TSA Comes For My Candy... It's War!

Ok, so I am moving from one hide-away to another today.  Flying from PVD to BWI.

I booked early.

I got a good deal.

I was packed and ready to go in time to walk through the apartment a few times to make sure I had everything.

I was here two hours before my flight.

I checked my luggage so I was unencumbered.

Now I fly somewhat frequently and almost always Southwest, so a lot of the time I get TSA Pre-check.  That would mean, my light sweatshirt and sneakers would stay on.  My liquids stay in my one bag (size of a small backpack).  But just in case, my liquids were in a baggie.  So it ends up being a regular check-in.  I take off my sneakers, my socks are pristine.  My sweatshirt is ready to throw in a bin.

Surprise!  New rule!  All candy and snacks must be out of my bag and in it's own bin.

What?

Rewind five hours, while grabbing a few things at Stop & Shop, I bought a dollar box of candy.  Then to save space, I took the box of individually wrapped "Chocolate Bit O'Honey" and dumped them in the bag.

So I had to step out of line, dump my overstuffed bag.  I don't check electronics or prescriptions.  There is no line to speak of, I waved two people around me.

Then someone asks why the candy/snack rule.  The TSA guy says that sometimes food gives a false positive for explosives because of it's proximity to wires (phone chargers, etc.)

Bullshit!

Did I mention it's steroid day?

May Day

Friday was chaos at the infusion center.  I didn't cause it, but I was suffering 2nd order effects. Normally when I have an infusion scheduled, I don't schedule anything else.  They can start late, run late, I can feel crappy, etc.  This past Friday I was scheduled for Pomidronate, a two hour infusion that takes anywhere from three to five hours​.

But just this once I scheduled a two o'clock appointment at the Eye Center in the same hospital complex.

Infusion room was backed up.  I was in the waiting room.  They decided to send me down the hall to have an IV inserted so my tests could get rolling. That seemed a smart move.  But my veins weren't cooperating.  They've been less co-operative as time moves on.  Dr. Miller told me that I need to work with a stress ball to build up the underlying muscle and believe me, I will!

It took several tries before they called in their big gun.  Between that and giving up me left arm they got the IV in place.  It try to keep all the nonsense on my right hand/arm because I am left handed.  Then there is a 30 minute wait for test results. I ran up to the other end of Washington and ran errands.

But sadly, despite their efforts - my actual infusion began moments after 12 noon.

There was just no way I was going to finish and haul ass to Biewend by 2pm.  So the offered me June or Monday.  So I picked Monday.  But it didn't work either.

And I'll be honest.  The last place I want to be on May Day is two blocks from the Common or in South Station.

I ended up with June.  Sigh.  Gotta get a stress ball.

March 20th

So, if you look back in this blog you'll see how much I love my birthday.  But it isn't always fabulous.  Like today.

Saturday was high energy and I was getting lots done.  Until as I was walking up to Tom's door from the sidewalk, I tripped. I put my hands out and landed on my right side.  The granite step hit right under my armpit and my side.  It took my breath away.

It's slowly getting better, but of course, it gets aggravated when I forget and move a certain way.....or hiccup.....or take a deep breath and heave a big sob because for the first time since 1988, no Frankie.

Six Months

I've made it six months.  Not a happy milestone.

I am hiding out in Annapolis.  I wonder if that's fair to Tom?

Someone said the other day that now he would always stay young and handsome.  Please... he was always gonna be handsome!

Last Saturday, January 21st would have been Frank's 29th birthday.  I have to keep these things positive for his son.  So I gathered some of his friends and had a party. I know it sounds weird; but it went just as I had hoped.

But I can't be positive today.

Saturday Afternoon

The holidays were tough.  Thank God for my grandson Frankie or I never would have gotten out of bed on Christmas Day.  But I am glad I did because then I spent New Year's with Frankie and Britt and beautiful, smiling Emma.  And it rocked.  I got bonked, spit up on, licked by a dog, fed & changed Emma, answered "Why?" 57 hundred times from Frankie and I loved it.

And January so far has been stressful chaos with the move out of Rockland.

But now I am in Staunton with Tom.  The most pressing questions are "What do you want for dinner?" and "Have you seen my phone?".

Speaking of my phone, last Friday before the snow storm, a small black circle appeared in the lower right hand corner of the glass display.  Everything still worked and I could use it, as long as I could see that part of the screen.  But slowly Saturday, the spot spread.  Sunday nothing was visible.  So Verizon said that it can't be repaired.  I can submit an insurance claim, pay a deductible and get a new phone.  But I will lose stuff.  To be honest, I don't want to lose any text messages or anything Frank might have sent me.  I know it's silly.  But to buy myself time I just had them switch over to an old, old flip phone that I unearthed while packing and moving.  But no contacts.  So if you are my contact, call or text and identify yourself, lol.

But I can live life without a smartphone.  I don't think I could in Boston.....no Uber app on my flip phone. Or "Next Bus" or "MBTA" or "Kindle".  But in Staunton I have Tommy as a driver and there is a nifty little trolley system here that picks me up two or three doors up the street.  In Boston, my dear friend Shema had to sign into my Uber for me and send them my way.  That would get old fast.  So I have time to think about what I want to do.

But for now, no thinking.

Sometimes I wake up and think "What time is it?  What do I have to do? Am I late?"

But the answer is "Who cares!" and I open a book or go back to sleep.

Hanging With Frankie, Jr.

Easily the best part of my life even before I lost Frankie, Sr.  And my biggest consolation.  Every night and every morning I thank God that he is part of my life.

I had a great time in Virginia with Tom and I'll be back there soon enough.....but I missed "Frankie time".

Although he treats me worse than I'd ever let any man!  Today we picked up some deli ham for lunch.  I set him up with his and went to fix mine.  I sat down, he had finished his ham.  He likes things separate - ham on one side, bread to the other side.  So I offered him a bite of my sandwich.  Thank goodness I had cut the sandwich in half; he filched the ham and handed me back the empty roll.  Did I mention the enormous smile on his face?  You better believe I ate my other half pretty quick!

By the way, I am suspended from Facebook.  Some random fraud prevention check?  I had to cover everything on my license except my name, picture and date of birth; then take a picture of it and send it to them.  Well they couldn't see the date of birth.  So I have to enlarge it & resend it so they can be assured I'm not thirteen.

Sigh.

First Week In Virginia

It's been good!

Hanging with Tom.  Going through stuff that's here.  Spending time with myself.

And - bonus - I found an old pair of glasses!  I still haven't done anything about the glasses I lost in July.  It was the Monday before Frank passed.  Replacing them dropped so far down the list.  There was a time before I had to stop working that I got a new pair every year.  I had great insurance - thanks Bette - and I just never thought not to.  Then one year I had to switch to bifocals and this pair went in a box.  Cause you know I never throw anything away.  Or at least that used to be the case.  I have had to get more ruthless with that.  Anyway, I was sorting through boxes, looking for stuff to throw away and I found these.  They are not bifocals and they are at least 8 years old.  But I can see distance and go to the movies again!

Tom made fun of the frames, but I assured him that they would have been the height of fashion at the time because Bette picked them out.  I clearly remember stopping at the place in Pembroke with her on our way to Thursday night dinner.  And that gave Tom pause because Bette is always "put together" as opposed to his "thrown together" mother.

I've got another week here.  But I am not sure much more will be accomplished.  Last night was my 8th (out of 14) night on Pomalyst.  It's effect build, so as the 2nd week progresses it's more naps and laying around.  But I'll still spend it with Tom!