Tuesday Traditions for New Yew Year's Eve!

[Harriet]

blessed, if I walk directly to dd44's it is almost exactly a half-mile if I come around from back door of my house and around to back door of hers. That's helpful to measure walking a mile, to see them. Yesterday I could hear what I thought was ds' children practicing basketball shots, and I felt well enough, so I took a detour on the road to go see them and shoot a few. The sound was actually ds and children practicing golf swings with a net in the garage, but I still enjoyed watching their play even if I didn't take part. Nice open-air visit, which makes ds comfortable since they are supposed to keep their school-germs away from me, lol. They would be closer to me if I were a crow or other wildlife, but I resist trying that unless I have on the right footwear. I didn't walk to dstepdil's house since she was out with their dog already, but I can do that.

It is actually dstepsdil's elderly dog Sugar who had to go to hospital overnight and had a shaved leg, poor thing. It was ddil who had ds' big vivacious dog, Gunner, with her, so I didn't get to see them. She was working from home, having the dog nap in her office with her, doors closed, until she was through. Dd44's dog, Tali, is still a crazy puppy, jumping 3 feet in the air every time she sees me, and she's seen me hundreds of times and still thinks I'm an amazing sight. BernaDoodle - they are bounders, hanging in mid-air a lot of the time.

I've paid the car insurance bill, finally. I thought they'd never be in the office.

Inputted my whole smoothie recipe into Cronometer to get cals and watch potassium. I'm a 3rd of the way to both, so that works out well. Potatoes today and my potassium should stay happy and no cramps.

I don't know what went wrong yesterday but I actually cried out loudly in the night with a calf-cramp, alarming HRH. It was over quickly, but it is still a thing so I must monitor.

[Lady Maverick]

I enjoyed a slow-paced morning with no alarms ringing as a reminder to do this or that. Have I mentioned how much I love Christmas Break?

TA-DA's include -
** Trash to the road
** I've been to the garden several times enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. Each visit includes doing a small task as I wander around. Spreading ashes, cutting vines, moving blocks, harvest/eating greens, etc.
** Teamed up with DH to load an old firepit into gorilla cart and haul it to the road. I put several FREE signs on the firepit. This is an easy way to send bulky items to their next home. I consider this a WIN! WIN! Someone gets a free item....I don't have to haul it away.
** Breakfast accomplished. Ingredients used - eggs, potatoes, hot link, sausage, peppers.

[Nancy]

I have done my planner purge to prep. for the new year.
Bread is rising in the oven now.
I need to put the pages & old planner in the butterfly room.
More journaling pen ink is running low so need to get the next one.
I hear the trash truck in the distance so I can bring it back in from the curb shortly.
I luv reading your posts gals!
Time to check the bread rising ... poof...

[MysteryWoman]

Good afternoon! Went with DH to the grocery store this morning. They did have the big round loaves of pumpernickel, so I got that and some broccoli to cut up; meanwhile, DH went deeper into the store to get the soup mix and some juice for himself.

I came home and got the dip made and put it in the fridge. Then I had lunch. Now I need to cut the broccoli into florets for dipping and cut the celery into sticks. (I got baby carrots, so I won’t have to cut those. Am debating whether to cut the middle of the bread and have it dry out a bit or make the bread bowl just before we go.)

We are headed to our dear friends P&K’s house, which is just a few blocks away. DD is bringing a friend who will be driving across town. I would feel better if she were going to crash out here for the night, but I think she plans to drive home after the party. We usually wrap things up well before bar closing time, though, so hopefully the roads won’t be too bad. I’m not sure what DC is planning to do. They were going to stay with their girlfriend, but she is under the weather. DC may decide to go anyway.

Time to go chop veggies!

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Harriet: Are you stretching your feet/legs when in bed or when sitting? I have to do it in order to get up in the morning and not have to hold onto walls while my balance and leg mobility returns and the 5 minutes of those make a huge difference. Spurred by that success, if I'm sitting in a chair with my legs up (or even if they are on the floor but for a long time) I do stretches. It doesn't help me walk much smoother/faster when I do stand up after sitting too long but it helps a little.

THE BIG DIFFERENCE is that the number of leg cramps I get at night has dropped from almost nightly to less that 4x a month. I have no idea if the stretches are related but I haven't changed diet or water intake, and the stretching is the only change in my life (aside from increased depression which I also have a hard time thinking relieves leg cramps.)

List (updated):

[ X ] inflate dgs3.5 mattress fully and tidy his room His visit has been cancelled.
[ ] do year-end payroll
[ ] pay bills
[ ] make up grocery list (not much aside from cream soup)
[ ] blood work (if it works out, it can wait until Thursday)
[ ] go to bank, deposit cheques
[ ] go to grocery store
[ ] tidy a bit more
[ ] wash kitchen floor
[ X ] load of laundry

I've also s2s, tidied the bedroom, eaten (too much), and read 3 chapters of my book. Dh finally got a call-back from our vacation's first hotel confirming I can stay in the room with him and adding a day to the stay. He's got a special rate from the meeting and they didn't figure people would come in on Saturday for the meeting but we have to in case snowstorms delay our flights. He is not there for the meeting part, just the retiring employee's party but he's been involved with this group for so long (me too, I was there the day they decided to rebrand 30+ years ago) they added his name to the list of people qualified for the discounted rate.

