The end of a week and the end of a month

The last day of June

On Saturday a week ends

A coincidence

If anything is a coincidence, it is the end of a week and the end of a month occurring at the same time. June began with an extreme heat warning because the temperature on June 1 was 105 degrees. Under these conditions, an extreme heat warning is normal in Las Vegas for June 1, but now, on June 30, we are accustom to the triple digit temperatures, so extreme heat warnings occur when the temperatures push 110.

Temperatures indoors

Feel nice and cool sometimes cold

A water bottle

I went to the vein clinic yesterday for an ultrasound of my legs. It was cold, much colder then I keep the thermostat sit at home. The temperature at the clinic must have been in the low 70s and I keep my thermostat set at 79 degrees. Last year I kept it set at 83 degrees, but this year I want to stay cool and I can keep cool at 79 degrees.

Blow dryer effect

Dry hot winds in Las Vegas

Rather stay at home

June has been a windy month. High temperatures and winds produce the blow dryer effect, which means I can wash my hair and go outside while it is still wet. Of course, I carry a hair brush in my purse, not that it does much good with the winds.

A defective drug resource site: Pradaxa

Pradaxa is a blood thinner or an anticoagulant prescribed for patients suffering from atrial fibrillation. Pradaxa has been on the market only a few years and in that time millions of patients have received prescriptions for this drug. The FDA began investigating the safety of Pradaxa in December 2011 because of reports concerning internal bleeding or death that resulted from using Pradaxa. Go to pradaxa lawsuit to see if you qualify for legal help?

Patients taking Pradaxa who have experienced internal bleeding have legal options. The family members of patients who have died because of internal bleeding have options. To find out what options you have go to pradaxa lawsuits and find out more about your legal options.

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Fire Season in the Rocky Mountains ~ A free verse poem

Dry lightning,

hot embers from a forgotten camp fire,

a carelessly tossed cigarette,

fireworks safe and sane,

fireworks unsafe and insane ...

A random spark

flames

and licks at dry undergrowth

then leaps to tree limbs,

leaps from tree to tree ...

Devastation

in the Rocky Mountains

a natural

or manmade disaster.

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Thankful Thursday June 28, 2012 in Las Vegas

This week I am thankful for

1. a premium membership to writing.com
2. a working air conditioner in the house
3. bread pudding
4. a slow cooker
5. a multitude of poetry forms
6. compression stockings
7. a cable modem
8. ice cubes
9. a walk in shower
10. a working washing machine

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Midweek Reflections on a Productive Monday and Tuesday

It was a productive Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, I used the points in my writing.com Gift Points account to purchase a three-month premium membership. I purchased the premium membership because I needed more room in my port then came with an upgraded membership.

On Tuesday, I wrote two poems and submitted them to two contests on writing.com. This brought the items in my port up to 365 items, which is about 115 more then I could put in my port if I had only an upgraded membership. I will have to check to see how many items I can put in my port with the premium membership. I still have to save enough money to purchase a twelve-month premium membership.

Anyway, it was a productive Monday and Tuesday. It also looks like a productive Wednesday, but the day is not over yet. I will reserve my opinion for Wednesday’s productivity until after sunset.

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Monday Mumblings about the weather

It is summer in Las Vegas. The triple digit temperatures have arrived. I think I have made other entries about the temperature. In those entries, I probably ranted or gripped about some aspect of the hot weather. This year the sudden change in weather got to me. At least, I think it was the sudden change in weather.

Las Vegas summer

triple digit temperatures

takes getting used to

Perhaps I am acclimatized to the temperatures. This morning I drove across town without the heat affecting me. Oddly enough, I rather enjoyed the drive, so perhaps I am getting used to the temperatures. I hope so, because I still do not have working air conditioner in my car.

A beautiful summer day in Las Vegas

a bird’s song echoes

as dawn scatters blue light

two sparrows flying

When I went out for the paper this morning I heard a bird singing and saw two sparrows flying from tree to tree. At least, I think they were sparrows because they were in the tree across the street and small enough to be sparrow. All this occurred before this afternoon’s triple digit temperatures.

It is afternoon now and the outdoor temperature has risen above 100 degrees. I am sitting inside with the thermostat set at 79 degrees and looking out the living room window at the beautiful blue sky and bright sunshine. I do have to get out in the triple digits today, but that is only to take trash to the garage.

After I take out the trash, I will come back into the cool house. Then once I come back in, I will make Mom and me each a bowl of ice cream. That is about all I have planned except to finish some housework, check a couple of websites, and write a poem or start a story.

