High Speed Transfer ~ Page 2 of 4 ~ JudiM

Antibody Infusion

Covid Treatment – Antibody Infusion

During today’s televisit, the Dr suggested that I consider antibody infusion therapy. Her reasoning was that she had seen a number of patients, even those with mild cases like mine, take a turn for the worse about Day 8. My risk factors made her think that 1: It was important to consider therapy and 2: I would very likely qualify for some of a limited supply.

Here’s how my afternoon naptime went – Covid antibody infusion therapy at IRL infusion suite

The infusion itself was 20 minutes. Getting settled into the recliner with pillows and getting the minor stick for the IV took less than 10 minutes and when the infusion finished, the nurse set a timer for 59 minutes so they could monitor for reactions.

Should I be concerned about this sudden pain?

I didn’t notice any side effects after the infusion, but I did have a scare in the middle. It lasted maybe 30 seconds and then it was gone. First I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder, then it crossed my chest and hit the right shoulder. Very quick, but intense.

I thought it might be a cardiac event and briefly wondered if I should call the nurse who was sitting right outside the door. I decided I better say something while I could and said almost too quietly – “Hey”.

She responded instantly – “did you call me?”

“Yes”

And in between the 2 sentences of that conversation, the pain hit both hips at the same time, making me feel like a butterfly pinned to the recliner. I told her what was happening and she unplugged the O2 cord, grabbed the pillow fort around me and asked if I could stand. I could. And just like that the pains were gone.

The infusion was half finished and since I didn’t seem any worse for wear – all the vitals showing on the machine had not changed at all, I tucked back in and finished up.

Infusion results

I can’t say that the infusion suddenly made me feel better because I really didn’t feel too bad before. I’m glad for the prevention it might have provided and I appreciate that I might have some extra immunity now until I can get boosted. BTW – with this infusion I have to wait 90 days for a booster.

Pet Portraits: Fun and Fabulous

Choose a fun pet portrait as a “school pic” for your fur baby!

When these fun pet portraits first hit the scene, I smiled for hours. Now I could sift through photos and make Squeak the King he was, and Maggie as an object of adoration by Rembrandt. Even Bear could have a portrait – I think he would make a great Inauguration Bernie.

I’m going to share links to Etsy shops that do pet portraits from your photo. I’m picking my favorite pet portraits, but you have dozens of nice styles to choose from.

**These photos are from individual shops at Etsy.com where you can find the style of pet portrait that you prefer. Dozens more to choose!**

Please note: It’s important for you to read the details (fine print if you will) about your purchase. Many of the choices are digital downloads that you print at home. While this is a great choice for many friends, it’s not a good outcome for someone who was expecting a shipped product. Please, please make sure you know which one you’re buying as you decide.

1st Post-Pandemic Road Trip

Update Dec 1: Turns out we weren’t post-pandemic after all, but we are gradually learning to live with Covid. Every road trip or adventure is planned with risk in mind. Hopefully the world can wrestle this virus to the ground soon.

Wild Lights Festival at Blank Park Zoo

Four of us “girls” travel together whenever we decide on where and when. We’ve been anxiously waiting for vaccinations and good weather so we could head back out into the world.

Our first adventure was at Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. The Wild Lights Festival sponsored by MidAmerican Energy was beyond excellent. Lighted animal sculptures throughout the zoo were beautiful and the overall project was brilliantly imagined.

We spent several hours at the zoo during the day, enjoying our first trip in over a year and delighting at the sights and sounds of a nice family zoo. Then we checked into our room at the Hampton Inn near the Jordan Creek Town Center Shopping Mall in West Des Moines. We’ve stayed there before and were quite comfortable, AND there’s an Applebees a few dozen steps across the parking lot.

At dusk, we returned to the zoo for the main event and we were not disappointed. The best time to view the sculptures is at dark, but you want to arrive a little beforehand to get your bearings. The best photo images are before dark unless your phone has extraordinary effects that you have mastered. 🙂

We had the best time walking through the zoo in the dark, following the same path as we had a few hours previous, but discovering all the beautiful art pieces in every direction. Oooohs and Ahhhhs doesn’t begin to describe it.

On to Pella and the tulips bakery

The next morning we packed up, had a very leisurely breakfast in an empty breakfast area (They had pretty good pandemic choices!) and then pointed the car eastward toward home. The day’s plan was to stop in Pella, Iowa to see the tulips in full bloom with fewer people than will be at next week’s Tulip Festival.

Pella did not disappoint. There were plenty of people for sure, but nothing like the crowds on Parade Day. We were seated pretty quickly at the Windmill Cafe (always worth a wait) and had lunch. Hundreds and hundreds of tulip photos taken by the 4 of us before and after lunch, and several stops to poke into the shops to see what was new in the world. That alone was worth the trip.

