Ms. Cellophane

No not the delicious Mexican food, TACO as in Trump Always Chickens Out. And thank God he did this time... I think he was really thinking of nukes.

But anyway. I got up around 11:00 and had breakfast and coffee and showered and dressed. Then I took my laundry down to the laundromat and dropped it off.

Then I puttered around online for quite awhile, and around 3:00 or so I went into the bedroom to lie down.

While I was playing on my phone. I suddenly remembered I was going to call today about the sleep study, since it's been over 10 days and I hadn't heard anything.

It required a call to them, and getting through the phone tree to a human, and then for them to call me back about 15 minutes later.

But finally it turned out that somehow I'd fallen through the cracks, as they put it, and been lost. They apologized profusely, and are going to get me set up in about three days with the paperwork and insurance, but for an actual appointment for the study, well... the lab has no openings in April or May. They'll try to fit me in if there's a cancellation. Great. But I'm in no big hurry, so OK.

Anyway, I puttered around on my phone some more, then came out to get something to eat around 5:00. I got back on the computer then. All day I was taking part in a discussion on ship-of-fools, the one that started yesterday, so I did that, and then at 7:00 I Teamed the FWiB.

He told me then that Trump had backed down on the threats, so I relaxed. I was really pretty convinced he was planning to nuke Iran.

Got off in time to do my Al-anon meeting by Zoom. That went pretty well, M and S were both there.

Then I had dinner, and went to the bedroom and called mashfanficchick. We had a nice talk.

And then it was pet feeding time, so I came out to do that, and here I am.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. Trump chickened out.

3. Going to have more clean laundry.

4. Ship-of-fools.

5. mashfanficchick

6. Got through to the sleep study people.

I slept late this morning and got up after 12:00. As I said yesterday, I have no milk so I couldn't have my Cheerios, but I made coffee (using my sugar free creamer of course) and had coffee.

Then I puttered online for awhile and finally got up and dressed. I went out and went to Dunkin' Donuts for brunch. The weather was damp and just barely spitting rain but it's only around the corner, two blocks, so that was OK. I got the $6 meal deal, a bacon, egg, and cheese on a bagel, and hash browns, and a medium iced hazelnut coffee. I augmented that with a strawberry iced donut with sprinkles.

I took it home and ate, and then puttered on the computer some more.

Finally I went into the bedroom and read more in A Dangerous Education. I read for several hours, then came out here again and started writing in the story I've been working on.

I wrote quite a bit, I'm over 5,000 words now. I wrote until I got an email from the FWiB saying he was home from his niece's where they went for Easter.

We Teamed at 7:00 and talked til 8:30. Then we got off and I called Middle Brother and wished him happy Easter. He had an ice cream cake and special dinner so he was happy.

Then I realized that there was a late Starsky and Hutch chat going on, Babs had been out for easter with her family but started a chat when she got back, so I attempted to join that.

There were a lot of technical issues. I finally joined with my phone. We didn't stay on long after that.

I had dinner and fed the pets, and started trying to update my journal, but the technical issues persisted. I finally turned off the computer, closed it, and let it rest about 15 minutes. Since then it's worked fine, but I am concerned. I hope this doesn't mean the start of more issues like I had before.

Anyway, that was Easter around here. I got texts from Laurie and John, and John Ivon, so that was nice. I'm hoping the Kid will call before I go to bed. I called and texted her twice.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. Dunkin' Donuts was open.

3. Good books.

4. My story is coming along.

5. Middle Brother is good.

6. Heard from family and friends.

Got up at 10:00 and ate breakfast and had coffee. My meeting tonight had been canceled because of it being Good Friday, so I didn't bother showering or dressing.

So I did very little today. I finally took down my Christmas cards and stockings (Yes I still have my Christmas decorations up. Be nice! I've been busy!) I signed up to go to a Bernie Sanders rally on April 12th. I texted the Kid and asked if she wanted to come but she'll be in South Carolina.

I started reading the Naomi Novik book A Deadly Education, which is the first book in the Scholomance trilogy. It didn't immediately grab me but I'm getting into it.

I got a couple of calls from mashfanficchick which was nice.

