phyncke

 I just made this icon I am using because I am rewatching Stranger Things on Netflix again. I just love that show. The ensemble cast and the storyline - it is just so good. I really hope they don't ruin it. It is such an amazing show. Anyways. Here is Hopper finding the bug in his house. LOL. All the characters in this show are amazing. Winona Ryder is especially good as Joyce Byers too. Just love her. And the kids. Just good on so many levels. 

So I am finishing up work for the holidays next week. We are done at noon on Wednesday. I have been having knee issues - having pain there and went to an orthopedic surgeon (referred by my doctor) and he wants to do an MRI next week. I am getting that done on Wednesday afternoon. Trying to get this done before the holidays. The ortho (a very handsome man) said I likely don't need surgery so that was good. He will know more with the MRI. I cannot do much with this knee - it hurts to walk any distance at all. So it is impeding my life. Kind of sucks. 

I am doing another pandemic Christmas this year. Not going anywhere - no East Coast trip or anything like that. Staying put and doing not too much. I feel like things are getting bad again with covid and it is better not to risk a plane trip right now. So better not to do that. My dad is in the rehab place recovering from a fall (broken bone) and it just seems better to stay here. So going to do that. I hope to go visit next summer 2022. 

Work is hard to predict. I do all these lectures - not sure if those will actually happen or not - given the pandemic. I saw that Robert Reich just posted that he expects to be teaching remotely this spring - and he teaches at Berkeley - so that is an indicator of how things might go. I have to see what January looks like. So will see. If I have to pull the plug on these lectures - I will do that. Have to be safe. If things keep going this way - I don't think people will want to be in a room with 100's of other people. So there is that. 

So that is all I have. Hope you are doing well there with your holiday preparations. I am looking forward to the turn of the year. Bring on 2022. Let's do that and let this all go. On to better things, I hope. Be well and comments are welcome. 

PS - not sure I have time to do the fiction swap this time. I have to see. I hate sitting out but I have a lot going on with work. 

For a bit of medical madness. Let me explain.

So I am at work and doing my morning thing, which is putting on my make up in the bathroom when I get there. That way I am on time AND my make up is not messed up. Got it? Anyway. I look at my lips and there is a bit of a blue tint to them in the light. I look closely and it is unmistakable. I make a mental note and apply my lipstick. Moving right along. I periodically check it throughout the day and the blue color remains.

Tuesday, election day, lips are blue still. So your resourceful online friend here goes to google and types in "lips turning blue" as a symptom. All sorts of FRIGHTENING things pop up---lack of blood oxygenation, hemoglobin issues, cardiac issues...long list of things. I begin to convince myself that something is really WRONG and get that cold and clammy sick feeble feeling. All the sites say "This information is not medical advice and should not be taken as such." yada yada yada.

So my day is really busy and I have tons to do and so I keep working and go vote and then go home in the late afternoon to call my doctor, J*** and my mom, in that order. The medical staff at my doctor interviews me and I must have been convincing because they consult with the doctor there and they want me in RIGHT AWAY. I will go in that evening. Then, as I am talking with mi madre, I happen to glance into my bathroom and I see on the sink there...my BRIGHT BLUE bottle of el cheapo mouthwash (from Long's Drug's, specifically the Long's brand). I had bought this about a week ago and started using it. Light dawns and I realize the source of the blue tint to my lips.

THE CHEAPO MOUTHWASH of the bright blue variety

Upon examination of the ingredients, I find that there is something called "blue dye 1" which must be the cause of the mouth issue and it also has saccharin which explains the tinny taste in my mouth that I was sensing. Now it is close to the appointment time and too late to cancel so I take the bottle along to my doctor's office, rather sheepishly and have to explain the whole thing to the cute on call guy. I will digress enough to say, he was a hottie and it was a pleasure to laugh about this with him.

He agreed that the mouthwash was the likely culprit and we had a good chuckle. He said it was unlikely that I was having blood oxygen issues as my color was so good and I was not experiencing numbness anywhere else (fingertips...etc). He did give me some advice on flu prevention with echinacea and sent me on my way.

I threw the mouthwash away in the parking lot trash can across the street, at the supermarket. Stopped there to get cat litter.

All is well that ends well and be warned...don't buy the cheapo mouth wash.

You may now go back to the election.

Oh the pain it will continue...

Up and down here. I have been icing and going for walks and doing this and that. I managed to.

*shower
*walk around the park
*clean the cat box
*cook lunch and dinner
*keep the apartment reasonably clean

Not that bad. I was really stiff and sore this morning and walking helped a lot. I think it is true that walking helps you stay flexible.

So enough about me. On to the men.

Here is one from stormmodels.com. I picked him because the pic looked like it was out of starwars. All Obi Wan and shit.

( Obi Wan my heart... )

That is all I got. I go to the chiro tomorrow. Will update. Thank you all for the good wishes. I have the bestest friendslist. You guys totally rock.

Over and out. *static* *end transmission*