Sidewalk line-up for the Jaarsma Bakery

Two required stops in Pella are: 1) Bakery 2) Butcher. We sort of did both. We stopped at the butcher to grab cold cans of Diet Coke to fortify us for the half block line outside the bakery. It was nice to chat with the people around us while we waited. They were enforcing the 6 ft rule and masks, but even before Covid, you wait in line to enter either of the bakeries on the square. Diane had a list of things to procure – her friends at home desired coffee cake and almond cookies. I just wanted a bite or two of sugar, fat and salt so I wasn’t sure what I was actually waiting for – just knew it would be good.

Once inside the bakery, we searched the coffee cakes for the flavors on the shopping list. Cherry was all gone but I spotted a pecan and thought I had arrived in heaven. I love love love pecan pastry and so I had my purchase in hand.

On the way home we were comparing the wonders of Pecan coffee cake from Pella with Pecan Kringle from Racine, WI. Yesterday I voted for Kringle since it’s been a favorite craving since our sailing days. But then today I had Pella pecan coffee cake for breakfast and I have a new vice.

I’m going to share links for the Jaarsma Bakery Coffee Cakes AND the Racine Kringle so you can try them both. The Amazon link is a paid ad and the Jaarsma Bakery site is not. Both pastries are AMAZING!

Here’s the Pecan Kringle Amazon link:

Amazon has Pecan Kringle from Racine, Wisconsin!

And the Jaarsma Bakery site:

Jaarsma Bakery, Pella, Iowa

The Great Courses Review

After a few weeks of lectures

Advertising note: When I link to businesses and / or products, I make a real effort to get paid for that advertising. It doesn't change my opinion, but you should know that I might be paid for my referral.

A friend asked me for my opinion / review of The Great Courses and this is a major portion of what I sent back to her.

I have rec’d the catalogs in the mail in the past and while intrigued, never pulled the trigger. This year, the catalog with 80% off hit at just the right level of boredom and I was reminded that one thing I wanted to do in retirement was go back to school. I have limited college, so I wanted to look back and pick up basics that I felt I needed, more than just what interested me.

Watch the trailers – excellent preview

I went to the site and watched a trailer for “How to Write Bestselling Fiction”. I was so intrigued I took notes and made a file folder. 🙂 It was like a recipe without being one of those books about formula writing.

Cost of annual vs individual courses

Once I made a list from the catalog and the site, I realized that even at just $25 a pop, I would be better off $$$ buying the annual unlimited pck at TheGreatCoursesPlus. So I took a big breath and did it. Added all the ones from my list to my “watchlist” which just makes them easily bookmarked. So here’s what I picked (or added later) and how many lectures I’ve watched and how I feel about it. Most lectures are + or – 30 minutes.

Here are the courses I am taking

Great Ideas of Philosophy – watched 8 so far – I love this class. The professor is one of those I would have labeled a bore when I was 18, but he has made incredible points about Socrates and the Hellenic period of Greek history that I anxiously await the next one.

How to Write Bestselling Fiction – 5 completed – I learn things every time that make so much sense and yet I never knew. Now I catch myself noting things in the books I’m reading or thinking about reading.

Writing Great Fiction – Storytelling – 5 done and a 6th that was on, but I wandered off and made a note to go back and do over. Not as compelling – it’s deeper and more about developing skills than it is about a recipe. I find it valuable, but more like a droning English teacher than the one you love.

How to Draw I’ve watched 2 and skipped over it on my schedule now 4 times. I really wanted this class but so far an entire hour has been spend showing me his various pencils and what kinds of lines they make. I will force myself back because it’s important to me to learn some basics and also to discover if my avoidance is fear of failure or success. The professor is good looking but the room setting is more interesting then he is.

Learning Italian Language – 4 watched. What I wanted was phrases I could use in travel. So far I am getting freshman Italian with verb forms and whether adjectives correctly indicate singular or plural. I feel like all I’ve learned so far is because I recognize roots from 3 years of H.S. French and a knack for the romance languages when I hear them around me.

Guide to Essential Italy – 3 watched. I’ve been skipping this one sometimes also. It’s a pretty good travel guide but the visuals are the value. The professor knows his stuff; I’m just not that interested. About half of each lecture feels like what you would get from a good local guide and the other half is world history teacher.

Added after initial choices:

Working with Watercolor – 1 watched. I will go back and use this one again when I have a brush in hand and paper ready. I will fast forward and rewind for specific techniques because they are there. I noticed that the teacher usually posts on Craftsy, which is a $5 a class type of place and while good for some, it’s too basic for me. The 30 minutes I watched was similar to How to Draw. I saw all her brushes and all her colors. That’s it.

