Saturday, May 18, 2024
Friday, May 17, 2024
Writing My Senator
I suppose the woman I spoke to at the VA dental clinic doesn't know about veterans writing their senators. Soon she will know.
Yesterday I saw the VA dental clinic about having a crown glued back on a molar. This doesn't happen much, but it's not a first time for me. I waited a week for an appointment, and crazy me, I thought I would be going home with the crown glued back on. It's a molar, and I haven't been able to chew food during that time. I tried using my undamaged side, but this caused temporal mandibular pain. So when I saw the dentist I told her that I needed my crown reattached, and mentioned that my TMJ hurt from the cockeyed overuse.
Blizzards of X-rays were taken. The crown I complained about was ignored. Maybe I needed a dental device to wear at night for TMJ. Let's focus on that..... How long has that hurt? "It's hurt since last week when my crown came off forcing me to chew exclusively on the right side." And to 200 miles of travel later, absolutely nothing was done to address my crown. They decided to refer me to a different clinic. Fine. The new clinic will not be getting my brand new X-rays. They will be starting over from scratch. They will see me in three weeks to evaluate my teeth.
I am puzzled about the way they are handling this. I suppose they aren't used to seeing a patient with a full mouth of good teeth. Except for one, the loss of which occurred exactly the way this tra la la is going. I complained about a crown not being on correctly. They ignored it. Food found its way under the crown. No more molar. That was my only toothache in my life, until last week.
And so, I decided to go to Houston, Texas and see a real dentist. I called the VA clinic and asked them to forward my X-rays to a Sugar Land, Texas dental clinic. Millie said, smugly, "There is no VA dental clinic in Sugar Land, Texas." ***Correction. There is a VA dental clinic in Sugar Land, Texas.*** I was speaking of a private clinic called Smile Texas in Sugar Land, Texas, however, and never called it a VA dental clinic. So I started over with my explanation. Okay. That didn't communicate the issue to her. So I started over again. And again. Then she was infuriated and told me she was going to hang up on me. "You might as well," I said, since this was not working and she was being more and more insulting. Click.
I called again, thinking that if I could just speak to Orianna, my dental tech from yesterday, I could get things resolved...maybe. Millie answered again, and instead of the standard, "VA dental clinic," she said, "Is this you again?" I actually was astonished at her behavior. I was not able to connect to Orianna.
According to the VA dental clinic yesterday, I need four crowns replaced, because of cavities. I'm envisioning years of not being able to chew again. Around here, when a new crown is ordered there is a two the three month wait. In Sugar Land, there is a two the three day wait.
And so, seeing that no dental emergency can or will be addressed by the VA, I decided to write my US Senator. I have an idea that Millie will be spoken to about her phone etiquette. This will absolutely amaze her. And hopefully, other efforts on my dental behalf will happen. But probably by then my issues will be addressed in Texas. The biggest problem is that I will have to put Mom in a nursing home until I return in one to two weeks. $3500 more dollars. These experts at the VA dental clinic will be all up in arms. It is really surprising how much of an impression it makes when a Senator gets involved. I guess they didn't know that I know that.
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Walmart Drama
A man in a black half ton pickup took issue with me in the Walmart parking lot. It seems he didn't like my parking. ?? I have parked worse than I parked today. Much worse. The man was shouting at me and pointing out that there were two empty spaces I could have parked in, and yet I parked on the yellow lines. Why? Why? Why???? "Leave me alone!" I told him, and walked into the store.
I went in to pick up a prescription, and told the pharmacy teller a man was harassing me in the parking lot. She seemed to think this was best handled by a shrug. When I left, the man was still driving around waiting for me. He parked his truck and jumped out and said, "God bless you!" "You also," I responded. Away I went. I had gotten away with it!
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Prowler Plan
https://dnatestingcentre.com/product/cigarette-butts-dna-test/
I've been saving the cigarette butts the prowler leaves over here, for evidence I guess. Every time I see them I think, "Now what do I do?" Then I decided to have them tested for DNA. How? Pay for DNA testing. I'll get you, you little sneak.
