Break The Diet But Not The Bank

Tonight, after a healthy dinner (a soup of tom yum broth, napa cabbage, carrots, garbanzo beans, and brown rice with grapes for dessert) my stomach kept telling me it wasn't satisfied. I tried to ignore the messages, but when Hubby Tony said he was going to the grocery store for a couple of things I asked which one. 

One of the local chains (Schnucks) sells single slices of cake. That's where Tony was headed. I told him to bring me home the piece of cake with the most icing he could find, and he would get bonus points if it was an edge piece with swirly decorations on the side.

When Tony returned I rummaged through the bag as he hung up his jacket. He apologized that there were no edge pieces available, but thought that sprinkles would make up for it. I was impressed with both his choice and his shopping skills.

Five years ago today: Computer Generated Chirography

A Real Pain In The A(nkle)

For the most part my sprained ankle issues have resolved themselves, but the bony protrusion on the outer edge was still very painful and swollen. Two nights ago I was sitting on the floor organizing some items, and when I got up I accidentally smacked that protrusion against a chair. I was in agony for hours!

I've also had trouble finding shoes that didn't rub on the sore spot. My options were my trusty Birkenstock sandals (which weren't a great choice with the chilly mid-40 degree weather the past few days) or a pair of slip-ons that made my feet hurt because they didn't have good arch support. When my sore feet led to a sore lower back I knew it was time to get help. 

 Yesterday I called Dr. Chiropractor's office right after it opened and got an appointment for this morning. During the appointment he poked, prodded, and twisted the sore area, then told me my ankle bursa (a fluid-filled sac that cushions the bone when it moves) was inflamed. The common name for the condition was bursitis.

As a treatment, he suggested I soak my foot and ankle in Epsom salts and apply Icy Hot pain reliever at bedtime. Before I left the office, Dr. Chiropractor used a hand held massager to stimulate the area around the bursa, gave me a standard adjustment, then ended by using the massager on my back.

Later in the day I realized that the area already felt better. It didn't hurt unless I pressed directly on it. Hubby Tony and I took a walk, and I was able to move more freely than I had in weeks. Back at home I treated both feet to a soak and did preventive maintenance on the calluses and cuticles. When I was done both my ankle and my feet were happy.

Five years ago today: Dedicated For Data

Perfect Poundage

This week I have to mail a  package to Alabama.

In preparation, today I boxed the item up and then used my kitchen scale to weigh it. The package was right on the border of being too heavy for First Class (which, according the Post Office website, is the best way to send something if it's 13 ounces or less. Otherwise the class isn't cost effective.) 

The handy USPS Retail Postage Price Calculator showed that I had multiple mailing options, but I needed the package to get there relatively quickly and decided that Priority was the best choice. As a bonus, the rate also comes with tracking and enough insurance to cover the cost of the item I was sending.

Priority pricing kicks in when a package is 14 ounces or more. I needed to add a little extra weight to get my box over the minimum.

Later in the day I was out in the neighborhood and walked past a place where the city recently replaced the sidewalk. As they do, when the job was finished the workers added new topsoil and grass seed in the area that had been dug up. Several pieces of the crushed stone base had worked their way up to the top of the soil. I brought home one of the pieces, slid it into my box, and weighed the whole thing again. Now the box was easily within the Priority class, but not excessively.

I wonder if the person receiving the box will wonder why there's a rock in there?

Five years ago: No Phone. No Problem?

There's Got To Be A Catch

One of the benefits of subscribing to Amazon Prime is getting free two-day shipping. If not, as long as the order totals $25 it will take five days for the package to arrive with no shipping fee.

If the items don’t add up to $25, there are sites (like FillerChecker.com and CheapFiller.com) where you can enter the amount you need for free shipping and get suggestions. Or you can search on the Amazon website for filler items under [price point of your choice]. 

For fun, I looked to see what was available for under one dollar. There were items from just about every department, but the vast majority of them did not qualify for free shipping. However, I'm sure the quality of the $0.01 ring was worth the $3.95 shipping cost :-)

 Five years ago: There's A Name For Everything!

What Do Long-Distance Grandparents Do?

Visit the grandchildren, of course!

Hubby Tony and I just returned from two weeks in California. Since the last trip was weighed heavily towards Son Tony's Central Valley family, this time we spent most of the time with Brian's family in the San Jose area. Brian was on a business trip for the first four days we were there, and DIL Nicole appreciated the extra adult hands.  The first weekend I got to see Grandson Jay's baseball game and have quality time with twins Ell and Dee. The second weekend was a 6th birthday party for Jay.

During the week in between, Tony and I picked up a rental car and tooled around the area. We never got farther than three hours away from Brian's, but we had a great time. First, we stopped in Morgan Hill for lunch and a little window shopping. We kept going, and that night we slept in Gilroy, the self-proclaimed Garlic Capital of the World.

