In past visits to the doctor for a cough I've been told both that it was sinus related and that it was reflux related.  I want to note that I have only ever had a brief issue with heartburn when I was very pregnant, so I've always been skeptical of that diagnosis.  Here recently with this cough I've found myself (gross warning) tasting what I last ate a bit more often (still no burning), so I figured I should give this a little more consideration - especially given how overweight I am at the moment, which could cause or exacerbate this issue too.  I've taken a few antacids in the past few days and I even slept on the couch the past two nights, hoping the more upright posture would prevent reflux-related issues.  Last night I also pulled out the neti-pot, even though my head/sinuses have been remarkably clear ever since the allergy fit on New Years day.  May as well tackle both suspect concerns.

Sitting still I feel ok and start to think maybe I'm doing better - but when I have to move around too much, do the stairs, or head out into the brisk air the cough takes over.  Nothing like loosing all of January to this.

In a desperate attempt to do some of the things I am behind on (read:  cleaning) last night I dusted the cat room (prb not great for a cough) and scrubbed down my bathroom sink (chemicals also prb not great).  So at least I ran the netipot after doing those things.

I look around at my mess and can't fathom how on earth I can have someone come here to replace floors, there is too much crap - where do you put it and how do you move it from room to room fast enough as they complete each space?

I'm seriously considering a very dark colored carpet upstairs.  I had a near black carpet in the bedroom at my old place - it wasn't as awful w/ fur as you might expect.  The bigger worry right now might be reducing the visibility of two black cats at night.  I also love the look of slate for downstairs - but hate the thought of that maintenance.  There are vinyl options, but I wish they would come up with a better name as vinyl instantly makes me think cheap.  Tile maybe?  I really need to get out and look at things, but I have to admit there are some really nice looking items on Home Depot's website.  I do need to do more research to make sure I am checking my boxes (scratch resistant and water proof, low maintenance).  At least I have a nice long window to do the research while I gather funds.

I've gotten my first tax bills post mortgage - ouch and ouch - and I'm waiting for the home owners insurance bill to come too.  It would be really nice to think I had a tax refund coming to cover those things, but knowing it's dumb to give the govt an interest free loan I have tried to cut those numbers tighter in recent years.  I guess the lottery is the only other option.  Last week I did get a fortune cookie last Thursday that told me "A financial breakthrough awaits you this Wednesday"... so lemme see it universe.

Monday will be (a combined) 25 years with my employer.  How does that even happen?  Obviously, my body reminds me daily that this time has definitely passed even if my mind isn't there.

While I don't want to give up my today, I miss the early days.  I miss the people around me then.  I miss Thursday wing nights.

One thing about a massage is, sometimes, it can leave you more sore the next day... but then you tend to feel way better the second day after.  That's where I'm at today.  I ached rolling out of bed this morning and I had a tinge of a headache.  Feels great to cough like that, let me tell you.

Girl got up and so it began.  Each day she fights back a bit more doing the school work that needs to be completed.  Today she literally took all day and only completed the packet from school - after countless visits with me to check things and to help her with the things she wasn't sure how to do.  Somehow from 6:30a-4:45p I managed to get 7 hours worth of work in and lunch reheated.  We headed to Jujitsu because even more on her days off she needs that exercise.

Then it's make dinner, with that started run her through her high frequency words, spelling words, bible verse, and the like - then, prepare a packed lunch and snack for tomorrow, empty the dishwasher, wash the dishes from earlier in the day, and eat.  Then wash more dishes and her milk/water bottle.

I'm emotionally done today.  My entire rib cage aches.  I cried.  I haven't done that in a while.  I need to vacuum - I just don't have it in me.  The heavy bin of Christmas crap is still in my kitchen waiting to go downstairs - I just don't have it in me.  My cold water on my bathroom sink still doesn't work - I just don't have it in me.  To be honest, right now I am not sure I have it in me to get up off of this couch so I can walk up stairs and shower.  The alarm goes off in 7.5 hours.  I hope I can get a good night's sleep.  Go away cough, go away.

So help me if I have a voice mail saying school is out again when I wake up I might lose my mind.

I love my child.  I want her around.  But I also need my child to go back to school.  As noted previously, they had a 2 hour delay last Wednesday, they were off on Thursday.  Monday was a school holiday (I still had to work), today they're remote, and... tomorrow they're remote.  Because it's _cold_.  *sigh*  Where is my 3 days of teacher salary on top of trying to get our one product testing finished and released at the same time.  I'm tired, the cough persists, and I'm getting cranky.  Thank goodness for my massage today - and even more gratitude for my massage therapist that doesn't mind Avery sitting in the room playing on her Switch.

I stuffed up w/ an allergic fit on New Years day something fierce.  That rolled down my throat (as it does) and caught in my upper airways.  I've since been coughing - and I'm to the big annoying ones that sometimes make me wretch.  I'm kind of making a note here because I looked back to my old posts to see when I last had this - and it was December 2023.  I definitely seem to get this once a year. At least this go round isn't a sore throat.  I also haven't thrown out a rib as I did last time, but I am a bit sore from the coughs.

This state slows me down a bit as I am trying to avoid coughing fits.  There is still the one big/heavy container of Christmas stuff upstairs that I haven't carried to the basement.  Let's be honest, as behind as I am in cleaning, I can't afford to be slowed further.  I also miss being able to participate in the wine at communion.

Yesterday I took to a task that involved me sitting at the table - I managed to ready Avery's Valentine box.  This year they had "homework" to make whatever box they wanted.  Well, the girl is all about the Minecraft game that she spent her Christmas money on, so we made a creeper head w/a red heart on the top.  It turned out decent.  It might also pass as something she made.  Hey, I never said I was crafty.  I also managed a pretty decent nap.  That's the one blessing about being "sick",  I feel way less guilty about this type of lazy.