Cigarette Butts
$300.00
Make sure the person is not a “dry smoker” (one who never gets his butt wet or hangs the cigarette butt from his lips). Brown filter end usually means that DNA can be obtained. Provide up to 6 butts for multiple attempts if necessary.
Thursday, May 9, 2024
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
The Witching Hour Having a Field Day
It was a dark and stormy night. At around 3:00 am a severe thunderstorm arrived here. I had heard this would happen yesterday evening, so it was not a complete surprise. The weather service even warned of large hail possible, up to 4 inches in diameter. Either there was hail here or there was extremely loud rain. I doubt if it was 4 inches in size though. The crashing of lightning and thunder made it impossible to sleep. At about that time the weather service called with a recorded message to let me know there was a severe thunderstorm. Is it only a coincidence that all this should happen at the witching hour?
Monday, May 6, 2024
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Carnivore Diet
I have been on the carnivore diet for one month. What do I think? Have I lost weight? Are any health issues improved? Is it worth it?
No, no weight loss. I have been following a keto diet for a long time, so I think whatever low carb might do for weight loss for me has happened already. But, no weight gain either. I am a little disappointed but not surprised.
So eat less? Well, when I eat less my system goes into panic mode. My cortisol levels go up. What's that? It's a chemical the body produces to wake one up, for one thing. So my sleep is disrupted if I eat less. Well, deal with it. No, I'm not doing that. I can't face life like a zombie. And this one meal a day thing? That really sends my system into a tailspin. I have an idea that the cortisol increase may actually cause weight gain.
I seem to be in a diet maze, and this diet has been nice, but it hasn't done anything for weight loss. However, my main goal has been health improvement, especially autoimmune problems. I would say that has been a qualified success. My two biggest issues are sleep problems and pain. The sleep issue is doing pretty well, but hard to decipher. Doing exactly what I've been doing works OK, but I'd like to know my limitations.
The pain issue is improved but not totally gone. So what? Pain makes walking more difficult. I want to walk better. I think that's possible but I have the horrible feeling it's not going to be that easy.
What would it take to improve pain? Probably something I did once before. I embarked on a 26 week four day a week water fast. I only got through 13 weeks, and began to have too many things go wrong, especially electrolyte imbalances. I fainted once also. What a surprise. Maybe take a break and start another 13 week round later, I thought. So I started that plan again last week. Fasting really does miracles for pain levels. Besides that, all sorts of things begin to heal from fasting. The results of the 13 weeks of four day a week fasting were impressive to me. But, I didn't do four days last week. I fasted two days. Well, try again. Maybe three days a week would work better.
So where does that leave me with the carnivore diet? I'm not convinced carnivore is better than keto in my case. I would say the carnivore diet is helpful something like fasting, but not as much. It's easier than fasting though. Maybe I'll continue the carnivore diet until the next time I have labs at the VA, which is about four months, and see if anything is going on with lab results, either positive or negative.
That would also be enough time to do the three or four day a week fasting for 13 weeks. And then I'll know one thing. I've done everything I know how to do with diet. But I still may not have figured out what my optimal diet is. I hold in front of myself the vision of normal walking again without pain. I suppose that will also take prayer. So far I've noticed that I can stand on one leg, either leg, without a problem. I couldn't do that a month ago. Progress has been made.
