Ah, Joy!

My maps arrived and I can't wait to study them more closely.  Today I just got my bearings; they are really big maps and I wanted to determine where some of the hikes and camp sites are that I'm interested in.  The maps have a plastic coating which will keep them in good shape, I hope.  I was surprised that ordering directly from the Forest Service was much cheaper than commercial online places.  I think the two maps I received cost me less overall than if I had ordered only one of them from Amazon.

Joe came by this morning and after we talked for a while he got on the roof and wrapped my swamp cooler.  Now at least I won't worry about rain blowing in from that source, and I wish the leaks in the roof were as easily fixed.  Joe brought his youngest daughter, Keira, the recent birthday girl.  She sure is a talker but after a while asked if she could watch TV.  Sorry honey, grandma doesn't get tv!

I've really been going through bandwidth on the MiFi this month.  With two weeks left I have used 4-1/2 GB of my allowance.  I knew I couldn't get through the next two weeks so rather than worry about it going over I switched to 10GB for an extra $30.  I plan to switch back at the end of the billing period, but I think they bill a month in advance, and I hope they adjust it so that I'm only paying for what I use.  I may continue with the extra for another month and watch some YouTube videos that I've been holding off on.  I like Neil Degrasse Tyson, the astrophysicist, and I have several of his videos that are an hour or so in length that I've been saving.

I found an ad for Frontier.net that offers a pretty good monthly rate, no contract, for unlimited internet.  There are two plans, with different download and upload speeds, and I have no idea what I currently have or need.  Sometimes the MiFi is super fast, and sometimes it is really really slow.  Frontier.nets plans are both cheaper than what I pay Verizon for the MiFi, but it would only be available at my home location.  I'll have to think about it.

I have to get my things together to leave for the gym in a few minutes.  Mon., Wed., and Friday I go with Jeannie, but haven't been by myself all week.  I did walk a couple of days though.  I'm wearing a new pair of exercise pants, no doubt designed for yoga, that have absolutely no tummy control.  I don't know which sticks out more, my butt or my belly.  It's going to take intensive yoga to get rid of the stomach, I'm thinking.

A very nice gentleman called me from the hospital today to remind me that since I'm having anesthesia I need to be there a whole hour beforehand on Tuesday.  I told him just thinking about the whole thing made me sick, but he assured me that by the time anything gets started I will be completely out! 

You may remember that about a year ago I mentioned a book by Patrick F. McManus who writes articles for Field & Stream magazine.  McManus has written a large number of books on outdoors pursuits, and he also authors a mystery novel series featuring a sheriff in a back woods Idaho community.  I just finished the first of the series today, and it is so funny in parts I couldn't stop laughing.  Being a mystery there is some suspense, but no terror.  I got the first two of the series from the library and will now have to order the next two.  McManus is an excellent writer and humorist, and I recommend him, especially for anyone who enjoys the outdoors.  I am not sure if he still writes for F&S magazine - I find it uncomfortable to stand in front of the men's magazine section in stores - like I don't belong there - although I'm sure a lot of women like hunting and fishing as well as the guys.

Gotta run now - later.