In my city, I'm a vibe girl, I'm a Top Ten.....

 As it's now the last day of 2025, it's time for....

The Top Ten Things Of 2025

There were other things that occurred this year that didn't make the Top Ten list.  Things like weird weather (sub zero temps in January, Autumn temps and conditions in August); renewing my passport and getting it back in the mail in only 3 weeks!; reading the new Dragonlance Books and re-reading the old ones from 40 years ago; anxiety, depression and apathy at various times throughout the years; stomach issues (nausea, diarrhea, cramps) which I'm attributing to the Ozempic, happening at various times during the year; binging the first 17 seasons of Law & Order and binging all 8 seasons of Bewitched.  Things like those.  But onto the top ten list.... 

10. Mom Fell

Earlier this year, on a Sunday, I got a call from mom that she fell out at one of the buildings in the retirement village she lives in.  I hurried my way there and got her, she seemed okay except for her shoulder and said I needed to take her to the hospital.  The end result was that she was fine, except for a bruised shoulder and arm where she landed.   They gave her a sling and some pain killers and sent her home.    Thankfully, that's all it was.  (that's a generic pic by the way, not mom or what happened.)

9. Retina Study Ends

Back in 2021 I was sent to the Retina Specialist and they told me I had a retina edema and I was a perfect candidate for a study they were conducting.  So, I got a port put in my right eye and it got refilled every six months as part of the study, which I still had to get a shot in my left eye every month. 

Well after 4 years, they told me study was over.  Once the study ended however the company running he study would no longer pay for anything.   So while over the last four years I had everything done for free now I'd have to pay.  And the FDA had approved the port, so that was all good, but since it was new my insurance said they would not cover treatments for the port.  So it's a shot in both eyeballs now, which insurance will pay for, but there's a copay now.   So I suppose there's both good and bad news  for this result.

8. Deaths

This year had some deaths of people I knew, some more disturbing than others.   There was Puntabupeep Mikey.  There was Sis, the grandmother of a good friend of mine who, 37 years ago, I spent a LOT of time with at his grandparents house, especially on Sundays when she cooked dinner and the whole family was there to eat and play cards and stuff.   There was my mom's cousin Bonnie, who was her age and who had grown up with her.  Also, when I was a younger, they, their husbands and their kids would get together at each other's houses at least once a month.    There were other deaths, but these hit the closest and hardest.  Sadly, as I get older, there will be more of them.

7.  New Doors

When I bought the house the front and back doors (and upstairs balcony door) were all old and wood and drafty.  Finally, after all these years here, I decided to get them replaced.  The new doors are metal and have new door frames so they fit perfectly, no drafts.   They lock a lot easier and unlike the old ones, they have to BE locked, they don't automatically lock when I shut the door behind me, so no more accidentally locking myself out of the house.

6. Reconnecting with Borders' Friends!

I worked at Borders bookstore from 2000-2003, and not only was it the best job I've ever had but I met some amazing people.   The ParisPekings and Ghostie are all from Borders. I still keep in touch, online, with others.   Well this year, one of them, Candace contacted me about going to see Ken Burns give a speech in Gettysburg.  And we went and had a great time together.  Then another one, Kristen, saw me post about it online and since she lives in town, contacted me and we went to the Waynesburger, had a meal and caught up.  It was great fun, too!  I hope to keep in touch with them more this year. 

5. Tooth Issues

Once again, I've had a bunch of tooth issues: problems with a bridge, a big cavity between two teeth, part of a tooth cracked and I had a filling put in, which dropped out, and I had a replacement put in, which later fell out, so I decided to a crown put on it...which I'm still waiting to get put on.  So yeah, like every year, my teeth are crap. 

4. Colonoscopy(s)

So this year, it was time for my second colonoscopy.  After my prep in January I wasn't cleaned out enough so we had to reschedule.  At the reschedule in March, and after a TWO DAY fast and a different prep...I STILL wasn't cleaned out enough.  But after TWO enemas later, I was good to go.  However, one of my nurses said the problem may be that I'm on Ozempic.  So even though I went off it a week beforehand both times, the next time I have one, I'm gonna see if I can stop it for a month, so that i CAN get cleaned out properly.  But on the positive side, they found nothing, not even polyps like last time.  So that's all good.  In the end.  (ba-dum-DUM!)

