not sure I will continue to use this method of deciding when I will eat, but it has been informative.

[Harmony]

Kathryn, surely they didn't plan to leave your area stranded with their LR system? Are they perhaps planning something to fix the problem later? How about a petition with signatures of everybody in your area who are having difficulties?

Once many years ago DH and I took a subway around Washington D C and I have no idea how we ever figured that out. Never were there before or after. But we got around just fine. Then we took a sightseeing bus around, getting off at things we wanted to see then getting back on to go further. I don't know if I'd tackle that these days. We were braver in those days! What I remember most about rapid transit is streetcar days in Pittsburgh. Now that I enjoyed.

Errand day today. Asked DH if he wanted to go along while I did my errands and he jumped at the excuse to get out of the house. He is driving himself nutty not going out to work. It's a full time job just keeping him occupied. We have another project, another Christmas gift to make... and of course that's turning into a bigger project than it should. Lots of discussion and 3 stores to look through. sigh...he needs a part time job somewhere.

I washed, sanded and painted our mailbox and the post. I hope I didn't do it too late in the day and it dries ok or I'll have to start over. I must get some stuff done tomorrow for sure.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harmony, Yes, the plan was to leave my seniors (and those in a subsidized city apartment building, plus two other low-income buildings) without a way to the grocery store. When I first saw the transit map after the LRT came online, 14 months ago, I thought it was a misprint and brought it to my city councilor's attention. Eventually, we learned the truth and one of the seniors started a lobbying campaign (I help with advocacy but don't organize campaigns anymore, choosing to focus on social gatherings instead.)

She got the attention of my councilor who received dozens of letters from my complex. That led to the transit company coming to meet with our concerned seniors and they rerouted a bus that stops 250 yards farther away, but only comes 4x a day, 2 hours between buses. It does go straight to the grocery store, but also to a mall where people can walk inside in the winter (not an issue with most of these guys, they can't walk any distance.)

On the plus side, this bus also runs on Sunday. On the minus side, this is an extension of a regular bus (which runs every hour) and the runs that come to us are not published either on the website or on the printed schedule for the bus. So you have to have access to an app to figure out when the bus is coming. I figured all that out today because I was worried I'd miss our good bus so would need to know about this backup bus.

But my most vocal senior is still upset and still writing letters so I get emails from my councilor's assistant from time to time to see if it is just one person or a rising swell. This senior didn't come with me today. I'll have to ride the bus with her some day to see if I can settle her down and I hope I can get her to join us when we go out for lunch or a movie using the train.

I've got my weekly kitchen chores done, the load of laundry hung to dry, and the living room and bedrooms dusted. Before supper dh and I practiced the music for next week's luncheons. So I've made progress but the vacuuming didn't get done so that will have to be done tomorrow before I go to babysit.

Edited to add: I might be noted the depressed appetite side-effect of my drug. I'll be ending the day below my allowed calories for the second day this week (just started calorie counting again on Monday.) When I'm not counting, I graze to keep something in my mouth to counter the metallic taste. I guess with calorie counting, I've cut that out. Today I was so much below where I should be, I had both a protein bar and an apple to help raise my fibre intake as well as my calorie count.

[lucylee]

Sorry — I’ve been MIA again, seems like!
5x5? Ha — missed that big time. What have I done, though...
— cleaned 3 toilets at ds/ddil’s
— picked up den “ “ “
— TRIED to clean ds’s tub/shower (I need a better product. It must be his soap or something because ddil says it gets much dirtier than any other shower in the house.)
— cooked supper... s/s kitchen
— went to church
Actually, I did have those first 5 before 5:00pm, so I’m doing okay.

Before bed, I really must clean OUR bathrooms, and dgs is here, so we’ve got to do bath/bed routine for him. Dgd has early appt in Big City tomorrow.

Hope you all have a good night!

[Nancy]

Swept floor in main bathroom.
Cleaned up the other bath room.
Spiffed up the creativity room.
Did an after dinner spiff.
Mixed up paint I could not find the color of now trying to decide what to paint this color.