how about drinking?
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Got a notification from church yesterday because of the bitter cold, there is no worship service today.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Sunday Funday! Temp is 13 below the donut as I get up this ayem. I can feel the cold radiating off the windows. I hate to block out the light, but probably should close the curtains. The current Cold Weather Advisory expires at 10 ayem, the Winter Storm Warning starts at 7 peeyem and runs through 3 ayem on Tuesday. Snow amount predictions for my area are running from 3 to 6 inches to 12 to 18 inches. In other words, pretty sure its gonna snow, no idea how much we'll get. No school and business closures started coming out yesterday for Monday. It was interesting to see the Northern Light Health care system closing down everything except the hospital and the oncology clinic tomorrow. All the other specialty clinics and services are closed, but surgeries and procedures done in the hospital will still go on. Makes it pretty clear what services are the money makers for them.
In one of our talks on the phone yesterday Mom mentioned that there is illness in the facility, so she wanted to get some groceries into her room so she didn't have to go out to the dining room and get exposed. I had gotten an email from them saying that they had a couple of cases of norovirus on the Memory Care unit, those folks will not be going out of the unit to activities or programs for a while, visitors and staff will be masking (like that's going to make any difference!). I tried to explain to Mom that noro isn't airborne, is spread by touch, careful hand washing and not putting her fingers in her mouth will keep her pretty safe from it, but I don't think I convinced her. She's decided she's going to stay in her room and that's that. I know they will take her meals to her in her room (and I think there is an extra charge for that) and if that makes her feel better, so be it.
Teka--I am hoping to make it to the WWW get-together next month, too. Going to make it a priority for myself.
Jazzy--love the weather forecasting Bingo card!
mOmmy--hallucinating dancing penguins and polar bears? That is some frigid cold!
Miriandra--is Madeira a red wine? I vaguely remember hearing about it but can't remember anything about it. I'm partial to sweeter wines, too.
Teka--LOL!!!!
Morning, Carole!
Gail's Winter Storm
Ingredients
1/2 oz Kahlua® coffee liqueur
1/2 oz triple sec
1/2 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1/2 oz sambuca
1/2 oz Frangelico® hazelnut liqueur
4 oz coffeeMix ingredients in a tall glass over ice, stir and enjoy.
From
I just noticed that it has warmed up into the single digits below the donut, currently -8 with a RealFeel of only -1! Time to go put some wine in the crockpot, throw in some spices, and have it nice and warm to drink by lunchtime!
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Yum on that coffee drink. Hope we all stay safe and warm.
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Yeah, Native. Another night of below zero temps but not as bad as it was late last week.
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Yes, NM, madeira is a tawny red, almost like a dark amber. According to the wiki page, the heating treatments used in its preparation make it a very durable wine. It can last for decades or longer, even after being opened.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Monday Monkey Dayt! I'm waking up to a good 8 inches of snow, thank goodness it's the very light, crystalline, sweep away with a broom type and not the heavy, wet type. Snow is still coming down pretty steadily. Poor Zoe had to turn around in circles for quite a while before she could clear away enough snow so her lady bits didn't drop into it when she peed! The first time she squatted she came right back up right quick! The look she gave me was pure "WHY?????" Colt looked pretty disgusted that all he got for his ayem yard perimeter sniff check was a pile of snow on his snout.
Carole--If I ever made that drink for myself, I would use hot coffee, I can't stand the taste of cold coffee!
mOmmy--at least it stayed above zero here last night, even if it was by all of 4 degrees.
Miriandra--I don't usually go for red wines, but the Madeira sounds like one to try. I'll have to ask a the next WWW meeting if anyone has some and where to get a taste.
