New Year's Eve and I don't have a date!

Guess I'll stay home by myself tonight!

I'm ending the year on a good note - went to the gym after an absence of several weeks.  I feel pretty good.  Had intended to go on from there to Best Buy to pick up a memory card for my Nook, but decided I don't want to go into any stores on New Year's Eve.

I've been watching YouTube videos off and on this morning, mostly music:  I started off with Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire and it reminded me of so much good music from the past.  After a few Johnny Cash tunes, I went on to Appalachian music, and have looked at a lot of clogging videos.  I just love that stuff.   They make me miss the east, from about Virginia and Kentucky south.  I've never cared to be in the deep south however, as I don't like hot weather with high humidity.  Not that I didn't grow up with it and live in it for years.   Being in the Appalachian Mtns. is my idea of heaven.

I think nap time is calling me.  I hate to slep during the day, but my eyes keep closing on me.

I'd like to wish you all a safe New Year's Eve, and a very good year ahead.

I may rethink this!

I'm talking about exercise, specifically yoga.  I mentioned yesterday that I did a very easy and basic yoga pose that should have been perfect for me.   Today my neck is sore and while I don't feel it all the time, a twinge or ache comes on when I least expect it.  Maybe I need to just forget about getting into better shape, and be satisfied with being an old lady!

I can already notice that the daylight is a few minutes longer.  The shorter days don't really bother me except that I don't like driving in the dark, which seems to come on very quickly in the afternoon.  I don't like to drive, period!

I think I've just ruined my chances for dinner.  I've been snacking along with my afternoon beer and I think my appetite is gone.  I don't mind doing that once in a while because I eat so much throughout the morning and for lunch.

I have no plans to celebrate the New Year - I can remember when I always went out with a group to a party on New Year's Eve.  Now I wouldn't even think of it!  Have a safe and sane New Year's Eve,


 

The world is turning too fast!

Did you ever get the feeling you'd just like the days to go by slow and easy as they used to?  It often seems that the only constant thing in my life is change.

Today is Ara's last day in Sacramento, and tomorrow she will fly back to Philadelphia.  It is difficult to say goodbye, but now that I know I will be traveling east this spring, I will probably spend 3 weeks in New York and 1 week in Philly with Ara.  So is makes the goodbyes a little easier, but not much.

I went over to Jeannie's last night to spend some time with Ara, and she got my Nook up and running.  I'm not sure I remember everything she told me, but I guess the best way to learn it is to just start using it.  It does a lot more than just allow you to read books but I'm staying away from the rest of it.  I'll still use my computer as a computer, my jitterbug phone as a phone, and my Nook as a reader for books and magazines!

Speaking of magazines, when I took a load of laundry across the street this morning to dry it, I found that someone had left a stack of Yoga Journals going back to 2002.  I brought six of them back home with me and took a quick look at one of them so far - mostly advertising - but there were some suggested exercises, or "yoga poses".  I actively practiced yoga after my daughter Jeannie was born, and got in the best shape I've ever been in during my lifetime.  I should have kept up with it, but I didn't.  So in the first magazine I looked at were directions for an easy one, the eagle pose.  I was able to do the upper body part of it, but something warned me about the lower body and and trying to balance on one leg, so I only did the part that affects shoulders and arms.  I am sure I'm going to feel some twinges from that simple exercise, but I think I'd like to keep up with the easier of the poses.  I would love to get back some of my balance and flexibility! 

I mostly try to grow old gracefully, but my nature is to want to retain some of my old activity and a bit of hell-raising!  

Christmas Day

Getting together with family is always the best part of Christmas Day, and yesterday was no exception.  The noise level hit the high mark especially during the gift opening by the kids.  In the Secret Santa exchange, I got a Nook (B&N's version of Kindle) which I have been wanting for a long time.  Now I will need to take it to Barnes & Noble to have the saleswoman in charge of that department explain it all to me and load some books for me.    I'm really excited about getting it.

My New York family is giving me a first class train ticket to come and visit them.  It will be difficult to wait but I don't think travel through the northern midwest is a good idea at this time, so I'll probably go sometime in Spring.  I love the train and it is so much more comfortable (and civil) than any plane trip I've taken in the past few years.  

I was the first to leave the party and had no problem driving home in the dark.  There was more traffic on the road than I thought there would be, but I had no problems and it was nice to just sit down and relax in the peace and quiet.

Today I'm taking Jeannie & family to a Thai restaurant that we love.   After the holidays I will be going on a strict financial diet and quit carrying my credit & debit cards with me.  I was doing so well until the Christmas season.  Also, I've been turning up the gas furnace in the mornings to take the chill off - and the bill for that is going to knock me off my feet!

I hope everyone out there enjoyed the past weekend as much as I did.  I always dread it, but delight in it when Dec. 25th rolls around.

Christmas Eve

It just doesn't seem like Christmas Eve  tonight.   I can't figure out how I lost track of so many days and here it is - tomorrow is Christmas.  I can't say I'm excited about it, but it will be nice to be with my family.  I even have a new dress to wear which I had to hem last night, and I hope I did a decent job of it.  With my eyes it's difficult enough to see, but try to thread a needle!

 As usual, I've had a difficult time getting enough to eat today.  I just can't seem to fill up.  I think it may have something to do with the thyroid medication I'm on, although I'm taking only a minimum dose.

One of my nieces, Katy, got engaged last night and posted a photo of her hand with a huge rock adorning her ring finger!   New love is wonderful!

I wish all of you all the best for the entire holiday season.  I'm going to try to enjoy the noise of the crowd at my daughter's house tomorrow, but it's always difficult to calm down and relax when I come back to my empty house.  I prefer the quiet, but I know the activity and noise is good for me now and then.



 

Dogs and chocolate or corn

I've been reading a lot of dire warnings in the past few days that chocolate or corn can kill a dog who ingests either of these.

I'm no expert but I'd like to offer some anecdotal evidence of my own.

When my kids were small we popped up tons of popcorn and had some of my family over to string the popcorn.  I don't remember the exact number of kids but there were lots of them including my own.  Anyone who has strung popcorn knows how messy it can be, but I figured I would vacuum up all the little bits at the end of the evening.  Everyone had a wonderful time, especially the children.  I suddenly noticed our mongrel dog was inching around the room cleaning all the popcorn bits up for me.  She lived and didn't even feel bad the next day.

As for chocolate, when I lived in Northern Virginia I had a black lab, and anyone knows that labs will eat absolutely anything.  On Christmas Eve I set out last minute little items around the tree, including a package of Hershey Kisses for each person, in their plastic bags and wrapped with Christmas paper.  In the morning all I found was the wrapping paper.  I never found the plastic nor the foil wrappings on the individual kisses.  I also never saw any evidence of it outside, but I could have missed the bright foil wrapping of christmas hershey kisses.  He was never sick or even lethargic - just his normal nosy Labrador self.

So those are my two "things that will kill dogs in an instant" stories.  Maybe if either one of them was a pure-bred dog they may have had more delicate digestive systems.  I also remember when I backpacked about 800 miles of the Appalachian Trail with the black lab.  I kept a journal which I sent to someone who posted it online for me, and my dog Smoky became a trail hero - people sent me packages of treats for him, including beef jerky and other things that wouldn't have made me feel so good.  

So I'd advise keeping popcorn and chocolate away from your dogs during the Christmas season (and at all times), but if you have a lab, all I can say is "Good luck"!

Short post

Most regular readers of my blog know to sit back and relax when I say I'm going to write a short post.  I never seem to know when to stop.

