It’s been a busy, productive and highly creative day.

WEDNESDAY, 11/14/2018, 8:19 P.M. I didn’t feel very well today. After my C.N.A. left this morning at 11 (she was here for my Wednesday bathing and hygiene session) I felt achy, thrashed around in bed for a couple of hours, adjusted and readjusted the angles of my head and knees … but I absolutely could NOT get comfortable no matter what I did. I transitioned between hot to clammy to chills, with sporadic gas pains. But when I finally decided to take my temperature — BLAMMO! — that’s when I figured out I had a low-grade fever. So I took two Hydrocodone tablets (each tablet contains 325mg of Tylenol) and eventually felt better by dinner-time. I’ve been eating Popsicles to cool myself off. Sam decided to sleep in the family room with me tonight in case I need him. Thank you, Sam … 

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THURSDAY, 11/15/2018, 10:55 P.M. Happy Thursday night, boys and girls. Even though I ignored the Howdygram (for the most part), I still had a highly productive day! My activities included all of the following:

A SUCCESSFUL VISIT WITH MISTER BEDPAN. This is all still new to me. I’m adjusting.

AN “ASSESSMENT” BY A HOSPICE OFFICIAL. A lovely nurse practitioner from the hospice stopped by immediately after my visit with Mister Bedpan in order to assess my overall health and whether or not I have any needs that aren’t being met. I guess this is something they’re required to do at regular intervals. The first assessment happens at the six-month mark; from now on they’ll come every 60 days.

SIX SOLID HOURS OF SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE TIME. I designed a flurry of adorable new greeting cards today and uploaded them to The Howdygram Store marketplace on Zazzle. I’ll post some samples below for your possible interest.

Shop for my original, one-of-a-kind greeting cards at The Howdygram Store.

Please humor me for a minute … I want to shove a “commercial” in your face! It’s the middle of November and the perfect time to buy your holiday cards for Hanukkah, Christmas and the New Year plus all kinds of adorable, affordable — and personalized! — holiday gifts for your friends, neighbors, co-workers, grab-bags, teachers and deserving relatives. The Howdygam Store carries the following products, all designed by yours truly … when I’m not busy writing my Howdygram posts!

• GREETING CARDS. For every occasion.
• MUGS. For gifting or for yourself.
• OFFICE/DESKTOP ACCESSORIES. Coordinating mouse pads, wireless mice, padfolios, clipboards and spiral notebooks.
• HOME DECOR. Throw pillows, wall clocks, night lights, light switch covers, bath mats, ceramic bath sets and fleece blankets.
• TRAVEL ESSENTIALS. Luggage tags, thermal tumblers and passport holders.
• iPHONE CASES. Hundreds of original designs.
• GAME NIGHT ESSENTIALS. Coasters, bottle openers and playing cards.
• ACCESSORIES. Totes, zipper wristlets, checkbook covers and lunch boxes.
• PARTYWARE. Coordinating paper goods, guest books and invitations.

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So … the evening marches on! After five consecutive hours with the Sundance Channel’s “Law and Order” marathon — best series ever, not counting “The West Wing” — Sam is unconscious on the sofa and I’m in my hospital bed, as usual, with my drugs, my favorite knit afghan and a glass of iced tea. And for late-night amusement I just placed a nice order for a Wal-Mart Grocery pickup at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. This is maybe the most convenient service imaginable (and it’s free). Wal-Mart’s new grocery website lets you browse (and order) what’s on your local superstore’s shelves without ever setting foot inside the actual store. Sam loves it. Wal-Mart is half a mile away from Howdygram headquarters, so when it’s time for pickup the entire hoo-hah from door-to-door takes about 20 minutes. Tomorrow’s order includes three gallons of my favorite sugar-free iced tea, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, chicken lunch meat, a small loaf of store-brand white bread, stuffed crab thingies from the deli, a large container of Sabra hummus and sugar-free tropical Popsicles.

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Now that Sam has shuffled off to bed, it’s “me” time! I’ll take my night-time drugs, watch this week’s episode of “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” and answer a couple of emails before I shut down the MacBook, turn off the lights and get some sleep.

Thank you for reading this. Just in case you want to send a Christmas card to the Alamo this year, the address is: The Alamo, 300 Alamo Plaza, San Antonio, Texas 78205. I’m serious.