WTF 50 - yeah, really

 Monday February 22

Miss you dad. No water. Went back to work, slowly. Talked to Annika and they might really get a dog soon. T and his dad are doing hard work setting boundaries and being clear with each other (well, T is ...). Did go to a laundry place and got some clean clothes. Will take more there later on. Megan called to check in. We had Subway for lunch and lasagna for dinner - Jim ate real food and his body, apart from being sore, seems normalized. How about that.

So exhausted - having been sent home to work and live because that is the only safe place only to have home turn into a threat where people freeze to death and might get flooded and cannot keep clean is really aggravating. But the day was beautiful and sunny and the birds, the birds!

World: 111,709,452 - 2,473,742 dead

US: 28,188,311 - 500,236

Russia:

Texas: 2,606,513 - 42,301 dead

Florida: 1,872,923 - 30,065 dead

Sweden: 631,166 - 12,649 dead

 

February 23-24

 

Jim went to the doctor - the catheter stays until he has surgery next Friday. Annoyed and a little stressed, but okay I thought. Went back to Wash-n-Go and did laundry and then rented a hotel room so we could shower and come home (with pizza) and sleep on fresh sheets. Great plan. Worked well, except when we came home with the pizza one of the cats had taken a shit on the carpet. Bleah. 

Wednesday morning we went back to the hotel and showered and then found a place that sells supplies - after a few false starts such as the Baylor Hospital pharmacy. Taylor's Drug and Medical 

- great professional place that finally gave Jim some options. Back for Christine MM's presentation on her diss work - could not quite figure it out - and then we were going out for lunch but they knocked on teh door to install a water valve and Ranger came to check on it and and talked about his short MLB career and then they turned the water on and we tested it and filled some bottles but everything was fine and I can exhale and we have water!!

Got bread and in-n-out burgers for dinner and then the rest of the Lewis we started yesterday.

It strikes me how I went into just survival mode last week and shut down, but already this week I had started adapting and taking power back by finding the laundromat and then booking the hotel and finding the supply store and just moving the pieces and thinking about how to do dishes. 

 

There is a passivity that sets in - and then a force to change things. There is tension between accepting what cannot change and has to be endured and changing the things you can and taking charge and it is SO SO hard to know the difference. 

February 25-28

Thursday I went to the cupboard, then did the admin meeting from the office. Friday I did things, not sure what things. Saturday I talked with Annika and mom and Simon and we had lunch with Lauri at El Primo. Sunday I talked to Rachel and mom and then we had breakfast and a walk in the park, laundry!!!, and fish for dinner. The Golden Globes ... 

World: 114,051,765 - 2,530,563 dead

US: 28,605,527 - 513,091

Russia:

Texas: 2,653,013 - 43,697 dead

Florida: 1,909,221 - 30,852 dead

Sweden: 657,309 - 12,826 dead

 

 

WTF is at 49 somehow

 Monday February 15

UTD is closed today and tomorrow. It got COLD - 4 degrees F - -16C or freeze your butt off cold.

The snow had started on the 14th and continued on Monday. We lost electricity sometime Monday

World: 108,812,060 - 2,399,789 dead

US: 27,639,538 - 485,332

Russia: 4,026,506 -78,825

Texas: 2,565,258 - 41,273 dead

Florida: 1,827,373 - 28,779 dead

Sweden: 608,411 - 12,428 dead

 

February 16

 

Friday and Saturday nights had been cold. UTD was closed the rest of the week. Monday night Jim slept in the front bedroom because he could only pee laying down with a towel under him. 

 

We had put insulation boards up to keep the cold out. So the cold stopped at the window. After 22 hours of cold we finally got electricity back on Tuesday. Internet only on the phone, but hot coffee and breakfast and the phone charging. Woohoo.

And then we lost power again.

Tuesday we also went to the ER. They put in a catheter and said we should go to a urologist but everything was shut down for the cold and the ice on the roads. He did not get any antibiotics and they did not tell him how it was supposed to feel Grr. 

 

February 17

More snow. More cold. We had power on and off during the night so it never got quite as cold and I just had time to make coffee before the power went off again. The milk had frozen on the balcony - so I will soon learn what happens when you thaw frozen milk. Oh the adventures.

And yet, in the big scheme of things, this is not bad. We are able to stay in our own home, we have blankets and candles and sudokus to keep us entertained. And the bursts of power have let me charge my phone. I drove to the store to get something and it was very hard to drive and the grocery store was low on stuff and people were a little panicked, but generally nice. Waited in line with a young mother and her daughter whose second birthday it was. We sang for her in the line and she was so sweet.

February 18

We have power since sometime yesterday. Thawing out slowly. Happy there is still snow outside because we have no water. They turned OFF the water because of a burst pipe in the building and I don't know when we'll get it back. So now I go outside and collect snow to thaw to flush our toilets. We will all get through this, and there are so many who have it so much worse, but this was not part of my plan. Bleah. 

Went to Kroger to pick up a prescription and they did have power and water and some (not much) bread.

Also, got the second vaccine yesterday - that was a fluke. Got a notice yesterday that I could log in to the Southwestern portal to schedule. Tried it and there were no appointments but they created a scheduling ticket. Tried again a couple of hours later and there were appointments the same day. Driving VERY carefully I made my way to Southwestern at Inwood and at 4:45 I got my second shot. It was very smooth and took about fifteen minutes from the parking lot and back.

