But also....
[I started this ButtonDown a week ago, so it’s a bit off, time-wise.]
My friend Buffy, who in responding to the last ButtonDown, reminded me I had visited her and her husband Harry at Beech Mountain on Christmas Eve. That morning, I’d appeared in Burnsville as Mrs. Claus, and decided not to change out of my outfit for the trip.
I’d had it in my mind somehow that Beech Mountain was near Boone, so I headed up there - unfortunately, without my big map book. I never hooked up the OnStar that came with my Pontiac, and in any event, GPS occasionally lies to you in the mountains. I got lost - horribly lost - and got there 3 hours late. By the time I got there, it felt like my earlobes were attached to my shoulders. They forgave me, and offered me a tumbler of good bourbon, which helped a lot. We had a great time. And when I was leaving, there were two little girls with their mom in the parking lot who were surprised and thrilled to meet Mrs. Claus. Mom took my picture with them.
Other calendar-worthy December events - my neighbor Mary’s birthday party, the annual Christmas community concert at the First Baptist Church, two more dog-boarding jobs, one of the best pre-Christmas parties I’ve ever been to at Steve & Amanda’s (sorry I forgot to bring an ornament, but at least I remembered the grumpy penguins!), and according to the calendar - on Sunday, December 15 from 4:00 to 4:30 - “FINN JERRY”. I have no idea what that means. If you do, I’d be happy to be reminded. I know someone named Finn and a few guys named Jerry, but…
Briefly, I’d thought about going to DC for the coronation of President Musk (wearing my knitted pink pussy hat from 2017), but I am not driving out of the county anymore. And I found a document I’d composed - with pictures - when one of my Jerry friends and I went to DC for Barack Obama’s inauguration. I can’t figure out how to attach a doc to a ButtonDown or I would. My favorite part of it is a picture he snapped in a subway car of a National Guard troop. They were dressed head to toe in camouflage but were also wearing day-glo green vests. So, Jerry asked them, “So, do we see you, or not?”
Last week, I got the norovirus, which has been going around. A neighbor who got it said she’d spent the night in her bathtub. I actually had thought of that, and if I’d known what I was in for for the next 12 hours, would have done it. It’s been a week, and there’s still clean up to be done; I’m waiting for some warmer weather so I can wash my affected footwear outside!
A sort-of silver lining is that I discovered that capsules and gel caps (supplements) weren’t being digested. And then I discovered that the dog nail clipper I don’t use anymore since a friend clips them for me, is perfect for cutting the gel capsules in half.
All norovirus symptoms have been gone for almost a week, but just for funsies, I now have vertigo. Comes and goes, sometimes it’s light, sometimes not. But every morning when I wake up, the room swirls. I can tell it’s going to even before I open my eyes. I have to lean on anything I can reach just to walk the fifteen feet to the loo. My balance gets better as the day progresses. I had tried putting a drop of warm olive oil in each ear, half an hour apart, but nothing came of it. My doctor is going to refer me to someone in her office who specializes in treating vertigo. We shall see.
I got hooked on a wonderful Netflix series written and directed by Ricky Gervais - watched 3 seasons in about that many weeks. Last episode tonight just made me wish there were at least 3 more.
The temperature is finally above freezing! Tomorrow is a big day - I can get the poopsicles up from the dog yard, if I remember to walk like Walter Brennan…
Cheers,
Lucy