Rest, Recovery, and Whatever

 Traveling went well, overall. The trip to Pueblo, CO, took about 13 1/2 hours of time, with a few break for potties, gas, and we stopped at one point for lunch  just to get out of the vehicle for more than 30 minutes, by having lunch in Albuquerque at a Denny's.

Services on Saturday were nice. Not that I know how a Celebration of Life service could/should go, but I heard from family members that there were more people there than they expected. Is that good when you are dead, I don't know.

Thirteen and a half hours drive time total (with stops) to get there. I did the best I could, especially considering I was driving roads and areas I had never been before. The return trip was cutting the time down to 12 1/2 hours, mostly because it was downhill, plus I was driving faster, knowing the route and roads by that point.

Though this was an Aunt on the Wife's side of the family, a death always makes me think. Do I have my wants/needs/requirements in order for when I go? The drive left too much time for reflection on these terms, and still, nothing is resolved. I think I should just devote a journal/notebook to the wants and wishes of (when I die) and say fuck all to the rest. I know, though, that that is not fair to my Wife. Maybe... What if ... When I die, maybe no one will need to know, and my body will be donated to science so no one has to cremate my remains. I hate the thought of anyone saving my ashes, or "feeling the need" to spread them somewhere (at a bar?).

Morbid thoughts tonight.

RM said lots of prayers for our safe travel, and they panned out. Appreciate it Mom! Might be headed South this coming Saturday to Tucson to visit the grandkids, but not sure. I know I'm kinda tired of driving right now, but I can't see them if I don't go. Sigh.

Well, enough griping for now....

PeacE

Travel-Time

 Tomorrow, I want to be on the road by 5am, but I know that is not going to happen. No matter how ready I am, the Wife will take longer to be ready to roll out at the time I want. This afternoon I need to get out and wash/vacuum the Rav, then head to Walgreens to pick up yet another prescription that is ready for me. Then I should top off the fuel tank, and head back home. Packing will be light, so won't take but a couple minutes to put that together. My CPAP and essentials will be packed quickly into their respective containers in the morn.

I'm still not really thrilled about this trip. Usually I don't mind them, but I just have weird vibes about this one. I am hoping it is not a premonition of something bad happening....

Not much else to throw out here...

PeacE

It's Almost Been a Week ...

 ... since I last posted. Not much has happened, so I haven't wasn't valuable time posting drivel in here - except now I am.

Got the Youngest set-up on the insurance. Damn it is expensive now. Now it is time for him to really start looking for a job. I don't know if he has done any online applications, but he hasn't driven solo anywhere all week. Today he is doing his first solo drive, by going to spend some time with his girlfriend. I'm a bit nervous, after all, it is his first solo run.

My appointment last Monday pretty much went the way I figured. No changes to the BP meds. My A1C was down to 6.5 and she said it was good, so no med changes there. Did the lab blood draw, and a few days later was called to say that they were not changing the cholesterol pill either. So it was a trip that probably did not need to happen. Sigh.

Friday early we will be hitting the road to head to Pueblo. I got all the addresses for the Aunt to pick up, the hotels, the church for the event. I'm still not entirely happy about the timing of the whole trip. I would rather take an extra day in traveling, but the Wife could only get the one day off. At least the 10-day forecasts I checked for northern AZ and the Pueblo area show fairly nice weather, though I still may throw the snow chains in for emergency.... if I can find them.

Welp, that's all I got now.

PeacE

The Dreaded Trip

 I have never liked going to the doctor's office - for any reason. Growing up, it was clean the wound, slap some bag balm and a band-aid on it until it healed. If you were sick, take some Pepto-Bismol and lay down for a little bit. Headache? Take some aspirin. Doctor's and hospitals were for broken bones and life-threatening emergencies. But now, I have to see on every three months - six if I get lucky. They claim it is because I have a chronic disease (diabetes) therefore cannot go longer than six months with out a check-up. I call BS, but the other option is to just cancel the appointment, and the prescriptions end and they won't renew until I go in. Sigh.

Anyways, this morning I have to go in. There will be lab work, and blood drawn, so I am fasting this morning until afterwards. At least I will be dropping one of the meds she wanted me to take for the insomnia. Gabapentin, a neuropathy drug, is going away. It helped with my insomnia bouts for about the first 2- 21/2 weeks...then it did nothing for sleeping, but was leaving me with some balance issues. I am lucky with the few times I actually fell, that I didn't break anything, just bruised the ego if it was in public. I am hoping to change up one of the diabetic meds (Rybelus) to the higher dosage (14mg) and get my A1C down just a tad more. I think the last test I was down to 6.2 or 6.3, so hoping to get under 6 and off the radar, so to speak.

