I'm back

I just want to let everyone know I'm back from the wedding and will write more about the weekend when I get a chance.  

I took the advice of several readers and went both to Lowe's and Home Depot and signed up for contact with roofers.  I've talked to one person and have another coming tomorrow to look it over.

My oldest son has purchased a ticket for me to fly to New York for 3 weeks in September, and I will be so happy to travel, even though I haven't been on a plane in ages.   The idea is that I will fly to NY for the birthday of one grandson in September, and then drive to NY next June for the birthday of his older brother.  I'm hoping I can get a satisfactory fix for my roof in the next week or so, and can not have to worry about rain falling while I'm gone.

The Beat Goes On!

I'm not setting the world on fire with my decluttering, but at least I'm doing something every day.  I might be able to finish in about 5 years at this rate.

I went to the post office this morning - I love the fact that the clerks there are so pleasant and helpful.  I had thought of visiting Lowe's about the roof repair situation, but decided I'd rather put it out of my mind until after the wedding this weekend.  First thing Monday morning I hope to devote some effort into finding a solution to my leaking roof that won't banksupt me.  Some might not understand my attitude towards this place, but since I didn't pay anything for it I hesitate to put a lot of money into it.  It is a 1962 model and will never be worth much (if anything) - and I don't have the desire to pour money into it.  I still have a lot to upgrade inside the house and resent every penny I have to spend on the outside.

I got a nice surprise in my email box this morning, a notice from Costco that my cash back for the previous year amounts to $107.15!  Of course my membership invoice will arrive with the check.

I watched a yoga DVD yesterday and did some of the exercises - I felt a few muscles last night that I didn't know I had.  The aches and pains are all gone today so I think I will keep at it on the days I don't go to the gym. Over the years I have practiced yoga off and on, and I really should keep up with it because it can make such a difference at my age.  I was never a really disciplined person and I lost whatever discipline I ever had when got close to 70!  I guess going to the gym is the one thing I want to keep up with and go on a regular basis.  The benefits are unbelieveable!  I know from experience that yoga is as beneficial to me.

It's beginning to get hot inside the house, but at 3pm I just turned on the swamp cooler.  I look for a rise of about 3 or 4 more degrees, and it's going to be nice and cool later on and throughout the night.

I have another stack of books ready to go to the library as donations, plus a box of miscellaneous clothing that my granddaughter can cut up to use in some of the crafts she does.  Or she can throw it all out!  I'm so overwhelmed when I look at the stuff I've accumulated since I've been here, but every journey starts with one step.  (Who thinks up those sayings?)

UPDATE:  All day long I've been thinking it's Thursday, and I'm not leaving for the wedding until Saturday morning.  It was a fluke that I found out today is Friday and I have to scramble to get everything ready to travel.  Thank goodness I'm only staying overnight! 

Thanks to Phil for looking up the Sacramento hotel tax for me.  I figured how much the tax would be and added it to the rent, and then compared it to my rent at the mobile home park plus TV plus wireless internet; the hotel would be $50-100 more per month, plus I wouldn't have a real kitchen nor would I have a regular living room area.  I have only seen the photos they show on the website so maybe there is a sofa, coffee table, etc., but it looks like bedroom, bath, kitchenette and a round dinette table and chairs.   I could deal with the smaller space but not with the lack of a kitchen.

As much as I find fault with the 55+ mobile home park, I think I prefer having my own home as opposed to a room or studio apartment in a senior living center.   Some of the folks here are very pleasant, while some are downright rude and aggressive.  I wouldn't want to be any closer to them than I am right now.   It's almost too much when two of them start screaming at one another in the street, usually over a dog belonging to one or the other.  Lord preserve me from ever getting to be like that!

