Hellbender

 I met Rosemary for dinner at a restaurant near her place: Hellbender. The name comes from a giant aquatic salamander. The food they serve is Mexican in inspiration but very imaginative. We had a tomato salad that had a vinaigrette with toasted garlic and chili--it was delicious. I had a lamb shank with two kinds of beans and pickled red onions. Rosemary had a scallop dish with papaya so I couldn't eat it. Her main was artic char with a corn puree. The cuatro leches cake for dessert was the best thing we had (a tres leches cake with coconut milk). Her little neighborhood in Ridgewood has lots of great restaurants!

 

 Sad news today: Arun's father died. He had been very ill for some time now so it wasn't a surprise but it happened really fast. As a result of the funeral being this coming weekend, Blas and Loren decided to postpone the party until the following weekend so that Rosemary could go to the funeral. I was able to change my flights for the following week. I had to cancel the flights and pay for the new ones but I found a $200 credit and I will be able to use the balance for future travel. The good thing is that I will no longer have to leave at 3AM to get there in time for an early morning flight. 

I should text my condolences to Arun and Radika. 

Business

 I had a brain MRI and got the report back right way: all clear. I will see the neurooncologist Monday so he can take my hand and tell me all is well! Then I will see Dr Clinton. I need to get her to authorize the Hep B booster and get a flu shot.  I s should also get my blood work done in preparation for my call with the liver doctor.

Yesterday I mailed the form to the law firm that is handling the property ownership dispute in the Nitti family. We first heard about it when someone contacted mom about who was in the family. I'm still not clear on how the three of us are related to it but I  printed and signed the from appointing one of mom's cousins as the representative of the group of us so that ownership can be established and the property can be sold. Apparently there has been a squatter. 

Today I mailed in the jury duty questionnaire that I got yesterday, just establishing that I'm a citizen who speaks English and lives in Brooklyn. I wonder if I'll get called up. I also went to the new taco cafe Peral which just opened next to the restaurant Olmo. I'm going to meet Maria there for dinner on Wednesday but I thought I'd check out the daytime service: horchata latte and breakfast burrito (smallish but yummy). I really like the blend of horchata and coffee. The place is still rough around the edges but pleasant with lots of seating and light. I like Covert's interior better though. I went after I got up at 12:30. I got in bed at around ten and then slept until morning but got up to pee about three times. I weighed myself after a BM and was just under 170--broke the barrier! 

The bathroom sink has been repaired. I thought it was just a hair clog but it turned out that the whole pipe had been installed improperly and had to be replaced. It took Miguel and Alex a few days to trouble shoot but they got it fixed and saved Jason and Karin $700. Now I can brush my teeth in the bathroom and the sink drains properly.  

Yesterday I also got a statement from one of my retirement accounts showing that it has gained in value. I also got the disbursement from my annual acount as well my quarterly deposit so I have a lot of cash as well as the money sitting in the CD. I need to decide how to transfer funds from my Berkeley Credit Union to my Brooklyn Credit Union.

The weather is warm but pleasant, not too hot. I also went grocery shopping and got apples and mango, cherry tomatoes and avocados. No blackberries though. Got in my daily walk.  

Dentist visit

 Today I had my 10AM Diabetes Management Program class, in which I was reminded that I need to exercise. Sigh. I had my Salad Don salmon rice and veggie bowl and then walked back to the clinic for my six-month cleaning. Dr Vu told me that she wants to replace the filling she put in because there is a shadow underneath and she wants to get it right. She also said she would do something about the little nick I have in one of my front teeth. Then she cleaned my teeth and sent me on my way. 

My bathroom sink has been clogged and Miguel is trying to fix it but he needs a different piece. Alex is going to come by the day after tomorrow to finish the job. I will be having my brain MRI that day at midday but Alex said he'd be coming by in the afternoon. I hope he can fix it! He said that a plumber quoted him $700 for the job. Scandalous!

 

Cancer free for one more year!

