February Comes to an End!

[dpf]

Morning! I am sick, sick sick of cold and snow! We haven’t had this much snow since the mid 70’s and then I was in my 20’s and young enough to enjoy the days off and the blizzard parties. Blizzards in the 20’s and I’m in my 70’s just aren’t any fun.

Well ladies I have Covid. Think I was coming down with it last Wednesday night. I was cold and couldn’t get warmed up, but I’d been outside and it was frigid. Went to bed in a sweatsuit and woke up in the middle of the night thinking I was having a heat stroke! Laid on top on the covers and then Thursday I was stiff and achy all day….thought I had slept wrong and kept using my tens unit. Friday morning I had a headache and decided it was time to take a test. It was hot. My dr. prescribed Paxlovid…if you ever have to take it be prepared for the horrid taste it leaves in your mouth..but it works! Other than the few symptoms I mentioned and being tired, I feel fine now. Still have a day before I can leave without a mask. All in all it’s been very mild and I am so glad that I had every vaccine. My sister is here and tested positive yesterday, so I guess she’s here for another week. She feels pretty good too. Between snowstorms and staying after hospital visits, she’s been here most of the winter. Think I’m going to start charging her rent.

Lots have been going on with all of you since I posted last. Shirl, I use the sour dough bread recipe in the Betty Crocker cookbook and never have any problems with it. Irmi, so glad that your 50th anniversary celebration was a success. BJ, new wheels are always fun! Martha and Beth, I can’t believe you went to Mardi Gras…got all those beads and didn’t have to flash anyone for them. Maybe there is more to the story than you’re telling! Judy, your purse is a lot lighter from all the RV repairs but sure that you feel safer on the road. Sheila, I posted a recipe for Dream Potatoes that use cream cheese and sour cream on the recipe thread a few years back. I brought it back to the top for you. Barbie, you made two good calls….changing your realtor and walking out of a toxic work place. Try for the unemployment all they can say is no. Sue, you get our left over snow storms. Tina, Rowan is so darn cute. Velda, have you finished all your home improvements? Karen, when I tested positive all I could think of was how you had long covid. Again, I’m sure I missed someone…certainly not intentional.

Between snowstorms and being sick I really haven’t done anything. Severe case of cabin fever. Haven’t seen the grandkids. Missed a couple of Bronc’s basketball games. Miss Haddie did spend a Saturday with me a couple weeks ago because she didn’t want to spend all day at a 3-4 grade basketball tournament. I don’t think Ashley wanted to take her too bad either! LOL

Maybe if I remember to say Rabbits Wednesday I’ll be blessed with a better March.

[OregonLuvr]

Good morning. Well for some strange reason it is snowing here in the "banana belt" again. Yesterday we just got a skiff of snow. But this is still coming down. It needs to go away!!!!! Luckily I ran my errands yesterday morning after the snow left. I still need to go to the donation center but hey, I can go there any day. I can drive in the snow it is the other idiots that think they can. Bald tires and just because you have 4WD/AWD does not make you invincible. I have AWD but I have no need to get out in this stuff right now. Might go later, we shall see.
Pat it took 9 months for me to finally get well. I dont wish that on anyone. So happy you are feeling better. My rheumatologist said if I test positive again I need to get the Paxlovid right away....good stuff.
I guess I will just putter in the kitchen today. I want to make some chicken noodle soup and I am thawing a turkey hindquarter to roast but it isnt thawed out yet. Might make the apple spice cake today my friend gave me the recipe for. Think it is just 3 ingredients Cake mix, 3 eggs and can of apple pie filling. I will add some pecans or walnuts to it. When it cools I will make a caramel glaze and top with a few more nuts.............will share with my neighbors LOL

[Acadianmom]

Pat, I'm not going to tell you what the temperature is here. I'll just say I would rather have a hurricane than all that snow and cold weather. Hope you don't have any lasting problems from the covid. It looks like Beth and I didn't catch it from the rally. I'm afraid they would have looked the other way if I flashed anyone. Thank you for moving the potato recipe to the top. That sounds like the potatoes we had at the Cattleman's Banquet last month. They were sure good. I freeze mashed potatoes in individual servings all the time. Cooking for one is sure different when I was use to cooking for a family.