Ara drove me to my appointment this morning to get two CT scans.  It took much less time for the scans than it did to just find our way around that hospital complex.  I realized that we were going to the building where most of my appointments were when I was driving to that location several years ago.   I stopped going there because of the parking garage - it's too dark inside for me to see clearly and I nearly hit someone.  In my defense they walked around my car and cut in front of me, while I was watching traffic coming off a ramp to the right.  That scared me to death!  I have one more test coming up in January and I hope that's it.

We stopped on the way home at a craft brewery that serves excellent food, and I'm still full from the big lunch I had.

If I stop  now I will keep this a short post as was my intention.  Sorry, no real news though.
 

Trying to be a busy bee today!

Since I have to deal with a couple of medical procedures tomorrow morning, I'm trying to get as much done today as I can, and I've tackled laundry!  I have been delaying for some time the washing of summer sheets as well as towels.  Today is the day I'm going to get caught up!  I sure wish I had a dryer here in my house, but eventually I will get one.  I'm lucky to have a washer at home.  I really miss being able to line dry my clothes & towels as the dryer gets to be expensive.  But nothing smells good these days when it's been line dried, and I noticed that since the planes started dropping their poison particles from the skies.  

My brother and his wife (Steve and Nancy) are working on a genealogy project, and when I met them at Denny's earlier this week they handed me a box containing a voice recorder, plus a list of about 36 questions relating to my memories.  I've been alive longer than any of my siblings, so I have a lot to tell and I hope I'm not overdoing it.   

One period of my life I'd rather not talk about though is my teens, up to about 17 or 18 yrs of age.  I had a rough time and have tried to forget all about it.    I have written all my answers down on paper to make it easier to record the memories and not forget something I wanted to say.  Now I'm ready to record, and I will omit most of the question about being 16. 

Many of my siblings loved the house we finally settled in and stayed for years, in a suburb called Silverton.  I detested it, so while they may have wonderful memories of school, church, friends, etc., I have tried to forget all about it.

Every time I have to walk over to the laundry room the sky seems to be more cloudy.  I think we are in for about two days of rain, so I'm glad I'm getting this laundry job done and won't have to worry about it for a while.  I usually only do it every two or three weeks unless I want to wear something that needs laundering. 

It's time to take my last load over to dry, and fold the stuff that is ready to bring home.  I'm going to be plumb worn out when I'm finished!

I may not write anything tomorrow, but maybe I will if the mood strikes me.  Hope you all are close to being ready for the holidays.  I don't think I'm there yet! 

The birthday party

It began around 5pm - 16 girls at the birthday/slumber party.  Steve was there with Liam, and Liam seemed to enjoy himself a lot.  I talked with Donald's Mom a bit and didn't let the noise bother me.  I really enjoyed the day/evening and the cake was heavenly!

Autumn loves ancient Greece and Greek culture, so her cake was made to look like the Parthenon, complete with columns, etc.  It was beautiful and the best tasting chocolate cake I've ever had.  I asked Jeannie to send me some photos of it as I didn't take any, so I might include some pictures from the party in my next post.

I didn't enjoy the drive over to their house at 5pm as it was already getting dark.  Well before I left the party I realized I didn't want to drive home in the dark, so I asked son Steve to drop me by my house when he and Liam went home.  The only thing I have coming up is a chiropractor appointment on Monday, and Ara can take me to that.  As far as I'm concerned I really don't want to drive at least for a while.  My eyes are bothering me and it just doesn't make sense to put myself in the position of driving, at least until the eyesight hopefully clears up and I can feel confident again.  I think one problem is that the traffic has been so heavy and will probably be that way until after the holidays, so I'm just going to hang tight and see how I feel in the future.  I really hate to think of my driving days being over with, and I believe after the holidays it will go back to normal and I can safely drive locally in the mornings after rush hour.   Sometimes I feel that I'm too young to feel this old!

I will write more tomorrow.  Right now I'm so sleepy that I can't think straight, so I'll stop for now.

San Francisco

Jeannie and I left her house at 11am this morning to drive to the San Francisco Airport to pick Ara up.  She usually flies into Sacramento, but the ticket to S.F. was several hundred dollars cheaper.

I used to think nothing of driving to S.F., to the extent of parking the car downtown somewhere and walking around.  That was then and now was now, and crowds and large cities nearly make me ill.  My camera has been terrible lately, but I did get two photos while crossing the Bay Bridge.  (Click on photos to enlarge).

There are certainly better views of S.F., but these were the best I could shoot through my side window.   We didn't have to wait long at the airport and Ara's plane came in on time.  Driving home the traffic out of the airport was so heavy that the GPS gave us an alternate route through the city.  It was interesting, but I won't feel bad if I never do it again.  There was a time when I thought San Francisco and Washington, D.C. were the two most beautiful cities in the U.S.  I still think they are special, but population explosion and traffic in both places have ruined them for me.  Maybe it's just my age though, because my kids seem to have no problem with it.

Another of my all-time favorite U.S. cities is New York, although I haven't driven there since the early 1960's.  Times have certainly changed.

I am really worn out - got back to my house around 7pm this evening, which made it a much longer day than I'm used to.  I'll be back out tomorrow to attend Autumn's 11th birthday party at her house in the afternoon - another drive home in the dark.  I dropped Jeannie and Ara off at Autumn's basketball tournament this evening and had to drive the rest of the way by myself, in the dark.  Most of the traffic was coming towards me which meant headlights in my eyes.  You can't imagine how good it felt to walk into my house this evening, and I'm hitting the sack early!

While I was at Jeannie's house this morning I took a photo of her Christmas tree.  I'll show it along with a pic that I took several days ago before they had finished decorating it.  The yellow/golden cast behind the tree in one of the pics is due to the golden colored shades on the bay window.  I did the best I could - I was no great photographer in my better days, and now the best I can do is "point and shoot".

 I'm going to fall into bed soon.  I've had a great day and wore myself out.

Beautiful sunset

The sunset this evening was the best ever, and I went outside to take photos.  I think my camera needs some changes to the settings but I wouldn't have a clue, so I just rarely use the camera any more.  All of the strikingly beautiful colors - especially the reds - were so muted as to be worthless.  So I have no photo to post.

I am looking forward to visitors tomorrow morning - Megan is bringing Quinn by for a little while after she drops Liam off to school.  I've tried to clean the place up a bit, mainly putting things away.

I'm getting excited about seeing Ara on Friday afternoon.  I hope her travel goes well.  You can never tell this time of year.

I was taking a much needed nap when the doorbell woke me up.  It was the UPS driver with a package delivery.  It was very nice of him to wait until I got to the door and took the package.  I've seen several youtube videos the past week showing people blatantly stealing packages off front porches.     

I just heard either fireworks or shots from a distance.   Hope they were fireworks - the pretty kind.

I have been unable to stop eating today, from the time I got up this morning.  I don't know why my appetite has increased this much, but when I've eaten my meal I start rummaging around for sweets and salty snacks.   By this time of day I feel pretty stuffed.

I haven't heard any more noises outside, so I will sleep the sleep of the righteous tonight!  Except for having to get up every two hours!

 

Days are flying by!

I haven't finished my Christmas shopping, although I think I have taken care of most of the grandchildren.   I mailed off the NY kids' gifts yesterday.

Ara will be arriving soon, and Jeannie and I will drive my car to San Francisco to get her.   This morning I went to Les Schwab to have the tires and brakes checked.  Everything was good - they aired up the tires and rotated them and did a few other small jobs, and the bill was Zero!  I don't think I've had to pay them in a long time - when you buy the tires there (and maybe even if you don't) they will check and air them for you, plus rotate them.  I probably should get an oil change before we make that long drive.  I never get to the point where an oil change is due, mileage-wise, because I don't drive many miles.  I definitely need to clean all the windows right before we go.  