Slightly out of season but still appropriate:
Christmas Snowstorm Margarita
Ingredients
• ▢1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• ▢1-2 teaspoons honey or granulated sugar, adding more or less to taste
• ▢2 ounces silver tequila
• ▢1/2 ounce coconut rum
• ▢1/2 ounce orange liquor
• ▢juice of 1/2 lime
• ▢fresh mint, for serving
• ▢sugared cranberries, for servingInstructions
• 1. Bring the coconut milk and sugar to a simmer over medium heat in a small saucepan. Simmer 1 minute, then remove from the heat and let cool. To quickly chill, add a of couple ice cubes.
2. Fill a cocktail glass with ice.
3. In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, coconut rum, orange liquor, lime juice, and coconut milk. Shake to mix. Strain into your prepared glass. Top with sugared cranberries and mint.From
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Good chilly morning friends:
I hope everyone is doing well and has survived Storm Fern or getting finished up with it. It was here in NM starting Friday night with mostly rain off and on into Saturday evening/early Sunday in North Central NM where I live. Snow came overnight on Saturday into Sunday, and with some ice too and brought a layer of ice under a few inches of snow here. That was gone by noon yesterday, but further south, there was a lot more snow and ice and a lot of power down in some areas. I know there has been a lot of problems further east with this in Mississippi and also TN with bad ice and power down. Was an ice storm on the bingo card, I think not? Our record snow for this storm was down south at a reservoir in the Ruidoso area called Bonito Lake and a hefty 31 inches of snow!
Stay warm and safe and if you are without power, I hope it's back on soon!
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It looks like by the end of the week I wont feel like I've been living in Antartica
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy TGIF day!
Feel free to skip the rant:
Another example of the state of the healthcare system in the US right now,Yesterday I took Mom to a cardiology appointment. The appointment was a follow up to the initial appointment made by her Primary Care Provider to evaluate mitral valve leakage. At that appointment we met a cardiologist who told us that the more than 6 month wait for an appointment was the norm. That he wouldn't be able to tell us much because the echocardiogram he wanted to see had yet to be done (that appointment was more than a month away) and he would not look at the echocardiogram done at a hospital outside of the system his practice is part of, a test done within 2 weeks of being ordered by the PCP at the same time the cardiologist referral was made at a hospital not part of his system. He did finally look at the report of an echocardiogram done while Mom was in another hospital (in a different system) for gall bladder issues several months earlier. From this, he determined that the mitral valve problem was mild to moderate, no treatment currently needed as she was not having symptoms. Mom's A-fib would continue to be managed by her PCP, as that requires more attention than the office can provide. The cardiologist also stated, when asked directly who Mom would be seeing at follow up appointments, that follow up appointments are performed by Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. He, the doctor, only sees patients on the first visit when referred to the cardiology practice, that is all he has time for, and he is scheduled more than a year out with just those referrals. No office appointments would be available if any new problems came up or symptoms appeared, we would need to go to an Emergency Room to receive attention any sooner than 6 or more months. At yesterday's appointment I asked the PA If this information was still accurate. She verified that the office cannot provide acute care, all situations not able to wait 6 months to a year need to seek care at an ER. Office patients can call the office for advice, but will be referred to the ER as there is no room to manage new symptoms or problems in established patients through the office. Because Mom is not having any symptoms of heart failure or any problems related to the mitral valve leakage, her plan of care is yearly appointments with yearly ECG and echocardiogram (which wouldn't be done yearly due to scheduling) to monitor for changes. So, given no changes evident, no change in the plan of care, and no support for changes in condition (aka, management of the condition) Mom opted to stop going to the cardiology office and let her PCP order any tests that may be needed if the mitral valve start creating problems.
This situation is the norm for the entire State of Maine, for many specialties, not just cardiology. Forget worrying about whether or not a hospital or office is in your health insurance network, that isn't going to matter much if you have to start considering going out of state to get specialty care in a timely manner.
Rant over.
Jazzy--Storm Fern was actually a little disappointing here. I think it was running out of steam. Th light fluffy snow that blows around did create some visibility issues, and since many drivers pride themselves on not having to slow down for anything as they are such superb drivers, there were accidents. Some places did get some icy stuff, and that caused its own set of problems,
mOmmy-- I hope its warming up where you are!