The Federalist Papers – I have #7 queued up. I have watched 2 in a row sometimes because they are that interesting to me. In depth info about the intentions of the founding authors when they were seeking ratification of the new constitution. Highly recommend for anyone with even a casual interest in civics at the Fed / State level.

Recommendation

Conclusion and recommendation – I will continue with most of the above, some more than others and when the 12-60 lectures for a course are finished I will look for others of interest. Will my interest last for a whole year so that I renew instead of cancel. At this point I will say yes. But I also know myself, so if I wander off, I will surely miss a few dozen interesting things I could have learned.

Watching the trailer is helpful for me because it’s usually an excerpt from about lecture 3, so you get a good idea of the course material and not just a sales pitch. In fact, I have never felt a sales pitch of any kind, even in the frequent emails I get with current event tie-ins to new courses.

Guide to Essential Italy

From The Great Courses Plus, we start the Guide to Essential Italy in Rome.

Continuing with my new class schedule, I give you “Guide to Essential Italy”, a tour of three famous cities of Italy: Venice, Florence, and Rome.

Statue with horn of plenty in Piazza del Campidoglio, Rome, Italy

Photo credit: my paid account at Depositphotos, which I love!

Advertising note: When I link to businesses and / or products, I make a real effort to get paid for that advertising. It doesn't change my opinion, but you should know that I might be paid for my referral.

I chose the image above as a representation of this first lecture in this class from The Great Courses Plus. Why? Because it made me twitch and giggle at the same time, which is an indicator of great art, no?

Our tour begins in Rome Italy

“The Essential Guide to Italy” begins in Rome. We took a virtual tour, walking through the ancient parts of the City. Being a huge Michelangelo fan, I was intrigued by the Piazza del Campidoglio, which he designed. Every detail came from his prolific mind.

I was reminded of a point that was made in a lecture I attended a few weeks ago about sculptures in Florence. The question posed was “Why are the statues always nude?” and the answer was because in that time period, the human body was considered the primary and most beautiful creation of God. I’ll go with that for now.

Body Worship in Rome Italy Art

The image above certainly depicts that worship of the male figure in spite of the name including horn of plenty in case you wanted an excuse to gaze for awhile.

I’m looking forward to further lectures in this class. Florence is on my bucket list for art and I can’t wait to understand Venice better. Our trip is scheduled for September and I’m really trying to prepare as though it will happen.

Back To School

A bad case of the doldrums, a vicious week of politics, and a beautiful direct mail catalog has propelled me back to school. I retired from my main contract work in July and I am apparently now sufficiently rested and refreshed.

The Great Courses catalog arrived at the perfect time. It’s not too late to make a long story short, so here it is: I signed up for the Great Courses Plus unlimited option at the annual rate and then plotted a schedule for 5 courses.

My Great Courses Class Schedule

Today was Day 1. When I looked at my beautifully colored and printed schedule, I realized I was already a day late. I SCHEDULED A CLASS FOR SUNDAY?

I blocked out a schedule for 5 classes for Jan through May

Learning Italian Language

Starting from behind on a Monday morning, with my first cup of coffee, I downloaded the course PDF and started in “Learning Italian Language”. I gave myself permission to have 1st day confusion and bleary-eyed attention, which helped. I might have been overwhelmed otherwise, but I really want to learn a few basic Italian phrases and responses before Sept.

The Great Ideas of Philosophy 2nd Edition

2nd Cup of coffee and toast: “The Great Ideas of Philosophy”. This is something that has always interested me. I learned a new word right off the bat and felt extremely proud for 1/2 the 30 minute lecture. Upanishads. Go ahead, google it. I’ll wait.

I’m on a roll – feeling like a real student with a class schedule and grabbing snacks in between. What a Monday and what a feeling of accomplishment already.

How to Draw (and then lunch)

“How to Draw” is the whole reason I kept the Great Courses catalog open for so many days before signing up. I really really really want to get back to making art and I have some kind of huge block. So back to the drawing board (sorry) for me. These 30 minute classes are just right. Loving it so far.

Today is, or soon will be, a snow day. Predicted 12 inches to begin any time, so I wanted to make a mad dash to Subway for what might be my last fast food this week. It’s been several months now since I had a prescribed “lunch hour” rush so again, I was feeling a rush of normalcy.

How to Write Best-Selling Fiction

Last class of the day after lunch – I only allowed myself a mobile game until 1:00 – “How to Write Best-Selling Fiction”. This first lecture was more about outlining the course than it was any concrete start, but with my after-lunch timing, that was actually helpful.

