AWKWARD UNDERWEAR

While reading another blog for oldsters (about farting, no less), I learned of a new hip idea for Depends ... when that day comes (if it does).  I did buy some pads for night time after surgery ... in case I can't race down the hall ten feet and sit in time.

Confitex.  A New Zealand company ... and they just had the first Designer Incontinence Fashion Show.  Bladder issues are not just for the elderly.  Here's one photo from the show ...

And really ... I don't think I could/would wear these, leakage or not.  But maybe these:

They sure look more like undies than Depends do.  Mr. Ralph had to wear Depends for a few weeks and he hated them!  I did finally find some that looked like men's undies which seemed to help him.

The best part about these Confitex undies is that not only do they look real, they are washable and reusable.  Saving our landfills from adult diapers.  The key features and benefits of Confitex underwear include:

Fashionable

Anatomically designed

Washable

Hypoallergenic

Environmentally friendly

Ultra fast absorbency

Moisture leak protection

Odor protection

Fast drying

Fully breathable

Economical

Chemical free

Ongoing absorbency

They come in two absorbency levels and lots of styles.  Men's also but I have mostly lady readers ...

Pricing is not too bad either!

MONEY MONEY MONEY

As I have mentioned before, I have never had to be on a written down budget.  When we had lean years, we ate at home, brought our own coffee and packed a lunch.  No vacations.  I made it fun so Kate never knew.

Now that it is fixed income and withdrawing from my savings, I am paying a lot more attention.  I do spend more when I am here with the kids.  I want to watch them enjoy their inheritance!  Once a week or so, I treat them to a family date ... indoor playground, the zoo, pizza buffet where the kids eat free.  I invested in a bike rack so they can load and go on adventures.  They are so great about making sure the boys get physical exercise every day.

I'm also showing them inexpensive or free things to do when I am away and the rains hit.  We have a huge covered cement patio so they can ride, kick balls, play tag and get fresh air.  The library has loads of kid-oriented activities and story time.  Our local theatre has $1 kids movies every day at noon.  Parks and Rec has indoor play time with lots of gymnastic things to climb and jump around.

I was SOOO excited to learn I could now save $200/year on my condo insurance.  Our new HOA insurance policy covers the building and we just need to cover the $10,000 deductible should something catastrophic occur.  We are in the process of updating our House Rules when one member called to talk to the insurance agent ... and maybe this has been covered in the past but wow!  Great news.

Then, in the mail that very same day ... the rent on the storage unit went up $40!  Per month!

Shoot.  Money, money, money....

GRAMMA GRAMMA - MOST BEAUTIFUL BIWD EFFER!

I'm breaking a current (soon to be changed) Condo HOA House Rule by putting up a bird feeder.  And a hummingbird feeder.  It has been worth it!  (The rule was instigated by the previous Board Chair as she is terrified of squirrels.)

Both little men love looking out the dining area window to see if birds are having their meal at the same time.  Braeden often takes his Poppa's huge binoculars outside to bird watch.  He has the sharpest eyes ever but he can spot a hawk or an eagle way up high with those binocs.

In the park where he had his summer camps, the City put up a huge platform near the top of a utility pole.  This spring, an eagle built a gigantic nest and Braeden spotted two babies within.  We watched in awe as the mother brought a fresh caught fish (the Willamette River is 2-3 blocks away) and ripped off little pieces for them to devour.  I guess it might take a thousand worms to feed one of these youngsters!

The hummingbirds are very brave and don't mind if we are sitting outside just six feet away.  The seed eaters are a little more wary of busy noisy boys.

The absolute best result of investing $20 outside in a little tree ... is Braeden running inside screeching "Gramma, Gramma!  Come see ... the most beautiful biwd EFFER!!"

AWKWARD WIDOW EATING

I'm glad I joined Weight Watchers again.

Honestly, I didn't realize how hard it would be to have solitary meals.  It's not as much fun cooking for one although I'm making more of an effort.  I've been spoiled living here with the kidults as Jesse LOVES to cook.  I usually have a little bit of whatever they are having, accompanied by a BIG salad. Slowly but surely I'm adding more fresh vegetables and fruits to my life.

I hope once my knee is my own, I can walk and ride my bike in Maui.  It's a great flat area in my little town with a dedicated one mile bike path next to my neighborhood.  The main street also has a bike lane ... once I get over my fear of cars buzzing past me.

Exercise allows WW's to have another bite of something AND helps the weight drop.  I'm looking forward to losing a bit faster for sure.  I know every ounce helps but ....

Maybe I need to spend some time making my own "cookbook" of meals for a week or two.  Buy ingredients that I can use in a dish the next day or the day after.  Leftover bits and pieces seem to get wasted.  But maybe if there was a PLAN!?  I looked into Blue Apron (they do not deliver in Maui yet) but I'm thinking I could do something similar for myself!  

If you haven't heard of them, they ship you all the ingredients (and herbs and spices) to make awesome recipes.  It's $10 per meal per person, for one or two.  Which sounds expensive but if your choice is going out for dinner or staying in and cooking quick ... it's about the same.

Isn't it amazing the jobs we can think up for ourselves??  

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT

As I sit here in the library (had to print something and my printer will STILL not work at home!), I am in awe of my three hours at the hospital today.

