RantWoman Sleeps--or Not

 5 hours of sleep plus 3 more because a nap sounded more fun than chores. Nap. Morning stretches. Lunch.  I would dawdle petting cat but she insists it's suppertime and wants to bite since i disagree. Good thing Star Center Chief morale officer came over. She dropped her keys near her door and needed help retrieving them. Chief Morale officer is Chief Morale officer because she smiles at everyone and makes lots of volunteers feel appreciated for doing really modest things. Plus she is very up on popular culture and a much better conversationalist than I am. Most of the time there are good reasons NOT to shame her about gravity doing things she needs help dealing with. And today it was a bright sunny day so I decided to pass on lecturing her: "Why don't you get a nice stretchy lanyard around your neck for your keys or a stretchy wristband..." Another day I will ask her. Snow globes again with Christmas trees inside Fret about laundry room key which we are supposed to g...

SIX uninterrupted hours of sleep! Late night comics and my DDT earworm seem to help. I probably could have gone back to bed but instead I lounged in purple bathrobe and texted in several directions. I hate texting with one @#$*# hand and wish more people could handle email where I can at least use a keyboard. Okay I think there is probably a keyboard path to texting but not gonna look it up for now. Laundry awaits but at this point I MAY wait until the new lock gets installed and the chairs get put back. The story? Another time. Note to self: symptom list. Today I loosened ties on one of my pairs of shoes enough to wear. Better idea than sandals in the rain. And Sarah Bridgesong is having a snit fit about ableism and invitations. Fun. Amazingly I still have one more meal of lentil brownies from the last batch.

 Almost exactly five hours of sleep. This all might still turn into mulled beverage but not today  No caffeine late in the day last night. V8 seems to be a good drink for sleeping and not waking up ravenous. But the salt. But the salt. Well, I probably drink enough water ...  Going back to bed would probably have been a good idea but it did not happen. Purple bathrobe, cate furniture and early morning texting--this time about a deceased chicken did. Soon time to line up my snow globes for a Zoom open house with a bunch of opinionated people with disabilities and other colorful characters. I do not think I will snack from y giant jar of mixed nuts while on camera but...

 About 5 hours of sleep. Too much caffeine late in the day. Too many crackers late at night.  Also not really practical to go back to bed because of travel to sit outside with Mom in sheltered but still... patio for 40+ minutes. There and back again with uneventful bus connections and transfers but now I am chilled and trying to warm up.  Some of the after party detritus but now cleared up a bit Maybe I like some others need a nap.... Play the DDT earworm again just because..

 Solid uninterrupted SIX hours of sleep.  Then I was hungry and also inclined to try out the new fluffy floor lengther hooded bathrobe. Yes, of COURSE I would prefer some other closure besides one zipper the whole length of the robe but I think I can cope.In general, the bathrobe is WONDERFUL, annoying zipper or no. And I think I will manage to enjoy the lavender and flax seed pillow, body wash and pepermint hand soap. Who would not be able to party with all that? After the reveal Anyway no going back to bed, for one thing because the blind prayer warriors were praying in the morning instead of the afternoon. But no, I did NOT do purple robe all the way through TWO meetings for worship. And the snowglobes went to the second one anyway. I went to worship on my phone instead of the computer downstairs. I decided I was tired of everything to do with visual interractions, showing my face, trying to see four faces at a time.... So I just put the snow globes on camera.

 This was a sleep a lot day. 5+ hours and then another 3 I think. Two snow globes. Today's view No motivators in the schedule.  Texting with friends still recovering from bad physics experiment with the SUV.  Talking with a friend now in western NE apparently on the mend from COVID but now having the kind of broken humerus thing I had. Only his was from slipping on the ice. This friend has had HIV for a long time but apparently if you have no immune system to run amok, that lesses the odds of the second bad phase of COVID. Weird way to cheer oneself up. And the GOOD thing about major double vision issues: if the swirling glitter in TWO snowglobes prove soothing, it is even cooler to see four of them.

 I achieved Six hours uninterrupted. Then even though the timeline is for stuff late in the afternoon, I did NOT go back to bed. Two, two Christmas tree snow globes Instead I made porridge with quinoa cooked in coconut milk. And I did holiday wrapping. And I listened to sister get all angsty. The package of socks I ordered for my brother in law because that is all I know to get him disappeared from their mail fiasco. And the cheap apricots and grated coconut she meant for ponche were not up to her standards. And she had been awake since 3 am and her current apartment arrangement is dysfunctional. She doesn't use word but describes things that make it so and acknowledges problem. And then timing is off because she did not look at the Zoom invitation and there is something about nephew driving grandma around to look at lights and their family is always late to everything anyway so we are off to a fabulous round of family communications. Nephew and mom just dropped off a whole ton of ...

