I Need a Break!

I notice that I'm doing a lot of complaining lately and I really don't want my blog to be like that.  A rant now and then is one thing.  I'm feeling so down lately and it's hard for me to snap out of it.  Normally I try to be a positive person, but with what is going on in the country and in the world, it's hard to maintain positivity.

So if I skip a day posting a blog, don't worry - I'm just not feeling up to it.  

One thing I keep forgetting to post about is our crazy California weather in the northern part of the state.  I read last week that Lassen Volcanic Park has finally opened on a much limited basis - the 32 mile drive through the park still has snow on the roads in places.  And the campground I worked at, Butte Lake, finally opened for camping about a week ago.  I remember starting my camphost position about the middle of June several years ago.  I wish we had some of that "cool" here in Sacramento, even if we had some snow to go along with it!

I'll be back when I'm back.  Enjoy the week, everyone.

Still working on the paneling

When I moved into this house I found water damage to the paneling around the driveway side window.  There was a lot of damage in the house from water leaks around the windows, but  this window was definitely the worst; as I was painting all the paneling, I went ahead and painted the damaged stuff figuring it would have to be replaced and I would just repaint.  Here it is, several years later, and when the window was replaced it became obvious the paneling had to be taken care of before the trim could be set around the window.

Steve came over yesterday with Quinn, intending to install the new paneling pieces, which we had already purchased and had cut to size.  Quinn had other ideas.  She was all smiles until her Daddy set her down, and then she cried and screamed until he stopped work and picked her up, at which very moment the crying stopped.  It took him a long time to even get one piece set in below the window, and he still has to install the piece along the top.  Then he can finish off the window trim and I can finally repaint the paneling.  He will try to come back today with Liam.   You may wonder why I didn't hold Quinn and try to stop her crying - she would only smile at me from her Daddy's arms, but I would have had WW-3 if I had tried to hold her.

There are several things that need to be finished off after the window replacement, and I'll be so glad when it is all done.  I'm trying to touch up the paint around the window in the spare room, where the replacement left an area uncovered that had been painted previously.  The trouble is that I can't see well enough to keep from getting paint in the wrong place, but I am going to just try to finish it and hang sheers which will cover up my sloppy work.  I used to be such a meticulous painter and it makes me sad to see that I really can't do it anymore.  But it has to be done and I'm not going to ask anyone to help me do it, so I'm on my own.   It's easier to live with mistakes that you can't see very well!

There are so many things that need to be replaced or repaired in this house, but I'm getting too old to even care, and am not going to pour a lot of money into a nearly 60 yr old mobile home that was probably crap from the moment it was built!   But it's a roof over my head and I am not dependent on anyone else for shelter, for which I am eternally grateful.

Noisy Choppers

I'm sitting in my somewhat cool house enjoying the peace, and then it started.  Helicopters going overhead, police choppers I assume, saying something over loudspeakers that I can barely understand.  They are evidently looking for someone and enlisting the help of the public.

They will often do that if someone escapes their custody or has done something wrong, but sometimes it is the case of a disoriented person, as I get the idea it is in this case.  From what I gather an elderly person is missing.  The loudspeakers make the announcements sound so garbled I really don't know what it's all about, but I hope it ends well. 

I find the amount of air traffic increasing dramatically, and I don't like it one bit:   commercial jets; military planes; helicopters; planes spreading chemtrails, etc.   Add to all that noise the racket made by everyday traffic - a heavily traveled boulevard about 2 city blocks away to the north, and freeway 50 about 2 city blocks to the east; power equipment including leaf & debris blowers; the incessant barking of dogs; the maintenance equipment used in this mobile home park, especially the Bobcat machine that goes back and forth daily, and more.  I really envy those of you who live in a more quiet or even rural environment.

I fixed myself a wonderful dinner this evening starting with a big filet of wild Pacific cod, plus vegetables topped with shredded cheese.  I had quit buying cheese because I found myself using too much of it, but I think I bought this to spread on tortilla chips and melt in the microwave.  I haven't used my m'wave for food for ages, mostly storing crackers and such in it.   I really don't like even using it at all, but hate to get rid of it "just in case".  With all I ate for supper, plus all the blog talk about ice cream, I find myself craving something sweet.   I think a beer would suffice but I have none in the house!   I did find some dark chocolate chips in the fridge though.

Ice Cream

You may remember my post of several days ago where I admitted that I ate an embarrassing amount of ice cream in a 12 hr period, the stuff I bought when my granddaughters came over for the day.  After eating so much of this ice cream I felt really sick and had abdominal cramps for nearly a full day.

I watched a YouTube video this evening about how Breyers Ice Cream and Breyers Frozen Dessert do not melt!   Hard to believe, isn't it.  The youtuber filled bowls with about 4 varieties of Breyers Frozen Dessert and did the same with Nestles, all different flavors.  He also tested the "real ice cream" from both brands, and a frozen yogurt.

