April 24, 2014

Busy Morning; Quieter Afternoon

April 24, 2014

This morning I did make it to the gym!  I spent about an hour there and returned home to spend about 30 minutes in the yard filling ponds and feeders and cleaning the windows on the sewing room to keep them clean for taking bird photos.  The bird activity has been down some.  Still lots of Red-winged Blackbirds, large assortment of doves, ducks, and sparrows, but none of the cute, little migrating birds that I have seen.  Oh, and of course I can't forget the Golden-fronted Woodpecker pair nesting in the tree just out the sewing room window. 

That is about the same way I feel when I face the mornings.  This is the male and I think he was just checking things out.

He gave me a great view of the top of his head.  He is a good looking bird.

I showered and had breakfast before starting to work on the quilt in progress.  I got two of the blocks done and then fixed my lunch and headed to the office by way of the utility company to pay the office bill.    By 10:30 I think I was ready for a nap. 

The computer kept me busy this morning or maybe the other way around.  I had work to do on the books and then worked on Stephen's graduation invitation.  With the help of a friend and Stephen I think I will be ready to print them in the morning. 

Many days at the office I listen to Rush Limbaugh on the computer from 11:00 - 2:00.  He had been off for a week and as I suspected it was so that he could have his second Cochlear Implant surgery.  He had the second ear done about a week ago.  It is hard to believe but he had his first one done 13 years ago.  He had a lot more problems with his than I did with mine, starting with the surgery and going on through the activation and his results.  His hearing has been decreasing in recent years and part of it is rather complex to explain, but some of the electrodes in his had to be turned off because they were causing a facial tic.  Also his recovery from the surgery seems much more complex than mine.  Here, a week after the surgery he says he is still heavily bandaged, and my bandages came off the day after my surgery.  I am going to put a link here to a transcript of his opening monolog this morning where he talks a good bit about his experience.  I think those of you who are really interested in the Cochlear Implant and my experiences with it will find his experiences very interesting.  
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2014/04/24/where_i_ve_been_the_last_week 

I think you will need to copy the above link and paste it at the top of your page and then hopefully it will take you to his transcript.  If not, try:  www.rushlimbaugh.com and find the piece titled Where I've Been the Last Week.

His hearing experience is very different as far as conversation, than mine.  It is very similar in relation to just "noises" in general.  He talks about not being able to identify sounds.  The audiologist in the beginning told Ron that I would need to ask what different sounds were and he should help me identify them so I can learn what they are.  Tonight when I got home the yardmen were working on the yard and I could not identify a sound (I didn't know they were here).  It was the edger.  That is not what it sounded like.  Rush also does a better job of explaining about music through a Cochlear Implant.  I think you will find the transcript interesting.  I sure did.

Mid-day I ran some errands, going to a couple of Dollar General stores for some office paper goods and to a couple of other stores.  After work I went to Michael's.  I had been there yesterday and had left two of my shopping bags (in Brownsville you take your own bags to the store) somewhere on my shopping rounds yesterday so I decided to see if by change I had left them at Michael's.  I had, and they had been turned in!  Yea!  They are special to me because they are some I designed and had printed for our family gathering a few years ago.  I had a purchase to make there and then decided to go to Target since it is in the same shopping center.  I don't think I had been there since before Christmas.  I ran into my friend Pat there and she said she also rarely goes there.  I found some nice "after Easter" bargains at several places yesterday and today. 

Before I came home I stopped at Walgreen's and got milk and bread and then came home.  It was 7:00 when I got home and that makes for a long day!  I spent some time in the yard.  My Easter lily finally bloomed.  It is still close to Easter.  One bloom was all the way open and another about halfway.

It is the only Easter Lily I have.  In the past my success with them has been limited.  While in the yard I decided to see what else was blooming and one of the hanging baskets had its first bloom.

This basket did very well last year, so I am hoping it does as well this year. 

The oleanders out by the water are still in full bloom.  We can't see them from the house.  In fact Ron didn't know they were blooming until I showed him a few days ago.

I fixed supper and started laundry while I cleaned in the kitchen.  There is always something to be done.  It was a productive day, but I am tired.  I think I will sew a little more and may make it to bed before too long.