Friday, February 17, 2017

Thursday's Happenings

Today was supposed to be a Day without Immigrants, when immigrants were requested to stay away from going to work and school to highlight awareness of the role immigrants play in the economy of this country.  Well, I am an immigrant and I had already requested the day off from work to attend a doctor's appointment, so, I guess I took part in the day's events to a certain degree, albeit unknowingly, because my appointment was made for me three months' ago, well before I became aware of the Day without Immigrants.  Just as my next appointment was made for me, today, to return in another three month's time - as far as I know, there's nothing happening in mid-May!
 
I had planned to wake up at 8:00 a.m. to do a few things around the house before I had to leave for the appointment with the podiatrist, but I turned off the alarm and went back to sleep until 11:00 a.m.!  So much for my early start to the day!  My neighbor called in the morning and I had a quick chat with her, then went outside to exchange greetings with my gardener who had decided to attend to my front garden this morning, instead of waiting until his regular time on Friday afternoon, because we are supposed to have a major rainstorm on Friday.
 
I had a cup of tea, checked emails, responded to comments, etc., and then, it was time to get dressed and go to the appointment with the podiatrist.  I got to the clinic a few minutes before my 2:00 p.m. appointment and they were closed for lunch until 2:00 p.m.  So I sat in the waiting room and read my prayer book until they opened.  I was called in as soon as they opened, so it wasn't a long wait.  

The medical assistant checked my blood pressure, etc., and trimmed my toe nails for me.  While she did that, I had a nice chat with her.  She's probably in her early 20s, about my daughter's age; she told me all about herself and her family, from her 90+ year old great grandfather to her 2nd baby due in April, and everyone in between.  :)  I promise I am not a nosy woman who asks a lot of personal questions!  I just told her how my toe nails got discolored due to the chemo and how the discoloration is almost completely gone as the toe nails grow out; she said she was glad I was getting better and I told her I needed to be around a bit longer for my daughter.  Then, she told me how her uncle died, recently, in his sleep and it led her to telling me about her self and her family.  She needed to talk and I tend to be a good listener.  :)
 
Afterwards, the podiatrist came in and checked my feet and pronounced everything to be in good order.  He asked if I had any questions and when I didn't, told me he'll see me in three months' time and to drive home safely as we are expecting a major rainstorm.  :)  It was 3:00 p.m. when I left the clinic and the drive home wasn't too bad as the rush hour traffic was just building up.
 
I went to the pharmacy on my way home first, though, because one of my prescriptions was ready to be picked up.  The pharmacist who helped me today told me that I'm always with a big smile whenever she sees me and that I looked well with my hair growing out.

I had thought of going to the grocery store, too, but, it was past 4:00 p.m. by then, and I hadn't eaten anything yet (I had a cup of tea in the morning and a cracker while I was waiting for the clinic to open).  I wasn't feeling hungry, but I didn't want to push it and feel hungry and shaky at the grocery store!  I briefly considered buying something to eat (lots of eating places in the shopping mall where the pharmacy is located), but didn't want to buy anything again having bought the teriyaki beef bowls on Monday.  So I went home and made myself some fried rice for a late lunch, with leftover rice, a bit of corned beef, frozen corn, a handful of the roasted peanuts for crunch, and a little chili powder for spice.    I had a freshly picked orange from my tree for dessert.

Afterwards, I had a cup of tea, watched the evening news, did some paperwork, did the dishes, chatted on the phone with an aunt who called, and my daughter.  Later, I made myself some pasta for dinner.  I had kept one of the baked chicken breasts I had cooked on Monday and frozen to thaw in the fridge, earlier - it hadn't fully thawed, but I was able to cut several pieces from it.  I sauted them in a bit of oil and a little garlic spread I had in the fridge (from a purchased container), added half a chopped tomato (froze the rest of the tomato), and added a little frozen green peas to it, along with a little of the pasta water from cooking the angel hair pasta.  A little salt and pepper to season.  I added the cooked pasta to it and mixed it up.  I served half of what I made to my plate and sprinkled a little pre-grated parmesan cheese on top:

Pasta and Chicken Dinner

The curry powder and chili powder I had used to seasoned the chicken before I baked it added a bit of spice to the pasta and I enjoyed this dish.  I kept the other half for tomorrow's lunch.  I sliced an apple and "stewed" it in the microwave with a bit of cinnamon and sugar for dessert.  

Tomorrow, I will be working from home, so I won't have to worry about driving to downtown and back in the storm we are supposed to have.  Up to 6 inches of rain in most areas with 5-10 inches on certain parts, according to the forecast, with 60-70 miles per hour winds in places!   Most of the rain is expected to fall in the afternoon, at the rate of more than an inch an hour, which is too much rain at once for the ground to absorb.  So, they are expecting flash floods and possibly mud slides.

