I usually don’t start a blog until late afternoon Monday, after my laundry & weekly chores are done. Then I sit on it overnight, proofread it Tuesday morning and get it posted by 9am.
This Monday is different. I jumped out of bed exactly one hour ago (the only day I don’t want to sleep in I do—why is that?) and put on a pair of sweat shorts, grabbed my laundry basket and ran down the hall.
Every floor in my apartment building has it’s own laundry room, one washer, one dryer, sink, folding table. A calendar hangs on the wall where everyone is scheduled 4 hours to do their laundry. Mine is Monday, 8am – 12pm.
Anyway—I get down there, and on the washer is a handmade sign in black marker. “WASHER IS BROKEN, SOMEONE SHOULD CALL SOMEONE.” My face immediately gets hot. If I knew who put this damn sign up, I’d fix them! There’s a sign right above the washer & dryer that says:
For immediate service, call: 412-367-2222 – We answer 7 days a week
I stomp out of there and get halfway back to my apartment before I stop and tell myself to calm down. I should just be glad someone bothered to hang an out-of-order sign. I get into my apartment, make the call—I’m told someone is on the way. I undress and head into the bathroom to take a shower. And that’s when I notice the ceiling tile above my shower head is half-soaked with water and curved downward, ready to fall in.
(Thirty years ago they installed cooling units into all the apartments by putting them in the bathroom ceilings, then installed drop ceilings into the bathrooms to cover everything up.)
From what I’ve been told, they’re not supposed to leak! (I’m being sarcastic.) Mine has leaked 3 times this summer. In July they had to replace half the damn ceiling! This is the fourth time since May.
I email the above photo to Nicole, my building’s maintenance manager. I was almost hoping she’d call or write back with something snarky, but she couldn’t have been nicer. She called me minutes ago and said she got permission to hire an outside service, she will accompany them here today.
That’s great news--what was I getting so mad about?
Last week was my “3 doctors, 3 days in a row” appointments. I was expecting my PCP’s replacement to be the sour, condescending Doctor Ahman, but was greeted with a lovely Lebanese woman, Doctor Nevratiti. I told her it’d be easier to call her Queen Nefertiti and she laughed and told me to go right ahead. My God, she even looks like a Pharoah’s wife!
The rest of the visit didn’t go as well, unfortunately. All the weight I lost last summer (when my TMJD was at it’s worst and I was unable to chew for 4 months) I’ve gained back. My high blood pressure has been recategorized to Stage 2 Hypertension, and I am going from one medication, 2 pills daily to 2 medications, 5 pills daily. Carvedidol (doubled) and a new drug, Amlodipine.
I asked if this was a 3 month thing, and Queen Nefertiti asked where I got that idea. I said “Well uh… my urologist put me on a 3 month regimen of Tamusolin.” She said no, no—I’ll be taking the hypertension medication the rest of my life. Bummer.
And finally, speaking of bright ideas… yesterday while looking at Youtube videos on my tablet, I was surprised to see one labeled:
Watch Rachel Maddow Highlights: August 20th | MSNBC
I thought “Should I watch this? I love Rachel but she does get my dander up… “
It’s been weeks since I’ve seen her show though, so I said what the hell and watched it on my TV, pretending I had cable news again. Rachel was criticizing Fox News for telling its viewers to ingest LIVESTOCK MEDICATION to prevent Covid; more specifically, Ivermectin—a horse dewormer.
Apparently, those loyal viewers of Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity & Laura Inghram were doing just that, too. It wasn’t curing or preventing covid, but if they had worms…
Y’know, I thought this would anger me but truth be told, I laughed about it the rest of the day!
I hope everyone has a happy FOX-FREE Monday!
I think sometimes we're predisposed to get mad. When I get up later than I want to and then want to accomplish something that gets thwarted, I find myself on edge and snippy. I'm sorry about your doc appointment; I dread going to mine. I hope my numbers are at least OK. A couple decades ago I NEVER worried about that when I went for my yearly check up. And I've become fearful of my mammogram too--not because it hurts (it's no big deal) but because so many I know have had breast cancer. Ugh. Mondays can be downers even when retired, eh? I HATE LEAKS!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Margaret--well, I'm honestly trying to see the humor in things more, or at least in a more positive light--I can't afford to get cranky or angry anymore! Anyway I hope your next numbers are ok too, the older we get the more likely we are to hear what we don't want to. At least I have 2 men in my bathroom repairing that leak as I speak :)
DeleteWell, I am glad that you have a sense of humor. I hope it carries you for the rest of the week. That Queen Nefertiti joke made me smile. I once read a novel about her when I was in the 7th grade and it stayed with me all that time. She did have a long neck. Anyway, I hope you have good luck with Amlodipine, because I had to get off it when it caused swelling of the ankles and calf of my right leg.
