April Greetings

Insomnia is a wicked eight-lettered word that deprives us of our REM whilst guaranteeing that we will exhibit a beastly disposition the following morning. Insomnia has cast its cruel spell upon me tonight. I am relatively awake despite an ample dosage of sleeping meds.

I accomplished some painting over the weekend; the downstairs stairwell, landing and upper hall are roughly complete. I still have some cut-in painting to do as well as the very top of the landing (which is over twelve feet in height.) I allowed Better Half to select the color (after I narrowed the choices down to a few samples), and I am delighted to find it works well. It did not help to hear Better Half’s comments after I had completed 95% of the job; he quipped, “It reminds me of baby poop.” Need I remind him that he chose this color?

I also changed out the ancient light fixtures in the stairwell and upstairs hall. Cloth wires are sinister to work with.

I have occupied some time (and padded my wallet) with a part time job. This had kept me fairly busy, much to the annoyance of several of my friends (whom seem to be of the opinion that I am at their beck and call whenever they are in need of me.) I should quantify that: only one person is giving birth to kittens over the whole affair.

My body is not tolerating the physical exertion well. My feet, already a source of pain due to skeletal and tendon issues, keep my in agony (which is also contributing to my insomnia tonight.) Finding shoes that fit well and give the support that I require is easier said than done. I am basically working through the pain until I can find something that will alleviate the problem.

Better Half has endured his own trials. His cough, persistent since January, affects his quality of life to the point where he can not do much of anything. His twit of a primary care professional (a LPN with poor bedside manner) actually suggested that he cease taking his HPB medications to alleviate the symptoms, as a side effect of his particular med is a dry cough. This irked me seven ways to Sunday, dear Readers, as his high blood pressure is barely controlled with the med. To suddenly stop taking it without any other medication would be detrimental to his health. I put my foot down and demanded that he call the clinic and explain his BP readings prior to taking his normal med; the nurse on duty panicked and contacted the LPN, who promptly ordered him a new medication.

He has a week to go with the “borrowed” CPAP machine and then they will assign him his own unit. I enjoy villains of all walks, but sleeping with Darth Vader is unique. The machine itself is absolutely silent while running, however Better Half has to wear a mask and headgear. It’s rather cute, I must say.

We have been benefiting from our front porch; bird watching in early spring is always a treat. We have a Downy Woodpecker pair that seems to enjoy our food offerings. Our doves returned, as have the various finches and wrens. The grackles also returned but they seem kept at bay by a pair of feisty cowbirds.