Today, I am grateful for:
- Having paid sick leave 
- A good visit with the podiatrist
- A safe drive to the clinic and back
- Pleasant staff at the clinic and pharmacy
- Keeping in touch with daughter, family, and friends

Today, I spent:
$ 15 co-pay at the clinic; $5 for parking; $2.94 for my medicine.

 Thursday’s To Do List:
- Doctor’s appointment (afternoon) - DONE
- Vacuum
- Paperwork/Filing - DID SOME
- Clear dining table - DONE
- Go for a walk - A very short one 
 
I didn't do the vacuuming I had planned to do today, so it gets carried forward to tomorrow or the weekend.  

Friday's To Do List:
- Office work
- Paperwork/filing
- Vacuum (living room, dining area, hallway, bedrooms)
- Clean the bathrooms

How was your Thursday?  Are you looking forward to Friday and the end of the work week?

23 comments:

  1. Hello
    I have just found your blog and am really enjoying reading it. I hope you manage to stay dry....the poor weather in the USA has been featured in the weather reports last night and again this morning in the UK......made a bit of a change from hearing about your President and Brexit!
    Hope you stay dry😊
    Siobhan

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    1. Hello, Siobhan! Lovely of you to stop by and say hello. It has been raining since early this morning, but so far not too heavily. I am in Southern California and we have had a more than 4 year drought; but this year, we've had more rain since December than we normally get in a year! So, everyone is talking about the weather (a welcome change from one of the other topics you mentioned, in my opinion!) By the way, there's actually something called Calexit that's being floated around in these parts, these days!

      Thank you for reading my blog and look forward to hearing from you, again.

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  2. How wonderful to be able to say - I picked an orange from my tree!
    Have a good weekend

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    1. Sue, lovely to hear from you! I've been a long-time reader and occasional commenter on your blog! Yes, it's wonderful to be able to pick oranges and lemons from my garden. Hope you and your husband have a good weekend, too (and all is going well with his health).

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  3. Yikes, stay safely at home today! Maybe you should plant that sweet potato, with all the rain you're getting, it's bound to sprout a vine or two :) Take care, Bless.

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    1. Hi Nathalie, yes, I was thinking I will plant the sweet potato and see what happens! But I'll wait until the rain ceases, otherwise the poor potato might drown! Hope you are having a lovely day, today.

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  4. Have a great day participating (even accidentally) in the No Immigrants day!

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    1. Anne, I can't keep up! I read that today (Friday) is supposed to be a general strike day! Well, I am working from home, so I guess I won't be participating in today's events. I am grateful to have my job. It has been a good job and I enjoy doing what I do.

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  5. SO proud your doctor's appointment went well.. And you also , missed the heavy traffic .. Such blessings.
    The food you made sounded really good.
    We have a funeral to attend on Saturday [so not a very good weekend planned]. One of the men in our church died. No other plans made.. Today, I hope to mop and clean the living room.. Need to dust too.
    Hope you have a nice weekend.

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    1. Thank you, Judy. Yes, I am grateful everything went well, yesterday.

      I am sorry to hear about the death of a member in your church family, but I'm sure his loved ones will appreciate you being there for them. On Saturday, I'll be attending my friend's memorial service and dinner, afterwards.

      Yes, I am planning to get some cleaning done, today, myself. My dust bunnies are morphing into jackalopes! :D

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  6. Glad your appointment went well! I'm an immigrant too. Hope you have a good weekend. Take care!

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    1. Thank you, Sharon. Yes, I know from reading your blog that you are an immigrant, too. I think you'd feel right at home, here, in So. Cal. today, with all the rain we are having! ;)

      Hope you, too, have a lovely weekend.

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  7. We hear a lot about President Trump and the USA over here lately but I haven't heard anything about immigrants staying away from work, unless I missed it. Had to smile that you have participated by coincidence.

    I'm also a good listener and have the sort of face where people tend to tell me things. I consider it a blessing. If people feel better for talking about things and need an ear then I'm happy to sit and listen.

    Glad you didn't have to travel in the storm and I hope the weather hasn't been too bad where you are.

    Have a lovely weekend. xx

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    1. Suzanne, it was a day of protest over the plans to deport those who are here without legal authorization to be here and a show of support for all immigrants in general; organizers spread the news over social media.