The next morning he checked them after being left out all night:  all the Nestles flavors and the frozen yogurt melted in the bowls as well as in the ice cream tubs which he also left out.  The Breyers products were still unmelted and in their original position - shaking the bowls and the tubs back and forth didn't make them move at all.  He finally poured the samples into the sink - the Nestles products were completely melted but the Breyers products just sat there in their original shapes.  There is something added to that ice cream to keep it from melting, and I believe that is what made me sick.   I have probably eaten large amounts of my Kirkland organic ice cream and it is melting as I'm spooning it up.  After overeating the Kirkland (Humboldt brand) I have felt full but never sick.

It's really weird and I'm glad I stumbled upon this video - I don't know if I would have believed it if I had just read an article about it, but seeing it with my own eyes was a real "eye opener".   The guy who made the video kept saying to not eat this stuff as it's bound to make you sick.  I would attest to that. 
 

It's been a long day!

I had an appt. with my chiropractor this morning at 11:00, and then an appt. to get my hair cut at 1:45.  I had a lot of time to kill but it didn't make sense for me to come back home in between the two appointments, so I fooled around at Arden Mall, where Jeannie & I had been last weekend.  I lost my Serengeti sunglasses somewhere during the afternoon and went back to the restaurant and a couple of other spots, but it was hopeless.  

I got my hair cut very short - not as short as I had really wanted it, but I think my hairdresser didn't want to do anything drastic, and wanted me to get used to a shorter cut before taking it further.   I have another appointment in 5 weeks and I will decide then if I still want a "boy cut".

While waiting for the hairdresser I leafed through a Glamour magazine (it was either that or Men's Journal).  I was stunned!  I don't normally look at magazines except in a waiting room and there are usually more interesting ones than Glamour.  The issue I picked up was pure porn!  I'm not prudish by any means but I don't care to look at such explicit photos.  Wow!  Times have certainly changed.

I am really tired of walking around and being in crowds and traffic.  I dislike malls to begin with.  There is so much redundancy; I wonder how all those shoe stores stay in business, or women's attire, or sport clothes, etc.  It gets boring very quickly when you realize that they are all carrying the same merchandise, or so similar it's hard to tell the difference.  This mall is two stories, so they have double the traffic and stores.   On the other hand I'm glad for all the folks who work at that mall that they have jobs!   And no, I still don't want to shop online except in occasionally rare circumstances.

Under the weather

I've been suffering for nearly 24 hours with really severe abdominal cramps, that come and go - fortunately they aren't constant.  I don't have any other symptoms except a feeling of the blahs, but that could be due to the weather.  I have been going over in my mind what I've eaten in the last few days.

You may remember I bought two 1-1/2 qt containers of ice cream for when Joe's girls were here.  I ate the remainder of one of the containers two days ago, an I'm ashamed to say I ate the second one last night.  That's a lot of ice cream and a lot of sugar.   I think it could be what makes me feel so ill now, but I'm not a doctor, even though I usually diagnose my ailments as well as any doctor!    I have no other symptoms - only the abdominal cramps - and I think it has to be something I ate.  I just took a long nap and am thinking about what I might have for my supper, which is certain to include some mixed vegetables.  In fact, I may make my meal out of the veggies alone.

Today is the last day of low 90's weather, and tomorrow it goes back to much higher temps, a reason to feel sick in itself! 

I just got an email from eBay explaining the long wait for my coffee grinder as it is on the slow boat from China.  They asked me to give the product a 5 Star rating if I can, and if I want to give them less than 5 stars to contact eBay first.   I can't tell you how sorry I am that I didn't look closer at specialty stores here in Sacramento, even if I had to pay more for a similar product.  I guess I've always had an impatient streak and it sure has been activated by this purchase.

Visit withthe eye surgeon

I made the drive to his office this morning, the longest drive I will have to do this week.  Tomorrow will be the hairdresser where I am going to get a real buzz cut, but it's just about a mile short of the eye doctor.  I really don't like that drive anymore.

I have great respect and admiration for my eye surgeon, and always leave his office in a good mood even when the news isn't anything to be glad about.  My macular degeneration is getting worse, and he told me about new advances in surgery, but of course he can't guarantee success.  I declined for now - my age and the state of the world make me feel that I don't want to waste months of what is left of my life in bandages and recuperating from any kind of surgery.   I don't like what is happening with my eyes, but for some reason I've accepted it from the very beginning.  He again told me I won't go blind, which I will take as a real plus.  My vision especially in low light leaves a lot to be desired, but I will manage.

I have to go back in about 3 weeks for an appointment with their optometrist to see what they can do for me in the way of new prescription lenses.  I'm ever hopeful.

Tomorrow I have the hairdresser appointment, the following day will be with the chiropractor, and on Thursday I will take Ara's car to the mechanic for an oil change and overall checkup for her.  That will be a breeze as his shop is less than a mile from my house!  I like staying close to home these days.

