He Says We Need To Do A Runner

Maybe I'm late to the party, but boiling corn on the cob and making hard boiled eggs together just works. After all the rain the dry weather is back and it’s hot. Cooking on the stove top is better than the oven which heats up our apartment fast. Summers we eat a lot of salad and that’s not a bad thing. I add hard boiled egg and cheese for protein to balance it. It’s been a long week and I’m worn out mentally especially seeing the conflict happening overseas. Regardless what the news reports, the daily ICE body grabs still continue along with the chaos it creates. It’s unsettling living under an administration that puts no value on people or the law. 

Between the smoke from wildfires and the heat the sky has taken on its own strange landscape. It’s surreal seeing a big red ball in the milky haze like a bad omen. I’m still hoping to be called back to work in July and emailed the agency that I work with. I found out recently a few employees are starting to be requested back so we will see. My call from Social Security came and went. I answered all of the questions easily and was approved, the only stumbling block came days after the interview finished. While on the phone I was told I would receive a monthly amount, I even had the woman recheck everything while telling me this during my interview to be sure things were correct.

Days later I logged into my online SSA account to check for a status update and the other shoe dropped. The monthly benefit I qualified for had been cut in half without explanation.The electronic letter was there showing a new monthly benefit along with an “over payment” amount. Wait, what? I’ve never gotten any benefits and certainly owed no over payment. The next thing I had to do was call, spend hours bouncing from person to person, and file electronic forms. It’s ridiculous people cannot just get shit correct yet here we are. 

Moving on, Father’s Day was nice but also difficult for my husband. His family being back in England and us canceling our trip due to current politics isn’t easy for him and I feel so bad. He has grown children that he needs to see and them him. We tried to keep the day upbeat and went to our favorite ice cream parlor he enjoys. We found it a few years ago and visit it frequently in summer. Not that we need to eat more sweets but we needed a change of scenery. It was lovely to have the staff servers we know wishing him a Happy Father’s Day and be acknowledged. I attempted to reach my 83 year old dad in another state but was unsuccessful. 

I’m currently typing this weekly blog using Dollar Store reading glasses after my prescription ones suddenly broke and it’s a challenge. My vision has changed so much so often the last four years I have a drawer full of them in all strengths. I had gotten the prescribed pair that long ago but shortly after the appointment I knew right away the doctor got it wrong. Picking up the new glasses they were immediately not strong enough. Eye glasses are expensive as is an eye appointment. Since then everyone jokes about my vision it’s just so so bad. I’m one of those people that if I set my glasses down I need someone to help me find them because I don’t see well enough to do it myself. 

Our house hunting is at a fever pitch now. We are looking over the border into the state of Maine but it’s proving difficult attending viewings because we don’t reside there. No sooner does a property pop up we can afford, it’s gone before we see it. Most are an hour or two away and with my husband working weekdays he can’t take time off to go to many showings. Someone told us to get a realtor involved but the last two I spoke to I was not impressed at all, they were more of a hindrance. In my prior marriage we had our home built, a modest ranch style starter. Buying a home from someone else and all that goes with the process is the part that overwhelms me. An option to buy it outright can have its challenges too but could give better peace of mind to the one of us left behind when that day comes. We just need a small 2 bedroom place to peacefully live our final chapter of life in. 

At this stage I’d live in almost anything so long as it doesn’t leak and has septic and heat. This building we are currently in is so far gone it’s getting scary. In the last round of rain I noticed the odor of wet plaster in our bedroom wall, investigating it we found a new leak coming in through the rotted siding outside. Just to compliment that situation our kitchen drain too began leaking under the sink, not difficult to fix no but it’s also not our responsibility. We were told by the elderly owner there will be no more repairs; "I cant afford it now there is just me left." I mean, how am I supposed to respond to that as water comes in a wall, our ceiling, and under the kitchen sink with her husband passing 5 months ago? So yes we need to bail out soon (no pun). My husband in all his British slang calls it "doing a runner." The photo above in no way depicts where we live or will live, it was sent to me as a joke. 

On the subject of leaky pipes last week at work all of the water was shut off in the building leaving the kitchens and bathrooms useless. In need of facilities the company brought in a “multi-Flush.” Apparently the multi unit porta potty unit was so amusing and fancier compared to the indoor employee washrooms everyone began using it for selfies. My husband of course couldn’t be left out and hopped in one to check it out and do the same. The warehouse workers dubbed the daily new accessory the executive bathroom. The standard warehouse bathrooms are not for the faint of heart. 

Next on our list of daily to-do’s is our nightly regimen of tablets, a combination of Calcium, Vitamin C, my B12, and of course the Statin to keep cholesterol in check. I also add a nightly glass of Metamucil to my mix. Too much information?, it won’t be when your turn arrives. There are many things nobody ever told me about getting old and that's one of them, so I’m just passing things along as I go. Last month my best friend one year older text me regarding her sluggish gastrointestinal system so I told her what I had learned and she's feeling much better now after the fact. My elderly father on many medications also learned the hard way fiber matters by needing to go to an emergency room. Diet plays a very big part yes but not all, drink water and eat your vegetables! 

Remember my hounding my husband to get his blood work done and my saying I would let him think he’s in charge? Try it, you may find it works. Here we are (below) on our way to the hospital blood lab. It seems we are always at a doctor or outpatient hospital appointment but better to be safe than sorry while we have medical insurance. American healthcare is expensive, a business made off the ill, and a circus. Anyone remember when you only needed one family doctor and not ten?, I miss those days. One of my priorities for the home move is that we have access to a decent learning hospital. Quite honestly the only hospital that fits my requirements is in Maine, my next choice would be in Massachusetts. When patients here in New England need advanced care most are willing to drive into Boston or are transported there. We are lucky to have access to the area regardless and praying we never need to go to such lengths. 

Today while home my husband decided to make his favorite Twice Baked Potato recipe. The only difference is he adds cooked crumbled bacon and cream. The rest of dinner will be roasted vegetables with bread, and fruit for dessert. He’s a fair weather baker and very good at it. Next week I’m going to sort out my cookbook collection and find some German dinner recipes. The one thing we don’t eat much of is American, our diet is pretty varied. I used to make a wonderful homemade Sauerkraut similar to this recipe  a close friend taught me. The time it takes to prepare it is well worth it. The Sauerkraut sold here in food stores is great for your trash bin. What’s your favorite food in summer?

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