3. Work Changes

So at work, there's been some changes.  A few people retired.  A few people left under....less than ideal circumstances.  And some 'linear' movements.  One of the other two people in my department decided she wanted to move to a different department.  Which is fine, good for her.  But what it did is open up that position in my department.  Which meant that now, in my last couple years here, I'd have to retrain a new person, and wait for them to hire a new one, and while I waited for that to happen, two of us would have to do that work of three people.   How horrible.  But luckily, there was a guy in another department who had experience in the things MY department does, and he took the open position.  SO I didn't have to totally retrain him, as he already knew quite a few things.  And he's been working out very well. Thankfully. 

2. tRump Clown Circus

I refuse to spend a lot time on these deplorables, but the damage they've done to this country, and in fact the world, will last for years for not decades.  And who knows how long it will take to correct once we've finally rid ourselves of them.  America has a very BIG reckoning coming to it, and I don't believe it will be pretty.  And it WILL get worse before it gets better here.  Sadly.

1. Cedrik

 

Of course he's number one.  He made my year, and changed my life.  He's the first man I dated that I introduced to mom as my boyfriend.  He's the first man I introduced to my closest cousin and her son.  We spent most weekends together.  And then, well then it became clear it wasn't going to work. At least now.  So we split.  But that doesn't change how I (and I assume he) feel.  And maybe sometime in the future we can make it work.  But regardless, he's had the biggest impact on my year. 

POLT

At night, I lock the doors, where no one else can see....

 For the 15 and a half years I've lived in this house, I've had the same ancient, outdated, ill-fitting, drafty doors,  Earlier this year, I finally decided to do something about it: replaced the doors.  And today, after two days work, they replaced the front door, back door and balcony door.

Front Door, old: 

Front door, new: 

Back door, old: 

Back door, new: 

Balcony, old: 

Balcony door, new: 

Monday, they did the balcony door and the back door, today they did the front door and both screen doors.  I wasn't supposed to mess with the blinds (they are IN the doors, in the window!) for 24 hours.  So the back door, right along the alley outside, had it's blinds up.  Which meant, anyone going up and down the alley could see right into the Kitchen.  Nope, not gonna have that.  So I had to improvise.

I used a chair, the snow shovel and the beach towel I set the shovel on, and made a window cover.

Necessity IS the mother of invention. 

So anyway, new doors. Yep, got 'em. 

POLT

I took the road less traveled by (Part 2517)....

 MAPS!

Since I moved into the house 15 and a half years ago, the wall behind my bed has just been plain white.  a lil bit ago, I decided I needed to do something about that, finally.  So I bought these three panels showing a world map.  And I hung them myself (which you can probably tell, as they're not hung exactly perfectly...but it's good enough for me). 

POLT

Like a top ten song, I had it all.....

 As it's now the last day of 2023, it's time for....

My Top Ten List Of 2023!

These was quite a bit that happened that didn't make the list but were important: no measurable snow over the winter; lunch with Canadian Tam in Frederick; supper with Kathy aka Mama who I worked with at Borders 20 years ago and haven't really seen or talked to in 15 years; Chiefs comeback in the Super Bowl to beat the Eagles; some problems with Belle resulting in new tires for her; the new sofa; the issues with getting rid of the old sofa; finally getting the treadmill out of here (to the thrift shop where mom lives where it sold within three days); all the binges of TV shows I saw (Loki, The Kids In The Hall, L.A.Law, Succession, Critter Fixers, Grantchester, Peaky Blinders, all the Untold sport documentaries, an all eight Harry Potter movies too!).  

But enough of what did NOT make the list.  How about what DID make the list? 

10. COVID scare

Just a little over a week before Christmas, I had a COVID exposure at work.  Was talking to a guy there, had trouble hearing him, leaned in, had my ear about 6, 8, 10 inches from his mouth while he explained what he wanted.  I answered him, and less than an hour later, I found out he had just then tested positive for COVID!  I was convinced I had been infected. (you can see from the above pic, that was not the case).  But after almost 4 years of social distancing, wearing masks (even now some places), vaccines and boosters, I just knew I had it.  And that it would fuck up Christmas, cause if I WAS positive, I'd not go out to mom's Christmas Day.    But again, the test, after 5 days of secluding myself as best I could, came back negative.  Thankfully, it turned out that way!