At 7:00 I teamed the FWiB. We talked for an hour and a half. After we got off I had some cheese and crackers rather than dinner cause I had, for me, a big lunch: tuna with mayo, and guacamole.

Then I lay down intending to read some more but got distracted playing solitaire.

Then it was pet feeding time so I did that and started here.

And that's all.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. Good books.

3. Bernie Sanders.

4. Leftover Easter candy.

5. Solitaire.

6. The Kid.

I went to bed early last night, then got up at 7:30, had breakfast, and went back to bed until 11:30. So I feel refreshed.

The main thing I did during the day was change the water in the turtle tank. I emptied it with the help of my wonderful electric pump, and put in six buckets clean. The turtle seems much happier.

Aside from that, I got back to reading the Ngaio Marsh book, and I did that during the afternoon.

The FWiB reminded me that the Artemis 2 was heading up with 4 astronauts to circle the moon today so at 6:00 I came out of the bedroom and tuned in to the NASA site on YouTube. The rocket went up at 6:35. I had the live video on my computer, and commentary on my phone. It was a wonderful sight.

Then at 7:00 I Teamed the FWiB. I didn't know if there would be D&D tonight or not, because the DM wasn't going to be there, so at 8:00 I went into Discord on my phone to see if anyone was there. No one was, so I kept talking to the FWiB. I checked in a couple more times just to be sure.

We ended up talking an hour and 45 minutes, so that was nice. Then I had dinner, and went back to reading til pet feeding time.

And that was the day. And HURRAY! WE'RE OFF TO THE MOON AGAIN! I will never forget being allowed to stay up and listen to the first moon walk.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. The electric pump for the turtle tank.

3. Good mysteries.

4. Artemis 2.

5. The printer ink I ordered last night was delivered today.

6. My pets.

Got up at 11:30 and had breakfast and coffee, then showered and dressed. Then took the 44 bus to Flushing to go to the bank and then to Duane Reade.

I went to the bank first and deposited the check I got Saturday from Oldest Brother's nursing home. Last night I tried to deposit it by my phone, and for some reason it wouldn't work. Just kept saying that part of it couldn't be read. So I was worried that there might be issues with an ATM deposit too, but there weren't. It went in fine.

Then I went to Duane Reade to get the candy for Middle Brother's Easter basket. And Duane Reade was closed again! That's weird.

So I just came back home and did a Shipt order and ordered the candy from Target. No problem. I also got a few things I needed so that was good. I spent the time while I was waiting doing some writing on the story.

I found a box that fits the Easter basket and the copy of Horton Hatches the Egg that I got Middle Brother. And I found an unopened roll of shipping tape to seal up the box, so tomorrow I assemble the basket and take everything to the post office.

After the Shipt was delivered, I took the remaining recycling out. Two loads, and walked around the block each time. The weather was beautiful, almost 70 degrees (F that is) and sunny, with a nice breeze.

Then I puttered on line until 7:00 when I Teamed the FWiB. We talked for a little over an hour and a half, and that was fun.

Then I had dinner, and went to the bedroom. I called the Kid, no answer, so I texted her and asked her to call me. Then I called mashfanficchick and we talked a bit.

The Kid texted back so I gave in and asked her about the money from the nursing home and she agreed I should put it towards his cremation. So I got on the credit card account and made a payment. $720. Easy come, easy go.

Then something weird happened. The FWiB accidentally Teamed me again. I took it on my phone, but he didn't notice so I hung up and called his cell phone and explained what happened. We spoke a few minutes. It was nice.

Then it was pet feeding time so I did that, and here I am.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. The check deposited.

3. Shipt,

4. Beautiful weather.

5. Got some writing done.

6. My cold is just about gone.

Got up a little after 9:00 and then hurried to have breakfast and coffee, and then shower and dress, because I was the speaker at my Al-anon meeting this morning and didn't want to be late.

I got there early actually, so that was good. My speaking went well.

Afterward I went with S and G but instead of the diner we went to Bay Terrace to Panera, because Bell Blvd was blocked for the Bayside St. Patrick's Day parade (and don't ask me why they were having it on March 28th).

Anyway we went to Bay Terrace an Panara, and I had the Autumn Squash soup which is delicious.

