Mid-March

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 595

31.3 miles

sunny, mild!

 

320 recordings of 23 types, 67 old SVU. 28% clear.

 

Monday the 11th I realized that it was going to be cold and windy over the weekend so I called Alicia, and yes, she could come house-sit while I went to San Jose. Hooray!

 

My feet got cold and I remembered the toe socks. Sure enough, that helped. Later, the house got up to 69, this without the heater.

 

The cleaners came.

 

It rained that night and overnight it only got down to 67 in the house. I've been trying to keep the heater off as much as possible. The cold snaps recently made my gas consumption go up even so. (The previous Saturday it got down to 62.)

 

Tuesday I went to the ladies' breakfast. There were only three of us there, so I'm glad I went.

Then I went to get my taxes done. I hadn't brought the 1099 for the one thing that is not taxable anyway. And I found out that it will probably not benefit me to itemize deductions next year. This year it gives me $1200 but next year the standard deduction will be $1300. And I had my aha! moment why Rich didn't itemize... there were two of us, it wasn't worth it. But I didn't because he didn't in 2013, and then the light dawned that it might be worth it, and sure enough, it has been.

 

Claire went to get her Africa pictures so we compared notes afterwards. She also has a "rub my tummy" picture of a lion!

 

I got to the WPAC office for my name badge, (and then lost it again, for about a day, till I got it off the car floor), and to the AAA office for maps and tour books for Pennsylvania, New York, and Ontario. (I'm beginning to get excited.)

 

I had canned tamales for dinner. I don't think I've had this since I lived with my Mom on Ord Street. (I'm fairly sure my granddaddy would not have been happy with this dinner!)

 

Wednesday it was so rainy I didn't want to drive the freeway with Padreic, so instead of going to Wee Wednesday I just stayed at the house with them and read the Faith Ringgold books to him and played with him.

 

The neigborhood signpost and Wee Wednesday on the 7th.

 

Bernadette has both Siri and Alexa, so they can fight it out.

 

As it was still raining, Bernadette went to get the kids and I read to them. I especially enjoy Gareth's reaction, as he seems to be really enjoying the story and listening well. Joanna hadn't had her meds in the morning and was definitely wiggly.

 

I accidentally got TWO copies of Charlotte's Web, so decided to donate the extra to the kids' school library.

 

Thursday I went to the Retreat House, where I volunteered to help with the June 3 picnic. Then I went to the commissary. This was a medium expedition. I had a big shopping thing to really load up the freezer and pantries in September, and then have been going about once a month with fairly small ones since. There was quite a bit to get today. I had been looking for falafel mix, and this time I found it. (But not tahine sauce, so I'll try that somewhere else.) I made falafel the next night. Yum. I also picked up meat, though there is still quite a bit in the freezer. And I got stovetop cleaner, then discovered I already had two bottles of it!

 

Also, in Fishdom (am I opening my data up to the Russians? Maybe not, since I don't use the iPad with any money accounts (except, of course, iTunes and Amazon)) I played a side game. They finally opened the Wonderland aquarium on the next day and I had a grand time playing and stocking it up. Then I have to wait until the next Thursday when they'll load up 15 more games. Their Easter stuff is all the same as last year, so I only moved the hedgehog playing with the egg to Wonderland. I'll play to get enough eggs to get the two fish, Humpty and Dumpty. (I have "Alice", "Chessie", and two clown fish, "Tweedledee" and "Tweedledum." One day as they were swimming, one of the Tweedles hoped I would buy a clown fish, "they're a lot of fun." Heh.)

 

The Russians keep giving me Oz decorations, Dorothy's house with a cyclone, ruby slippers, and a tin man. Apparently they don't know the difference. I've stashed all of those decorations.

 

There was a terrible bridge collapse in Miami.

 

Before the commissary I tried to renew my Air Museum membership but they weren't open when I was there.

 

And I put down my deposit for Oberammergau. They want the rest April 19... I sure hope Father Giltus has sorted it out by then so I can cancel and only lose the deposit. Otherwise, I'll either go with Road Scholar or transfer the $$ to a Japan trip.

 

Friday I woke at 3 to the pouring rain and decided not to go to Renaissance, and then it had cleared up by the time I got up... but I chose not to go anyway and had a jammie day! The only thing I really missed was the forum with Sacramento's new police chief. The Time Travel movie was "Back to the Future."

 

Fiona from Ngoko safaris was visiting the school and wanted a letter from me to the kid I'm sponsoring, Kuthula. I thought I'd missed my chance but was able to send one for Monday, with the elephant-ride picture.

 

I'm watchng olde Oscar-winning movies, and enjoyed Liz and Dick in "Taming of the Shrew." (I wonder if this is the one I saw at Renaissance).

 

I booked my hotel in Haliburton, Ontario. It's too early to get Syracuse. (I hope to use my stay points for it.)

 

Saturday, I did quite a bit, emptied the compost jar, poured out the garden cart, policed the yard, moved the car... then got a haircut, stopped at Lazy-Boy for a grill set for looking around, found a farmer's market, which wasn't much good for me since I got lots of veggies at the commissary, got money, then wine to share with Helena.

 

A couple of geocaching friends came by for the stuff we had that they might be able to make geocaches with, and we stood outside and talked. I missed some of the Gonzaga game but we won anyway.

 

I watched, again, "Gone Girl." Scary stuff.
 

 

Biggest leprechaun I've ever seen.