Liquid IV

It’s hard to find just the right drink that will not disturb an irritated bladder. It’s an unusual diagnosis but we have found not really all that unusual. People just don’t talk about it or even know they have it. It’s taken a while to figure out this murky diagnosis - it’s not as clear cut as a surgical removal of something and then it’s over. It’s also taken several months to determine the food culprits that cause the discomfort. Those foods include the usual suspects - coffee, chocolate, tomatoes, and anything spicy or acidic. And when fluids need to be replenished you can’t have anything carbonated or citrus. I thought Pedialyte would be a good candidate, but they are fruit flavored and potential hazards. Even grapes are a problem. So to stay on the safe side we came across a fluid hydrater brand called Fluid IV - in a watermelon flavor. It comes in a small powder pack that is added to water. It’s also a great way to drink more fluid than one usually feels like drinking. I think it would be a good idea to have a see through cup so you can watch your progress. All I know that if it helps replenish the lost fluid and restore electrolytes lost it is worth it. I hope we are finally on the right track. It certainly has been occupying our conversation lately. I can’t wait for that to change. 

Visiting Stumpy One Last Time at the Tidal Basin

My favorite cherry tree at the Tidal Basin is Stumpy. I knew him before all of the hype and have picture of him in all four seasons. He always got our attention whenever we walked around the Tidal Basin. But because of flooding, a lot of cherry trees are being removed to restore the area. That means that Stumpy will be removed next month once the project begins. So we thought we should pay our last respects to Stumpy. It was not as easy to get to him because there is already renovation work going on at the Jefferson Memorial, and the sidewalks were so flooded they were blocked off. That meant we had to walk all the way around the Jefferson Memorial to get back on the path to Stumpy. Now there is a sign that explains the project where Stumpy is situated. He was really under water and a fence surrounded him to protect his last days. He has become a tourist attraction and everyone wants to know how he could be saved. Apparently transplanting him just wouldn’t do because he is so far gone from all of the water damage. They hope to genetically save his DNA and create little Stumpy’s. It’s still so sad to see him go and we will miss him - the little cherry tree that could. 

52Frames Technology Photo Challenge

My favorite technology things are iPhones, ThinOptics readers, Bandolier straps, and the Procreate art app. So for this week’s 52Frames photo challenge I thought a composite image of these items would be appropriate since the subject was “technology,” So I took a photo of my phone, strap, and readers on the kitchen island, then sliced that image out and multiplied it two more times. Of course the 52Frames website was the screen image. The photos were edited in the camera plus app. Then using the Procreate app - the same one I use for all of my digital art and custom pet portraits - a background was added, several layers were added, and more cleaning up was done. A few different color backgrounds were tried. Usually several photos are taken for the weekly contest, but I only had this image in mind. The biggest question was where to crop it. I ended up using the original idea with the straps showing some movement and less emphasis on the phone size. Things have really changed from the original PictureIt! software for editing photos, taking photos with my swinger instant camera and all the other cameras to the ready at hand iPhone, and the klunky readers that are now replaced with ThinOptics key chain readers that are with me at all times. These are really my favorite things and they are used on a daily basis. I suppose I always loved gadgets. As a nursing administrator I headed the project to implement one of the first automated documentation systems in health care way back in 1988. And I preferred ICU and cath lab clinical specialties. I always loved visuals and excel spreadsheets as a performance productivity expert. I’m hoping I can stay on top of all of the products yet to come. We haven’t seen anything yet. 

Who Irons Anymore?