9. Mom's 80th Birthday

Back in March, mom turned 80!  Eight freaking decades!  She had TWO birthday parties: One, on the day before her birthday thrown by her 'friend' Howard out at the village where she lives.  It was mainly people she knows from out there, although mom did want me, her brother, sister and their spouses there too.   And there was cake and ice cream and someone played the piano and it was fun.  I got to meet some of the people she talks about all the time.   The Second party was the next day, Saturday, March 17th, her actual birthday.  I threw that one, as a surprise.  Howard got her out of the house and again, her brother and sister and their spouses, and all their kids and most of the their grandkids too were there.  It was for lunch, we have pizza, steamers, chips, cake and ice cream.   Lots of balloons and a couple gifts and everything.  She wasn't really surprised, for various reasons, she had figured something was up.  But still a fun time was had by all. 

8. Mary's Retirement

There have been a LOT of changes at work (see below), but one deserves it's own entry.  One of the first people I met and who befriended me when I started working there was my Work Mom, Lil Mary (named Lil by me cause she stands only like 5'4 or so).  She been there the whole 28 years I've been there, becoming, as I said, my Work Mom: friend, confidant, rant-receiver, conspirator, a sympathetic ear and a sharer of political beliefs in a place rife with tRump supporters.   Well, this year she was 83, and still in good health (and still working!).  Until, over the summer she had a medical emergency at work and was in the hospital in critical condition for several weeks.  There was no guarantee she would survive.  But she's a tough ole bird, and she did.  And is not living at home.  But she decided that was enough for her and as of December 1st, she retired.   I'm glad for her, she didn't really enjoy working there anymore, but she didn't really want to retire, prior to the medical stuff.   Still, I'm glad she got out.  But damn, I'm gonna miss that ole lady!  It's just not the same without her there. 

7. Tooth issues

My teeth are crap.  This is, I'm sure, not news to anyone who's read the Palace before.  And they're not getting any better.  This year, part of my bridge cracked and later fell off.  So we put a temp thing over that part, and the next day THAT temp part fell off!  I had to have a crown put on.  I need to get another tooth pulled, cause I had a crown there, but it fell off and there's really not enough of the tooth left to put another one on.  I'm pretty sure I'll have to get that one pulled sometime this coming year, but it's a molar and my molars are bitches to get out.    I just hate it, my teeth are such crap....

6.  Broken Porch

  

A portion of my front porch has been deteriorating for a bit and needed work done, but as always, I'm just a procrastinator, and then, in the fall, when it was stepped on, this board cracked.  Luckily I had that lil bench that I could put over that board.  But the cracking made the porch repair a priority.  I was in contact with four different handymen....two never called me back, one never came for two separate appointments, and the last one came and took photos of what needed done, and then...nothing.  even after contacting him later and him saying he'd get something to me....nothing.  So finally I had a guy show up just last Thursday. He seemed a bit more...professional, more like he wanted the job.  he took measurements and stuff and said he get an estimate to me.  It's only been a few days, so I'm still holding out hope I'll hear something.   This made the list because of the difficulty in even finding someone interested in doing the work, and also, there's more work that needs done around herel, so if this guy works out, doesn't good work and isn't crazy expensive, I'll have him look at the other work the needs done in the coming year. 

5. My A1C 

I FINALLY got my A1C under 7 this year!  It was down to 6.9 in January and then 6.4 in May!  First times it's EVER been under 7, or at least in the ten years or more that I've been keeping track of it.  In December it went back up to 7.1, but neither I, the endocrinologist, nor the dietician were overly concerned about that number, because it's not that much over 7.0 (below that is where we all want it to be), and I know what to do to get it back down.  But still, it was great to have my long term blood sugar where I want, and need, it to be. 

4. My Cataract

Last year, I noticed I was having trouble reading, couldn't do so without my glasses, couldn't see tiny print things, driving at night was very  difficult and a bit scary.  Found out the end of last year I had a cataract in my right eye.   Was scheduled to get it removed the end of May.  Had all this testing done, including a MRSA test swab of my nose.  That came back positive.  I called the doctor's office, left a message asking was their something I should in the two weeks before the surgery.  Heard nothing back about it, so I though okay it must not be a big deal.  Then two days before the surgery, I get a call from the doctor's office, they can't do the surgery because I have MRSA in my nose and I have to get that taken care of first.  I...was...LIVID!  But it got the ointment and the spray and used it and finally got the surgery rescheduled to August.  And the MRSA testing then came back negative, so it was a go.  And the surgery itself?  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  Oh I worried about it and stressed, as I do, but in the end, the whole thing took less than a half hour and I was home (mom drove) with no pain or discomfort. The worst thing was having to wear that damn sleep guard for a week.  But after a few days, when everything cleared up, I can now see as well as before the surgery.  I have a cataract on my left eye too, but it's what they call a 'dirty windshield cataract'.  I can see through it okay.  I'm sure at some point I'll have to have it removed, but for now, I'm good. 

