Emma and the new normal

[Emma]

Saturday

dressed, yes

PT, yes

walk, short one

eating plan, yes

skin care, no

I am officially giving up on the skin care routine. My skin is pink and brown blotchy and feels slightly burned all the time so I’m switching back to my old Aveeno products and wearing long sleeves.

Got to sweat in a garbage bag again last night. The company has been pretty good keeping us supplied with masks, I have a fair number of N95s and all the surgical masks I can use. This last batch of surgical masks doesn’t fit properly and I can’t get a good seal so I’m going to wear an N95 (which I can seal) with a surgical mask on top. That will allow me to reuse the N95 for a while, may be a week at a time.
Homechef is enjoyable. Servings are huge. I am getting three to four meals out of what they call 2 servings.
Been working on my go bag list. This week I start shopping for the supplies.

[Emma]

Sunday so far

Dressed, yes

PT, yes

walk, no

eating  plan, so far so good

Was playing through some of my favorite piano pieces for the first time in a long time. Got to the last piece, my absolute favorite and the last page is gone! I can find it again, but that is a maddening way to end my piano time. It was supposed to make me feel better. Pout.
There are Stats on the board waiting for me and one is in a facility with a massive outbreak. Garbage bag fashion ahead, damn it.  Eating is likely going off track.

[Emma]

There was no garbage bag fashion last night. There was a Tower of Babel incident. Nurse handed me a doctor order that read chest X-ray bilateral view. Which is utter nonsense and not a legitimate X-ray order. Asked for clarification. She called another nurse on the phone and chatted in a language I didn’t understand, hung up and told me two view chest X-ray anterior and posterior. Which is another piece of nonsense and not a legal order. I gave up on getting a proper X-ray order and just did a standard A/P chest X-ray since that part at least was pretty clear. I  then sent an email to my supervisor about, partly to vent and partly if there is a problem later. Okay, mostly to vent, there won’t be trouble. 
After that I just sat in the van and cried for a while. It’s getting harder and harder to do my job.
My last patient was Covid positive. 

I’ve been thinking about what one nurse said, I don’t want to be a hero, I just want to do my job.
I was going to declare today a pajama day, but I saw my pretty blouse and put it on. Not planning much the rest of the day.

[Emma]

Monday

Dressed, yes

PT, don't remember

cardio, yes

eating plan, yes

My mood was much better yesterday. Managed to stay off the news and a new toy arrived. New mixer, very nice one. 
Last patient was COVID  positive. Had proper PPE. Had one that was possible COVID. Improvised PPE. 

Plans for today.

Testing

rearrange kitchen for bake off tomorrow with my new mixer.  

Stay away from the damn news.

[Emma]

Tuesday 

My Friday! Yay!

Dressed, yes

PT, no

cardio, no

eating plan, close
stayed away from news, okay, not great.
kitchen rearrangement, in progress

Last week’s COVID test was negative. It will be a few days for today’s test results.

I was denied entrance to a facility again. They want a tech who hasn’t been exposed. Really? How do they think that’s going to happen? Ha ha ha ha.
 

 

[Emma]

It’s midnight here, I’m unwinding after getting off work. Why are you up? Go to bed and hug mrs sloth.

[Sloth the Enduring]

It’s midnight here, I’m unwinding after getting off work. Why are you up? Go to bed and hug mrs sloth.

I don’t sleep anymore. I need more exercise and a world that doesn’t cause anxiety.

[Emma]

Hugs.

[Emma]

Wednesday

Rearranged kitchen, then had to work on living room, and music room and ...No! No! Don’t look in the porch! 
Back is hurting from the rearranging this morning.

[deftona]

2 hours ago, Emma said:

Wednesday

Rearranged kitchen, then had to work on living room, and music room and ...No! No! Don’t look in the porch! 
Back is hurting from the rearranging this morning.

 

Ah! I love rearranging the house! It's going to look like a whole new place when you've finished

[Emma]

Back is seriously sore from the rearranging. I think it’s from sitting on the floor so long. And now I’m going to have to rest it. I have learned that pushing through this particular pain just makes things worse. 
I did play with my new mixer yesterday so that was fun.  
And yes, I have a totally different living room. Kitchen doesn’t look different because it was internal cupboard rearranging.

[Snarkyfishguts]

Wow, you've had quite a week! I love your new clothes and I sent a link of that site to my mom saying "OOOH LOOK AT THE PRETTY THINGS!" 

That coat is UH-MAZING

 

 

 

I used to love rearranging everything when I lived alone. It was better than moving. And when you find a solution that REALLY WORKS and it's like "awww yeah."

Cupboard organization totally counts. The resulting ease of being able to get something out without having to move three other things is like...(contented sighs)

 

 

[Emma]

One of my kids says that my hobby is rearranging furniture.

This weeks COVID-19 results are already back. Negative. Excellent turn around this time. 

[Emma]

I love the clothes at that company, but never ordered any before this, because they’re so expensive, at least compared to what I used to wear. 

[deftona]

25 minutes ago, Emma said:

I love the clothes at that company, but never ordered any before this, because they’re so expensive, at least compared to what I used to wear. 

 

You're worth it, and never doubt this. 

[Emma]

Part of it was self worth, and part was money, lack of, pre-divorce.  And now I am having fun spending the money I have.  

Speaking of which, the water goblets arrived today.  Now I need to buy a china cabinet. Sigh, it never ends, does it? I’ve been keeping the dishes in a small bookcase, not enough room for the goblets.

Thursday

Back to work tomorrow, poo.

No PT, no walking, no nothing today, trying to rest my back. I came across an interesting article about the McKenzie method for back pain. Every therapist I’ve seen has prescribed forward stretches which ends up putting me into even more pain. This guy believes in doing backward stretches. Think the cobra in yoga, as opposed to the downward dog. Since my back problem seems to be associated with lordosis since childhood, I tried some backward stretching and making sure my lower back always has support. I think it is helping. I feel I am working with my body instead of against it, accepting my body, lordosis and all,  instead of trying to make it into something it’s just not (a non lordotic back).

[Emma]

Friday

As bad as I was hurting yesterday, I was not expecting a good day at work. But I almost forgot about my back. I am a believer in backward bending for my back.

PT, a little

walk, no

dressed, yes

eating plan, almost.

Challenge summary, win/pass/fail

get dressed every day. Win. Having pretty clothes around made it very easy.

eating plan. Pass. Stuck to it most of the time, more or less. Weight is stable, no change.

Walk. Pass. Didn’t do it as often as I wanted to.
PT. Win. Almost every day.