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| Camouflaged! |
Do you see it? It's well camouflaged, isn't it? The first time I saw it, I thought it was dead because it was so still, even when I got really close to it. I am not very good at identifying lizards, but, it might be a Western Alligator Lizard (Elgaria). On the other hand, it could be a Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus); the western fence lizards have a blue under side, but, I really didn't feel like turning it over to check! Whatever it was, it was long!
April rain is supposed to bring May flowers! I hope so, because, it rained on Thursday night! It started at 11:00 p.m. and it was a good shower of rain, too, which lasted for about 45 minutes. Enough rain that the garden didn't need to be watered, today, when M was here.
It was quite cold (for me, anyway), on Thursday, with a high of only 66F. It was cloudy, too, and felt colder than it was. It took me some time to get started with my day, but, eventually, I vacuumed the house, started tidying the family room, cooked rice and stir fried vegetables and had them with leftover shrimp curry for dinner, and chatted with friend R.
Daughter said her first day in the office went well. She will work from home Mondays and Tuesdays, go into the office on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and work from home, again, on Fridays. They are having staggered schedules to go into the office because the building can't be occupied at full capacity yet (one of their Covid precautions) and all have to take Covid tests before they go into the office on their first day, each week.
My appointment with the oncology nurse practitioner on Friday turned out to be a waste of time and gas! I had received an automated call from the clinic on Sunday evening, reminding me of the appointment and asking me to press #1 to confirm that I will attend, etc., which I did. I also usually call the clinic in the morning, before I leave the house to confirm, but, I didn't do so this time and guess what? I showed up at the clinic and the receptionist said the appointment had been cancelled! Someone is supposed to have called me and left me a message! Except, I didn't receive that call! There was no message left on my answering machine! So, we checked the phone numbers they have on record for me and they do have my home phone number listed as primary contact and my daughter's phone number as my emergency contact. But, they also had my old office number still listed, even though I had notified them when I retired that it was no longer a valid number, and I suppose they called that number instead of my home number? The receptionist removed the old office phone number and we rescheduled my appointment for mid May. I shall be sure to call and confirm that before I leave the house on that day! I did ask for and receive a printout of my lab report; some numbers have changed, but, on the whole, most of my numbers are within the normal ranges and the report is OK.
So, I paid $3.00 parking fees for being parked there for approximately 30 minutes and drove myself back home, again! Oh, well, at least the car got a good run!
By the way, it was another rather cool day (high of 65F) and Lady Ella will be interested to know that I wore a cardigan over my blouse and a jacket on top of that, with a scarf around my neck! LOL. We are supposed to warm up over the weekend and Monday's high is supposed to be near 90F, so, I'll have a chance to thaw out, then!
On the way home, I stopped at a nearby pizza place and bought one of their ready-to-go pizzas. It came to $6.08 with tax. I had some of it for lunch and then, another slice a bit later for a snack!
After lunch, I dusted and finished tidying the family room. I did a bit of paperwork, too.
M spent most of his time cleaning the front parkway area, weeding it, etc. He still doesn't seem convinced that planting it with succulents will keep the neighbors from messing it up, but, we can only try and hope for the best.
I made some soup for dinner - my version of ham and green split peas, using a ham bone I had in the freezer. It turned out quite well, I think, although there isn't a lot of ham in the soup.
Cousin V called and so did friend R. Later, I video chatted with my daughter.
Today, I am grateful for:
- A safe drive to the clinic and back
- The car got a good run
- The lab test report seemed to be OK, with mostly normal results
- M tending to the garden for me
- Phone calls and video chats
Today's joyful activity was starting to crochet a baby blanket.
Plans for tomorrow include video chatting with a friend of mine, more paperwork, and crocheting.
What are your plans for the weekend?
What a shame your trip to see the oncology nurse was a waste of time and money but good to know your blood test results are fine. I has similar thinking my mammogram result letter had gone astray as I'd heard nothing for three weeks so phoned up only to be told they hadn't been sent out. Mine was a good result too so no worries. Mmm I do like pea and ham soup, one of my favourites. Good to know your daughter's first day back at work went well.
ReplyDeleteYes, well, these things happen from time to time, I guess. I really should have called and confirmed; I'll be sure to do so from now on! I'm so glad to hear that your mammogram results were good. I hope it continues to be that way. :) I really liked my soup. I didn't saute the vegetables (onions, celery, carrots) as the recipe said to do and I added some tomatoes to it, as well, which the recipe didn't call for, but, I liked the end results. Maybe I'll saute the vegetable the next time I make this soup to see if if makes a difference in taste. :) Thank you, Eileen; I'm very glad that my daughter's first day at the office worked out so well for her.
