Still here!
Sep. 27th, 2017 02:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
feng_shui_houseI've had a bum left shoulder for ages. I kept working it and finally it CRACKED really loudly and burned for a few days, but seems better now.
Been avoiding doing any physical stuff, to let the arm heal (so what if only 2 out of 5 lights in the kitchen turn on- not gonna get the ladder).
Been continuing to write the same fic. It's ... possibly going to take forever... I've got into RPG writing mode and took about a week to cover 8am to 6pm of ONE day...oh, well... some days need more detail, section leader (B7 reference).
Have NOT been able to get to the grocery. I was late for my monthly shopping *before* hurricane IRMA & just picked up a few things then because I didn't want a lot of perishables. And then afterward I was working to get damaged stuff out on the trash because the city USED to come do an extra bulk pickup within a few days of a hurricane & if you didn't have your stuff out by then, you had to wait until the regular once a month bulk. 3 neighbors *offered* to help, but when I said oh, that would be great, could you, just help with this one... oh, oh, we're busy RIGHT NOW but tomorrow!
So, you know, they never came back and I wasn't gullible enough to sit on my hands and wait. So I disassembled a metal shed and dragged it bit by bit to the pile (luckily my area has many many metal scavengers, so they did take that),
I cut and cut and cut at a big tree in my front yard that had major half-broken limbs (couldn't get a tree trimming service at first cuz all busy),
I took down two really long poles from the top of a chain link fence that had been set in a wall but only the end posts remained in the wall (scavengers got long poles), I saved the loose posts (all aluminum, can maybe fill in gaps to keep out stray dogs),
took out all the plastic strips woven into the chain link & put them on the front pile,
got to the point I absolutely could not cut any more on the tree after a week (did about half), tried again, got tree trimmers to come. I'd already made a huge pile on HALF of the verge in front of my house. The tree trimmers piled what they cut on the other end of the verge, leaving a gap not really big enough for a car to park, but MAYBE...
then the city finally got around to cutting a tree THEY had planted across the street next to the sewer lift station, and instead of hauling away their own cutting, they PUT IT in front of me, narrowing the gap even FURTHER.
Ok, so I can't go to the grocery until my arm is better- the burning after the cracking-- really not good for lifting jugs etc. So I figure, ok, I'll have to wait a bit, by then the trash will be gone. The city phoned repeatedly with a message saying the hurricane debris pick up would be COMPLETED by the 25th. The 25th is NORMALLY my bulk pickup anyway.
The 25th comes and goes. No pick up. I tried to complain on the city webshite. There are 3 ways to contact them- an online form-- WHICH DOES NOT WORK-- gives a Server error (this is the SAME server error it had the LAST time I needed to complain)-- phone numbers for the various departments-- I called the Solid Waste dept and was told, oh, hurricane debris? That's another number, I'll transfer you- and I got transferred to a number that was TOO BUSY to talk to me, but let me leave a message. And the third? City Hell's physical address... I COULD send them a letter. My mail carrier tends to pick up my outgoing mail whenever they feel like it, maybe every other day, if I'm lucky. (I have a sign I put up above the box when I have mail- PLEASE PICK UP MAIL- I used to have a little flag on the box which you were supposed to raise when you needed mail picked up, but that got ignored).
SO, I figure, I'm HUNGRY, have not had fresh food in over a month & there's not a heck of a lot of other stuff left. (I know I can survive 11 days at least without food, as I had done that last year? when I was sick and couldn't eat, but it's NOT GOOD for me, and I would prefer to avoid an involuntary fast). I HAD luckily ordered some GF pasta, but I really... really... don't like pasta, it's like... it's fuel, but ...
SO, Ok, I have this one taxi driver who is a really good guy, and maybe he will be willing to back his car into the narrow space so I can get my groceries from the trunk instead of having to unload them in the STREET.
I wake up pre-dawn on the 26th. THUNDERING lightning, rain, and I say well, I don't want to stand in the rain trying to unload groceries, I will call the taxi guy tomorrow. Also, not enough sleep. Rain stops, things dry out, and the bulk pick up NEVER HAPPENS.
Bulk pickup still hasn't happened- today's the 27th. Called the taxi guy. Left a message. He called back after an hour.
He's been sick for 10 days, was just coming out of his Dr.s office. Offered to have a friend come for me. I said no, it's late (doubt anyone else would be willing to back into the narrow space and help me get my stuff in), I'll call tomorrow, just to see how you're doing & I can call his friend (a former Uber driver, now works for himself & had picked me up a couple times, nice guy but not I think willing to go THAT far above the call of duty).
So, anyway, my innards are not happy with my even more than usual unbalanced diet-- just had canned yams with butter for lunch... and I don't know if I'll ever get out again...*sigh* How do I get myself into these situations??
Been avoiding doing any physical stuff, to let the arm heal (so what if only 2 out of 5 lights in the kitchen turn on- not gonna get the ladder).
Been continuing to write the same fic. It's ... possibly going to take forever... I've got into RPG writing mode and took about a week to cover 8am to 6pm of ONE day...oh, well... some days need more detail, section leader (B7 reference).
