12 Oakdale

Time for our annual get together: 6 high school girlfriends for a long weekend at Kathy’s house in Swanee, Georgia. I bought my airline ticket months ago. The week before kickoff, Mickie let the rest of know that she had thought about cancelling the reunion since she’d likely broken her foot while visiting Japan (Sue already knew of the accident since she was along on that trip.) She was using a knee scooter (again) and would soldier on. Then Thursday morning, right before she was to drive from Elijah, GA, Mary Bird texted that she had decided not to come so she could have “me” time. What? Is she okay? No one knows. On the home front, Monday Grant gouged a quarter-sized hole in his shin on a stick from a freeze-killed coffee plant that I had asked my yard person CC to cut to the ground. She had interpreted that to mean, “Please leave dead 12”-18” spikes sticking out off the ground when you cut back a plant.” Little swords just waiting for action. I had warned Grant to be careful when h...

Monday night, Grant’s right calf and shin were red and swollen. I made him an 8:20 AM Tuesday appointment at our nearby Advent walk-in clinic in Ocoee, the same one he went to last December, when he had dropped our heavy suitcase on his foot. Like last time, the staff was very competent and helpful. The physician assistant drew a black line around the redness so we could track changes and prescribed an antibiotic. (He used a 1-use, medical grade felt tipped permanent marker. I took it home rather than having a perfectly good marker thrown away. I appreciate the need for medical safety, however, I can’t stand all the waste.) He also suggested an X-ray of Grant’s ankle because Grant had twisted it while I was gone to Gainesville. Probably nothing, but it was so sore, prudence was the right path. The only hitch was that location did not have an X-ray technician there right then. We could go to the Daniel Street branch. Trundled over there. Again, good staff, quick service. We would hear w...

Well, that wasn’t what I expected. I noticed I am not seeing as well out of my right eye as my left. I’m already annoyed that my astigmatism has reappeared. Now what? The only three reasons I could think of for my mismatched vision was a poorly ground lens, a misdiagnosis of my prescription, or more deterioration of my eye. I spoke to Loren at my optometrists and made an appointment to figure out which. Macular degeneration and an irritated cornea were not on my list, but that is what the doctor said. Hmm, old age is once again a factor. I did get points for not smoking and for eating my leafy green vegetables. Now I putting drops in my eye for 2 weeks to calm down the cornea irritated and taking vitamins to perhaps slow down any more deteriorating. I guess it’s patch, patch, patch until the end. I made an appointment to return in 3 months and hurried home to pick up Grant for his doctor appointment over in Winter Park. Routine evaluation so he can get new prescriptions for all his fat...

If only I could afford it, I’ve found my new art for our big dining room wall: a piece by Mark Messersmith. I had dragged Grant to the Orlando Museum of Art to see the exhibit of forged Jean-Michelle Basquiat pieces. Of course, OMA and the guys that found these pieces in a storage shed swear that these are all originals and worth gazillions. (In 1982, Basquiat became the highest priced American artist, when a piece of his sold for $110 million.) The FBI is looking into their claim. Anywho, as my father’s friend Jack used to say, we went to OMA and just outside the Basquiat exhibit were two Messeesmith pieces. My kind of Florida art.  We were over on the east side so I could tell my tale of aches and pains once again to my ortho guy and his current resident. After much poking and “does this hurt” “yes, it does”, he’s decided I have a high hamstring strain which takes 3+ months to heal, so no surprise I still hurt. Plus I’m old, which means it likely will take even longer. My hands, ...