DeleteI'm glad your test results look ok, though how annoying that your appointment was cancelled without notice. Hopefully next appointment will not be cancelled. I thought of you yesterday afternoon. I was at the pharmacy for my second Covid booster and afterwards I was asked to stay a while. I browsed, but didn't get the urge to shop!! So far I only feel tired, but that could be because I had a busy week with early and late meetings, so long days. I'll rest today. I know nothing about lizards, but googling both I'd vote for alligator lizard! It looks thinner and longer, with small legs. Haven't seen any lizards here. I hope you are well. Celie
ReplyDeleteThank you, Celie. Yes, it was annoying that I didn't receive the notification that the appointment was cancelled - I could have just relaxed at home instead of driving to downtown and back! Oh, well. Interesting that they asked you to wait after your 2nd booster (they didn't ask me to wait) and you didn't have the urge to shop side effect! :D I hope the tiredness will go away after you rest this weekend. Drink plenty of fluids, too. The next time I see that lizard, I'll try to get a look at it's belly to see if there is any blue (if there is blue, then, it is a fence lizard).
DeleteWhat a bummer about the cancelled appointment.
ReplyDeleteI am not cold at 66, but let the temps hit the mid 50's and I am freezing!
Yes, it would have been nice if I had actually received the message that the appointment was cancelled; then, again, it was my fault for not calling to confirm as I usually do! Today's high is 79F and I am much more comfortable! :D
DeleteThat's frustrating about your wasted trip to the clinic but good news that the results appear to be okay.
ReplyDeleteI smiled at your layers of clothing with the temperature at 65f. I would have worn a cardigan at that temperature but wouldn't have needed the jacket or the scarf! 😂
I'm glad your daughter's return to the office went well. Does she still get free testing or will she have to finance that herself? It must have been good to see some of her colleagues in person after such a long time.
Good luck with the front parkway. I hope the neighbours take note of the efforts and respect the part that is yours.
Yes, it was, but, I guess I should have called, first. "My bad" as they say. Ha, ha, you probably would have felt quite comfortable with the temperature in the mid-60s. Today's high is 79F (the house is 10 degrees cooler than that), and it's more comfortable for me.
DeleteMy daughter will get free test kits and masks from the office. They really are making every effort to make it easy for the employees.
Thank you; I am looking online for parkway landscaping ideas! I might opt for small stones or pebbles instead of mulch (M thinks people will kick the mulch around and make a mess) and planting some really hardy plants that I don't mind being stepped on. There is a type of asparagus fern growing in the back that I can't get rid of, no matter how much I try - maybe I'll ask M to dig some of it up and plant it in the front! :D
That is amazing, that you had a lizard! It looks so ancient.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nuisance about the nurse. Surely they should have tried the other numbers if they couldn't get an answer to the first one. Fingers crossed for the succulentsx
The garden is full of them, Lyssa. I can often hear them scurrying under the plants when they see me approach! This one just stayed very very still!
DeleteYes, it was a bit of a wasted trip, but, my fault, too, for not having called to re-confirm.
Thank you. I am now thinking that maybe I should just dump a lot of stones in the parkway and maybe not even bother with plants! :D
What a cute lizard. He looks like part of a guitar! I can see how you would feel cold on a damp cloudy day at only 66F. That would slow me up, too.
ReplyDeleteIt must be reassuring to learn that your daughter is working some days at home and that she is not in a crowded office when she does go in.
I'm sorry to hear that you had an unnecessary trip, especially since you had already responded to a reminder!
It is dull today and rain was forecast on-line, but I noticed that we looked to be on the edge of the radar green and I put towels on the line and was able to take them in later, dry. It still hasn't rained. I had a walk to the river this afternoon, warmly dressed as it is even cooler than where you are.
LOL, "cute" and "lizard" don't seem to go together, but, yes, I agree, it is kind of cute, isn't it?
DeleteThe thing with the weather is, it can be 79F outside (as it is, right now), but, inside my house is only 68F, so, I feel the house is cold. I'm wearing a sweater and socks and my hands are cold! I should probably sit outside in the patio area where it is warmer!
Yes, I'm pleased with my daughter being able to work from her apartment 3 days out of 5 and the office isn't filled to capacity. She also feels comfortable going places up there because the Covid case numbers are lower and she's not putting me at risk; she knows her risk of being hospitalized should she get Covid is lower than my risk.
Yes, it's a pity I didn't get the message that the appointment was cancelled, but, that'll teach me to make sure I call and confirm on the morning of the day I'm scheduled to go in!