3. Retirement Plans

At work, they have this retirement program called the DROP Program.  I joined it August 1st.  Basically, I am technically retired as of that day, and they calculated my pension based upon figures at that time.  However, I have to option of working for up to 5 more years.  And during that period, all the money they would have been paying into my pension goes into a separate fund.  And when I actually retire, be it in 5 years, or 3 or whenever, I get all that money (minus taxes of course).  I knew that was the deal, but in May some shit at work pissed me off so much I was ready to leave right then.  So I contacted human resources and had them run the numbers.  And when I went down and saw those numbers, it was like my jaw hit the floor and my eyeballs bulged out of the sockets.  I couldn't believe just how much money that actually was!  And in the meantime, while I'm working I'll still get my regular salary and any pay increases too (although those increases won't affect my pension, which is locked in).   The bottom line is, August 1st, 2028 will be my last day at work, when I will retire after 32 years (if I stay that long).  And then I'll get my pension monthly, I get that lump sum from that fund, and my excellent county insurance will continue, with me paying only a lil bit more each month, for another 5 years. (they end their insurance at 65 and we have to get private or go on Medicare).  But anyway, yeah, 5 more years, (if I stay that long) and I'm outta there. 

2. Mom's Health

Mom turned 80 in March (see above).  Less than a month later, she fell and broke her right hip.  The top pic is her the day after the surgery, giving the thumbs up.   She had the surgery the day after the fall, then she spent a few days in the hospital and then went to a rehab center for a few weeks.  And three weeks to the day after the fall, she was back home.  She still had to use a walker, and then a rolater, and then a cane.  But she was up and moving and soon driving and getting around pretty damn well, if a bit slower. 

Then after that, she kept using the cane even once her hip was better because her knees, specifically her left knee, were bothering here.  Basically, it was bone on bone, and very painful.  The end of November, after Thanksgiving, she had that knee replaced.  The second photo is her the night after the knee replacement, sitting up already and giving a thumbs up.  She came home the next day.  And while it did hurt her alot, she doing much better now.  Still walking with the cane when she's outside of the house, just in case.  But she's driving, and walking around, albeit slowly, and in therapy now and getting better. 

The one thing I noticed after both of these though, is a word I never associated with mom before: frail.  I mean, she's not in general frail, but she has shown signs of frailty that I've never seen in her.  Granted she IS 80 (see above), but I've never seen her frail before.  And what else this has done was reenforce she's not going to be with me forever.  She probably had years ahead of her...but who knows?  

And honestly, that scares the everloving SHIT out of me.  I don't know what I'll ever do without her here.  I try not to dwell on that, cause it'll happen it happens, but its not easy to be confronted by it so head on. 

1. Work Changes

Oh my God, the changes.  Personnel wise, three people retired in June, 5 others in October.  One person in each group I was very close to, for years.  And there were good friends in the groups as well.  There are 3 people in my department.  After the June retirements, one of us applied for and got the job of basically 3rd in charge of the building.  So the remaining person and I had to do the work of three people for four months.  Finally in November a new lady started.  And she's smart, and professional and doing great, but still it's a change.  There have been changes with a lot of policies and procedures and personnel.  Parts of my particular job got easier, one two parts have gotten more of a pain.  Thanks to the promoted co-worker, we actually got a lot of, what I think are great, changes.   One of which was moving the three of us, our department, onto a different payscale.  This means, we all got a nice pay increase and we were given our own 'department' uniform to wear every day.  But all of these changes, especially the last half of the year, have been very stressful and really caused a lot of uncertainty. 

I mean, the changes are going to have a big influence on my remaining 5 years, in both good and probably, bay ways as well.  And that's why this became the number one thing that happened this year. 

POLT

 My new sofa got me thinking: this is the fourth sofa I've had in the 14 years I've lived in the house, including the one I moved here from the apartment.  

