Bored, bored, bored

I am sported out and politicked out.   Bored.  Nothing is really on, SNL is a repeat and the cats have taken to sleep.  I am kinda off  my feed, satisfying myself on popcorn and Cokes all day.  Just that nothing sounded good  for dinner and I am sure Sophie will take me to task for my poor appetite.

I just had to give up my symphony tickets again as I realized I had a commitment to my synagogue to do an acoustic service.  We are rehearsing this week, the cantorial student, the Old Duffer and me.  Old Duffer wants me to play louder , essentially to drown him out so he can appear to be playing but have me cover for him.  I am hoping the cantorial student will get Old Duffer  to slow down on some of the songs of the service.  He just rushes through things and has no sense of time or melody as even I can read music better than he.  And then there is the issue of him not being able to hear well enough to turn his guitar, even with a Snark Tuning gizmo.  I committed to this service so no symphony for me.

Simcha Cat is doing very well.  His last set of blood work and urinalysis came back normal and since he has been off medication he has been perkier.  And even brother Yankel is treating him better.  We are all digging in for winter.  Lawn furniture and hoses are in the garage.  The last of the flowers has bloomed and withered.

As for me I continue my healing process.  I can walk pretty well without the cane but when I am out in public I need to use it to keep me stable.  I am walking more and more.  And after two weeks am getting a little bored with work. See, aside from the fact that I was in pain, I did come to like being off of work,without an alarm clock to rouse me in the morning.  I could see being retired.  And especially after I was more mobile and could go out for breakfasts or lunches with friends I really enjoyed being off. Of course I had no money coming in but at least I preserved my vacation time.  Oh, well.

Tomorrow I am going with a friend to my first Spartan Spectacular  Halloween is Monday.  I have an  appointment with the hand doctor on Monday to get injections for my various and sundry trigger fingers.  Seems I have a doctor for every body part.  The injections I have been giving myself for the osteoporosis aren't as bad as I anticipated them being.  In fact they are downright easy to administer.  And I think I have multiple conflicting doctor appointments on the 18th of November.

November!!! Geez, another year come and going.  Another year of fractures, and another summer spent indisposed.  Simcha was my unofficial doctor when I returned from the hospital the first time this summer, never leaving my side for the first week I was home.  Now as we prepare for winter they are all sleeping in the big bed with me.  Cheek by jowl all snuggled together.

Okay I really have a bone to pick with a barely a cousin person.  Seems she is the Michigan co-chair for Trump and I am embarrassed.  A closer cousin sent me the article from the Jewish News and I quickly read it, rolled it into a ball which the cats then sent to the confines of the litter box.  The article, which she wrote, trivialized the process of "coming out"... as a Republican.  If she listened to Trump and all the dog whistle terms he uses to defame Jews she might not be so supportive.  But you know, you gotta beware of the great Jewish Communist International Bankers who are destroying the world through their media.  I have heard it and seen it before and it is just antisemitism in wolf's clothing.  She should be ashamed, but she did the courageous act of coming out as a Republican and that was so hard for a woman of her wealth and standing in the community.  Money attracts Republicans and Republicans attract money.  Yep, that must have been hard to come out as a Republican.  What I can't figure out is how the people that support Trump who are working class, somehow consider him to be their champion, once again voting against their own best interests.  I just don't understand.  Even the Soul Sucker has been making  overtures to some Democratic friends that what we need is change.  I tried to warn these Dems that she would do this but she was talking a good game.  I wonder how deep a rift this will cause amongst them and their little bowling league.  Maybe Jack will even come out of hiding and rear her ugly head.

Anyway, I digress, as I often do.  Maybe I can find something wholesome to eat in the kitchen other than sucking on another Coke.  It could happen...and Bob's your uncle.

I'm back............

I have finally returned to work this past Monday to the hoots and hollers of the throng.  And I have successfully made it to the end of the week.  This weekend is the open mic night I organized at KI, my little synagogue on the prairie, or more to the point Forest Road.  Starts at 7 and anyone can come and be part of the festivities.  Come and hear me play and sing nontraditional songs of heartache and moving on.  Starts at 7 and if you are interested contact me and I will hand out directions.  Dessert to follow so it should be a great evening.  My co-organizer, Karen, had major back surgery in April and we are like the Gimp Sisters with our canes.  She is turning 70 and I had a strange thought, i.e., why is this grown up woman even conversing with me, much less playing music together?  And then I realized I am only eight years out and even though I rarely feel grown up I am about as close to that as I can get.  Anyway, the Old Duffer and I are playing three songs which I would like to winnow down to two as he goes on quite a bit.  Ending the evening will be an ensemble performing Ashokan Farewell, with me on my Martin guitar making sweet music.  Before dessert I will perform my classic hit "I got some place to go" and that will segue into dessert.  And, my goodness, the desserts are always phenomenal so that alone is worth the price of admission, which is free.  And, truly, yes, friends and families are most welcome.  KI Synagogue (Kehillat Israel) is the most welcoming of venues.  Aunt Marilyn is always so grateful that I affiliated.  I occasionally go to services, especially when I am playing when it is kinda mandatory.  Next Friday service I am playing for is in two weeks.

