Spent an hour and a half at Dixie’s place yesterday morning, and she really is turning out to be a good friend. I waited till I heard and saw the Pride bus come and pick up Diane, then I went down to see her.

While we munched on bowls of watermelon, I showed her the ropes when it came to using her Android. It’s not the exact same model as mine but similar enough. I felt really smart being able to show her all I showed her, even though most people know this stuff, LOL. But she didn’t even know how to answer a call and I had to show her by calling her on my own phone. I showed her what the icons were for, how to text, and take pictures. I showed her a few other things as well but didn’t want to overwhelm her with too much at once when she has enough memory issues as it is.

Given that she’s already had problems with two neighbors and her own daughter hasn’t spoken to her in nearly a year, one might think that should raise a red flag, yet I really do feel comfortable with her and like I can be myself without judgment. As anyone who knows me knows, any toxic drama, lies and getting selfish and demanding drives me away and I prefer to avoid those who are mentally unstable in the way a few people I could name have been known to be. Although Dixie doesn’t often have anything positive or funny to say, she doesn’t bring me down or come off as depressing. I don’t mind when she swears and she doesn’t mind when I do, and we seem to have similar interests and beliefs.

I asked her if she had any kids of her own and she does have a daughter. Dixie’s been married three times, and her daughter, a retired schoolteacher, married a rich guy and has changed ever since. According to her, she just doesn’t have time to bother with her mother and other people since becoming wealthy. That’s the impression I get, anyway. Sometimes she’s a little hard to understand not because she has any speech impediments or a strange accent, but she doesn’t always stay on topic. She seems to be easily distracted so she doesn’t always make herself clear.

In a previous visit, she said something about being careful who she says what to so her words don’t get twisted. Yesterday she said she already got the black woman next to her upset with her, but the answer she gave me as to why made no sense. Something about her helping her to install something for her TV and then getting angry that she couldn’t figure out how to do it. At least I think that’s what she was saying, but then Dixie said something about telling her, “Well, I didn’t tell you you had to do this,” so I don’t know. I never met the woman. I saw the lower part of her when she was out watering some trees that divides the properties. We were sitting in her dining area and could see her just beyond the carport.

She calls Santa Grandpa and started to say something negative about him or maybe some problem she had with him but wouldn’t really get into it and I didn’t want to pry and seem nosey. After all, it’s between her and whoever.

I learned some interesting things about some of her family as well. She has a brother and a sister who committed suicide. I was surprised to hear this but didn’t ask why for the same reasons I didn’t push her on Santa/Grandpa.

She has a famous niece as well. I never heard of her because I’ve never been into the soaps. Andy would know who Sherilyn Wolter was, though. She was on General Hospital in the 80s and lives in Hawaii on the Kauai Island.

Then we got to talking about health issues and she too, is on Levothyroxine and has had the same booming heart problem with it when they first raised her dose from 50 to 100.

Speaking of that, I’ve decided to start taking 75 twice a week. Then, if I continue to have no issues with anxiety, the next month I’ll make it three times a week and keep going up until it’s every day. There’s no doubt that other brands caused some of my anxiety, but this will tell me if the dose is still an issue or not, especially if I ramp it up slowly. I hope not! I would really love to give my body as much of the thyroid hormone it needs.

I was telling Dixie that I need statins but am afraid to take them and she too is wary of medication. According to her, however, she has a brother who’s a pharmacist and he says as long as your triglycerides and good cholesterol are good, you don’t need them, and she’s had high cholesterol all her life. This is nice to know, though I don’t remember if my good cholesterol or triglycerides were bad or not. Pretty sure my bad cholesterol was bad, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not taking statins.

Perimenopause was a nightmare for her as well. Can’t remember much else as far as what we talked about other than that she attends AA meetings and Diana collects stuffed animals, though I didn’t see the collection which I’m guessing was in her room.

A few days ago, furniture was moved from Dusty’s house and now it’s for sale, as I expected it to be. So that makes two houses I have to hope don’t have loud vehicles or lots of loud company/projects. But the woman Dusty cared for didn’t die. Bob said her name was Tina and that she went to live with her sister in Idaho.

Said hello to Jim the other morning who has been walking with a tall, slim, long-haired brunette lately. Don’t know who she is. I’m never close enough to get a sense of her age. I get the feeling she’s not his wife, so maybe a daughter or caretaker.

Now for a nail update. I sent Aly a picture to get her opinion. Tom and I are thinking it’s some kind of chemical contact stain. It doesn’t seem the right color for fungus, and I’m not even sure if it’s the nail or the nail bed. Tom thinks it’s the nail.

There’s no pain or tenderness which rules out a bacterial infection, but I doubt it’s melanoma because a dark stripe usually signals melanoma in the nails (this is more like a dark stain) and I don’t think you would have that in multiple fingernails at once. They almost look bruised. There’s definitely no stripe. They’re just dark spots, but I’m not worried as it will probably grow out or fade.

I read online that vinegar is good for nail fungus so I soaked my big toe which definitely has a type of fungus because this is a yellowy-white color instead of the brownish-purple like what’s in my fingernails, and I was amazed at the difference it made. Maybe this will be more effective than the stuff I’ve been brushing on. The brush-on stuff helps, but ever so slowly.

Today is one of those days where I’m reminded of why I don’t usually like to work in the living room during the daytime. Lots of doors slamming. Some van is at Trisha’s and I guess they’re working on something. Would it really be so hard to leave their damn doors open while they’re at it instead of going back and forth slamming them every few minutes?