Smell The Roses ......

By Saturday the 19th I was pretty stressed out. I felt like every doctor I deal with had something worrying to say or something they wanted me to do. I needed a break and, since the Covid test and catheterization had been postponed for a week, I was about to get one.

Tuesday the 22nd I had a Swallow Therapy session that went well. We agreed, again, to cancel the Friday session and meet up the following Tuesday. I now had 5 days to myself, unless something popped up unexpectedly. I called my Cardiologist's office and asked when I should get the flu shot. I usually wait until the end of October but I was concerned about the current situation. They said the sooner the better.

Wednesday, I headed out to get my shot and, on a whim, decided to swing by my barber. 

I just wanted to see if they were still taking reservations but I saw the Early man sitting at the desk. I parked, put on my mask, and walked in. He took me right away and I was done in 20 minutes. Feeling good, I drove to my Pharmacy and got the flu shot without a problem.

Thursday was pretty quiet but I did get some interesting mail.

Besides the invoice for my October rent I got my Mail-in Ballot for the upcoming Presidential Election. I wasn't going to mail it back but intended to wait until the Ballot Drop-box was put up in front of City Hall.

Friday I was out running errands and decided to swing by the Municipal Building.

The Ballot Box was out already.

Saturday I drove up early to drop off my Ballot. I knew there was a Farmer's Market that uses the Parking Lot on Saturdays so I wanted to get there before they opened at 9. I got a space and cast my vote. Walking back to my car I noticed this.

I didn't know that there was a Rain Garden there even though I'd passed by several days a week. It made me wonder what else I'd missed seeing in my own neighborhood.

This morning, I set out to drive around and see what was out there. I drove up Rahway Avenue and stopped at the Barron's Art Center, pulling into their lot.

They have this great, bronze statue of a Native American that I'd never really looked at before.

I turned onto Freeman Street and pulled over on the right.

There's a very well preserved, house that someone actually lives in that dates back to 1685. The house itself is pretty non-descript but they do have one of these outside.

If I'd had a horse I would've tied up here. A little further up Freeman I pulled over on the left to get a better view of this.

It was a small Lion's Head Water Fountain outside of a wall surrounding a house. It was badly overgrown but I was impressed by how good it looked.

I drove around for another hour or so and found several other Historical Markers and architectural features that I thought were interesting including one outside of the Knights of Columbus building on the corner of Main Street and Amboy Avenue. I had no idea that George Washington had ever been to Woodbridge.

On my way back home I was on Linden Avenue when I saw this and had to pull over.

I had heard about these Free Libraries that people put out in front of their own homes but I'd never seen one before. It made me realize that there really were good people in the world, some of whom live by me.

Back at home I was feeling relaxed. I know what was coming up next week but it didn't worry me anymore. I think that there's a real benefit in the old saying. 

From now on I will make the time to stop and smell the roses.

 It Wasn't Going To  Last ...........

August ended well and September started out promising. I was enjoying driving again and I had very few doctor's appointments. I was feeling good but I should've known it wouldn't last.

Friday, August 28th, I had my first Swallow Therapy session at JFK Rehabilitation Center in Edison. It's a short drive and the parking was free. The session was half an hour and I could actually feel a slight improvement. I headed home listening to the radio when I came up to this.

Road work. The bane of every driver in New Jersey. Fortunately I wasn't going that way. I made the left.

Tuesday, September 1st, I left my house early to go to Shoprite before my Therapy session. I knew they were working on the construction site across the street and that police were always assigned to watch. This cop seemed to be uninterested in what was going on and was on his phone.

I've always thought that cops assigned to these sites was a waste of money. Useless, I thought, as I turned right.

I picked up a few things in Shoprite and got back in my car. 

It wouldn't start.

I tried it a few more times and I could hear her cranking but she didn't kick over. Thankfully, a cop had just finished shopping and came over to help. He got it started for me. I figured they weren't all useless. I cancelled my therapy and took the car to my mechanic. He called me later that afternoon to say he couldn't find anything wrong.

