The World Out There

It’s been so windy here! Each evening it sounds like a hurricane of ghosts is trying to get in. I peek out the blinds to see if everything is still standing or to glimpse the effects of the wind, but everything looks fine. The only times we had strong winds in Louisiana were with storms. It hasn’t stormed here, it barely rains, and the snow has been a lot less than I expected. The summers are pleasant, comparable to spring in Louisiana.
Today I went for my lung capacity test. I felt bad for the nurse who had to get all suited up for it. Then afterward they have to wait for an hour so all the cooties can settle and then clean the room. I had to wear a pincher on my nose and breath into a spirometer that fed data into a computer. Then I did an inhaler and repeated the test. It was quick and painless.
It was so freeing to go out for a long drive to the appointment 18 miles away. The distant mountains on the horizon were gorgeous. It warmed my soul to relish the world out there instead of the monotony of these four walls. I then picked up a prescription I filled for an EpiPen. It was expensive, but I wanted to have it just in case because the allergist prescribed it. I’ve had allergic reactions in the past. I thought it was better to be safe.
I caught a sale on fresh veggies this week and I cooked them when I got home. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, green beans, and snow peas. I added corn too. I didn’t know how I was going to season them at first. I usually steam them with garlic.
I began with garlic and ginger, then I pulled my bin of spices off the shelf and added a bit of most of them. Then I thought of tikka masala and looked up an easy recipe. I measured nothing but threw in approximate amounts of the spices from the recipe, added tomato paste, water, then a jar of tomato sauce.
I added more and more spices, then taste-tested until I went, nom. I then added the Silk Heavy Whipping cream, and it was delicious. It was so yummy that I wanted to get every last drop of the sauce, so used a tortilla to do just that. I was too lazy to make roti. We don’t have a rolling pin either, but I could’ve improvised with a glass or jar to roll it out. Maybe tomorrow. There are plenty of leftovers to go with roti.
I had a surprise FaceTime with my daughter, she’s doing well and it makes me so happy! We will Skype on Christmas day too, yay! Every time I get an unexpected call from the kids, the first thing that comes to mind is, I hope everything is okay, because of the virus. The dread is always lurking in the background. It will be such a relief when we’re all vaccinated and less vulnerable.
Instead of a bath, I did PT and finished listening to The Ocean at the End of the Lane. I loved it. I wish I could write like that, but there’s only one Neil Gaiman. Then it was time to blog. Just eight more days!
I’m still full from supper. It was too yummy, and I pigged out. No popcorn with our TV watching tonight, lol. The wind’s died down, it’s serene now. I hear the stove noises (I have a pot of fragrant cinnamon/vanilla water going for humidity/aromatherapy) layered with the constant ringing sounds in my ears over an electrical hum and cars rumbling in the distance.
Drue will be home any minute and he’ll need the computer to do his side gig work. Then it’s TV time! It was a good day. Talking to the nurse at the appointment was a dose of normalcy. Being able to socialize face to face with someone different helped it feel like the world still exists out there in actual life instead of just online.
I can see why people are breaking protocol because they are starved for human connection. It’s too high of a price to pay when people are sick and dying because of it though. I am content to socialize with people online and keep us all safer that way.