Random 5 for January 19, 2025 – Health, storms, iPhone, appointments, spring

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Not a good week – One dear friend died, and two others ended up in the hospital with serious issues. It’s numbing. There is a feeling of helplessness but there isn’t much to do except keep them close to my heart. Unfortunately, this is what getting older is about. Watching friends age and it’s not pretty.

And then the big dump – We are predicted to get our first real snowstorm of the season today.  The maps are all over the place, but 5 to 8 inches is probable. This is great news for the local ski resorts who have struggled over the past several years. Silver linings.

Happy birthday to me! – For my birthday (which was during this dismal week), I bought myself an iPhone. A pink iPhone! The beloved husband bought one a few weeks back (not pink) and other than increased swearing and muttering, it’s been going well. I must transfer data from my android to iOS so I’m having “my guy” do it. Last time I bought a new phone, I had a person at Target (the official store for my carrier) do the transfer and she screwed things up. I had to re-enter half of my contacts which didn’t transfer.

Booking out – My doctors book out six months to a year for checkups. Rarely, I get a call to change the appointment because the doc has a conflict. This week I got two. It’s not that this is a bad thing but it’s another weird thing to add to an already weird week.

Things to look forward to – Two weeks from today is Groundhog Day. For those who do not live in Pennsylvania, it’s the day a groundhog peers out from his winter nest to check the weather. If he sees his shadow, it’s six more weeks of winter. I am always optimistic that there WON’T be six more weeks. In our area the temperatures moderate by then, and if we get snow, it doesn’t last. I look at it as my first day of spring. (Ok, it’s the end of the winter and I’m struggling to be optimistic about something!).

So how was your week?

64 thoughts on “Random 5 for January 19, 2025 – Health, storms, iPhone, appointments, spring”

  3. So sorry for the loss of your friend. At our age, it’s inevitable they come frequently. I’ve had to retrain my brain to savor the life they lead and recall the ‘good times shared’ rather than the sadness from the loss.

    Welcome to Apple world. Hope you’re easily able to migrate your Android data. Wish I had some sage advice about transferring the data, but I’ve been an Apple devotee since the Apple 3! Before that I had a Blackberry and can’t even remember if there was much data to transfer.

    To go along with our National Western Stock Show weather (it’s always miserably bitter cold), we ended up getting a fair amount of powdery snow. I thought it was done last night but woke up to another couple of inches with flurries this morning. Guess Mother Nature forgot January is our driest month. Here’s hoping this week is better. Ear scritches for the kitties.

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  4. I’m tired of it snowing. I don’t look forward to the negative degree weather we are about to get and I greatly fear for any animals without a home right now. I am so ready for spring. Punxsutawney Phil needs to do his job and predict spring. Have you seen the meme where his ex-wife says he’s a liar? It’s adorable.

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  5. that is so sad to lose a friend and to worry for other friends… and we agree with the overworked docs… we wait for an appointment for mark since month… if we get an appointment and if they say why you didnt came earlier? I will explode like the bink bants…

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  6. I’m sorry about your friends. We have Groundhog Day in Canada too. The one in my province is Billy. It’s a bit of fun and I get my hopes up that Spring will really come sooner. Enjoy your phone. Pink is nice!

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  7. I’m sorry, Kate, about your loss of a friend and about the two others in the hospital. That’s no way to start the year.

    Well, I hope your snow will be pretty at least. Maybe the sparkling white snow and your pretty pink phone will bring a touch of joy.

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  8. Condolences, Kate. It’s never easy to say good-bye to those we love and care for.

    And let’s hope Phil doesn’t freeze to death before Spring’s arrival. That would be a horrible harbinger.

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  9. I am sorry about your friend that passed and the ones that are sick. Happy Belated Birthday. We were supposed to get up to 8 inches of snow, but they dropped that amounts.

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    • It’s slowing down here. We got several inches but I don’t know how much. It’s predicted to stop in the next half hour or so. Light and fluffy so it will be easy to clear.

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  10. We have a groundhog too – HER name is Woody and she is actually more accurate than Phil! I hang on to her every word (well, whether she dashes back into her little house where she lives at the Howell Nature Center). A pink phone well help you think Spring and pastel blossoming trees like Magnolias. I’m sorry to hear about your sad week with one friend passing away and two very ill. We have what they are calling a “quademic” here with four serious viruses going around since after Christmas (flu/RSV/pneumonia and norovirus) and they are not allowing visitors in most hospitals. What a start to 2025 – ugh.

