I Need a Nap ......

...... but it's never been easy for me to fall asleep during the day.

I am exhausted.

But my chimney is once again, secure.
Or maybe just now secure.

I wish I could remember who I called last time to get the squirrel out.
Because I paid them to put a chimney cap on top of that chimney.

But yesterday I found out from the wildlife/chimney guy that all that other guy/jerk had done was put a screen over the top of the chimney and then set a brick on top of that.

I guess he was pretty sure that I wasn't going to climb up onto the highest point of my roof (which is pretty dang high) and check out his work.
Bozo.

Raccoons have no problem pushing a brick to one side and then lifting the screen up to climb in ...... and out.
My raccoon tenant was much more intelligent than the bozo who put the screen on the chimney.
I wonder how much I paid him?

The new guy came out Tuesday to evict my raccoon.  I was ready for him.  And for the raccoon.
I had my camera.

He searched.

And he searched.

And he searched some more.

But it seems that my tenant had left for the morning.
It was evident that he'd been there.
And that he'd been spending a lot of time there.

His usual habit was to come into the chimney early in the morning and then snooze all day long.
Then he'd climb back up the chimney at night and go clubbing.
That was my deduction after finding his tiny cigarette butts and a couple of pretty drink umbrellas.
Or not.

In other news, Son #2 got a big surprise.
He's been driving Daughter #3's old car since he turned 16.
It's been a faithful car (yay Honda!) but it's had a very hard life.
In horse terms .... it's been rode hard and put away wet.

So I'd been looking for a good, used truck for him.
With a lot of help from a friend who loves cars and loves looking at them (and sometimes buying them).
He came across a deal that was too good to pass up.
And so I didn't.

I had Son #2 come over Tuesday night so that we could go out to dinner.
I sent him take some recycling into the garage.
And this is what he found:

And he was pretty happy.  :)

So yeah ...... if you're paying attention then you're probably wondering if Son #2 and I went out to dinner on Son #3's birthday.
And ...... if Son #2 really received a new car/truck on Son #3's birthday.
Yep.
We celebrate birthdays in our own unique way.
:)
(Son #3 had to work that night, but he did get his very own birthday present and we had cake when he got home from work.)

In yet other news ...... I went back to see my rheumatologist yesterday.  And he made me admit that going off of the methotrexate made me feel worse.  I really hated to admit that, but it's obviously true.  But I also told him that while the RA had gotten worse, the methotrexate did nothing for the pain.
He said that now that we knew I really do have an immunity problem (lucky me) we can move on to the next step:  adding a biologic, which will slow the progression of the disease and hopefully will stop the pain (please, God).
I will still take the methotrexate, but I'm going to take weekly injections instead of swallowing 8 pills once a week.  The injection doesn't have the intestinal side effects and is more effective on most patients.
So now I am giving myself 2 shots every week:  B12 and meth.
(Meth sounds cooler than methotrexate ...... although a bit more disturbing, too.  sigh ......)

Here are the two syringes that I use on a weekly basis (no these same 2 syringes .... I use new ones each week, but these are the size I use.  Just so those of you who fret about such things .... don't fret):

The syringe on the right is for my B12 injections.  Note the length of that needle?  It goes into the muscle .... in my thigh. Fun, no?  No.
Needless to say, I was quite happy to see the length, and the thickness, of the needle on the left.  That's the one that I use to inject the methotrexate, which just goes under the skin.  Thank goodness.
Not that it's any easier for me to do the injection .... it's not.  It still takes me a few minutes to workup the courage to plunge a needle into my thigh.  Because, really?!  It goes against your basic survival mode.  Humans don't stick sharp needles into their skins ..... instinctively.  One would think that it gets easier as time goes by, right?  Well, one would be wrong.

I had blood drawn in his office yesterday.  Six tubes.  SIX!
Holy cow.
Today I had a TB test (you have to be TB free to be able to go on one of the two biologic meds).
And then I had more blood drawn.  Only 4 tubes this time.  FOUR!
Ten tubes in 2 days.
No wonder I feel so exhausted.  :)

Actually, I really did start feeling exhausted after leaving the lab.  And then all of my joints started hurting.  I felt like I had the flu ..... you know, those horrible body aches that start everything off.
Then I started wondering if the TB test had actually given me TB (cough, cough).
:)

I was supposed to go volunteer at the high school, but I really felt horrible.
So I came home.
And did not nap.
But I did sit down and put my feet up.
And my joints feel a bit better, but I still feel totally exhausted.

So I have been doing acupuncture for several months now.
And have been staying away from gluten for a month.
All to no avail.
Instead of feeling better, I feel worse.
But I'm not giving up on the gluten-free thing ...... yet.  I know that it sometimes takes months to know if the absence of gluten in my body will make a difference.
I'll keep trying.

Now that you're all caught up with me ...... and my raccoon-free household, I'm going to go lie down.
And I think I may actually fall asleep.
We.
Shall.
See.

Later, Peeps.
And Happy Thursday.
:)