If We Were Having Coffee on the First of February, Twenty-Twenty

42 Replies

coffee-in-the-snow

Hello and Welcome!  Come on in and I’ll get you a nice large mug of super strong Dark Roast, a cuppa tea, how cocoa or other beverage.  It is  cool and grey out there.  The air is a little damp.  I’ll still spend a lot of time outside ;)  And where are we?  Some of you may recognize that photo at the top as coming from New Hampshire.

It was an odd week.  It started on Sunday with me discovering a tick (!) embedded in me on Sunday.  Yes, it is January in New Hampshire. The week ended (sort of) on getting an echo-cardiogram on Friday.  My father (whose birthday was also on Friday) had a heart murmur his entire life and had a valve replaced.  My doctor has noticed I have a murmur.  oh, oh.  So we’ll see.  Good news medically is that I got the results of my latest blood test back and it was all very good, perhaps as good as I’ve seen since my mid-20s.  My blood pressure has also been better than its been since my 20s.  Hopefully this murmur thing is nothing serious….

I went to a political open house (New Hampshire, remember?) where one of our most popular governors was speaking on Tuesday.  I walk back from it to our Lions Club meeting – I’m the local president this year (not a big deal, everyone gets a chance).

I had massage on Wednesday.

I had to go into the office on Friday.  Yes, twice in two weeks after not being there in almost six months…

I ran, exercised, played with the dogs, walked, read, wrote a little (mostly for the blog), organized stuff, played (performance wise) music and tried to stay warm – midweek was cold, even though January was warmer than usual.  And, of course, talked to my dad ;)

Well, the outside is calling my name!  I need to get out of this chair and start doing.  Thanks for stopping by.  If you have a coffee share, I’ll try to make it over.

The coffee share is hosted over on Eclectic Alli.  The link to join is here.

42 thoughts on “If We Were Having Coffee on the First of February, Twenty-Twenty”

  1. Pingback: the Weekly Smile for the 3rd of February, 2020 #weeklysmile | Trent's World (the Blog)

  3. Sandra Conner

    I’ve known people who have heart murmurs that didn’t amount to much of anything, so hopefully, that will be your case as well. You sound as though you’r very active and do a lot to stay healthy, and that makes a big difference.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I’m a program manager for a web hosting team. My boss is in Oklahoma, his boss in Seattle and his boss in DC. My team is in DC area and Atlanta. The people I work with are mostly in Atlantic City. I’m up in New Hampshire. I don’t work with a soul in my office, so… Anyway, I love not having the 45 minute each direction drive in! (I occasionally work with people at the Region Office, just under an hour and half drive away, four hours on bad traffic days! – I go there as little as possible!)

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  5. Beaton

    Yikes heart murmur sounds are never pleasant why cant it just go Lub Dub Lub Dub I dont know what that means either but its better than murmur lol
    Hang on Mr President hahaha how does one end up one, a little vote or a discrete nod of head tag you it any objections
    Thanks for the roast
    ~B

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Lub Dub is good, but it is amazing all the sounds they were picking up – Some of the noises that came from the EKG machine when the technician put it on audio would make a great drum track for a hit song ;)

      Pretty much a nod of the head and ask if there are any objections. They’ve tried to tag me before, but this was the first time I got caught…
      Thanks for stopping by.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I will make sure all )not too personal) health related issues are shared. It was a stubborn bugger (or just “bug”), but I finally got the entire tick out, including the head. It was very flat, so I doubt if it was there for very long, no matter how tight it was hanging on. I hope you’ve had a good weekend and have a great week ahead :)

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  8. Marilyn Armstrong

    A piece of advice from someone who has been there. See a heart guy who specializes in valves. There’s good one at Umass in Worcester and I think he also has offices at UMass in Boston. There are different tests, especially if there’s any chance this is an inherited condition. What I have IS genetic and is a 50-50 inheritable problem. Owen does NOT have it, which means Kaity doesn’t have it either. But I made both of them got checked. If you need a referral, I know a guy, but any good heart guy who specializes in valves can do the check-up.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Thanks. When I left the hospital, it was int he hands of a (an unnamed) cardiologist who would pass info to my doctor Friday afternoon. I haven’t heard from anyone yet, so I hope that means that I won’t be rushed into emergency surgery ;) Since my dad did have a murmur, it is possible I inherited it. A difference is that his was detectable since he was a child while I am in my mid-50s and they just noticed it, and I saw my MD twice a year from my mid-30s through my 40s. He had his valve replaced when he was about your age (I don’t remember the exact date). It was just plain worn out after doing extra duty for all of those years. He just turned 86. Anyway, I will see what my MD says – I’m sure he’ll call soon no matter the outcome of the EKG! After that, it is possible I’ll be shopping for a valve specialist….

