Sick again....darnit

Tourist Season is booming, I have customers from everywhere! Scandinavia, Canada, other states, who knows where else. Some pull into the Walmart parking lot in huge motor homes. Crescent City certainly is a vacation destination. Unfortunately I have heard a lot of coughing. I have been extra careful, but Tuesday night my throat was scratchy. My days off are Tuesday and Wednesday. By Wednesday I was full-blown sick. I sat on the couch all night, unable to breath laying down. I sucked on a lot of Zinc tablets. I stayed home today. It was my 4 hour day anyway. My chest congestion is already starting to break up with the help of some Mucinex. Hubby was worried. He wanted to rush me to the doctor, but I told him I will be ok, I'll only go if it lingers or gets worse. It's common in Europe for people to rush to the doctor for just about anything. After all, it only costs a couple Euros. It's hard to explain to him we really can't do that here.

Anyway, hubby has been working the early shift at Rumiano, so he gets home about 2 or 3 pm, plenty of time to grab a bite to eat and do something together. Tuesday we decided to take a walk. We had not done that since December or January. The dry weather is leaving its mark. We rarely get rain and I must water my potted plants every week. I hear there may be a change coming, which might bring mudslides to the people who live on cliffs in Southern Cal. It's always something, no matter where you live.

Pretty white flowers or grass, not sure

Skunk Cabbage (no smell this time of year)

A dead fern shines like gold

A dry field. I assume the green area in the distance is what it should all look like.

The Second of My Two Days Off

I got more done today, including the laundry. The other day, when I had the car, I bought a laundry cart, so I don't put my back out trying to carry everything to the laundry room. I be stylin' now :)

It is a glorious day sunny, mild, blue sky and pretty clouds. This is from the upstairs window. I can never get enough of the natural beauty here.

Oh Nuts!

I have been pain-free for three days now. What did I give up? Nuts. Tree nuts. I already know that peanuts (not in any way related to tree nuts) cause inflammation in my body. Years ago I found out (very painfully) that Hazelnuts and Cashews cause instant joint swelling and redness, and I do mean within half an hour. Very early on I discovered I cannot tolerate any plant protein that has been isolated (such as MSG, isolated soy protein, isolated corn protein, isolated whatever plant protein). I also have problems with Nitrites and Nitrates.

For the last couple weeks my hubby has been working 6:30 am to 3 pm, so we were getting up at 5 am. I usually work until 7 or 9 pm, meaning I come home and don't feel like eating, and barely feel like cooking, because it was already past my bedtime. So hubby was trying to make things easy on me. He bought sausage and hot dogs (quick to cook), plus other prepared foods, being careful to avoid MSG. I had already purchased a couple boxes of Biscotti (with Almonds) because I love to dip them in my coffee.

The result...not only was I exhausted from not enough sleep (although I did catch a nap on the days I work 4 hours, usually 2 to 6 or 3 to 7) but I was in pain, serious pain...massive leg cramps at night, back pain, sciatic pain, leg pain, foot pain, dragging myself through the work day and suffering cramps at night. Aspirin didn't cut it. I can't take the other stuff. One night, amid my husband's worried suggestions of "shall I go buy something for you" and "do you need a doctor", I was nearly in tears as pains shot though my legs and my feet throbbed.

I had already been to a doctor. She pinched the back of my hand and said I was dehydrated. Drinking more water and checking my hand has become a ritual. I'm no longer dehydrated. I keep Vitamin B-6 next to the bed for leg cramps, although they don't help much. I've been trying to remember to pop a multi-vitamin at least a couple times a week. I'm trying to push more fruit and veggies into my diet.

The big change came when I announced to my sausage-loving hubby that I'm sorry, I can't eat much of it anymore, even though he can. I also stopped eating anything with nuts and reduced my salt intake. Result...restful nights without cramps and no pain at work!

It's a bummer, because I love nuts and peanut butter and I'm not a big meat eater. I can get some protein from beans, but they give me lots of gas, not cool at work when I'm bending over, stocking or helping customers.

Well, it's a beautiful day, first of my 2 days off. I need to do everything but feel like doing nothing. <sigh>

It's May, I should Write Something

I'm feeling better, finally. My hubby's job at Rumiano is going well. I've been driving him to work, and on most days, picking him up. It's been chilly and windy. I have flowers front and back, and a few baby succulents. That makes me happy, because one of my fondest memories was all of my mom's succulents that grew outside year-round. We finally ordered a living room set and found a kitchen table and chairs at a garage sale.

I catch everything that passes through the store

Sick again. I used to stay well all winter. How? By not being around sick people. Now I work in OTC pharmacy and everyone who is sick and all the mothers with their sick kids come there and cough all over everything. So now I am coughing all over everything. Pretty much everyone works sick, just calling off one day. When that happens, all the rest of us "sickies" need to pick up the slack. It's a boatload of fun.

Everything Happened at ONCE!

Oh yes, it did. The apartment was ready early, we got the key on the 8th, my first of two days off. We moved on the 8th, unpacked on the 9th, I went back to work on Friday, took off Monday and Tuesday so we could go to Sacramento for my hubby's fingerprint appointment for his 10 year green card, then back to work on Wednesday, the same day my hubby started his new job at Rumiano. I was off Thursday, then back to work for another 5 days. No big deal, right? Nooo...I was stinkin' sick. I started getting sick before we moved. It's really hard working while you are really sick, especially when you can't sit down except on break. We couldn't even enjoy Sacramento. I was too sick.

The apartment is nice. Actually it's a duplex, and these are considered town homes, but there are no HOA fees. This is literally the largest place I have ever lived in, except for the apartment my parents rented for a few months when we first moved back to LA from the desert in 1963. This place is spacious, and the only furniture we have is a bed, two cabinets and two computer tables.

Sunday we drove to Brookings and looked at furniture. We weren't happy with what we saw. There are a couple places in town and more in Eureka. I don't like the thought of driving 90 miles to buy furniture. I also bought flowers for the patio. It smells so sweet out there now. I bought Stocks, Freesia, a Jade plant and Rosemary.

As I hoped, my hubby is getting well. He hardly snores anymore. His sinuses are clearing up and he isn't wheezing anymore. His job at Rumiano is going well.

Things falling into place

One of my co-workers offered to help us move. Her son is out of work, and they have a truck! My manager wants to take the 15th off because it's her birthday. When I told her I need Monday (13th) off and am willing to work Wednesday or Thursday to make it up, she said great, let's go arrange that.

My hubby put in his notice. It's a good thing he's getting out of the night stocker position. One of the managers is horrible, always barking at people to work twice as fast as what the store even allows in their rules. People have been running from the night shift like rats from a sinking ship. Six people didn't show, leaving two people to stock the store....really!

Packing schedule. Since Wednesday and Thursdays are my days off, those are the days I can pack. I have four days. However, most of our stuff is still packed from our move here, so it's won't be all that hard. I do want to clean the cat hair off the bins in the front room.

I think my hubby will be a lot healthier once we get away from all the pets in this house. Living with pets in the house is like smoking...you don't realize how dirty, messy and bad it smells until you give it up.