I remember ironing all of those white shirts as part of a uniform in grade school and high school. Then there were the white nursing uniforms. Eventually I grew out of the ironing phase as fabrics changed - many of them requiring dry cleaning. We had a lovely laundry room in the Midwest. On Capitol Hill we had a table top ironing board because we lived in 500 square feet and had no space. We kept that ironing board when we moved to northern Virginia and I think I used it once - until yesterday when I decided it was time to wash all of the white blouses I have that have not been worn for years. My wardrobe changed big time during the pandemic, and before that  LLBean garb became the clothing of choice for morning walks. Since we haven’t been on any trips I haven’t bought any new clothes - which was one of the reasons to do so. As we start to resume some normal activities I thought it would be a good time to see what even fits anymore. So yesterday all of the white blouses and jackets were thrown in to the washing machine in bags on a delicate cycle. They air dried in the bathroom and then were ironed. What a pain in the neck is that! Then I tried them on and asked my husband to judge what should get tossed. It ended up one got tossed, one got a new button put on, and an assortment of other non white blouses were tried on to see if they were worth keeping. I used to love buying clothes for work and otherwise. Everything fit so much better then. Now I don’t care anymore. All I know is that if anything requires ironing now I am not interested. 

Bandolier Pouch

The other day we walked out of the door and my husband forgot his keys. Luckily we live in a condo and they keep a spare key at the desk. But it raised the idea that I should always carry keys too. Since the pandemic I no longer carry a large purse that held everything in it but the kitchen sink. And when I needed to carry more items I used a small Coach purse. I have an iPhone that is attached to a bandolier strap and case that holds credit and health insurance cards, and a bit of cash. My ThinOptics readers key chain is also attached to the strap. But carrying keys is too much. So I looked around for some options and found a bandolier pouch that could not only hold the keys, but also my ThinOptics sunglasses. It attached to the same strap that holds the phone. It arrived this week and I have been trying it out. I can no longer tuck my phone in to my front or back pocket because of the extra piece. But, I can now carry the keys and the sunglasses and tuck the readers inside. I love the strap because the phone is always with me and I’ll never forget it. And since I am always taking photos it’s so easy when the phone is this accessible - and it still is. There is also a strap that is made that has pockets built it, but it seemed a bit too much and bulky, and they didn’t have it with a silver trim. I suppose I just need to get used to the extra bulk. So now there is a place for the keys and the sunglasses. I guess that was the idea. 

Elton John and Bernie Taupin Gershwin Prize

I worked at the Library of Congress for ten years. It’s the reason we moved to Capitol Hill from the Midwest. One of the great side benefits of working at such a unique place was the people you might happen to run in to. My husband and I had an opportunity to attend the Gershwin Prize concerts for Willie Nelson and Billy Joel. Neither of these artists are our favorites, but they needed to fill the auditorium at the DAR concert hall and I got two free lottery tickets. They were memorable events as there were many other famous artists attending to pay homage to the recipients. I retired several years ago now. But I wish I was still working just to attend the Elton John and Bernie Taupin event this year. Elton John is one of our favorite musicians. I remember hearing his first song in high school and then so many more after that, marking significant milestones in my life. So this week we watched the recorded performance of the Gershwin event. Both my husband and I were teary eyed and emotional just listening to the beautiful music performed by such wonderful artists. The venue was familiar and I felt like I was a part of it. When I look back on the fact that I actually worked at the library I am still amazed. And to this day every time we visit I can’t believe it. 

Air Fryer Pork Chops and Brussels Sprouts

We have had an air fryer for about six months. I’m not sure why it took us so long to realize we needed one! My husband is a big French fry fan and that was the incentive. We started with a small basket type and then got a larger combi oven that could accommodate more without having to do batches. Now we often use them both at the same time. We weren’t planning on making pork chops since we usually don’t eat a lot of meat. We prefer salmon, shrimp and chicken. At the grocery store this week my husband asked if we should try pork chops. So we found a package that looked reasonably good - although I prefer no bones. He was also wanting to have Brussel sprouts. When we got home I looked for air fryer recipes for both and found two that looked good. I’m not a big Brussels sprouts fan, but they turned out pretty well in the air fryer. We didn’t soak them in water - if you prefer them a bit softer. We may try that the next time. As for the pork chops, they also turned out pretty well. I always like things on the well done side. These chops were peretty thin so we could have used less time cooking them. We added the leftover pierogi to the mix and the dinner was quite good. The next evening we had leftover pork chops with pesto pasta, using another new recipe for the pasta. I still don’t know why anyone would use a large oven to cook dinner. The air fryer is simply so much easier - especially when it’s just the two of us.