I stopped to check on my mower yesterday and the repair guy has covid. Guess I'll cut him some slack and finish Sugar's yard with the weed eater. I would put a bigger gate to get the riding mower in but I can't take the fence apart. It's panels bolted together and the bolts have rusted.

Stinky is pestering me to go let Charlie out of the cage so she can finish his breakfast.

Martha

[Bethers]

Yikes Pat. One reason I was testing with no symptoms after knowing I was exposed is I wanted access to Paxlovid early on if I ended up positive. So sorry you have it but glad the meds are doing their job. Happily my tests all remained negative. And Martha, I think our not joining everyone all the time might have been good for us lol Karen, I can't imagine all you went through. So glad you finally came through and look at your appetite now. Speaking of which the Mardi Gras ruined the way I should be eating. I pulled a piece of King Cake from the freezer last night. I had been doing good about sugar but I'm now afraid to get on the scale.

I placed a smallish HEB order for pickup and it should be ready soon so going to get it and fill my gas tank and return home. FedEx was just here with 2 of 3 items I ordered from Sam's Club. Of course the new dog bed (the reason for the order) won't be here until probably next week. I can't wait to throw away the one under the dinette that has seen way better days.

Martha, I too will take this unusual early heat I'm getting here over what they are getting.

[Shirlv]

Morning All, dreary day on the island. Pat, glad you are feeling better. BJ, daughter #2 has my red Rav and it now has over 100,000 mules, I loved it and so does she. Karen, so much for me losing a few ponds, I will make that cake too, what temperature? I sliced the sourdough bread and will pull a slice out of the freezer on the soup nights. Ran errands this morning and now have house chores . Salmon cakes and fried cabbage for dinner. Be safe.

Irmi, loved your pictures. Wish you and Steve were on the front page instead of wingnuts. Lol

[Cudedog]

Well ladies I have Covid. Think I was coming down with it last Wednesday night. I was cold and couldn’t get warmed up, but I’d been outside and it was frigid. Went to bed in a sweatsuit and woke up in the middle of the night thinking I was having a heat stroke! Laid on top on the covers and then Thursday I was stiff and achy all day….thought I had slept wrong and kept using my tens unit. Friday morning I had a headache and decided it was time to take a test. It was hot. My dr. prescribed Paxlovid…if you ever have to take it be prepared for the horrid taste it leaves in your mouth..but it works! Other than the few symptoms I mentioned and being tired, I feel fine now. Still have a day before I can leave without a mask. All in all it’s been very mild and I am so glad that I had every vaccine.

So sorry to hear that you have Covid, but glad to hear you have had a mild case. Both my daughter and son-in-law recently had Covid, both fully vaccinated, both with a mild case.

Hope you are up and at 'em soon, and have no lingering effects.

Anne

[Shirlv]

Martha, I sent you a PM.

[BarbaraRose]

I was up until 2:30 am, just wasn't sleepy. And I didn't even take a nap yesterday. Got up this morning to go to PT for my sciatica. We had to skip a couple of exercises because of my bad knee. The sciatica nerve issue is on the same side as the knee. But could still do most of them. Now I need to call the imaging place to see about getting an appointment for an MRI on my knee.

I stopped at WM to drop off my work key (avoiding the manager) and then did some shopping for a few things I needed. Am just resting right now but need to get back to my list of things to do and the things I didn't get to yesterday. Just little stuff tho, so no big deal. Now that I am "retired" I have a lot of time to do stuff! I will have to start looking for a part-time job tho.

My mini-split in my bedroom started acting up early this morning. I shut it off and will turn it back on tonight to see if it does it again. It did that once before and then went away after I shut it off for awhile. I really don't need another expensive problem right now! I better remember "Rabbits" tonight!!

Looks like we are about to get hit with another big storm out here tomorrow! High wind warning for my area, and up to 3 more feet of snow in the local mountains! They are getting hammered up there with more snow than they have seen in many years. Yesterday there was even an avalanche on the mountain on the north side of Palm Springs which is a first! Someone driving on the I-10 saw it happening and took a video of it. The good thing about all the snow is it will ease some of the drought, fill the reservoirs and aquafers, and hopefully lessen the wildfire risk this coming season. The wildflowers should be blooming profusely, as well!

It seems like I am hearing about a lot of people getting Covid lately. I need to get my last booster yet. I have been so busy and distracted with other stuff lately that I totally forgot about it. Will get that scheduled soon!

