ShowMeBlog

Food Network

  I never watch the Food Network.  I do think often that I would like to learn to cook. 
I went to the Food Network web site and it looks good.

  I am looking right now at a recipe for slow-cooker Texas chili.  I have a slow-cooker. 

  I do not have any of the ingredients that I need.  I just got stock up on some of the stuff so that I have it here.  Then I could try and cook something. 
  I have no brown sugar, no Kosher salt, no vegetable oil, no onion and no clove garlic, green chiles, cumin, chili power, tomatoes etc. 
  I guess that gives me something to do.

  I make chili sometimes and I even made it recently with my slow-cooker.  But I just toss in what I have and do not follow a recipe.  I think my chili is always good but it never taste the same.
 
  I would also like to get a digital rice cooker and food steamer.  I think about a 16 cub size would be good.  I like rice.  I have not done it recently but I used to make rice and I would spice it up with whatever I had around and I would toss in different things I had to the rice. I think it was good but again it never tasted the same.
 
  Russ and I for a time were eating a lot of rice.  I would get the rice in the boxes and make it and add whatever I had to it.  Russ has now gone to liking certain foods and most of them frozen.  I am not sure I could get him to eat rice that I made anymore.

  Dar and Jimmy are going to Kroger today.  She always goes to Walmart for food but today is going to try out Kroger.  She will pick up some stuff for Russ and I. 
  I like that Kroger store.  Jimmy used to work at that store.

Feeling good

  I do not know why but I am feeling good.  I am not sure if it is the medications I am taking or if it is the compression socks.  It might be that I started taking FlintStones vitamins again the other day.
  I have taken Flintstone like vitamins over the years.  I start taking them and soon I start feeling good and I stop taking them.  I know… I do not understand why I stop taking them when I start feeling good. 
  But the last day or two I have been feeling better. 

  I do know that the compression socks stop the hurting in my legs.  I also know that the socks have made the swelling in my left foot almost go away.  My left foot right now looks almost normal.

Pintoli compression socks

  Yesterday I had on all day a pair of Pintoli 1066 unisex moderate compression (15-20 mm Hg)  socks.  Right now Amazon has them for $9.90 and free shipping if you order $25.00 or more.  I will order three pair next month. 
 

• Knee High at 15-20mmHg with reinforced heel and toe, comfortable fit. Cotton Feel.
• Designed to increase circulation to lower extremities (e.g. feet, ankles, calves)
• Comfortable and durable thread knitting to prevent swollen legs and promote blood flow. Additional thickness added to the heel area for extra comfort and reduce the risk of blister.
• Material Content: 65% Cotton, 25% Spandex, 10% Nylon
• Sizing Guide: Please order by American shoe size: Mdeium(6.5 and under), Large(7- 8 1/2), XLarge( 9- 10 1/2), XXLarge( 11 and above)

 

  I guess I should order the XLarge size next time.
  I have no idea yet how these socks are going to hold up.  I fear I am going to hand wash them.  They say you can machine wash but not dry in a dryer.  I suspect they would not hold up long in a washing machine.

My kingdom for 8 hours of sleep

  The water pill is working.  It looks like 80 mg of it works for me.  I am not sure I can go anyplace but it works.  I go to the bathroom a couple of times before go to the mail box or take out the trash and I have to rush back home to take a leak.
  I do not get out often but I wonder how I am going to get to the lab in a month to have them draw blood.  Well I can get their but I want to do it without wetting my pants.
  My weight is 219 pounds.  That is better than it has been. 
  The compression socks are working.
  
  I wish I could sleep all night.  Even six hours would be great.  Of course I am 70 and someday I am going to have a very very long sleep.

  I am not a sports fan but I do like the Super Bowl ads.  I watched about 20 of them at YouTube.  You can see all 62 of them at YouTube.  See Ad Blitz 2012
  Of the 20 I saw I liked best the little boy in the pool that has to go to the bathroom. 

Walmart’s Great Value Lasagna

  Well the Braum’s Lasagna was not bad but not great.  On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 6.  If I had not had a much better tasting frozen lasagna I would have given it a higher rating.
  So far the best frozen lasagna I have had is the Walmart’s Great Value Lasagna.  I would rate it a 9 on the scale of 1 to 10.

  I did a search on the web and found directions on how to make your own “Meaty Cheesy Lasagna.”  I do not have ingredients around here.  I would have to make sure I make a point of getting what I need. 
  We have a big store close by but walking to it takes 15 minutes.  It is a down hill walk.  That is OK but coming back up the hill with a few things, we do not have a car, is a killer.  I feel like I am going to have a heart attack each time.  Sometime I need to walk down to the store with a long list of ingredients and then get a bunch of stuff and call a cab to bring me home.
  There is a small Mexican store close by here.  They have a big meat department.  I am going to have to see if I can find most everything I need over there and start making home made food.

