Wednesday, May 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.)

April was not as cold as it's been some years (no blizzards!)... but not as warm as it's been other years either (no capris yet!). Lots of dull, grey, rainy days. But the temperatures are trending milder, the trees are budding out, and cheerful yellow dandelions are popping up everywhere. I started doing some spring cleaning, we had an eclipse, and dh celebrated his birthday! 

Pandemic diary/update: With April, we entered year number FIVE!! -- month #49 -- of living under the shadow of covid.  Nobody seems to be talking much about covid these days... but we know it's still out there. 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. (We'll be attending a large 90th birthday party at a restaurant this weekend for dh's uncle, where we won't be wearing masks... wish us luck!)  

Among other things this month, we: 
  • Went to the bookstore three times, the bank twice (to use the ABMs), the drugstore to pick up prescriptions & sundries twice, Reitmans (women's clothing store) and the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario = liquor store), once each. (Beer and wine have been allowed to be sold in some Ontario supermarkets for about 10 years now, but spirits must be purchased through the LCBO).
  • Had to call in an HVAC technician after our heat conked out on April 3rd... AGAIN. (The same thing happened on March 22nd.) (Question:  Why does the heat always, ALWAYS conk out around 5:30 a.m.??)  This time, he brought the replacement part we needed and fixed the issue (fingers crossed...!)  -- to the tune of almost $600 (gulp!) -- but hey, it had to be done... 
  • Also had a visit from the plumber on April 29th to clear the drain in our master bathroom sink, which refused to budge despite repeated doses of baking soda & vinegar. (Half hour visit = $250 plus HST!!)   
    • We also had him look at the faucet in the tub/shower in the other bathroom, which seems to have been stripped and is difficult to turn completely off. He didn't have the necessary part, but says he'll come fix it the next time he's in the area. 
  • Went to the supermarket with dh on April 6th to pick up some stuff for dinner. 
  • Spent a few hours on the morning of April 8th with Little Great-Nephew & BIL at BIL's house (playing umpteen games of hide-and-seek with LGN! -- he had the day off school because of the eclipse), and then home in the afternoon to watch the effects of the eclipse. 
    • Also had lunch at BIL & SIL's with Older Nephew & Little Great-Nephew (the wife/mom was at work) on one weekend, and with Younger Nephew, his wife & Little Great-Niece on another! 
  • Spent the morning of April 11th (dh's birthday) at the mall, walking around, shopping and having an early lunch in the food court. (HIS idea!  lol) 
    • Returned to the mall for more walking, shopping and lunch on April 23rd.
  • Drove out to our old community on Sunday, April 14th, for our spring covid boosters. En route home, I got a text from SIL, and we wound up going directly there for coffee & pastries to celebrate dh's birthday.  
Also in April, my 84-year-old dad had hernia repair surgery (on April 9th). (Did I mention my parents live in a SPLIT-LEVEL HOUSE?? = lots of stairs to navigate.)  Thankfully, my sister is able to work remotely and was able to stay with him & my mom for two weeks to help out.  
 
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Also right now:  

Reading: I finished 5 books in April (reviewed on this blog, as well as Goodreads & StoryGraph, & tagged "2024 books").  
This brings me to 14 books read so far in 2024, 31% of my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books.  I am currently back on track to meet 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 in June 2023 (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 to-read 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: 
  • The last few (new) episodes of Season 10 of "Finding Your Roots" on PBS.  Now in reruns.  
  • "Mr. Bates vs the Post Office" on PBS (4 consecutive Sunday nights in April) -- based on a true story from the U.K.  Heartbreaking, infuriating -- and captivating! (Also: the central couple in the story are childless!) 
  • Also on PBS: "American Experience" on April 22nd: "Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal," which I remember from the news during my late teens/early 20s. (These days, I live about a 2 hour drive from Love Canal.)  Love Canal was an entire subdivision in Niagara Falls, New York, that was built on top of a toxic waste site -- with consequences that are no surprise to us these days (precisely because of what happened at Love Canal and other such places) -- but back then, no one knew why their backyards and basements were oozing a mysterious black sludge, or why so many babies were being miscarried or stillborn, or why their children were getting sick. 
    • I winced a bit over the "moms save the world" narrative -- but back then, it really was a notable thing that this group of ordinary housewives were demanding answers & action from the (mostly) men in power -- and getting it!  The changes they prompted are still benefiting all of us today, in America & elsewhere, more than 40 years later. Amazing. 
  • My uncle's Celebration of Life from Minneapolis last Friday (April 26th). The connection wasn't great, but it's better on the replay, and I was grateful to be able to be there virtually, if not in person. 
Listening: To Heardle Decades: Stats as of  April 30th:     
  • Heardle 60s: 76.4% (438/573, 181 on first guess), up from last month. Max. streak: 15.
  • Heardle 70s: 80.9% (314/254, 135 on first guess), down from last month. Max. streak: 18. 
  • Heardle 80s: 43.9% (82/187,  32 on first guess), up from last month. Max. streak: 4. 
  • Heardle 90s: 27.6% (82/297, 16 on first guess), down from last month. Max. streak: 4. 
Eating/Drinking:  We made meatloaf muffins with my Mom's meatloaf recipe, easy chicken tetrazzini, crockpot chicken & dumplings, and broccoli quinoa spoon salad again this month. Yum!  