I must have set my Serengeti sunglasses down someplace yesterday and left them.  It is really a blow in this bright sunlight, and the next pair of prescription lenses I get is going to have sun darkening features as well.    In the meantime I will just have to get through the days.   Too bad I don't see well in low-light situations or I could switch my driving habits to the evening hours.

I tried a new food today and was surprised at how well I like it.  I have always tried to keep a stash of easy to fix foods set aside for emergencies - power outages, and the like, or situations where it might not be possible for me to get out to shop for groceries.  I've been hearing a lot about Spam lately, and I have known people from Britain and Ireland that remember eating not much else during the war years.  I decided to try it, and fried a couple of slices with sauteed veggies for my lunch today.  It really is good, although the next variety I try will be the low sodium version.  It comes in 4 or 5 varieties now and  is fully cooked so could be eaten as is if the power goes out.   To think everyone I grew up with sort of made fun of it.  I grew up in an era when we didn't have a lot of extras, and being prepared if the power went out for a few days or hours was just something we took for granted.   In those days my Mom did a lot of canning in the summer so we always had a supply of foods in jars in our cool basement.

I don't know what was happening with my computer last night, but I thought it was going to require an expensive fix or a new computer.  I can't understand why a game would mess it up, but I deleted the game and it's been good so far.  I asked myself if I would try a smart phone and just get to the internet from there, but nah, I hate those things and I'm no better than  all the folks with their noses stuck in the phones.  This morning in the dr.'s office I counted 11 people, 7 of whom were staring intently at their phones.  At least two were with a spouse and they looked at the phone together, so that left me and one other person thumbing through magazines.  If I had a smart phone I'm sure I'd be fixating on it.

I need a nap after the stress of driving in traffic this morning.  It messes up my evenings however, and I go to sleep later.  I really prefer being an early bird.

Saturday shopping; - UPDATE!

I just wrote a very long post about my day yesterday, but Google had a problem and I lost the entire thing.  I'm not going to try to rewrite the entire thing, but there are two points I will mention.

We went to two shopping centers and several individual stores, and the parking lots and stores were packed!  It made me feel good seeing so many folks out spending their money locally.

Secondly I just looked at the tracking on my grinder and discovered why I still don't have it, and can't expect it before the July 25-Aug15 time frame.  The grinder is on a boat from China!  I knew when I ordered it I should have taken more time to look locally, and it's a lesson learned.

Sorry about the post.  I knew Google was going to give me a problem because I couldn't type in a title to the post.  There seems to be no way to retrieve what I wrote, and it is very upsetting.  I hope your day started out better than mine, but maybe this will be the biggest problem I experience all day.  Sure hope so. 


UPDATE:
I  have been having a lot of trouble with my computer.  It may be caused by a game I had loaded and often play in my spare time.  Last night none of the computer keys responded, and I couldn't even close out and shut down, so I ended up just turning it off.  This morning everything is working fine and I deleted the game, so I'll see how it goes.  Just wanted to let you know that if you don't hear from me for several days it's my computer and nothing wrong with me.  I'm terrified about the computer - I hear Apple is not servicing their older models because they want you to buy the new ones - that could be true or not, but it worries me.  I simply can't afford a new computer right now but the computer is what mainly keeps me connected to the outside world.  What a dilemma!

Target, Again!

I really don't like to shop there, but sometimes it's a quick trip to get certain items.  Two of my granddaughters are going to be here for about 4 hours this afternoon and I wanted to pick up a few things that would keep them busy.

I don't know about the Target stores where you live, but ours used to have a section right after you entered the store, where everything costs $1.  That section contained all sorts of interesting things for kids, all pretty cheap and if you wanted something more durable or innovative or expensive then you went back to the kids department.   I was surprised to see that everything is now $3, and one entire row contains items for $5 each.  Inflation?

I didn't buy any of the $3 crap, and only got a couple of items in the regular kids' art department.  I picked up some snacks I hope they like, plus two tubs of ice cream - things like chocolate chip cookie ice cream and one called  cake & ice cream - I hope they like it.  I also hope I don't get desperate enough to eat the stuff that is left over!  It's a well known  brand but I'm so partial to the organic vanilla I buy at Costco.

Driving home from Target - probably slightly over a mile, it became clear to me that this was a day I shouldn't be driving.   I did a couple of dumb things, not really bad things and nothing dangerous, but now I know today is not a driving day. 

I really need to shop for a pair of shoes asap, and hope Jeannie can maybe drive me out to the Mall this weekend - maybe I can drive myself if I go early enough.  I'm going to buy another pair of Clark's sandals.  I really love my Birkenstocks, but lately I have been trying to step out of them, or trip over my own feet when wearing them, and I think something with a strap behind the ankle will be safer.  The perils of getting old! 