I had a problem for about a week where my newly recorded tv programs didn't show up.  I tried troubleshooting it at the website of AT&T but finally decided to try to let one of their techs solve it via chat.  It took quite a while but we finally got it to work and now I can record and view programs.  My lack of interest in technology was sure in evidence - the tech would ask me a question about the box, the model # of the DVR, etc., and it took me a while to figure it out.  First of all I had trouble reading the fine print on the box and DVR, and had to use a flashlight.  She told me to unplug the DVR power cord from the box and to my dismay I saw three cords coming from it.  Of course the first two I tried were not the correct one.  Once I figured that out the rest went fairly easily.  I think it's a damn shame that it's so difficult to get help on something you pay for every month.  It would be nice if they didn't expect you to fix problems yourself.

Thanks to Nancy1340 for the suggestion that I try to get a repairman for the roof by asking at Home Depot or Lowe's for a recommendation.  I thought I would go to H.D. this morning but ended up nixing the idea.  I will do it after I get back from the wedding this weekend.   I started to make a list of things I've been wanting to pick up at H.D. and decided I don't want to spend money this early in the month, and the way to avoid that is to stay out of the stores as much as possible.

I have a nice stack of books to donate and might do that tomorrow.  Geocaching, do you still want the Barb Thacker RVing series?

I got plenty of sleep last night but I am so drowsy this afternoon.  I even attempted to take a nap in my bedroom (as opposed to the couch or recliner) but just couldn't go to sleep.

 

Nothing new here

It's much warmer today than it has been the past couple of days, and I'm pretty tired of hot weather.  Unfortunately Nature doesn't care what I'm tired of!

A note to Geocaching, please email me at mgypsy97 at aol dot com if you are interested in the books I mentioned yesterday.  (UPDATE:  I didn't receive anything from you:  Please try again at mgypsy97 at aol dot com    or at
gypsy97 at gmail dot com.)

A word about Kathy's comment, I also sort of enjoyed living in the space of my 5th wheel and thought maybe I could just stay in an RV park somewhere close to my kids in Sacramento.   An RV requires a whole lot of maintenance in my experience, maybe not yard work and such, but it does require upkeep and repairs.  That's why I would prefer an apartment so that if the fridge wasn't working properly I could call maintenance.  A/C or heating not doing its job - call maintenance.  And so on.  The quality of maintenance services varies of course, according to the individuals hired by the apartment complex.  If I could find an apartment that was at ground level with no apartments above, it would be ideal.  There are many single story duplex units in this area but they are all at least $300+ over what I could find in a regular apartment complex.  Unfortunately, every apt. I've checked on is multi story and I don't want tenants above me.

An interesting option is  a hotel/motel extended stay.  In looking for apartments online I found two for studio apartments in a local extended stay hotel.  They are furnished obviously, and I would store my furniture rather than get rid of it; the kitchenette is ok for a corporate extended stay, but it features a small (half size) fridge, a two burner stove top, and a microwave.  I never cook anything in a microwave, but use it once in a while to warm something up.   One advantage is free cable TV and wireless internet which is a heckuva savings per month.  The  down side is that the ad mentions something about taxes, and in CA as in most places, there is a hefty tax on motel and hotel stays.  That could just about equate to the savings derived from the cable/internet.  It's not a bad concept but it is unrealistic and impractical for me.

Shadowmoss left me a comment yesterday with  a quote I just loved and that describes my entire life!

"We don't know where we're going, but we're on our way! "


This is a quote from deep inside Mammoth Cave from early explorers.  Speaking of Mammoth Cave, my husband and I took our children there on a couple of occasions and went on several tours of the cave system.  I loved it so much I wanted to get into spelunking and finding new passageways through the caves, etc.  You can imagine that isn't an occupation for the mother of young children, and now that I can do anything I want I've become too claustrophobic to poke around caves beneath the earth.


I did find a lot more books that I'm willing to part with, although my Nevada Barr series is going to be difficult to say goodbye to.   Barr was at one time a ranger with the National Park Service, and her books feature the character of NPS ranger Anna Pigeon; each story takes place at a different national park.  One such park is Carlsbad Caverns, others are  Natchez Trace and Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park.  I bought these books used, and borrowed some from the library, i.e., Big Bend, Glacier, etc.  I'm keeping the book which features Lassen  Volcanic NP which is near and dear to my heart.  Anyone interested?