Saturday, May 4, 2024
Tornadoes in Major Metropolitan Areas
I once saw another national news report that, fortunately, "no tornado has ever struck a major metropolitan area." ?? That would be a city of 50,000 plus people. Wow. I puzzled over what whoever wrote that was thinking. May 3, 1999, F5 tornado struck Oklahoma City. Death toll 46. I remember thinking that was low. Why so low? There was advance warning and everyone left. What is the population of Oklahoma City? 700,000. Tuscaloosa, Alabama, April 27, 2011 F4 (F5 by some reports) tornado. Number of deaths 64. Population of Tuscaloosa, 110,000. On the same day, the same tornado continued on to Birmingham, Alabama, 86 miles away. population 197,000. The tornado was still rated at F4-F5. Death toll 20. That day was called the "Super Outbreak," with 360 tornadoes on one day, which is the most on record for one day. May 22, 2011 was the date of the Joplin, Missouri F5 tornado. Population 52,000. Death toll, 158. Once I saw a report on national news about an F1 (F1 has winds of 80 mph) tornado in New York State. My, the terror that evoked. Garbage cans were rolled down streets. Shingles were torn from roofs.
I think there is some confusion in New York City about the fact that they aren't the only people in the United States. "Oh, well, there's Chicago,,,,' they will say. "Los Angelos maybe." Otherwise the rest of the country is uninhabited and thus irrelevant.
Bella Napoli Pizza Recipe
To make Bella Napoli pizza, knead the flour, the flaked yeast, 1 tbsp oil, the salt, and approximately 1 cup lukewarm water until a soft and elastic d...
LIST OF INGREDIENTS
METHOD
To make Bella Napoli pizza, knead the flour, the flaked yeast, 1 tbsp oil, the salt, and approximately 1 cup lukewarm water until a soft and elastic doughis formed. Cover with a towel and set aside to rise for approximately one hour.
Meanwhile, peel and dice the potatoes and blanch for 2 minutes in plenty of salted water with 1 tbsp vinegar. Finely slice the onion and fry very gently in 2 tbsp oil.
Cut the Neapolitan sausage into slices. Transfer the risen dough to the pastry board, work briefly, then leave to rise again for a further hour.
Next, divide into 4 parts and make each one into a pizza. Stretch out each piece of dough into a thin disc, transfer each to an oiled pizza pan, add 2 tbsp passata and top with part of the cooked onion, a quarter of the sausage and potato dice, 1 tbsp capers, a pinch of salt, and a drizzle of oil.
Bake for 15 minutes at 475°F then scatter a quarter of the thinly sliced mozzarella on top of each one and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Make the remaining three pizzas in the same way. Serve immediately, piping hot.
Friday, May 3, 2024
Thursday, May 2, 2024
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
New Evidence of Prowler
Yesterday I tidied up the back steps a little. Then this morning I found a cigarette butt near the backdoor, on the little porch area. It wasn't there yesterday.
Until the last week, the two dogs had been making a wreck of the back porch, since it was a fairly good shelter for them. Then I quit feeding any animals, including them, anything whatsoever. A couple of days ago the dogs disappeared. What happened? I'm not sure, but the black female has not been seen again. I saw the Great Pyrenees yesterday, but he was soon gone when there was no food. So I'm hoping this problem is solved.
But... there was a mess on the back porch. A bag of charcoal bricks had been torn up and scattered all over the place. An aluminum insulation panel was pulled out of place. All sorts of things. So I went out and cleaned it up yesterday. That's how I know for sure the cigarette butt was put there last night.
Oh, so what? Well, who would you suppose did that? The FedEx driver? No. The UPS driver? No. The post lady? No. Who else comes here? Who liked to sit there at night and smoke cigarettes? What brand was this? Well, Most of the white paper part had been torn away. Still, I think it was home rolled. Looking at the other one that was left here, it had more of the white paper, but I realized it was also home rolled.
Have I ever left a cigarette butt for someone else to clean up? No. Have I ever sat outside someone's house at night? No. Have I ever pried someone's backdoor open at night or any other time? No. Have I ever stood outside a woman's bedroom window and tapped on it at night? No. Have I ever taken a bat and slammed it against the walls of the room of an elderly lady with a broken back in the middle of the night? No. I think the same person did these things to us.
So, first, a ring doorbell I guess. The sheriff had told me to put up No Trespassing signs, which I did. This is freaky. I have an idea who it is.