Thursday, January 23, 2014

The weather outside is frightful

I always seem to start with a weather report, but tonight I'll just say it is cold and snowy and let it go at that.

This month the color is aqua (turquoise) for the knitting forum colorwheel swap.  I can't find the staple things I usually send, like an apron, kitchen gadget, hot pads and mitts, they just don't seem to be available in aqua, not at a reasonable price.  Well I'll review my box once the things I have ordered all come in.  And yarn takes up lots of space in a box.

Last Friday we traipsed all the way to the Social Security office, only to find it was closed until today (the 21st) due to construction next door.  I want to get my retirement now that I am nearly 63 (well, on Friday) . Since I no longer contribute to my fund for the last 6 years, the benefit of waiting to age 66 makes no sense.  I won't bore you with the math, but waiting until I am 66 means it will take me years to make up the early disbursement.  And who knows what will happen then?  We are frugal, but the extra money into our "what if" fund will be welcome.   I just hope we don't get the surly person that I had to deal with when I had another question.  Update:  there has been so much snow they closed (or kept closed) the office for the entire week, so it will be next week before I can go and finalize the application.

I actually registered via ssa.gov, but at some point it screeched to a stop and referred me to the local office.  Why have an online method if you still have to go in person?  Grumble grumble.

Last week I was bending down slightly to attach the vacuum cleaner hose, when my back went *Pow* and I couldn't straighten up.  I hobbled my way into the bedroom, and somehow got my feet up on the bed so I could lie down.  I stayed in bed for 3 days, just getting up to use the euphemism, and DH brought me food and drink.  After 3 days I could gimp along fairly well, and could cope with the stairs so I could see something other than the water marks on the bedroom ceiling.  And television.  It was a toss-up as to which was more entertaining.  Gotta get the ceiling painted, but not anytime soon.  This makes a triumvirate of ankle, knee, hip and now back.  Oh wait that's four.  Well, you get the idea.  I am falling apart one joint at a time.  I wish our house was on one level.  The vacuum cleaner is *whisper* evil  .I just know it will punish me when I try to clean again.

I have written this over the course of several days, that's why the timeline is a bit back-to-front above.  I can't sit for very long or my back gives me fits.  Somewhere in this blog, I have recounted the Fall-from-horse, bad landing, 5 weeks in a body cast and several months in a brace, so I won't re-recount it here.  Suffice to say that the vertebrae where the injury was is still exquisitely tender, from 39 years in the past. When asked now to rate my pain in a one-to-10 scale, everything is 5 or below, because I know what real pain is.  Ten is when the pain comes in waves, bearing me off to oblivion and binging me back to more pain.  Morphine, please, every 4 hours, thank you very much.  I slept through the 2 weeks I was in the hospital before they cast me.  Just as well.

Still went back to riding as soon as the doctor gave me the all clear, but on a different, sweet, easy-going lovely palomino.  He died at 22 years old, it's been some 30 years ago, but I still miss him.  Heart-tied.



Bumper sticker for the day:  "I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right!"

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