Recorded lectures are awesome

The best part of all today’s courses was the fact that they are recorded and accessible to me 24/7. Several times today and at least once for each, I replayed a bit that I felt like I had missed by not quite paying attention. That is an awesome benefit for me, since paying attention is a fleeting talent.

All in all, I’m anxious to keep going. Tomorrow I have only one class “Guide to Essential Italy” which is also prep for my trip in September. And then Wednesday I will repeat some of the above and add “Writing Great Fiction: Storytelling Tips and Techniques”.

I’m stoked! I left college way too soon to come home and be a wife and Mother. It’s one of the biggest regrets of my life and I have attempted to learn everything that went by me ever since. Now that I’m “retired” and way less motivated than I’ve ever been to be productive – this is the perfect structure for me.

Great Courses vs Great Courses Plus

The catalog that drew me in was for Great Courses – all were on sale at an unbelievable price and I could easily find 5 or more (the limit allowed at $35 or less each). These courses are online or on DVD – your choice although the DVD price is slightly higher.

I saw a banner for Great Courses Plus and realized that the annual plan on sale was less than the 5 courses I had picked. With Great Courses Plus, I have free reign to pick and choose from hundreds. I’m trying to be smart about it and not get overwhelmed, so the schedule image above was my solution. I pretended I was constructing a semester’s work. And I took great joy in ignoring math and science (at least for now).

Review: we are never meeting in real life, by samantha irby

This was our book club choice for January and the concensus was positive. I stayed silent about my negatives because the positives are overwhelming. This b&#!h is funny!

My negatives were simple. Samantha is “uncensored” and I mean that with all my heart. While I was reading it, there were times when I twitched at the vulgarity, and I can vulgar with the best of them. If you’re unsure, start with the title essay, which is the last one. She’s funny as hell and if what she writes in that signature piece speaks to you, then you’ll love the rest of the book.

The primary reason this book is awesome (and Samantha is awesome, too) is that she is so relatable. Her life is nothing like mine, but there was a feeling of “Oh, man, I know what you mean” on every page. You’ll laugh, you’ll snort, you might tear up (near the end – the cat) and you will definitely relate.

That’s all – my book reviews are minimalist.

Weather Whine

I just saw a Facebook meme that perfectly captures today’s experience:

“Summer didn’t even say Bye. B***h just packed up her shit and left.”

I was doing the September thing… Labor Day means thinking about shoes and long pants again. Think ahead about fall activities instead of just moaning about the heat and over-watering the flowers.

BUT we went from beautiful to cold, wet, ugly overnight. And in my world, anything I notice in the way of weather is not fun.

Heart Tug

There are always little stacks of paper notes to sort through – on my desk, in my planner, everywhere. Today I was sorting a small stack that had been tucked in the main pocket of my planner, which meant they held some serious importance to me for one reason or another. A folded piece of torn printer paper had written at the top: I want to:

Old wish list found — Yes, I draw on all my papers, don’t you?

So what followed was a list of goals from some time in the past and I quickly determined that it was at least 9 or 10 years old because number 8 was “Go sailing somewhere fun” and number 9 brought tears. 9: Fun road trip with Dave. The word fun was underlined, so I think the list might be from his last year when our trips were mostly to the ER. We had two exhausting trips in that time period also – when his Mother passed away in Colorado, we made the trip from Arkansas to Colorado and then to Iowa and he made it through the burial and then spent the next 10 days in the Iowa City Hospital. About a year later, we made a 10 days journey to IL/IA and saw as many kids/grandkids/baseball games/Father’s Day cards/birthday dinners/lunches with friends as we could manage. So writing “fun” road trip with Dave was probably a message of hope to the Universe during a trying time.

Some other highlights from the list – to leave on a positive note:
Paint – the dining room AND a painting or two
Write – I still think about that Great American novel, don’t you?
Family Reunion – We did manage that a few times after this note was written – I’m always ready to do it again.
Entertain
Travel

Pretty generic, right? I think I will fold this back up again and drop it in the memento box.

This Just Landed On My Doorstep: Sleeping Beauties, Stephen King and Owen King

Advertising note: When I link to businesses and / or products, I make a real effort to get paid for that advertising.
 It doesn't change my opinion, but you should know that I might be paid for my referral.

I absolutely love Stephen King. I pre-ordered this 1st edition and it just arrived. I may have to pull an all-nighter. What’s your favorite Stephen King book?

I’m anxious to see whether I like the combination of him and his son Owen writing. I recently read his other son’s “Fireman” and seriously thought I was reading Stephen himself – it was that good and that similar.

OK, gotta run – lots of reading to do.