Have NOT been able to get to the grocery. I was late for my monthly shopping *before* hurricane IRMA & just picked up a few things then because I didn't want a lot of perishables. And then afterward I was working to get damaged stuff out on the trash because the city USED to come do an extra bulk pickup within a few days of a hurricane & if you didn't have your stuff out by then, you had to wait until the regular once a month bulk. 3 neighbors *offered* to help, but when I said oh, that would be great, could you, just help with this one... oh, oh, we're busy RIGHT NOW but tomorrow!
So, you know, they never came back and I wasn't gullible enough to sit on my hands and wait. So I disassembled a metal shed and dragged it bit by bit to the pile (luckily my area has many many metal scavengers, so they did take that),
I cut and cut and cut at a big tree in my front yard that had major half-broken limbs (couldn't get a tree trimming service at first cuz all busy),
I took down two really long poles from the top of a chain link fence that had been set in a wall but only the end posts remained in the wall (scavengers got long poles), I saved the loose posts (all aluminum, can maybe fill in gaps to keep out stray dogs),
took out all the plastic strips woven into the chain link & put them on the front pile,
got to the point I absolutely could not cut any more on the tree after a week (did about half), tried again, got tree trimmers to come. I'd already made a huge pile on HALF of the verge in front of my house. The tree trimmers piled what they cut on the other end of the verge, leaving a gap not really big enough for a car to park, but MAYBE...
then the city finally got around to cutting a tree THEY had planted across the street next to the sewer lift station, and instead of hauling away their own cutting, they PUT IT in front of me, narrowing the gap even FURTHER.
Ok, so I can't go to the grocery until my arm is better- the burning after the cracking-- really not good for lifting jugs etc. So I figure, ok, I'll have to wait a bit, by then the trash will be gone. The city phoned repeatedly with a message saying the hurricane debris pick up would be COMPLETED by the 25th. The 25th is NORMALLY my bulk pickup anyway.
The 25th comes and goes. No pick up. I tried to complain on the city webshite. There are 3 ways to contact them- an online form-- WHICH DOES NOT WORK-- gives a Server error (this is the SAME server error it had the LAST time I needed to complain)-- phone numbers for the various departments-- I called the Solid Waste dept and was told, oh, hurricane debris? That's another number, I'll transfer you- and I got transferred to a number that was TOO BUSY to talk to me, but let me leave a message. And the third? City Hell's physical address... I COULD send them a letter. My mail carrier tends to pick up my outgoing mail whenever they feel like it, maybe every other day, if I'm lucky. (I have a sign I put up above the box when I have mail- PLEASE PICK UP MAIL- I used to have a little flag on the box which you were supposed to raise when you needed mail picked up, but that got ignored).
SO, I figure, I'm HUNGRY, have not had fresh food in over a month & there's not a heck of a lot of other stuff left. (I know I can survive 11 days at least without food, as I had done that last year? when I was sick and couldn't eat, but it's NOT GOOD for me, and I would prefer to avoid an involuntary fast). I HAD luckily ordered some GF pasta, but I really... really... don't like pasta, it's like... it's fuel, but ...
SO, Ok, I have this one taxi driver who is a really good guy, and maybe he will be willing to back his car into the narrow space so I can get my groceries from the trunk instead of having to unload them in the STREET.
I wake up pre-dawn on the 26th. THUNDERING lightning, rain, and I say well, I don't want to stand in the rain trying to unload groceries, I will call the taxi guy tomorrow. Also, not enough sleep. Rain stops, things dry out, and the bulk pick up NEVER HAPPENS.
Bulk pickup still hasn't happened- today's the 27th. Called the taxi guy. Left a message. He called back after an hour.
He's been sick for 10 days, was just coming out of his Dr.s office. Offered to have a friend come for me. I said no, it's late (doubt anyone else would be willing to back into the narrow space and help me get my stuff in), I'll call tomorrow, just to see how you're doing & I can call his friend (a former Uber driver, now works for himself & had picked me up a couple times, nice guy but not I think willing to go THAT far above the call of duty).
So, anyway, my innards are not happy with my even more than usual unbalanced diet-- just had canned yams with butter for lunch... and I don't know if I'll ever get out again...*sigh* How do I get myself into these situations??
no subject
Date: 2017-09-27 09:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-27 10:17 pm (UTC)It really shouldn't be taking so long for the city to pick up. The damage wasn't nearly as bad as other storms where they picked up within a few days.
Tomorrow I hope to try again- maybe the second taxi guy will be able to figure out how to help me get the groceries into the house. Or at least, maybe it won't be raining and I can leave them on the ground & ferry them into the house in stages.
*fingers crossed*
no subject
Date: 2017-09-29 12:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-29 12:38 am (UTC)At the moment my arm's not hurting much. *fingers crossed* Didn't go out today because OW, but maybe tomorrow??
no subject
Date: 2017-09-29 01:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-29 01:42 am (UTC)Maybe tomorrow I will go out, and if not maybe I'll order some non-perishables the usual way from Amazon. I DO have some pasta, maybe hunger will make it taste better...
no subject
Date: 2017-09-29 12:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2017-09-29 12:54 am (UTC)I do on occasion order non-perishables from regular Amazon, mostly GlutenFree that I can't get locally...
oh, yikes, I need sleep, gotta try for a nap now.
*got curious* You'd have to pay for Amazon Prime *PLUS* $15 a month for the grocery service membership.