I've received a few comments on yesterday's post and my purchase of vegetable seeds to plant.  I think I will give the seeds to my d-i-l Sarah, who has a garden that would amaze anyone.  Everything is in raised beds, and she herself constructed the wooden beds.  As far as what I plant, I'm sorry but I don't care for eggplant or any of the other suggested plants I could try - the seeds I bought were for spinach, chard, and kale - three of my favorite vegetables and the ones I eat most days of the week.  I'll be going to the farmer's market tomorrow morning and will look at their selection of plants - mostly I've just seen flowers and herbs, but I can always go to Home Depot for the veggies I like if necessary. 

This is what happens when I don't plan ahead, and instead do things on a whim.  It will all work out though.

Still no grinder

I sure hope I never am tempted to order anything online from now on.  I should have shopped around in my own area for what I wanted rather than order from a website.  And of course, eBay (and Amazon as well) don't ship everything you buy from them from their own warehouse.  They farm the orders out to companies that may or may not be very efficient.  Ah well, I don't really need it yet, but I want it.

I'm waiting for another 30-45 min. before I leave for the gym to meet Jeannie.  This is really late for me to go anywhere, and walking/working out gets me into high gear and primed up for hours afterwards, so I won't be able to get to sleep before midnight.  She took off work to spend Donald's birthday with him, and is making it up by working an extra 2 hours a day to make up the 8 hrs.

I can't remember for sure, but I think I mentioned kicking around the idea of trying to do some gardening.  I went to Home Depot this morning and bought 3 packets of seeds, of vegetables that I love and eat on a regular basis; potting soil, pots, etc.  When I got home I could have kicked myself wondering why in the world I didn't just buy little plants that were already growing.  The vegetables I got are cool weather crops so I'm in no hurry to plant them, and hope it has cooled off a little by the time I need to transplant them into the ground.

Nothing much to write about - same old day for me, just trying to stay out of the heat.  Hope you are all doing the same.

Fuel for my new stove

I think I had mentioned I looked in the Korean store for butane cannisters last week and couldn't find them.  I received an ad in the mail from Koreana Plaza, so I returned there to look again.  I ended up having to ask an employee where they were, and she had a difficult time translating my pronunciation of butane, but eventually realized what I was talking about.  I came out with two 4-packs of cannisters that ran about $8.00, or a dollar a cannister.  I also bought a container of Washington cherries, the sweet yellow/pink ones.  Sorry Washingtonians, but the California variety I got from our farmers market were probably 3x sweeter.   I love cherries though and they won't be available for much longer so I'm glad to get them from wherever I can.

I'm so disappointed that I'm still waiting for my coffee grinder.  It was ordered from eBay,  so there is no way of telling how long it will take to get here.  It shipped on June 15 according to the notice I got from eBay.  That is only one of the reasons I prefer to buy from a local source.  If I ever post about ordering a product again, I hope someone reminds me to keep looking locally.  It's not that I need the grinder right now, but I ordered it, they took the money from my account, and I want the product!

 I finally made it to the gym this morning because I woke up early, had my breakfast early, and was able to get to the gym before the heat descended.   While I was eating my breakfast the house was so cool I had to wear my fleece bathrobe!  What a great feeling to be chilly again instead of sweltering.  That is the norm for most Sacramento mornings although there are a few now and then when we don't get the Delta breeze.

I've been studying up on container gardening as I'm thinking about growing a few veggies in containers.  I have never had much of an affinity for gardening - flowers or produce - but I'd like to try again.  The thing I must do is keep myself from trying to grow too much.  Maybe if I just raise a few plants in containers and am successful at it, I could become more enthusiastic about it and then expand my efforts.   It will depend on the cost of the containers and soil - if I can get one of my sons to build the containers it wouldn't be as expensive as if I went out and had to buy them.  There is also the cost of buying soil - my entire yard is covered in small rocks.

I think many readers of this blog have been with me long enough to get an idea of my temperament and personality.  If you are laughing at the thought of me sticking to growing a small garden, and doubt that I will ever follow through on it, please don't hesitate to comment.  

Here it is, the middle of the week already and now we will be on the down slide to another weekend! 

Trying to be cool and quiet!

I find when I sit quietly I am much cooler, so that's my excuse for the state of my house!

Still nothing new - the heat rises and then comes back down for a few days ("down" meaning the low 90's).    So far the beautiful "Delta Breeze" has been blowing in the early hours of the morning, and I actually enjoy feeling the chill.

I have been craving something sweet for the last week or so but I don't have anything in the house to ease the craving.  If it wasn't so hot outside I would drive to Baskin Robbins and get a big dish of ice cream!

Still waiting on my coffee grinder.

So that has been my day today, and I hope you are having a better one.

Too Hot to Think!