ReplyDeleteYou're exactly right Gigi, and thank you! Trying to keep that sense of humor, you know what they say about laughter being the best medicine. I appreciate your input too about the Amlodipine, I thought of you when Nefertiti said she was putting me on it, she DID say it can cause "fluid rentention" issues. (I have that exact same problem in my left leg.)
DeleteGlad you aren't getting grief about the ceiling and it will be fixed. The good thing about the laundry is that you didn't fill the tubs then learn they didn't work. But you all ready saw that positive.
ReplyDeleteBummer about your BP and hope the new meds work with no side effects.
Did hear about the crazy folks taking a worm med for Covid. Where do these people come up with such stuff? That is the med I give my dog to prevent heart worms. Must be the same folks that convinced Trump that ingesting disinfectant would kill Covid.
Keep smiling Doug.
Patti, thanks for the very nice comment here you always make me smile :^) I am trying to stay upbeat, who needs a stroke? That BP stuff scares me. As for those people who took that worm medication... darn it I'm laughing again! I hope they're okay!!
DeleteI have found it is most often harder to stay mad than to just get over it and move on. I think it has served me well over the years. Blogging about it helps to move on too!
ReplyDeleteVery true Ed, you're right on both counts. I need to write this down or make a sampler and hang it on my wall! Thanks!
DeleteWould you believe I wrote a post about Ivermectin for Wednesday? And yes, I heard it first on Rachel Maddox too actually. I write my blog posts all one week in advance. Otherwise, I get stressed. My mom was put on Amlodipine by her new doctor. She used to be on Simvastatin. Amlodipine has been so much better for her. I think Art was on Tamulosin too. Oh wait. That's Flomax and he does take that. Hmmm... We must be of that certain age where we're comparing medication. :-D
ReplyDeleteOh nuts! I already told you about mom and Amlodipine. Oops!
DeleteKay you remind me of these famous newspaper columnists like Dear Abby or Erma Bombeck, they always had a week's worth of columns too. Good for you, but I can see why you do it, you pretty much blog daily! I hope you still publish your piece about the horse drug though, I'm glad I wasn't the only one who saw that. And I appreciate you reminding me about your mom, I did not remember that but I'm glad she's handling it okay, that gives me some hope here. Also, Art's Flomax and my Tamsulosin are the same drug :^)
DeleteI just read your post to Art. He’s now chuckling as he goes off to bed. My post on ivermectin goes up tomorrow. Good night.
DeleteThis is exactly why I don't watch shows that upset me. I watch a lot of comedy and Disney or silly English sit-coms these days. I don't have a BP problem, but don't want one... and the news alone can up my BP these days. So far I'm 76 and don't take anything (except Vit D3 - when I remember and a Tylenol when needed for headache).
ReplyDeleteAnd I can't believe that anyone (with any common sense) would take livestock meds!
(most be the same people that still think Covid is a hoax)
Rian, you definitely have the right idea regarding watching stressful tv--it's one of the reasons I gave up cable, to get myself off of the news-wheel. Are you the one who subscribes to Brit-Box? I've been thinking about that one. Also, that is great that you're not on any meds, I envy you. I'm not giving up hope just yet. :^)
DeleteYes, we do like Brit Box, but you might check out Acorn too.
DeleteI will, thanks Rian! :^)
DeleteAnd here I was, thinking that apartment dwellers are free of maintenance issues. That homemade sign made me laugh. I wonder if it was meant to be funny. Bummer about your weight and BP, Doug. (I would recommend a whole food-plant based experiment. Worked for me.) I heard Rachael's pod cast that mentioned the veterinary medicine. Seriously???, I thought. Oh, and I highly recommend Brit-Box.
ReplyDeleteFlorence, now I can see the humor in that sign--this morning, not so much! But at least everything is right again... for awhile at least. :^) I know you're a serious vegan, but I feel like I've given up everything I enjoy (vaping, soda, sweets, MSNBC) and meat is the last thing I've got left! But I am considering signing up for one of those healthy food in a box subscriptions... there's a lot of them out there.