      I tend to be rather private about my political opinions and keep it low key, for the most part. I don't normally join protest rallies, for example, but I do vote and I will not shop at certain places. Not that I am a big spender, but even if it is two cents, it's "my two cents", as my blog says. ;)

      Oh, you'd feel right at home here, today, Suzanne, with all the rain we are getting! I am ready for tea and crumpets, except I don't have any crumpets and haven't made any! I'll have to settle for buttered toast, I guess. :D

      Hope you have a wonderful weekend and that all is well with you and the family.

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  8. Pleased to hear that your Thursday went well and you are working safely from home today.

    Do you always have to pay for parking when you visit the doctor? It is uncommon here. When my husband needed tests at one of the large hospitals in St. Louis we had to pay for parking but at a reduced rate as the receptionist provided us with a token to reduce the rate which was based on time.

    Our weather is all over the place. We started the day on the chilly side but currently 70F sunny and blue sky. I put my bath mat and towels outside to dry. First time this year. It makes me happy. Nothing like a fresh air smell. My friend Nancy says "provided by God for free"

    SandyExpat

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    1. Thank you, Sandy.

      Most of the clinics and doctors' offices I go to these days charge for parking. A couple of places do partially validate, but you still have to pay the difference. Most places charge you based on time; generally it is $1 for every 15 or 20 minutes for the 1st hour or two, and anything over that is a flat rate.

      Glad you are having nice weather and could dry your towels and bath mat outside. Line dried laundry is the best, I think. Unless one has allergies or a bird decides to make a deposit! Or what I used to find when I had a clothes line - the ants use the clothes line to travel without getting their feet burned on the hot soil and I end up with ants on my dried laundry! These days, I air dry everything inside the house.

      As for here, it's raining! :D

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    2. Interesting - I have never heard of ants using the clothes line as a highway! I wouldn't like that.

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  9. I hope the rain today doesn't cause you too many problems. I glad you get to work from home.

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    1. Thank you, Live and Learn. It was a slow rain in the morning, but it's been coming down in buckets since about noon. A regular rain storm! I've been going to the window to look out anxiously at the eucalyptus tree in my front yard, because the winds are gusting and the tree hasn't been trimmed in a while, but, so far, it seems to be OK.

      Yes, I am glad I didn't have to go to the office, today. Our freeways become a mess and several intersections in my neighborhood tend to get flooded!

      Hope your Friday is going well.

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  10. Hello! Thanks for stopping by my blog so that I could find yours. It's very interesting. Stay dry!

    Hugs
    Jane

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    1. You are welcome and thank you! We are definitely not used to all this rain, especially after the last several years of drought!

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  11. Even though I am a native Californian and almost all of my family is still there I am glad to live here in Idaho where we have the freedom to openly speak of our political beliefs. Our political beliefs really are nothing more than our world view and it's hard to get into in depth, meaningful conversations without bringing our worldview into it. It doesn't mean we condemn others, it just means we don't have to be afraid. Idaho is a breath of fresh air. I don't get the Day without immigrants thing at all. Here in Idaho, there were businesses that closed without even telling their customers who may have driven quite a while to get there only to find a sign on the door. Most people wouldn't ever go back. What good did that do? I've never been very politically correct. 🙄

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    1. I am glad you have found a place that pleases you, Marylynn. It's important to be happy where one lives among like-minded people.

      I believe the whole purpose of the Day without Immigrants was to raise awareness of the role immigrants have played and continue to play in the everyday life in this country, from the original Pilgrims on the Mayflower, to the current First Lady, to people such as myself, to maybe the staff at the businesses that closed for the day in your area, at a time when a lot of immigrants are feeling unwelcome.

      I am not afraid to discuss my beliefs and world view, but, at the same time, I don't feel the need to announce them to all and sundry, either.

      This blog is my way of sharing some of my daily experiences but not all of them. I am someone who prefers to focus on the positive things in my life, not the negatives. So, I write that I am grateful I've had a safe commute. I don't write about the time I was pulled over by law enforcement and asked if I owned the car I was driving. I don't know why I had been pulled over; I hadn't violated any road rules and yes, I owned the vehicle I was driving, but I was also driving in a city where I didn't look like 99.9% of the population. I will leave you to draw your own conclusion.

      And I write that I went shopping and found bargains at the grocery store; I don't write about the times I get asked if I am of a certain religion when I am out and about shopping, and this was before I wore a scarf to cover my bald head after my hair fell out due to chemo.

      And I write that I bought a new car, but I don't write about how I was required to provide my credit scores, even though I was paying cash for the car (or maybe it was because I was paying cash?) I don't know; I asked them why they needed my credit scores if I wasn't taking out a loan, but they mumbled something about it being a security requirement. Indeed. But I did find it rather amusing to see the man's jaw drop when he did see my credit score. :D

      I don't think it is a matter of being politically correct; I think it is simply common courtesy.

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