I guess I should go collect my laundry hanging on the line across the street.  I'm afraid that some day I'll forget it entirely and it will spend an overnight in the clothesline courtyard!


I'm hoping to get to the gym this evening.

Getting rid of stuff.

After reading Billy Bob's efforts to organize his great stash of books and the resulting discussion about whether or not to give some away or keep all of them, I decided to take a look at what I have - not nearly as many books as a lot of folks have, but more than I have room for.  It hurt, but I took 4 books to the library this morning and gave them as a donation.  That inspired me to come home and look through the books again - now I have 6 more to donate, and I hope I can find a few more.  What I should do is get rid of a lot of old maps I've collected over the years.

I have a couple of books that might be of interest to one of the ladies out there, especially someone hoping and planning to begin solo RVing.  They are written by Barb Thacker, and document her travels with her Dog, Ink.  Several ladies who read my blog a few years back recommended this author, and here are the book titles:

"How Can I Be Lost When I Don't Know Where I'm Going", 1996.  (I bought the book used, and found an inscription from the author to the original book owner written in the book.)

"Still Going Blissfully Lost in the Baja", 1999

'Since I Don't Know Where I'm Going I'm Never Lost",  2003 

If someone is interested please email me and I'd be glad to send them to the first person I hear from.  It's all three books though - I don't want to break up the set.

I'm finding that it's not too difficult to weed out some books I can let go of, but other possessions will probably be more difficult.  I'm intent on reducing stuff in my house because I'm back to considering   apartment living.  There are just too many things that need repair and I seem to be paralyzed by it.  I can't call roofers and others for estimates because I have been burned too many times by those who are happy to take advantage of some women's lack of understanding repairs, especially older women's ignorance.  I've had a lot of help from my sons and son-in-law since I've been here but their lives, careers, and families are growing and evolving, and I don't intend to take time they really don't have.

So that leaves me with decluttering and  cleaning which will be a good thing whether or not I can unload this property!  I really don't know where to start, but I guess four books can be called a "start"!  Sometimes I wish I could just set up my tent in a clearing in the woods and simplify my life, but it wouldn't work.

GOAL!

I weighed myself at the gym this evening and found I hit my goal of 125#.  Ok, I went from 120 to 125 pretty quickly so now I need to figure out how I might make it to 130 over a longer period of time.  That will mean some adjusting of ice cream intake.  But with triple digit temperatures it's hard to forgo ice cream.

Saturday was the birthday party at Jeannie's house for Stephanie, who turned 25.  Here is the birthday girl:

Amy and Stephanie brought the food and Donald did the grilling, plus he made tiramisu in lieu of birthday cake.  I have never eaten tiramisu and nearly said no to it; I'm so glad I tried it because I've never tasted anything so delicious in my life!   My sister requested that Donald make it instead of wedding cake for this coming Saturday.

Here is a picture of puppy Sammy:

And another (click photos to enlarge)

I also took pictures with my film camera but will have to finish off the roll to have them developed.  I hope they are good.

On Sunday I watched Liam and Sammy while Steve & Meg took a class in stand-up paddleboarding and also had lunch out.  Meg and Sarah both have a birthday on the 9th, which is the same day as Julie's wedding, so this  was a little early celebration of Meg's birthday.

I was at their house for approximately 5 hrs and Sammy slept a lot of that time.  But when he wasn't sleeping that boy didn't stop!  When we went outside he chewed all the bark chips he could get to, and then went for my shoelaces, chewed grass, etc.   He runs around and sometimes springs up into the air with all four paws completely off the ground, while other times he's so clumsy he trips over his own paws.  He is such a tiny little thing but a real handful!  I realize it was in my insane moments that I thought maybe I could deal with a puppy again.   I can always go visit Liam and Sammy if I want to play with a puppy, and then I can come home alone.  I was so worn out from his energy that I went to bed at 8:30 pm last night and slept until 6:30 this morning.

I had an appointment today with my eye surgeon.  I think my deterioration in vision is more age related than anything.  He said the transplants were excellent!   He also wrote a prescription for a new lens for my left eye if I want to get the old one replaced.  It wasn't fun driving home with my eyes dilated, but I leave plenty of room between me and the car in front of me, don't exceed the speed limit, and try to drive as carefully as I can.  

