E's Scrabble Group discussion

Goodreads seems to have messed up the "unread" in our group. Probably because we had so many posts. So I'm starting a new thread.

How is everyone doing?

I am good and busy. Don't things seem to come in bunches? Nothing real bad. Jim had a serious surgery in Denver for an aneurysm on his aorta that looked abnormal in dimensions/shape. He is doing well; that was some weeks ago. I will have hand surgery maybe in later October for a couple trigger fingers and an injection while asleep (isn't that the best?!) for the other hand. Lucky for me, he won't do both hands at once! Had trigger fingers before so it's not a bad surgery and involves little pain actually. We had the family here, 10 of us, for a week in August when we went to a large cabin in the mountains. Next week, we will go to Ilinois for less than a week to take things to various relatives and visit briefly before the weather turns bad. Then we expect to be home for the winter. I'm dealing with ongoing connection issues and the provider is working with us to solve it. It may take a bit longer and doing a couple things before they come out to possibly replace parts.

I'm transitioning to a newer laptop along the way, slowly. I'll have that one along next week.

I hope all of you are well and stay that way as the winter months move in, including those in Australia facing warmer months.

Hi everyone, and welcome back Sharon. Sounds like you have a lot on your plate medically! Hope it's all sorted soon, and well. Do you get snowed in for long periods during winter, where you are?

No we are almost never snowed in. Maybe for a day if we get a heavy snow, but even then, people get out and major roads are plowed. The mountains get more snow than we do by far, but then, they have ski resorts to think about and huge specialized equipment to deal with snow. I don't think much of Colorado is even snowed in for more than a day. We don't go in the mountains in winter, especially as winter goes on because of avalanche danger and whiteout conditions occasionally. We got caught in a whiteout once and it was terrifying.

We don't travel long distances in the car in winter, usually to Illinois to see son Ron and other relatives, because going across various states, the weather can turn bad, or road conditions can slow us down a lot. Colorado has better equipment to deal with snow and such and we don't get ice storms. And we are getting too old to get caught in bad weather on roads or in airports.

We don't travel long distances in the car any time. There are 2 road end signs in Ketchikan and they are no more than 50 miles apart. Yep. Basically we have only one road which follows the waterfront. People live upland from there. Not much snow here either, although there is some in winter. It doesn't usually last long. We just get a lot of rain. Even in winter.

Elizabeth, I don't know much about your area, though we are talking with son Ron about an Alaskan cruise for the future. I'd much rather take a land tour. I wouldn't have guessed you get so much rain vs. snow. This is supposed to be a warmer winter due to el nino or whatever one it is this year. We will see. Are there mountains where you live then? Usually the shore roads are at a lower level anyway, most places.

We have no roads in southeast connecting towns. It is an island archipelago and the islands pretty much rise straight up out of the water. For a long road trip, you could drive the Alcan Highway up through British Columbia and then connect to Alaska further north. I think that trip is about 1200 or so miles.

There are roads up north, but I don't know much about them, though you can drive from Anchorage to Fairbanks, about 400 miles. If you want to see real mountains, Anchorage is the place. Just north of there is the tallest mountain in North America, for instance.

Yes, we get a lot of rain. Our climate is temperate rain forest. Ketchikan gets about 150 inches of rain annually.

You must have lush vegetation with so much rain. Thanks for the info regarding roads. I hadn't thought of that -- the fact there aren't so many of them.

Elizabeth - that rainfall is incredible! We get the Monsoon every year in Darwin, but our average rainfall is only about 1200mm, or under 50 inches. Sharon - Ketchikan is well worth visiting. We spent a couple of days there in August 2011 (yes it rained) before taking a small boat cruise down the Inside Passage to San Juan island. Can't recommend it highly enough. Only takes 12 passengers, and the food and staff are excellent. Pacific Catalyst is the business name and they still operate, same people too. They travel SE Alaska, and also Baja with their other boat. We met Elizabeth and her husband in Ketchikan too!

That sounds wonderful! Thank you so much, Joanne. I will look into that trip. And I would love to meet Elizabeth too!