So now all hotel, car rental, and flights are booked. Holding our breath that there will be a SpaceX launch during the 7 days we are at Daytona (we are willing to drive down but the scheduled one is at 4 a.m. on the day we check out in Orlando so we decided to not bother trying to see that one.)

I'm pushing blood work until Thursday because my weight is up since the 24th due to poor diet so (now that I've finished all the leftover cheese biscuits from dd) I'll try 2 days of lighter eating before the blood draw.

[Twins' Mom]

We have cold weather coming in today on a wind advisory. Just walked ddog and it is blowing!

Got to massage therapists on time, I feel tuned up but have a headache, perhaps from waiting until just now to eat breakfast/brunch. I wasn't hungry before I left and then walked ddog first when I got home. I need to leave in 45ish minutes for therapist appt.

Our dinner is steak, butternut squash and a green veggie. Will feel festive, perhaps? I have champagne to open - dh can't drink it because of the gastric bypass. He never got back to drinking anything with bubbles. I decided to make a beef and barley soup tomorrow in the slow cooker. Healthy, no potatoes, only a bit of barley. I incorporated those needs into grocery order which should be here between 3 and 5. Also purchased baby kale to add to omelets in the morning - I use spinach every day but know I should be eating a variety.

[Lady Maverick]

We used to always celebrate NYE with friends and family. Lots of games and food during the evening until midnight. The kids have attended many years of youth NYE celebration at church. They go out to eat together then return to youth building where they are "locked in" until morning. Very little sleep happens with both organized and free choice of non-stop games and movies.

This year we are content to not celebrate as we have done in the past. DD13 absolutely detests group parties with crowds and noise. She wants no part of it. DS16 is going to his girlfriend's home to spend NYE with her family and friends. I expect he will be home shortly after midnight. DBro told me how big of a hit the Bacon wrapped Shrimp was at their last family gathering. DBro said they made 8 boxes and ran out immediately. I will be making a couple boxes for us tonight.

[CathyS]

Dh and I both decided that we wanted soup options that meant I had to go to the store for milk. First store has a small parking lot (because this used to be a very small town) and I couldn't see any parking, so I went to a chain store pharmacy. All they had left was oat milk. I don't think it would go with soup, so I left that store. Next stop was a larger grocery store with higher prices and a much bigger lot that is usually mostly empty. There is a dollar store on the far side of the parking lot. I found a parking spot becoming available as I was turning down that way. After walking across the large parking lot, I got into the store. No carts, but I didn't need one. Got the milk and every cashier had a massive line up. There wasn't anyone in the self check outs. Everyone had a cart full of stuff. Lots of pop and chips/cheesies/pretzels. The cashier looked at my milk and said "that's all?" Yep. When I got home, dh asked why I didn't just go to a gas station.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Desk work part of my list is done.

[ X ] inflate dgs3.5 mattress fully and tidy his room His visit has been cancelled.
[ X ] do year-end payroll
[ X ] pay bills
[ X ] make up grocery list (not much aside from cream soup)
[ ] blood work (if it works out, it can wait until Thursday)
[ ] go to bank, deposit cheques
[ ] go to grocery store
[ ] tidy a bit more
[ ] wash kitchen floor
[ X ] load of laundry
[ ] Offer on Buy Nothing and pick new owner of my Xmas tree storage bag (4 people are interested in it so far, I'll pick the recipient tonight.)

[Harriet]

Kathryn, it's just too coincidental that the one calf cramp comes on the heels (smile) of all these other cramps, mostly hands and feet, which have definitely been due to the low potassium. Bound to be related. I am very interested in what my potassium level is at blood draw Thursday early a.m. and whether my dietary efforts have paid off. I'm not going to ask for pills if I'm not better, since I know she doesn't want to do it, just be willing to double-down again on the work and research. But I will say, if I can't do this through foods, I don't see how others could.

I, too, am planning around this blood draw some, in that I simply refuse to take the prednisone this time until after the blood is taken. I'll just have to have a mini-breakfast between the lab and the dr appt. somehow, in order to take meds. I want an honest blood sugar reading. If I skew their results, then they'll need to discuss with me the order in which they want me to take all these steps.

HRH has done the mud room work and it looks suspiciously neat and airy in there. I am sure he has tossed some things I would not have, but I think I'll pick my battles. Just not on my game, perhaps - not feeling it. Time to mop.

Laundry needs folding, too.

We went out to take the trash etc., to cans using the truck and the battery was dead. We're trying to even remember the last person to use it, and we think it may have been the dealership folks who valeted it to annual work/inspection. Sigh. Always something.