FEVER!

I am a bit of a dolt, but we all knew that! I struggled a little bit with fatigue yesterday, but there wasn't an opportunity to take a nap. That's OK. But by 7:00 PM, I knew something else was wrong. OH MY GOODNESS -- I have a fever! 38.5! That would be a result of the vaccinations I had the previous day! I don't know how long I had the fever, but it was when my body just said, "we're done," that it crossed my mind! 

Having said that, I took some medication (although it was a struggle to get back downstairs to retrieve them from the kitchen table), went to bed, and slept pretty much through the night. However, I woke up when the storm hit, but I didn't really pay much attention to it. Poor Murphy - she doesn't like storms, but I think she went back downstairs to hide out in the stash room, since Mom was no help in comforting her. DH was out for the evening.  

I'm feeling much better today, although my upper arms are still tender. However, at least I can move my arms without much pain. This doctor recommended I get two more shots - typhoid and Hep A and B. Yikes -- do I want to go through this again? I should have been like DH and gotten them all at once! I'm not sure if I have time to get those before we leave, and I wasn't going to worry, except I saw a news article this morning stating that people at a downtown restaurant may have been exposed to Hep A. 

There's me, who has been lax on all things vaccination-related, and now I'm becoming paranoid? Well, not paranoid, but is it worth the hassle of getting sick when a single shot could solve the problem? For my friends, I've now received the shingles vaccination and tetanus update, so please don't ask me - I've done it! Besides the yellow fever, I got one more that day, but it's already escaped my brain. I guess that's why they give you that little immunization chart. 

Despite the lack of energy yesterday, I managed to accomplish things, but very slowly. I am not able to share it with you, but you'll see it soon. Let's just say that I was creating some machine embroidery designs so I could stitch them out. 

I will say this now, and I will continue to say it going forward. You CANNOT learn any software by watching a video. Yes -- you can get the gist of how things work, but you can't understand it that way. And no one can teach you all the nuances of what it can do. However, by experimenting, I discovered a range of cool features, all within a single tool. And modifying designs - it just doesn't happen until you have a thorough knowledge of the basics. 

Here's the thing with the Reference Manual. The reference manual will tell you how things work, but then it's up to you to play with those and see what happens. There is ZERO inspiration in the manual. That's why there are people like me! I am rather excited about what happened with that little play session. It just opened up an entire range of possibilities that I never thought possible. 

Additionally, a new feature has been introduced on the Singer Momento, which, if you have one, you're going to love! 

Wait until you see what I did with mine next week! My goal in life is to marry all the technology I have together - my embroidery machine, digital cutters, and software. I love playing around with this, and there is no stopping me! There will be more changes happening, so stay tuned! 

Here's a look at our backyard. While I was doing an OK job keeping ahead of the weeds, it did need a bit of extra care. Some branches were lying very low over that table, and they were making a mess. They are gone!

The overhanging branches are tidied up

And the rest of the area looks pretty spiffy. Other than weeding and some pruning, the yard is pretty much self-maintaining, and I like it that way! 

The tidy yard!

On the packing front, I'll be taking two backpacks with me. The larger one, which is small, that I took to Spain, will carry my clothes. I'm not taking much - two pairs of shorts, two pairs of pants, long underwear (hey -- it might be as cold as minus 25 at the top!), a couple of short-sleeved shirts, a long-sleeved shirt, a fleece, a merino wool undershirt, and my orange jacket. Socks and underwear as well. Keep in mind that all of this was designed for travel, so it's compact to pack, quick to dry, and lightweight. I will also take my Teva sandals. 

The smaller backpack will carry everything else and will likely be heavier than the bigger one. Medications, a tiny portable office, sunscreen, and so on. Actually, it might not be so bad. However, I did remove all the accessories from it. Why carry more stuff when you don't need to? 

My mini shoe collection

My miniature shoe collection is super cute, but I don't need to carry that with me. I have a shoe from Spain and England, and I'm not sure where the others came from. Super cute!!!!!

I am a stickler for always carrying food with me. I never want to be in a situation where I need to eat and I have nothing. There is nothing worse than that. I don't remember if it happened while I was walking the Camino or not. But I remember one day when I was expecting to reach a village with services, only to discover that I had taken the alternative path and there was nothing. Thank goodness for snacks. All you need is a couple of bites, and you are good to go! Why do I feel the need to eat when I'm at home? 

Several years ago, after scouring the grocery store shelves and purchasing several protein bars to experiment with, I discovered that RX Bars are perfect for travel. They don't have chocolate, so they won't melt, although they will soften. They are not dry and tasteless, but actually quite good. I eat about 1/2 a bar a day, or whenever I need a pick-me-up, and nothing is available for purchase. They come in many flavors and were on sale the other day, so I bought two of each flavor. 

RX Bars

I suspect that I'll need these more in Africa than in Spain, as I'll be more suspicious about food. DH thinks we'll just eat from the street vendors and well, he can, I will not. While I'm taking my Montezuma's revenge medication, I certainly do NOT want to use it! 

And my HOKA shoes arrived! I didn't even have the strength or the curiosity to open them last night, so I'll do that this morning and start walking with them to ensure they are OK. I've learned that the size doesn't matter - it's the fit and comfort that I care about. So, I now order giant shoes, and they work for me. 

My shoes arrived

I ordered a sleeping bag from the tour company (complimentary, I might add), so I'll probably take my liner and call it a day. Now I don't have to travel around Africa with my sleeping bag. Although it is small and very lightweight, it's just one more thing to carry! 

I need to review the list of items to take one more time and ensure that I have all the necessary items with me. The one thing I must remember is a hat and gloves! I will be placing one more order today, and I hope to get the remaining items that I don't have, such as the hiking pants and collapsible water bottles. NO plastic bottles allowed on this hike!! The three liters of water we have to carry each day will be the heaviest thing to carry, but since the porters carry the rest, it won't be so bad. And as the day goes on, we'll drink the water, so all is good!

We have our itinerary, and now I need to book those ETA travel requirements as well. It's all coming together. There will be loads to tell you about as the trip progresses. For the moment, I'm focused on obtaining everything I need in the smallest and most lightweight format possible. 

Before I close, I'd like to tell you about the book I'm currently reading. I like thrillers and finished another novel yesterday in my feverish stupor. I like scary books - well, not frightening, but murder mysteries. Well, the audiobook I'm currently reading is flat-out terrifying. It is NOT a novel. It's called Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams. It is about Facebook, and quite frankly, I don't think the political world would be in so much turmoil if Facebook didn't exist. It makes me want to close my account. 

Sarah worked at Facebook from 2011 to 2017. The book was published earlier this year without Facebook's consent. Oh my goodness — the data they collect, the influence they have over everything. They have the power to dictate how the world works! It's absolutely frightening. 

Now, since we know that the political world has turned upside down, and most likely with the help of Social Media, how can we use that same platform to right the wrongs that have been done? The power of the people!!! 

Anyway, the book is worth reading - it's an audiobook read by the author with her distinctive New Zealand accent, and it's a page-turner for sure!

Remember, there is a Virtual Retreat this weekend. 

Saturday, July 26 - starts at 6 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82693702241?pwd=QpQkm8Ppppy1XwCPOqva1bcgJCWKdP.1

Meeting ID: 826 9370 2241
Passcode: 795071

Saturday, July 27- starts at 3 PM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81073536036?pwd=uxRqMnK1aSKrmrcSO78w8QQs5g44eA.1

Meeting ID: 810 7353 6036
Passcode: 596838

And on that note, I hope to have a much more productive day. But considering I wasn't feeling well, I did great yesterday!!!

Have a super day!

Ciao!!