TheCapeBlog

I’m still coughing and this morning having quite a siege with intestinal distress.

Yesterday we journeyed, twice, to Pownal for a free floor fan. After failing to make it up the driveway with the Corolla, had to go back with the truck. Ron’s fiddling with the truck controls drove me nuts.

I did some work on the new MRS pages.

Had a long conversation with Ron about my new understanding of his family’s traumas, including loss of a 4 year old child after a head injury.

Renewed My Heritage for four years, they gave me a nice offer, almost half off.

Waiting for an email from Chase about refunding my overpayment.

Did a couple of loads of laundry, including whites.

Today we had a pasta lunch followed by a lecture by the Brain Injury Association of Mass at the Harper (senior) Center. Afterwards we went to Stop & Shop.

We dropped by the Solomon Wright library for the first time. Ron got his own card. I took out a book. Nice chat with the director and with a fellow member of the Milne book group.

We shopped at Big Y and on the way home, visited the three art galleries at the old Holiday Inn in North Adams.

Today we brought home jams and cheese from the Williamstown indoor Farmer’s Market at the elementary school.

I did some more genealogical research on Ron’s family and discovered that his mother had a sister, Edna Belle Todd, who died at 4 1/2. Her death certificate is heartbreaking: she lived for 9 hours following a head injury.

I also discovered that Ron is 1/8 Irish on his mother’s side. Her grandmother was born in Ireland, possibly in Cork. That makes him an octo-something.

It also explains a lot.

Ron cleared the driveway yesterday. The worst was the pile of ice and snow at the bottom, courtesy of the town. I cleared a path to the front door.

The bottom of the back door and the “far” garage door were frozen. I was able to free the garage door. Ron plans to work on the back door today.

I skipped the Winter Tea. Thought about dropping by but it was 2:30 by the time we were done with shoveling, etc.

Picked up paczki at the Big Y. Turns out Peter has s Big Y in Kingston and rates their paczkis superior to Stop & Shop’s.

We got my meds and our supplements at Walmart. Big shop at Job Lot, including badly needed Dockers slippers for me.

Pretty day today but bitter cold: 7 degrees.

I picked up groceries at the Food Pantry, filled the Corolla’s tank, went to the bank and mailed Ella’s birthday card and gift. The oil company delivered 100 gallons while I was gone; hoping this takes us through the season.

Ron is off to the transfer station and other errands.

We attended a friend’s poetry and essay reading at an art gallery in North Adams.

Windy for most of today, some light snowfall. We had about an inch from last night.

Ron insisted on clearing the driveway before I could take out either of the vehicles but didn’t get to it, and I’m just as glad. It was bitterly cold and he’s just starting to feel better.

I have a pretty full day planned for tomorrow. Want to get to Big Y and Walmart, then the Harper Winter Tea at 1.

Received my cardio records from Cape Cod Hospital, sent them to the Berkshire cardiology office.

We did laundry today and changed the sheets.

I’ve been working on the new pages for MRS.

Communiques to Ed Markey and Richard Neal objecting to the layoffs. Horrified by the cruelty.

Ron spent a good part of yesterday afternoon snow blowing the driveway and couldn’t open the back door.

Got a call from the neighbors that he was stuck.

Turns out the door wasn’t locked, just hard to open. He managed to force it, finally. Said he rang the doorbell multiple times. I was working upstairs and didn’t hear it.

Read and/or worked on the MRS additions on Sunday.

Today is President’s Day and high winds are expected.

I’ve been out of it this week, no desire to work on computer projects.

The two medical appointments pretty much took up all of Thursday. Plus, I’m still coughing. Put off showering and even changing clothes.

Friday I spent the day in front of the computer, figuring out finances and ordering medical records.

I saw the boys and their Dad briefly yesterday. Delivered their Valentine’s Day treats, and they were pleased: “giant candy”, Hershey’s milk chocolate and KitKats.

Today I felt better, enough to shower, wash my hair and get to the North Adams Hospital for the twice a year fasting blood test. I wasn’t hungry, happy with black coffee.

The roads were good and I only had to wait for one other patient. The intake person and phlebotomist were extremely pleasant; I got there around 8:30 or so, guess it had been busy.

Stopped off at Big Y but turns out, I left off some things that Ron wanted, so he went out himself. Then he forgot two items so is out yet again. It’s 3 PM and the snow just started, right on time.

I found a love note from Benny to “Buff”. It’s flowery and sentimental, girlish. In contrast, I’m embarrassed to be such a jocular, sarcastic and focused on practicality and finances partner.

Meanwhile, I think I’ve got the MRS changes figured out, even the style sheets.

Ron got home safely, said the roads were becoming slippery.

Ron drove us to my Cardio appointment this morning. We’d feared the worst for driving, but the roads were fine. Appointment went well and we stopped for donut holes at Dunkin’ and the Senior Center so I could cancel lunch reservations for Ron and me. I kept my res for Karyn’s tea next week.

Greylock paid off my four loans with them. This morning I got an email from HFCU; the check from Greylock was honored and I have less than $50 in interest charges left to clear the account. Hoping my credit card account will close this week, fingers crossed.

I had some updating to do for YouTube premium and MyHeritage. Unpleasant surprise, MyHeritage renewed for the year from Rockland Personal. Moved funds to cover it.

Picked up a couple of books and tax return forms at the library.

Good appointment with my primary. Able to pay with the Additional Benefits Card? Researching, need to call them for clarification.

Received check and a nice note from Nicole for the 2025 MRS work.

Last night was my last, and I left early. This 4-day a week evening schedule is wearing. I was okay with operating the lathe with my lab partner, in spite of the delays, poor instructor communication and waste of time, but the classwork was frustrating.

Thirteen people is 3-5 too many. Instructions were usually not in writing and even when in writing, incomplete or wrong or included abbreviations that were undefined.

Most importantly, I haven’t seen very many jobs in this area. Based on past experience with incels, if you’re a woman, you might get hired as a novelty or maybe whipping girl but you have to be twice as good as the best performing man to keep your job and I wasn’t anywhere near the performance of the men in the class. No talent for the work, evidently.

Ron is working, snow blowing the driveway. I am plowing through the OSHA materials for class and, thus, sparing my back.

We have a gigantic icicle outside the kitchen window, which is not good, that part of the attic above it is supposed to be insulated.

I did mushroom soup and salad for lunch. Ron is settling for broccoli and cheese and salad if he wants it. We have plenty of desserts for now and wine and beer later for the Superbowl.

I signed us up yesterday for the commercial FOX affiliate, Tubi, so we can watch the game this evening.

Emailed Nicole with ideas for the private lesson web pages.

Oh what a week it was.

Finally closed on the home equity loan. It’s not as good as I’d hoped but I’ll still save interest payments on the two old loans.

Picked up groceries at the Williamstown Food Pantry. Signed us up for lunches at the Harper Center.

Finished the first week of classes, lathe. 12 to go. We were lucky, the winter storm ended early enough that we could attend on schedule even though the day school cancelled.

Ordered more incense.

We visited a fun art installation at Future Labs and a performance by Five Pound Horse in North Adams last night. One of my fellow Advanced Manufacturing Technology students has work in the show.

We stopped to pick up yet more groceries afterwards. Stunned at the price of eggs: $10 and more a dozen.

I stopped at the car wash yesterday to get the Corolla cleaned up and managed to misplace my debit card. Got a new one.

Picked up wine today at West’s. That and laundry were about the only productive things I did today. Was thinking about getting the truck washed but there was a line. Stopped by Aubuchon to check out their store remodeling event. Made a simple supper with salad, beets and the expensive eggs.