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No message came along with this and it's the first communication from him since the last one posted here (which was on January 6).

This is from Tom Cat today--the two cats:
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In this study 20% of the participants were people with MS who weren't on disease-modifying drugs who got COVID-19. While the article doesn't state much about how they did, it does indicate that some...

Rose, I wonder if this means that you're still able to get COVID if you happen to be in the 5% for whom the vaccine wasn't effective. According to this, thousands of patients were given the vaccine...

I have the impression that everyone is supposed to wait until we're notified that it's our turn to get the vaccine. At least that's what I'm going to be doing, and if too much time passes without any...

I did nothing in particular yesterday, no strenuous physical exertion other than laundry, and yet all day I've had a pain in the left side of my neck and shoulder. I probably pulled something out of...

Oooh, more accolades!

I'm afraid I probably don't deserve them. My two competing pedometers are both apt to be very inaccurate.

And today I was at the lab that is in a huge building that is part of a vast medical complex, one of two or three major players on the medical care scene hereabouts, and I asked if they'd be giving...

Score 1 for the really, no really, great jar opener!

Pistachio gelato sounds really good.

Wow, that's mighty decent of you, Brian! Of course you'll be so busy while there that you won't have time to eat any of the local food delicacies or notice any of those mountains Heidi was so fond...

Rose, I agree that long-term care facilities would be more of a threat to the CVS personnel but the more facilities of any kind they have to go to, the greater the risk--or at least that's one way of...

Tomorrow I'm headed for the lab to have routine lab work done as well as a 24-hour urine test that I'm working on today. It's been a while since I've had one of these. The doctor wants to find out...

Another feat of strength to report here, in addition to the one Virginia just reported:

I was trying to open a 48-oz. jar of V8 juice. I avoid getting these jars but this one arrived as a mistake,...

Sunshine, I'm so very sorry you're having this rough time and having to postpone the surgery you had been hoping for.

As you say, though, you'll be at less risk for COVID without the surgery just...

Yes, that would definitely be a tough act to follow. But stories of his heroism may have been greatly exaggerated...

Virginia, I think you should get the fitness award--and the good housekeeping award too.*goldstar

Another entrepreneur among us! Virginia, are you going to charge by the item? Or by the time it takes you to figure out how to open each can?

Rose, my guess is that the vaccine clinic in this building won't ever happen. It will be like a couple of attempts at a flu vaccine clinic--these often didn't happen because "not enough people signed...

Sunshine, is there a pre-surgery preparation you have to go through?

Recent step counts for me:

1/4/21 - 1198 steps
1/5/21 - 1658 "
1/6/21 - 1392 "
1/7/21 - 1886 "
1/8/21 - 1094 ...

Rose, according to the CDC, the vaccine does keep a person from getting COVID-19:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html

They'll be lining people up soon in this building...

Thank you for the accolades. I've always liked an accolade now and then and never had nearly enough of them. They're good on warm muffins.:glee:

Oh yes, pickle jars. I used to eat a lot of...

Can we send you all of our difficult jars and bottles, Virginia, so you can get more practice?

I understand that drinking enough fluids is important in the management of prostate cancer.

What a story! I'm sure that the woman's churlish reaction was exactly as you suppose. She must have known perfectly well that she shouldn't have left those kids unattended for a minute. You had just...

I hesitate to post links to the NYT or the WaPo any more because both have paywalls and many people can't read the article. Of course they could read it if they wanted to pay, but it seems unfair to...

And can mask-wearing and social distancing be mandatory, I wonder?

Probably not.

But recent events shown in the news show a superspreader event that was not only violent in terms of what the...

Would you say people like us are now on the cutting edge? Trend-setters? "Want to know how to live an isolated and limited life? Check out your nearest MS message board! Learn the fine art of...

Virginia, there may be a way to use the credit card even though it hasn't arrived yet. I recall having this problem a while back and asking the credit card people if that was possible, and it...

I'm giving this a lot of thought. I already have the Oxo Good Grips, which is similar but without the knob on top and without the adjustable clamps. The Kuhn Rikon jar opener looks far better but...

Rose, that sounds like a very strenuous day! Congratulations on resuming the walking!

Today I stood long enough to repot a violet that badly needed a pick-me-up of some kind, and I tended to a...

Virginia, yes, everyone in this building has to be 65 or over to live here. I'm not sure if it's 65 or 62 actually but there are quite a few people here who are over 90, many in their 80s.
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Thanks for the input, Rose. I was concerned that the boldface might come across as shouting in the same way that all caps does.

Here I was picturing Sam perking up her ears whenever a can of sliced turkey was opened. I might have known you'd roast turkey up special for her.

Rose, I believe that the caregiver contact has been continuing. My guess is that it might be my next-door neighbor, who has several caregivers. I've seen her workers coming and going in recent days....

Maybe we can post here if/when COVID-19 affects us in some way.

Virginia, how are your brother and SIL doing now?

