Check-in

Gendered eyeglasses

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The Costco optical department person is ringing up a new pair of glasses that I’ve chosen.

Her, pointing to that dotted design along the temples: “You like these?”

Me: Yeah, they’re fine.

Her: Hmmm.

Me: You don’t like them, I take it?

Her: Well, they’re usually on girls’ glasses.

Me: Oh. I don’t care about that. Besides, I can’t see them when I’m wearing them. They’re fine.

Simple syrup, rock candy, and science experiments

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At Costco this morning, a man had a cart with 10 25-lbs of fine granulated sugar and 6 18-packs of bottled water.

Of course, the wheels in my head started immediately spinning to answer the question: “Is there anything you can make with just sugar and water?” So I took it to ChatGPT:

With just sugar and water, you can create a few things, including:

  • Simple Syrup: This is made by dissolving equal parts sugar and water, typically by heating the water and stirring in the sugar until completely dissolved. It’s a versatile liquid sweetener used in:
    • Cocktails
    • Sweetening coffees or teas
    • Making lemonades or other fruit beverages
    • Moistening cakes or pastries
    • Creating sorbets or granitas
  • Rock Candy: You can grow rock candy crystals by creating a supersaturated sugar solution (dissolving more sugar in water than it can usually hold at room temperature by heating it), then letting the solution cool. As it cools, the sugar molecules will crystallize onto a string or stick placed in the solution.
     
  • Hard Candy: By boiling a sugar and water mixture to a high temperature (hard crack stage), then pouring it into molds or onto a prepared surface, you can create hard candy. Note that some recipes for hard candy may include additional ingredients like corn syrup.
     
  • Science Experiments: Sugar and water can be used for interesting science experiments, such as demonstrating density. By creating solutions with varying amounts of sugar, you can layer them in a glass to create a colorful “rainbow” effect.

Pet peeve: Asking for information that I’ve already provided

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About a month ago, I booked an eye appointment for my annual check-up. As a new patient, I filled out a 10-page form with all the usual medical history questions.

At my appointment this morning:

Person checking me in: “Would you sign that form on the clip board for me?”

Me: Just sign it?

Her: No. Fill it out and sign it.

Me: Is this the same information I provided on the 10-page form I filled out and submitted when I made this appointment?

Her: I’ll check, but sometimes those things don’t take.

Me: I don’t love doing a lot of work that doesn’t matter.

Her: Okay, you don’t have to fill it out then.

Cutting up at Costco

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As soon as I committed to a Costco checkout line, I noticed the cashier, and thought: “Oh, it’s him, the guy who commented on my t-shirt the last two times I’ve been in his line.” I immediately checked which t-shirt I had on and was thankful it wasn’t my PLAYS UNDER PRESSURE one — the one I’d had on both times I’d previously gone through his line.

Sure enough, when I got to the register he said, “I like your shirt. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man with a pumpkin head, though.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Apparently he’s famous on YouTube, which I only found out after about 10 “kids” told me they like my shirt, and I finally asked one of them, “Is this a famous person or something?”

I had no idea about the pumpkin man dance pop-culture phenomenon when I bought that t-shirt from 6 Dollar Shirts [sic]. I just bought it to wear on the 2023 Ultimate Disco Cruise, because the pose of the pumpkin man had immediately reminded me of:

Then I remembered that this cashier also likes to yammer while he rings you up (which I don’t love), and that he fancies himself as funny. Sure enough, after the shirt comment, he starts:

“What kind of bee can’t make a decision in springtime?”

“I don’t know.”

“A May bee.”

Then another:

“Earlier today, I was driving behind an ambulance when a cooler fell off the back. I stopped and opened it up to find a foot inside. So, I decided to call a toe-truck.”

Lest I be unarmed in a battle of wits, I said:

“What’s better than a candelabra on your piano?”

“I don’t know, what?”

“Tulips on your organ.”

Him, after a 2-second processing delay: “Ha! Nobody’s gonna argue with that!

Publix check-in

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I’m at the register unloading my cart onto the belt when I feel tap, tap on my back.

Lady behind me in line: “Excuse me. Are you paying cash for your groceries today?”

Me: “No, I’m not.”

Her: “Okay, have a blessed day.” And away she walks.

Now I want to know what her response would have been had I said yes, since I actually did have enough cash in my wallet to pay cash.

Exercise check-in

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When I was younger, I looked forward to getting up early in the morning to exercise. Now, getting out of bed 𝙞𝙨 my exercise.
 
 
 
 
#Home #40Minutes #Strengthening #Back #Core
 
#PlanetFitness #30Minutes #Cardio #Elliptical
Do one set of 7. And 1, and 2, and 3…

Exercise check-in

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Pilates? Oh, hell no! I thought you said, “Pie and lattes.”
 
 
 
#PlanetFitness #Cardio #30MinutesElliptical
#Home #CoreStrengthening #BicycleCrunches #DeadBugs #PelvicTilts #Bridges #KneeExtensions #KneeToChestStretches #Clamshells #HipSideSlides

2-week post-op fingers surgery appointment

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A quick visit to the doc today to get my stitches removed and for another pleasant exchange with Dr. Erickson.

Assessment: Looking good. No signs of infection. Keep bandaged for another couple of days and then start rubbing some cream containing cocoa butter and vitamin E over them, if you want to, to help minimize scarring.

Complete cynical-healthcare-expense aside: I was glad to see that my visit was at no charge, and that Medicare wasn’t going to be charged $10 per bandage.

Exercise check-in

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If you had to choose between eating bacon every day, or being skinny for the rest of your life, would you choose applewood or hickory-smoked?
 
