A New Washing Machine

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We’re having a new washing machine delivered tomorrow. Our old one is just a little over 2 years old. It’s a Whirlpool and I hope to never own another! It wasn’t ‘top of the line’ but it wasn’t junk either! You’d think it would last longer than 2 years! Our extended warranty had expired by just 2 months! Coinky-dink? Doubt it. I think they purposely make appliances to last about 2 or 3 years or so to get you to spend more money! It’s my fault we got that particular washing machine. I HAD to have the machine that matched my dryer. The dryer was relatively new at the time, so why not get the match? Right? Ugh.

This time we got a 3-year extended warranty and a GE. Again, not ‘top of the line’ because seriously, why the hell should we buy ‘top of the line’ when they won’t last much longer than the others? In my opinion, the more gadgets or the more advanced any appliance is, the more apt it is to have problems, so I tend to gravitate toward simpler appliances. It’s a nice washing machine, with a larger, stainless steel drum and different options for water level, load size, and it even has a special soak cycle for heavily soiled items. It can’t get here soon enough because I have laundry backed up and in the way!

I was reminded while reading an old journal entry of mine, that the machine we had prior to the Whirlpool was replaced just a few months before my youngest sister came to visit. There’s history of my sister being a jynx – so when that washer went haywire it wasn’t really a surprise because we knew she was coming! This time, she said, “I swear I’m not planning a surprise visit!” It’s a good thing because the things that have gone wrong in the past would astound you! That’s a post for another day!

It’s A Mystery!

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We always have chocolate in the house. One of our favorites is the Hershey’s Miniature Candy Bars, variety bag. We buy the biggest bag they carry at Walmart. Once in awhile Dad or I will grab another variety of bite-sized candy bars in a small bag. All chocolates are dumped into a gallon-sized ziplock bag and stashed away.

It was the week before Halloween. We hadn’t had trick-or-treaters in so many years we were certain we wouldn’t get any this year either. But to be on the safe side, and for our own enjoyment, we replenished our supply of chocolates!

At this time, we kept the bag of chocolates in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator. We always kept them there for the hot summer months. We hadn’t yet moved them to the drawer in the cabinet for the colder months.

On Saturday prior to Halloween, I had a few pieces of chocolate. I spoiled my diet for that day anyway so I had a treat. I took what I wanted from the drawer and left the bag in the refrigerator drawer. Either Sunday or Monday, Dad had chocolate. Instead of taking what he wanted and leaving the chocolate in the fridge, he took the entire bag to the living room with him.

On Tuesday night, Dad announced, “I’m going to have some chocolate!” He opened the refrigerator and before I knew it he asked me where the chocolate was. I guess he thought I moved it. I told him it was in the crisper drawer in the fridge where it’s been for the last several months. He said he didn’t see it anywhere. I know that Dad, like many men, will just not move anything and look behind or under, so I got up to find it for him.

Lo and behold, it was gone! I looked in the other drawer and on the shelves. I asked him, “What the heck did you do with it?” Of course, it wasn’t him; he said it must’ve been me. I looked in all the odd places I may have stuck it not even thinking…like in the potholder drawer in the cabinet. Nope, not there. I looked in the basket on my rollator, thinking I may have stuck it in there to transport it to the kitchen as I got ready for bed. I realized then that I wouldn’t have done that because I remembered clearly that when I last had chocolate, I left the bag in the fridge. I told Dad, he must’ve put it somewhere odd because he’s the one who always takes the bag from the fridge to the living room to watch tv. Hmm… So, we hunted high and low. We looked in, under, around, and on top of every possible place we could have put that bag of chocolate!

Dad looked in his room. I looked in my room but knew I have never taken it in there before. I looked in the oven, under the sink, in the island cart. I looked underneath all of my crochet projects that I keep in a plastic tub beside my recliner. Dad looked by his chair, under his lap blanket, even under his chair. We hunted throughout this entire house! No chocolate anywhere.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say someone has come into the house while we were gone or asleep and stole our chocolate stash! That’s a little (ok, a LOT) unbelievable since nothing else was missing! Why would someone take only our chocolate? They wouldn’t.

Here it is two weeks later and that chocolate still has not turned up! We’ve both been scratching our heads and looking over and over again in the very same places we have already looked a hundred times. We’ve come to the conclusion that it must’ve been thrown away – but how either one of us could have done that is another mystery! I mean, we have both accidentally thrown things in the trash before but we usually realize it right away and take it out. That bag of chocolate was pretty heavy so for that to have been done, someone (cough, cough, Dad) had to have been completely oblivious!

