A Fine Kettle of Fish

 On Thursday I went to the optomitrist and got the explanation for why the world has gotten a bit more blurry.  I've been uncomfortable with how I can't see signs when I'm driving even with my glasses.  My last eye exam was a year and a half ago but I've never had much happening that required me to have annuals.  But in the last year and a half I've developed cataracts.  My right eye is especially blurry and that's been the good one all my life.  

So I made an appointment for a consult.  The eye guy that my optomitrist trusts is so busy the consult isn't until the end of March.  But no real hurry here.  She told me to not buy glasses as I'll be getting the lasik.  

I've been wearing glasses or contacts for most of my life.  While I've been able to go without them I wear them when driving or going to the movies or that kind of thing.

The biggest difference with be sunglasses.  I wear them whenever I go outside.  Always.  I've always been concerned about sun damage and really hate bright light so I've had prescription sunglasses at hand for as long as I can remember.  I had a very expensive pair of Oakleys that I wore for probably 8 years.  I've not worn regular sunglasses, non prescription, since I was a kid.  Shopping in a non prescription store will be interesting.  Since pickleball is inside now days that won't be an issue but walking outside and driving will be very different.

That isn't the only reason I'm feeling old.  I can really tell a difference in my loss of muscle mass.  It has been noticible to me since my last hip surgery.  Prior to that I couldn't do much of anything and was walking with a cane.  My recovery was fine but it ended up with me not doing any real muscle building work for five or six months and at my age that is real muscle loss from which it is very difficult to recover.

Last Tuesday I worked for an hour at the dog shelter scrubbing and swabbing down the cages.  Hard work.  Then I shoveled for a bit in our drive making a path that my car could use in our drive.  I was so sore from that it was hard to move.  Then I played pickleball yesterday on not enough sleep getting up at a quarter to six to meet up with someone to do some ball machine training.  Then we played a couple of hours after that.  I slept over 10 and a half hours of deep sleep last night and only now feel like I've gotten over Tueaday.

I really need to do more muscle work.  Pushups.  Upper body work.  And some more knee strengthening.  

It is still slick anywhere that the sun hasn't hit. Our house faces north so we get very little sun on our drive. I had an appointment to volunteer at the dog shelter and so took out the car. I nudged it forward until it started to slide down the hill then just tapped the eccellerator and rolled out to where it was dry and I could get control. It was 'fairly' safe and definitely fun. The tires didn't even leave a dent in the ice on the drive. Nor did they leave a dent when I tried to back up the drive. I almost made it when the car started to spin and drift right where it would have either slid off or hit the side of the garage. At that point I put it in neutral and rolled back down. I tried three more times and never quite made it. I was within a foot of hitting concrete and traction but that was not enough. So here is our current condition:



I'm going to stay down there until the drive gets maybe a little slushy and then try it again. I don't want to leave the car down there. So I'll figure it out. Later.

Meanwhile I went to the dog shelter to meet with someone and start a new volunteer job, intaking new dogs. They need someone to help calm and manage new dogs that are just starting out. I thought it might be up my alley and have been trying to connect up with the woman in charge but she didn't show this morning (icey road delay) so I helped at the kennel. Dog walk and then put in a separate crate so the one where they spent the night can be washed out and bedding replaced. It is the first thing every morning and it is really hard. So I put in an hour. One dog was really jumpy and pulled me at the wrong time and I went down. Thank you Pickleball, I was fine. Nothing hurt. No one was watching. The dog laughed but was a good sport about it.

Another dog bit me when I tried to put a coller on him. He didn't have much for teeth so it was not much of a bite. Work with dogs, get bit. It's the norm. I'm used to it. He was just scared and didn't mean anything by it.

So, an eventful morning. I'm taking our two dogs out for the first walk they've had in three days. Hopefully it will go better.

I'm looking out front on our camera and the street looks to be solid ice. A few years ago I'd have gone out to take pictures but I'm not sure enough of my own abilities to stay up on that kind of surface. There are no cars at all. The whole area is silent and motionless but for the trees blowing a bit in the wind.
The temp on my phone says 17 degrees with a wind chill of 5 degrees.
The dogs have not been out yet but will have to do so soon. Fortunately the sun hits our back yard more than the front so they will have access.

Yesterday Beaux was out in the sub freezing afternoon and doing his thing in the back yard when he suddenly started towards one of the bushes in the back of our back yard up by the fence. He went right into it and was doing his dachshund thing when suddenly a rat ran out the back towards and then through the fence. A moment later a second one did the same. Beaux snuffled around a bit more and then worked his way back down the snow covered slope having done his job.

Toby had been nosing around up there a bit and now we know why. Both got a post vermin clearing treat.

I'm thinking they are going to cancel PB for tomorrow. It is closed today which is no surprise. But the temp is not going above freezing until Tuesday so what is ice now will be ice tomorrow and the roads here in the development are very icy. The sun will melt just enough for a good freeze tonight. I think we're locked in until Tuesday and even then I'm thinking the morning doesn't look good.

Monday morning is projected to be around 13 degrees, cold as I've seen it here. The wind chill at that time is negative 1. It only gets better from there but there is enough freezing that there will be patchy ice through at least Wednesday. And really the rest of the week has below freezing in the schedule so driving is going to be dicey until next weekend.

And, of course, we've got things scheduled every day this coming week. Med visits daily. Pickleball three days. Volunteer work. It will be minute by minute decision of go or no go.

But it starts with PB tomorrow and that is not looking good.