 The day before yesterday I had my yearly breast check-up: mammogram and ultrasound and meeting with breast surgeon who ordered an ultrasound of my right armpit because there was some swelling. All came out clean! I had moderate scan anxiety but it was mostly just tedious waiting around at each stage of the visit. I had noodles with cumin lamb after as a treat--spicy! A little celebration that I am cancer free for another year.

Today I bought a ticket to Minneapolis for a long weekend for Loren's 80th birthday party. It's not really his birthday but it's going to be a chance for people to gather to celebrate him. He's nervous about it because it's out of his hands; Blas and Rosemary are taking charge of all the planning. Carrie's band is going to play, there will be a big paella. Arun and I are getting on a 6AM flight. I could have flown out later in the day but I would rather travel with him, and also save $200. We'll have to leave the house at 3:30 to get there at 4AM so I may not get any sleep. I'll set my alarm and go to bed early but I may be too nervous to sleep so I'll just lie there and rest. I used my Delta AmEx card so I get a free bag check and we are getting a really good price for going that early. I'll figure out how to do a Lyft with him so we can share the ride. It's September so I got two retirement fund deposits so I'm flush with cash now. I need to move some money to my Brooklyn account. I have a big To Do list of stuff to do before the trip. If I tackle it one day at a time, I should get through it.

To DO

recycling out;

compost out;

cleaned maggots out of compost pail. gross!

toilet cleaned;

grocery shopping; Rao's is $2 more expensive but I like it.

Alanon meeting;

called about Wellcare plan change. If I understand correctly, I don't need to do anything because Mt Sinai is out-of-network already. But it makes me nervous that I had to recycle six copies of the notice that Mount Sinai would no longer have Wellcare in its network. 

Walked to my favorite cafe for my favorite avocado BLT. I hate that I feel so sluggish on such a short walk. Will do it again tomorrow but maybe I'll go to September insteadl 

 

TO DO list

break down cardboard boxes in entryway and recycle them with paper

clear off table

deposit two checks

recycle new yorker mags

laundry

change sheets

tidy up wooden shelf and coffee table

dust surfaces in bedroom 

shake out rugs in bedroom

throw out old clothes

wash microwave plate and interior

recycle file pile

 

 

post-trip check-in

During my time in Spain I allowed myself to eat and drink what was in front of me: croissants for breakfast, beer and wine with meals, cheese and olives, rice dishes with seafood. I gained a few pounds back but this morning I was back down to my pre-trip weight. My belly is still soft and big. I may have lost weight but it's still settled along my abdomen. Next goal; another ten pounds in six weeks, or by the end of September. I need to buy more eggs and cottage cheese, and berries. 

The trip logistics all went well in spite of an unexpected mishap with Arun's passport; he didn't realize that it needed to be valid for six months beyond the trip date. He came to the airport but the wouldn't let him board so he and his mother, who also met us there, went back home to try to get a rush passport renewal in time for them to get to the village for the eclipse. They had an appointment for 5AM on monday, got the passport by noon on Tuesday, then made it to Zaragoza by 1pm on Wed where they were picked up by Blas and arrived in the village in time for the amazing eclipse viewing! We drove to a hillside and sat on folding chairs with eclipse glasses for all. Primi was there too, having been ferried out with her wheelchair to the village, then settled in a chair outside in the front patio. Ruben and Coba were there as were Carmen and Quique, Rosemary's friend Carina and her caravaning friends Melissa and Michael. They had rented a camper and made their way to the village and then joined us on our return to Zaragoza before continuing on their wandering way. Ruben made us a paella on a giant pan. When we got back to Zaragoza, Blas made us squid ink rice with seafood and it was wonderful!

The weather was blistering hot so we spent a lot of time indoors in the middle of the day with brief excursions to the Pilar, the Seo, and the Aljafería. We had a magnificent meal at the vegetarian restaurant Baobab and tapas in the Tubo. I was low energy because of the heat but managed to get around at a slow pace with Loren and his walking sticks.

to Spain!

