Jean's March Roundup

Other than being at war with my skin, things are going pretty well.

The Good Stuff:

- We started scraping the west wall of the house
- Hubby got the second color coat on the front wall of the house
- Noticed an announcement for the local city clean up on the radio website, and hubby and I were able to load about half the mattresses and box springs we need to get out of the shop onto the trailer and take them over and get rid of them this morning (the guys didn't even hesitate to pull them off the trailer and load them into the front loader they had waiting).  That saved us having to buy a permit from the city to do it at some other time of year. I've noted the approximate date for next year in Things, so we'll be ready to go with the rest of the mattresses.  Woo Hoo!  We may even get the compressor out of the dead fridge that's there and take it, too.  The mattresses are the big hassle -- we can cut up the nasty press board furniture that's no good and put it out in the weekly trash, but mattresses are a little tougher.
- We got a little wind earlier this week, which screwed up a couple of shingles at the very peak of the garage.  Before putting the scaffolding away today in preparation for going to San Antonio, we set up three levels in front of the garage, and hubby, with his handy coat hanger third hand tool, got the loose shingles repaired (we are NOT happy with the job the local builder did on this garage -- very poor quality work; they won't get $50k of our cash again -- I don't expect shingle troubles for 20 years on a roof, we've been tacking shingles back on since three; they didn't use roofing nails, which is part of the problem).
- Got a little work done on PBOTL
- Got more work done on scene cards for MAY DAYS (originally ROAD TRIP).  I'll be able to write on the Grand Tour.  Not sure if it will be a stand alone or a trilogy.  Characters are multiplying at exponential rates.  This is not good.  People had too many kids in the 60s.
- The fig plant is growing rapidly.  We're going to bring some dirt back from San Antonio and get it planted when we return.
- Hubby mounted my can crusher, so I've been crushing cans.
- Hubby got his desktop computer set up and operational upstairs right where he wanted it.  I plugged him into the network, and he's humming along, ready to work on his next newsletter issue.


Not So Good Stuff:

- I think I'm at war with my skin.  When I finished the prescribed steroid dose, I still had 18 tablets left.  I suspected when my rash wasn't completely gone, that I might have troubles.  They're just different than any I've had before with poison plants.  After finishing the steroid treatment, I developed a rash on my hands and face.  It's a light reddening of the face, leading me to suspect rosacea.  The hands are like blisters that won't burst and really itch, mostly on the backs of my hands and fingers. Realizing I missed my opportunity to see my doctor this week and not wanting to make another emergency room visit to Fort Sam next week unless absolutely necessary, I worked out a schedule for the remaining 18 steroid tablets -- 3-3-2-2-2-2-1-1-1-1.  I started it yesterday and have noticed improvement.  That will get me through until we return to Central TX at the end of next week.  If I'm not better, I'll make an appointment with my primary care physician.  I'm wondering if this may be a form of psoriasis on my hands.  I already get it on my scalp and elbows, but I don't have the silvery plaques, so maybe it's more like an eczema?  I've ruled out ringworm or impetigo.
- I'm not happy with my weight status.  I lost two pounds this week, which I AM happy about, but the overall way I'm dealing with things is not good right now.  I've reached that point where it's not easy, and I hate this place.  I've always said losing weight was like a mercury switch in my head.  When it's in the right position, everything is easy.  When it gets tipped out of whack, everything is impossible.  I've never found an in between, and I struggle when it goes "out" to get it back.  I'm determined to figure it out -- before I gain all the weight I lost back!
- I didn't get work done on the islands this week. Part of me things I reduce my exposure to plants until I get this skin problem under control.
- I'm still not getting much reading done for this year.  Still reading Stuart MacBride's HALFHEAD.  The man writes sick fiction. He and Tammy are two peas in a pod.

The Week Ahead:

- We head to San Antonio tomorrow.  Hubby want's to spend his birthday down there.  Looking forward to letting the cats play outside (we don't have a yard they can do that in up here), getting my hair cut, getting Pinky (Yes, that's his name. I don't know; he's hubby's age, so he's been called that for a lot of years) set up on my iPad, finding some dirt for the fig tree, mowing the lawn, maybe remembering to make some more cuttings, finding new slides (my old ones are worn out), and, of course, spending some time at Timbo's, the best burger, salad, and beer place in San Antonio.
- We'll be back on Thursday, so I'll be prepared to mow the lawn up here, too.