Whirlwinds

First of all, go check this out: Steampunk Pachinko

It's been a crazy week and it's only Wednesday.  I feel like I've been picked up by a whirlwind!

 

Otter worked the same hours I do yesterday, so I was her transportation.  She got off a little later than I did, so I ran a couple of errands and then went to get her.  Among other things, I stopped at Sam's and bought 4 large cans of chicken broth because I'm making chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight.  I also bought the largest size container of Pace Picante sauce they have, but that's pretty much always served at this house.  TEXAN lifeblood, you know. :) 

 

Bill got home before we did, so he was here when the builder who is building the houses behind us came to the door.  He wanted to tell us that the survey showed that they put the fence in the wrong spot, and they need to move it.  We thought at the time that it was wrong.  We were right about that.  They will be moving it back into our yard a few feet.  We thought about protesting, but it would probably be an expensive and possibly fruitless gesture so we're not going to worry about it.  The builder had the underground lines marked, so we now know where everything is for when we plant the crepe myrtles this fall.  They put new posts in, and they'll probably move the actual fence tomorrow.  I just wish that they'd figured it out months ago, because the morning glories are just now getting to the point where they might bloom!  We'll probably replant them next year.  I'm just glad that they didn't have to move back beyond my redbud tree, because they would NOT have liked what happened.  RHTW would have given them a "talking to" that they would not have ever forgotten.  But that didn't happen, which is a good thing - for them, that is.

 

Today's activities included taking Bill to the dermatologist.  In April or thereabouts, Bill noticed a spot coming up on his nose.  On the right side, almost up to where his eye is.  He thought it might be a callus from his glasses, but it kept growing.  Which is when I started the "let's go to the doctor in case it is a skin cancer" talk - we've had that talk many times over the year.  And probably will again in the future.  He resisted, and then I brought out the Big Guns:  Nana!  When she came to visit us over Mother's Day, we ganged up on him like we usually do and he finally admitted that he probably should see the doctor.  His favorite dermatologist retired, and he used that as an excuse but I didn't let him get very far with that.  I made him an appointment with the dermatologist that we used when Otter had the plantar's wart a couple of years ago.  The fact that this is a doctor Bill saw when we first moved to Tulsa and didn't like was not mentioned to Billyboy!  For various reasons, he needed to wait for a few things that he didn't want to have his face cut up for so we didn't get his appointment until today.  I was going to take the morning off, but the appointment was at 9:20 and Bill thought we might get out too late for me to go in for more than an hour or so.  So I took the whole day off.  We got home close to 11:00, so it was a good idea.  Anyway, it turned out that it was a skin cancer after all and not just a callus.  The doctor doesn't think it's the bad kind, but he did want to take it off.  He is sending it for a biopsy, but that is most to be sure he did get it all.  If not, then Bill either has to go back to him to get the rest of it removed or to a plastic surgeon because of the location and the fact that it might be a little more detailed then the dermatologist wants to do himself.  He might have a scar if he has to have more cut out, but I'm not worried about that.  He didn't need a pain pill prescription, but he does have an ointment he has to use on it twice a day which is a prescription item.

 

The Redhead Curse made the expectd appearance.  I warned the assistant as well as the doctor that two things would happen:  The numbing stuff would try to "puddle" in one area and might not spread around as much as it should and that there would probably be more blood than they expected.  Also, that it would take longer to stop bleeding.  When she gave him the shot, the assistant said she was glad I told her because it did "puddle" so she had to massage it around a bit.  The doctor did the actual cutting, and he remarked on how much Bill bled.  Then he was surprised at how long it took to stop.  They'll remember the next time they have to work on a redhead, we're a little different than the rest of the population.  Sometimes, it's not fun to be unique!  I also told them that Bill might need more numbing stuff than most people and that it wouldn't last as long as it does on non-Redheads.  He didn't need any additional shots, but he probably would have if it had taken the doctor longer than it did.

 

Bill said it feels like someone attacked his face with something sharp.  Well, that is basically what happened.  We're hoping that the doctor got it all, he thinks he did but we won't know for about a week to two weeks.

 

Otter and I did run off for a while today.  We went to the post office for Bill, then we stopped at Walgreens to get his prescription filled.  And we bought groceries while we were out.  Mostly though, we've been hanging around the house.  Trying to stay out of Grumpy's way but close enough if he needs anything.  He might take tomorrow off as well.  I want him to, but he'll decide in the morning.

 

Bill has been careful about sun exposure for several years now, he wears his hat and tries to protect himself.  But this is still a result of the several years he didn't take care - and only some of it is from his childhood.  Most of this is a result of those years when he was striping parking lots in the strong south TEXAS sun.  It's happening a lot less often, but he's very possibly got more in his future.  The fact that he is a redhead just makes it worse.