I was up this morning around 4am, and before getting back in bed I always look out my window to see what stars or planets are visible.  This morning I saw two planes doing the chemtrail thing.   It infuriates me to see that going on as I don't think it's good to try to control the weather in any way, and especially by spraying poisons.   And do they think nobody knows if they spray during the night?

I need to take a load of laundry to the dryers across the street.  I bought myself a set of flannel sheets a few days ago, and I should put them on my bed before spring comes!  These are the old fashioned cotton flannel kind.  I really prefer cotton, although it gets more difficult to find any that hasn't been treated to make it soft & silky.    I don't need soft and silky,  I need warm!



 

On a roll!

Of course what is "on a roll" to me would be just another day to most folks.  I started with the gym so I couldn't make up any excuses to skip it if I waited.   I then drove to Grocery Warehouse, which I don't go to very often because it is so difficult to get through the traffic and into the parking lot.  At least it is for me, who always chooses the easiest way rather than the most direct or quickest!

I didn't buy much, and pushed the cart around with Christmas wrapping paper in it, but after I checked out I realized someone must have removed it from my cart.  Strange.  I was in a good mood and realized I was actually humming along to "Joy to the World"!  I don't even care for Christmas music - traditional and certainly not the newer stuff, but nothing was going to spoil my mood today.  I had a really nice person to talk to in line with me, and I was soon on my way home.  I decided not to get in any more Friday traffic and will go to the dollar store for Christmas wrapping paper, early some morning.

One impulse item I bought was a box of 6 White Castle hamburgers.  What a treat it was when I lived in Cincinnati to get a big pack of them right off the griddle.  We never called them "sliders" and I was an adult and visiting a cousin in Chicago before I ever heard that term.  We went to White Castle and  ordered "White Castles".  I ate 4 of them for lunch today - being that I haven't had any for so long I'd say they were good, but nothing like walking into White Castle and getting them just off the griddle.

Another Cincinnati favorite is Skyline chili.  Years ago when I was very young, there was nothing like a trip to "the chili parlor" to get chili spaghetti.  You could also order it with beans, onions, and cheese, or also called a "5-way".  There were a lot of Greek immigrants in Cincinnati when I was young, and they owned the chili parlors.  The chili is totally different than any other kind - nothing at all like southwestern style - but it is a style all it's own.   The Greeks are gone from the chili business now and other new chili places have cropped up, but to me the old Skyline and Empress were the best.  You could also get a "coney island" which is a smaller than regular size hot dog, on a steamed bun, and covered with chili and whatever else you liked - beans, onions, cheese.  Oh so good, and there are still a lot of Skyline restaurants in the area.  I doubt I'll ever go back to Cincinnati but I'll always miss some of the food that I grew up with. 

Enough reminiscing about food.  I think I mentioned that my appetite has really increased.  I weighed myself at the gym today and was up another pound!    There may be a time when I'll have to cut back on the intake, but right now I'm loving it, including the weight gain.

I hope you all enjoy the weekend, and watch out for the traffic if you decide to go out.  I still have Christmas shopping to do, probably not on the weekend however.  I don't know where all the presents are going to go when we are at Jeannie's on Christmas Eve.  There will be the Secret Santa gifts for the adults, and of course, all the kids presents from everyone.  The tree Jeannie bought at Apple Hill last week is a bit larger than she realized.  They have a huge formal living room and the tree take up half the room!  I can't wait to see it decorated.  I'll try to remember to take a photo of it.

Best day yet!

I haven't felt this good in a long time, although I sort of crapped out in the afternoon.   I managed several errands this morning followed by a walk at the gym.  I walked yesterday and had some irritating leg cramps in the early morning.  I just now reached in the fridge and pulled out a bottle of beer, then put it back.  If I'm going to get leg cramps from walking the beer would only make them worse.  I stretch out after any kind of exercise, but I guess at my age I can't avoid some pain.  As they say, "no pain, no gain".

Whether it's the thyroid meds I'm taking or something else, my appetite has grown by leaps and bounds.  I seem to be always hungry.   My weight is about 123 now, so I wouldn't mind up to another 7 pounds, maybe even more than that.

The weather has been chilly, but when I get in the sun it feels quite warm.

The Sacramento County Animal Shelter has a lot more dogs than usual, so I decided to look and see what they had.  The first two were German Shepherds - the most attractive being the male but he weighed in the 80#+ range.  The female was in the 60's and looked like she was more of a mix.  Page after page were lists and photos of pit bulls.  Most of them looked extremely sweet, but with all the old people in my neighborhood, especially those with very small yappy dogs, I wouldn't want to think of the complaints I'd get.  There was a dachshund or two but nothing I was truly interested in.  I go through this about 2 or 3 times a year when I wish I had a doggie friend.  Fortunately I snap back to my senses pretty quickly.  I think a 45-pounder would be as small as I'd want to go, but I just don't need an animal to care for.  If I lived in a house with a fenced yard, then I would definitely want a dog.

One of my nieces recently moved from NYC to Los Angeles.  I have no idea where in L.A. she is, but those fires look frightening.   She is originally from Sacramento, so she's a California girl at heart.  I think I wouldn't mind New York State at all, but not the City.  Actually it's probably too cold for me anywhere in NY now.  I've been away from the East for too long and I think their winters are going to be worse for a few years. 

I've rambled on for long enough now, so I will go sit in my easy chair and put my feet up, and take my glass of water along with me although I wish it was a beer!

Waiting for the B-12 to kick in

I got my B-12 shot this morning and went from the clinic directly to the gym.  I haven't been to the gym for several weeks, and I really need to get back on track.  It will be difficult working around medical appoints that seem to be compounding, as well as the Christmas holidays.  I really do want to make a strong effort to keep moving as well as doing the upper body training.

I was up fairly early this morning and can feel the drowsiness creeping up.  I'm going to try to work through it and not take a nap.  After a month of the thyroid medicine and the B-12, I find I need much less sleep, which I'm very happy about.

I wrote to one of my senators about an issue that is important to me, and received a reply that is a big insult to my intelligence.  So I tried to reply to that reply, and got nowhere.  I guess you have only one shot to get a point across to your congressperson, and they have the last word.  I could probably figure out a fix for it but I don't even care enough to try.  This happened to be one of the senators I might vote to re-elect, but not now.  What a worthless bunch they all are!  (Well, most of them anyway.)

I just had a nice long telephone conversation with Ara.  She will be coming back to Sacramento for Autie's birthday in about two weeks and will be here for Christmas, and I am so anxious to see her again. 

I am able to open the front door for a short while with just the screen door letting in some "fresh" air.  I put that in quotes because it doesn't smell very fresh when you are actually outdoors in it.  I feel like I'm being cheated out of enjoying the outdoors as I once did, but the odor from whatever they spray is really bad.  It begins to dissipate about now, but I am not taking any chances with being any more exposed than I am. 

I ate so much for lunch today that I wonder if I'll be hungry at all by dinner time.   I'll probably make a skimpy supper and let it go at that.  

We've crossed the midweek line and now will be heading into the weekend!  I really think time is speeding up!

 

Memories of Ireland

The wind is blowing hard today which reminds me of when I lived in Ireland.  Of course, the gales I experienced there were much stronger!  Living at the end of a peninsula with the sea on 3 sides made it certain that the wind blew 24/7.  I always seemed to gain energy during the ever-present gales, but these days I often feel depressed when the wind is so strong.  Knowing that everything one experiences depends on the state of mind, I decided that today I will gain energy from this wind blowing - forget being depressed over it! 

Having the heat available in the mornings makes it seem warmer all day long.  I have it set pretty low but heard it recycle on several times during the night, so I know it was cold.  I really want to get back to walking at the gym every day, and think I will try to start on Wednesday after I get my 2nd B-12 shot.  I am so hopeful that it will make me feel even better.  I'm feeling fairly good now but the motivation to do something is still lacking.  That may be a case of just plain laziness!

