Yesterday (New Years Eve Day) I managed to walk a half-mile in a snowstorm (and slipped & fell on my butt--twice) just to get a haircut and grab some grub for New Years Day. Sour cream potato chips, baked beans, kielbassa & sauerkraut on Celloni hard rolls and of course a giant New Years Pretzel for good luck.
What, you never heard of the New Year's Pretzel? It's an oversized pretzel made of cinnamon roll dough, covered in white icing and you eat it on New Years Day. You're supposed to tear it off in pieces, not cut it with a knife. Cutting it brings bad luck. I always assumed this was a tradition everyone followed, but more & more I'm thinking it's just a Pittsburgh thing. Let me know if this is a tradition with you too.
With the New Year comes a crappy anniversary--it was the first of January 2024 that I developed this infernal long covid. If you go back and read my blog from then (I don't recommend it) I thought it was the return of a jaw disorder I'd suffered with years earlier (lots of oral pain & inflammation). When I was diagnosed with long covid, the initial estimate of duration was 3 months--which became 6--which became a year--which became two.
This past September, I was informed 1 out of 3 people with the condition deal with it 3 years or longer. Bah humbug! I'm optimistic however, it was mostly gone for 3 months this past summer until it's return in September. It's lessened up since then, but I've yet to have a single day without several hours in pain or discomfort.
This past Monday I walked to Kuhn's for some eggs and right when I was exiting the store, my friend Mary from the Senior Center (I haven't been there in 4 months) was coming in. We both froze in front of the store and then just hugged one another. I swear to God, I was so thankful and happy to see her I nearly proposed!
She said "I am just running in for a bag of chips--go stand by my car! I am giving you a lift home!" I thanked her, but told her it was my first time out of my apartment in over a week and I really needed the fresh air and exercise--even if it was only 16F! I'll be so glad when I start visiting the center regularly again.
Anyway, I can really smell that kielbassa and kraut simmering in the kitchen so I'm going to go grab myself a sandwich. Thanks very much for listening to my ramble, to all my rambles this year, and I hope everyone out there has a healthy and Happy New Year.