We will be gone a week, Oct. 1-7, to our son's in Illinois and visiting various other relatives. I will play as I can. Fast trip but 2 days on the road each way as we will stop on the way for the night and to see one person.

Enjoy!

Hi - I sneak in to play when I can so we don’t forget each other. Aug 15 I had Stage 3 cancer lymph nodes, Nov 3 body scan says I’m cancer free, But, it also says I have to go on with radiation. probsbly 27 low dose treatments,
Oncologist said I won’t have chemo, but I’m taking one pill a day of something which he sats he’ll probably change ton2 pills after radiation. I have 3 fantastic doctors - surgery , radiation and oncology.. I’m very lucky woman.
My favorite comment so fat is oncologist that I only met once. He said chart says yiu are 90. Yes say I, He turns and looks at me and says - you hide it well!
I’ll ooo in as I can. enjoy November,

Joyce wrote: "He turns and looks at me and says - you hide it well!"

Nice, nice, nice.

Joyce, that compliment must have made you feel great! I'm glad to see you playing when you can. Keep us posted! I am so sorry to hear you must go through the treatment. My youngest sister recently finished chemo for colon cancer and so far, she's doing OK recovering. It takes time. I hope you do well, too!

"He said chart says you are 90. Yes say I, He turns and looks at me and says - you hide it well!"

What a good doctor!! That would make you feel a lot better, Joyce! Good to see you're still checking in and playing Scrabble occasionally.

We've been away in Holland and the UK for 2 weeks, seeing family and friends. Hope you're all well, everyone. Jo

Joanne, I hope you had a great time away. Sounds like a wonderful trip. We missed you here.

Joanne,nIc love to go to Holland in tulip time.. All ok here I hope. Hope things go well with you and family. I’ve macular degrneration in one eye.
Have new glasses on order, if they don’t work scrabble may be out. But I’ll not count my chickens.. Think of you ladies all the time.

Hi Joyce, sorry to hear about your eye - I hope the new glasses help! Have been busy and distracted since we arrived home, but our time in Holland was lovely, especially seeing my uncles and cousins again. Back to reality and the approach of a very hot humid summer...

And Merry Christmas to you all!

Joanne, Merry Christmas to you and yours as well, and I hope you have the best New Year ever! That goes for all of you lovely ladies here.

Joann , my granddaughter took off for London, Copenhagen and Amsterdam the week after Thanksgiving here. They were actually Christmas shopping in each,. They had a ball, except for rain in Amsterdam. Can’t get iver kids today. I’m fine, liar, the worst is the exhaustion from the radiation. 4 more weeks of it. Phy. Therapy 2 days a week to keep us moving. Ok Ther wise I’m fine! How is your family doing? May your holiday be wonderful, peace and tranquility.

Eliz and Shari, may Santa bring peace and happiness to your families. We all need a bit if calm and happiness.
HAPOY HOLIDAYS!!

Thank you, Joyce. I wish you the very best for enduring the radiation treatment. And I wish you excellent health once you heal from that. Your granddaughter is doing exciting things! There's nothing more educational than travel.

Merry Christmas everyone.

There are lots of ways to better educate oneself. I like to stay home and read.

There's a lot to be said for the precious art of staying home and reading!

Joyce - I'm sorry to hear that your radiation treatment is so exhausting. But hang in there! Good you're doing the physio too. My family's fine - most away south for the holidays, and finding that it's hot everywhere this Christmas. It's 94F here in Darwin but the Weather Bureau says the "feels like" temperature is 104F, due to the humidity. Hope you can enjoy the holidays, despite the treatment. Best wishes, Joanne

Happy New Year to one and all!

May your 2024 be filled with Good Reads! (and few choice 7-letter words, too!)

My computer is going to the techs today. Newer laptop but I've only used it for about a month and it won't talk to the printers, even wired, and is having a couple issues. I should have it back later today and will hook up the old one, which is so slow and has issues too. We will go on a little walk later, too.

I'm sorry you're having technical problems.

