Thinking out loud: It's the day of and the day after... this

Sunday night I awoke around 3am with the left side of my face wet and one eye closed up.  This is how it looked Monday morning, after cleaning up.  

One side of my head feels like it's in a vise, a pretty hard return to my earlier days of long covid.  I can't help but wonder if this will ever end.  I was pretty bummed, it was a beautiful day and I was hoping to go into downtown Pittsburgh, to claim my long-awaited Senior Card for Pat Transit.  

People 65 and over get to ride public transportation--buses, the subway, the Incline all for free.  But you have to apply for your special ID card in person at the Port Authority downtown.

I'm so frustrated, so damn angry at how long this condition has gone on, I keep reminding myself things could be worse but when you're in daily discomfort it can be hard to do.

Over my birthday, an old friend reached out to me just to say hello.  It was wonderful hearing from Brenda again, the last we spoke was 10 years ago and before that, nearly 30 years.  In the 1980s, we were part of a group of twentysomethings that hung out together on a regular basis. 

In March 2024, shortly after I got long covid, Brenda's husband Mike, also part of our 80s group, died from cancer.  They were together 40 years.  Anyway, Brenda is seeing someone new now--actually, her first high school crush--who's wife contracted covid the same time I did, but didn't make it.  I'm happy for Brenda, but what a damn curse this covid has been for so many.  At least I'm still here.  Still...

Can I share something silly?  It's dorky but honest-to-God true.  Yesterday afternoon I was in my kitchen making dinner, and had Youtube on the TV in my living room.  Some guy named Philip Mershon (who has a retro channel) was talking about terrariums, and when I heard him say "Here's some other 70's decor people used to cozy up their homes"  I hurried in to see what he was talking about, and saw this.

Look familiar?  I did not get the idea to buy my macrame owl from Philip--I got my owl last week, 4 days before he posted this video.  I just thought this was a weird coincidence.

I'm probably going to start seeing owls everywhere now.  As a matter of fact my blogger friend Margaret just posted a photo of one.  (Her neighbor set out a clay owl to ward off crows in his backyard. )

Well, I should wrap this up and get my day started.  My head isn't any better, but my eye is, at least.  Maybe it wasn’t even LC related.  I'm sorry for the dull read, I just felt the need to share.  I'm already working on my next post, which I hope is more interesting, so please don't give up on me just yet.  

And speaking of not giving up...

                                              Come on Blue Wave