I finished packing and getting all of my mother’s belongings out of the retirement home a day early! Everything I could take in the car, that is. There are a few things still in her room–furniture, the TV, the air conditioner. They’ll stay there until the province decides to allow the home to take in new residents. There’s no reason for the home to even put her stuff in storage until then.
With that done a day early (it’s supposed to rain tomorrow, so I was motivated), hopefully I can relax a little. My heartburn is back with a vengeance, and I think it might be the stress. The only time I don’t feel the pain is when I’m drinking a hot cup of tea.
So I’ve been drinking a lot of tea.
Now I’m sitting on the couch listening to Alex giggle like a maniac over something he’s watching on his laptop upstairs in his room.
It’s the little things that make my day.
Why I’m writing this post:
Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.
I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.
When Alex and I were out for our walk a couple of days ago, we passed a friendly jogger.
“How are you ladies doing?” he asked.
“Fine,” I answered, happy that Alex doesn’t read lips. He’s been bugging me for a hair cut, and that comment would not have helped matters.
If you would like to participate in this prompt, feel free to use the “One-Liner Wednesday” title in your post, and if you do, you can ping back here to help your blog get more exposure. To execute a pingback, just copy the URL in the address bar on this post, and paste it somewhere in the body of your post. Your link will show up in the comments below. Please ensure that the One-Liner Wednesday you’re pinging back to is this week’s! Otherwise, no one will likely see it but me.
NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, like Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a pingback from someone else in my comment section, click and have a read. It’s bound to be short and sweet.
Unlike SoCS, this is not a prompt so there’s no need to stick to the same “theme.”
The rules that I’ve made for myself (but don’t always follow) for “One-Liner Wednesday” are:
1. Make it one sentence.
2. Try to make it either funny or inspirational.
3. Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.
4. Add our lovely badge to your post for extra exposure!
Today is an exciting day! Why? Because it’s not every day you publish a book!!
Will an office no-dating policy stand in the way of love?
Since her breakup with her cheating ex, Sandra Weber has been just going through the motions as Sales Manager at Studletter Condom Company. But when Michael Thorne is hired as an assistant, sparks in the office begin to fly.
Though Michael, aka Saddle McFleshbomb, loves dancing at Woody O’Flanagan’s Pub, he’s looking to move up in the world. His schooling almost finished, he lands a plum job as the only man in an office filled with women: four so exasperatingly humorless that it’s funny, and one stunning beauty with a laugh that warms the cockles of his heart.
When Sandra shows up at Woody’s on a rare night that he’s dancing for men, she assumes he’s gay, and therefore the no-dating policy doesn’t apply. But he’s not. He’s intensely interested in her. And he’s afraid to tell her he’s straight.
If you like light romantic comedy, hot office flirtations, and a long slow burn, you’ll love Saddled, the first book in Linda G. Hill’s “Once a Week at Woody’s” series.
Score a seat at Woody O’Flanagan’s Pub today!
~*~*~*~
Is Saddled x-rated? It’s definitely for adults, but there’s more of an underlying erotic vibe than all-out x-rated content. Here’s what a couple of advance-reader reviewers have said.
This was a really cute story. I loved how Sandra wasn’t the usual heroine. She liked him, she knew about his other job and still stuck with him. She didn’t cower at her ex and then not be able to decide who she wanted. She was to the poi t and she was consistent throughout the whole book.
Michal was just too adorable for words. I loved his humor and how in co Troy he was even while being ambushed by the ladies at work. Of course, they HAD to be “Karens”.
This was a really good story and even though it was 41 chapters, I wish there was more! ~ Sarah, Goodreads reviewer
And one more.
An entertaining start to a series, this was the first book I have read by this author. The story perfectly blends the right amount of humor with realism. Anyone who has worked in a professional office environment o aware of the drama and at times toxic attitude to be found. This story so perfe fly portraye that, and adds just the right amount of fun. I’ll admit, I expected more of a slapstick over-the-top story, based on Michael’s stage name, but it really wasn’t. The story does deal with some serious issues, but with a very light hand (brings awareness to the issue, but without overdoing it). Characters are great- and I look forward to continuing the series and reading Seth’s story. I received an advance copy for my honest review. ~ SJP, Amazon reviewer
Sounds like fun, right?
Anyway, that’s the end of my shameless self-promo for today, and likely for this book.
So pick it up now, and escape for a while in my fun new romantic comedy!
I want to express my appreciation for all of your kind messages of condolence. My way of coping is to put it out of my mind when I need to concentrate on the many facets of my life, and grieve alone when I have a moment. It seems, at this time, the only way to survive.