I picked up the car the next morning (no charge but I gave him $20) and started out to run some errands. It wasn't long before I started having problems again. She stalled out, which annoyed me, and I headed back to the mechanic. She stalled out twice more before she died completely on West James Street. I had to call AAA.

The mechanic called me later in the day. The Distributer needed to be replaced and it would cost about $400. I needed the car so I agreed.

I picked up the car the next morning again.

He told me I was going to need rear tires.

Everything was working well until Sunday the 6th. One of the dashboard lights came on.

I didn't know what it meant but I did know the mechanic was closed until Tuesday because it was Labor Day weekend.

Turned out I couldn't take her back on Tuesday because I had Therapy that morning at 9 and I'd already cancelled one session. Plus, I had a follow-up with the Dermatologist at 2. Therapy went well and I went home to have lunch. On the way to the Dermatologist I saw this guy.

.

We were the only ones around and I don't like bicyclists but he was walking his and he had a mask. I drove past.

I went to the mechanic the next day and he took a look at it. He said it was the exhaust system and a catalytic converter would be expensive. For now, he turned off the light and said to come back before the Registration was up and he'd turn it back on.

That Friday the 11th I had an appointment with my ENT. My ear had been bothering me again and I thought I should take care of it. It was at 10:15 so I drove there straight after my Therapy session. Turned out to be another ear ache. He explained that because I have a deviated septum I was very susceptible. He had a prescription for an antibiotic called in to my pharmacy.

I headed up to pick up the med the next morning and came up behind this woman.

She didn't have a mask but I recognized her. She's a Librarian in the Main Branch nearby. Besides, I thought, she probably has a mask in her bag. I drove on.

Monday the 14th my ex-wife drove me down to RWJ in New Brunswick for my annual Nuclear Stress Test and Echocardiogram. She didn't stay because the tests take about 4 hours. She dropped me off at 7:40 and I called her that I was done at 1:10. Later that afternoon I got a call from my Cardiologist. A part of my heart wasn't getting enough oxygen so they were going to set up a Catheterization to see what the problem is. Also, there was an indication that I might have some form of pneumonia in my lungs and would be contacting my Pulmonologist.

Tuesday the 15th I went to my Therapy session. The Tech said I was doing good so we cancelled Fridays.

Wednesday the 16th I drove back down to RWJ for blood work. I was in and out quickly and drove home. I was looking forward to nothing on my schedule for the rest of the week. That didn't last long. I got a call from my Primary who'd heard from my Cardiologist regarding my lungs. She insisted that I see the him as soon as possible so I managed to get an appointment for the next day at 11:15. A hour or so later I got a call from the Cardiologist that the catheterization was scheduled for Wednesday the 23rd at 9. Then I got another call from them. I need to have a Covid test before the procedure so we agreed on Monday the 21st at 8. It's a drive-thru so it won't take long. Still ...

Things were starting to pile up.

Thursday morning I had some time to kill so I did my wash, stopped at Shoprite, and had breakfast. I was at the Pulmonologist about 1/2 a hour early. He was worried about the test results and called in a favor setting me up for a CT scan of my chest for the next day. He couldn't get a specific time so recommended that I get there early.

I got to the Outpatient Center at JFK at 7:45 expecting to wait a while since I didn't have a specific time. I was lucky and was taken in around 8:50. The scan didn't take long and I waited for the film disc to take to the Pulmonologist. I dropped it off and when I got back to my car I saw this guy.

He was watching me as I got in and grinned when he saw that I noticed him. It wasn't Kellerman but was probably another one of Jones' flunkies. 

That afternoon I heard from the Pulmonologist. He's concerned about the spots he sees on the film and said I should postpone the procedures by a week while I take a stronger antibiotic that he prescribed. I rescheduled both the Catherization and the Covid test by a week.

Today I drove up to my Pharmacy and picked up the antibiotic. I stopped at Dunkin's and bought a medium iced decaf French Vanilla coffee and a Veggie Omelet sandwich. I was looking forward to a few days of nothing on my schedule. Again. But I knew ... 

it wasn't going to last.