So...whats for dinner?
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Thanks for that clarification, Eric. And it makes more sense to me now that I’ve “google-reviewed“ all the types of dementia. It is clearly ongoing research in an emerging field as scientists try to better understand the brain. As I read about Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus, with which he was first diagnosed, I am still wonderfing if he will be found to have that rather than LBD after a future brain autopsy. The clarity will come depending on the presence of the “Lewy bodies”, which your mother, fortunately, did not have.
Somehow, after DB’s wife inexplicably (to us) decided to abandon the docs at the prominent hospital where he worked and was dxd, she found a local doc who made this LBD dx. There are some very prominent features of LBD that he has never displayed which leaves me wondering about her latest favored dx. We may never know if she chooses not to share any future autopsy findings. In any event he has gone through hell and I keep hoping for his peaceful passing... sooner rather than later. It’s all a very complicated, undignified ending for a very dignified, patriotic driven, decent man.
We arrived at the lake to swarms of mosquitoes and black flies....somehow we have missed that plague for most Mem Day weekends up here. Am guessing the recent rains helped the buggers propagate. Our association meeting is scheduled to be held on the beach late this afternoon, followed by a welcone back social. Hmmmmm....staying in might be in my cards. My allergies have been so bad that I hate the idea of adding fly bites to my already itchy skin.
We opened the house to a pipe leak under the sink and since there is no Eric living next door here, and the plumber would not be able to come until today, we were waterless in the kitchen. Good excuse to eat out after the trafficky drive. We both had broiled haddock with really nice fresh sides of Greek salad and a bowl of broccoli each. Brought some baklava home for dessert.
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My primary care doc once "caught" a case of NPH in a patient when other docs had dx'ed dementia. A shunt was put in just in time for the patient's gait and speech to return to normal.
My doc is a great diagnostician--when the cardiology dept. at Evanston Hosp. tried every imaging test in the book to explain some near-syncopal episodes not during but just after stopping exertion, and everything came up normal, he had a hunch and used just a stethoscope and had me do a "Valsalva" maneuver to correctly dx "intermittent mitral valve prolapse with PVCs," confirmed on a color Doppler with me doing the Valsalva. I asked him how to treat it, and he said "make sure you have somewhere soft to fall on if you start to get dizzy. At our age, s**t happens."
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Am I the last one to get my cataracts removed lol? Thanks to everybody for your tips and experiences. I'm now trying to figure out if Medicare will contribute to a new pair of glasses if they're not just reading glasses.
Today has been spent washing windows as part of the big clean up. So many windows - 26 and two sliding glass doors! Needless to say, we're only half done. To be fair, we got a late start. Getting these finished will be a big chunk of what needs done.
Tired, so grilled hamburgers and corn on the cob, with a handful of some really good red grapes as an appetizer.
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Medicare (Parts B or D) don't cover glasses--nor does it cover the "refraction" (vision measurement) exam. Part B supplements don't either. Some "Medicare Advantage" plans (aka "Part C" that combine a supplement--usually a closed-panel HMO--with your Part D prescription insurance) do include vision, dental & hearing--but you are limited to their preferred providers (including opticians).
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I have an advantage plan that covers a pair of "regular" glasses after cataract surgery. What I'm trying to figure out is if I need something other than "regular" (which I'm assuming is single vision) will they cover any part of it. So far, I've gotten two different answers from my insurer (sigh!) This seems to be SOP for this plan. So far I haven't figured out how to reach the person that actually knows the right answers.
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Oops - just lost a long post. No Nance you're not the last. I haven't have cataract surgery and likely won't this year either.
Lacey: Thanks for sharing about your brother. What a nightmare. I don't remember worrying about things like flies & bugs when we were kids. But we probably never sat still enough. Times have changed. We never wore sun screen. The first 'sun tan lotion' was Sea & Ski, then Coppertone, but they had no protection. My Dad put vinegar on sun burns. No one wore a hat except old people ... and now I'm one of those (you can tell I wasn't raised in the South as a "Southern lady". We used to put Absorbine Jr. on mosquito bites, but now the composition has changed and it doesn't work as well. When my son went to the Scout Sea Base in Florida 30+ years ago, the acquired wisdom was to slather yourself with Avon Skin So Soft to repel the 'no-see-ums'. Wonder how might work with black flies?
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We have a May pestilence around here called "buffalo gnats" (which I think are nothing more than baby black flies) that are HORRIBLE. They breed prolifically in wet springs and usually disappear when the weather gets hot in June. Because we had a colder later spring I'm hoping they don't stick around longer than usual. You cannot spend any time at all outside without them flying in your nose, ears, mouth and eyes. There's a plant based repellant sold around here called "Buggins" which does a pretty effective job but you have to apply it fairly often. I have an old hat and shirt that I spray the stuff on so I don't have to actually put it on my skin. It's a rather odd fragrance called vanilla mint and rose. You might try it Lacey for the black flies.