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      • Oh – no wonder they are so sick. I understand norovirus is really bad. Our cases spiked after the holidays. I am being careful too, even though I’ve had vaccines for all of those viruses. I’ve only been out in public (around people) one time this year and did all my errands that same day. This cold weather will keep more people inside and they’re all going to spread more unfortunately.

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    • We have several inches of snow already and it’s still snowing. Because it’s cold, it’s the light fluffy stuff that’s easier to shovel. Silver linings.

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  12. Anymore planning doctor visits are like being an astrologist who can chart your stars through the planets. They want you to commit to something 12 months hence, but then you arrange everything around a visit to find out the doc isn’t available then— or has retired so you have to schedule with someone new.

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  13. So sorry for your loss and the illnesses of your friends. I’m hearing more and more bad news like that lately too. We are of “that age” aren’t we?

    Happy birthday to a fellow January baby. If you are like me and don’t consider the new year to really start until after the birthday celebrations are over, Happy New Year!

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  14. Happy Birthday. Sorry for your loss, and you are right about aging. It’s a tough chapter. Congrats on your iPhone. We have 4-8″ arriving tonight. I filled up my gas cans yesterday. Yes, it is tough to get a doctor appointment, and even if you are really sick here, they send you to an urgent care clinic. We had a mild day yesterday so I took a walk around and spring was definitely on my mind. Stay safe on your way to Starbucks tomorrow. ☕️

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    • Our snow is predicted to end this evening so I’m hoping that the roads are good tomorrow morning. It won’t be the end of the world if I don’t get a Starbucks tomorrow morning (yes it will! 🙂 )

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  16. Sorry about the loss of your dear friend and two friends hospitalized. We live in what I consider a smaller friendly neighborhood—360 homes. It’s not 55 plus but ages 60 and over. There isn’t a day that goes by there isn’t multiple medical vehicles in here. I’ve never gotten used to it and it is a reminder that we are aging… as if I needed a reminder. You are so right about feeling helpless to do something but with friends and casual friends keeping them close to your heart helps as you said.

    Happy Birthday to YOU!… and congrats on the pink iPhone! I follow Rich Bowlin on YouTube… Tech Tips for Seniors, he’s a senior. Pretty basic stuff but his posts are easy to understand and he doesn’t talk so fast that you can’t understand him. You are lucky to have “a guy” to do the transfer.

    Our week was pretty darn chilly… cold even… for Florida. I am ready for the warmth and humidity to come back!

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  19. Again, I’m sorry about your friend and yes, it’s what happens as we tool into our twilight years.

    Snow is expected here too. They keep delaying it. As far as Spring goes, I wish I knew that Groundhog. Everything is about prospective so maybe I could send him a gift basket from Harry and David, you know, to give that little prospective a nudge. Yea, I sound nutty, but good nutty Kate, since optimism is a honed skill.

    🙂

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  20. My condolences on the loss of your friend, Kate. You’re absolutely right about the time of life we are in. I am reminded of that when I get updates from distant friends with life-altering health conditions. Trying to be grateful for what each day brings and not take anything for granted anymore.

    Deb

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  22. Sorry for the losses this week. It’s good to find joy where you can, whether it’s a pink phone or a groundhog. I’ve been waiting on a doctor’s appointment with a specialist since early May–the soonest available was January 21st. Last week, the office called and moved it back another month.Probably because of the LA fires, so how can you even complain?

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  23. So sorry about your friend. It is the price of still being here, I guess. We’ve had four dogs die on our block in the last month…what’s up with that?! 4-6 inches of snow predicted here, and I hope for the low end. Gracie really can’t walk much when it gets to 6 inches, but in the temps predicted for this coming week we won’t be walking much or at all anyway!

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  24. So sorry you have lost a good friend and have others in the hospital…..you’re right though – we get to a certain age and this is no longer an “exception” – it also reminds us in a sad way that old adage “there but for the grace of God go I”. We still have about 2+ inches of OLD snow on the ground from last week and they say we’ll get 2-3 more inches today. At least the OLD snow will be covered up by new WHITE snow. The gray snow is depressing. Spring will eventually be back and we’ll see more smiling faces on people – YAY!

    Hugs, Pam

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