This Saturday's performance will open with the Havdalah and I am playing on this as part of the ensemble.  We have a young widow who has two kids and is studying to be a cantor singing lead on the Havdalah.  It is a beautiful way to end the Sabbath.  And then on to the music and jokes of the evening.  Mrs. Post will kick us off with her telling of jokes, which is expected to be a hoot as she is older than God with a bawdy sense of humor.  Some of those old Yiddish jokes get pretty racy.  I remember growing up (yes I in fact do remember that) in Detroit with the aunts and uncles telling jokes in English and, because the punchline were so filthy, they would revert to Yiddish so us kids never knew, until years later, what bawdiness we were missing.

So that is what awaits the weekend.  Tonight, Master Simcha goes in to the vet clinic urine test for which he has spent the better part of the night studying.  Seems they found some E. coli in his initial urinalysis and they want to be sure he doesn't have a UTI.  I need to order more of his special food.  He loves the canned food, even cold from the fridge.  And he is so easy to pill.  Just shove it down his throat and he is ready for a treat.  Meanwhile the in-fighting continues, with much hissing and fur flying.  No, it wasn't just the debate that put them in a foul mood.  The mood continues.  And speaking of debate, did you happen to catch the Donald at the Alfred Smith Dinner being booed for his "humorous" remarks.  Booed I tell you.  Never before has that happened that a speaker had been booed.  Hillary was a little stiff but she was sincere and did her best to tell a joke.  No boos for her.  My gosh it was like watching a car accident in slow motion with the Trumpster.  Awkward.

So, here's the deal.  Monday was a very hard first day.  I went home and slept for four hours, got up and ate and then when to bed.  Tuesday was better.  I had to finish working on the program for the open mic night and was able to finish it up on the cloud.  Gotta love that cloud.  Wednesday and Thursday I have spent practicing and rehearsing with others for Saturday.  Today is the great cat adventure.  No rest for the weary until Sunday, when I hope to have some help with straightening up the music room.  Maybe laundry.  Do some home automation with my Amazon Echo and Dots and hook up the sound bar.  Monday it all starts again, work that is. 

All I can say is I can't wait until retirement.  It will be nice to have unlimited time off, money coming in and the wherewithal to move and socialize without too much pain.  Let's see if I can do another three years. 

Greetings and salutations

Hello, Maude, it's me.  It is also Yom Kippur and I have hours ago returned from Kol Nidre services and the start of the fast.  Once again I am unable to sleep.  Gonif is roaming the house with me while the Bickersons, a.k.a Yankel and Simcha, are sleeping contently on the sofa.  When Mr.Simcha returned from MSU vet clinic Yankel was a hissing, growling mess of cat.  A friend suggested I rub Simcha with an article of clothing I had recently worn and lo and behold the hissing stopped and they are merely antagonistic towards one another, sleeping on the couch not two feet from one another.  Simcha is doing quite well since his ordeal.  Poor guy had his front paws shaved to put in IVs and his butt shaved to facilitate the insertion of a catheter, which I imagine was akin to threading a very small needle.  Simcha had a urinary tract blockage and many millions of dollars later returned home as the prodigal son, shaved butt and all.  I was very worried about him as he was hospitalized from Thursday to the following Monday.  He was so glad to be home he wouldn't leave my side for two days.  I myself tried to sleep in the bed but failed miserably. So another night up all night.

I was given my return to work paperwork today. Monday I return to the Library. I suspect I will be up all night Sunday, as is my habit the nigh before I return to school, er, work.  The good doctor with the barely pronounceable name gave me another prescription for pain meds.  It hurts to stand and it hurts to walk.  I just hurt.  And maybe that is part of the sleep issue.

Back to Simcha. He is awake and it is time to pill him.  He is super easy to pill, which has been a pleasant surprise.  As long as the pill is followed by a treat he is good with that.  I don't think anyone has had the new prescription food, other than a few scarf and barfs.  They are all getting wet food which pleases them to no end.

