Two Hours later....

The morning is half gone already and I haven't accomplished much.  I did manage to get a crossword puzzle completed, though, and that's something.  I've got several crossword puzzle magazines on hand but I was having such a hard time working them, I was getting discouraged.  I went downtown yesterday and visited a bookstore to see if I could find a better crossword puzzle dictionary. I already have three but the one I use the most is falling apart.

I have a pictorial book on people and another on movies and actors but I knew there had to be something else I could use.  I did find a couple (one was used) and it's a large hardback volume with larger print.  A feature I don't take lightly these days.  Inside this book were a few 3x5 cards that someone had recorded often-used clues on with their answers.  I intend to keep those cards and maybe even add to them. Notes like what Roman Numerals mean which number. I never can remember. Here's my puzzle area...

I know this is a terribly boring photo but I mainly wanted to see if using Chrome versus Explorer was still a fact and it is. I can't upload pictures unless I sign on with Chrome. But I'm repeating myself. I do that a lot.

Mail lady just arrived so I think I'll go see if I got anything good.  Hmmm...Publishers Clearing House sent me a notice that they're sending me a notice. Somebody certainly has too much money for postage, I'd say. Got two catalogs: Leanin' Tree and a new one I've never heard of --the Great Courses. I'd order from Leanin' Tree as I like their cards but shipping costs are getting out of hand (as is postage) so I'm going to cool my ordering habits this year.

I do want to sign up for Ancestry.com and that means cutting down in other areas to work it into my budget. Thankfully, the electric company found their error in record keeping and called to apologize for the mix-up. I will get a senior discount on electricity and every little bit helps these days.

I also got a letter from my half-sister in prison back east. Always interesting to read her letters, even though they're kind of short. Today she talked about the 12" of snowfall they had and how the inmates offered to shovel some of the walks. She said it was kind of sad seeing women with walkers and in wheelchairs trying to maneuver their way to the infirmary.

Clint Eastwood's movie "Joe Kidd" was on tv while I was working my crossword puzzle. I'd seen it before but I kept it on just so I could hear Robert Duvall's southern drawl.  Love that guy even when he plays the evil one.

Yesterday I ran a few errands when I finished at the doctor's office. I had purposely put off eating 'cause I wanted to get my blood sugar checked (just because). I had experienced a case of the shakes a few days earlier which was fixed by eating lunch. I knew it was low blood sugar but I'd never had such a bad case of the shakes before and it bothered me.  My numbers were fine so my fear of having diabetes was put to rest. My blood pressure was a tad high, however. Since I had a headache at the time, I'm hoping that's what contributed to the high reading.  I've got to make an effort to exercise more---no matter how much the old bod fights me on it.

One of the stops I made was at the bread store. The lady in front of me had about a hundred dollars worth of goods. I made a remark about always picking the wrong person to get behind in line. She said she was cooking for seniors and I told her that was a good thing.  When I got to the front, the clerk sold me my  Poulsbo bread for $1.89 instead of $2.50. I thought that was nice of her.

Next I stopped at Safeway. I wanted a quart of nonfat milk but the only one available was way on top and way in the back. I was leery of stepping onto the dairy counter door lip and stood there a minute trying to figure out how I could get that quart of milk.  Pretty soon, this lady around my age (and the same height) decided she'd help me.  I told her: "you're no taller than I am!" and pretty soon another lady (friend of the first one) stopped and said: Need help?  She couldn't get it either and then a third lady (much older than all of us) stopped to see if she could reach it.  Unfortunately, no tall people were in the area and I started to laugh at how we were all struggling to get that one quart of milk. I should have taken a picture.  We finally did get it when one of the ladies climbed up on the dairy door ledge and reached in.

I was surfing around on tv last night looking for something to amuse myself and I came across channel 2's Canadian station. I've got to remember to give Canada a second look as many of their shows are worthwhile. This one was a half hour situation comedy called  "Mr. D."  It was about this high school teacher who wanted to be known as "Mr. D" but there was another, more hipper teacher on staff who had a last name starting with D as well and he was more popular so the teens called him Mr. D. Sounds cornbally, I guess, but the writing was really good.  I laughed out loud several times.

Jenni called last night and said Hunter is sick again.  Third time.  I suspect he never really got over his bug the first time and got up and about too soon.  And Wayne looks and sounds awful. Doctor says he's got the start of pneumonia.  I hope they mend quickly

Well, time to load the dishwasher, and see about getting my completed jigsaw mounted onto a poster board. I hope I can find a frame. Maybe I'll search Goodwill and Serenity House later on.