February 27, 2021
“You are an excellent learner”, said the voice on the phone. “You did a fantastic job.” Was I accepting this lofty praise from an instructor from whom I was taking an in-person craft course? An online professor from whom I was taking a creative writing course? A teacher from whom I was taking a brush-up course on word processing? No. None of these. I was being complimented on my learning skills by……………..a Comcast Agent. As I was extricating myself from my pretzel-like position on the floor underneath my desk with 3 different cords in my hands, how could I not […]
February 17, 2021
With none of the drama or interminable wait of my first COVID19 vaccination, I received my second dose at the appointed time quickly and efficiently on Saturday. Although I had no side effects except for a very sore injection site from the first shot, everything I had read prepared me to anticipate more severe effects from the 2nd dose. Since my understanding of science is akin to a kindergartener’s, the friendly administering nurse explained it to me in language I could easily comprehend. She put both hands up in the air as if warding off an alien attack, and said […]
November 13, 2020
NOTE****** I take this pandemic and everyone’s safety VERY seriously. This blog is not meant to diminish the dire situation we are currently experiencing. However, a little humor in the worst of circumstances goes a long way to relieve stress, so I hope you can enjoy reading a bit of tongue-in-cheek comic respite. “We’ll spray you down with Lysol in the garage when you get here from the airport. Then take your clothes off, and we’ll put them into the washing machine. I’ll give you a robe, and you can go upstairs to shower”, I read from my sister’s email […]
November 6, 2020
Are you waiting to read that I found love on the dating site I told you about in the October 8 blog, Online Dating – Avoiding a Serial Killer, https://talktimewithjoan.com/2020/10/08/online-dating-avoiding-a-serial-killer/ ? If not long-lasting love, that I at least had a variety of “virtual dates” with interesting, funny, intelligent conversationalists? If not “dates”, that I was at least contacted by a few seemingly nice, normal men for possible interest? The list of probable encounters is narrowing as you read. All right, then, do you think that someone, anyone with a pulse, at least checked my profile? At last, we have […]
October 30, 2020
Step. Puff. Step. Puff. Step. Puff. This is how my walking started. Having survived life-threatening blood clots in my lungs, multiple hospital stays, complications, and infections, as well as the ongoing issue of collapsing spinal discs that left me in excruciating pain in the 7 months prior to this, I was lucky that I was on my feet, never mind walking. The pulmonologist said that it was imperative that I WALK in order to prevent a re-occurrence of the blood clots that almost killed me. Well, if that dire warning wasn’t enough to get me out the door walking, I […]
September 23, 2020
Whether it’s an appointment at the doctor’s office, your turn at the Weight Watcher scale, or your day in the privacy of your own home to get on that scale, you’re going to do everything in your power to make sure that the numbers that show up are as low as possible. You’ve taken your diuretic and have peed 8 times in the last 5 hours. If you are at the doctor’s office or weight loss group, you’ve taken off every stitch of clothing possible that won’t get you arrested for indecent exposure. You are left wearing lightweight shorts, […]