 One solid block of almost SIX hours of sleep, from 1 till just about 7. I was hungry. The not eating at night seems to help about sleep. But I was hungry and by the time I had eaten oatmeal, a slice of pizza, a banana, and both some cocoa and some Nutella, welp going back to sleep did not seem like a good idea. Battery Snow-globe on desk with usual around the neck paraphrenalia Plus I got dishes washed and made it to PCC for some last minute shopping. The place was HOPPING. I am possibly just more cavalier about sanitizing everything than other shoppers, but I think I get to be glad all these people have jobs. And I really appreciated the sun even though the whole outing was tiring. Coming home, first bus said full bus on the readerboard so it was not picking up anyone. That meant the bus that followed picked up everyone. Ummmm.

 Four hours + 3 more If one goes to bed hungry and wakes up starving after 4 hours, OF COURSE it better be acceptable to eat breakfast and then go back to sleep.  The Christmas Lamp lights again Never mind that one will be wanting to eat "lunch" in this case more butternut sage cold pizza at 10 am before a webinar. Just living large. I am not properly counting my blessings though. I am still blissed from being able to deposit checks AND Buy quarters with a live human INSIDE my bank branch the other day. Today's achievement was $10 in the feed hungry families fund at Safeway. I probably should have just bought produce instead of give cash but I hope it will be used for fresh things. Now may I please whine. Tough, actually I did not mean to ask for permission. Two key figures in WCB have stage 3 or 4 cancers. Two friends my age and one younger have or are recovering from COVID. Two are high-risk. Sigh. I think I need to ping the sicker one but I protest. Two friends are gri...

 5 plus 3 hours of sleep. Rest of the Pagliacci pesto salad for breakfast. Dolls that went to the Zoom troll party the other day Text tidings of bathing and much less mountainous deposits of poo from friend recovereing from accident. Physiological milestones told in funny ways that friend does not want ANYONE beyond a small circle even to know about. Fun? Getting ready for a meeting involving budget issues. Trying not to be GRUMPY about not getting the spreadsheets in advance. 

 Solid 5 hours of sleep in one spell and no going back to bed. Christmas tree in plastic box with glitter snow Nothing like people with medical issues and their excretory achievements. Morning texts made me smile and i think my friends appreciate the snark. Watered plants. Showered and dressed but not motivated to wash dishes after getting dressed. There is such a thing as aprons. Having support socks really helps. I had planned to go to the bank but a webinar I could not get into and pouring rain postponed that. So instead I shopped online for the customary socks for my brother in law.

 Somewhere over 7 hours, 4.5 + 2.5 and up in time to dawdle A LITTLE and not be fully dressed in time for 10 am worship. Thank heaven for turning the camera off. Not enough exercise in general but also not really even wanting to munch out on everything I could munch out on. Well, the cheap eggnog at Grocery Outlet... It's a Christmas Lamp Two Zoom Christmas parties last night and two today. One inspired me to check my lamp: why yes, the Christmas lights were still on it from last year. So what if it took several tries as things got darker this afternoon to capture the joy. On the less joyous side,friend and wife still recovering from their SUV vs ped experience nicely retraumatized tonight by crunch and squealing brakes at same corner. I happened to call friend just as wife had gone out to look and photograph. The crash of the month club was bad enough. the Crash of the week club is....

 4.5 plus almost 3 hours so 7+ Get up before noon.  Text with family, friend who just got out of the hospital and her wife. Winter wheel at Wuanita Hot Springs Ranch CO Shower and dress in time for virtual Christmas party. One of the party games: where would you be, what would you be doing.  Lots of votes for Hawaii, Cancun, Turks and Caicos. This hardy lunatic wants to be able to swim in the hot springs pool while it's knowing.  There would also be a bunch of different genres of live musicians take turns doing sets, and a buffet with both vegan and decadent carnivorous options, some steaming pots of soup and also cider or eggnog.

 4+ hours and another almost 3 is 7 hours.  First time up, peed, fed the cat. Attempted phone conversation with my sister, realized that was a bad idea without oatmeal and while underslept. Back to bed after breakfast until almost 10. The Queen of Spades occasionally joins Zoom meetings That meant barely time to shower before phone call with the crip rabblerousers. Then lunch.  Then I wanted another nap.  And my feet are swollen enough that I need to adjust laces so instead it's sandals again. Building holiday party this afternoon. Party in form of goodie bags delivered to our door. Aint COVID  fun!

