Do you ever go through a period of time when things are just crazy? That’s about where I’ve been lately. I may as well not even plan anything, because something else seems to come along to upset my schedule. Even when I do manage to get something done on time, outside factors conspire and it gets put off somewhere else along the line.
For example, I write a monthly feature for my local newspaper. I wanted to write an article about diabetes education to run on October 30 to include a reminder about a diabetes education event that took place on November 3.
One person gave me a brochure about the local diabetes education center and didn’t, for some reason, follow up with a requested e-mail with some more information. The dietitian said she could answer my questions after the second week of November. The family practice doctor (mine, as it happens) who spoke was given a note with my phone number and a message to “call her,” but someone forgot to remember to include my name, so he didn’t call me.
I wrote the article, using old notes and previous articles (so-and-so has said, “blah, blah, blah …”) and got it in. On time.
Then the features editor got sick, couldn’t get artwork done in time, and moved it to a November 6 publication date.
“Oh,” I told the doc when he sat down beside me at the event and apologized for not calling, “you weren’t the only one.”
Speaking of docs, I ran out of one of my medications and had no refills. So the pharmacy called my doctor, who approved my prescription—for one month’s worth of pills (instead of the 90 days that I prefer) at a time, but only half the dose I take. So I basically got a “month’s” worth of drugs that lasted only 15 days.
Yes, I have an appointment for next week.
Calendars. How can calendars give you fits? They can if you don’t get the kind you need. Lemme see…how to explain this…
There are the calendars all of us are familiar with: January, February, March, etc. And there are calendars with the Jewish months: Tishre, Cheshvan, Kislev, etc. Jewish holidays fall on the Jewish dates. Although they hop around on the regular calendar, they’re always on the same date on the Jewish calendar. Like, Hanukkah began on December 5 last year and will begin on December 22 this year, but it’s always on the 25th of Kislev.
In addition, anniversaries of death, for one, are observed on the Jewish date. Regular calendars don’t give Jewish dates.
Our synagogue didn’t get its Jewish calendars. Our secretary couldn’t make up the list of anniversaries of deaths. Members were upset. Who has software to make Jewish calendars? Yep: Me.
This was two weeks ago. I was just sitting down to work on an article that was due last Friday. My notes and references were spread out on my desk. Several panicked people called me. I put the notes and references aside, and the Sisterhood president came over with scrapbooks and began selecting photos. I taught myself how to use my scanner and began building a calendar.
That crisis over, I had blogs, columns, and the aforementioned feature to write. There was a social I had to cook for. Frank the cat got snipped, had to remain “quiet,” and couldn’t eat at will, so we put him in my grandson’s room and shut the door. He cried. (The cat—Grandson wasn’t here.) I spent the night sleeping with Frank. If you’d call it sleep. He was s-o-o-o-o happy to see me, he wouldn’t leave me alone. The next day was cooking/social day, and the following day…I slept. And slept. All afternoon and through the night until 5 AM the following day.
Sure would be nice to have a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to see how all of that has been affecting my glucose levels. I’ve been stressed, and I’ve been stress-eating.
And, yes, I do have a CGM, but it’s been a paperweight for a few days. Did I tell you about the morning I was brushing my teeth while trying to shoo a couple of cats away and my receiver fell into the sink? With the water running? Did I tell you receivers are not waterproof?
The company said it would send me a new receiver, but they’re on back order. Luckily, when I put the batteries back in on Monday “just in case,” it came alive again. Whew! Guess all I needed to do was let it dry out for a few days.
Seems like there’s more, but I’m not recalling any more incidents at the moment. There are things that are probably best forgotten, anyway.
I’m taking off next week for some R&R, and it’s about time! I think I need it.
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