Yesterday was a 2 hour delay, today is a day off.  I'm so jealous of my kid it isn't ok.  I did change my alarm and got an extra hour this morning since they cancelled before I went to bed last night.  Admittedly on Tuesday it was pretty gross in the afternoon.  There wasn't a lot of snow, but they didn't seem to have touched it.  We had made our attempt to go to Muay Thai but when I saw how backed up the highway was in both directions we turned around and came back to the house.

Today being cancelled means that voice lessons are cancelled.... again.  I at least waited to place my Giant Eagle order and was able to place it as a delivery instead.  How on the first day of their weekly sale (at 10am) do they not have the main thing I was ordering from them to obtain?  Shenanigans.  At least they had packs of ground beef at a good price.  I'll be bagging that up and putting it into the freezer given the spotty availability and ever increasing prices.  I wanted to get more boneless chicken thighs than I did but the price wasn't right.

To those having their babies today - take advantage of store pickup and delivery.  What a game changer.

Aside:  I have not seen the crows since my last post.  But we have tons of beautiful birds coming to the feeders on the back porch and the cats, especially Barnabas, are loving it.

Back in Johnstown I suddenly had crows bringing bones to the bird bath on my deck.  I'm all for a token of affection, but can you not bring something my dogs will eat and get sick from?  Focus on shiny things, thanks.  I don't recall doing anything to gain their affections, but I know that's a thing - they have a great memory.

I have often watched the two big crows that live nearby here.  They keep to the front of the house, leaving the bird bath and feeders on my deck alone (at least so far).  Today I made a grocery run after getting Avery on the bus as the snow was starting to fly again - yes, I bought milk and bread.  No eggs.  No one can afford those these days.  Regardless... when I returned I saw the two crows making a mess of the trash across the street.

I figured this was my opportunity to try and make friends.  At the cost of 2 hot dog buns I got to watch them trying to figure out how to pick up more than one piece of bread at the same time and monitored as they flew the bread up to the roof of the neighbor across the street.  As I watched I was waiting to see them drop the bread and it roll off the snow covered roof.  Clearly, I underestimated them.  They put the bread into the gutter and plucked pieces off from there.  While they eventually flew off with a few wads of bread and I was successful distracting them from making a mess of a neighbor's trash, they also left some behind.  I hope they return so I'm not left with the guilt of being the root cause of my neighbor's gutters being crammed with bread.

Two very separate things to comment on today...

1. Sex and the City
2. Plows and Driveways

I fully understand how seeing the word plow might make you think they're related.

Topic 1:  I've started to rewatch this show on Netflix.  Yes, there is that little on that interests me.  I know it's not quality, but I need something on that makes me want to fall asleep and it works well.

I didn't recall how insane Carrie is.  She just plain tortures Big with her insanity.  No wonder he doesn't want to marry her.  Was I really that blind to this when I was younger and watching the show?  I've also noticed the subtle sadness that is behind Samantha's mask of promiscuity.  It really is a sad -- and probably even more accurate today -- portrayal of dating pressures.  While exaggerated, I can see the truth in the situations (e.g., Miranda wondering what is wrong with a guy that is so eager to get together after meeting her, Charlotte failing to follow her own rules to establish boundaries).  Don't watch it, it's awful, really.  Worse still is when they comment about being 30-something and you feel incredibly old rather than thinking they were so much older than you.

Topic 2:  We finally have a decent amount of snow.  Scrolling facebook, likely due to the different things I follow that demonstrate I'm officially old, I see PennDot's post about how to shovel your driveway so you don't get snow dumped in it.  Um, yeah, right.  I'm still traumatized from the house in Johnstown and I've been gone for 8 years.  They looooved to come around that corner scooping up slop and fill my driveway with it.  Note that I say slop - that freezes right up like concrete.  There were times I couldn't get out w/ my 4WD even after digging and digging.  Then you come home at the end of the day and they've filled the driveway again.

All that to say (once again) I love it here.  Not only do we not get as much snow as I did in Johnstown, but by like magic the plows here clear the roads without plowing me in.

Snow day number 2 for the kid - last week there was a 2 hour delay.  We didn't get as much snow as I was expecting, but the pressure change is ensuring I am miserable w/ the weather.

We did a bit of running around yesterday, so I didn't get all of the Christmas down and away but I did go back out last night before the snow started to pull down as much as I could outside.  The wreaths also came off of the windows and were stored, so that's something.  I enjoy having the lights from the tree, so I don't mind it being up for a few more days.

One of the stops we made yesterday was for me to cash in on winnings from the local fire company's 2024 calendar.  Nov 17 I won where I scored $250.  On Dec 30 I won a prize from Sportsman's Warehouse.  I had a pack of 10 calendars that I won when they were doing tip boards to get them gone late last year in addition to an individually purchased one - but go figure both winnings were from the same calendar/number.  I'm not exactly the muzzle loader type of gal, so I took the gift card.  Needless to say, Sportsman's Warehouse isn't exactly the easiest place for me to spend $400 - but it was still fun to walk around on a buying binge even if I left w/ half of it still on a gift card.

The last day of "the holidays" and here I am up way too early again and under the thumb of demands put on my time by others.  Is there a way for me to learn how to say "no thanks" and not be the a-hole?  4 "free" days off from work between Tgiving and New Years and all friggin 4 were booked with "obligations".  I'm so over it.

Dear non-working and retired people,

Those of us that do work want to keep our days off for ourselves.

Thanks,

Me