I plan to take it easy today.  I have a morning medical appointment tomorrow, and I want to go to bed a little earlier this evening and be rested up for it.  

Cutting down a Christmas tree

We spent a lot of time just looking for the right tree.  My daughter is very picky about what she wants, so we ended up spending about 4 hrs in two different tree farms.  The first one had some nice trees but they were growing "willy-nilly" and some were too close together.  You could tell they were just growing rather than planted where they could thrive.  It was a large farm (and also had the lowest prices) so it took up a lot of time just searching the acreage before deciding to go elsewhere.  

Most other farms charge way higher prices, but we found one that was priced about midway between our first farm and all the others.  What a difference it was - you could tell the care the owners took to make sure each tree had its own space to grow.  It didn't take Jeannie too long to find the tree she wanted.  Everyone was really tired and the kids were hungry, but as I told them all "If Jeannie ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!"  

We had gone up to Apple Hill which is maybe 40 or 50 miles up towards Lake Tahoe.  Coming back down the hill we were laughing counting the number of cars and trucks bearing christmas trees on the top or in the truck beds.  

When they dropped me off at home Donald insisted he would light the furnace for me.  I tried to insist he could do it another time as the kids were hungry and cranky, but he got it lit on the first try.  I must say my house was so much more comfortable this morning.  I don't set the thermostat very high, but it's enough to take off the chill.  I will supplement during the day with a space heater, when I need it. 

I think they plan to go to Costco today (which will be very crowded) and asked if I'd like to go.  I really don't need anything as I was there just a couple of days ago, but I think I will join them just for the company.  I need alone time to "re-charge my batteries", but I love being with people at other times, and don't want to miss an opportunity.

 

Trip to Costco

I was surprised to find that mid-day on Friday wasn't more crowded, but the weekend shoppers will make up for that.  I had a good trip and also a couple of laughs.  There seemed to be quite a few moms with young children, which of course can provide entertainment just watching them.  One mom was badgered by her son and daughter to go look in the toy section.  The girl was trying to get mom to say "yes", but her older brother cut right to the chase when he told his sister, "Just say 'Bye Mom' "  I laughed out loud and the mom and I both enjoyed the scene.

I got some great items although I put a few things back on the shelf because the quantities were just too much for one person.  It was fine when Ara lived here as I could always split large quantities with her.  I miss her for many reasons!  

I was  shocked to hear that an earthquake happened in Dover, DE yesterday.  I texted Ara who was in her car at the time and didn't feel it.  I have a niece who lives in Dover with her husband, but evidently she was preoccupied enough with a project that she didn't feel the quake.  While quakes are much more frequent on the west coast, I can remember when the Washington Monument was shut down for a few years while they repaired damage from an earthquake.  It seems in these days that anything is possible.

I may go with Jeannie & her family to cut down a Christmas tree tomorrow.  They are also planning to go to Costco, which means a really long day as they take a while to shop for the family.  Steve & Meg cut their tree last weekend - in the same place Bill & I took the kids to get our tree when we lived here in the 1980's.   Jeannie  & Donald will probably go to the same place.  I haven't set up a tree in years and have no interest in it to be honest.  And I wouldn't ever have an artificial tree - that's just a personal preference of mine, not that there is anything wrong with an artificial one.  At least you aren't still finding pine needles in July, but hey, that's part of the fun on it and the memories come flooding back of the beautiful tree. 

I am happy to say that today I'm feeling great, and have a huge sense of well-being.  It's been a long time coming, and I hope it lasts through my dreaded visit to the oncology dept. this next Tuesday.  I'm trying to look at it as being similar to my visit to the DMV last week - everything turned out to be perfect.  Have a wonderful weekend, and be careful if you have to drive anywhere.  I'm sure between now and the holidays the crowds will get worse and some tempers will get worse also.

 

I was in luck!

I did a lot of mundane things this morning, pay rent, go to the hardware store, stop at Michael's, and then to Target where I usually get cash out of the ATM for my month's needs.  I had my debit card in my hand, but was also stuffing receipts from Michael's into my wallet so I could close it.  All of the sudden I didn't have my debit card.  I walked all the way back to my car and then tried to trace my route to the Target entrance; luckily I glanced to the right in the very spot the card lay on the ground.  I would have been in a world of hurt if I lost that card!  I was really ready to come home and relax.

My granddaughter Autumn's birthday is in the 3rd wk of December, so I shopped at Michael's for her present.  I ended up getting a set of oil crayons and a book with the proper paper to use for the oils.  I'm not sure about them, but I think you draw with them and then can smudge them with your fingers.  I think the result should be quite nice, and I can't wait to see what Autie does with them.  It won't be easy for me to not give them to her the next time I see her!

I'm getting a little motivated to get back to some kind of artwork.  You might remember I did a series of small canvasses of fruits and vegetables.  I have one more to go, and have already drawn an avocado on the canvas - it just needs to be painted in and finished off.  I think it's been a year or more since I've touched anything artistic, and I will be relieved to finish this one.  Then I'll have to decide about what I might do in the future.  I haven't tried water colors yet, or the oil crayons, and they might be something to look into.  I really think I would prefer to stick with the acrylics for now at least. 

I heard this afternoon that an earthquake hit in the Dover, Delaware area and immediately thought of my niece and her husband who live there.  I wrote my brother, and after trying to reach my niece for about 2 hrs they finally got her.  Everything is ok.   

I've always heard that the rocky ground transfers tremors differently than in the west.  Stories abound about the quake years ago that hit the New Madrid fault in Missouri; they said that the ground tremors caused church bells to ring as far away as Boston.  So I don't take reports of quakes in the eastern U.S. lightly (or in the west for that matter).   I've only experienced a slight tremor once in my life and it took me a minute to even figure out what it was.  I was sitting in a rocking chair when I had the sensation the seat was sliding sideways, back and forth.   It wasn't a strong event, but I can at least say I've felt an earthquake from a distance! 

So that's been my day - pretty much like many other  days for me.   But I feel pretty good, and am happy - what more can I ask for?



 

Visitors this morning!

I had a wonderful morning when d-i-l Meg came over with granddaughter Quinn to spend a few hours with me.  Meg brought pastries, and we talked nearly non-stop.  I hope we can do it again soon, and on a more regular basis.

I then went to the grocery and decided to just buy a deli sandwich for my lunch.  I don't do that very often and it was a real treat - pastries for breakfast and made-by-someone-else sandwich for lunch - can't get much better than that!  The Salvation Army was back so all is well with the Christmas season.  This year the bell ringer is a woman, something I've never seen before.  

What a beautiful day it is - cold in my house, as always, but the sun is shining brightly through the doors and windows.  

I've lost track of time today and wondered why the sun was getting so low in the sky.  Take care, and I hope to be back tomorrow.

 

Trip to the DMV

I had an appointment at the DMV this morning to get a new driver's license, and it went very well.  The line of people who don't get appointments stretches out the door, but I didn't have to wait but a couple of minutes.   The photo they took for the license shows how I've aged, but as someone recently said, as long as I'm on top of the grass it's good!

With all the gripes I sometimes have about California, the DMV here is absolutely wonderful.  From what I've heard other people say, it is the same  statewide - Los Angeles, San Diego, etc.  The employees there are always in a good mood, are as helpful and friendly as can be, and seem to really want you to be happy with your visit.   Now if they could only touch up my photo I'd be ecstatic!

