I'm blaming the coffee

I thought I was having a heart attack.  I had crushing chest pain, I was sweating, and I was very tired.  Oh, crap.  Well, I thought, Lord, if I'm going to die, remember what I said about not wanting to suffer?  Let's make it quick. 

No real regrets.  I wondered about my seedlings, and my tomato plant outside with freezing weather forecast.  Poor babies. 

Happily, I gave a tremendous belch and it got better.  Gas.  How embarrassing; how much worse if I'd CALLED 911 and ended up farting or belching... and I'm all better.  GLACK! 

Time to get some Maalox, I think.  UGH.  Too much drama! 

I slept horribly last night; so did Ron.  I was up at 1:40 and figured "Why try to get back to sleep, and then just wake up in 20 minutes?"  I got up, did my God Time, sucking on my Diet Mountain Dew like a baby with a pacifier. 

I need another 6 pack.  I did my usual stuff, bagged up some candy.  I made some coffee and drank a cup.  I never do that.  Our driver arrived at 3:45 AM.  The early morning paratransit drivers tell me they love the 3-11 shift.  Some of them do 2-10.  Dialysis is so common, and so prevalent, people get all night treatments, or treatments that start in the EARLY, early, morning. 

I will restate: I do not want dialysis.  Absolutely not.  My husband and aunt know this.  So does my sister and I need to tell Mom and Dad.  If God allows my kidneys to fail, then that's it. 

It's a good thing other people have different opinions, about 1/3 of the Metrolift trips are dialysis related.  Another 1/3 are developmentally disabled people going to and from their day programs, and the last third are the work-doctor-walmart trips. 

We rode around for about an hour and a half before getting dropped at work.  Yeah, I may not work 8 hours, but when you factor in my transit times... I'm working!   Hours a day waiting on rides and going all over Houston.  Thank God for it. 

So, I got to work.  I had to receive our Dr Pepper delivery.  I also had to get our Coke order from the other vendor.  I pulled a back muscle last week, and didn't want to annoy it.  This is about where the chest pain began.  Oh, it was horrible. 

I'm blaming the coffee.  It was the only unusual change in my routine. 

I managed to deal, get our delivery, and stock.  The "Beast" bottle vendor was naughty, so I put up a note "Use bills only".  I am tired of feeling like crap everytime I see someone got ripped off.  I taped over the coin slot.  If they ignore the note, tear off the cover, and put their coins in, they deserve to get robbed.  No, they don't... but they won't do that.  Then I disassembled it, again, and cleaned out the coin jam.  Then reassemble, remount, and slide back into place.  Oh, and I had to fill the change bank. 

It was pretty empty so we must have had several dozen happy campers, at any rate.  We restocked it.  I got the sandwiches. 

Ron was puzzled, the delivery guy is an hour earlier.  I had a lightbulb moment: the economy.  It's not just our business: everyone's bringing their lunch.  The vendors aren't buying sandwiches, or as many.  Of course they are an hour early now.  Sad for them. 

I like to bounce, and figure out new ways to get that vending quarter, if I can't get the dollar.  I like a challenge and I love offering a good bargain. 

So, work was productive.  I need more candy bars and crackers.  Pretty weak right now.  Other than that, I was happy.  We want the machines nice and full so people can get their snackies when the cold weather and rain hit. 

They opened up a donut shop down the street.  Competition; although I can say I haven't seen anyone bringing in donuts.  If they get them they aren't eating them at work. 

Finally, time to go.  The driver was right on time.  We went to Walmart.  I got some seeds and soda.  Something else I'm forgetting.  Oh, some snack food. 

I didn't get the evil sugarsnack.  I was happy about that.  Those things are wicked. 

Time to go; but the weather was lovely.  Ron and I waited outside, sunny, upper 60's, nice and balmy.  Ominous looking clouds have moved in; that's about to change. 

We came home, and I went to bed.  I slept a couple hours. 

I woke up thinking about my poor little collard greens shivering in the cold.  That got me out of bed.  I'm pretty pleased with my solution.  They need sun; because the weather will be awful for about a week.  They need serious protection, because lows will be in the low-20's. 

I drink a lot of soda.  2 liters, and 500 ml size (17 ounces).  Aha.  I cut the bottles in half.  I put half a small bottle over the plant, secured it, then layered the bigger bottle on top.  They're clear plastic; the plant get sun.  2 layers of protection; should be safe (collards can withstand at-freezing temps, in fact they are supposed to taste better). 

I was pretty irate when I saw that SOMETHING had munched one of my collards.  Grrr.  Good thing I didn't catch it! 

I "capped" everyone.  I spread a nice layer of chopped leaves all over the stuff, covered up the sweetpeas with some cardboard boxes; then I put a garden tool on top so they wouldn't blow away.  We are estimated to get some high winds. 

I covered up the rosemary, parsley, etc.  I used one of my 2 liter bottles (cut it off at the top, so it was longer), to cover the bay "tree" (about 8 inches tall).  I stuck some bamboo poles in the soil around the plant; it isn't well rooted yet so I can get away with this.  I rubberbanded the bottle"cap" to the poles, then fashioned a cardboard windbreak on the north side.  It should be OK; and it's windproof.  Nice layer of protection, plenty of sun shining in the plastic. 

I had bought a 4-pack of lettuce; it was fresh off the truck (the plants).  I know how the others will look on Wednesday -dead and dying.  Lettuce hates to be frozen.  I put them in with the tomato pot, and brought them inside.  I rigged up grow lights with the tomato cage, and everyone looks delightful.  Now I just need to rearrange that corner so it "flows". 

They'll be in the house for about a week or so, they need to "eat".  I put them on plastic so I can water them, too. 

A busy day.