Teka--nothing like a good meal at a favorite restaurant, is there.
DOCTOR COCKTAIL
Swedish Punsch 2oz
Lime juice 1ozMethod
Add both ingredients to a cocktail shaker with cracked ice and shake well
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, garnish with a lime peel twist and serveFrom
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Native, had to run to grocery store this morning for a few things and its cold still but no below zero cold! Can we say Heat Wave!!!!!!
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NM - totally sympathize with your rant. Hope your Mom's PCP stays vigilant.
I had to look up "punsch". Interesting it's been around since the 18th century but I'd never heard of it.
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Warming up in NM. Made it to 58 today 🙏
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LOL.
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This is some interesting cultural history on why we hope for bad weather at the start of February.
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Good weather news for south Louisiana. No freezing temperatures during the week ahead!!! It's Mardi Gras season and the parade goers won't have to worry about freezing their b*&#s off.
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In New Mexico I think Mardi Gras has started
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I ordered a butt-load of boxed wine. Should arrive on Thursday.
I want to thank all of you who donated to my lark on the go-fund-me. I've asked that all the money be returned, so please look for your refunds. Just a shout-out that I appreciate you, gals.
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Good Morning, Loungettes! Happy Twofer Tuesday! I was just looking at the local weather predictions for today and was amazed to see that the temps are anticipated to get into the double digits, but not only double digits, it might get all the way up to 32 degrees! A dip over the weekend then back into the 30s, with night time temps mostly staying above 0! This looks really good to me, I am getting very tired of being cold and dealing with the icicles and dripping. Of course there will be a lot more dripping to deal with, but that's ok. It will help start melting off the snow.
mOmmy--I think I'm getting a mini-heat wave! Maybe a "warm up wave"?
Minus--Mom's PCP does stay on top of things. And the reality is that Mom isn't going to pursue treatment for anything unless it's causing her a problem, and she's not seeing death as something to avoid at all costs. Mom and her PCP had that conversation a couple years ago, and signed a POLST and DNR, and the PCP reviews it with Mom almost every visit. So Mom her PCP and I are all on the same page, and it's not the "see this number, start this treatment, see that number change to that treatment" algorithm that specialty clinics and hospitals follow. Frankly, I was surprised when the hematologist talked about Mom not starting the hydroxyurea and opting for a better quality of life instead. It's rare that option is even mentioned to patients. Of course, it doesn't generate any income for the practice or hospital, so not the preferred path for them.
Jazzy--I am jealous! I'm usually quite jealous of my brother and SIL this time of year when they have temps in the 50s and 60s, but right now they have 16 inches of snow from the big storm! Thankfully, that big storm headed out to sea and missed Maine entirely.
Teka--Brr is right! As for Phil--you fire up the grill, I'll bring the wine!
Morning, Carole!
Miriandra---interesting read, thanks for sharing!
Carole--I've never been to Mardi Gras, and my opinion is purely based of media portrayals, but I can't help but think that Mardi Gras parade goers probably have a blood antifreeze level that will keep them going for quite a while!
Jazzy--Wow! Quite something to come upon unexpectedly!
Wally--You are welcome, and the donation did bounce back. It was fun!
King Cake, Baby
INGREDIENTS
• 1.5 oz Big Easy Whiskey
• 0.5 oz Cinnamon syrup
• 0.25 oz Licor 43
• 0.5 oz Half and half
• 1 Dash of bitters
• Purple, gold and green edible glitter for garnish.DIRECTIONS
1. Chill the Glass Place your coupe glass in the freezer for 5–10 minutes, or fill it with ice and water while you prepare the drink.
