Daughter Comes Home Friday!

Thank you for all your kind comments on being tired on Thursday.  As many of you pointed out, I'm still recovering.  The fact that I still have some inflammation and edema means I am still not fully recovered, and being on antibiotics and other medications takes a toll, too.   So, feeling tired at times is to be expected, especially when one of the side effects of at least one medication I am taking is fatigue, according to the literature that comes with the medication!  LOL.  However, since it has been several months after my chemo and radiation treatments ended, I feel I should be further along than I am.  I don't want to keep saying, "I'm still recovering", because I feel that by this time, I should have recovered!  I am afraid that saying, "I'm still recovering" is no longer seen as a valid reason and is in danger of sliding into an excuse!  That I should be pushing through the tiredness to get things done, that I should not be making allowances for it.  Not very rational, I know, but this is how I feel.  I tend to be very sympathetic when it comes to others, but I'm afraid I don't always extend that sympathy to myself.  But your comments have reminded me that I am still on the slippery slope of that mountain and the descent can be just as difficult as the climb, and to have a little more patience with myself.  So, thank you, all.

On to Friday!  It was a lovely, sunny day, which started out a bit chilly (low 60s), but turned out to be quite pleasant with highs in the low 70s.

I had a fasting blood test in the morning.  While I was at the clinic for the blood test, I showed the medical authorization form that the dentist gave and asked if I could have the PA (physician assistant) who had been seeing me for the past 6 months or so, sign it and send back to the doctor.  I was informed that I needed to make an appointment with a doctor to have it filled.  Apparently, the PA is not authorized to sign those forms!  My fault, I should have called the clinic as soon as I received the form and then, I might have been able to make an appointment to be seen by a doctor on Friday, either before or after my blood test.  Anyway, I now have an appointment with a new-to-me doctor for Monday morning.  The only bad thing is, I have to be at the clinic at 7:45 a.m., so it means I need to be up and out of the house quite early.  But, hopefully, there won't be a long wait and I can get my clearance and set up the appointment with the dentist without much delay.

After that, I went to the office and had a very productive day.  I completed my current project and arranged to take a couple of days off, next week, to be home with daughter.  It is a good time to take a few days off, rather than work from home, because I don't have any work pending (well, there are several projects that are pending, but that is because I am waiting for someone else to do their parts before I work on them; they are not being delayed because I am taking a couple of days off).  One of the clerical staff had brought in treats on Friday - a mixed platter of cakes and mini muffins plus tortilla chips and homemade salsa!  Someone should put up a warning that working in our office might be hazardous to our weight!  LOL.
  
When I came home after work, my gardener friend was still here, so I was able to chat with him and supervise him as he weeded and mulched one of the planting beds.

Then, I went to the pharmacy, because they had texted me to say a medication refill was ready for pick up.  Except, it was a medication I no longer needed!  There wasn't an automatic refill authorization on it, as far as I know, so I have no idea how that got filled (while the blood pressure medicine, which had a refill authorization, didn't get filled on time, earlier!)  The cashier was equally clueless how it got refilled.  Anyway, I declined the medication! 

Then, I went to the grocery store to pick up some milk, bread, bananas, etc.  I was feeling tired by this time and, ordinarily, I would have skipped a trip to the grocery store and waited until the weekend to go grocery shopping.  This was definitely an example of a time when I was pushing myself through the tiredness!  Mainly because daughter was arriving later that evening and I wanted there to be milk for her morning coffee, and partly because the grocery store was in the same shopping mall as the pharmacy, so it was convenient.  While I was at the store, I also bought some bread and bananas to have on hand, and a piece of steak and a loaf of garlic bread for dinner!  Her favorite brand of coffee was on sale and I bought two packets of that, as well.  I spent a total of $21.44 (I will do a grocery shopping post, later, once I do the rest of this week's grocery shopping, over the weekend).