At 8pm my temp. gauge is still showing over 100 degrees.  Tomorrow should be around 100 and then it looks like we'll "cool off" to the mid 90's for a few days.  I haven't had the will or energy to do anything today.  I did go to the grocery for 1/2 and 1/2, spent $38 and still can't figure out how I could have spent that much and come home with practically nothing.

I hope all of you in areas where you can see the Northern Lights tonight will have clear weather.  The only problem is that I think they are best viewed in the northeastern U.S. at about 4am.   I believe they are predicting visibility down to the n.e. Pennsylvania area.  I wish I could see them but now I don't have to set my alarm to wake up in the early hours.  However, with all the water I drink during the day I'm up every hour or so throughout the night.  I think I sleepwalk to and from the bathroom because I don't seem to miss any sleep.

So there is really nothing for me to write about today.  I hope you are all ready for the week ahead - I have a lot of things I should be doing, appointments to make, etc., but finding the energy and motivation isn't easy.

Simplicity in life

After looking at so many models of coffee grinders on so many websites, I finally ordered an inexpensive one from eBay.  I just received notification that it has been shipped, so I should be getting it in a few days and will try it out and let you know what I think.  I figure I may have to end up buying a better (more expensive???) model, but for now I hope this will do.  It will be used when camping, traveling, or if the electricity goes out before I get my coffee in the morning.

I'm going to bring up a topic that I've wanted to write about for a long time, and that is all the crap that websites store on your computers.  Every night before turning mine off, I delete all but the the most necessary "History", the record of every website you've visited, every google search you've done, etc.  I make sure I leave the ones that are important, such as AOL, gmail, blog, and a few more; you can delete them but then you will have to sign in the next time you want to use them.  So I end up with about 5 per day retained.

Then I try to clear most of the "cookies" from my system.   With a MAC I just go to Preferences, Privacy, and then start scrolling through all the cookies left by every possible web site you've been near; I delete them one by one, again making sure I keep the ones for sites I have to log in on.  I try to clear the unwanted cookies out at least every other day, but somehow I must have gone nearly a week, and I'm sure there were 300-400 on the list.  It doesn't mean you've actually visited a site.  For example, most web sites have a logo for FB, Twitter, etc., and a cookie for each of those sites is placed on your computer.  I don't even have a FB or Twitter account, yet there they are in my record of cookies.  I don't know why they do that, nor do I know if there is a problem associated with it, but I don't like clutter on my computer.  And useless (to me) cookies are just clutter on a system that attracts clutter.  There are also many cookies that you can tell relate to advertising, so if you visit a website and there are ads on that site, a cookie finds its way to your computer.

I have a Mac computer, and I'm sure the procedure is a bit different for other operating systems.  But if you were blissfully unaware of this collection sitting on your computer, you might be surprised (to put it mildly) at the garbage that websites store on your computer.  They don't ask you, and many of these are connected with advertising.  Again, if it is a site you log into you might want to leave the cookie in place.  I sometimes visit a backpackers' forum and I don't want to log in every time I do.  It requires going slowly and thinking twice before hitting the delete button, and on my Mac I have to delete each one individually.   This is FYI only, so be careful and don't blame me if you delete something you don't want deleted - I've done it myself enough times and then the next time I long into that site I have to get my cheat sheet of passwords out and hope I can find the most current one.

I value privacy in my life although I realize if you are "connected" your privacy goes right out the window.  I just try to keep it as simple as I can.

I'm having a simple supper this evening and only need to cook the veggies and fry the steak!  I sure hate the clean-up no matter how simple the meal though.

No Luck Shopping Trip

I had hopes of finding at least 1 or 2 things on my list this morning.  Went to Walmart (big mistake) to look for a Melita Coffee System, a non-electric coffee bean grinder (didn't really expect to find it at Walmart), a blue metal pot for boiling water on my camp stove, and a few more items.

They had nothing in camping or sporting goods supplies, or in kitchen equipment, but I did meet a nice man to talk to so it made the wasted trip bearable.  I also talked to a saleswoman who commiserated with me on finding anything non-electric!  From there I went to Home Depot and was soon out of there empty handed as well.  What I need is a good, old-fashioned hardware store.

I came home and did some online searching - Bed, Bath & Beyond has the Melita system that I might order.  I will never shop at Walmart again, except of course for their Optical Dept, which is completely separate from the Walmart Corp.  I have always received perfect service from them.

I will keep trying to find what I want locally, as especially with the coffee grinder I want to see it and hold it and look at the quality before I buy it.  Surely that is not asking too much.

I recently had a "Yellow Pages" book delivered to my house, and I nearly threw it away.  I didn't, and today did a search for local hardware stores!  I wonder how many people use the Yellow Pages these days, when most just look at the cell phone that is permanently held in their hands.  Those devices seem to be able to tell you anything you need to know, but I will always be a hold-out.  A rebel to the core!

I full day's work by noon!