And then, what else?

2 dishwashers

2 refrigerators

1 stove

1 microwave

3 washer/dryer sets

4 tvs

3 tv stands

1 dining room table (the one my grandmother bought before my dad was born in 1939)

3 toilets

3 matresses

1 bed frame

3 cars

3 cell phones

over 10 pairs of glasses

POLT

Check this out, real quick, don't know if everybody know (Part 3884)....

 Check This Out!

On this date, 14 years ago, I signed the paperwork, making me a homeowner.  Hard to believe it's been fourteen freaking years!  Crazy. 

This is me cheering after coming to MY house after signing the papers. 

POLT

Check this out, real quick, don't know if everybody know (Part 3825)....

 Check This Out!

I love Art Deco items, even these drapes.    And ya know, the color they are, they might even fit in my living room.  

POLT

 Just a quick lil anniversary nugget:

Thirteen years ago, August 31, 2009, I signed the papers and the house became mine officially..

Happy House Ownership Day to me.

POLT

 So today my new mattress was delivered!

I had gotten the old one just back in October of 2018, but man, it was like a slab of rock, so hard and ungiving.   I think that may have something to do with my back and hips problems. I hope that's the cause, so this'll help it.

This mattress is SO thicker and plusher than the old one.  I can't wait to try it out tonight.  And I can't wait to break the mattress in....and some point in the near future hopefully. 

POLT

Like a top ten song, I can hear it all (2021 version)....

 Top Ten Of 2021

So, it's the last day of the year, and it's time to go over the top ten things of my 2021 year.   There were several things that didn't make the cut: my A/C failing and getting a new one; my vacuum failing and getting a new one; being at my job for 25 years; a horribly boring Super Bowl; Spider-Man No Way Home kicking ass; very frequent sinus infesctions from allergies; the attack on the heart of our democracy on January 6th; mouse infestation in the basement and dealing with traps and dead mice;  my first write up at work after 25 years for a stupid petty thing; meeting a cute lil fuckbuddy in February who I played with 2 to 3 times a month until he moved in July; all the TV shows I binged this year (Queer As Folk, Star Trek Deep Space 9, Star Wars Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Doctor Who, all the Ninth and Tenth Doctor episodes); getting to have Thanksgiving and Christmas with mom, unlike last year; the snowstorm in February.

But these are the ones who DID make the cut.

10. Ag died

Longtime Palace readers with remember Ag.  She was, for the span of a dozen years or so, my best friend.  we saw or talked to each other practically every day (her living on the floor below me made that easy).  As a travel agent we took many trips she arranged together: Philadelphia, DC (Pride celebrations and two Madonna concerts), and countless trips to Toronto.  

But after she married, we naturally drifted apart.  In the last 13 years, other than polite "hi how are you great talk to you later" kind of things in public, she and I have had no conversations.    She died December 15th at the hospital. She died of COVID.  Went into the hospital on Monday, died on Wednesday.

I'm sad at her passing...but considering how close we once were, I'm also sad at not being sadder.

She was only 57 years old.

9. Biden sworn in 

Thank GOD!  And of course the orange shitgibbon skulked off to Florida as the craven, pathetic piece of pus he is.  But it was great to see democracy survive and our government continue...at least for now.  And it was eyewatering sometimes when I saw our first woman be sworn in as Vice President.  It just so great to have a NORMAL White House again.

8. Washer/Dryer

After buying the house in 2009, I used part of the First Time Buyers $8000 tax credit (thanks Obama!) to get a new washer and dryer to replace the who-knows-how-old pair that were in the basement.  Well after 12 years of faithful service, the dryer wasn't drying as well as it should, so in May I decided to get a new set. 

And damn, the barrels on both of them are freaking HUGE!  And they're working fantastically well.

7. New Flooring

 

When I moved in to the house, this was the kitchen linoleum flooring: 

Fake brick.  meh.  it was cold, it was old, it was peeling in place.  And just in the last couple months, a crease had formed and started coming up right were I walk.  So I said, that's enough.  And I got a new floor put in: 

It's padded, it makes the room so bright, it's even got a lil bit of cushion to it.  I LOVE it.