I am hooked on MSNBC  and have populated my Face Book page with liberal politics, and because they are public I have been flak catching from the Trump people; people who are convinced that Trump will win or there will be a civil war with the blood of liberals running in the street.  Sophie's stupid grandson, T.R.has found my page and spews the most hateful garbage.  I don't block people, let them rant.  I am certain the Soul Sucker will vote for Trump, if she actually takes the time to vote.  She would not vote for Obama the first time as she "knew" he would be assasinated.  She didn't vote for him the second time as the line was too long.  One hopes the Trumpians will turn away from the polls because of long lines.

Well, Simcha is being needy.  He is clinging to me making it difficult to write so I have offered up treats.  Noms as it were. So needy Simcha, Puking Gonif and hissing Yankel are all partaking in treats.  Probably the most solid food they have eaten in a few days.  Me, I shan't be eating any time soon, easy fast being Yom Kippur.

I am very proud of myself for figuring out the various tools I have added to automate the house.  I can voice activate my lights.  Next will be the TV and sound system.  But most proud was the removing an old email from my list so that I could transfer it to this machine.  God, I am going to be insufferable.

So back to work on the 17th.  I am hoping I can get some therapy in soon.  Don't know if I would be able to walk to a session but maybe a phone session.  Or not at all.  I have weathered this storm very well and am feeling psychically strong.  I am bringing in treats on Monday...so as to herald my return.  I will be returning within the twelve week period of my FMLA and my job is secure, although I will be doing some nonsense work that bores me terrifically.  No more than an hour a day, I posit.

I am rambling on my new toy.  My smaller laptop has been used in my business and is sold so I opted to get a bigger machine, which came today and was paid for by the proceeds from Capitol City Informatics.  Money in out.  My first profit.  I am feeling confident and not in the least tired.  Off to watch more MSNBC and maybe try CNN.  Fox, I think not. I wonder, aloud, if Trump has such respect for women why is has Roger the Pig Ailes on his team, the Ailes who left Fox in a cloud of sexual harassment suits. Just the thing to bolster your brand with solid block of women behind you.

Well, the boys are all asleep.  May be time to join them, or at  least try.  See you all Monday.

Been gone too long

Well, darlings, for those of you watching this space for activity, tonight you shall not be disappointed.  My bionic self is back, albeit with her celestial cane and a pronounced limp (how does one limp with both legs?) (Badly)  I am like a Weeble: I wobble but I don't fall down.  Yes, I am two weeks into physical therapy, which has gone from using a walker, to a cane, to some walking around the house without the cane.  Today I took to the streets and walked a walk in the neighborhood.  My aim is to return to work the 17th of the month *that being October* and after the High Holy Days (Shanah Tovah).  I see the doctor on the 11th and should be cleared to return to work the following week, well within the twelve week limit of FMLA guarantee of my old job back.  As of yet I have not heard hide nor hare from management regards my position.  My supervisor, and I being her only supervisee, has yet to respond to my many emails.  So I have no clue as to what will await me when I return.  It better not be to a position that does not befit my stature of a long time employee in good standing (according to my evaluations anyway).  I even went as far as to contact the union to see if they could elicit a response from the ever reclusive supervisor.  Nothing, nada, zilch.  So a magical mystery tour awaits me I am certain.

So, I have been doing very little other than watching MSNBC all day and getting political overload and am in a constant dread of Drumpf.  Whilst I watch the TandV I do my stretches and exercises and motate about the house.  As I mentioned I walked the neighborhood today in hopes of seeing how far I fair with me and the cane.  See, my desk is the farthest removed from the ladies room and I don't want to return to work without knowing I can make it that far and back in a reasonable amount of time.  That is goal one.  Every day I will walk and every day I will walk farther.  Not the five miles plus a day I was walking prior to the multiple fractures, but a peace.  I have resumed cooking my own meals after members of the synagogue, KI, were bringing me meals on a regular basis.  That and the pizzas kept me going.  I have resumed playing the guitar with the Old Duffer and will be ready for open mike night at the synagogue on October 22nd (y'all come!).  Additionally I have finally resumed sleeping in bed as opposed to the sofa.  Yankel Cat had thoroughly deposited copious amounts of gray fur on the bed so I had to get well enough to change the bed so I could sleep in it without coughing up fur balls.  Success!!!

So, for all the kindness that has been shown to me by all my good friends, and you are indeed good to me, thank you.  Thanks for the cards and emails.  And thanks for all the good visits.  A special thanks to Sophie, Phyllis and Percy, as well as trusty JB who takes me to PT thrice a week.