Had A&W chicken strips and fries at the mall food court on two occasions. 

Takeout dinners this month included rotisserie chicken (with wedge fries and salad) from the supermarket (we used the leftover chicken to make chicken tetrazzini the next day), California Sandwiches for dh's birthday (veal cutlet with tomato sauce for him, chicken cutlet for me), teriyaki rice bowls (chicken for me, beef for dh), and chicken souvlaki with lemon potatos. 

We had barbecued steaks, burgers and hot dogs for lunch at BIL's on a recent Sunday -- the first barbecue of the year/season! -- along with corn on the cob, salad and crusty bread, with Italian pastries (mini zeppoles -- yum!) for dessert. 

Buying (besides books, lol):  
  • New vertical blinds for our three floor-to-ceiling/wall-to-wall windows, from Blinds To Go. Paid the balance due and scheduled installation for May 1st! (They're up, and they're beautiful!)  
  • Flowers for my late uncle's Celebration of Life in Minneapolis on April 26th, on behalf of my parents, sister & her partner, and me & dh.  
  • New everyday shoes (Clarks, extra-wide), since my old ones are wearing down at the heels.  
Wearing: Still in my long-sleeved T-shirts, yoga pants, socks & slippers -- it's still been chilly outside, albeit the warmer days are becoming more frequent. I've actually not been wearing slippers over my socks these past few days! 

Noticing:  The trees started budding, mid-month! And the dandelions are already out! 

Trying:  A new game app for my phone:  2248. HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.  

Prioritizing:  My book club reads, even though I have some other books I'm dying to get into...!  

Avoiding (or trying to...!):  Mother's Day marketing/hype. It's everywhere right now. I've only received one opt-out email so far (from Ancestry). 

Wondering:  Whether I should follow up (again) with my family doctor. I used the prescription ointment he gave me for a month, as directed -- and the red patch/rosacea on my cheek has faded significantly, but it hasn't gone completely away. The patch of rosacea alongside my nose is also still there (some days it looks better than others), and right now, my nose is full of tiny pimples and looks red too. Aging sucks sometimes...! -- I had better skin as a teenager! :p  (Honestly, why did I ever worry about my skin as a teenager??)    

Also wondering:  Whether I should try to cram in a manicure (& possibly a pedicure?) before dh's uncle's birthday party on Saturday??  (Even though I don't think I'll be wearing sandals and showing off my toes just yet...) 

Appreciating: My sister, who stayed with my parents for two weeks to help them out while my dad recovered from his hernia repair surgery (along with all the other stuff she regularly does for them). 

Wanting: More hours in the day...!  I never seem to get everything done that I want or need to do...!  

Hoping:  To shed my sluggishness and bad habits and start walking again more regularly, soon!  (I spend WAY too much time sitting!)

Loving: Spending time with our nephews and their kids. :)  

Feeling: Glad that winter finally seems to be behind us. Hopeful that warmer weather will be here soon (but not TOO warm, not yet, I hope...!). Also hopefully optimistic about the summer!  and looking forward to a visit with my parents & sister then!  :)  
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