Night Time Excitement

 

It was around 10 when I hit the sack last night and I was almost asleep when this alarm went off.  Loud and screechy. I thought it was my smoke alarm but nothing was smoking so I thought perhaps the battery was going bad.  Took some work to pull out the step stool I have. It's a good strong one with a handle but I have it stored behind 4 items! Anyhow, I got it out and climbed up there and started pushing on the smoke alarm button. Nothing worked.  By this time I was really in a sweat.  Still thought it was my apt probably waking up the building. I opened the door and several residents were wandering around wondering just like I was.  I was informed that No, it's not your smoke alarm. Someone said we're supposed to exit the building when this happens.

"So this is a fire alarm test? for us?"  Nobody knew.  I grabbed my cane and headed for the stairway. Got downstairs and it was a regular party out by the dog park area in the back.

One woman says:  I hear someone smelled smoke.

another: Who would be cooking at this hour?!

Another:  Remember where you live!

Oh yeah......laughter.

I was really mad that I didn't grab my phone because I was told the fire trucks were arriving out front.  I decided I was missing out on the good stuff so I started hiking with my cane to the front of the building. In they come with all their gear.

They fixed the problem quickly (wiring alarm) and we headed back to our rooms. By this time, my low back/hip was enraged at what I had put it through walking around without the walker.  I set up the fans as the exercise worked me up into a sweat and I crawled back in bed moaning because of my back pain.

After a half hour, I realized I probably needed to take an ibuprofen and get out the heating pad and apply this pain roller medicine. I moved to the recliner as sometimes sleeping more upright helps.  Not this time, though. I went to find my cannabis gummies as I figured this was a night that I needed it.  It did help in that it knocked me out so I was able to sleep but I didn't know if it helped so much with the pain.

Yesterday I had decided to start practicing walking up and down stairs like a normal person. Which basically means making my right knee and leg cooperate. I did manage to do half a dozen steps using the handrail but I've got a long ways to go to use both feet at once going up and down.

The whole ordeal did indicate to me that should we ever have to evacuate again I’d better be prepared to carry out exactly what might help if we can’t get right back in. First thing is going to be my car keys so I can go sit in my car nearby. Also going to have my phone so I can take pictures. Priorities, you know. And I’ll also have to remember to put my glasses on and maybe grab my purse.

 Not much on the agenda today. Going to work on cleaning up my photos on my hard drive and I have another jigsaw set up. I’ve found that I lose patience and interest in my puzzles right away and if they aren’t pleasing me, back into the box they go while I go search out another.

There are a ton of 1000-pc puzzles in the activity room but I just can’t seem to work up any enthusiasm for those. Takes up too much room and takes too long to finish one. Maybe I’ll change how I feel later on. I am starting to run out of 500 pc puzzles down there. Mainly because I’m very particular on what I choose to spend my time on.

Activities this week include physical therapy tomorrow afternoon, funeral on Friday at Chimacum graveside and then the boy scout house, yard sale on Saturday at my sister’s and a podiatrist doctor appt next Monday.  I can remember when my calendar always had “bingo” written on several evenings. Oh, the time and money I wasted on bingo, smoking, and a little beer drinking. Funny how I don’t do any of those things now. Been replaced with memorials, doctors, crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and other hobbies.