The Susan Sequel

This was quite an eventful week. Since I know everyone has been wondering, it was finally time for my big 5-0 colonoscopy. As it is pre-Thanksgiving, I am thankful to report that my results were good and that my colon is very healthy and pretty (I have the pictures if you would like the proof). For those of you who haven’t had a colonoscopy (because you aren’t old like me), the procedure itself was literally a piece of cake! One minute, we were talking in the OR and the next minute, a nurse was feeding me those orange, cheese and peanut butter crackers. However, and I am not going to sugar coat this… the prep was horrible and every bit as disgusting as you might have heard. For those of you colonoscopy newbies, in preparation for the test, you must drink two different bottles of turpentine tasting liquid at five-hour intervals (FYI, it made me vomit and have vicious stomach cramps). I will leave the rest to your imagination but the prep is a real pain in the ass (yes, pun intended). That being said, I would 100% do it again (mind you, not any time soon). I know someone who had a routine colonoscopy this summer and was diagnosed with colon cancer. Luckily, she’s  okay but only because she was a good girl and took the time to have this important test (this PSA is brought to you by myself as a concerned citizen). A little bit of an upset tummy but I survived the prep and so will you.

However, as any good Boca Raton resident knows, there are some things you may not survive this time of year. I don’t mean to sound like the Grinch but I am sad to report that the snowbirds have officially arrived (as if you couldn’t tell by the increase in traffic on Glades Road). And while I appreciate the boon to our local economy, the snowbirds have yet to realize that Boca is no longer the sleepy, retirement village that it was when they first blessed us with their presence. Many of us live here full-time; we have favorite restaurants, shops and movie theaters we like to frequent, we go to Publix and Costco too and, most importantly, we all drive on the same roads (it is beyond me why snowbirds can’t figure out how to drive in the rain). In the past week alone, I was almost run off the road twice by what I will presume were elderly snowbirds. I’m not exaggerating, they were close calls and once again reminded me of the aggravation we will all mutually experience for the next 6 months (thank g-d for Open Table or I wouldn’t be able to eat in any of my favorite restaurants this season). And while I admit to knowing a few nice snowbirds, I would like to remind them that there are many happy, full-time residents that now live in Boca and it would be nice if they would just keep that in mind before they jump in front of us in line at Publix or CVS (just another PSA for your reading pleasure).

Here’s another PSA, do not see the show Love Never Dies at the Broward Center (it’s horrible). In short, it’s a sequel to the blockbuster Phantom of the Opera that should never have been made (I can’t imagine there was a public outcry for a sequel to the unique, operatic musical). While Tara and I had a few good laughs at the show (it is NOT a comedy, btw), I definitely lost three hours of my life that I can’t get back (and boy is my time valuable). The show was painful, both literally and figuratively, as I went back to Pilates this week and the small theater seats didn’t help soothe my sore legs. But, on a brighter note, my wise friend Debbie invited me to a Mitzvah Lunch this week. It was an interesting concept… someone hosts the lunch in their home and a selected charity is invited to speak. Guests pay $20 to attend and all the money collected is donated to the particular charity. The speaker this week was from Sandy Hook Promise, whose mission is to encourage and support sensible solutions that help prevent gun violence in our communities and country (sandyhookpromise.org). I feel very strongly about gun violence/control and while the topic wasn’t exactly what I envisioned, it did bring out a lot of thought-provoking discussion about what I believe is one of the most important crises facing our country (I will save this lengthy discussion for a future post). If you get a chance, check out the organization; particularly if you have school age children.  I don’t know what the topic will be at the next lunch, but I’m definitely looking forward to attending.

A couple of final, random observations from the week: I think sensor operated, paper towel dispensers were designed solely to humiliate me (I clearly missed the training session on how to make them work); how lame do you have to be to use Uber Eats to order McDonald’s (that is, unless you are ordering one of their fabulous Diet Cokes); is it me or is a recent news story titled “is your fish depressed” as bizarre and unimportant as it sounds; who can tell me the difference between a sweet potato and a yam (and whose weird idea was it to put marshmallows on them); and, why are we still not discussing the 16 women who are alleging sexual harassment against Donald Trump (clearly, I am not letting this one go). Al Franken not withstanding, there will be no meaningful discussion about sexual harassment without addressing Trump’s own abhorrent derelictions. Call me crazy, but these are a few of the curious thoughts that keep me up at night.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say a special thank you to those of you who have told me you are reading and sharing my blog. This week, there were some unexpected people who told me that they were both reading and enjoying. Without sounding trite, it means the world to me and I truly appreciate the kindness and feedback. In case you don’t know, you can subscribe to the blog and receive any new posts by email (look to the right of the blog posts, find the space to subscribe and enter your email address). Voila… welcome to my world!