July seems to have arrived in May

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Tuesday, May 19.

88 degrees. No trade winds, so it feels like 92°.

Whatever the numbers, it is hot in Redwood City and most of the area south of San Franisco today.

People here have tricks for moving themselves around the house as the sun progresses through the day, seeking out the most pleasant room to be in at any particular time.

We lost that traditional knowledge decades ago, if we ever had time to learn it.

It’s hot. I had a shower. The fan that I moved into the living room sounds like a jet engine when it is on his high speed.

Bring it on!

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Houston, we have a problem

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Now that we’re here in Redwood City for several weeks of post-surgery rehab, we’ve discovered a new problem.

We are staying in a house on a flag lot with access via a long driveway off of Oakwood Blvd. Boulevard is pretty pretentious for this small street through a quiet neighborhood. It is, admittedly, a LONG driveway for a residential neighborhood.

And we are highly dependent on delivery services for groceries, some meals, and other supplies.

The problem is that Google Maps is simply incorrect.

It directs delivery drivers to the next street. But there is no access to this property from that street.

I now watch the progress of DoorDash drivers on my phone, and most have found themselves at the deadend of the next street wondering how to deliver our stuff. I try to head them off, or send texts explaining that they have to approach on Oakwood Blvd and not on any other street. But we’ve also run into a language gap with Hispanic drivers.

I can see how it happens. Because of the long driveway, this house is physically closer to the next street, but it can’t be accessed from there.

When I checked on how to flag the error with Google’s version of maps, it appears to be difficult or impossible, especially if relying on an iPad.

Apple Maps, on the other hand, provides accurate directions to the house.

But it seems Google has the delivery services pretty much locked up.

I try to tip to cover the “lost” time, but that’s not a good solution.

Update: Second full day after hospital discharge

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First, the good news.

We are now ensconced in a Redwood City home owned by one of Meda’s sisters. We arrived here around 2 pm Sunday.

It’s a nice house, hidden on a flag lot down a long driveway. Certainly a very nice place to recuperate for a few weeks.

And I do appear to be bouncing back from the surgery. I’m off pain meds except Tylenol without a problem. I walked the long driveway out to the street this morning, at least a few hundred feet each way. Will repeat later this afternoon.

The discharge from the drain that is still inserted at the surgery site has nearly stopped.

And I’m awake and upright for much more of the day, a continuing process.

The breakfast challenge

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I’m up early on my first full day after getting out of the UCSF adult cancer hospital late Saturday afternoon. Meda, as well as her sister and husband are, as far as I can tell, still asleep in their beds.

I want to take my first round of pills, but decided not to do that on an empty stomach. I should eat first. So I scrounged. Remember that I’m on a gruel diet, more properly referred to as a pureed diet. Everything is to be ground into a fine mush. Everything.

To bypass the need for a blender this morning, I went for already soft and blended ingredients.

I found a large coffee cup. Added close to a cup of yogurt, then a scoop of protein powder. Then, unable to figure out where the silverware is hiding, I pulled a spoon out of last night’s clean dishes and put a spoonful of smooth peanut butter into the mix. Still scrounging, I found honey and added a bit to the mix. I failed to get blender instructions last night, or I would have added half a banana. And I’m not at all sure what liquid to cut the whole concoction with. Milk would be perfect, but this household is into alternatives to dairy, milk, soy, etc. So I decided to just stay with the thick version.

My concoction is full of protein and calories, tastes okay, and I think it will be a fine breakfast. Then I’ll turn to the pills. Two different things for pain management, an antibiotic, and my regular blood pressure medication. Taking pills is not my favorite exercise, so I’m not looking forward to this.

My breakfast isn’t perfect, and not really by the book, but it doesn’t seem like a bad start.

And it is a beautiful California morning with clear blue sky and lots of sun. Of course, it’s San Francisco, so it’s also cold (by our standards at least) with a chilly wind.