I used my recently-cleaned oven today and was shocked to find bits of white baking soda on the floor of the oven.  I guess the heat made the residue come out of the nooks and crannies where they were hiding.  I didn't see any on my baked fish, but since it was only baking soda and water I didn't worry much about it.  Good thing I didn't use a chemical cleaner, which I've been considering since the soda wasn't the best cleaner - I think it will take at least another application or two and I'm not ready to do that right now.   I really don't want to use the chemical cleaner and would prefer to have a few spatters left on the oven if necessary.

I need to go to bed soon as I have an ambitious list of jobs to do around the house tomorrow, plus a visit with my chiropractor in the afternoon.   I  notice that when I relax and start to work the daily crossword puzzle I often get drowsy, but if I can just hold on for a little while, the drowsiness goes away.  It's so much better when I don't need to sleep the day away!  That's about the only benefit I've noticed so far with the thyroid meds and B-12 shot.  I will get my next shot in about 8 more days.

Nothing done today!

I mostly sat around today after not being able to sleep well last night.  I kept waking up with the worst leg and foot cramps I've ever had.   I've been trying to cut back a bit on how much water I drink during the day so I won't have to get up as often during the night.  Also, I hope the salt doesn't wash out of my system.  I'm enjoying the V-8 juice I drink every day as the cardiologist suggested I do because I need a little extra salt.  I don't spare the salt in my cooking so I don't know why I'm low in it.  I think maybe I haven't found that magic spot between too much and too little water, and that might cause the leg cramps.

Ara flew back to Philadelphia last night but will be back in December for Autumn's birthday and Christmas.  It's sad to see her go. 

We've had some heavy rain today so I didn't venture out.  The only time I went through the door was to retrieve my newspaper.   It was packed with Christmas ads and I knew all the stores would be crowded with people looking for bargains.  I'll make a trip to Costco on a weekday morning and should be ok.

Have a good week - next weekend will be here before you know it!

Market day

I haven't been to the farmers' market for two weeks and had only one egg left.  The organic eggs from free range hens are so good I won't even buy them at the grocery store these days.  I also got the biggest bunch of chard they had on hand - it took me a while to clean it and get it ready so that I just have to dip into the bag and pull out how much I want to cook.  (I actually had enough to fill two large plastic storage bags).  I normally don't cook the stems but I cleaned and cut up a bunch of stems as well.   A few grapes, apples, and lemons rounded out my purchases.  There were less than half the normal sellers there today, and no live music from dismal folk singers who try to recreate the 1960's.  I like folk music, but some of that stuff was just plain bad.  I'd rather not have to listen to it while I shop.

Yesterday I wrote about the supposed dangers of eating raw flour, and today there was another article in the paper about it.   And now some study has come to the conclusion that 3-4 cups of coffee a day are good for you.  I've known that for years!  But just wait for a while and the opposite will suddenly appear in the news - don't drink coffee, it's bad for you!  I say use your own judgment because a study can "prove" anything that it sets out to prove (or to disprove).   Be careful of eating raw flour, though!

I don't recall Sacramento having this many weeks (actually months) of such cool weather.  It's cool for Sacramento, at least, with a high reaching about 67 today.

I have often mentioned that I have no trouble sleeping at night, but last night I tossed and turned in the middle of the night and finally got up at around 3am.   I stayed up for about an hour and then went back to sleep.  I wonder how this will affect my afternoon and evening. 

I hope you are enjoying the weekend, and that at least some of you shoppers are patronizing your local merchants.

My chicks are safely home!

They arrived safe and sound and happy yesterday morning.  We all gathered at Jeannie's house, except for Sarah who stayed home to sleep after being awake for 41 hours straight!  Thanksgiving dinner was a feast, especially to me who never cooks anything that takes time or effort to prepare.

The kids enjoyed their week at St. Lucia so much that they booked for next year before leaving.  Donald took a lot of photos which he showed on their huge TV screen.  I think they are all taking the kids next year, and the following year want to go to Jamaica!  They stayed at a Sandals resort where you prepay a set amount and then don't have to pay for anything during your stay - no tips even!  You can eat any time your want, and drink anytime and anything you want.  I would have been inebriated  the entire time, although I would have probably fallen asleep after the 2nd drink!  It looked like fun for  younger folks - street parties every night and a lot of activities.    I miss a lot of things about getting old, but partying isn't one of them - and I loved to party when I was young and single!

The newspaper had a couple of interesting items this morning - "Many say Black Friday has lost its thrill as day of big bargains".  I could have predicted it would be run into the ground after a few years.  But what are people doing in its place?  Shopping online, what else!  Does anyone else remember the old days (before cell phones) when you went Christmas shopping, enjoying the ever increasing number of parcels to carry from store to store?  The Christmas music playing from the speakers in every store?  The friendliness of folks to absolute strangers, and a "Merry Christmas" to everyone you met?  Ah, but shopping online is going to be so much easier and you don't have to leave your house!  That was always one of the good things about it - leaving the house and getting the Christmas spirit!    I lost the spirit of Christmas a long time ago for several reasons, but the sheer over-commercialization of the holiday is what finally did it in for me.

Another article warned that one should never eat raw cookie dough - it seems there can be devastating effects from consuming raw flour???  Flour, of all things?  I remember being warned about raw eggs, but that never stopped me from eating raw cookie dough - especially chocolate chip dough!  I used to make big batches of chocolate chip cookie dough, bake a couple of trays which I let the kids eat as soon as they came out of the oven, and saved the remaining dough in the fridge in a bowl covered with aluminum foil.  Every single one of the kids and I would sneak to the fridge periodically, lift the foil and spoon out a big chunk of dough.  I would always tell my kids sternly that I didn't want them to get into the dough, but we all did it.  I recall once being very careful to be quiet, but the damn crinkle of the aluminum foil must have given me away, as I heard my oldest quietly tell the other kids "She's into the cookie dough"!  None of us ever died or even got sick from consuming raw flour I'm glad to report.

Thinking about the holiday spirit, I made a quick trip to the grocery this morning and realized there was no bell-ringing from the Salvation Army volunteer.  I thought they always began the day after Thanksgiving.  They used to position themselves inside the store, near the exit, but sometime during last season they were relegated to being just outside the store.  I hope no one would complain about them being inside the store!  They certainly are not pushy, seem grateful for whatever you put into their  offering container, and is one organization that gives what they collect to the needy.

I think I've rambled on for more than I probably should.  Happy post-Thanksgiving weekend to you all.

Life at Warp Speed!

I just can't believe how the days and months are passing by so fast.  Tomorrow will be another Thanksgiving Day, and we will be ringing in another year soon.

My kids arrived back in the U.S. early this morning and will be in Sacramento tomorrow morning.  I will be relieved when they step off that plane.  For having been such a world traveler in my lifetime, I hate to see my kids leave the country, or go anywhere by plane for that matter.  Times have certainly changed.

The western sky is so beautiful right now - that last few minutes before the lights go out in the west are lovely.  So many colors and they make a perfect backdrop for the palm trees.

I did a bit of shopping at Target this morning, but my feelings about that store are deteriorating rapidly.  I can't say what it is, but I can no longer find merchandise I want, and I seem to waste a lot of time.  The employees at the cash register are very friendly, which makes the trip end well, and as the old saying goes, "All's well that ends well".

The woman in line ahead of me must have bought some kind of alcohol because they had to verify her birth date, which was in 1974!  I laughed and said they never ask me any more, even in jest.  When I was checked out with a 6 pack of Sam Adams in my purchases, the cashier smiled at me and said he put "1996" .

Have a good day tomorrow!

Something took over me!

I don't mind saying that I am not big on housekeeping, and many people would agree that I've become quite lazy in my old age.  