 3+ hours of sleep and then3+ more so not quite 7 hours It's not fair. I go to bed early, 11 and some change. I wake up early, before 3. I feed cat who really should have to wait until 4. I drink some juice and go back to bed until before 7.  Portion control in the realm of ice cream, mint chip edition Dressed and two calls, three counting holiday plans call with my sister. PB&J for breakfast. But now I am exhausted and starving and can I just go take a nap and think about the wildfire imagery in the end of the DDT  song. Family Christmas day plans are giving me a headache. No, going somewhere to take a walk and then going to our respective abodes to open presents over Zoom does not sound doable to my sister and I dunno about mom. I agree with sister, we really should not try to gather. I WILL figure out logistics of a visit to Mom. I will. I will. Boy do I know how to party. Boy am I sick of COVID. My friend in the hospital who HATES needles was able to do her own bl...

 somewhere close to EIGHT hours.  Wow! The last of the Thanksgiving turkey stock turned into spicy beans and rice stew Should I just aim for hibernation? Other achievements for the day: --wrangled a ton of life forms in fridge that long belong in the compost. --Wash a lot of dishes. --Shower, wash masks and compression socks. --be glad the thing that was making me frantic last night from a friend's texts about her hospital roommate seems manageable. Most optimistic characterization: sincere young woman with goals and aspirations who needs some help steering away from serious "Oh good grief" personal decisions. Anyway, things seem manageable. But friend's wife said she was glad I alerted her. Other than that, late night comedy and fussing some more translating the DDT 2020 song. Like all poetry the DDT song has many layers. Which ones will make it into English.

 Somewhere close to 8 hours, 4+ before oatmeal 2+ after oatmeal and before video counseling appointment.  Sidewalk outside my eye dr's office building Friend who got hit by SUV on Friday had surgery yesterday. She was texting this morning about flashbacks last night but on tap for psych consult today. Good.  I went back to bed after texting and barely made it up and dressed but not hair combed before appointment. Too much fun.

 5 plus 3 hours of sleep. Yesterday's cat food quest turned out to be exhausting. Even a simple two-bus trip should not be attempted on Sundays now just because the run intervals are longer on both routes. I decided to save waiting for 11 w half hour headway and instead to walk 6 blocks carrying actually not that many groceries besides cat food to the #8 with only 20 minute headway. Okay so I also skipped transfer involving impossible sidewalk on madison and I still got dropped off almost at door instead of having to walk 4 blocks from other stop. Holiday Lights but no chairs in the lobby Bus minutia which I am sure everyone not bus dependent. More bus minutia: LOTS of trip cancellations this afternoon due to driver availability issues, sick themselves, taking care of family, just being cautius, other reasons. That amount of exertion should not be as exhausting as it was though. But between that and prayers for my friend and her wife and the cat who is missing his buddy the dog I j...

 4.5 + 3 hours = 7.5 2 bites of dark chocolate at 11:00 not so good for sleep.  Wreath with berries and pinecones Sleeping in until past 11 Ummm Gorgeous fragrant wreath delivered by friend and daughter with more eldercare issues than can be addressed socially distanced outside so pick up the phone call text schedule. THEN make phone call to follow up on text about friend hit by hit and run SUV driver. So tonight for something different, pizza and dry cider and smart blind people zoom.

 I went to bed "early," 12:30 or so and made it until almost 6 so a solid 5.5 hours but I definitely could have slept longer.  We definitely need more Christmas Cactuses I did not shower because of a Zoom starting at 9 and I definitely could use more sleep. Body is definitely complaining both about sleep and no shower. First meeting was well-run. No, I can't try to multitask especially if there are two audio tracks involved. Sigh. Now off to a meeting with MS Teams

Basically six hours of sleep, 4.5 + 2 give or take.  I needed to be up north by 10. 3 buses. A stop on way to second bus at the 4th avenue Bartell's. I scored a chorizo and egg english muffin which would have been more delectable if there had still been a microwave to warm it. Ahhh the #pandemic. Really a drag to see all the boarded up windows downtown. L ong story but I always feel so empowered when I  walk out this sidewalk to the bus stop Despite stop still a  little early for eye dr appointment. Chairs in waiting room are spread out for social distancing. Word of the day plus the usual parameters and dilation is "strabismus," double vision. I have had it basically my whole life or at least since scar tissue got removed from my right eye when I was about 8. That happened one summer while we were in Missoula before we went back to CO. I think better local ophtho was one reason we later moved to the "big city" of Billings.  I think I figured the double vision o...

 5 + 2 hours of sleep. SEVEN total. Alas, that meant getting up at 10, but at least there was time to chat with my sister about holiday shopping. Enough DDT and finishing the crossword puzzle BEFORE starting laundry. 4 loads and enough quarters. I hung what needed to be hung and folded some and just dumped the underwear into a basket. Then I went home, dumped the basket of underwear where it goes and fell into bed saving the rest of the putting away until morning. There really are Christmas Lights in this picture. Can you Find them? They look cooler in the dark I had the laundry room to myself except for the person whose clothes were in one washing machine when I came in. The owner came in as I was leaving. She was all about end times as in the bible. I suggested prayer. That seemed to resonate. I have just been eating instant oatmeal for a few days. Oatmeal makes me so happy but the end of the last batch of homemade is headed for compost along with a bunch of other stuff. This mor...