After the  awful heat we've been having today was a beautiful day with a high of about 82.  There was a nice cloud cover for a lot of the day and we've even had some sprinkles - rain in the higher elevations as well as further south in the Central Valley.   

I may have mentioned that I wanted to do some hiking and backpacking in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest  in September.  Right now there is a fire burning in the Trinity Alps, caused by lightning.  If there is one fire it is likely that another one will come along before the fire season is over.  I won't go near a forest that has an active fire burning, even if it's not near the campgrounds and trails I selected.   What a weird summer this has been, and I can only deal with what it is.  Maybe I can find an alternative forest, although I've had my heart set on the Trinity Alps ever since I saw them last year.

It's 8:30 so I think I can stay awake a little longer than I did last night, but I'm getting really tired.  So far I am pleased with AT&T internet service.

More heat today

It's 106 now at 5 pm, and will probably get as hot tomorrow.  My house is like an oven, especially the kitchen.

I did have a good workout in a very cool gym this afternoon.  Don called and said he was going at about 3:30, so I decided to join him.  Jeannie has to attend an ice cream social with Arianna's soccer team this evening so she couldn't go today anyway.

I'm really working on my arms, shoulders and back - remember that dress I bought a while back and posted pictures of?  I haven't worn it yet and decided it will be ok to wear to my sister's wedding next weekend.  I found a little black cardigan with 3/4 sleeves in case I need a cover up.  But I want my arms to look decent and healthy and muscular!

The gym was so pleasantly cool and it was hell coming back outside - even worse walking into my house.  The swamp cooler keeps the air moving, as do the fans I use with it, but they just move the hot air around.  The gym was also nearly empty, which Donald says is typical everyday around 3:30 pm.  I like that because I'm a little self-conscious  once in a while when the crowd is mostly 20 somethings.  Usually I don't let it bother me.

Tomorrow Jeannie is having the birthday party at her house for Stephanie, Amy's daughter, who will be 25.  Ara turns 25 the end of September.  It doesn't seem like all that long ago they were sweet cuddly little baby girls.   I bought some beer to drink while I'm there, but I got the non-alcoholic kind.  I've noticed that just two regular beers in the evening causes me to wake up at least every two hours during the night with severe leg cramps.  

I asked the Park Manager today about the electricity costs when I paid my rent.  She said the solar wouldn't have caused my cost to go down so I must be using less electricity.  I try to unplug everything I can when I go to bed at night, don't leave lights burning when I'm not in the room, and just generally attempt frugality in my use of resources.   If I was younger I would build me a tiny cabin out in the mountains somewhere and live off the grid.   That has always been the kind of life that appeals to me - I was a fan of Mother Earth News in the 70's but by then I had a husband and kids and had to put my dreams on hold.  Never did get around to homesteading, but my 3 years in Ireland were about simplicity, at least compared to the consumerism in the United States.

I had a nice phone conversation today with granddaughter Ara, reminding me just how much I miss that girl.  She and I think alike on so many things.

A few people have suggested that I might try gmail; actually I started out with gmail several years ago.  Then Google changed it quite a bit and reduced the area in which you can write an email.  I can only figure it must have something to do with people writing emails on their smart phones so they don't need the space of a computer screen.  I still use my gmail account, but not heavily.  I then switched to aol as my primary email.  I used it back in the 1990's when you paid something like $25 a month for the service.  I loved AOL  then as well as all their forums, chat rooms, etc.  But of course it went the way of the dinosaur and today  it isn't anything at all like the original aol.   ATT uses Yahoo to handle their email, and every time I've known of a friend to have their account compromised with spam email it's been a Yahoo account.  When I loaded it yesterday to see how it worked, I already had 30 spam messages in my box!  Needless to say I won't be using Yahoo for much.  I don't think there is much I can do about my email and changing to something more usable to me.  Technology has just changed too drastically whereas I haven't, and we won't ever be a good match!   I like me better, though!