Saturday Writing in Las Vegas on June 23, 2012

Weariness sets in

My mind is not focusing

And my thoughts scatter

I am so tired I cannot seem to think. I stare at a blank document and wonder what I wanted to write. I want to take a nap, but it is Saturday and Mom is home, so lying down for a nap is out of the question. Perhaps, if I just start writing something will come to me.

Outside a blue sky

A walk is not possible

Watch television

The weather in Las Vegas is hot and the sky is clear. It is too hot to take a walk because the temperatures will reach triple digits today and I cannot take Mom out. The temperature in the house is about 79 degrees, which is tolerable for both Mom and me.

I would like to take a walk, at least down to the corner and back, but I cannot leave Mom in the house alone. Right now, she is watching television or dozing. Mom watches little T.V. and then dozes a little. I got her out of the wheelchair a couple of times this morning, but she cannot walk very well even with the walker.

Maybe food will help

It might give me energy

Might help my focus

Summer Solstice 2012

first day of summer

triple digit temperatures

try to stay indoors

Today is officially the first day of summer. The unofficial first day of summer occurred on June 1, when the temperatures reached 105 degrees. The weather bureau announced an excessive heat warning for that day. I, of course, had to drive across town in the excessive heat. It was not pleasant and I am not looking forward to leaving the house this summer.

I am not sure how hot it is outside; I know it is hot because the air has run continuously without stopping. I have not checked the thermostat because I do not want to know what it reads. I have a good reason not to check the thermostat. This house is difficult to keep cool in summer; therefore, the unit does not keep the house to the 79 degrees (that is where the thermostat is set).

If I look at the thermostat, I will worry that the unit is not working. The unit works fine because I can feel cool air. I am not the only person in Las Vegas with this problem. It gets so hot here that it is difficult to keep a house cool. Since I am unwilling to set my thermostat at 83 degrees because I am home most of the day I just have to learn to deal with the side effects of the heat.

Happy Summer Solstice

Toot my horn Tuesday: A good day in Las Vegas

Despite the triple digit temperatures, it is a good day in Las Vegas. I am at home in a cool house, with the thermostat set at 79 degrees. This morning I washed one load of towels and have them hanging on towel racks in the bathrooms drying.

It is a good day in Las Vegas, because this morning I wrote six short poems before 8:00 AM. I wrote two haiku and four senryu. Both of these are three-line Japanese forms with syllable counts of 5, 7, 5. The difference is that the haiku is about nature, animals, the weather, etc. The senryu concerns human nature, etc.

It is a good day in Las Vegas, because I have decided on the subject of my July edition of the writing.com fantasy newsletter. The subject I have chosen is science fiction and fantasy poetry. The June edition is due to come out tomorrow.

It is a good day in Las Vegas, because this afternoon I chose to make myself a glass of ice water instead of heating up the leftover coffee in the microwave. I can always heat the coffee up later tonight or in the morning.

It is a good day in Las Vegas, because I am writing a prose poem for today’s blog entry. This can be a difficult form to write or it can be easy depending on the subject.

Moody Monday June 18, 2012

I have been a bit moody today, not exactly grumpy or irritable, but just a bit sad. This past weekend I did not get very much writing accomplished and writing always perks me up. I spent most of Saturday and Sunday focused on Mom’s needs rather then my own.

On moody Monday

Sadness curls around my mind

Darkness comforting

It could be that I am just tired. I was up until 1:30 AM finishing the editing of the June 20 edition of the writing.com fantasy newsletter. I am not sleepy, so there is no use lying down. I never sleep very well anyway. When I do lie down, I have to listen for Mom. Even when she sleeps through the night, I listen for her.

Sometimes Mom has dreams, which she thinks is real. When this occurs then Mom wants to get out of bed and do whatever she was doing in her dream. Mom needs help getting out of bed, so she calls me or she calls for help. After she has a dream, it takes several minutes to convince her that she needs to go back to sleep. Normally, she forgets about the dream by the time I am ready to get her out of bed.

What is your beauty ritual?

Every woman has a different beauty ritual. At 65, my beauty ritual is Firmness & Anti-Wrinkles. Which one of these is your beauty ritual? Is it Hydration? Is it Energy? Is it Radiance? Is it Firmness & Anti-Wrinkles? Click on the video blew to fine out more.