 
 
#PlanetFitness #Cardio #30MinutesElliptical
#Home #CoreStrengthening #BicycleCrunches #DeadBugs #PelvicTilts #Bridges #KneeExtensions #KneeToChestStretches #Clamshells #HipSideSlides

Note: Image generated by Gemini AI

Yammering my way through finger surgery

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This is the second surgery that I’ve had that has been with just a local anesthesia. The first one was 38 years ago, about which I wrote this 50-word story:

Mind if we watch?

At 29, I got a vasectomy. With my legs in stirrups and my junk hanging through a hole, the surgeon asked if a med school class could observe the procedure. To my surprise, I heard my Valium-induced euphoric response: “Sure, why not? Y’all pop some popcorn and sit up front.”

Last Wednesday, I had surgery to remove mucoid cysts on 2 of my fingers — also with just a local anesthesia but with no med school students watching.

The most interesting thing that happened while the prep team was reading all of the disclosures to me that have to made before surgery (e.g., “All surgeries involve some kind of risk.”) was this disclosure: “Dr. Erickson [my surgeon] is a business partner of — and has financial interest in — this center.”

About 45 minutes before being wheeled into the OR, I had a Valium and 4 (quite) painful numbing injections — 2 in the palm of my left hand and one into each finger that was going to be sliced open.

In the very cold OR, with a drape between me and my hand so as not to see the operation, along with the doctor there were several people in the room — 4, I think.

I chatted with the doctors and nurses the whole way through. Here are snippets of some of the conversations:

Doc (pinching my middle finger to make sure it’s completely numb): Can you feel this?
Me: Actually yes, just a little.
Doc: OK, let’s put a little more numbing medicine in that one. How about this index finger?
Me: No, I don’t feel anything on that one.
Doc: Good. We’ll start on this one while the numbing on the other one is progressing.

Nurse (scrubbing my lower arm and entire hand including all of my fingers): We are just going to get you good and clean to avoid any chance of infections.
Me: Thank you.

Doc: I’m putting a rubber cover over your nearby finger for protection.
Me: Thank you.

Doc: OK, we are finishing up on this finger. I’m going to stitch it up and then we’ll start on your other one.
Me: I appreciate the play-by-play as you are operating. It’s very helpful and comforting.

Me: Do you have a preference for the days you work in the office seeing patients as opposed to the days that you’re here doing surgery?
Doc: I like a mix of both, really. I enjoy spending time with patients figuring out what’s causing their pain, and I enjoy surgeries, too. This is my favorite kind of surgery, though, where the patient is awake and we can have a conversation.

Me: My husband and I are getting to the age where some of our doctors are retiring, like Dr. Edwards where you work. I saw him 18 years ago to look at my finger, and now he’s retired.
Doc: And his son is working with us now!
Nurse (I think his name was Peter): And his son is very good, too.
Me: Dr. Wyker did my knee replacement and my husband’s hip replacement. He’s probably getting ready to retire, too.
Nurse: I used to work in Dr. Wyker’s office! Good guy.
Me: He’s probably been on a few vacations in the Caribbean off of our joint-replacement money alone.

Me: Where is your favorite place to vacation?
Doc: There is a ranch in Wyoming that my family likes to go, generally once every other year.
Me (sort of joking): A dude ranch?
Doc: Well yes, it is a dude ranch. We like to ride horses, it’s peaceful and quiet there, and I like to sit on the porch and read — and just relax.

Doc: What’s been your favorite vacation so far in your life?
Me: Two come to mind: 1) For my 50th birthday I went to 3 places in the book 1000 Places to See Before You Die. They included The Blue Mountains of Sydney, 7 Spirit Bay in The Outback, and Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef, and 2) this past August, my husband and I did a Safari at the Sabi Sabi™ private game reserve in South Africa. It was as incredible as everyone says they are.

Doc: What do you do to fill your days in retirement?
Me: I read a lot. I read 102 book in 2022, and I’m close to 30 so far in 2025. Also, I spend at least 8 hours a day on the computer — a lot of that time writing. I was a writer and editor for a living, and I still write something every day. I write three 50-word stories around a theme every Wednesday, keep a sentence-a-day diary, and blog about observations I make during my day. In fact you’ll probably be in my blog one day this week.
Doc: Ha! That’s great. About how many people, would you say, read your blog?
Me: 4.
(Laughter all around.)
Me: I’m sorta joking, but it’s not a lot. You aren’t going to go viral or anything.
(Chuckles all around.)
Me: My husband and I also occasionally take walks downtown, take 5 or 6 pictures each, and then sit on our front porch with a cocktail (or two) and write haikus about them. Real renaissance men.
Doc (and others listening in the room): That’s neat.

Doc: We’re finishing up now. I’ll stitch up this second finger, and then we’ll get you out of here and into the recovery room.
Me: Thank you. All of you have been great, and I appreciate each one of you.

All-in-all, it was a great experience. I was only in the recovery room for 15 to 20 minutes and then wheeled out to the car in a wheelchair, which was required because I had had a Valium. Bob drove us home. I get these bandage monstrosities removed in 5 days, so Monday 3/31/25.

If you’re the type who enjoys watching live surgery, here is a video of what they did. Note: This is not my surgery. As the image denotes, you have to watch it over on YouTube. To do so, click the “Watch on YouTube” link in the image. It’s 4½ minutes long.

Mucoid Cyst Surgery

Great Clips check-in

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Had a super stylist today — very details-oriented, which in my opinion, is a huge asset in a stylist.

At the register, she whispered, “Are you 65 or older?”

Me: “Yes, but you can’t give me the senior discount on this coupon that’s for a $9.99 haircut. I do appreciate you trying, though.”