Also, when I moved in, mom gave me a purple rug she had in her house to put in my living room.  And after being in my place 12 years (and God knows how long in hers), the back of it was disintegrating into dust/sand/dirt.  So I got a new purple rug:

 It's bigger than the other one, so it covers more of the floor. And I had to rearrange some things in the room so it makes the entire room look bigger than it did!  I love it.

6. Marvel TV Shows

I had my doubts, but I should have known better.  Marvel in it's movies have never left me down, and they didn't in the TV shows on Disney+.  Wandavision, Falcon & The Winter Soldier, Loki, What If?, and Hawkeye.  Just amazing!

Not only were the shows themselves amazing, but so was what they set up for the future of the Marvel movies/TV shows!  My favorite was WandaVisions (and not JUST because of "It Was Agatha All Along"), followed closely by Hawkeye (which surprised me, cause Hawkeye was always my least favorite of the Avengers).   Then was F&TWS.  What If? was interesting and fun but uneven.  And finally Loki....it's first two shows were great and then....well, then it kinda went downhill and got too convoluted.  But as I said, what it sets up in the last episode has great repercussions for the future of the universe (showing up in Spider-man No Way Home).

5. New Phone

I had my previous phone since the summer of 2016.  The battery was basically non-functional: plugged in, the phone worked fine, but unplugged, I could barely turn the damn thing on without it just shutting down.  So in February, I just happened to be driving past an AT&T store, and just decided to go in.  And when I left less than a half hour later, I had an iPhone SE (no, not the latest model,  but I don't need all the bells and whistles.  And I wanted a home button, so...)  And it's working great!

4. Work Issues

These are usually three people in my department.  The end of October, one of them moved to South Carolina, and they've not yet replaced him. So we've got two people doing the work of three.  And then, the other guy had a bunch of use or lose leave he had to take.  So, starting the day after Thanksgiving, I had to work 12 work days straight all alone.  I made it through, and didn't pull any of my hair out, and that's really too much for one person too long.  so much stuff I had to continue to put off and I still haven't caught up on some of it, now a month later.  

Plus, I had the whole month of July off (see below), and since I've come back to work, even before my coworker left....I'm just so weary.    Nothing specific has been happening but, man, little stuff that used to never bother me just nag the hell outta me now.  And I'm just....just so weary with it all.

But one must carry on....until I can retire....whenever that may be.....

3. Vaccinated

First shot: January 3rd; Second shot: January 24th; and booster on October 25th. 

It's free, it's everywhere, and no appointment necessary.  

Thank God for modern medicine.

2. Health Issues

I had SO many health issues this year: My eye (see below); my first colonoscopy; a AV block Mobitz 2 block in my heart; broken tooth and a crown that keeps falling off; chest pains right before Christmas Eve that had me in the hospital for an overnight; continued sinus infections; continued back pains; a scrape on my leg that took forEVER to head up; continued issues with my diabetes in my feet; nerve pain in my groin and then later in the year, nerve pain in my hips and outside of my legs (all attributed I and my urologist believe, to my diabetes).

I have seen more doctors this year than any other year of my life: urologist, retina specialist, gastroenterologist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, doctors in the urgent care, doctors in the ER, doctors in the hospital, and my regular family doctor.

Thanks GOD I have great insurance!

1. Eye Issues

In February my regular eye doctor sent me to a local retina specialist to have a look at my eye.  I have a macular edema.  The treatment was shots of medicine directly into my eyeball.  But that's not the worse. Since I was a perfect candidate for it, I joined a study they were running where they'd put a port in my eyeball with six months worth of medicine in it.  That way, I'd only have to get a shot every six month, instead of every month without the port.  So....yeah...there's this.

So I got the shots for four months, then the end of June, I had surgery (where in I was sedated and numbed but awake...don't ask) to put the port in.   But the non-port eye was getting bad too.  So I have to go every month to get the port eye checked out (for the study) and a shot in the non-port eye.  And then every six month a refill in the port eye.

None of it is fun.  At all.  And I don't enjoy it.  At all.  But hey if it preserves my eye sight...well I have to do it.

My eye after get a shot in it.  It's so numbed up that I dont even feel it...but it's still very cringe worthy.

After the surgery while mom was driving me home.  Had to sleep with that damn thing on for like 5 days.

And do you see that lil black dot just above and to the side of my pupil?  That's the port.   In my eyeball.  *cringe*  

Remember I never said the Top Ten were all good things.

Onto 2022 now.

POLT