Yesterday evening I watched a number of    youtube videos including 3 or 4 on cleaning an oven.  All were fairly similar (3 videos were made by women, and 1 was a man) and I decided to try it.  So before going to bed I mixed up some baking soda and water, and spread it all over my oven, bottom and sides.  I couldn't really do the top of the oven as it is electric and there are elec. elements I didn't want to work around.

First thing when I got up this morning I went to the oven and started cleaning off the soda/water mix, and then sprayed the surfaces with vinegar.  I expected to find a bright shiny oven but it wasn't like that.  I had to scrub a little bit and there are still a lot of little burned on grease spatters that remain.  It was difficult getting around the electric elements and connections inside the oven and I just tried to work around them.

It took a long time to get all that baking soda mixture out, and there is probably still some hidden in corners, nooks and crannies.  The oven looks fine to me but it took a bit of elbow grease and a lot of fussing with it to get it cleaned out this much.  I will live with the spatters that are left and they certainly won't bother me.  I might add that my oven wasn't nearly as dirty as the youtubers' ovens were, but I only bake in it, usually a fish filet, or maybe warm up some dinner rolls.   I don't have a clue how it got to be as soiled as it was.  Also, the youtubers all had gas ranges and it seemed to be much easier for them to get at the grime.  Almost all the youtubers said they will follow up with a chemical oven cleaner to get rid of the remaining spatters.

It was an experiment and I probably won't do it again.  Maybe I should quit watching so much youtube so I don't start these projects in the first place.  If I had TV I would be watching a lot worse!

About an hour ago I heard something electric being used near my house that sounded like a leaf blower.  It turns out my neighbor took care of all his leaves and then did my driveway and in the front of the house.   I couldn't ask for better neighbors! 

I may need a nap today to compensate for my oven cleaning spree at 8am this morning.

Enjoying 3 of my granddaughters

My granddaughter Ara is in town for 2 weeks, and it is a treat to spend time with her.  She had moved to Sacramento but could never find anything like the satisfying job she had back east.  She is with an organization (Camp Hill, which is in many locations) that provides housing and care for autistic people of all ages.  (I may get this a little bit scrambled, but I'll explain it as I see it.)

Ara was working at Camp Hill before coming to Sacramento, and they asked her to return to take over for a woman who was on maternity leave.  Even though it was a temporary 3-month position, she agreed to do it.  At the end of the term she was offered a very good management position which she accepted.    She is responsible for the management of two houses and oversight of the employees who work there, plus the overall needs of the residents and their care.  She isn't directly involved with hands on care of the residents now, but is in more of an oversight and management position.

The three girls came over to my house this weekend and the younger two enjoyed using my art supplies while Ara and I caught up with each others' lives.  I ended up giving them many good items out of my supplies, and when I went over to their house yesterday Autumn was busy painting small canvasses for Christmas presents, and Arianna was sketching animals in a sketchbook.   I went with the girls on Saturday night to dinner at Spaghetti Factory, and yesterday morning went to their house to drink coffee and work the NY Times Crossword puzzle with Ara.  We did quite well but missed Jeannie's participation.  Jeannie and Donald are gone for a week to an island with Joe and his wife, celebrating Joe's 40th birthday. 

So this is why I haven't had a chance to post an entry in my blog for the past few days.  I'm really enjoying the company of all three girls.

It has been overcast all day with drops of rain now and then.  I hear the  drone of planes overhead although I can't see them.   I thought they were spraying poisons to cause it to rain, but we really don't need help with that today.  Sorry to harp on that but I hate it, it will come to no good, and it sets my nerves on edge.

 On a happier note, my youngest granddaughter, Quinn, will be one year old this week.  Time flies!

 

Rain, rain, rain!

It poured down throughout the night and has been falling all day long.  I have a couple of leaks - the ceiling ventilation fan in the bathroom for one.  The other one is at my bedroom window, which faces south.  The rain is coming from the south and blew against my windows all night long - it looks like it came through the screen on the right side, filled the channel below the screen, and from there flowed over to the stationary window.  I sleep with my bed against that wall, and woke up with water dripping on my head!  Until I get that fixed some way I will just have to check it whenever I wake up, and keep a roll of paper towels next to the bed.  

Part of the problem is that these older model mobile homes have no gutters.  There is a small curved channel around the roof line, but in a decent rain the water just fills that tiny channel and rolls over - down the windows and walls of the house.  The channel is absolutely worthless.  If I ever replaced the roof I would have actual gutters installed, but to fix just the really necessary items on this house would be extremely costly and I'd still have a crappy 1962 model mobile home.  

I'd like to go into an apartment but rents have gone up exponentially in the last two years.  I like the area I live in but I may have to move to a different location to find a decent apartment.  My biggest problem is that I don't want a tenant above me, and there are very few one-story rentals unless I rented a duplex, which again, is more than I can afford.

I decided today that the table next to my chair was a total mess, so I took every thing off it and got rid of a lot of junk.  It is a two tiered table, and the bottom layer was the worst.  I still have a few small piles of junk that I need to find a place for or throw away.   It seems also like my coffee table top has provided a temporary spot for the items I took from the chair side table.  Why am I such a packrat?

I refuse to complain about the rain just yet, as we have had a long dry spell.  This is typical California winter rain, although it has begun a bit early in the season.  I think the climate engineering going on has a detrimental affect on the entire weather system, but those planes keep flying!

I think I will go see what I can find to eat.  I'm not very hungry yet, but if I wait much longer I will lose any appetite I have.  Have a good day/evening - whatever it is where you are located.

A Gloomy Day

It has been a very gloomy day, overcast the entire time with intermittent rain.

All day long I've heard planes going by overhead - large ones from the sound of it.  It's unusual because there isn't much air traffic in my area or in a path over my house, and the ones dropping the poisons from their planes seem to fly high enough so I don't hear a lot of engine noise.  I don't know why or when it happened, but I started seriously disliking planes and the noise of jets a while back.

I need to start going back to the gym on a regular basis.  I notice my legs hurt when I stand up, and today I just don't feel right.

I just went out to get my mail, which is discouraging.  Every single day I get several pieces of mail, ALL of them requests for donations, subscriptions, etc.  I just throw them unopened into the recycling bin.

I hope you all have had a good day, and I will hope I have a better one tomorrow.  That said, I'm just glad to still be able to stand up!  

And I have great insurance!

I can't even imagine how someone with less coverage would fare!

I decided with the potential for cancer looming in the background, I didn't think I should have to wait until after Christmas to get this checked out.  The original appointment was requested in August, which would be a 4-month wait at that.

I called the clinic to see if I could get an appointment sooner, even with a different doctor.  The person at the clinic said I was on the list to be called anyway, as the doctor was going to be out of the office for the holidays.  It looked like February would be the earliest I could reschedule.  

She found a different doctor at the main hospital location and I have an appointment on Dec. 5.  I swore off ever driving back in that area again, and I'm fortunate my son Steve has planned to take me since Jeannie won't be able to make it.   I just hope the change in dates will fit into his schedule.

This isn't a run-of-the mill hospital folks, and as I have said my insurance provides complete coverage so it can't be that.  I don't know what has happened in this country, but I'm sure we are not at the top when it comes to health care.  

On the other hand, this has turned out to be a beautiful day weather-wise.  I have been in the greatest mood all day long, and won't let the scheduling problems get me down.  Whatever the outcome, what will be, will be.  I'm ok with that.

I wish I had something more positive to write about.  Actually I'm feeling a lot better today than I have for a long time.  Just maybe I'm going to feel even better tomorrow?  I hope so.

One appointment out of the way

I saw my cardiologist this morning - she is the best doctor, in my memory, that I have ever had; in addition, she knows how to "handle" me and convince me when I get balky!  

