Oh, my aching arms!

Something prompted me to get busy in my closet today, perhaps due to the conversation I had on the phone with my mom this a.m. who also was going through closets. It has been on the unwritten list of things to do, since at least The Great Flood era when Martie and I were going to tackle the job, but never did. Now, it's done and my arms ache because of it. Or rather, my arm, singular. Last January, a couple weeks after getting back from WI, I noticed my 'pitching arm' having an ache in it, which I attributed to carrying heavy bags of groceries from the car. But, it didn't go away and would vary in achiness day by day. Sometimes I don't notice it one little bit and on days when I reach a foot over my head, it bothers me more!


When Mike K. installed my new closet racks and shelves, I assured him that putting this particular rod up so high was fine, as this space would be more for storing clothes than for daily access. I was right, but he was also right about it being hard for me to reach. Perhaps that's why I seldom wore the garments hung on that side of the closet!
                
My friend, Mary, has a practice doing reflexology and pressure point therapy (I always want to call it Power Point!), myofascial therapy. She figures that I have carpel tunnel syndrome and can help me with that without having surgery to release it. Nice! It has been fine for a few weeks and hopefully I have not aggravated it too badly. Right now, my arm is complaining. By the way, she attributes this problem on being on the computer so much. Therefore, no relief in sight!


Yesterday I went around with my can of Pledge and a dusting cloth to remove the dust and soot from the surfaces in the formal rooms. After the fires and the usual dust, everything had a film on it. Someone, I am not sure who told me, had said she was told not to use the vacuum cleaner when the smoke was so bad because of stirring up the particulates in the air. I could see how that might be so outside, but inside?? Anyway, when Justin came up the stairs after work, he said he could smell the lemon Pledge outside. Wow, powerful stuff!


Connie is coming around today with the hose to wash down the building, to remove the ash and residue from the exterior walls, sills, and doors. Such a mess those fires make! She asked me to send out a notice to the residents to make sure everyone has their windows closed and put towels at their doors in case water seeps in. My front doors have enough of a threshold to prevent this but not my kitchen door, so our towel is in place!


Justin, being off work today, bagged up the castoff clothing for me. When he did so, he counted the pieces in order for me to have an approximate value for tax purposes. There are 25 items in one garbage bag and 23 in the other, tops and some slacks. Now, I just need the nice people from Quigley House to come pick them up, and we'll be good! My friend, Penny, is no longer working for them, but when she did, Penny would take the items directly to the House for the ladies to pick through before being donated to the resale store. I would prefer that happening with these bags of goodies.
                      
When I was chatting with Linda the other day, I mentioned to her that I thought I would hire someone to wash my windows. I can barely stand to look at them, and can barely see out of them! Maybe we need a good, pounding rain against the glass, but I am not sure this would do the trick. It's been a year since they were washed, at least, and look a fright. In the webs are bird feathers and bugs, the feathers from the crazy little birds which eat berries in the palm trees. They seem to stop by later in the afternoon, for a couple minutes, and then leave. The wild birds, more than a dozen at a time, act as though they are in contest or something, zooming between the two trees. Sometimes they throw themselves against the glass and try to freak me out---and usually succeed!


About my goofy arm---I was chatting with my sister, Jill, the other morning via Facebook. Not sure how it came up but we got on the topic of our aging, and not liking it. I remembered many years ago my sister-in-law, Marian, told me how she hated the way her hands were beginning to look. Of all the horrible health problems Marian had, it was the appearance of her hands which bothered her. I told Jill how the skin on my arms looks and feels so scaly these days. She was glad to not be the only one having that happen. Whew! In my case, getting sun tanned likely does not help with its condition but Jill does not sun tan so she has no excuse. I told her how when I watch "Everybody Loves Raymond", Debra is always applying lotion to her arms and hands before going to bed and I found that odd for such a young lady. Now I know why people do that---so they don't look like an alligator when they are no longer young!


A few Fridays ago I met my friend, Belinda, for lunch, at Longhorn. I knew she sold Mary Kay products, mostly for her own consumption and purposes, and looked great. She asked me the other day if I would be interested in helping her take part in a contest MK was having, which was doing make-overs. With no obligation on my part, she would do before and after pictures, enter them in a contest, and might win $2500. Sure, why not? She said she could do just me, or, if I wanted to, ask some friends to come for a make-over too. Judy C. and Donna from church said they would like to come, so we are set up for May 1st to be in the contest!


Joanne and I have had troubles catching up with each other, and we finally had a chat on the phone tonight. She was unable to make it to The Club to celebrate Easter with Justin and me because she didn't feel well. Now she thinks it was because of the smoke in the air, she might have had an allergic reaction to it. Her sister, at this advanced age (60's), has suddenly developed an allergy to shell fish. After eating shrimp and lobster all her life, now she cannot tolerate it. Weird! 


Maybe I can no longer tolerate cleaning out my closet!