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Thanks for the Black Fly repellant advice! I used a spray I found in my beach bag named, “Nantucket Spider Backpacker” which is similar to locally made sprays that leave one smelling like a cedar plank laced with many spices. And yes, it needs to bevreapplied often. I should have worn an overlay of a shirt sprayed with it...the flies became brutal as we “associated” over apps and drinks after the business meeting.
For dinner we reconnected with our long time friends here (who winter in FL now) over take out pizza and my many lettuce and veggie salad with vinaigrette dressing. I requested we eat in so we could also watch the NBA Eastern Conf finals. Felt badly for the Bucks, but happy for Toronto who will go to the NBA finals for first time ever. I doubt anyone can handle the Warriors machine tho. Am kinda relieved the Celts don’t have to face them!
More torrential rain here tonight...so the blk flies and mosquitoes will be thriving in all the pools left.
Nance, I vaguely recall that my Medicare insurance had a plan for glasses after cataract surgery but that may not have been relevant for my needed bi-focals. So therecwas no actual benefit! Glasses purchasing is tres frustrating! I hope you reach an informed ins agent.
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Nancy, if you don't have astigmatism (I still do, alas) you could probably just get drugstore reading glasses (or probably even cheaper from Zenni) and use your Medicare advantage for distance if you still need distance correction. Or, if you can see well enough to drive, get prescription readers as your "regular" pair. I think by "regular" they might include standard bifocals or progressives too, as opposed to sunglasses or prism lenses to correct double vision; or standard polycarbonate lenses as opposed to ultra-high index (very thin for strong prescriptions), blue-light-blocking, photochromic, ultra-non-reflective or HD progressives (e.g., those "Essilor lens packages"). Ask them specifically.
Dinner tonight was a sauteed soft-shell crab with mango salsa; grilled Vidalia onion; grill-roasted honey-curry carrots; and a spring salad of snap peas, radishes & cucumbers with citrus vinaigrette, plus a sesame Kaiser roll. WIll make more salmon tomorrow night, along with the first ramps of the season and perhaps green Romesco broccoli. Hope I can use the grill again tomorrow, as storms are forecast. (We dodged them today). It made it up to 85, but after the rains push through overnight we'll barely make it above 60. Back on the seesaw...
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Last night's dinner was our first evening meal at Pine Hollow Resort. A thick ribeye and small white boiled potatoes with butter and sour cream.
It's quite chilly here with temperatures dropping into the 40's at night. Great sleeping but not comfortable for morning coffee until the heat pump warms up the interior of the 5th wheel. So far today it's not a pretty sight outside. Overcast and damp from last night's rain.
My grocery bill yesterday was $348 but that did include some non-edible items.
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Carole - glad you're safely installed in your summer place - even if it's not summer weather.
I took my niece to a great play yesterday afternoon. One of the things it focused on is the difference between "real" books and electronic media. Early in the play the guy (who is 15 years younger) picks up a book, puts to his nose and says "smells like a library". Once the women gives in & publishes her book as an 'e-book', rather than the hard cover copy she always dreamed of seeing on her bookshelf, she picks up the tablet and smells it. Funny moment.
Afterwards my nephew and their 3 yr old daughter met us for dinner. I had delicious scallops on a wonderful, creamy risotto. Nephew had a vegetarian pizza and niece had a lovely piece of peppered rare ahi tuna. Amazingly the 3 year old joined in the conversation & ate for over two hours as we sat over drinks, appetizers, the meal, and then dessert. (her drink was milk) She discovered she loved fried calamari when she found they were sort of like french fries & I let her pick them up. And polished off the creme brule with mixed berries on the top when I suggested it was like pudding.
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I very much prefer real books over e-books.
That is an amazing 3 year old! :-)
Sharon's allergies were driving her crazy today and she didn't feel like eating. I wasn't hungry tonight either so I jate just an apple for dinner.
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Quiche Lorraine tonight with the addition of a little broccoli that was languishing in the fridge. Also a simple side salad with a light vinaigrette. After a rather large barbecue dinner (ribs and chicken) for friends yesterday, I'm tired of meat and craving fruits and vegetables.
Still window washing, but only 8 left. The window is the easy part, it's the cleaning of the tracks that is so tedious. Also the fact that all but 4 of the windows are oversized.
I'm an e-reader fan although I perfectly understand the appeal of a "real" book. With the e reader, I can make it brighter, the print bigger and carry more with me on trips. I can look up a foreign language word or obscure definition without losing my place. DH has a kindle, which he uses, but prefers an actual book in hand.
Hope the weather warms up for you Carole and that the black fly and mosquito hatches don't plague you!
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Scallops over risotto. Sounds wonderful.