What a well oiled machine this joint replacement team is.  I met with the hospital joint replacement coordinator and was pleased to learn I should have a pretty easy time because I am so healthy.  HA?  Me???  Only on two medications and no big medical issues (heart, diabetes, etc).  Someone popped in to draw blood and in 30 minutes we had the results.  Blood pressure a little high but she thinks hospitals do that to people!

Answered a million questions with the nurse practitioner who also thinks I'm doing pretty great for my age.  Really?  Most people my age that I know are not taking ANY medication.  Still need to lose weight but hopefully that will continue when I can actually walk without wincing.

I received packets of information with illustrations of exercises, a chart to fill out with measurements like height of my bed, car seat, favorite chair, bath tub, etc so they can recreate the exact heights for physical therapy.  It sounds like I will want to leave as soon as possible ... just to get some rest!  Occupational therapy (using potty, getting in and out of shower/car/bed/chair) and physical therapy begin two hours after surgery.

We get a super cool ice pack device called Aircast Knee Cryo/Cuff with Cooler.  You put in frozen bottles of water then add water.  It's a gravity fill and release system that velcros on instead of using a pack of frozen peas.

I get to sport thigh high compression stockings for six weeks but it sounds like only 2 weeks with the walker.  They talked me out of going to a rehab facility due to the amount of germs that hover around those places.  I'm used to the 40 or 50 varieties at my condo (all of which have remedies) but not the 200 in the hospital or rehab ... some of which may not be curable.  They predict only an overnight stay but asked insurance for two nights, just in case.

Now I'm trying to get our guest suite for a week or so just to be sure I don't step on an Army guy or Lego zombie or trip on the carpets on top of our laminate floors.  Got my potty booster seat and walker.  Now to move Mr. B back to his own room (I'm going to miss his little dinosaur nest) so I can have a chair in there as well as the bed.  

Stay tuned!  Surgery day is Thursday, Sept 17 at 9:30 ... taking less than two hours.  Physical with my primary care doc this Thursday, then pre-op with the surgeon (where I get to PRE PAY his fee ... ???).  Have my hair cut and color scheduled.  Now I have a bottle of special anti germ soap for shower the day before and the morning of surgery.

Interesting factoid ... my knees do not hurt!  Thought about postponing but everyone today said that feeling is very common ... brain is busy with so many other things it forgets to feel the hurt.

Who knew?

UH OH ....

Oh my!  The condo mean girls are going all out in defying the HOA.

This year we had set aside $10,000 for barkdust for the complex.  Our community is pretty large so a few months ago I asked how much mulch would be applied.  Landscape Committee said about 1/2 inch.  Good grief!  That would blow away in about two weeks!  I suggested that we keep the $10K and ask for another $10K so we could put down 3 inches.  

Our landscape maintenance company blows the area and the last time we had mulch applied, it was completely gone in two months.  I prefer that pine needles and leaves just be left alone as they decompose and add acid to our soil (which needs it!) and have the guys just blow or rake the sidewalks.  Some others are offended by the tree droppings but want the areas raked (too time intensive for our budget) not blown.

So our wise and wonderful HOA Chair put out a survey asking yes on bark this year or no on bark this year.  It was voted down, 2 to 1.  Oh the hoopla that went on after that was announced.  Landscape Chair wanted to do another survey.  Others said we had the money so we should do it.  Neighbors called neighbors and gave them a hard time for whichever way they voted and wanted the NO voters to call and change their votes.

We have had our annual election and our HOA Chair was re-elected and also re-elected as Chair.  Which made some of the crabby old ladies angry (they wanted the bark).  Last weekend ... five of them decided to apply their own barkdust in front of their buildings.  One lady lives UPSTAIRS.  All of them used that red bark dust rather than dark hemlock mulch, which is what was recommended by the landscaper.  It's a blatant nose thumbing to the Board ... and the rest of our community.  Each of these people has been on the Board and on the Landscape Committee so they all are well aware of our procedures.

IF you want to change the green space in front of your area, you first talk to all three neighbors to be sure everyone is on board with it.  Then you take a sketch to the Landscape Committee who votes.  IF/when it is approved, they present it to the Board to be sure it will blend with the community.

Ralph and I did that when we first moved in.  All we had in front of our dinky cement patio was a half dead little maple tree.

Guess what is about to hit the fan!  Some neighbors have talked to the Barkies who say "what can they do about it?  Make us take it up?"

Oh yeh.  I sure hope so.

WHEN TO CALL THE POLICE

There are times when I wish there was a Grammar Police department.

Using the incorrect word has always been a pet peeve ... of mine, of Mr. Ralph's and of course Kate.  In fact, she wouldn't date a young man in high school because he couldn't or wouldn't use the proper there or their.  So funny!

This little graphic is even better than my favorite book, Eats Shoots and Leaves!  

I have a few friends who were not born into English speaking families and am always amazed at how they can even learn our language.  Just those ten examples above!!  Then when you add slang into the mix ... YIKES!

We hosted a high school girl one summer from Spain.  Yolanda.  She always carried a little spiral notepad .... mainly to write down slang words and what they meant.  I remember saying we could drive over to the coast one Saturday or maybe on Sunday if the weather is iffy.  She loved IFFY!  Because we weren't sure IF the weather would be good or IF the weather might be too rainy.

I'm still learning English.  I'm in love with my thesaurus.  I do think learning Chinese would be tougher.  The same words can have different meanings just by the tone and loudness of your voice.