DeleteDoug, I love it "don’t get mad, get glad"! Good advice and you show that having a positive attitude does make a difference. It is difficult when you do the same thing every week at the same time, and suddenly you feel sabotaged when you can't follow through with it. I hope you can get another laundry time slot this week!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about the blood pressure problems. It is a pain when they start piling on more pills for you to take. I'm right there with you, as I am now taking three different BP meds and one of them is Amlodipine as well. As others have said, I have a little swelling of my ankles with it but not too bad. I only notice it because of the indention my socks leave on my ankles. I saw my doctor last week too, and because I have lost some weight and my BP was good he said I could try stopping one of the BP pills. Well I tried and it was a no go, as my BP shot up way too high. It is a bummer but look at it this way, these pills keep us from having our hearts damaged by the high blood pressure. And hey - how many of us can say we have Queen Nefertiti for a doctor!
Have a great week Doug!
Bonnie I always enjoy your responses, I read this with great interest--thanks so much for sharing. I'm sorry you're on these BP meds too, but I appreciate your input with them, I feel a little less alone here!
DeleteSorry to hear your blood pressure is up more. I've been taking the Amlodipine for three years now, only a 5mg dose, once a day, it gives a little heartburn so I take something for that too. 5 pills twice a day seems like an awful lot.
ReplyDeleteI hope the plumbing and washer problems are fixed very quickly.
River thank you for sharing this, I've been experiencing heartburn this week and been wondering why--I bet it's this Amlodipine (I'm taking 10mg). I'm sorry if I wrote the pill-taking confusing, I'm taking 5 pills total throughout the say. Well, the plumbing and washer problems are fixed at least. :^)
DeleteHow's your cholesterol? High cholesterol can raise the blood pressure.
ReplyDeleteI bet mine is high, River--I should ask my doctor about getting my blood tested. Thanks again.
DeleteI am sorry to hear your BP is back up. Losing those pounds would help bring it down, I know because I once suffered from high BP but once I lost some weight it went down. I hope your laundry and plumbing problems are fixed soon! You sure know how to make a post fun to read! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you DJan, that's good to hear about your own BP (and I bet mine would drop too). I'm surprised my doctor didn't recommend the same, that I lose some pounds. (But she didn't have to, the minute she told me my weight & HP numbers, I knew it was time to stop fooling around and get busy!) I'm going to make a real effort. :^)
DeleteI guess this gives meaning to waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Usually I am gripey when I have too much to do in too little time which seems like everyday lately.
ReplyDeleteWell happy repairs and that is so inconvenient about the laundry. Wow, I hope you have time to get it all done next week. I have one of the newer washers. It works great but it is a thinking machine. It can take two hours for a load to finish.
Thank you Ann, but wow--2 hours to finish a load of laundry!? Well, that's technology for you! :^|
DeleteHi Doug, hope you didn’t have too much wash to do. The only apartment I lived in had maybe a dozen washers for 14 floors! I quite often went to a laundromat instead.
ReplyDeleteYour leaking bathroom ceiling is very frustrating I imagine. Smart they put that kind of ceiling in to be able to access everything.
Hope you are able to get your blood pressure back down. No fun having to take the meds.
Sorry, don’t even know who Rachel Maddow is!!
Have a great week Doug.
Robin
Thanks Robin! Well, everything is fixed--aside from my blood pressure, that is. That's funny you mention laundromats, I just learned of one by my new dentist's office--but it's a half-mile walk from my apt, so hopefully I'll never have to go there! Hope you have a good week too :^)
DeleteSorry the Laundry incident and leaky Bathroom Ceiling all hit at once. One has to laugh about imbeciles that won't take a proven Vaccine that would protect them from this disease, because they think it not to be 'safe' enough or tested enough, yet will willingly take Livestock Meds that could kill them in the doses used for Horses and Cows and won't prevent this illness at all. Some Gene Pools perhaps need thinning...
ReplyDeleteThanks Bohemian and as always, so well said!
DeleteMy hairdresser has a client who refuses to be vaccinated because she doesn't know "what's in it", but happily gets high as kite on recreational drugs that she hasn't got a clue what's in them.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your high blood pressure, I have a feeling mine is too but I'm in denial.
Joe I shouldn't have laughed at that one client but I did! Some people are purposefully stupid! And thanks for the BP thoughts. You should get yours checked, it's why they call it the Silent Killer. :(
DeleteHi. I saw that you commented on DJ's blog a decided to head over. I don't usually do that. I must be feeling friendly. :)
ReplyDeleteSorry about the weight gain. I have issues too, but it's just me and nothing medical. I have no excuse. Except I like all of the wrong foods. Oh well.
Hi Anvilcloud,thanks for the visit--I feel like I know you as I read your comments on others blogs all the time :^) Well, I have no excuse for the weight gain either--for now I'm just avoiding the cookie aisle at the market!
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