I woke up an hour earlier this morning and decided I'd better do laundry.  I took two separate loads across the street to hang on the line, but when coming back with the dried and folded laundry I carried both baskets stacked one on top of the other.  The dry laundry weighs less than when it's wet, but not that much less!  I was really tired by the time I got everything put away; now I won't have to do it again for 2 or 3 weeks.  Those 2 or 3 weeks are flying by at warp speed because it seems like I'm always 
doing laundry.  

I made a trip to the grocery for a few items, and found the little individual tubs of 1/2 & 1/2 which I will probably take on the next camping trip.  There are 24 tubs in the box, and I would use at least 2, maybe 3 in one mug of coffee.  I couldn't find anything powdered except for Coffeemate which isn't milk or cream at all, so I will look in a different dept. next time.  I don't spend much time in the middle aisles of the store so I often don't find what I'm looking for because I don't know where they keep the item! 

Once I got back I could barely wait to hit the couch for a nap with the swamp cooler blowing air on me!  I needed that nap because I'm going to the gym when Jeannie gets off work.

I hope you are all staying comfortable no matter what your weather.   See ya tomorrow!

My new camp stove

It  arrived yesterday and I tried it out today - works perfectly!   I also found that Jeannie has my old one, but that's ok because when we go camping together we can have some versatility.  

Since I don't have much else to write about, I thought I would post some pictures I took of the stove.  (Click to enlarge)

Here is the packaged view:

And this shows how the the butane cannister fits.  The lid would be closed over the cannister when using the stove.

The photo of the controls is kind of fuzzy, but you can at least see that it is very uncomplicated and easy to figure out.  Exactly the way I like things to be!

You just turn the switch to the Ignite spot  (the lightning bolt after MAX); you hear a clicking sound and then the sound of the flame, and you're good to go.  You can then adjust the flame.  I tried it this morning and it works perfectly.  (I can't remember the exact price I paid for either stove, but I think they are somewhere around $30.)

I have only used a butane stove for boiling water to make coffee in my Melitta, so I really don't know how much cooking time you would have on a can of butane.   I originally bought a 12-pack of butane cannisters at Korean Plaza here in Rancho, but on a trip there today  I couldn't find them.  They were very inexpensive, but I haven't looked anyplace else to find them.  I might try Walmart and Home Depot.  Oh, and the stove fits nicely into a hard plastic shell case with a handle that locks it and makes it easy to carry and to store.

I'm still debating on going to the gym for a walk, although it is getting hot outside and I hate to go out in it.  Some people say they prefer to walk outdoors, and I would have agreed years ago.  Today, between the heat and the air pollution I just prefer walking in a controlled environment, at a place where I am welcomed like a princess (or maybe I should say like a Dowager Queen - my princess days are long gone).  Also I can tell the exact distance I've walked. 

So I think I will just do it !

Quick trip to Folsom

I normally dread the drive out to Folsom Costco, but planned it so that I would get there around opening time this morning.  This Costco has the gluten-free bread I really like - better than any other brand or type I have tried, and they come two loaves to a package (smaller loaves than Rainbow Bread, for sure).  I bought 2 packages, 4 loaves in the hopes I won't have to go back for a while.

I did some other shopping there and got out of the place for much less $ than I had anticipated, and the drive home was easy as the drive out.

I really don't like the layout of that Costco and it makes shopping there a chore rather than an enjoyable trip like the one to "my local store".  I never could find a few items on my list but I will soon have to visit my Costco to get fuel in the tank, so I can easily pick up the things I missed.  

I've been searching online for a non-electric coffee bean grinder, and they either sound way too complicated or otherwise unsatisfactory from the descriptions given.  I'd like to find a local store that has some in stock so I could hold one in my hand and look closely at how it works.

I'm also looking for one of those blue metal pots so I can heat water on my butane powered 1-burner stove for my Melitta coffee system.  I guess by now you can tell I'm not going to miss my coffee in the event of a  power outage!  I have a blue metal pot but it is too large for my purposes and the lid is sort of dicey.  I think I got it at Walmart a few years ago, and didn't get much use out of it as I only took it with me when camping.  I'm pretty easy on my equipment and take good care of it, so it probably wasn't of very high quality to begin with! 

So you can see how exciting my morning has been.  I'm looking forward to the gym late this afternoon, with Jeannie & Ara.

A New Week With Nothing New

It is still hot but maybe will remain in the 90's for the next four days.  The weather is making me ill, but so far I've been able to cope with it and not have any serious problems.

This morning was a chiropractor morning and I felt terrific when I left his office.  I still feel good physically, but still have no energy.  On the way home I stopped at a store in a shopping center  very close to me which is a Sportsman's supply - didn't see much of interest at this time.  Actually, what was of interest to me I'd like to check out the prices somewhere else before I buy.  I'm replacing a few items that I've either loaned out or misplaced, and I just can't remember what I paid originally.    I don't like to shop at Walmart but they would be most likely to have what I'm looking for.   I will try a few other places before I go to Walmart.  

