Windfall

Our tax refunds, and Dave's annual bonus, hit the bank this week, AND Dave gets an additional bonus this year for 35 years with the gas company.

He decided to use his extra bonus to buy a new, state of the art TV, blue ray player, antenna, and stand for it all to sit on.

The newest technology creates a pretty amazing picture, I have to say, and the new set up looks really nice.  I actually picked out the stand, and we are happy with it.

I didn't think we needed to do all of that, but it was his money, and his choice.

Some of the windfall money is going toward more home improvements.  The majority of the improvements this year will be internal instead of external. We aren't going to spend NEAR as much as we did last year.

That means that there might be some cash left over!

At the moment, the plans are for a new kitchen faucet, and the installation of a garbage disposal and water filtration system; replacement of the water hydrants under the house; and the installation of lights under the car port.

We are also planning a vacation to Chicago, and have purchased RIDICULOUSLY expensive tickets to  a Cubs game.

I also am replacing some of my shoes, and would like another swim suit for the hot tub.  These are things I have denied myself because of not wanting to spend the money.

I finally got fed up with the wrist pain that has returned on my left side, and started on my right side.  There are days, again, when I can't use my hands at all without pain.

The cortisone shots I got in December were partially successful, though.  My right thumb is cured, and the cyst on the left side is gone.

I put a call in to the nurse at the orthopedic doctor's office on Friday, and explained that the medication that caused this issue was withdrawn after my injections in December.

I am hoping that I can try another set of injections before we have to consider surgery, since the pain on the left came back, and the pain on the right started, before that medication was completely out of my system.

I should have an answer this week.

In the meantime, I have completely missed my opportunity to get licensed as a massage therapist in the state of Oklahoma, so I guess I am "officially" retired.

The National Certification program ended on the last day of December (with a grace period until the end of March).

That would have been my "grandfathering" credential to get licensed without having to undergo rigorous testing AND provide proof of graduation from a massage school.

I've been in practice for over 25 years, and do not have a diploma.

So. Oh well.

My thousands of hours of hands on experience are for naught if I don't have a credential to prove that I know my stuff, and my wrists have been so bad, that I did not pursue licensing.  What would be the point if I can't work anymore?

Besides, I have never been able to get a business going down here, and only see a few clients a year.  Again, what would be the point of getting a license?

In other news, Annabel is now on prozac, too.  Pete has been on it since I started chemo, to get him to leave me alone long enough to sleep at night.

Annabel is now on it because or her obsessive grooming.  Chances are, she was allergic to the flea bites she was getting, and it started that way, but now she just grooms all the time, and has made most of her underbelly bald.

The vet suggested we try this, so now both of our cats are being drugged.

I am not sure how I feel about that, but it's better than having to put her in an "e" collar for weeks on end.

We are also going to see if we can get an anti-itch spray recommended by a friend.  We're not convinced that she actually IS itchy, though, but figure it can't hurt to try.

Pete is still on the prozac because, when we took him off of it last year, he started grooming obsessively, and created bald spots!

He still suffers from horrible separation anxiety, poor thing, and may have to be on the prozac forever.

We tried calming cat treats, but they won't eat them.

I made my first batch of home made kahlua!  It was so easy, and it tastes pretty good!  I gave some to my friends because it makes so much.

I am going with Dave today to do his dad's grocery shopping.  I haven't gone for a couple of weeks because of that virus I had.

Now, all I have is continuing congestion.  It would be nice if that would go away, but now it's spring in Oklahoma.  Everything is blooming (several weeks early), and the pollen is high.

I've pretty much been congested since I moved down here, it's just worse than usual right now because of the virus.