Friday, June 5, 2020

Vascular, Garage Door, Phyllo Pastry,

I have never had a doctor's office call me and say, can you come in now if you aren't doing anything, I wasn't, so I did. It turns out that my CT scan shows I need all kinds of operations, one of which is sufficiently major that I need to be in the hospital for 4 days and then have 2 weeks recovery at home. Big joke. Trying to tell Matt this, he absolutely refuses to go into a home for that period and doesn't understand why he needs to. As a matter of interest, in the middle of this, he doesn't remember the underground garage in this building. We have only been here for 20 years. I left him to go to the doctor and, my fault, I forgot to ensure  he knew where I was going, especially when I was called in early, with the result that  when I phoned him to say I was on the way home, he didn't understand where I was and was distressed about it. On the phone he said a friend had called, when I got home, he didn't remember that at all. Leave him alone, ha. So, now I don't know what to do. Trouble is nobody really gives a damn.

At least I got a cab both ways which I didn't have to pay for. I was so upset last night I called the Mental Health and Crisis line, the woman I spoke to was excellent and cheered me up no end, but I need her around 24 hours a day.

I'm sorry if this is distressing to you, but right now I am distressed and at my wits end with needing operations and unable to figure out what to do. Feeling sorry for myself.

On the way out, I discovered the underground garage door had been damaged, some damned fool probably ran into it, and if we needed our vehicles we had to remove them before tomorrow. So, when I got home, I rushed to do that so I could get a reasonable parking spot. I need to get me some Scotch tomorrow and some asparagus, not sure which is most important at the moment.

Sue, Elephant's Child, has convinced me to try phyllo and Hilary Melton Butcher has shamed me into it, she apparently uses it a lot. So, girls, I am going to order some for my next shopping. I will blame the pair of  you if I get into trouble with the stuff.

Asiago, Bacon, and Garlic Roasted Asparagus

1.5 lb asparagus
2 Tbs olive oil
salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup grated Asiago cheese
4 bacon slices, cooked, drained of fat, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Trim asparagus ends.

2. Place asparagus in a 2.5 quart casserole dish, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, mix everything well. Mix in the minced garlic.

3. Roast, uncovered, at 425°F for 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven.

5. Sprinkle half of grated Asiago cheese all over asparagus, then add chopped cooked bacon, then top with the remaining half of grated Asiago cheese. Roast for 10 more minutes, uncovered at 425°F. Asparagus should be crispy and crunchy.

Servings: 4

Author: Julia
Source: Yummly

Have a great day, stay well, stay safe.
 

12 comments:

  1. I am not in the slightest bit surprised that you are distressed. It is a totally rational response to a horrendous situation. I wish I knew the answer.
    And feel free to blame me/Hilary if phyllo doesn't work for you.

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    1. Even the surgeon thought so Sue.

      I will, don't worry LOL

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  2. Hi Jo - I'm not surprised you're stressed out ... and obviously I don't know what to suggest. I'm sure Matt needs to stay in the flat as that's what he understands ... but obviously if you're going to be in hospital for that long ... you need someone else to help 24/7 ... even when you come out. I honestly don't know ... I think asking around ... eg docs, where you can get social support ... not sure if perhaps the lady you talked to could give you some new contacts ... eg the church and other similar places ...

    Re phyllo ... personally I wouldn't do the roast asparagus ... and oddly we discussed this back in 2012!! I'll send you a recipe I use ... it's simpler than the recipe one ...

    Just go safely ... relax, someone will help ... take care - good luck with the asparagus and Scotch necessities ... while I hope the garage door is fixed quickly. All the best - Hilary

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    1. Basically the answer is to put him in a home for the while Hilary, but not sure that would work.

      It really is delicious done in the Phyllo, Matt used to make it but I never have.

      Well at least I have the car outside.

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  3. Good morning, Jo: I can imagine that you are at your wits' end. If the surgery would improve the quality of your own life and by extension Matt's too, it is important for both of you, but how to find a way for you to have it is another matter entirely. Keep us all posted.

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    1. Well yes it would David, I would be able to walk without pain, hopefully anyway.

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  4. If you need the surgery, then you are going to have to place Matt somewhere during those few weeks. Even if you have to call some young, strong friends to get him there. Although you could always pack his bag, put it in the trunk, and then get him to go with you on an errand and arrive at the home instead. Again, some strong people might be needed to get him inside.

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    1. Brute force eh Alex? However, you might be right. It may be what I will have to do, but a pretty rotten way to go about it though.

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  5. As a step-mother to three, a mother to three and a grandmother to two, here is what you do. Take charge and take care of yourself first. Put Matt where ever he needs to go and let someone else deal with him. Your first concern is your health and Matt is in no condition to make ANY decisions. And DON'T feel guilty.

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    1. You are sounding like ladydog Denise, you are right of course, it's just getting him there. Difficult not to feel guilty although logically I know I shouldn't.

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  6. It's a hard decision to put him in a home for a while, but you have to take care of you. Otherwise, who will take care of Matt?

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    1. Not so much a decision Diane as a fight. Of course if anything did happen to me, he would be in a home permanently anyway.

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