 Tomorrow we go to Spain! I'm trying not to be anxious about the trip to the airport. I will take a Lyft at 8PM to get there to check in by 9 for a 12:30 flight. It's non stop 7 and a half hours so we get into Barcelona at 1;30 in the afternoon. We have tickets on the AVE for 4pm so with any luck no bags will go astray and we'll arrive in Zaragoza in the early evening. Then we have a stack of birthdays: Blas on the 10th, Arun on the 11th and Radikha on the 12th. I should get some little gifties. I can give Blas the Colson Whitehead book The Underground Railroad. I can give the Coffee book to Arun. what can I give his mom? 

it's going to be 100 degrees in Zaragoza. I need to get some sunscreen for my arms. I packed sundresses and tshirts.  I'll wear the skort and I have a cotton bucket hat for the sun.  I packed underwear and socks,  a sleep tshirt since I seem to have lost my cotton nightgown and only have flannel and warm pjs. I will suspend my weight loss diet and try to just eat sensibly, not gorge myself on olives. I need to eat a few things in my fridge tonight and tomorrow and take out the compost and the trash.I also need to leave the lead paint form for Kari and Jason and ask them to keep an eye on the drain if it storms. I can hear thunder now!

We will go to the village for the total eclipse of the sun. Carlos and Marisa will be there as well some friends of Rosemary's who are renting a camper. It will be somewhat cooler there but still hot. 

I will see if I can get a Spain football jersey while I'm there. 

celebrating Spain's win

 Yesterday we went to a bar to watch the World Cup final match. I've watched most of the matches on Telemundo so I didn't want to miss the grand finale. The first bar we wanted to go to, a Spanish culture club called La Nacional, was full so we went across the street to a little dive bar. I lucked out and got a seat right in front of a TV and was able to watch in comfort while Rosemary and her friends stood. I had two beers, the first time I've had that much to drink in months. After Spain won the game, I treated myself to a bacon cheeseburger and fries in the sports bar near my house. I was uncomfortably full after but it was fun to have a break from my regime of austerity.

I just ordered some popcorn from Rancho Gordo. It's not cheap but it's very good and I don't know where to find the crummy popcorn in my local grocery store.  

slog

 Checking in with my weight loss timeline: I'm 2-3 lbs behind. I had calculated a straight-up one pound a week loss but I need to be patient. I'm at the beginning of July and I'm down to 172.8 171.7. Drop by drop. I feel as if I've lost weight around my thighs and belly but I still have the basketball tummy when I look in the mirror. I need to focus on my accomplishments: my blood work showed that I am no longer in the pre-diabetic zone with my Ac1 or blood glucose and that my liver markers are back in the normal range. I also showed a reversal of fatty liver with my liver ultrasound. I have an appointment with the liver specialist at the end of the month. I'm making slow progress!

Iris Van Herpen at the Brooklyn Museum

 Yesterday we went to the Brooklyn Museum to see a show of Iris Van Herpen's couture called "Sculpting the Senses."  I especially like the Muses tab because you can see how the gowns look on people who are not models on a catwalk.

Alcohol free

Down 14 lbs  but I still can't see it--my buddha belly still makes it look as if I"m pregnant. Patience! it's coming off, slowly but surely. Yesterday I treated myself to a dinner with Rosemary at the vegetarian Ethiopian place, Bunna Cafe. We get the feast for two which is scoops of nine different vegan dishes. Our favorite is the mushroom but I also like the beets, the collard greens, and the kabocha squash. 

I have not had alcohol since I began my clean living program back in February. Every so often I miss it but it hasn't been hard to live alcohol free. I ordered a beer a Bunna and it turned out to be non-alcoholic. A sign.  I had been drinking a tall beer 4 times a week. Saving money, saving my liver.

 Yesterday I cooked a pot of field peas with goat meat in the crockpot. I had never had them before and looked up recipes. They are not regular peas that have matured and dried but a bean, and are common in the South. They are really good combined with Rao's tomato sauce with sausage and mushroom.