If it ever turns up, I will have another story to tell, I’m sure!

Friday’s Funnies – My Faves This Week

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It’s not been the greatest week for me and I’m glad it’s over! I wasn’t able to collect very many funnies this time so I went through my stash of funny-not-so-funny memes and added some of those. I hope they are at least a little funny! You be the judge!

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I think my funny bone is broken or in need of antibiotics (or maybe just alcohol) because the only one that really made me laugh tonight was the dog telling the joke to the cat. It’s not so much the joke as it is the expression on the cat’s face! Did you like any of these in particular? I sure hope so.

Well, my friends, have a wonderful weekend. Stay warm and inside if at all possible! Brrr… It’s 30 degrees as I write this. I’m not going to complain because it beats the humidity of the previous months! Catch me around late-February early-March when it’s still cold. Then I’ll be complaining about the cold!

Peace, Love & Rock & Roll!

Aunt Debbie

Chronic Pain and Depression

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I’ve been depressed lately. I’ve only spoken to 2 other people about the issues bringing me down and I won’t discuss the details here but there are a few things I do want to say.

No one really understands what a person with chronic pain is going through. They will never understand until they’re the ones suffering from it. It’s debilitating. It’s exhausting. It’s sad, and it’s lonely.

I can’t just make plans to go do something because I don’t know what my pain level is going to be from one day to the next, or even from one hour to the next! When it rains or when the barometric pressure rises, I am in more pain than usual.

I don’t want to be sitting at home. I’d like to be working. I’d like to be doing the things I used to do. I’d like to be able to pursue the hobbies and activities I thought I would be pursuing at this time in my life. I’d love to be able to go visit my grandkids, near and far. I’d love to go to the movies, hit the Mall, or go to a Flea Market. I’d love to go to museums, haunted houses, and concerts. Hell, I’d love to just do the simple things we all take for granted when we’re healthy, but these days everything is a painful chore.

I have good days and I have bad days, but let me be clear: Having a good day does not mean I’m pain-free. It just means my pain level is at a more tolerable level. Just because I smile or crack a joke doesn’t mean I’m not in pain. It just means I’m trying to be as close to “normal” as I can be, for appearances. I don’t like people feeling sorry for me and I sure as hell don’t like being the center of attention. So, I try to be “normal” like you.

I’m not lazy. Chronic pain is not an excuse to get out of doing things. I don’t have the energy to go to events like birthday parties, weddings or luncheons. When I do attend a function of any kind, I have to leave early. I just can’t handle hour upon hour of socializing and appearing to be happy. Another consideration is accessibility. Will I be near a restroom or will I have to walk a long distance to get there? Will there be stairs or an upward/downward slant? Will I be able to sit down? Is there a place where I can rest? Will I have to stand in line? There are so many things I have to consider before doing anything.

When you suffer from chronic pain, you also suffer a loss of identity. The things that made you who you are, are gone. I used to be a cross-country backpacker. It was something I hoped I could back into when my kids were grown and out on their own. I can no longer look forward to that. I used to be a great cook. I used to be a small business owner. There are so many things that made me who I am but now I’m having to find a new me. It’s hard to reinvent yourself when you can’t actually do anything anymore.

I hate when people say things like, “I hope you feel better soon,” or “Have you tried x, y, or z?” Seriously? Yes, I’ve tried everything under the sun. Nothing helps. Someone once said to me, “It’s just arthritis.” If this were just arthritis then I could be more active and exercise some of the pain away. If it were just arthritis I could find a simple remedy that would ease my discomfort. But it’s not just arthritis. I have joint damage in my knees. My legs are bowing outward at the knees. This is what makes walking and moving about so difficult, so painful. Then there are the people who, good intentions or not, are very condescending. Calling me “hon” or ‘sweety” when I’m having a bad day is a sure-fire way to get ghosted!

Chronic pain never goes away. Chronic pain causes depression, anxiety, changes in mood, appetite and sleep patterns. It causes loneliness, grief, isolation, and fear. Yes, FEAR. Every day, I have to think about every movement I make, every step I take, for fear of falling or doing too much and making my pain level go up even higher. I fear that I will injure myself and lose the little mobility I have left. Have you ever thought about being stuck in a nursing home? I have.

I’m so sick and tired of being expected to do things. I only go out when I have to go out. I go out for groceries once a week, go to doctor’s appointments, pick up meds, etc. Yes, I go out to lunch once a week, but that trip serves a dual purpose. I normally have other errands that need to be done. People don’t realize that in between those days is rest and recovery.