Nothing else going on - so I'll spare you all a lot of blathering!  Stay cool!

 

Birthday Party!

Since they were going to be camping over the time just before Arianna's birthday, Jeannie decided to celebrate it today.  Lots of kids came and have been in the pool most of the day, and most of them are staying overnight for a slumber party.

Donald made pizza and the best birthday cake I have ever eaten, as well as best frosting!

I didn't get in the water - I never do - and just tried to stay cool but it was so hot it almost made me sick.  They had awnings over the patio furniture but the best for cooling off are the misters that are on the eaves of the roof.  I came in and sat in a/c a number of times throughout the day as I wasn't feeling so well in the heat.  My sister and her husband were here, and when they were walking to their car she felt really ill.  I'm glad I just came in and out of the house during the afternoon.  My house is certainly still hot from being closed up today. 

Here is one of the long dresses that I hemmed which I wore today.  It was really too hot for it and I would have been more comfortable in a pair of shorts!  Click the picture to enlarge it.

 

Trip to Sears

I arrived at the shopping center at about 10:30 am, and it was a heartbreaking sight -  very few cars in the huge parking lot, and very few shoppers in the store.  I got my watch battery replaced in about 15 minutes, during which time I walked in the nearby store area.  It was mostly bedding and I wasn't interested, so I went back and sat down in the watch repair section.  I don't know what I will do if Sears ever closes that store - there is no way I could replace the watch band or a battery with my sight the way it is.  Also, it is so nice to be waited on by a store employee rather than have to figure it all out for myself.

The day isn't far off when all the malls will close and you will have to purchase everything from Amazon.  That's fine if you live out in the country with no honest to god stores nearby, but I have always like dealing with a real person who speaks to me, to be able to touch the merchandise and look at the quality of the product, etc.  How can someone really tell from a picture on the internet, unless of course you are either replacing a product you know about, or you look at it in a store and then go order it online.  So you might save a few cents with the online price, but you've wasted your time and the gas in your car.

After leaving Sears I walked briefly down to Macy's but didn't linger for very long.  It was already becoming very hot and I still had a stop to make at the grocery.  I walked in wearing my sunglasses and of course left my Rx glasses in the car, so I didn't buy very much.   Now I will stay indoors for the rest of the day and hope the report for tomorrow is accurate and will be a bit cooler.   

Arianna's birthday party is tomorrow and I think I will wear one of my long dresses again.   I haven't decided which one though.  I am also going to take the unused half gallon of ice cream I have and give it to Donald.  I am becoming addicted to it all over again,  and it's too difficult for me to shake off.

I will end here before I start complaining about the heat again!   Have a good weekend coming up.

Too hot for much activity

I did go out early this morning to get some long term supplies in, and I still haven't figured out where to put them all.  I also returned an overdue book to the library.  I hate it when I let that happen!

I wish we'd get back down to some reasonable weather - but we'll have at least 3 more triple-digit days and those are barely tolerable.  But it does get down to the low 60's at night which makes sleeping so pleasant.  I would love to find a nice shady spot to sit in outdoors, but with all the dirt and dust that blow straight my way, and the lack of anything nice to look at, keeps me indoors most of the time. 

There just isn't much to write about today.  It's hot so I am sitting quietly indoors and waiting for the evening cool to arrive when I can open the windows and breathe fresh air.

I hope everyone is staying comfortable wherever you are.

 

Banjo!

Since I wrote about this delightful cat yesterday, I thought I would post a photo that Ara took (surreptitiously, she thought).  The old saying that you "can't teach an old dog (or an old grandma) new tricks, is totally false.  I would never get a cat myself, just as I don't think I will ever get another dog, but I can change my mind about this cat, at least.

(Click to enlarge the photo).  

A few days ago the weather forecast was for temps in the 90's throughout the week, but they have raised that to triple digits.  No fair!

I have several errands to run and things to buy, but not in the heat of the day.  This morning I went to the gym but felt too exhausted to go anywhere else.  I don't know why the extreme fatigue - whether it is related to my cheating a bit on my diet, or just the way it's always going to be from now on.  I need to get to the Costco out in Folsom and buy more gluten-free bread, as I might be able to deduce whether or not gluten is one of the main problems.   It will be a little while before I finish the ice cream, and I vow never to buy that large a quantity again.  Maybe a pint or half pint if I'm really craving it, but a gallon is just leading to disaster.  But it is oh, so good!

He once was lost . . .

. . . but now he's found!  I went over yesterday morning to feed Banjo the cat but he was nowhere to be seen (he is an outdoor cat).   I filled his food and water dishes and waited for a few minutes, then left.  When Ara got off after work she went to the house where she is staying until Jeannie & family come back from their beach vacation.  Ara didn't see any signs of him either.   She looked everywhere, and this morning found him on top of her car.  I went over for coffee and a chat, and Banjo was glad to stick around and be with us.  He even climbed up into my lap and nestled himself in the crook of my arm as if he were a baby!

