3 or 4 more weeks

Yesterday was busy. Took my mom to the dentist where they fixed a broken tooth of hers the best they could (and it was expensive) but they could not crown it because she can't take the amount of water and saliva that happens when they are drilling and doing tortuous stuff like that. Her swallowing reflex is delayed and she chokes really bad if a lot of water is used.So they roughed up what remained of the tooth and built on it with a resin compound. It's weak and may break at which time they will only have one solution for it and that is to pull it.  She did well for most of the visit but was really tired when we left. She didn't sleep though. She sat out on the patio and listened to music. We had hoped that the new med she got which looked promising was all that we had hoped for. Alas she had an auditory hallucination and that was upsetting, for her and for us. As long as the delusions and hallucinations are not scary we won't worry about it. We thought maybe the stress of the dental visit got to her and we're hopeful that things will settle down for her.
Later in the day I went to my doctor and he decided to put me on one more round of prednisone and gabapentin. I improved (in his opinion about 40-50 percent since my last visit) and they took x-rays and didn't see anything but some arthritis around the neck area. If I don't get back to 100 percent after this an MRI is in my future because then they will want to know if I just have a bulging disc or a ruptured disc. My arm still hurts (but not crying hurt) and tingles like you would if you hit your funny bone. This feeling is from shoulder to fingers with the fingers still being numb. This makes me cranky so I try not to let anyone suffer for it. Wish me luck!
It's hot here and the air conditioner is on. I hate summer and oh yes, I hate my pinched nerve!!!

I'm So Over Summer!

Love and compassion arising with a clear recognition of the importance and rights of others will reach even those who would do you harm. (Dalai Lama)

I follow the Dalai Lama on Twitter because I like his tweets. Some, like the one above make me fell better about things.

It's still excruciatingly hot here, in the 100+ range, and more of the same is in the forecast until next week when we can expect highs in the upper 90s. Big cool front huh? BTW no rain in that forecast either. Ugh.
It's difficult to enjoy a daily walk when the morning temperatures are 82 with 79% humidity. But, I'm still out there walking. Not fast but at least I'm doing my 3 miles a day 5 days a week.

Happily some Texans did get a bit of rain but a good old wide spread soaking is needed to bring any kind of relief .

Not only are farmers and ranchers in deep trouble because of the lack of the wet stuff and over abuncance of heat but trees are in distress and other vegetation is dying. Animals and birds in the wild are abandoning their young because of a lack of food and water. We've seen mockingbirds, bats, and other insect eating species looking pretty ragged and scrawny these days because no rain equals a low insect population and thus no food for them. We can help the seed eaters by keeping the bird feeder full and our two birdbaths filled with water. Insect eaters are harder to take care of but we did read that they would eat fruit so we often chop up a pear and add some raisens to the seeds. It's not much but we're hoping it helps the little critters out. I think other animals might be drinking out of the larger of the two birdbaths such as possums and a raccoon we've seen scooting across the yard early in the morning. While we are not in the horrible crises that Dafur is in the drought here is still pretty terrible and we hope it ends soon. 

I'm keeping out of politics this time around other than voting of course and the occasional donation. From what I've seen on the news things are already getting ugly and I have no desire to see anymore. 

Football has started and I hope the Longhorns do better this year...I know how could they do worse than last year but hey I can hope can't I?

It's September already and I started this post in the early part of August...hum, am I procrastinating or just lazy. Perhaps a little of both things.

I am reading Game of Thrones: Song of Ice and Fire and it's pretty good. Love me a good fantasy story. I do see a bit of the Lord of the Rings in the story though but I guess if you're going to borrow from a storyline you shroud borrow from one of the best. :-) Also downloaded Mile 81 by Stephen King but haven't read it yet.

So hopefully it's goodbye to the summer and its heat and a wishful, wistful, hello to winter full of cold days and lovely rain.

