Valentines Day

 It's 4:10 pm and I just made a quick run to Safeway. Spur of the moment decision. I had been taking a nap and really didn't want to get up but I was getting cold laying there and decided I might as well get moving. Have had a couple of bad nights of sleeping.  Nerve issues mostly and it always puzzles me when it flares up the way it does.  My toe neuropathy had actually been improving (I thought) and I didn't always need a heated rice pack for my feet when I hit the sack.  Something is amiss somewhere, though, and I'll never know what the nerves are going to do next. Last night I woke up at midnight and I'd only been asleep for an hour. My left fingers were completely dead.  Took me a while to work them back to life.  I had been told when I had a nerve conduction test a few months back that I had carpal tunnel and needed it fixed (in both wrists) but I didn't think it was bad enough to bother doing the operation. At least not yet. I wasn't really in pain anyhow. I do have Raynaud's Disease where my fingertips turn white when I get cold (It's really weird looking) but I've learned to live with it.

I had been thinking I wanted to get a doctor appt one of these days so I could have some questions answered on various things I've had on my mind. Like a carotid artery test where they listen to the pulse in your neck to see if your arteries are clogged.  I can remember several years ago when I went to this church in PA that was offering TimeLine screening (for $49) where they check all your body parts for pulses.  I got an advertisement in the mail last week inviting me to the Legion downtown as this same outfit was offering the service. This time, though, it's $149!  That was one of the things I had on my question list for the doctor. How come my neck pulses have never been checked when I've been in for this or that?  Normally, I'd overlook it but a close friend told me her doctor (who is way more thorough than mine) found she was 90% blocked and sent her off to a specialist in Silverdale. Unfortuanately, the specialist was lacking in bedside manner and she didn't even touch my friend during the appt. Just typed on her computer and then told my friend she was 100% blocked.  Didn't offer any advice.  This is why I'm always pissed at our medical system these days. She went back to her doctor here and he wasn't pleased. Sent her to the local hospital for more tests. Which he probably should have done in the first place. I have another friend down the hall who has the same doctor I do and she showed up a few days back for this appt she had had to wait for. Got there and they told her she was a half hour late. She knew she wrote down the time correctly but they wouldn't see her.  So now she has to wait another two weeks.  Then....she had some vaginal bleeding occur and of course, it scared the hell out of her. She texted the doctor and a nurse called back telling her if she was in pain to go to the express clinic but otherwise, the doctor would see her in two weeks. Again. I was pissed!  I told her there was a womans clinic at the hospital and she  should go check in there. Referring with Dr. Google can only make you a nervous wreck.

Anyhow, I called to make an appt and of course, I was 9th in line with a 16-minute wait. When I finally get to the top of the list, the girl asked me what I wanted to see the doctor about. Well, I made the big mistake of mentioning that ONE of the things was this sinus/cough issue I've had for over two weeks. I think it's cleared up and then it flares again.  She then informs me the doctor can't see me if I have covid symptoms. I told her that everything is a covid symptom these days and she said a nurse would call me back. Yeah, I was pissed.  I decided to go over to the express clinic and give myself a covid test in my car. Obviously, I wasn't going to get in otherwise. Even though my last two tests have been negative and I've had three shots.

Later a male nurse called me (obviously trained in dealing with irate old ladies) because he was super nice and let me talk. I told him the questions I wanted to ask and he set me up with a P.A. (that I've seen via video chat before) and said I could come in Feb. 21st.  I've pretty much decided I'm not going to bother trying to see my doctor as I never can get in as she's booked way out or she's on vacation. Enough of that business. I'll just  see whatever P.A. is available and let it ride.  I'm obviously going to have health issues if I insist on living this long, ha ha

I'm in a better mood now. The mail lady (who is one of the worst mail carriers I've ever encountered) banged on my door and dropped off a box. Nobody in the building likes her. Anyhow, it was a surprise Valentines Day gift from my daughter, Mary. And just what I wanted. Candy.  But not a big ole box; a small junior mints and a small Reeses.  Perfect. PLUS...four scratch tickets.  I never win on scratch tickets but today could be the day.

I spent all morning and half the afternoon looking at newspapers.com  I wasn't finding anything and was getting very discouraged. Then....I started looking at my grandpa's siblings and knowing where they all were, I assumed I would find some stuff. And I did.  My great uncle John was married to Lilly who was really into the social end of her community and she must have written for the paper because there were dozens of little snippets about her kids visiting or other company coming or who they went to see.  Including ME!  Found one of my dad and his twin brother visiting their Uncle John too but I didn't save it and now I can't find it again. I know it was after 1938 when their mom died at St. John's Hospital.

This was November of 1945. I know the other relatives that went were my Aunt Velna as she told me about the train trip they took.

this one was October but I forgot to write down the year. It lists cousin Arlie.

This article mentions J.S. Blankenship in 1940 visiting his brother John. John and Lilly seemed to get around a lot as I have a picture of them at the Kuhn House too and Lilly wrote of everybody that came to see them.

I also found a reference of a family reunion picnic in Suver, OR dated June 16, 1927. Was happy to see that as I've always had that picture that shows my dad as a boy.

Their folks are in that picture too (grandpa on the left and Mae standing behind the boys) Also shown is Aunt Elva in front with the white dress and tie and Uncle George standing on the other side of the twins. My great uncle John and his wife, Lilly, are on the right. I've been able to find out a lot of stuff on John and Lilly. Interesting.

I sure didn't get anything else done today but since I'm cancelling the newspaper subscription in a day or so, I needed to pour on the steam. Guess I'll go downstairs and check the mail now and then come back and fix me a piece of fish that my brother, Dana gave me. I picked up a head of organic lettuce when I went to Safeway as the "regular" lettuce looked absolutely puny!  Now I'll see if organic tastes any better than the cheaper kind.

Catie and Louie stopped in for a few minutes yesterday and I had him teach me how to say his name. Guevarez. Pronounced Ga-VAR-EZ.  He's Puerto Rican which I didn't know. Catie met him in high school when she lived in Florida.