There will come the regular denials as well: no to the ultra-sound of the liver; no to the cardiologist she wants me to see for the heart murmur I have had since born basically. I won't be surprised if she comes up with more things as well.... shingles vaccine? That's asked by the pharmacy half the time I go in for meds.... Speaking of, I know I need to get there today to pick up a couple that are ready already. There will be at least a couple more trips back this week as she updates new meds, and the other get filled.

I need to get an email off to the insurance agent to day, to get the Youngest added to the insurance. I'll have to wait until I can get his DL # before I can do that. I need to write out the places and addresses for traveling in a couple weeks, plus confirmation numbers for the hotel, etc, so I have it all in one place and not have to scramble trying to find the email on my phone. We are supposed to have some precipitation by the end of this week, so then I will be checking weather conditions for road closures or tire-chain requirements. Hoping the snow won't be too deep the few days before we leave, and most will melt off.

Welp, I guess that is about all I got going on currently.

PeacE

Good News. Bad News.

 I never understood why people ask the question, "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?". I guess I'm just a 'rip the band-aid off' type of guy, and would respond "Just tell me".

Well, the Youngest Son went for his road test for his drivers license yesterday ... and he passed. Good. Now he has the transportation to get out and find a job. Good. I need to get with my insurance agent, and have them "shop me around" to find a good deal for the coverages I want, and adding him as an 18 year-old driver to the policy... that's going to add some money being spent. Bad. Then there is the worrying I'll do as a parent for the first few weeks (months?) about him being safe on the road, etc. Bad.

I just booked the hotel for our trip to Pueblo. Sigh. Of course, prices from yesterday to today have increased. Welp, still need to stay somewhere, so I booked it before it rises again. The Wife tossed me a curveball this morning. She says I had offered, if needed, to pick up another of her aunts from Cottonwood, AZ, and take with us. I recall no such verbal anything that I said that. That will add an additional hour+ to the already long drive. What are her 2-night overlay plans, since we have a hotel already? Well, allegedly the Aunt will make her own arrangements. So now I wonder, how far all over Pueblo am I going to have to drive, between our hotel, the Aunt's stay (be it relative or hotel), the church.... So frustrating. But I caved-in to the Wife. It's what she wants, and if she's happy, my life is easier.

So, this trip is in two weeks from today, basically. What else is going to be added before we even get on the road?

Bah!

PeacE

Today Is A Big Day For Him...

 For the better part of the last three years, the Youngest has "fought" against learning to drive, and getting his license. When he was 16, I did make him get the permit (written test) which he still dragged his feet about the studying for it, etc. I think it was about last summer, after graduating high school, he realized, that he really needed to get his license in order to find/get to employment. Well, today could be that day. His road test is scheduled for noon. And after some driving with him a small amount earlier this week, I admit he is mostly ready for this ... just, somethings he does that bother me - but maybe that is just more me, than anything wrong.

If he passes, I am not wanting to think how much the insurance rates will go up once I get that fixed.... sigh. At least we had a vehicle for him already, and I don't have to try to find time and money to purchase another.

Not a lot going on for me. Dr. appointment on Monday (includes a lab draw) so been trying to not go to the pub (she always gripes about the liver enzyme activity is high in my blood, and always blames it on alcohol). We'll adjust some medications, and hopefully that will be it.

One of the Wife's aunts passed away recently. The end of last week, Wife mentioned she would like to go the Celebration of Life that is taking place for this aunt on the 22nd. Since I never try to tell my Wife no when it comes to her wanting to do things, I said there was no problem about her going. Yes there is... it is being held in Pueblo, CO, which is approximately 12 hours drive from Phoenix (closer to 14 for gas, etc). Oh boy. So she got the Friday off work, and I will be driving there and back in a three-day window. I am sure I will be exhausted by the time we arrive back home. Today I need to book a hotel for a couple nights there. Winter weather doesn't seem to have been too bad this year, and the route I am taking if major interstates, so hopefully won't have to deal with chains, or closed roads.

I crashed pretty hard tonight. I think I laid down about 5:30pm, and slept through until 11:30p (no edible needed) and am headed back to bed shortly after I finish this. I only got up to get a drink and use the bathroom, but then I thought I should add to the ol' blog.

PeacE

Just Another Day (Except I am SO TIRED)

 So here it is, just before 7am on a wonderful Saturday morning that I could be sleeping in on. But no, not in the cards for me. Wide awake all night.

The VFW is having a ground-breaking ceremony this morning, to introduce the 'small houses' for Vets that Glendale has been supporting us on. It's just the ground breaking, but at least it is getting started. I had not volunteered for any of it, but since I am awake this early, I may head over there soon, to see if they need assistance in setting up the Hall, or whatever, for the smuckity-smucks (local gov't). I got pros/cons about them, but at least it finally is getting started (allegedly).

I think later today will find me back at home taking a nap, but who knows for sure....

PeacE