2. Combine Ingredients Add the whiskey, cinnamon syrup, Licor 43, half and half, and bitters into a cocktail shaker.
3. Chill and Aerate Fill the shaker with plenty of ice. Shake vigorously for about 15–20 seconds.
4. Strain Double strain into your coupe glass to ensure a silky texture without ice shards.
5. Garnish with Flair Gently sprinkle the purple, gold, and green edible glitter over the top of the foam. You can do this with a stencil or freeform.From
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"Of course, it doesn't generate any income for the practice or hospital, so not the preferred path for them."
One of the ironic benefits of our healthcare worker crisis is that most clinics and offices are booked out for months. So if someone opts out of a procedure, it frees up an appointment for another patient. The capitalists might not like it, but it helps everyone else in the provider stream. There is no shortage of people needing care.
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I wonder how many people die while waiting to get an appointment, test, or treatment these days.
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NM - thanks for the details about MOM. We are all following you vicariously and certainly care what's going on.
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Good morning:
We have a very serious issue here in New Mexico with the lack of providers and nurses. Not unlike other areas but as a very rural state too like many here live in, our rural hospitals are also in big trouble and many starting to close. One of my colleagues said she was on a call this morning with some of our chief medical officers and the number is 2000 waiting for a PCP.
I had to change my PCP in 2021 after I changed jobs and had to wait months to get in with her, and much longer to see a lot of other specialists (we are super short on dermatologists here and with a very high level of skin cancer). Without a PCP, you can't really get to any specialists too and of course, we are short on them too. I have been thinking of leaving NM when I finally retire and to find a better place for healthcare but in many ways, I am not sure that exists anywhere either.
Our state government is in session right now and looking at a couple issues that may help. One got signed yesterday to create interstate pacts to help providers get licensed to provide care here. Not sure how that works as I am sure most will not be relocating or perhaps doing part time here and elsewhere as some can do in states that lie closer together. But maybe it will help with telehealth visits and maybe helping to get more referrals for specialized care with providers here.
The second issue that is causing our providers to leave is no cap on malpractice lawsuits. There have been some enormous payouts here in recent years (hundreds of millions) and that has driven out a lot of our providers. My sister worked as a PCP for years and was always getting pulled into malpractice suits even if she just read a chart for someone. If they don't figure out how to cap these lawsuits for malpractice which we know needs to be there for many situations, we will continue to lose our providers.
As a person who was self employed for many years and had to rely on the ACA for my insurance, I was always most concerned about having access to insurance to get medical care. I actually went back to work FT in this job in 2020 due to not having any work during the first year of the pandemic through my business, but also they were trying to turn over the ACA again that year and thought "oh no, I am not going to be in a pandemic AND lose my insurance too." So I got this job at age 60 and hanging on to it for now and part of that is to hang on to my current insurance through my job AND my providers. I cannot start over again….
We have a double edge sword now with cuts to Medicaid and lack of providers. The healthcare industry has been struggling here for years and on the bring of collapse in many areas. To answer NM's question, how many people may die waiting for medical care? Many….
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Today was a giant pile of suck! Tonight is even worse!
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Lots of wine.
My boxed wine order arrived safely.
DH's radiation-oncologist hopes increasing the steroids for his brain mets may help…otherwise, I weep (well, have been, all day…for days)
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Thanks Teka. Just had one of those days that turned into a pile of suck! Went to buy a pair of jeans and couldn't find a pair in my size for a decent price! And then the shoulder strap on my purse broke! And to round out the day my hubby decided to be a p.i.t.a.
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Wally - glad your wine showed up. Holding you in my thoughts.
Teka - think about taking your purse to be repaired. I've taken several purses to a shoemaker. I hope I will NOT have to choose a new purse for at least 10 more years.
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Wallcat and Mommy, sending hugs 🙏❣️
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If anyone has been watching the mixed doubles curling from the Winter Olympics, the team representing the U.S. is from my region of the country!
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Things are going barely ok. Called home-health/hospice and they were SO cruel. I'm going to send the hospital director a message once I know how things are going here….
I've only had "nice" wine a few times.
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Mommy - not yet but will watch for them. Only skating and cross country skiing so far.
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