The Elephant in The Room

From boredom to not enough time to wind my watch IF my watch was not self winding! The past few days have zoomed by; I've been spinning from all the changes.

My lungs have decided to return to a some what more normal functioning. Maybe the steroids had something to do with it? I'm at a loss as to the how but I'm very appreciative that I can take a deep breath, that I can make it through a whole day without having to collapse on the sofa to catch my breath. I've been taking advantage of this improvement and I haven't slowed down.

I didn't plan on being busy but it seems one thing has led to the next and the evening hours close in before I've finished the tasks I had set for myself.

Carrie and I decided we would take the riding lawn mower on  a trip. While Carrie stood up between my legs or sat on one knee, we drove the lawn tractor to her mom's house (a mile away) to mow that lawn.
Driving the lawn tractor around my yard at the highest speed feels as though I'm flying along at supersonic speeds. My lawn is not that large hence the feeling of speeding. Driving that lawn tractor on paved roads through this subdivision at it's highest speed felt as though I could outrun it on foot. It took 12 minutes to drive that one mile to the daugher's house and it was a noisy one mile! Carrie and I memorized each bush and gravel along the way.

 Before mowing, a major yard cleanup was in order. The old pool was dragged to the curb along with old bikes, trikes and miscellaneous wood. The stack grew and grew and the yard became bare except for the shaggy grass that was a few weeks past due on a good clipping. From mowing, to weed eating and on to using a hedge trimmer to cut down bamboo that was threatening to overtake the back part of this lot, I was exhausted by this days end.  Most of two days were spent tiding up this lawn and then it was time to get ready for Hurricane Isaac.

Water was stacked, kerosene bought, hurricane lamps  were filled, propane tank filled and all the loose items outside stored away from the coming winds.

We were ready. This hurricane had a forward movement of 6 miles an hour. Landfall was made in New Orleans and the huge radius crept westward and we waited. Sleeping for me was scattered and scarce.

I wasn't particularly apprehensive. I didn't want to miss anything so I waited..and waited ...and waited.

The days passed with wind gusts that stripped dried dead branches from the big maple tree standing on the front lawn. Leaves littered the grass, my own and all the neighbors. Light rain and more wind and the deluge we waited for never appeared. Somehow the floods predicted never materialized. We dodged the bullet this time and for that we are grateful.

Today was spend cleaning the debris fallen  from the trees that covered the grass. The lawn tractor chewed the leaves and the cypress fronds to fine layer which sun dried later was picked up by the wind and redistributed around the neighborhood. Larger limbs were stacked by the road for the landfill pickup.

Did I mention I've been busy? The daughter had her vehicle and Ted's truck parked here in lieu of all the high waters expected which usually floods her lawn.  Her Jeep had overheated and we anticipated taking it to the shop today. We changed those plans and decided to see if we could fix it ourselves. Nothing ever goes to plan when working on a vehicle and today was no different. It's fixed. New radiator hose and a new thermostat, a radiator flush and the Jeep was back on the road; we were greasy and stained, sweaty and tired!

This has been my schedule for the past three days. I'm ready for some down time. Some boredom.

...and during all this, not one episode of being short of breath.

I'm grateful I can be this busy and get so much done. It's been almost 4 months of being way too lazy.

OH, I have forgotten about the elephant!  I'll mention it right now.

The sleep study showed I had moderate sleep apnea and my doctor is adamant about me having a CPap machine. I've found a machine that a friend has generously allowed me to purchase as she could never tolerate using it. While waiting on that machine to be mailed to me, another friend loaned me one and I have been giving it a try.

The Cpap machine I have borrowed does not have a full mask but a small nose mask which works well for me because I am not a "mouth breather". From the nose piece, a hose runs to the machine to deliver the air that keeps the airway open.  I clamp the thing on each evening and Carrie watches fascinated by this new attachment. She has been staying with me and sleeping in my bed while the husband has been out of town on a job.

The second night as I was drifting off to sleep, she nudges me and puts her hand over her nose while using the other hand and arm to pantomime an elephant trunk. Half asleep, I wondered what she was doing. She grinned and whispered, "Nana, don't forget your elephant." I nodded and smiled, rolled away from her and clamped the nose piece with the long hose leading to the machine to my face.

I don't usually make it the entire night with this thing clamped to my face. I'm hoping a burgular doesn't break into this house and go into cardiac arrest. It's such an attractive look ya know.

Many changes lately; much to get adapted to. I'm working on it.