I am an e-books fan.
Last nights dinner was pan fried chicken breast fillets, breaded in seasoned bread crumbs. Steamed asparagus with lemon juice and butter. And a salad with bagged salad greens, split cherry tomatoes, blue cheese and Kalamata olives, halved. Dressing was EVOO and white wine vinegar.
Tonight will be Nathan's wieners, one for me and two for dh, Bush's baked beans, and a salad with the same salad greens as last night.
A neighbor gave me fillets from two walleye fish he caught today. I would have cooked them tonight but have no fish fry.
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Last night we'd planned to go out to McCormick's & Schmick's for seafood, but the weather gods had other ideas. (Storm up here, tornado warning in Oak Lawn at Christ Hospital, from where Bob called me before going to the storm shelter in the basement). After the storm, he went to Whole Foods for a beer and asked what I'd like him to bring home. I had only one piece of Copper River salmon in the fridge, so I asked him to get another one and whatever veg & starch looked good at the hot & salad bars.
He came home with Icelandic farmed salmon instead--the guy at the fish counter was apologizing like crazy that after the price of the Copper River came down ten bucks, it sold out; he didn't want to sell it to him because it's so "inferior to the wild stuff." Well, it was delicious--I pan-seared both pieces (the farmed to 125F, the wild to 120). Bob brought home a grilled romaine heart in Caesar dressing, some raw kale/cranberry salad, grilled asparagus and vegan mac & cheese. (It was good, but I'm still figuring out how they could do it with no real "cheese" or cream). I gave him the lion's share of the sides, and for my starch I nuked the leftover biryani (which still had a chunk each of lamb & tandoori chicken).
No idea what I'm going to do about dinner tonight. Had an iced mocha, a strawberry and a donut at 5 pm and am still quite full.
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I've been listening to the reports of the storms. Test daughter's parents are visiting in Ohio about 15 miles from one set of storms.
Be safe everyone.
Chi, I like Bob's idea....after the storm, have a beer! :-) The last storm I was dealt with, I was deployed....so no beer after the storm. :-)
I'm reveling in the cool (for Phoenix) weather and I'm taking advantage of it for my painting--the paint works best if it remains below 90F whiles it's drying. I should be done on Thursday or Friday.
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We had the walleye fillets (4) last night, lightly breaded with Louisiana fish fry and cooked to a golden crispy doneness in an iron skillet on the side burner of the grill. Delicious! Side was cauliflower mash. DH made a tartar sauce but I squeezed fresh lemon juice on my two fillets.
I plan to give the fisherman neighbor a big ribeye as a bribe for more fish.
Tonight will probably be pork, either a pork steak or half a tenderloin. Probably the latter.
We went to the gym this morning and afterwards had breakfast at the West Forty. I had the special, two eggs (over medium), sausage links and wheat toast for $6.50. Tasted really good. DH went for the bacon, eggs, hashbrowns and a "cake" instead of toast.
Now I have to go out and mow grass, using the nice self-propelled mower that was purchased last year. I tell myself, "It's exercise."
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Rained the past few nights at (my accustomed) dinner time, so the grill hasn’t been an option. Last night after I was on a panel (about freelancers’ contractual issues), pizza was served—but I’d have had to go to the loo, remove my Invisalign and then go back and brush/floss before reinserting it—thin crust Chicago party-cut pizza isn’t worth it for me. So when I got home, I nuked some chicken wings and had the usual celery sticks & blue cheese dressing. WF is having a sale on rotisserie chickens (Costo is always cheaper, but WF is around the corner), I have a head of Romesco broccoli I’d like to try roasting, and the remainder of a romaine heart that will go nicely with Green Goddess dressing and what’s left of a beefsteak tomato. So tonight will be a chicken-&-veg dinner, hold the starch. (Okay, maybe a matcha-strawberry cruller from Cacao for dessert).
Tues. night the northern NJ suburbs were under a tornado warning. This weatheris insane. (I still remember the twister that plowed through Brooklyn & Queens a decade ago). I guess everywhere is now “tornado alley.”
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Tonight I made my very first marinara from scratch and man, it’s a tough job, my back killing me. It turned out good but I didn’t expect it to be so pale in color and the texture is more like salsa than sauce. I’m open to any recommendations for other sauce recipes or tweaks, it’s so close to being great.
Hope everyone is well, trying to stay up to date here but haven’t been cooking much lately.
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illimae, I make mine in the pressure cooker then finish it on the stove top. It gets very dark and thick and has a great depth of flavor.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/10/pressure-cooker-tomato-sauce.html
There is also a version that is slow cooked in the oven that is marvelous.
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Thanks, I appreciate it!