More heat on the way

August is here and the 100+ temps that have been plaguing us since May is expected to intensify with record temperatures coming in the next few weeks. Please, anything over 90 is the pitts. To make matters worse no rain is in the forecast for the near future.

I am still walking though and if you get out on the road by at least 7:30am the heat is not so bad.

There are some new works of art on display in the park down by the river. This time instead of decorated guitars we have decorated cows. They are very cute. The one pictured is my favorite because she is all dressed up for her run/walk and has a cuter outfit than me . The blue head band looks way chic on her ;-)  I will try and post photos of the other cows later on.

Into September already

"No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree, please post this as your status for the rest of the day." A nod to Barbara for the above message.
Only got four days in so far this week. Had a doctor's appointment and a bone density test on two different days. One was early enough so I could get my time in before it got hot. Sadly we got into the 100 range again for two days and maybe some more on the way in the coming week. Summer will be over one day soon, I hope.
Seems Pres. Obama can't do anything right for some people. Pres. Reagan and Bush both spoke to school children without sparking an outrage. Also I don't know where this 'socialism' thing comes from. Do the people spouting that garbage even know what socialism is? I'm inclined to think they do not. The dictionary definition is "a system of society or group living in which there is no private property. a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done." No way, no how is the Obama administration supporting anything like that. Health care reform would be like Medicare, Medicade, CHIPS (administered by states), and Veterans Health Care. All of these programs have problems but for the most part they serve the people well. Horror stories of private health care denying claims and people dying as a result of these are too numerous to mention and it's weired to see people standing up for these giant health insurance companies who make a profit off of peoples ills. People being shouted down at meetings and carrying guns to town hall meetings. Hateful comments and slurs demeaning the President and his family are spewed out every day and wait for it...no one's getting arrested for it like they did when people were arrested for wearing t-shirts saying they didn't like the previous president. Preachers praying for the death of the President!! It's all crazy and I'm horrified and angered by it at the same time. I had hoped for a change but not this decent into madness. I don't like people for the most part and the actions of many are proving to me that I'm right to stay away from them. Whatever happened to do unto to others what you would have done unto you?

Doing stuff to stay out of the heat

Another hot day, 103 forecast, so I have thought of things to do inside besides working on my large paintings. Been having a bit of fun decorating an old purse of mine. Eddie fans should get it. Any thoughts on what other Eddie tidbits to paint on the little purse? Have been following the Tour de France on Versus and today the British Open has started. Tiger not starting off well but never, ever, count him out. Read this article in the local paper today. It lets us know how dangerous this unrelenting heat can be.

AUSTIN
"Man dies from heat, EMS says
A man died Wednesday of apparent heat-related causes after emergency crews found him unconscious in a car.
About 4:30 p.m., a man was reported as being unresponsive inside a car in South Austin, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services officials said. Medics found the man in cardiac arrest and performed CPR, but he died at a hospital about 5:40 p.m., EMS officials said. They did not release the man's name or age.
The man's body temperature was 108 degrees when he died, officials said.
"The individual appears to have spent long hours over several days working outdoors without proper hydration," EMS Assistant Director Frank Urias said."

Too hot, too hot

Haven't been blogging or doing anything much these days. I go out early on my walks and sad to say am doing less distance at this time. About 2 and a quarter to 2 and a half miles instead of the 3.1. They are predicting 105-106 today with a heat index of 110. The normal temperature for this time of year is 94. No rain. Heat advisories are in effect for most of Texas. In a way this weather is almost as debilitating as the cold is where my brother lives. I have been watching the Tour Du France now that Lance Armstrong is back in it and marvel at how far and how fast those men go on their bicycles. Have also been following Lance on Twitter and had to chuckle at this photo he posted. He said it was a little bit of home. The photo was taken in Barcelona. I would think it was done by a Longhorn fan because of the orange and white but then there is the owl...hum...could it be the collaboration of a Longhorn and Rice fan?