Have a good day and stay well, safe, and know that spring is right around the corner (and over the 10 ft snowbanks! ).

[OregonLuvr]

Shirl I sent you the full recipe for the cake and the caramel glaze. WITH a picture ha ha
350° is the short answer ha ha

[MandysMom]

As to CoVid.
I had Pfizer 1 &2 and a booster. After dose 1 I had catastrophic elevation in my BP 50 and more points higher than ever in over 25 years of daily monitoring. Ended up in ER twice. In January before vaccine I had been off BP RX because my BP was so good! Then after vaccine BP RX doubled from any previous dose. But was told had nothing to do with vaccine. So I took dose 2. Continued to have random BP spikes. Still told not related. Took booster 1. Had severe ringing in ears for days, and BP spikes continue. Then a year ago, we both got CoVid. Paxlovid not available yet. Got long CoVid. Still having long CoVid symptoms (fatigue off and on, muscle pain, nerve pain, respiratory issues, etc). Last summer -6 mo post CoVid and 9 mo post booster - Dr says, oh yeah, we now know some people get catastrophic spikes in BP from vaccine! No one really knows why or what to do besides trying increased doses of BP RX. I said I really dont want to chance taking another booster. He says absolutely you should not take a booster unless I personally see evidence of increased hospitalization s AND deaths from CoVid. He said, if I am personally seeing this evidence (he takes shifts in ER because he likes to keep up), I'll call you and we will reevaluate.
I have looked up Paxlovid and according to the FDA, Paxlovid can cause impaired sense of taste and smell, diarrhea, INCREASED blood pressure, and muscle aches. In addition, severe allergic reactions, have occured. It can damage your kidneys. In addition there have been many reports of bounce back CoVid- testing positive again and CoVid symptoms again 5 days after Paxlovid. It is also shown to have some very serious medication interactions. It can also lead to liver damage with jaundice. It has potential Drug interaction with over 20 RX drugs plus a number of common supplememts including vitamins.
So, if you have any serious health condition ( if you have liver or kidney disease or any other serious disease/illness) or are on any RX drugs or take any supplements make sure you speak both to a knowledgable DR and a pharmacist before just thinking its a safe thing to do.
Myself, I won't be taking that risk since it could aggravate the already issues from vaccine with my BP, which can be 126/80 in afternoon then suddenly shoot to 185/105 and stay there a few hours then just go back down!
Make sure you are informed. Remember both these vaccines and treatments such as Paxlovid were rushed through, with limited trials and are pushed by the pharmaceutical industry because they are hugely profitable!
As to feelng better within 5 days after taking Paxlovid: without Paxlovid by day 5-6 after testing positive, I began to feel better from the acute symptoms. I'm not trusting their tale that Paxlovid reduces risk of long CoVid- since no one knows who will get long CoVid and it would be hard to test that , and Paxlovid is barely past a year on market - that's really not enough data, unless you are a pharmaceutical company who stands to make billions$$$
Velda

[Shirlv]

Karen, I couldn’t access the site. Boo hoo. Apples and Carmel be still my heart. Lol

[OregonLuvr]

Shirl
Sent you another message with recipe and pic Dont know why the other one you couldnt access but who knows LOL

[BarbaraRose]

Karen, can you share that recipe with the rest of us, pretty please?

[OregonLuvr]

Barbie I put it under recipes....just for you LOL and anyone else ha ha

[snowball]

I knew when I woke up today that I really didn't want to do anything... and I really didn't just the normal things was going to do a chicken something pot pie or something else but I opened a can of soup and toast... like I said didn't do anything not even Swedish Weave
thanks for bringing the recipe up I will have to try it once I get some space in the freezer so I have room to freeze some of it really never thought of freezing mashed potatoes...
it's hard to know what mom will enjoy she doesn't seem to eat mashed potatoes as well as baked I would think that the mashed potatoes would be easier for her to eat... and not have to mash up with a fork
when I got up thought it was snowing later I thought it was but wasn't sure if it was snowing or blowing off the roofs as it was quite windy... we have had lots of snow... I keep telling myself is that we need the moisture... one winter of good moisture doesn't get rid of years of drought... but it will help and for that reason am grateful for the snow but boy am I tired of it can one be grateful but tired of it???
so sorry Pat that you have a recent bout with Covid am glad that it was a light case and the medication worked
you all have a great day
sheila