On top of the daily struggle, the holidays are approaching. The most depressing time of the year for me. I won’t have family and grandkids around. I won’t be able to cook all the delicious yummies I used to make for my family. I can’t wrap gifts easily, so gift bags it is! I can’t decorate or put up my big tree. I won’t be looking forward to any of what the holidays bring.

I’m not writing this for sympathy or attention. I want people to understand what chronic pain is and what it does to a person’s life. It’s crippling. It’s not my cup of tea and I’m pretty sure it’s not yours either.

 

 

 

Upside Down Birds, Blah, Blah, Blah, Sewer!

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Today was an interesting but very irritating day. Dad and I decided to go to Walmart this morning to prepare for the incoming cold weather later in the week. I want to be stocked up on water, bread, milk…you know, the usual…for the cold winter months. Today it was pretty busy but it could have been worse… like the very day before an incoming storm. Holy crap. People think it’s going to be the end of the world if they don’t have bread and milk…wait, I just bought those didn’t I? Well, in my defense, we didn’t wait until the last minute to go out for supplies like other people do!

The drive (30 miles) was rather amusing, with Dad’s silly antics and questions like, “I wonder how many cows there are in the world?” and “I wonder if birds can fly upside down?” The latter acted out as if he were a bird flying…”Look at me! I’m upside down!” Like I said, amusing. Never a dull moment.

So, anyway Dad wanted to stop at the clinic to make an appointment to see a dentist. He’s been having trouble with his gums. He went in and I waited in the car. He came out surprisingly, with an appointment for this afternoon at 1:45. We had enough time to go to Walmart so we headed over to do the evil chore of shopping with the numerous rude morons that frequent that place. Hey, wait a sec… I frequent that store, too. But I’m not rude to anyone unless they’re rude to me and I’m definitely not a moron.

Thankfully, they had a scooter and I was able to get around the store without excruciating pain. Of course, there were always ‘pains’ lurking in the middle of the aisle or at the end of the aisle who were so oblivious to anyone or anything around them that I was forced to go around to the other end of several aisles, just to get what I wanted. I think that sort of ‘pain’ is inevitable in Walmart. I shudder to think what it’s like in Kmart!!

At the checkout line, I thought, what good timing to have found a checker with no one in her line! Ha. Lucky, my ass. That woman talked her damn fool head off and NOT to US, mind you. She was chatting with another woman behind her and wasn’t working very fast – in fact, she seemed to not be able to scan items and talk at the same time. She just wouldn’t stop yammering on. I had to say something. I admit it. I was rude. I said, “Can you work a little more and talk a little less?” She didn’t even freakin’ hear me! OMG. She kept talking, scanned a few items, started talking some more… She said to the other woman something about how her mom said blah, blah, blah… She actually said blah, blah, blah! So, what did I say? I said, “Yeah. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!” She was oblivious. I was pretty irate if you can imagine. When she was finally finished scanning and bagging, I asked, “What bag did you put the batteries in?” We needed some small button batteries of various sizes and I didn’t want them lost. That woman, her name was Judy, just kept on talking. So, I asked my question again just a little louder. She still didn’t hear me so I freakin’ raised my voice that may have been a holler, I don’t know. The whole time Dad was looking for the batteries. She heard me that time and found the batteries. I thanked her, I don’t know why. Maybe for such a swell time. Ha.

We still had time to kill before we went to Dad’s appointment, so we stopped at the library. I had to use the restroom so that’s where I went first. I swear. You will NOT believe this but when I went to wash my hands all of a sudden there was such a foul stench of sewer. Yes, you read that right. SEWER. I scooped up a little water and brought it up close to my nose. OMG. That stench was coming from the water! I dried my hands off and used hand sanitizer, not once but twice. When Dad used the restroom he said the same thing. Tomorrow I’m calling the Health Department.

At the clinic now for Dad’s dental appointment. He was pretty stressed to begin with but then the paperwork frustrated him even more. You know, all those questions they want you to write answers to but then when they call you back they ask the same damn thing so they can put it in the computerized files. I always tell them, “It’s on the papers I just filled out!” Dad’s too nice. He endures. When he came back out he said they were putting him on an antibiotic and sending him to a periodontist. Yay. That made him happy. NOT. His blood pressure was still high when we got home. Tomorrow he calls for an appointment.

At my age and with my chronic pain issues, I don’t have the patience for the bullshit we had to deal with today. From now on, I’m taking down names at Walmart. The good ones will be praised to the management and the bad ones? Well, use your imagination!