A memo came around in this building today letting us know that for the first...

Sometimes I type in boldface because it seems more readable.

I'd welcome opinions on this. I've been doing many of Tom Cat's posts in boldface mainly to set them apart as his words and not mine....

This tickled my funnybone:

The question came up here a while back--Could the COVID-19 vaccine be mandatory? Would all of us have to get it?

According to this article in JAMA, it could be mandatory BUT there are many...

And from Tom Cat today:


These are some of the sparkling trees this morning and now.

You may tell Virginia that Marty has had a test for COVID-19 at least 3 times now. He's had the fast test...

From Tom Cat on Monday:


My Monday blood draw came out great. It was the highest hemoglobin count I've had since I started about 5 years back. I didn't even need a shot. That was good.

The...

A roach is completely unacceptable. They spread disease. They can easily take over the premises. Roaches are going to outlast everything on this planet.

Whatever he wants! I'd be happy to give him something else to do as I know that the devil finds work for idle hands. I avoid wearing some clothes just because I'd need to iron them, and so we could...

I hope to catch up soon here. I've been relearning the Copaxone routine and busy with first-of-the-month and first-of-the-year odds and ends.

From Tom Cat (Monday):

Good late morning! Not...

Peter sounds almost as good as Sam, the amazing cat that Howie works for.

Yes, those long swabs must be the ones meant in the article when it refers to "the brain-tickling version."

I didn't know there were free YouTube movies. I'll be checking into that. I sometimes watch free movies on Kanopy.

I've been making phone calls--to postpone a dental appointment until April, then...

An article in Consumer Reports (December 31) tells about the different types of coronavirus tests:
...

From Tom Cat:

Wishing all of you a happy new year. Let's hope we all get our COVID-19 vaccinations in the next few months. ...

Cold & snow right now, but the drive & around the house is clear...

Beautiful photos! I'm amazed that any Christmas tree can survive a cat's interest but your kitty seems to be getting along very well with the tree--even IN the tree.

Lovely tree too!

Yes, I agree! I believe you said you do better later in the day and that's when you do most of the walking?

I figured up my average stepcount for December: 1,713 steps/day based on only 25 days...

Rose and others, I don't know if this will clear anything up but it's what I could find about those stimulus payments:
...

Virginia, usually when I try to post an image, it's still trial and error. I try several different options in the hope that one of them will work. "Copy image" often works now, and that is nice...

Nice way to start the year, Sunshine--I mean the swimming, not the spasm.

I had to do quite a bit of extra housework in recent days because of the inspections. I prefer doing housework...

From Tom Cat (Wednesday):

Me too, Howie! Little holiday elves up bright and early on New Year's Day and busily handing out real money--remarkable.

What a story, funnylegs. They can't speculate about the motive. What sort of person would do such a thing?

Pharmacists can be as twisted as anyone else, I suppose, but this is pretty twisted. And...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
https://png.pngtree.com/png-vector/20201010/ourlarge/pngtree-golden-happy-new-year-2021-transparent-graphics-vector-png-text-effect-png-image_2360126.jpg



I'm sure many of us...

I'm not staying up to see the New Year in either. The neighborhood fireworks will keep me awake though and so in a way I'll be seeing the New Year in.

Thanks, Virginia--right you are!

Message from Tom Cat:

Tom Cat's 1200-ft. driveway:
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(Lots of snow here for Howie.) Tom Cat says this is the back field:
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Tom Cat's photo of "the back side of the house, with hanging bird feeders." I haven't found the hanging bird feeders yet but maybe someone will be able to spot them.
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The National MS Society has convened a group of experts who have decided that as of now, nobody knows whether people with MS were included in the trials of the COVID-19 vaccines, and so they can't...

At least some stores aren't supposed to be marking up their online products. I don't know what the law is but for years I ordered regularly from Safeway for groceries and anything else I needed that...

I haven't tried one of these but I've heard favorable reports about them. I can't imagine liking added weight in a blanket but apparently there's some science behind it that must make it work for...

No-Rinse is the type I've used, and I keep some of it on hand.

Virginia, it's a shame that you had a fall! Might there have been a slippery spot on the stairs?

Cancelling the newspaper sounds like a good idea. I'm afraid most newspapers are dwindling down and...

And it's well known that Sam does better with the computer than with the phone. I think that mouse has a certain appeal.

Finally got around to the November step-count average:

November - averaged 1,392 steps (based on 27 days)

I've used it and it might depend on the brand. It isn't the same as a real shampoo but rumor has it that you don't usually need to wash your hair, and so you could probably get away with letting it...

Tom Cat replying to Rose (today):


Hi Rose! I take it you are in warmer climate, than I am here. It's a hot 20°F or so here right now. I'm finding I'm not doing as well as I used to in this cool...

Reply to stillstANNding from Tom Cat (today):

My lips are sealed, Virginia.

They don't exactly have wings....

https://www.crowwing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/critter-flying-squirrel.jpg