I have an upcoming appoint with a hematologist/oncologist the day after Christmas, and have been thinking about cancelling it.  The cardiologist looked at all my medical records and explained things to me that my regular doctor or the endocrinologist didn't explain.   The Cardio definitely wants me to keep the appointment as she says I have a problem with blood marrow that isn't too bad yet, but could turn into cancer if left untreated.   She said it's a matter of taking a pill for it if I start it soon.  She also said it is very possible that symptoms I thought were thyroid (total fatigue) could be due to the bone marrow problem.

Fortunately my daughter was with me and will remember details I often forget.  I also signed papers that she can give or receive all information on my behalf.   I have always remembered a column written by the late Erma Bombeck, entitled "When does the child become the parent, and the parent become the child."

I was so hungry after I got home I fixed myself a ham & chicken sandwich.  It was so good I then fixed a second one.  That's 4 slices of bread, plus 2 slices from the egg sandwich I had for breakfast.   Not the best thing I could be stuffing myself with.   I have to see the chiropractor this afternoon, and will be waddling into his office!

What a start to my week.  I hope all readers have a great week ahead!

Thanks to the Vets!

My thanks go out to all the military veterans out there.

I didn't go anywhere today except to take a basket of laundry across the street to the dryers.  I need to wash a load of towels but have been putting it off because I hate the thought of not line drying them.  I know I won't do that because of the stuff being dropped from the sky (climate engineering).   I have two sets of summer sheets to wash and dry and store in the back of my linen closet.

I  pulled some frozen chicken breasts out of my freezer a day ago and cooked them, and today made the most delicious chicken soup.  There was so much meat I was able to save enough for a chicken sandwich plus load up the soup.  After all the discussion about how I hated garlic, I realized a small amount of it for flavoring was pretty good, so I bought a jar of dried garlic flakes and added a bit to the soup.  Never say never - I should remember that!

The weather right now is beautiful and sunny although it will be getting dark in about an hour.  I didn't go anywhere today.  I need to store up energy for Monday when I have a cardiologist appointment in the morning and see the chiropractor in the afternoon.  

Believe it or not I'm starting to have stirrings of a desire to get back to acrylic painting.   Whether or not I will actually do that is still a big question.  I wanted to paint my bathroom before I did anything else, but looking at it seriously, there is no way I can reach the ceiling over the shower.  I thought of putting my 3-step ladder into the tub but don't know if it might be too wide to fit.  If I don't do it there is no one else who will, however beautiful their intentions to be helpful.  My kids all have their own families and homes to attend to, and I won't ever ask them for help unless I absolutely need it.

This is really difficult for me, who was always a driven person.  If I wanted something done I wanted it done ASAP, and done well.  That usually meant that I did it myself.  I just can't do that anymore, but getting older does have the advantages of being able to ignore things that you can't change.

Well, that's my philosophy for today.   Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Black Squirrel

Although I don't recall ever seeing a black squirrel, I'm sure I have but just don't remember.  I was standing in my kitchen looking out the window and saw a man with 2 dogs go by.  It looked like a black kitten or some other small animal curled up in the limbs of the tree, but when he started moving around I realized it was a squirrel.  I watched him for quite a while and he was quite an interesting sight.  He did the squirrel tail-waving thing until the dogs were well out of sight and then came down from the tree.  Later I saw him romping across the street, so maybe he lives around here.

Squirrels have never been one of  my favorite animals to watch as they constantly stole the bird seed out of the feeders on my trees in North Carolina.  They were really bold and I realized I could never defeat one when he set his mind to something.  It was constant war during the time I lived there.  But I apologize to cat lovers, and will say I really never did like cats either.  I think one has somehow found a way into the crawl space under the house as I saw him go in there yesterday.   If he is making a home in there I would like to get rid of him but don't really know how to go about it.  Another job for son Steve the next time he comes over. 

My trip out into the world this morning was to Costco, and I spent enough to keep me out of the store for the next two weeks!  

My granddaughter Ara moved back to Pennsylvania about two months ago - she took over for a person who was on maternity leave and I knew the organization would offer her a good permanent job to keep her there.  Well, they did and she is going to make a very fine salary as well as be in an administrative position.  I am really looking forward to seeing her - it didn't take long to get used to having her around when she first moved back to Sacramento.   I think it's very difficult to choose between being close to family and developing a career that has great satisfaction and future, and I'm glad she has made the decision.  She has to work too many years ahead to not get the best job she can, and she has always loved working there and living in the vicinity of Philadelphia.

I took a break from cleaning my kitchen so I'd better get back to finishing the job before I just say "the heck with it".  It's another Friday, so I wish everyone a great weekend!

What happened to my appetite?

I don't have any idea why but my appetite seems to have lessened somewhat the past few days.  I usually eat all morning long and through half the afternoon.  I can't believe my medication has anything to do with my reduced appetite, but it's a possibility.  Speaking of the medication, I'll say I'm feeling a lot more alive lately, but I'm still no dynamo!

I got my hair cut today.  It's a bit different style for me, and I think it makes me look a bit younger.  It was not a good drive for me because of the overcast skies, but I made it just fine.
 

Tomorrow is my daughter's (Jeannie) birthday.   Any of the family who can make it will meet downtown at a Thai restaurant that features some of the best food I've ever eaten.  I'm not necessarily into Thai food, but this is special and I'm looking forward to it.  

I stopped at the grocery today and remembered to pick up some beer - I got Sam Adams Boston Lager.  I haven't had a beer of any kind for a while, and it's been even longer since I've had a Sam Adams.  Wow, it is so good!

 It looks like we will have a lot of rain tomorrow which might clear away some of the dirt and dust in the area.  I hope you all have a good day, and I'll let you know if the Thai food is still as good as I remember it from about 6 months ago.

Good days ahead

I certainly am looking for good days.  I called the clinic this morning to make an appointment to get the B-12 shot, and they told me to come on in.  They didn't take long and I was soon out the door and on my way back home, wondering when I might notice some results, and at the same time thinking about some of the things I've been wanting to do when I got some energy.

I was told that I might not notice any effects of the B-12 right away, and that it is a cumulative thing, so each month it should make me feel better.  Maybe it's just my mindset and determination to be positive about this and the thyroid pills, but I'm definitely noticing a difference already.  Give me another week and I'll be recounting all the things I never thought I would care about doing again (cleaning my house is one, and the jury is still out on that one.)

I have gotten so much blood drawn over the past few months, but can't remember the last time I had a "shot".  I always relax as much as I can when they bring a needle toward me, and this morning I totally relaxed.  I could barely feel it, and told the person who administered the injection, "You are really GOOD".  She seemed pleased and I was pleased as well.

My son Joe is going to come over and put the cover back on the swamp cooler so I don't get cold drafts or rain through it, .  Speaking of cold, it is actually warmer outside than it is inside my house!   I got the winter sheets out and on the bed, and switched over to the down comforter.  At least I will be warm at night. 

He picked up the two girls at school and they came over for as long as it took him to set up the ladder and wrap the cooler.  The girls played "Go Fish", which always has me wanting to laugh.  One will ask for something like the "Three of clovers", and refer to spades as a heart with a stem in it.   They were hungry but I didn't have a thing they would eat - all I buy is healthy stuff!

I'm relieved that I don't have to worry about the rain dripping into my house, if we get much rain at all.

I'm getting hungry and wish I could just drive over to Chipotle or someplace like that and buy something already prepared.  But I have an easy supper planned so I'll just stay home.  Wish I had a beer right now!

Time change

I just wanted to say hello and ask if anyone really likes the tampering with the clocks.  It's only the 1st day of standard time and I'm totally confused.  My computer tells me the current time but so far I haven't changed any of my clocks.