Thanks! No computer yet but we are going to walk soon.

Yesterday, I posted "salary" in the 6-letter game. Being retired, salary is not a word that comes to mind very often, but I happen to be reading Salt: A World History. Early in the book the author was telling of Roman times.

The Roman army required salt for its soldiers and for its horses and livestock. At times soldiers were even paid in salt, which was the origin of the word salary and the expression "worth his salt" or "earning his salt". In fact, the Latin word sal became the French word solde, meaning pay, which is the origin of the word, soldier.

I love words and this word background is a bonus.

It sure is! Thanks Elizabeth! I love words too,

Joanne how are r things in Australia?

jo, how ar things at the house? I’ve ben out of mine going into 7 th week, But I should go home friday, with rampart time hell, but hm i go. I have to decide if I want to finish radiation. The lack of strength is either from an Urinary Trract Inf ot radiation poisoning. TOO MUCH for ME TO. THINK OF. if you have personal stufff drop it at my house. I can’t carry ll all over. 7 wks, 4 hospitals. Worried about progress down under. laugher for you, waited 0ver0 minutes for aide. Sime thins won’t wait
so i took myself to ladies room for lst time since this started. Amazing
Love to you and Lex. joyce

Joyce, I'm saddened to hear that this is so taxing; it would be for anyone. My sister is undergoing chemo for a second time right now.

Sending you all you need to get through this and get better. The treatment can be worse than the issue you have.

Thank you Sharon. Good luck for your sister.. Radiation has a different side effet than Chemo, which is supposedly the worst. They want me to finish rad. I have to decision. I’ll pray for your sistIler.

And I'll pray for you, Joyce. Yes, they are different but still not what bodies deal with normally. I wish you the very best and a wonderful outcome.

Thanks Sharon. Home walking, fraud of falling. but i hope that passes.

Falling can be an issue for any older person, even if they aren't prone to it. It pays to be cautious. Take good care of yourself while you undergo treatment.

Happy Easter and spring to all! It's not to springy here yet, but I have small daffodils blooming. A few trees are trying to leaf out.

And to you, Sharon. We've had the crocus blooming for 10 days or so. I can see leaf buds on things, but it will days at least before any real green starts to show.

Thank you one and all for your good thoughts, What started in January 2023 had an ending today. My last day of radiation. Amen. We kidded at place today saying goodbye. If I could hold out against a reinfection for 15 more years I’ll have licked it, Thank you friends for being being there!

Thank you for your help and kindness. what started in January 2023 find closed the door today. My last radiation day. Amen . Now if I can keep it off for 15 more years I’ll have it knocked.
Sincere appreciation for your prayers and cares..

I'm glad you got to the other side of that, Joyce. 15 years! yay!

That's good news, Joyce! May you have many good years left to enjoy your life. My sister is ungoing chemo for a second time now, before a surgery to remove tumors from her liver. One of them is in a difficult spot and they might not be able to remove it but plan to do radiation on it now and then.

E, are you well? Just checking, and that goes for all on the list. I was sick with something mean but not too long for 3 days, the 4th day good, and now Jim has what I had. Ugh. We seldom get sick, especially Jim. It can be years. But... we seem to be getting more talented at other types of things finding us, body issues of one sort or another, just not sickness.

Thanks, Sharon. Yes, we're basically OK, although both of us have a devil of a cold just now. But I've been playing less in general. I have to admit that with just the two of us my interest is waning. You play wonderful words, but I wish for a few more of us.

Jo - fi come back - I miss you and need to hear the news. the other ladies miss you too

Sorry to be scarce, but I'm having major computer issues. An older computer is mostly dead, not usable, the newer one I've only used the last few months had issues and got a new battery. After about 24 hours, it wouldn't turn on and was overheating. I put it in the dry bathrub overnight in case it caught fire and now it's in the shop. I bought a new computer today and think it might be mostly set up but need the weekend to poke around and see. I don't do email on my phone but this is a critical time for some things, so I turned it on today and it's hard even reading email there. Ugh. So I'll check in as I can, and play.