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Last night's dinner was a pork and rice skillet dish and a tossed salad. The pork was pork tenderloin cut into medallions and then into strips, seasoned and sautéed in olive oil. The rice was a four rice mixture that I had cooked earlier in the afternoon. The salad greens were from the same large bag that has been providing the greens for our salads but I dug out a pouch with croutons and a thick sweet balsamic dressing.
A quick preparation and satisfactory.
Tonight dinner will be at LaPasta Restaurant in the tiny village of Dorset following Couples Golf.
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Carole, I like the sound of the four rice mixture. Tell me more - what kinds of rice?
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White rice, red rice, brown rice and wild rice. It comes in a plastic container and is very pretty (a bit pricey). I followed the cooking directions and the result was fluffy rice.
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Thanks Carole, I'll try it. It's actually sold in my local store (astonishing.)
Tonight is grilled pork steaks, grilled corn on the cob and leftover baked beans. I should fix a salad but I'm tired - we finished the last of the windows today (yay!) so I'm taking the path of least resistance.
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Dinner tonight was a vegetable stir fry and noodles with a peanut sauce plus a fruit salad....and a HUGE glass of water.
I keep thinking I'll be ready to paint and I keep finding things to fix before I finish the painting. Once the work is finally all done, it will be less than an hour to actually paint the remaining parts of the house. It's getting hot, so I'll need to be ready to paint at sunup so the paint can dry before it gets above 95F degrees.
Last night, until the bugs got so bad (Deep Woods Off wasn't strong enough), I was fixing cracks in the drywall ceiling of the back porch. I discovered that whoever did the original work did not do it correctly, so this morning I took care of that problem. I'm now waiting for the drywall joint compound (mud) to dry so I can sand it and put down another coat of "mud". After that, I'll be adding the texture finish and I can then paint that.
I thought getting the side door to the garage (never use it ) ready to be painted would be an easy thing. The door frame was in such bad condition that I ended up taking the door off, ripping out the old door frame, building a new one and rehanging the door. It was 98F/37C in the shade and by the time I started on the door, it was in full sun. Building a door frame for an existing door or installing a new door in an existing door frame is one of those picky jobs that never seems to go quickly, so I was in the sun for a couple of hours. Anyway, it's all done, the door works and it will look great when the new wood gets primed and painted.
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Hmm.....maybe browning some tomato paste (the Maillard effect, which ups the umami factor too) first along with some of the tomatoes might make it darker instead of a "salsa cruda," which is still pretty good. Tomatoes are still not at their ripe best--which is why most marinara recipes call for canned San Marzano (plum) tomatoes--which have more firm flesh & gel and less mushy mealy pulp. Slicer tomatoes don't make a very good sauce, I've found. (This morning I tried to dice some for my avocado toast, and they were pale & mealy).
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Nance - I often fix Seeds of Change rice combos. Some are a four rice mix, others have quinoa or etc. I find them in the organic section at my store.
Eric - ah yes the heat. I didn't get my frangipanis (plumarias) planted until Wednesday morning. By the time I finished digging holes & dragging out 8 plants (mostly over 5 ft tall) it was noon & I was wringing wet. Yeah - I know they should have been in the ground in March. Two were actually blooming sitting on the shed floor. Our average day time temps have been mid to high 90s for some time. And the humidity is a killer.
I drove 1-1/2 hours North Thursday morning to help my BFF pack before she closes on the sale of her house by Lake Conroe next week. With everything at 6's & 7's - lunch yesterday was What-A-Burger. Dinner was at a family owned Italian restaurant. I had an individual pizza. BFF has a strawberry & walnut salad. Her grown son had also driven to town to load up some stuff he is taking, and had a large spinach salad. Today I ate my leftover pizza in the middle of packing. Back home now & supper was a very large gin & tonic and some Spanish peanuts. I had planned an omelette, but since we packed last night until 2am & started again today at 7am - it was all I could do to drive the distance home at 7pm tonight.
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Just popping in quickly to say that our new little grand daughter was born last evening. After a scary start, the labor and delivery went really well, and she arrived within a “civilized” time for a new older mother! She is super cute and of course I am grossly biased. So far she seems to be a contented little one, sleeping, nursing, and posing cutely in her swaddled blanket! I am so relieved for this happy result after the very stressful “two” pregnancies over this past year. Whew!
Meals have been disjointed this week since I’ve been dealing with a painful dislicated jaw,(TMJ?) rendering me a chewless hungry person. I make chew food (chicken, salad, potatoes) for DH and I have oatmeal or mashed squash or whatever else I can tolerate. Hoping it will resolve in a few more days. Tonight I’m hoping I can score some soft food at a family graduation party, after another trip in to see the sweetbambino. Tomorrow I hope to get a bunch of meals cooked for our new parents so they have some healthful options once home.
I hope everyone is staying safe from the dangers this crazy nationwide weather has been posing.
Our new sweet little one:
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