Succulent Ramblings

I like to ramble on about my plants... and other things! My hope is to log the progress of plants and talk about my frustrations with others. So, tune in, turn on, or drop out (if you find it boring!)

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Yesterday... a yucky day.  I was slated to work, so the usual routine.  Wash hair, put on makeup, eat, get dressed... and as I was ready to start packing my bag, which just entails filling my water bottle with ice water, putting in my phone, wallet with money and driver's license and my sunglasses, my stomach got all funky.  I have an iron stomach, so it rarely bothers me.  Oh, when I was younger, it would often get a little "fluttery" in the mornings before work.  To be honest, I think it was more about a bit of anxiety than anything else.  I outgrew that. But this wasn't "fluttery", this was gurgly and somewhat painful.  This went on for about 15 or 20 minutes, then I decided it might be that I just need to belch, so I mixed me a small amount of baking soda and water and sat down to drink it.  I took about 2 swallows and immediately knew it was coming back up!  Ran to the bathroom an tossed my cookies.  Now I was sweating and chilling at the same time and I knew it wasn't good and this was the time I would be walking out the door to go to work.  I texted the boss and let him know I was sicker than a dog, don't dare come in... And for about the next 4 hours, I was sick on both ends, always hoping only one end would be at work at a time!  I don't know what it was - I have seriously not vomited in at least 25 years.  Like I said... an iron stomach.  It was pretty miserable until I was... well, let's just say completely cleaned out!  Then I started to feel better around noon, and I just napped in my chair in the afternoon.  By about 4:00, I felt pretty normal again, except just a bit of a head wah-wah, which I think might have just been from hunger.  By 5:00, my stomach was telling me I was hungry, but I was apprehensive about eating anything too "interesting."  So I made me some of my ramen soup concoctions... sauteed chopped celery, shredded carrots (normally I would add chopped onion, but didn't want anything "gas making" in there after my day!), cooked them with the noodles, then added a couple handfuls of Schwan's kale mix.  It was delicious, filling and easy on the tummy...

And this morning I feel fine.  But as for work... they only called in FOUR people at 10:00 (not me)... Usually it's at least 8 and it might be as many as 20 or so.  Usually it's around 11 or 12.  And at 8:00... they only called in TWELVE!!  They usually call 25 to 45 at 8:00!!  What's goin' on?  Maybe everything is rented for the CWS??

So we had storms roll through starting about 5:00 or so yesterday evening. Off and on all night.  I was still up at midnight when a good loud one rolled through and we sat on the porch as it went through.  Then up this morning and they're still rolling through.  I'm waiting for it to let up awhile as I'd like to get some repotting done.  

I just got a call from Dr. Jana's office... he's going to be out of town on the day (10/1) that they scheduled my hip surgery.  I said, "Oh, NO!"  I'm thinking, JFC am I having the worst luck when it comes to this thing?!!  I suppose they're going to put it off ANOTHER month!  But she said 10/12, and I thought, ok that's not that bad... But I think she thought I wasn't happy and she said, "I'm looking at the calendar and it looks like there's an open spot on 9/4."  I said, "You're kidding?  I'll take it!"  So... YAY!  Now I really have to hunker down and diet like a crazy woman.  

Plants... I repotted my Desert Rose into a metal planter that I grew my oldest kerrii in.  I decided to ditch the old stump since I have new starts.  It was time to give it up.  So into that pot went the Desert Rose, and it is starting to bloom:
It's covered with buds, so it's gonna be loaded soon!  I wonder if I can keep it blooming into August so maybe it could be in the Des Moines show.  Some summers, they do bloom all summer...

Hoya cv. Joy has been blooming...
Pretty, but they smell like bleach.  Thankfully, it's not one that really pumps out the fragrance.  You have to smell it up close to identify the smell.

And all of the Crown of Thorns are looking outstanding...
The bottom plant is actually Euphorbia geroldii, which has flowers just like Crown of Thorns.   
 
Well, that's all for today.