Even though I took a nap today I will try to go to bed earlier so I can have more time to enjoy the morning, which I always mention is my favorite time of day.  I need to drive over to the clinic tomorrow and schedule my B-12 shot.  They wrote me I can call for an appointment but I am not sure where to find the phone # for the clinic.   

I can really relate to the old doctor I read about today - I think they took his license away because he never learned much about using a computer.   He sounds like a doctor I'd prefer to go to.  Now most of them are facing their computer screens and typing away while talking to you.  Multi tasking might sound like a good idea, but I've read that it has many more negatives than positives.    With all the hype I've heard lately about EMP attacks and completely losing our power for a long time, that old guy will still be able to talk to patients.  He probably still writes prescriptions in longhand and tears them off the pad to hand to you.

I am really happy to be alive, but will always wish that some of the old ways had been retained.  Many of them were better than the ones that replaced them.  I am beginning to sound like my grandpa!

Finally!

Yesterday afternoon I received a msg from my doctor saying she sent a prescription for thyroid medicine to my pharmacy; also she is ordering monthly B-12 shots for me.  I have to call the clinic and schedule those.

I went to the pharmacy and picked up the Rx, even consulted with the pharmacist, which I usually don't do.  This time I had a few minor concerns and just wanted to get all the info I could before starting the meds.   She recommended taking the pill with a glass of water an hour before eating or drinking anything else, so I was up at 6:30 this morning, took my pill and then went back to sleep until 8 am!  I'm told I might not notice an improvement for up to 2 weeks, or it could be sooner, and I could have a few side effects.  I'm committed to the mindset that this is going to help me, will change my life for the better, and do so without any bad side effects.  I didn't think my B-12 was low enough to warrant the shots, but I'll take those with great hopes as well.

It's been raining pretty heavily this morning but I might try to drive over to the market.   I ate the last egg in my fridge for breakfast this morning so I need to get another dozen.  This is going to be a good day to stay indoors and enjoy looking out at the rain.

I just wanted to tell you my good news that maybe I might be on the road to feeling better.  When I got the dr's msg I was so happy I felt like cleaning my house!  Fortunately, I talked myself out of that one.  I will do it soon, but a little at a time.   And I still have my bathroom painting project staring at me.

Take care folks - this is a good weekend to just stay inside and relax.

No more ads!

You know how upset I was when all the ads began to appear on my computer a few days ago.  Every single application and website was affected, so I started searching for an ad blocker.  My Firefox had an ad block feature but they must have installed an update that no longer has it.

I found something that I could try for free for 7 days - I'm on day two now - and if I continue it I'll have to pay something like $5 a month.   I don't have any choice as the constant and infuriating ads were ruining my day.  They appeared everywhere!  So I will probably pay the $5 and continue the service.   

The white grapes that I love so much are just about out of season now, so I bought dark purple ones.  They aren't as sweet as the white, but as I love grapes they will do.  I believe I've mentioned that I freeze them  (spread out on a small tray) and then transfer them to ziplock bags for freezer storage.  When they thaw they taste just like fresh grapes.  Many fruits seem to lose their crispness after being frozen and thawed, but I haven't found this to be the case with grapes.  If you like them as I do, buy some while they are available and try freezing them.  Costco carries grapes in boxes of 4#, so freezing half of them is ideal for me so they don't go bad before I can eat them all.

The sun is shining brightly for the first time today at nearly 5pm.  It has been a bit dreary for most of the day and rain is predicted for tomorrow and Saturday.  

I hope you all have a good evening - coming up on another weekend again.  They  seem to appear out of nowhere!

Early start today

I like getting an early start in the morning, but that doesn't mean I want to go anywhere that early.  I slept longer than I intended and barely had time to get dressed and ready to go to my chiropractor appointment.  I treated myself afterward when I stopped at BelAir to pick up a couple of items - they have a small cafe-type area, so I enjoyed a cup of coffee, a donut, and a delicious pastry!

It is still cold outside and will stay cold in my house all day, although it sure beats the hot days.  I think we are in for some rainy cold days which is fine with me.

The bathroom is still waiting to be painted.   When I get some energy and drive, I will use the Kilz on the ceiling, but haven't yet bought the paint for the walls.  It will happen eventually.

Not much is going on here - I'm just trying to stay warm.

Advertising

Everywhere I turn I'm seeing advertisements.  I'm speaking of my computer - first I noticed it on youtube.  I am not always happy with youtube content, but then I think much of it is more reliable and honest than the print and televised media today.   I hope I never get tempted to go back to watching TV, so youtube is how I keep up with current events, and sometimes, just plain entertainment.  

This morning I noticed that everything I tried to do on youtube was preceded by a 25 second ad, which allows you to click on "Close ad" after you've been subjected to 5 or 10 seconds of it.  

I opened up my email account and at the top of my list of emails (in AOL) is an ad for wine.  It's still there, and I wrote to the AOL Help desk to see if I could get it removed.  The answer I got back was entertainment in itself - the message stated in part that "we are excited about our new ad-free service".  The old service was exciting to me, and didn't cost anything extra.  The new exciting service would cost me $5 a month plus tax!  In the mid-late 1990's I used AOL and paid $24.95 a month for it, but there were a lot of features that made it worthwhile - in those days, anyway.

So I don't know what to make of it - on the same Monday morning AOL and Youtube (a Google product) have started running paid ads that put a damper on my internet experience.  So far Gmail hasn't shown me any ads but that's not to say they won't.

I went to Costco this morning and also filled up the gas tank.  The price of gas is supposedly going to rise soon, and not knowing what exactly is going to happen this coming weekend (Nov 4-6), I want to be prepared for any possibility.  I didn't get many items at Costco - I put things into my cart and then ended up taking them out before I checked out.  I did buy a new Lasko ceramic tower heater and hope it doesn't blow my electric.  I've had problems with various space heaters in the past, so I just try to find one that doesn't have any bells & whistles and hope it works for me.  This one did come with a remote, which I don't care for at all.  Everything comes with a remote these days, and I just toss them because I never use them.   I sit too much as it is, and any excuse to get up and move a bit is a welcome diversion to me. 

What a way to start the week.  In addition, I missed my chiropractor appointment,  which is usually every other Monday.  When the appointment is changed to Wednesday for some reason, I get totally confused about when the next one is.  I feel bad about it, but will pay in the long run because they offered me an 8:15 am appointment this coming Wednesday.   How in the world will I ever get there by 8:15!

A new reason to dislike Amazon

I don't care how convenient it is to sit at your computer and click on an item at Amazon.  I can do the same thing with Costco, but I like Costco a lot more.  Note that most items can be bought at the local Costco warehouse although some items are available online only.  They are almost always delivered within two days of placing the order.  I still prefer to shop at the local store as I hate to return things, and buying without seeing up close, holding a piece of clothing up to oneself to check the fit, etc., means that I often have to return them.

I just tried to access the weather.com site; I tried it several times and kept getting the Amazon.com page.  There is no reason why they should take over my computer like that.   I have disliked this company for a long time, for one thing, they should have stuck with books and related items instead of expanding into food (and now weather?).   Seriously, I think they operate to the detriment of local business which pay local people, pay local taxes, and very often can be accessed online just as easily as Amazon, if that's your preferred method of shopping.   And now they want the key to your house for delivering packages in case you aren't home?   I can't believe anyone would actually do that.

Last night I stayed up a bit later and slept in a little later this morning, all because I thought the time was changing this weekend.  The joke was on me, and now I've been confused all day long!

I was all set to start painting my bathroom but hit a brick wall it seems.  My energy levels took a dive, so I will wait a week or so until I feel more like getting started with the paint job.

A new week and a new month is coming up very soon.  The big "77" is looming!   Have a good week ahead.