Came home, put away the groceries (didn't have time to take a picture!), and it was time to go to the airport to pick up daughter!  I was on my way to the airport when she called to say she was at the airport!  It was so good to see her!

Part of the reason for daughter coming down this weekend is to attend a forum her company is conducting on Tuesday evening.  The person organizing it had wanted someone who was good at taking notes, etc., to help her and had asked daughter's supervisor if she could suggest someone.  Daughter's supervisor had recommended daughter, and, knowing that daughter had family down here, had suggested to daughter that she took Monday off as a vacation day, so she could fly down for the weekend, spend Mother's Day with me, and then, fly back up after the forum was over!  The best part is, the company is paying for daughter's plane tickets (and any lodging and travel expenses, although she won't have any, since she's staying at home with me and I'll probably drive her to the forum and pick her up, afterwards).  Her colleague will be flying down Tuesday morning and stay overnight at a hotel; they will both fly back up on Wednesday morning.  So, this is a free trip for daughter!

After we came home from the airport, we cooked dinner together.  She made a cole slaw with the rest of the cabbage and carrots I had in the fridge and an Asian sesame seed oil dressing (sesame seed oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, and some ginger; it was very good), I cooked the steak I had bought, with some caramelized onions to go with it, and baked the garlic bread to heat and toast it.  After dinner, I dozed off on the sofa!  LOL.  Later, around 11:30 p.m., we did one of our late night ice cream runs and went out for ice cream!  :)

This is one of the crazy things we do when we are together!  It started out when she was still a child; she'd be dressed in her pyjamas and ready for bed and I'd announce a "pyjama run for ice cream" and she'd jump in the car in her pyjamas and we'd go to the drive-through window at McDonald's for ice cream!  We've done it a couple of times when she's had a friend over for sleepovers, too.  Her friend would be totally mystified and daughter will giggle and explain it to her and off we'd go!  It is almost a tradition, by now.  Since we are both night owls, one or the other will suggest ice cream and we'll go to the drive through window and get ice cream cones or milk shakes!  Last night, since I still am off the taste of shakes, I had an ice cream cone and she had the milk shake.

Later, she fell asleep on the sofa while I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen!  Then, I woke her up so she could go to bed and stayed up for a bit, writing to my friend and playing on the computer, before saying my nightly prayers and going to bed, myself.

This morning, we both slept in a bit.  Daughter has gone out to brunch and do some shopping with one of her best friends since middle school.  I am relaxing at home.  Later this afternoon, I want to visit my mother's grave and maybe do some grocery shopping as I need fresh produce!  Daughter will be going out to dinner with my neighbor S's daughters (neighbor S lives in the house directly across the street from me and our daughters have been friends since they were little - the older girl is 2 years older than my daughter and the younger girl is 2 years younger than my daughter; there were days, when they were growing up, when I felt I had 3 daughters instead of one and I'm sure there were plenty of days when neighbor S must have felt that she had a third daughter!).  This evening, I want to try and get some gardening done and maybe some housework.

On Friday, I was grateful for:

- Daughter had a safe flight home
- Her company is paying for her flight!
- I was able to get an early appointment to see the doctor
- People bringing treats to the office
- Late night ice cream runs! 
 
Friday's To Do List:
- Leave a note to the gardener with a garden to do list - DONE
- Go to the clinic for the blood test - DONE
- Give the medical authorization form to the doctor - MADE an appointment to see the doctor on Monday
- Go to the office - DONE
- Go to the pharmacy - DONE
- Go to the grocery store - DONE
- Vacuum (went to the pharmacy and grocery store, instead!)
- Pick up daughter from the airport - DONE
- Hug a daughter! MANY TIMES!  :D

Saturday's To Do List:
- Visit mother's grave (buy flowers on the way)
- Grocery shop for produce
- Vacuum
- Weed the rest of the planting bed
- Water the garden, front and back

How was your Friday?  What are you planning for the weekend?  Will you be doing anything to celebrate Mother's Day, tomorrow?