Monday, April 1, 2024

Right now

Right now...* 

*(an occasional (mostly monthly) meme, alternating from time to time with "The Current"). (Explanation of how this started & my inspirations in my first "Right now" post, here. Also my first "The Current" post, here.)

March showed glimmers of spring!  There were even a couple of days when the temperature reached 18C (about 65F) and we were able to go outside in our shirtsleeves! But there were also (lots of ) days when it was grey, rainy and bitterly cold.  We had several days where it snowed -- which is to be expected in March in Canada! -- but always seems to surprise people when it happens. We got more snow on March 22nd -- about 10 cm, or 4 inches -- than we had the entire winter to date! 

Case in point:  Early in the month, there was an article in the Toronto Star noting that the city had experienced the warmest winter ever recorded (thanks to El Nino as well as ongoing climate change).... followed by another article noting that "This winter was warmest in Canadian records by a huge margin" (ditto). Sigh...

Pandemic diary/update: March marked FOUR YEARS (!) -- 48 months -- since the COVID-19 pandemic began -- and people around us still getting sick, many of them for the first time. :(   Mid-month, Older Nephew's Wife/Little Great-Nephew's mom came down with it, for the second time (they all had it around Christmastime 2021). We remain covid-free (knocking wood, loudly...), and continue to mask in stores and most other public places, especially where there are a lot of people (although there were a couple of exceptions this month).  

Among other things this month, we: 
  • Attended Little Great-Niece's FIRST birthday party on March 2nd, at her (maternal) grandparents' house, along with BIL & SIL, Older Nephew, his wife and Little Great-Nephew, and Younger Nephew's wife's sister and her family (18 people total).  
  • Had a consultant from Blinds To Go visit us at home on March 8th to help us pick out new window coverings (fabric vertical blinds), take initial measurements, provide an estimate and take a deposit from us. 
    • An installer came by briefly the following day to take exact measurements. The blinds are now on order. The material we chose was on back order, but we should have them ready for installation by early/mid-April.  
  • Spent the day with Little Great-Nephew at his grandparents' house on Monday, March 11th -- he was off school for the week on spring break. Fun, but tiring!!  lol  
  • Picked up LGN's grandparents (BIL & SIL) at the airport later that night, as they returned home from a well-deserved week's holiday in the Caribbean. 
  • Dropped by the house the next day for coffee (and to spend more time with LGN!)  and see vacation photos. 
  • Saw my longtime optometrist in midtown Toronto on March 13th for a regular checkup. He can see traces of the nodules that were surgically removed two summers ago, but assured me there's nothing to worry about, and he will continue to keep an eye on things. Otherwise, my eyes (and dh's) are fine! -- my prescription has changed very little -- I am still wearing the same glasses I got almost TEN YEARS AGO!! -- and I don't have to come back for another two years (after my 65th birthday -- GULP!) -- after which the cost of my eye exams will be covered by the provincial health plan. (Dh, at almost 67, is already covered.)(They used to be covered for everyone, but the government reduced funding in 2021. Boo, hiss...) 
  • Drove to our old community the next day (Thursday, March 14th) to see my family doctor & follow up on the red patch on my left cheek -- which is better than it was when I was there in February, but (annoyingly) still THERE. I also told him the topical gel he'd prescribed last fall for the rosacea in my T-zone really hasn't done much -- so he gave me a different prescription for a cream ointment to try for a month. It's two weeks later and the redness is still there, although it's a little better than it was before I started this latest regime. I'll give it another two weeks and then see if I need to make a follow-up visit. (The doctor said the next step would probably be a referral to a dermatologist.)  
    • Before heading there, we stopped at the cemetery to change out the decorations on Katie's niche from Christmas decor to an Easter/springtime theme.  :)  
  • Went for a browse at Chapters (bookstore) on March 19th, and picked up at tea latte for me & coffee for dh at the in-store Starbucks cafe on the way out. ($9+??! -- the same order would have been about $7, pre-pandemic...!).  
  • Had lunch in a restaurant at the nearby mall on March 21st with a high school friend who was in town for a few days.  (No masks involved!  But it was (surprisingly, and thankfully) not too busy, in both the restaurant and the mall generally.) 
  • Lost heat early on the morning of March 22nd and had to call in an HVAC technician to diagnose the problem. Fortunately, he was able to come later that morning, and managed to get it restarted (yay!). A replacement part is now on order and he (or one of his colleagues) will be back to install it when it comes. 
  • Returned to the mall on March 26th to walk around, shop and have an early lunch in the food court. Stopped at the drugstore on the way home to pick up a prescription. 
  • Spent the Saturday of Easter weekend (March 30th) at BIL & SIL's house with the nephews, their wives and the kids. A good time was had by all.  :)  
I also mourned the loss of my uncle & godfather, mid-month -- my mother's younger brother and only sibling, not long after his 81st birthday.  :(   

