In Brrrrrrief

The past week has been really, really cold.  And frustrating.  Those two things are related.   

Monday, I woke up, braved the 9 degree weather, and drove to Atlanta because I had an appointment to probate Mom's will on Tuesday.  It was also MLK Day, so that I didn't have to take more than a day off.  I went to the house, loaded the rest of our stuff from out of there, then got a massage.  At an "ethical" and "professional" establishment:

UP yours, I guess.

Methinks they doth protest too much.  Regardless, it was a deep tissue massage that really did the trick.  I think I had some stress built up making my shoulders really tight.  Can't imagine where all that stress came from.

After that, I picked up Mom's boyfriend and took him to dinner at La Madeleine.  It's faux French, but I like their quiche Lorraine.  It was good.  But I had one eye on the news, because there were rumblings of school closings because it was so cold out, and then they were predicting snow and sleet that would shut down the entire infrastructure of Atlanta and everywhere Atlanta-adjacent.

Around 7:30 PM, the notice went up that Fulton County Courts and Government offices would be closed Tuesday.  That, combined with the idea that the snow and sleet were set to arrive late afternoon on Tuesday gave me the idea to head home after dinner.  Because even though Wednesdays are a Walk-In day for probating in Fulton County, the odds of the courts being open seemed slim.  So, I went back to the house and grabbed my bag, then I drove the four hours back to Nashville.

Well, to be fair, I stopped to gas up, and made another appointment for the following Monday.  I ate some chocolate and drank a Coke Zero to get a little bump of caffeine.  But driving on a Monday night from Atlanta to Nashville was a piece of cake.  Mmm, cake.  

The next day, I slowly unloaded the car in bits and pieces because it was still freaking cold out there.  Teens and twenties.  I couldn't get my hands to warm up - and my skin still feels like sandpaper.  From there, I've been catching up, as one does, on some of those semi-annual things that you have to do.  I got my bloodwork done, and while my ever-high triglycerides are still high, everything else looks good.  So I've got to take some fish-oil capsules to try and regulate my crappy triglycerides.  I also need to quit sugar, which, I think we all know is a challenge.

This might be an option...

The other big news from that visit is that I'm now old enough for my shingles vaccine.  I got my first dose of Shingrix, which is an apt name for it.  Here's what I'll say - it hurts a lot more than Flu or Covid, but not quite as bad as Tetanus.  I was smart enough to request it in my right shoulder, because I sleep on my left side.  But if it keeps me from getting shingles at some point, great.  Also, and not to be an alarmist, but I want all my vaccines while vaccines are still available to me.  There are some concerns about the new administration and their collective grasp on reality. Since the inauguration, each day has brought a laundry list of "they did what?" - to the point that I haven't really caught up to the current day's events of crazy.  It doesn't help that we had another school shooting here in Antioch.

Meanwhile, my husband has caught The Crud.  It's more than a cold, it's not Covid, Flu A, or Flu B - at least, per the tests we picked up at the supermarket.  I've been mostly leaving him to sleep and hydrate, but attempting to feed him good food so that he can recover.  I've offered to take him to his PCP, but so far, he claims that it's not needed.  I don't know - I know I love a good doctor visit, but I have to respect his autonomy.  I have joked before that when it comes to being sick, he tends to treat it as a form of performance art. 

The weekend is mostly quiet in terms of plans, and I am fine with that.  Given a choice, I would like to stay warm, stay hydrated, and eat some good food.  I also want sleep.  There's something to be said for the species who hibernate.  They get the point, I think.  My husband has a friend whose band is performing - we might go hear them play, if we can de-plague long enough to get out.

Sunday, I'll drive back down to Atlanta.  I'm sort of looking forward to it... sort of.  I mean, there is something to be said about having a four hour block where you are focused on the road.  It's meditative, after a fashion.  It can be quiet, or it can have music, or podcasts.  You can stop for snacks, you can keep it as hot or as cold as you like.  

There's also the matter of paying some respects.  And by that, I mean culinary.  I had a sandwich from Henri's on this past visit.  Over Christmas, we enjoyed China Garden, and Lazaro's, and, I believe, Rhea's.  I know we had Rhea's this fall.  And Moxie Burger.  We had The Varsity at my birthday, and then Laura and I went to the 1920 Tavern.  So, you know - we have had some good meals at my favorite places. Oh, and Souper Jenny.  That might need to be my choice on Monday, because cold weather was made for Souper Jenny.

It's not surprising that food is my go-to at the moment, because it's always my go-to.  And with both parents gone, the fastest way to get the meals of my personal history, is from the restaurants of my history.  Which, I guess to be fair, I'm also creating some of my own.  The other night, I made an unstuffed cabbage - sort of like a cabbage soup, but with more substance.  I ladled it over mashed potatoes.  It was hearty and delicious.  

I don't know.  I'm cold, and a little melancholy*, and my shoulder hurts.  And I'm anxious about getting the paperwork done for Mom's will.  And I don't have anything big to look forward to.  I did find out my new glasses that I ordered will arrive Monday - so that's kind of a little something to look forward to.  If they work.  I think they will.

I'll let you know how that goes.  And the new date with the court.  And all that stuff.

*Actually, I'm a lot melancholy.  I just don't know exactly what to do about it.  I guess like the cold, I dress for it, hang in there, and ride it out.  Cold and sadness aren't permanent.