Midweek Reflections on reading a daily newspaper

As a child, my parents and grandparents subscribed to the daily newspaper and read it everyday. I subscribe to the Las Vegas Review-Journal and read it every day. The RJ, like all other daily newspapers, is educational. In addition, I find ideas for poems, stories, and blog entries.

My method of newspaper reading is to pour myself a fresh cup of coffee and sit down on the couch. Then I take the rubber band off the paper and glance through looking for article or columns that arouse my curiosity. This morning, Steve Sebelius’ column caught my attention. Mr. Sebelius is a political columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

The headline of the column read, “I voted, and not many of you can say that!” It seems that less then 8 percent of Nevadans voted in yesterday’s primary election. I voted yesterday, which makes me one of Nevada’s “8 percenters” (coined by Mr. Sebelius).

I am 65 years old. I am my mother’s caregiver and the only person who is taking care of our finances and house. I have difficulty walking long distances and up inclines or stairs, so going to my polling place is not easy. I took the time to get out in triple digit temperatures to cast my ballet in the primary election. I did it for two reasons. First, it is my duty and privilege as a citizen. Second, if I do not vote then I have no right to complain about the outcome of the election.

One last thought before I post this. It is amazing what one learns from a daily newspaper if you just take time to sit down and read it.

Technical difficulties

It has been a long Tuesday. This afternoon everything seems to be running fine. This morning was a different story. This morning both my computer and my cell phone gave me problems. As I have said before and often, “Technology is great, when it works properly.”

I took my virus scan 10 hours to run. It began about 3:14 AM and completed the scan after 1:00 PM. Part of the problem concerned the computer going into hibernation (on its own) before the scan completed. I am not sure, but I think that had to do with the computer’s virtual memory, but could have been another problem.

Then there was my appointment with the doctor. My appointment was at 9:30 AM. At 8:15, I decided the only thing for me to do was pause the virus scan and put the computer into hibernation while I went to the doctor. It would have gone into hibernation again anyway before the scan was completed. This is not the first time this has happen.

As for the cell phone, I have to call the technical support line because of a periodic issue with the phone. I suspect the best way to solve the problem with the phone is to buy a new one. I also think a new computer would solve the problems that I am having with it. To repeat myself, “Technology is wonderful when it works properly.”

I want a pair of barefoot shoes

I want a new pair of shoes, specifically a pair of barefoot shoes. In today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal, there was an article about barefoot running. The picture with the article was a pair of “barefoot running shoes”. I want a pair of those shoes.

I am not a runner. I have no intention of taking up running, but that does not mean I cannot buy the shoes. All it took was one look at the shoes and I wanted a pair. I like going barefooted; however, I cannot go barefooted outside of my house. Therefore, the next best thing is a pair of “barefoot running shoes”.

Barefoot running shoes

To protect my feet from stones

Walking to the car

Before buying a pair, I need to do an online search to see where I can buy them. Since they are running shoes, they are probably expensive. Of course, I could be wrong about how much they will cost. The article I read did not mention cost, it covered the subject of foot and leg injuries that runners encountered.

At this point, I am not worried about injuries. As I said, I am not a runner and I do not intend to take up running. All I want is a pair of shoe to wear when I leave the house. I am 65 and I think I should have a few things I want. One of the things I want is a pair of barefoot shoes, if there are other types of barefoot shoes I will consider buying one of those.

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Writing about the bandage on my left leg

The bandage is gone

The wound on my left leg healed

I still have dry skin

The doctor removed the bandage yesterday. I have a follow up appointment in July. I have spent five out of six months with a knee-high bandage on my left leg. I have worn size 9 crocs because no other shoe would fit over the bandage.

I want a pair of new shoes. Unfortunately, I cannot get shoes until the end of June. This makes me nervous because over the past five months, every time the doctor removed the bandage and we thought the wound healed. It came back. Each time I planned to get shoes as soon as my check hit the bank, I had to put it off because the wound came back.

A pair of new shoes

A pair of comfortable flats

Something to walk in

I am looking forward to going into a shoe store and buying a pair of new shoes. I have never looked forward to buying new shoes before. Normally, I consider shopping for shoes a necessity, but not something to enjoy. I feel differently now, perhaps it is because the bandage on my left leg prevented me from buying shoes.

The cost of water rising in Las Vegas

The Las Vegas Valley Water District recently added a $5.00 infrastructure charge to everyone’s water bill. This charge applies to all water lines, including those lines that carry water to “fire sprinkler systems” and hydrants. We received the bills containing that increase this month and the water bill of some people doubles. Those hit hardest by this increase are commercial customers.