Green Plantains

 My health care clinic advertised that it was giving away free food this afternoon. I had visions of produce laid out on tables. But when I showed up there were grocery bags all packed with the same thing: 3 green plantains, 3 mangos, red grapes and a package of baby kale. I have never cooked green plantains before so I spent the afternoon looking at recipes. I can roast them, peeled and sliced, or I can boil them and mash them up. The grapes are delicious although I haven't been eating them because of the sugar. It was a good long walk go the clinic.

more scans

Today is Saturday and I woke up at 7:30 to go into Manhattan for some scans. I know the way to the radiology clinic of Mount Sinai now: take the L to 14th St and then the 6 going up town to 103rd and Lexington. I don't even need to use Google Maps when I get out of the station because I know what direction to go. Got there for a 9:30 appointment for a thoracic CT scan to follow up on a lung nodule and then had a radioactive injection for a full body PET scan to follow up on the endocrine mutation. I'm anticipating that both of them will be fine. Only paid $30 for one of them. We'll see if I get another bill. 

I'm watching Six Feet Under and I actually stayed up all night to watch it and then lay down most of the day and then watched some more. I lost track of time and went to bed at midnight last night. Still managed to get up in time for a shower and went to the store on the way home. I will cook some brussels sprouts later. I'm a little frustrated that I've plateaued on the scale again; holding steady at 177.  

heat wave

 I took my short morning walk today even though it was 88 degrees. It's 92 now but the temperature is going to drop at least ten degrees this evening: thunderstorm!

 

heat advisory

 We've gone from sweater weather to heat advisory. Today's temps were in the 80s so I stayed indoors, and tomorrow it will be even hotter. After Wednesday it will cool off. Tomorrow we are doing our Prediabetes meeting by zoom, so if I want a walk I need to get out of bed earlier than I have been. The topic is adding more exercise. I have been on target with the program goals so far but this will be a challenge. I can add exercise by using YouTube videos; I just haven't done it. 

Rosemary called from Minnesota. She and Loren are doing well. She's using the barn as her studio and working hard. This weekend she'll go into town and spend the night with a friend so she can attend some gatherings. I'm so glad for Facetime! Nancy and Mark are in Mexico. Johnny and Dana have just moved into the new condo they bought. I'm glad they are able to become homeowners. I saw some pictures of their place from the realtor listing and it looks spacious and bright. It's in the same school district so Morgan can continue in her Spanish Immersion program. 

 

I attended my last opera in the series. It was a newish opera in Spanish about Frida and Diego. The production values--sets, costumes, choreography and use of chorus---we're quite wonderful. I was less impressed by the score but the singing was good.  

 

Mother's Day

 On my walk to the cafe this morning I was wished a Happy Mother's Day by six men! 

Oncologist check-in

 I saw my oncologist today., after my DPP class in the morning. We reviewed the results of the blood work my liver doctor ordered and I asked about the meds and liver markers. We agreed that the progress I have made in lowering my A1C, my glucose, and my liver markers, and the good results of the Fibroscan, are all signs that I'm doing the right thing by making diet and exercise changes for reversing fatty liver and prediabetes symptoms. She noted that I am due for some more scans: a PET scan to follow up on the endocrinologist's recommendation for monitoring and a chest scan for the nodule on my lung. I scheduled the chest scan for two weeks from now.

I had a big kale salad at the Delancy-Essex marketplace and regretted my choice because it had some higher calorie ingredients (although healthy ones). Walnuts and dates and pumpkin seeds pushed the calorie count up. But I had a chicken breast and leafy greens, cucumber and tomato, garbanzo beans and tahini dressing and no rice; all healthy choices and only a few calories over. I was tired while walking but I got in my steps and went up and down a bunch of stairs, I checked my phone app for step and stair counts and got in quite a few.

 My Rancho Gordo bean box included lentils so I have been eating them for the last few days. Earthy and lots of fiber!