Thanks again. ❤
Why I’m writing this post:
Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.
I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.
I’m doing it without looking at the screen, because the words are so hard. Touch-typing for the win.
I’ve never talked about my relationship with my husband on this blog. I haven’t seen him since I started on WordPress. He moved to England eight years and one month ago. Back to England, I should say. He became a permanent resident after we got married. Between the time we were wed and the time he came back to stay, he contracted MS.
There were complications. I couldn’t work because of the kids, he couldn’t work because of his MS. The government didn’t want to support him and long story short, it came down to the possibility of me going to jail. It’s a really long story. Don’t ask.
So, though there was much much love lost, he left. His condition worsened.
And yesterday …
I got the phone call from his mother today while I was out walking with Alex.
May the angels care for you always, my love.
Why I’m writing this post:
Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.
I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.
I made it while it’s still the “today” in the title! Yay!
Went today and yesterday to clear some stuff out of my mother’s room in the retirement home. It’s a bit of a melancholy job, all on my own. The end of an era, and I have no one to share it with in the moment. My mother doesn’t even know I’m doing it. There’s no point telling her, because she won’t remember spending the last six years living there anyway.
I’ve made two trips back home with stuff. Her tabletops are empty and so is her closet, aside from the coats. I haven’t even really started on the 30 drawers. And no, that’s not an exaggeration. Four days to go to get it all out. *sigh*
In school news, I got an email from Alex’s teacher to say they’re not going back until the 31st of May at the earliest. By then, there will be three weeks left.
But honestly? It’s not all that bad. Nowhere near as horrifying as it would have been even a year ago, having him home all the time. We have fun, especially when we get out for walks. Now if only the weather would warm up. Here’s a photo of Alex with snowflakes in his hair, taken Friday.
But not too warm, please. I’d rather the snow than heat exhaustion.
Why I’m writing this post:
Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.
I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.
It’s been many many years since I last got nervous about showing my writing to people. I’ve learned a certain amount of confidence, I guess. And there’s the fact that although I want people to like what I write, I know I’ll never be able to please everyone, so I write what pleases me. And I figure if I like it, someone else has gotta, right?
I don’t feel the need for validation … much. I mean, if no one likes what I write, why bother publishing it?
This short and sweet 2am adaptation of #AtoZ2020, #WDIIA and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to you by all three. To join us in the SoCS tradition, click the following link where you’ll find all the instructions and the other participants’ posts in the comments. It’s fun!https://lindaghill.com/2020/04/24/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-25-2020/ Or you can link to this post if you just want to write a What Day is it Anyway? post.
Got up early and made it to the store. When did that become a noteworthy thing? Back in my day, a trip to Tokyo was noteworthy. Now doing groceries is an adventure. Sheesh!
Speaking of Tokyo, I checked my favourite traffic camera last week, the one pointing at the famous Shibuya crossing. So sad to see so few people there on a Saturday at 9pm. Normally you wouldn’t see the sidewalks for the people.
What it looked like when I was there, December 2015, about the same time at night:
The view from where the black cab is sitting on the right side of the traffic cam photo, looking across the intersection.
But I digress.
Now, I’m working on perfecting my dirty look to use on people who won’t move over in the aisle in the store or on the sidewalk. In the latter case, it’s the dirty look that says, “You see me dragging my child out into the middle of the street to avoid your selfish ass, right? You understand the sacrifice I’m making for you? Yes?”
No, probably not.
So yeah, that happened today too.
Good news is I’m pretty sure I’ve got the look almost down pat.
Why I’m writing this post:
Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.
I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.
Hey! Friday’s here! And that means it’s time for your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt! It’s the last week for the prompt word to line up with the A to Z Challenge. If you want to do two prompts in one, this is the place to be. Here’s your SoCS prompt for this week:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “val.” Find a word that starts with “val” or if you’re not doing the A to Z Challenge, find a word that just has “val” in it, and use that word any way you’d like. Enjoy!
After you’ve written your Saturday post tomorrow, please link it here to this week’s prompt page and check to make sure it’s here in the comments so others can find it and see your awesome Stream of Consciousness post. Anyone can join in!
To make your post more visible, use our beautiful SoCS badge! Just paste it in your Saturday post so people browsing the reader will immediately know your post is stream of consciousness and/or pin it as a widget to your site to show you’re a participant. Wear it with pride!!
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing (typos can be fixed), and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. I will post the prompt here on my blog every Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The,’” or will simply be a single word to get you started.