Four hours of sleep 3-7 plus two more 8-10. Six hours. And instead of sleep, DDT, a Russian band with the earworm of the week      I didn't parse all the words, but something like Heaven  is so close so far.. What we lost in the fires has been washed away in cold rain... The world has completely changed. speaking of cold rain, it is WAY too pukey to go get lemons so I will have to live without until tomorrow and in the mean tine I basically have plenty to eat and exercise will have to be laundry. Note to self: body is STIFF. Congratulations on clean cat box For explanation of band's name another blog post Khabarovsk you are not alone post with DDT

5.5 plus 3 hours = 8.5 hours of sleep Yesterday's webinar As we are  grassroots event ASL , deaf, protactile 'terps. Adjust zoom session so people can lip read the 'terp.voicing theASL Today disrupting ableism via hastings center. laywer of academic intro... New sidewalk near me flourish augmentative and alternative communications medical social disability justice /disability liberation victime sterotype villian super crip

 almost Sis hours of sleep counting going back to bed. Of course that added up to bad timing for worship(s) and ARE(s) and barely time for a shower including decision to miss the As We are disability Justice webinar. Saturday Photo Op See the Cat Nap Cool events including very inclusive adaptations of Zoom capabilities regarding accessibility for people with a number of different ways of dealing with hearing loss. Tonight I am missing having gone to worship though. Rats.

 4.5 hours of sleep and not even any desire to go back to sleep. I still moved too slowly to get a shower, but I had some of the lovely plate of food my neighbor brought over last nigh. I gave her ONE lemon and she brought a plate of injera, spicy meat, salad. I had already eaten but it made good breakfast even cold.  Disability justice webinar, blind geeks via zoom and nephew turning 20. Lots of Zoom. Good thing I do not feel like eating much. I was going to go to Walgreen's but...

 Five hours the first stint and 2.5 more after breakfast. Trying to get motivated to do the dishes. Recently awarded recognition from WCB A phone call where someone else needs to pick up on of the hats. Another fabulous "I didn't tell you about my day" conversation with someone who is SLOWLY making progress about tools and skills. It is wearing to talk to him but he is making progress. So what if he is willing to have me email out his phone but not able to focus enough to use the email option he has and instead is waiting on more training. Plus he is saying all the right buzzwords so I can tell he is interacting with the Voc rehab system. That like another call means frequent turnover of personnel and not always staff who know what they are doing. Welcome to continuing revelation er ongoing education.

 5.5 hours of sleep.  Two almost bare trees Not even the same must go back to bed inertia as yesterday though it would have been good to get the dishes washed. So much for resolve to wash what piles up every day. Okay try again. Two different both helpful Zoom calls early in the afternoon and a bus ride up north to fetch three weeks worth of mail I can live without mail order catalogs....Also in mail. Certificate recognizing me in name of two ... who died awhile ago for outstanding advocacy. Not me, all of us. I have bigger feet than... but it will take all of us to fill their shoes. I have been taking an ibuprofen every morning and that seems to help a lot about morning achiness, as in achiness worse on the day after I don't take it and I usually take it after waking up. Also trying to be religious about morning stretches. I just read an old post and achiness was mentioned way back in July. Since then I have had two negative COVID tests so probably achiness, lethargy are rela...

Somewhere over 8 hours of sleep. blossoms blossoms Admittedly sleeping until 12:45 pm on a bright sunny day is a waste of sunshine but my body feels enough better that I am glad grabbed that last 45 minute or so.

 Darned close to 8 hours of sleep. The Queen of Spades Icebreaker from last night's meeting: how are you staying sane during COVID? Sleeping and staying in good graces with the cat. Morning stretches AND moderately vigorous exercise doing Thanksgiving part 2, dressing as God intended with more vegetables, less salt and more sage than the previous version. Cranberry sauce from berries in the freezer and pumpkin cheesecake bars the perfect thing to do with the giant block of cream cheese I was still working on from Grocery Outlet. I am glad for the aerobic activity but I am vexed by swelling legs. Put support socks on first thing in the morning. Toddler across the hall has learned to stand and look for the kitty AND not try to chase her. Grandma says they could go out and play in the sunshine but toddler does not want to put on pants and shoes. Wise grandma and big sunshine in the hallway anyway. Oops. I thought I had simple message but it generated 3 encyclopedia length emails from ...