The next day we walked around Gilroy's downtown area, looked at their historical buildings, had some great Mexican food, and indulged in a local specialty: 

Just a subtle garlic taste

On Wednesday we visited Mission San Juan Bautista (which still functions as a Catholic church) and the city around it.

San Juan Bautista-Wikipedia

After the Mission we headed towards the coast, jumped off the highway in Carmel for lunch, then drove farther up the coast to the Point Sur Light Station and State Historic Park. There we joined a group of people on a walking tour to the top of the hill, where we got to go into the light house and other buildings and learn about the history of the area.

From Point Sur we drove to Monterey, where we checked into the historic Monterey Hotel. We have already been to the Monterey Aquarium multiple times, so we spent Thursday looking at the city's beautiful architecture, strolling along the oceanfront trail, and meandering around Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf.

 Friday morning we checked out of the hotel. Our original plan was to take a scenic route home, but when we got a text from Brian that they needed some help with afternoon childcare we headed to their house in a more direct manner, arriving back shortly after lunch.

Five years ago: One Year Old (And Wonderful)

Bound And Ready To Go

I realized that I never told you about the resolution of my ankle woes.

The boot I received at the urgent care did the trick, but it was bulky, hard to move around in, and wouldn't allow me to drive. When I learned about a highly recommended compression brace I tried it out and never looked back.

The brace was a long elastic strap with a foot loop on one end and a big piece of Velcro on the other. The inside of the elastic had wavy silicone lines, which kept the whole thing in place.

To put it on, I stepped into the loop and stood on it to hold it in place, then started wrapping the strap (silicone side in) around my foot and ankle like an ace bandage. To secure the strap, I stuck the Velcro to the strap.

The wrap completely stabilized my ankle without being bulky. I could walk (albeit more slowly than normal), do things around the house, and even drive short distances. Yesterday I realized that my ankle was getting better and even took it off for an hour or so.

Five years ago: Mouse Control

You Never Know

Sitting by the window of her room in the convent, Sister Barbara opened a letter from home one evening. Inside the letter was a $100 bill her parents had sent.

Sister Barbara smiled at the gesture. As she read the letter, she noticed a shabbily dressed stranger leaning against the lamp post below.

Quickly, she wrote, "Don't despair. Sister Barbara," on a piece of paper, wrapped the $100 bill in it, got the man's attention and tossed it out the window to him. The stranger picked it up, and with a puzzled expression and a tip of his hat, went off down the street.

The next day, Sister Barbara was told that a man was at her door, insisting on seeing her. She went down, and found the stranger waiting. Without a word, he handed her a huge wad of $100 bills.

"What's this?" she asked. "That's the $8,000 you have coming Sister," he replied. "‘Don't Despair’ paid 80-to-1."

Public Domain Vectors

Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me

This afternoon I was low on energy and decided to take a quick nap. I set the timer on my phone for 20 minutes, removed my glasses, and stretched out on the bed. Just when I was getting comfortable I felt a fly crawling across my legs.

UGH!

I covered my body with a sheet, reset the timer, and got comfortable again. The fly started crawling across my face. 

DOUBLE UGH!

I grabbed a towel and swaddled my face so everything was covered but my nose and mouth. I reset the timer for a third time and got as comfortable as I could, given that darn near every part of my body was wrapped up. As I was drifting off to sleep I could hear the fly buzzing around my face, but that didn't bother me at all. As a matter of fact, I was happy to have thwarted its attempts.

Taco, Taco, Taco

This morning my email had messages from Chipotle, Qdoba, and Uncle Julio's informing me that today was National Taco Day. Of course, each of the 'Mexican' restaurants invited me to come there and celebrate.

Instead, Hubby Tony and I searched out a taqueria that was so authentic we were the only non-Hispanic customers. The chips were crisp, the salsa was spicy, and the tacos were authentic.

Much better than any chain place.

Dressing For The Season?

Hubby Tony and I went to Mass at a different church this morning. As we settled into our pew I looked across the aisle and noticed an older woman dressed in a fascinating manner.

Except for the top half of her face, she was completely covered. On the bottom half she wore a flowing white cotton skirt long enough to touch the top of her tan ankle boots. On top, a white shawl was layered over an ecru-colored fleece top, with a green-and-white striped scarf draped around her neck.

From my seat I couldn't tell if the gloves she had on were cloth or plastic, but the large green hat was straw. The lower portion of her face was covered with a green mask. When she turned to the side I could see the center of the mask contained a large image of Jesus with his Sacred Heart.

On it's own the whole outfit was very interesting, but given that it is Ordinary Time (the stretch between Easter and Christmas) in the Catholic Church, and green is the liturgical color for the season, was it a coincidence that the woman chose the outfit, or did she dress for the season?

Five years ago: Designed For A Door