I'm glad you were able to get your towels dried before it rained and you were able to take a walk to the river and back, well bundled up, of course. :D
Glad things are going well for your DD at work. It was lovely that she was able to be with you for so long while her office situation was sorted--even if she did have to pay rent on her vacant apartment. :-)
DeleteRegarding succulents on the parkway: when we lived in SoCal (1960s), our next door neighbors had some kind of very small, flowering succulents covering their parkway. Much easier to maintain than grass, trees and other plants! Not sure what your neighbors do to destroy your parkway, but the succulents are hardy when they mature. Select some that multiply quickly, and let them crowd together, forming a very tight ground cover. They'll need some TLC initially and during the hottest, dryest parts of summer (don't we all?), but only require occasional edging when they get overly enthused about growing. :-)
Glad you are doing well overall, despite medical appointment annoyances. I haven't been able to comment on several blogs since I had to replace my phone last year. Default settings did something weird; I accidentally corrected it last night. No clue what I did!
...Taja
Hi Taja,
DeleteYes, one of the nice things to have happened due to the pandemic is having my daughter home all of last year, even if she did have to pay rent for her empty apartment! :)
I think you are describing ice plants for the parkway. They are an option. I once planted some succulents in the parkway and the next day, someone or something had uprooted them all and left them strewn about! Every so often, I find unwanted furniture dumped in my parkway and trash. I don't see who actually puts them (except one time, when one of the neighbors threw some trash from her car and I saw her do it from my window - I called out, "You dropped something" and she said something rude, but, her male companion picked it up. The parkway is a public right of way area, but, homeowners are expected to maintain it and I hate how it looks right now, so neglected.
Glad you were able to accidentally correct your phone settings and can now comment on blogs once again! Thank you for commenting on my blog. :)
Glad your daughter is doing okay. Sounds as though the place she works for cares about their safety so at least that will put your mind at rest a little.
ReplyDeleteHow annoying that the appointment was cancelled! I wouldn't have been too happy!
Thank you, Sharon; yes, I think her office is doing what they can to make the place safe for the workers.
DeleteIt was unfortunate that I didn't receive the message that the appointment had been cancelled, but, I guess I should have called to confirm. Oh, well, the car got a good run! :D
I don't know if that's a western alligator lizard or not, but from the picture, that sounds like an appropriate name. We had a lot of lizards around when we lived in New Orleans, but not so many here.
ReplyDeleteIt does look a bit like an alligator, doesn't it? :D They are beneficial animals to have in the garden. I've had one or two come inside the house, from time to time, but, I prefer them to be in the garden!
DeleteYeah for rain!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'd want to see lizards in my yard! What does their presence do? Do they help nature along by eating bad things? I don't even know. You mentioned you see quite a few, they must be happy :) The cats must leave them alone.
Oh gosh, how annoying going for a medical appt and having it cancelled. Well, at least you got a copy of your report and got a pizza. And ran the car lol.
So all was not lost, right. I hope you didn't have to get up early to go to that cancelled appointment.
Yes, a big "yeah" for the rain! I didn't have to water the garden on Friday! :D
DeleteLizards are predators and help to keep the insect and spider populations under control! The cats have been known to play with them/kill them. I've had a few delivered to my back door steps, from time to time!
No, I didn't have to wake up early to go to the cancelled dr's appt. :D I have now learned to make afternoon appointments when possible! :D Got to get my beauty sleep in! :D
Oooh ... after all that business with the automated phonecall and whatnot, I don't think it was incumbent on you to phone again to reconfirm. Why didn't they delete the office number when you told them to, and why did they just leave a voicemail on one random number without making any effort to speak to you in person? Fair enough, you are retired but you might have had to rearrange lots of things to make that appointment. As it happens, it was not such a big deal in the scheme of things but it is certainly not your fault.
ReplyDeleteBut on to more important things: it seems we had similar temps yesterday!! I sat outside in the sun with only a cardigan on, though! (You delicate petal, you!) And when the sun went in I did feel a bit chilly, but couldn't be bothered to get another layer so I just put up with it. When I got home in the evening it was very cold so I put another layer on and snuggled on the sofa, under a blanket with lots of hot drinks.
Yes, well, I guess the office staff is too overworked to attend to minor details like updating current contact information and actually speaking with a person to inform them about appointment cancellations! :D When I came home, I checked my phone to see if there was a record of the clinic's number (the phone numbers are retained on my phone for a few days unless I delete them) and I didn't see one. Occasionally, I get messages left on my answering machine that are meant for other people, and I have called the original caller to say that they didn't reach the party they were trying to contact. But, that's just me. :)
DeleteOh, I am definitely a hot house flower! :D It is 84F, here, today (but, only 72F inside the house), and I am feeling very comfortable with a light sweater on! :D
I'm glad your daughter has settled in to her return to the office. Is she enjoying being back?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your cancelled appointment. That must have been very frustrating for you. X
Thank you, Jules; yes, she's enjoying being back as the new Covid case numbers there are lower than they are here and she feels more comfortable going out and doing things, especially since she doesn't have to worry about exposing me!
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