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read all of them! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later or go to the previous week by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.
I totally dropped the ball on yesterday’s post. By the time I thought about doing it, which was after midnight, I decided it wasn’t worth the overwhelming effort. And in my defense, I did publish a post yesterday with Wednesday in the title, so you knew what day it was anyway, right?
I’ve spent most of my morning trying to promote my new book. Ain’t as easy as I thought it would be, even at 99 cents. You’ll find links to read the first two chapters at the end of this post.
So. Sincere thanks.
All around town I’ve been seeing red ribbons tied close to the roads. They’re to show appreciation for the frontline healthcare workers.
So very heartwarming to see. I wish I had a red ribbon to tie outside my own house. Maybe I can find something to use in my mother’s sewing stuff.
Speaking of which, I haven’t been back since last Friday, but I plan to go and pack some more when I’ve finished writing this and had my lunch. I should call her, too. I haven’t heard from her in a couple of days, and I’ve been too busy …
The regrets just keep piling on. What to do? My best, I suppose.
Is your community doing anything to show support for doctors and nurses? Let’s spread some positivity, shall we? 🙂
Why I’m writing this post:
Because if you’re like me and stuck at home already, or if you’re going to be like me soon, the days of the week are going to be hell to keep track of. We have a wonderful community here on WordPress and all over the Internet as well, and I’m sure many people are feeling nervous and/or isolated. I want to make sure every one of us has somewhere to congregate and someone to talk to.
I want everyone to know that you can start discussions with each other in the comments, and if you’d like to write your own “What Day is it Anyway?” post, you can link to this one. Hashtag #WDIIA.
I read this article this morning. It contains a lot of valuable insight on what ER doctors are seeing in Covid-19 patients. But I thought it was missing a few important points that you might look for at home.
Here’s what I wrote on Facebook with the attached article:
Reading this article from The NY Times might save your life.
But …
It doesn’t tell you everything you should know.
At the end of the article, the author suggests buying a pulse oximeter (shown in the photo), but not everyone will be able to find one or afford one. As the mother of a cardiac patient who has had numerous pneumonias and RSV, I can tell you what I look for, and what triggers our trip to the ER where, 90% of the time his x-rays show that he needs to be admitted.
As the article states, Covid-19 patients tend to have low oxygen levels by the time the shortness of breath starts. Here are the ways you might be able to detect the otherwise invisible symptoms the article describes. Unless you have an underlying condition that lowers your oxygen levels every day of your life, these might help. Note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR A NURSE.
Blue lips, fingernail beds, and duskiness around the eyes: Are you healthy now? Look at yourself in the mirror. Check the colour of your lips and your face in general. Look at your fingernails. All the colour they should be (pink lips and fingernails if you’re Caucasian)? This is your baseline. If your oxygen levels drop, some or all of these will change. Your skin may take on a dull, shadowy tone, like dusk as the sun goes down. It does not mean panic and run to the hospital! But if it persists and you have other known symptoms of a cold, you might want to call your doctor or health unit.
Indrawing (subcostal retractions): When we can’t get enough breath into our lungs, we breath faster and deeper. As the article suggests, people aren’t detecting that they’re doing it. Indrawing is when the belly pulls in beneath the rib cage. It’s easier to detect in children, so keep an eye on your kids, too. Again, if there are any other symptoms and if it persists, especially when at rest, contact your doctor or health unit.
Tracheal tug (suprasternal retractions): Much like indrawing, this happens when we’re not getting enough air into our lungs. It affects the area just above the collar bone. As WebMD describes it, it’s “When the skin in the middle of your neck sucks in” when you breathe. My son, being a heart patient, has this all the time when he exercises. I only worry about it when: he’s not stuffed up with allergies; he’s not exercising in any capacity; AND when he’s his normal energetic self.
If any of the above are present combined with unusual fatigue or signs of a cold, I contact a doctor. I believe these are things we should all look for, after reading the article.
Again: I AM NOT A DOCTOR OR A NURSE. I’m just a mom who has nineteen and a half years of experience watching my son for signs of pneumonia every time he’s sick.
I’m only sharing these symptoms that I look for in my son because COMBINED WITH OTHER SYMPTOMS, and according to the attached article, they may help you detect Covid-19 IF YOU CAN’T GET YOUR HANDS ON A PULSE OXIMETER. If you can, rely on that.
Note also that this is not an exhaustive list of what to look for, but it might help you to detect what your body isn’t readily telling you.
lindaghill.com 