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Also right now:  

Reading: I finished 3 books in March (reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2024 books").  
This brings me to 9 books read so far in 2024, 20% of my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books.  I am currently 2 books behind my goal.  :( 

Current read(s): 
Coming up: Most of my book groups have their next reads plotted out for a few months in advance -- and listing them here helps me keep track of what I should be reading next. ;)  
  • For the Notes from Three Pines (Louise Penny mysteries) Readalong: The last discussion was for book #3, "The Cruellest Month," posted June 7th -- no further posts/books since then.  I've continued dipping into the series on my own, between other book club obligations. Book #6, "Bury Your Dead," is the next one on my list! 
A few recently purchased titles (mostly in digital format, mostly discounted ($5-10 or less) or purchased with points): 

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Watching: 
  • Season 10 of "Finding Your Roots" on PBS. 
  • The World Figure Skating Championships from Montreal, the week of March 18th.  Broadcast coverage was limited (boo, hiss), but fortunately, I was able to watch just about everything I wanted to see on livestream on the CBC website! (I didn't get much else done on those days, but hey, it only happens once a year...!)  
  • Dh has been watching the world curling championships! -- the women's earlier this month, and now the men's, which just started this weekend. I've been watching a little with him too.  Curling is very popular in Canada, and Canadians have always done very well at the world level of the sport.  Both my parents (& especially my dad) used to curl, and they watch a lot of curling on TV. We started watching when curling became an Olympic sport -- I've never curled myself, but I was amazed at how much of the game I had absorbed through simple osmosis, and how much I could explain to dh about what was going on. These days, I'd say he was more knowledgeable about it than I am!  ;) 
Listening: We've been listening for -- but thankfully not hearing -- any more dripping/tapping noises from the bathroom since the last incident about two weeks ago. Fingers crossed!  The property manager suggested she could have a plumber cut a hole in the drywall wall and/or ceiling of our bedroom walk-in closet (!) to have a look and see if there was any visible water or water damage coming from the tub/shower drain directly above ours in the unit upstairs. Granted, that would be a lot easier than going directly through the tiled ceiling of our shower! -- BUT!!  Needless to say, we're not really keen to have to take everything out of the closet, clean up all the drywall dust and debris afterward, and then wait for it to be patched up again before we could put everything back in the closet! -- even though the building would pay for the exploration and for the drywall repair. 

To Heardle Decades: Stats as of  March 31st:    
  • Heardle 60s:  75.9% (413/544, 173 on first guess), down from last month. Max. streak: 15.
  • Heardle 70s:  82.2% (287/236, 128 on the first guess), down slightly from last month. Max. streak: 18. 
  • Heardle 80s: 44.7% (71/159,  26 on the first guess), up from last month. Max. streak: 4. 
  • Heardle 90s: 28.0% (76/271, 15 on the first guess), down from last month. Max. streak: 4. 
Following:  I've followed Connie Schultz on Facebook for a few years now. She's an Ohio journalist and the wife of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown. A few months ago, I learned she has a Substack newsletter (doesn't everyone these days, it seems??), "Hopefully Yours," and I'm now a (free) subscriber. I just love her writing. :)  

Eating/Drinking:  There was a yummy catered dinner for Little Great-Niece's first birthday party, including two kinds of pasta (red & white sauces -- because of my tomato allergy, I could only eat the tortellini with alfredo sauce), porketta, fingerling potatos, veggies and caesar salad, as well as lots of pastries and fruit -- and cake, of course! (And we all took home a box full of leftover pastries, including ricotta & chocolate chip cannolis. Yum!)  