Fortunately, I am a residential customer. My water bill came up to about $20.00. The bill of one commercial customer came up to about $12,000, which was double their last month’s bill. People are not happy about this because it means many of the shops and stores will have to pass that increase on to customers. At least those who can, non-profit organizations will have problems passing the cost on to their customers.

I also expect the raise in water rate to raise the cost of groceries, clothing, and even fuel for my car. Then there are the laundromats, this will increase what they charge for washing and drying clothes. Right now, I am not taking clothes to the laundromat, but I may need to start going to one again some time in the future.

German – One Word is not enough (English)

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Toot My Horn Tuesday: Different colored medications

I can tell the difference between two of my Mother’s medications. My mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease, takes Sertraline and Namenda. The tablets for both of these medications are oval and about the same size. The only difference, besides the printing on side 1 and 2 of the tablets (which is too small to read without a magnifying glass) is the colors.

The Sertraline, which is for depression, is a light yellow tablet.  The Namenda, which is one of the Alzheimer’s medications Mom takes, is gray. This morning, Mom dropped the Namenda tablet and it fell into the folds of the blouse Mom was wearing. When the C.N.A. came to give Mom her bath, the tablet fell out of the blouse. When I looked at the color, I knew immediately that it was the Namenda.

This is something I never dreamed I would know or be worried about; when I was growing up, I did not consider being my mother’s caregiver and having to know the difference in the colors or the sizes of her medication. Until Alzheimer’s disease began stealing Mom’s memory, she took her medication without assistance. Now I am the one who has to make sure she takes her medication on time.

I just thought of another advantage to knowing the difference in the colors of the tablets. I can write a description of them. That sounds like a good writing exercise. Write a description of my mother’s medications as well as my own.

Blow dryer effect in Las Vegas

Blow dryer effect

A hot wind in Las Vegas

Birds singing at night

It’s Monday night and the wind is still blowing. It blew all day without cooling anything off. It’s what the meteorologist calls the blow dryer effect, which may be why the birds sing all last night.

The first unofficial day of summer in Las Vegas

Friday, June 1, was the first unofficial day of summer in Las Vegas. The temperatures reach 105 degrees and the weather bureau released an extreme heat warning. Friday morning I went out in the heat and it was excessive.

Las Vegas driving

An excessive heat warning

Sunscreen protection

While I was driving across town, I realized I did not put on sunscreen or take a tube with me when I left the house. There was a good reason for this, I ran out of sunscreen last year and did not buy any more. I now have an 8 fl. oz. tube of broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen. This particular type is Coppertone Sports; I bought it for two reasons.

First, it was on sale. Second, it was SPF 30. At the time I bought the tube, those were my only two requirements for sunscreen. If I like this brand, then I will buy it again. I could like this particular brand more then others. According to the information on the tube it is waterproof, “Ultra Sweatproof”, and it is antioxidant.

Summer is here, at least unofficially, I have to start planning ahead for my outings. Especially, since my care does not have working air conditioning. Normally, I do not buy bottled water because I have two portable water containers. One of the containers, an insulated cup, is about the size of the sunscreen tube and the other slightly larger. I suppose if I need more water, I can stop somewhere and buy a bottle.

Summer has arrived

Carry sunscreen and water

When you leave the house

Excessive heat warning on Friday, June 1, 2012, in Las Vegas

Due to the fact that my Mother remained home and in bed on Thursday, I had to reschedule Thursday activities to Friday and push Friday activities to Monday.

The weather bureau declared an Excessive Heat Warning for Friday; however, I could remain indoors because I had to pick up prescription at Walgreens, pay a bill on the Westside of Las Vegas, and get the bandage on my left leg changed. I will get the bandage changed again next Thursday and I hope the weather is easier to deal with then.

Driver’s side window

Rolled down all day on Friday

Hot air blowing in

I have no air conditioning in my car, so I try to avoid going out on Excessive Heat Warning days. I was in a good mood when I left the house Friday morning for my first appointment. The longer I drove in the heat, the worse my mood because. After my last stop, which was at Walgreens, I went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. By the time, I left the restaurant I was in a better mood.

When I finally got home, I made the mortgage payment online and then sit down to read my paper. I fell asleep and I slept until Mom returned home at about 3:15 PM., I did not much accomplished. Today I am playing catch up, but at least I do not have to go outdoors in the heat to catch up.