Soledad's Journal

On my desktop PC, I mean. Yay!

My friendly neighbour, the PC guy, did show up last evening, after all, and tried to overhaul the old girl... with mixed results. The original plan of installing a new hard drive and copying everything from the old one didn't work, despite several attempts. Apparently, Windows 7 can't deal with the necessary programmes. So, as a temporary solution he downloaded Avast for the time being; later he'll install Windows 10 on my PC. We decided against Windows 11 because it apparently sucks from such a Luddite user's point of view as I am; and since I don't do anything else but a bit of browsing, YouTube watching and Solitaire playing, Windows 10 will do well enough for a while yet. *fingers crossed*

So, until that happens, I can at least type on a proper keyboard and read on a suitably large screen, which is a true relief for my poor eyes. With which I'll go and see an optometrist, soon, because my left I is doing weird things. Like seeing vertical lines in a Salvador Dalí version. So yeah, better sooner than later.

Other than that, life is peachy. Tomorrow I'll go to the dentist again, in the hope that the root canal treatment will indeed be possible - you never know until they go in deep - and that the barbed wire will be finally removed. I'm looking forward to proper eating and tooth brushing again. Such are the joys of an old lady.

I spoke with the dentist’s assistant today. It seems that my root canal(s?) showed up on the CT after all, so the treatment might be possible. Meaning that they probably won’t have to pull my last remaining molar on the upper right side. I still can’t fully believe it, problems can still emerge during treatment, but I am cautiously optimistic.

Not much else happened today. I was completely deflated from relief and let things slide. I cooked lunch, did a tiny bit of writing, watched stupid YouTube videos due to the total lack of brain power… and that was basically it.

After yesterday’s dental adventures I decided to have a slow day. Especially as our brief heat wave peaked today at 32C.

Slow being relative, of course. In the morning, when it wasn’t quite that hot yet, I sorted out the upmost shelf ou our built-in wardrobe and got rid of some never-used bedlinens. Those will go to charity. I also made another mini Teddy and imprivised lunch from various leftovers.

In the rest of the day I was lazy: I had several phone calls, took a nice, long nap and watched some telly with Mum. I definitely could use more such days…

Oh, and IT guy supposedly comes tomorrow or the day after to sort my desktop PC! *fingers crossed*

I finally found time to work a bit on my mini Teddies: I made #5 yesterday and#6 today, so half of them are finished. I also did a little bit of writing, which is a rare thing in these days. Had a couple of phone calls from choirmates and ex-colleagues, too.

Today I cooked in advance, as tomorrow I have another dentist appointment. Root canal treatment ahead. Joy - NOT! But needs must. Wish me luck, I am really sh*tting my pants. 😖

And I really had plans for today - plans for doing things for myself, like crafting and writing. Not much of it happened. I was just too low on energy. This week has taken a lot out of me.

Of course, we had laundry day, given that it is Saturday, and I managed to rearrange half a shelf in what counts as my pantry (basically four shelves hidden in a small niche between the bathroom and the built-in wardrobes), so that the jams made for the fair are all together now, with some free space for further sorts. The Christmas and Easter cookie cutters have moved to the upper shelf of the book cabinet in my study/craft room, since they only see action once a year.

I solved a lot of crossword puzzles, watched some telly with Mum and wrote about three measly paragraphs, mainly to calm my conscience. Then I called H. and we exchanged our dental stories. And discussed jam making. That is family life for us.

I even skipped cooking today, thank to creatively arranged leftovers. It is a good thing that Mum is fairly accommodating in this area.

Well, my trusty 19-year-old dental bridge is gone. The big molar that had been holding it up on the far end was beyond saving and had to be pulled. It did not want to leave me, though; the dentist had to cut it in three pieces and remove said pieces one after another. Pleasant is something else. 😖

This also means that my bridge can’t be replaced as there is no tooth that would hold it on the far end. I am not happy. My dentist tried to persuade me to have implants but I won’t have that. I’ve seen people going through the procedure, and that was frightening enough, even without things going wrong. So I am going to have two missing teeth on the upper tight side - no big deal. I am still going to be able to eat on that side, once it healed, and I will smile less broadly if needs must be. I am nearly 70, for God’s same, I am not subjecting myself to unnecessary torture.

I was running around town all morning. Had to go to school to deliver some strawberry jam to a friend. Then I went to the doll clinic to fetch little Madge (whom they had fixed beautifully) and to deliver Claire doll whose limbs needed new rubber bands. Then I did the grocery shopping at Lidl on my way home.

Having put the groceries away, I left again, this time for the bank and the post office. And since I was there already, I paid Tedi a visit and bought a few small things. And the other supermarket was there, too, so I bought other grocery items we needed.

It was 2pm when I got home the second time. Mum’s physiotherapist came half an hour later. When she was done and left, we had lunch - leftovers, of course - and watched some telly. I had a short nap, after which I emptied the bathroom, which is going to be tomorrow’s extra project, and Mum rearranged the living room surfaces for the big cleaning.

And now we are both dead on our feet.

I gave Mum her weekly shower.

I labelled my little jam jars. I forgot to take a photo, though, but will do so when I regroup them.

I made carrot soup and a salad for lunch to go with the postponed chicken paprikas. Mum approved.

We watched an old episode of the GBBO. Now I am craving cookies. Or cake. I might bake sonething tomorrow.

My friend Evie called. We gossiped a bit.

I’ve typed up some recently written stuff on Methuselah, the geriatric laptop. Since it can’t be connected to the Net, I saved the stuff to a data stick and will upload to my main PC as soon as it is safe again.

And that was basically it today.

Aka Christmas Teddies #2 and 3.

https://hu.pinterest.com/pin/341640321755343621/

They've been finished two days ago but I never came around to take a photo. They've turned out cute enough, though, if I say so myself. *g*

Other than that, I made the lime-pear-ginger jam today. The taste is fantastic, I just hope it will set properly, given enough time. If not, the customers just will have to eat it with a spoon. Or we will, if they don't sell. I know we'll enjoy it, to pancakes or to Topfenknödel.

Aaaaand I got hold of IT guy today. Hopefully, my PC misery will be solved somewhen next week. *fingers crossed*

... and not really planned, either. But I forgot that the exterminator would come today for the quarter-yearly spraying, so I had to do the big kitchen project all by myself, as after spraying you are not supposed to wipe the kitchen, bath, etc. linoleum floor for at least ten days. So I'll have to think of another big project for next Wednesday when the cleaning lady is coming. Drat!

I also had to cook today: zucchini cream soup, which was so filling that we skipped making the potato casserole, even though both potatoes and eggs were already boiled. They'll serve well tomorrow.

Mum had a visit from the physiotherapist lady, during which I finished Xmas Teddy #3. Photos will come later.

I still didn't get hold of the IT guy... I was too busy or too tired to even try. Tomorrow we'll have the district's spring choir festival, but the day after I'll make serious attempts. *fingers crossed*