Braum’s Lasagna

  I just put Braum’s Lasagna in the oven.  It has to cook for an hour and 30 minutes.  I think it will be good. Russ and I like lasagna.  I think it cost about $13.00 but I think it will feed four.  I will check and see if Dar and Jimmy want some when it is done.

  I made pork chops last night.  Russ would not eat any.  They were good.  I ate both of them.
I love pork chops.  I love bacon. 

  Well the 80 mg of Furosemide (water pill) is working.  I have more output.  The only problem is I am going all the time.  It is hard to get very far away from the bathroom.  I can not say the swelling is down a lot in my left foot yet.
  I took my first potassium pill today.  I got it down OK.

  I think Amazon will get some of my compression socks here tomorrow.  I will let you know how they work and how they feel.  I got a feeling it is not going to feel good.  I do not even like normal socks.  Of course normal socks cut into my legs big time because of the swelling.

  Back to the lasagna I am going to have soon.  I love the microwave but I cook the lasagna in the oven it is better.  But in the microwave it would be ready in 23 minutes.  In the oven it takes 1 hour and 25 minutes.
  The package says one serving is one cup!  I think I eat two or three cups.  I never measure calories or worry about them.  But one cup is 300 calories.  Are you ready for this?
  One cup of this lasagna is 1320 mg of sodium. 
  
  With that much salt you know it will be good.

  I just got an email from Dar.  She said that she and Jimmy both want some of it.

Video Blog update 02/03/2012

Compression socks

  I ordered some “compression socks” from Amazon. My doctor wants me to use them.

“Compression stockings and socks are specialised hosiery items designed to increase blood circulation. Their main theraputic purpose is to provide graduated pressure on the lower leg and foot and, in some cases, the thigh, to alleviate circulatory problems such as edema, phlebitis and thrombosis. Unlike traditional dress or athletic stockings and socks, compression stockings use stronger elastics to create significant pressure on the legs, ankles and feet. Compression stockings are tightest at the ankles and gradually become less constrictive towards the knees and thighs. By compressing the surface veins, arteries and muscles, the circulating blood is forced through narrower circulatory channels. As a result, the arterial pressure is increased, which causes more blood to return to the heart and less blood to pool in the feet. There are two types of compression stockings: Gradient and Anti-embolism…”

 

  I do not think I am going to like them.   I hate having clothing on anyway.  Most of the time when I am home alone I am nude or just have on a t-shirt.  
  I am going to look and feel like a fucking fool sitting here at the computer nude except for socks on that run up to my thighs.  
 

    I just had an idea!  I wonder if since compression socks are forcing blood up from you feet and legs if some of that blood might head to your penis?  I might end up loving compression stocking. 

Medications

  I got my medications from CVS the other day. 
The Furosemide (water pill) I can now try and see what works best for me.  The doctor said take two of the Furosemide (each is 40 mg) at the same time or I can take one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
  So I am going to take 80 mg in the morning and see how that works for me.  I did that this morning and I think it is working.  It will take some time to find out.
  Because I am taking more of the Furosemide now I have to take a Potassium pill each day.  It is a big ass pill. I am going to have a problem getting it down.  Plus because of the Furosemide and Potassium I will have to have lab work done in about a month.  I have not taken the Potassium yet.  I may wait a few days. 

  Remember the water problems and the photo of the water leak in the parking lot.  Well they worked on that Sunday and fixed it.  So they did not need to turn off the water on Monday.  But we had “hot” water that was not very hot.  I took a shower and I did not use any cold water at all the the hot water was not very hot. 
  Well last night at 0300 I went out for a walk around the parking lot.  The driveway was filled with water all the way around the apartment complex.  The leak was coming up out of the ground next to the sidewalk in front of our building.  It was hot water.  I went to the office today and they said … yes they just fixed the hot water leak next to the office and now there is a leak next to our building.  They said they would have a plumber out tomorrow to fix it.
  We do not have to pay for water here.  I am glad of that because these people must have one big ass water bill. They have water leaks all the time here.

Norwegian Jarlsberg

  I got my new telephones today.  I like them.
I went for my doctor’s appointment today.  The bus ride made my arthritis hurt.  I just put up with the pain most of the time and rare for me to take Aleve for it.  But it was hurting so bad I was glad to get home so I could take an Aleve.
 
  The doctor ordered a lot of blood tests.  He wants them done in about a month and then wants to me come in and see him after he gets the results.  He is not happy with the swelling of my left foot and leg.
   He has increased my Furosemide (water pill) and he wants me to take one potassium each day now.
   The doctor wanted me to take a cholesterol medication.  I told him I was sorry to go against his advice but that I did not want to take any cholesterol medications.

   Last time I saw him, about a year ago, he wanted me to start using compression socks.  I did not do that…. So I told him this time I would buy some and start using them.
   They push the blood up from your feel and legs so the heart can put it out.
  

    I just had some Norwegian Jarlsberg (cheese).  I love cheese.  It was not very good.  First time I have had it as far as I can remember.

   I took an Aleve.  The pain is so bad from the arthritis I am going to bed and see if I can sleep.