 

February 19

Feverish but succeeded in finding a doctor for Jim and we went there in the afternoon. Enlarged prostate. Jim got medication and a new appointment Tuesday. We had a plan. I think this was the day I went to Tom Thumb and was going to stop at Chickfila on the way back and didn't because the fire alarms had gone off - all of them, for no reason. Finally taped over the wall speakers and they stopped. HORRIBLE noise. Still no water, but thanks to the amazing maintenance guy Andrew we have water for flushing. Probably going to be Monday or Tuesday before we have actual water back.

 

February 20

Jim didn't sleep all night because he was in pain and so we went back to the ER, but the one at Presbyterian and we waited two hours and Jim got a new catheter and antibiotics and a shot of morphine and after three or four hours we drove to Chickfila and then to Kroger but the pharmacy was closed so we went on a 24 hour one in Carrolton (Josie and ? ) where they also have a medication drop off. Really tired when we got home, but happy. We watched a bit of SNL and crashed.

February 21

Milton was more exciting than expected, as always. Jim had slept through the night and then we went to get him registered and to his second covid-shot and then we had Fish and the weather was absolutely lovely and then we went to Dragon park and then we went straight home and I went to check on the water bucket pickup and got to talking to a neighbor whose apartment was ruined by water (neighbors upstairs and her own kitchen and heater). Scary so I went home and started packing and putting things in plastic and then we had pot pies and a Lynley for dinner. Oh, and Jonas called with Mom and we had fun with the kids in their bath.  He has called every single day and today told me he had tried to order water for delivery. So so sweet. 

And here we are, another week done and we are still here. over 500,000 americans who died of covid are not.

 

World: 111,365,522 - 2,466,241 dead

US: 28,133,699 - 498,883

Russia:

Texas: 2,600,600 - 42,162 dead

Florida: 1,868,772 - 29,906 dead

Sweden: 631,166 - 12,649 dead

WTF 48 - yup, that's where we are now.

 February 8

World: 106,471,878 - 2,325,055 dead

US: 27,094,014 - 464,941

Russia:

Texas: 2,504,878 - 39,482 dead

Florida: 1,783,720 - 27,815 dead

Sweden: 588,062 - 12,115 dead

 

Quiet day - hard to focus, but I got a few things done. Lunch from the Ramen place - Gyu Don that was really good. Jonas called with the kids and mom - Grayson knows my name. Wrote Tony and wrote Carlene. Still always behind.

February 9-10

Annual mammogram and Doctor's visit in the morning. Entirely too many people in the place, but things went okay and I got my bloodwork done too. Stopped at Central Market and then went to campus and took pictures of Kristi and chatted with Michael. Day one of the impeachment trial.

Wednesday we got lunch out - Wattaburger's grilled cheese sandwich - went to the post office to buy stamps for the valentine's cards. Faculty meeting in the afternoon and I don't know after that. Oh yeah, I missed a call from Jonas and called back and mom answered and then Jonas and then Grayson in one boot and a balloon. So very very cute. Alice was out because Michael had some procedure. Day two of the impeachment trial. One of the lawyers suggested the decision on guilt was whether this would have happened if T hadn't done what he did. 

February 11-14

The 130 car pileup that left six dead happened on Thursday morning. I guess it was cold all the way after that. Two meetings along the way where I felt like I made a difference - Thursday I checked on accessibility for the site (they had looked at it, but it was good I asked), and then asked about the bigger picture for an aggressive proposal from another school. Changed the tone of the debate and got more focused on solutions and less focused on being defensive. Alice and I had a good talk somewhere - they are trying for one more so we will have to plan to train me. Had a few talks w the family - Jonas and the kids and mom - and it is wonderful to hang out. Rachel's move will not happen this time - silly people. And oh yeah, the impeachment is over 57-43. Voted down on a technicality. Scared for the future and how much the ugly will fester in the background. Walked a couple of days, even today when it is bitterly cold - around 18 this afternoon and 10 right now (-12). Brought some of the plants inside, two out of three made it. Drove some food and Jim's jacket and a pair of sweats to Damian who was very grateful.

World: 108,812,060 - 2,399,789 dead

US: 27,639,538 - 485,332

Russia: 4,026,506 -78,825

Texas: 2,565,258 - 41,273 dead

Florida: 1,827,373 - 28,779 dead

Sweden: 608,411 - 12,428 dead

4747 the neverending story of WTF

 February 1

Trying to remember when it felt real and I realized I could die and the numbers were scary. Right now the numbers are just the numbers, I wear the mask but it is not real.  Well, a few days ago, last weekend, it felt real because I got claustrophobic and I understood why after a while ... So, here we are.

World: 102,926,497 - 2,227,003 dead

US: 26,180,411 - 441,302 

Russia:

Texas: 2,372,878 - 37,074 dead

Florida: 1,721,377 - 26,479 dead

Sweden: 566,957 - 11,591 dead

 

 

February 2-7

 

and then the whole week went by and I just never had the energy. Lots of meetings and 18 C and fact sheets and website updates and bleah. Tony getting worse and yeah. Saturday built a desk and Sunday set up new lights on the patio. Made a cabbage hamburger meat dinner that worked well. Sunday we got semla but I missed teh SWEA meeting and the Sunday Milton and the group call from Jonas and a call from Annika. Bleah. 

Superbowl Sunday. 

World: 106,137,857 - 2,316,772 dead

US: 27,004,715 - 463,437

Russia:

Texas: 2,494,878 - 39,322 dead

Florida: 1,777,983 - 27,696 dead

Sweden: 588,062 - 12,115 dead