I took the 13 bus from there to Flushing and the 7 train to Willit's Point/Mets Stadium and joined Larry at our seats. The game was very odd, I guess a pitchers duel, someone said. It was 0 to 0 for the entire nine innings, so it went to extra innings, and then things heated up. We eventually beat the Pirates in the 11th inning, 3 to 2. The final runs were very exciting.

The giveaway for the game was a replica World Series ring, very flashy. I think I'll let mashfanficchick have it though, I like the shiny, but I think ze'll enjoy having it more than me.

I got an Italian sausage with onions and peppers, it was very good though terribly messy.

Larry and I took the 7 train back to Flushing, then went our separate ways. I took the 44 home, and Teamed to FWiB.

Some bad news, Matsir emailed me that she and Darin are not going to Montreal after all, some office politics stuff I gather. So that leaves me without a backup if I can't get a room. Fingers crossed that I can...

Good news. When I got home, there was mail from the nursing home that Oldest Brother was at when he died. It was a check for a nice amount, I assume what was left over from his social security deposits. Why it took a year to send it to me I don't know. I will talk to the Kid about it but I think it should be used towards paying off his cremation. Won't pay it off, but it will be a help.

Anyway, that was the day. I wish I had been able to go to a No Kings protest, but I didn't want to miss my meeting. I wish they would have the protests on Sunday rather than Saturday!

Oh, one more thing. There is soon going to be another Lois McMaster Bujold Penric and Desdemona story. And again I feel a pang at not being able to talk to Oldest Brother about it...

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. My meetings and the people there.

3. Larry and his Mets tickets.

4. Mets won!

5. mashfanficchick arrived in Ohio safely.

6. New Bujold coming out.

Edited to add: Just discovered the final score of the game was actually 4 to 2, not 3 to 2. I didn't realize the Mets had two men on base when the final home run was scored. My bad!

It was my birthday today of course, and also the appointment with the sleep doctor. I got up at a little after 8:30 and had breakfast and coffee, then showered and dressed and left for the sleep doctor.

I took the Q25 to Parsons Blvd and then the Q46 to where it turns onto Lakeville Road, and then I made a big mistake. I took the N25 from the stop where it goes up Union Tpk. And I thought I was going the right way because it got to New Hyde Park Road, but then it never reached the stop, and then it turned off New Hyde Park Road. I realized something was very wrong and got off and called an Uber. Which was expensive.

Of course I was late, but I called and said I was on the way and they said it was OK. The Uber got me there, and I got seen pretty quickly.

And the doctor was pretty adamant. Yes I have apnea, she could tell by one look down my throat. They did breathing tests, and they were normal. So that's good. They are going to do a sleep study, in the lab if my insurance allows it, or at home if not. I'll know in a week to ten days which.

Then I had to get home, not knowing how to go. I studied google maps, then I walked about eight minutes to Union Tpk, and took the N25 from there, which took me to known territory. I took the Q46 to Main street and the Q44 from there home.

I texted mashfanficchick who was at Mets opening day with Larry. Ze has decided it's safe for zer to fly to Ohio, so ze was going to zer father's to pick up zer laptop and borrow a suitace, so I said I would leave for zer place after the game was over and wait for zer there.

So that's what I did. The Mets won 11 to 9 I think, and I headed over to zer place, by bus so I feel like I've been busing all day. The 20 to the 46 again.

Got there a bit after 6:00. The Kid called me to wish me happy birthday which was nice. Nothing new with her.

I Teamed the FWiB from my phone at 7:00 and mashhfanficchick arrived around 7:30.

Larry sent me the ticket for the game on Saturday we're going to. Looking forward to that, Not really part of my borthday as Larry would have offered it to me anyway, but I'm considering it a birthday treat.

At 8:00 we watched 911, and at 8:30 I called Middle Brother. He is fine, nothing new.

We called in sushi for my birthday dinner, and had that during the show. Watched 911:Nashville at 9:00.

Ze surprised me with Carvel Nutella ice cream with a birthday candle, which was wonderful. Then we watched Tuesdays episode of Will Trent on Hulu.

Then I Ubered home and fed the pets and here I am.

Gratitude List:

1. The FWiB.

2. Diagnosis of sleep apnea.

3. Uber got me there.

4. mashfanficchick

5. The Kid.

6. Middle Brother is fine.