My mom mentioned they'd enjoyed chicken tetrazzini for dinner from the subsidized communal meals program where they get meals several times a week now. My sister found them an easy recipe and now my dad is making it at home too!  That prompted me to look up an easy recipe for us to try out., and it turned out pretty well! -- albeit, warning, it is pretty rich/gooey -- definitely not for the lactose intolerant and/or calorie-conscious...!  We used leftover Swiss Chalet rotisserie chicken. I would probably use a little more chicken than what we had left over -- also, probably more peas/veggies and more garlic seasoning.  

We had Easter dinner at BIL & SIL's last Saturday (March 30th) with the family:  they ordered in veal cutlets & pasta in tomato sauce (and made pasta with garlic & olive oil and a chicken breast for me). There were also grilled veggies, salad and fruit, and traditional Italian Easter sweet bread to go with coffee/tea, and SIL & I both indulged in a glass of white wine. The company was the best part of the meal, though!  

Takeout dinners this month included wood oven pizza, Swiss Chalet rotisserie chicken, and California Sandwiches (veal cutlet with tomato sauce for dh, chicken cutlet for me). 

Buying (besides books, lol):  
  • New vertical blinds for our three floor-to-ceiling/wall-to-wall windows, from Blinds To Go. 
  • New tires for our 8-year-old car. (BIL got dh a good deal from some friends who run a garage.) 
  • A couple of new T-shirts for myself from Lucky Brand. 
  • Goodies for Little Great-Nephew & Little Great-Niece's Easter bags.  :)  They both got books and bunny ear headbands (lol). LGNephew got a new colouring book and some assorted chocolate (including a big KinderEgg with a toy inside, which he loves);  LGNiece is too little for chocolate yet, so she got a few new T-shirts instead. 
    • I wasn't sure how the bunny ears would go over with LGNephew -- too babyish/girly? But he was thrilled!! (-- and thus, so was I!  :)  )
  • (and enjoying! lol)  Easter chocolate for us!  (lol)  We're partial to Lindor milk chocolate eggs and Cadbury Mini Eggs.  :)  
Wearing: It's frequently been chilly inside as well as outside this month -- so long sleeved shirts (often under a cardigan), socks and slippers have (still) been a must! 

Noticing:  The number on the scale going up again... .grrrr.... 

Trying:  To be at least a LITTLE more active, especially as warmer weather arrives...! (Note "Noticing," above... also "Eating" and "Buying" re: Easter chocolate...!)  

Worrying:  About my elderly parents, and (right now) especially my dad, who is having hernia repair surgery done soon.  I know it's a very routine operation and (assuming all goes well) -- because it's considered a "day procedure" -- he'll only be in the hospital for a few hours (which my mother thinks is horrifying) -- but he IS almost 85.  Luckily, my sister is able to take a few personal days and can then work remotely from their home while he recovers. As I've mentioned before, my parents live in a split-level house, and there are no bathrooms on the main level (where the kitchen, living room, laundry room & entryway are) -- and (so far, anyway) my mother has absolutely refused to consider moving. I guess we'll see what happens...!  

Prioritizing:  Family. My sister thinks she'll be able to handle Mom & Dad herself (on top of working remotely from their house) after my dad's upcoming surgery... but I've told her if she needs me to let me know, and I/we'll be there as soon as I/we can. 

Wondering:  How much longer Mom & Dad will be able to stay in their split-level house (despite my mother's refusal to consider moving)?  

Appreciating:  Our condo, the more I think about my parents' situation...! (Even with mysterious noises coming from above!  lol -- after all, plumbing emergencies happen in houses too...!)  

Wanting: More hours in the day (and more motivation!) to get things done...!  

Waiting:  To hear back from the HVAC technician about the new part for our HVAC unit, and for our new blinds to be ready for installation. 

Hoping: That my cousins will be able to arrange a Zoom link for my uncle's Celebration of Life service, so that those of us who can't make it there in person can still be there virtually. 

Loving:  Spending time with family (and especially the great-niblings) this month (at LGNiece's birthday party and for Easter).  

Feeling: Happy that spring is here! -- officially, anyway (lol).  But it looks like the weather is finally starting to change too, the skies are brightening up a bit, and that makes me very glad. :)  
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