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  9. dawnkinster

    That sounds like a busy week. I’ve never tried to keep track of what I do in a week. Maybe I should. Or maybe I don’t want to know what I’m NOT doing! :) I hope the heart murmur is no big deal for you (and for your dad now that his valve is replaced).
    My sister sent up a picture of a daffodil coming up in her yard. She’s in Georgia. Another person sent a picture of a crocus in full bloom, she’s in Maryland. Today it snowed all day here in Michigan. I’m getting antsy to be further south. Heading to DC tomorrow, they say it will be in the 50s there. Might make me smile.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      It has been an interesting week. i don’t always remember everything, but I guess there were just so many big things… It has also been a very weird winter! After a few huge storms in December, we have had very little snow and January was warmer than usual. The forecast is for much of the same for the next week and a half or so.

      Enjoy DC, though I know you aren’t go for pleasure.

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  10. Nancy

    Does sound like an interesting week! Hope all your health worries work out. My husband has a heart murmur too but his cardiologist says it isn’t an issue so you might have the same. Enjoy the outdoors! Hoping for some snow here in Jersey but so far I’ve been disappointed.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I haven’t seen you around here in a while – hope you are doing good. It was an interesting week! I know a few people with murmurs who, like your husband, don’t have any problem. Waiting for the call from my MD to see what it is here… It has been an odd winter all around. Have a great rest of your weekend!

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  11. Gary A Wilson

    Good lord Trent. Again with the ticks. I do love your side of the world, but am beginning to wonder of hermetically sealed gaiters are indicated for your location and life style. Maybe those fly fishing waders. . .
    I hope this one is your last.
    Thanks for the visit.

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I’m very much a tick magnate…. I also seem to get them in the seasons when you don’t expect them – I will have to start wearing spray every time I am outside. On the other hand, when I say I play with the dogs, I am down and dirty out in the woods. I’m sure people think I’m insane that I play that physical with the dogs, but they love it…. Thanks, I hope it’s the last tick of the year!
      Hope you had a good week and are having a great weekend!

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I’m a bit of a tick magnate… I don’t know too many other people who get ticks in the middle of New England winter. Oh well. I don’t know when I’ll hear back about the echo-cardiogram, but hope it is fine… Hope you are having a great weekend :)

      Liked by 1 person

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I do very much enjoy teleworking. If the people I work with were at my office, it wouldn’t be bad, but since they are hundreds of miles away, why do the drive every day? Thanks, Robbie. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend :)

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      I know my parents get bombarded by calls as the elections get close – I think it is because Ohio is such a swing state with a lot of electoral votes. The last few election cycles have been odd. There were a few years that I got to meet all of the candidates in small settings. Now they are in huge rallies (I did meet Cory Booker at a house party last summer – he was one of the most energizing candidates I’ve ever seen, making Obama seem like a sleepy old man – I did shake Obama’s hand on at least 4 occasions…)

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  17. PamelaS.Canepa, Writing and Living

    Trent, do you normally work from home? That sounds great to me right now. I was in such bliss waking up at 7 this morning knowing I didn’t have to put my brain in overdrive getting ready to be somewhere at a specified time or thinking about what I’d do first. I looked forward to breakfast and coffee, and everyone else at home was asleep. Yikes, I am starting my own coffee share…. I pray your heart murmur is not problematic. You seem to have a healthy lifestyle! My 75 year old dad had a heart attack ten years ago and got much better. He hikes about 7-8 miles on the weekends and works out at a gym. It is admirable. I do not count miles but I do a lot of stretching and exercises at home and yoga now and then, which I will start more as physical therapy is winding down. That will likely also be part of my Coffee Share. Have a great week!

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    1. trentpmcd Post author

      Yes, I telework almost full time now. Most of the people I work with on a daily basis are hundreds and even thousands of miles away. There is no reason I need to drive almost 45 minutes to sit in a cube and not really talk to anyone local all day.

      Great that your dad keeps up an active lifestyle. I’m the youngest in my family – my dad is 10 years older than yours. He was super active until he had to have the valve repalced – I may do a post on it some day, but short story is he was on a ship and was supposed to be half way to North Korea but they went to Central America with their ship full of aid to help hurricane victims when he grew weak. If they were in the middle of the Pacific, he might not have made it back….

      I’ll wait to see your coffee share to comment on your (hopefully) increasing exercise regime ;)

      Hope you are having a great weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

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