Ara and I had a good laugh over it as I don't think he realizes that I don't even like cats.  I am making an exception for him now and am beginning to even like him.

I once talked to a friend about it because even though I have never liked cats or even given them a second glance, a cat will always end up on my lap when I visit their owners.  My friend said she thought it was actually because I don't like them and don't fawn all over them, that they accept me so well as being as independent as they are.  I don't know the answer but it is sort of humorous to me.

I had so many things I wanted to do today but never got around to any of them.  Maybe tomorrow, which feels like it should be Monday although nearly half the week will be over tomorrow!

 

The temptation got me!

I've been avoiding ice cream for at least 2-3 months, maybe longer.  But my downfall came this morning when I went to Costco.  Costco always has lots of tables set up throughout the store where they give away samples of some of the good things they carry.  I usually avoid these  samples but today I got caught by the ice cream lady.  I love vanilla ice cream and their 2 half-gal. containers for under $12 is hard to beat, especially when the ice cream is creamy delicious vanilla from the Humboldt Dairy.   I normally don't take samples of anything but I knew I could never pass this one by, and as soon as I had eaten the contents of the little paper cup I headed for the freezer section and bought ice cream!

I also bought some regular bread since my Costco doesn't carry the gluten free kind I like and I am not going to drive out to the Folsom store any time soon to get more of it.  I've been pretty good at going gluten free but can't say I've noticed a great difference in how I feel, so maybe going back to it will cause a reaction.  I think I will always look for gluten free products but won't be so insistent on it and see what happens.  Bread and ice cream  - it's enough to send me into spasms!   I love good bread and of course, I love good ice cream.

I was up very early this morning as I had promised Jeannie to go over and feed the cat, which I did.  He was happy to see me as his   food and fresh water bowls were empty.  He ate a bit and then would come over for me to pet him for a few seconds, then back to the food.  I still don't like cats, but this one is a fairly nice one.  I will go back this evening and fill the bowls again, and I think Ara will be back from the camping trip this evening as she has to go to work tomorrow, so she will take care of him until the family returns later in the week.

They had a terrible trip to Bodega Bay - as if the traffic wasn't bad enough, the van Donald was driving had a flat tire.  Fortunately they were able to pull over in a good spot where there was a nice grassy area where the little girls could sit away from the road  and the traffic.  Jeannie and Ara were following them in Ara's car, so they stopped as well.  Donald got the tire changed but they didn't arrive at the camp site until after dark.  One of their friends was camping in their RV, so the girls went in for pizza and cold beer, while the guys set up the tent!  I hope nothing else spoils the camping trip.  Bodega Bay is beautiful but I would never go camping on a beach where the cold wind blows incessantly.  Give me the cool, quiet mountains any day!  But I can't say much because at least they are camping and I'm not!  

I'm having a huge debate with myself as to whether I should go walk at the gym for a while this afternoon.  I can't count Costco as much of a walk, although I was on my feet for an hour cruising the aisles.  But walking is walking, right?

 

The Service - UPDATE

Everything went well at my nephew's service this morning.  My youngest brother, who is a deacon in the church, prepared a short but meaningful service, and my two sisters and I did the readings.  Then the ashes were taken to a special part of the cemetery to leave them in the place prepared for him.  It is a very peaceful location, with a roof and benches where one can sit and just contemplate or enjoy the peace and quiet.  We went back to the house for an incredible brunch which was a joy (lots of carbs) for me since I didn't have to cook any of it.  

It was a very relaxing morning - a small enough crowd to be able to talk to people.  In early August the hordes of family and friends will descend on them.  My son is bringing his family from New York and all my kids will be there.

I think the blue dress worked out very well - kind of bare on top for a chapel service, but I wore a sweater over it until after the service so I was ok.  
The traffic on I-80 was the worst I've ever seen it, but I usually avoid interstates so it is probably like that much of the time.   Jeannie and her family have to drive right back down it as they are spending the next few days with friends at the beach.   I remember the beaches always being cold and extremely windy during the summer - Mark Twain made the famous comment "The coldest winter I ever spent was the summer I spent in San Francisco", and he was certainly right about that.   Whenever I took my kids to the beaches near San Fran, I always sat in my lawn chair wrapped in a quilt while they played with the waves!   They will have a wonderful time and Ara is joining them this afternoon and tomorrow.   Not me - as I've told Toto time and time again, "There's no place like home!"

UPDATE:  Here is a photo of one of the dresses I recently hemmed.  One down and two more to wear!   To be truthful, I don't like wearing a long dress - much prefer shorts, capris, or jeans.  (Click to enlarge.)