Lughnasa and the Michaelmas Moon
Thursday gratefuls: New hearing aid. A Phonak. And, the Roger. Gonna try the Roger today at mussar. A small microphone that looks like a flying saucer. Hearing folks on my left side! Hope it works as well as promised. New noises, sounds. Good workout. Harry Potter.
Sparks of Joy and Awe: Chicken Pot Pies
Tarot: Ten of Wands
A full day yesterday. Went through my workout, still at two sets but I’m up to 15 reps on the first exercises Rebecca gave me, still ten reps on the new ones. 15 minutes of cardio. Tired. Didn’t get much nap because I had to go to Mile High Hearing.
Amy fit my new hearing aid, calibrated it. The machine she used for calibration was called, The Aurical. Get it? Lots of static and one guy talking about a rainbow over and over and over again. Weird.
We linked my new aid to my phone. Another part of weirdness. I can tap my ear, a double tap, and my hearing aid will answer my phone. Another double tap and I hang up. When I got the tap the first time, I told Amy I was always good at hitting myself in the head.
Amy has blond hair and blue eyes, built like a shield maiden. Not fat, muscled, dense. Didn’t ask but I strongly suspect Viking ancestry.
On the drive back I decided to hit Scooter’s Barbecue for takeout. Ranked the best barbecue joint in Colorado and it’s in Conifer. How bout that? Got a half-rack of ribs, Texas toothpicks (fried onions and jalapeno), pinto beans, and some corn bread. The owner is a good ole boy. Tall, built like a linebacker. Smiles a lot.
By the time I got home my body was crying uncle. Stamina has begun to wane, I believe. Sat down and watched the last Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, pt. 2. Yes, I watched them all.
Magic, fantasy. Well done. Not great movies, not great acting, but good movies and good acting. Emma Watkins kept up with Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Ralph Fiennes, Maggie Smith. Over the course of these eight movies they used many of Britain’s most prominent actors.
Part of breaking in a new hearing aid is a new fit. It’s bugging my ear right now. I hope that lessens as I go on. If it doesn’t, it’s a deal breaker. Another part is my new voice. The new hearing aids pick up my voice differently than the old ones. Is that me?
Wrasslin my way through assistance forms and phone calls for Orgovyx. Hope they can get the price of the co-pay down. Also got a bill for medicare. $750 bucks. A bill for medicare? Whaaaa? Then I remembered that I closed my old Minnesota credit union account. That’s where my social security payments used to go by direct deposit.
I didn’t give social security new routing numbers until I had my phone interview for survivor’s benefits. That got delayed until August. H.O.G., the guy who handled my claim said I would get a makeup check with the larger amount figured back to April. But, not until the third week of September. That means I’ve not gotten any checks from social security since June. And, medicare payments get subtracted from social security payments. Oh. So, gotta call social security today and get that straightened around.
A few hot flashes, gentle, at least for now. Unwelcome, sure. But, they do signal the drug has reached therapeutic levels. Both Eigner and Kristie, his PA, have this corny thing, “Imagine the cancer cells dying with each hot flash!”
Had to remove my new hearing aid and put on my noise canceling headphones. Cancel culture. I’m canceling that damned yappy dog that will not stop. Of course, the hearing aid amplified those barky, barky, barky sounds. Sigh.
The Ten of Wands:
“Key words: Demands. Burdens. Overwork.
Carrying the weight of responsibility or obligations on your shoulder…Uncomplaining acceptance of your perceived burden. Reassessing priorities and values.” DTB
Exactly how I felt last night and feel this morning. Needing to find money to help with the Orgovyx co-pay. Adjusting to a new hearing aid and the Roger. A strenuous workout. Having to deal with social security. Hot flashes. Again. Physically tired. Close to too much.
But, not. I may need to rest today after my cardio. Skip afternoon mussar since it’s MVP tonight. Yirah, or awe, is the character trait, the midot, for tonight.
The Orgovyx may be draining my energy. Seems like it. Even more important to keep working out. Counter intuitive, I know, but it really does help.
