fossilfreak | Entries tagged with a.j.

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 602

93.8 miles

heating up, 90s

264 recordings of 41 types, 38% clear.

The 16th I drove over to the campsite and parked and had breakfast with them. Then off we went to the boat dock... they had said, the night before, that we'd better leave by 7:30 to get to the trailhead by 9, due to construction. As it happened, however, we were fine. I got the tickets (I was #1!!) for the 10 o'clock boat, and we started down the trail. Nice trip, too bad I was never going to make it back up. We were early, so I settled down with my book (The Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher, oh my goodness!) and the bags while the family played by the lake. Then it was time for the boat trip. A.J. and Gabe had to have life jackets, and because of the recent tragedy in Branson, I really paid attention to the safety information.

It was a bit smoky, but as we got close to the sights we could see them clearly and if you looked at the water, it was really blue. We saw the floating tree, the Old Man of the Lake, which has been floating at least since 1896. We boated around the Phantom Ship, which reminded me of a Galapagos Island.

After the 2-hour trip it was back up that trail. I walked across the Pyrenees (bitching and moaning all the way) I can do this. Yes, but it took a lot of sweat and a loooooong time.

We went to the Visitor's Center for lunch and shopping, then to an overlook for The Picture. I have a picture of Vince and me in 1992, his college trip, here. One of my friends glanced at it and asked "are they twins?" which has made my day ever since. So we had to have an updated picture. I think it turned out pretty well.

We stopped at another visitor's center on the way back to camp and saw a film and took a short trail, and Gabe got into trouble with his mom for leaving the trail. In my room, later, I realized there were virtual caches all over the park, including that visitor's center, so I made my plans for the next day. Gabe made the fire though dinner was something else... this was for marshmallows. AND I had just given them a grill set they could have used for marshmallows, but forgot until they got back from a trip to the store. Anyway, I left about then.

I had coffee in my room so didn't have to use their system. The next morning I drove down for breakfast, and watched Vince helping A.J. with his Junior Ranger stuff. I then went back to my cabin and checked out and met them at the center place, and we drove to the Pinnacles. This was a short hike and the Pinnacles are fascinating. They are fossilized fumaroles. We saw the National Park border with an old gate
.

Then we went to Plaikini Falls, which was a pleasant hike after the hard one of the day before. And then we said goodbye... they were going around the lake counter-clockwise while I planned to head that way a short distance to pick up some information for a virtual cache, then go back to the park center and get more information and maybe just walk along the rim for awhile, then out the north entrance and go to Ashland. I did this, and also stopped at a couple of viewpoints and chatted with a couple who'd been to Devil's Tower and a German couple, and then to the park center. I walked over to the Lodge and finally found the information I needed for that geocache. When I stepped out I was admiring an old car when a modern one screeched to a halt and a lady raced out saying "JAN!" It was my dental hygeinist!! So then, as I walk back to the park center, I spy some familiar looking people... Vince and family, taking A.J. to a visitor's center to get his Junior Ranger patch!! We said goodbye again, I grabbed something for lunch and passed their car on the way out of the parking lot, and drove on to the Wizard Island overlook where a nice man helped me with the picture, and so out of the park.

And so to Ashland. It was a VERY long way, over 100 miles. I swear I thought it was closer. I finally pulled into the Bard's Inn, which is no longer a Best Western but still very nice. They had repaved the parking lot, and it's beautiful. The town was smoky but I managed to see all the plays, even the outdoor ones, outside. I took the backstage tour (I think the 4th time, and this one was the best) and went to a "park talk" which was inside. Got to hear a couple of the actors, always a fun thing. My plays were Book of Will on Friday night (and I was tired, had a hard time staying awake), Henry V and Love's Labors Lost on Saturday. LLL was outdoors and late because of the smoke and the possibility they'd have to cancel it. So about 11 I was really getting tired, but it finally ended. Sunday I went to church (and since Joan knows the priest, I went back to say hi on Wednesday) and then to Sense and Sensibility and, outdoors, Romeo and Juliet. The weather was beautiful, but when Tuesday dawned, they had to move R&J to the high school.

Monday was off, so I went geoaching, then walking and shopping. The first cache was fun, since I was having no luck at this church sign, when a voice from on high (well, the porch) said "keep trying." Eventually he pulled it out of the bush for me.

The shopping I got three jigsaw puzzles, as if I needed jigsaw puzzles. I also saw a marble run and thought it might be a good present for Padreic. And I got "Runny Babbit" by Shel Silverstein, for the kids, because they obviously need more books.

Tuesday was Othello in the afternoon and then I went to dinner at the Black Sheep. I'd tried all kinds of restaurants and still have to write my TripAdvisor reviews. It was a fun but very expensive trip!!

Wednesday, after Mass (everybody wanted me to stay for coffee) was a long drive home.

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 602

93.0 miles

heating up, 90s

276 recordings of 46 type, 35% clear. I am halfway through season 3 of NCIS.

On the 10th of August I was weeding the zinnia bed and semi-tripped over my little wire fence. I didn't fall, thank goodness, but had (and still have) a doozy of a bruise.

Pharaoh was giving me trouble about coming in at night and I left him out about 40 minutes.

I went to Bernadette's and played with Padreic and helped clean out Gareth's room a bit. She told me the coming operation will take out the appendix, which makes sense.

My driver's license renewal came. Too late to get an appointment, especially with the medical issues.

I went to the pizza party for Sharing God's Bounty. I really pigged out. It's amazing how many people are involved in so many jobs... besides cooks and servers there's publicity and volunteer liasons... I sat next to Peter Mithin and Boyd Keenan. I felt a little silly saying why I was there, but as a founder, and hospitality early on, and as Rich's widow, I was OK. I said I didn't do much now but bring coffee and both Ann and Jim said I was also a generous donor.

My jaw hurt on the way home. I don't need a heart attack just now, TYVM.

I finished the jigsaw puzzle in 9 days. It has 5 pieces missing, but 31 pieces that didn't belong to this puzzle. I took it up to Niki.

August 11 was second Saturday breakfast. I spent some time looking for my Social Security card so I can get a Real ID driver's license. I stopped at Lazy-Boy on the way home and got some glasses. I took them up to Vince and Niki but they didn't want them.

August 12, Father had a LONG homily. He's very excited about the Mass and eager to share it. Then I went to Communion at the nursing home. It's been a long time, since before the disastrous Pittsburgh trip.

I ordered face masks for the smoke in Oregon.

August 13. I finally got my appointment to get the results... very disappointing. Basically Svetlana, who is a very nice lady but NOT the doctor, read me a black and white copy of the color report I got from the doctor. They're going to refer me to a surgeon. I was in tears when I left and went to Bernadette's. She was too wrapped up in her World Con plans to be sympathetic. I tried calling the doctor's office to find out the name of the surgeon, but of course it didn't work. So I don't know any more than I did before.

I walked over for a geocache, which I actually found.

August 14 I drove back out to the office to get the surgeon's name and phone number so if they call while I'm gone, as they did, in fact, I could call back for an appointment. It turned out there's no phone service at Crater Lake so I couldn't check in at home until Friday, and couldn't call the surgeon's office till Monday, but I got an appointment for Friday! I had to replace the bulb in the back hall.

There was a Pilgrim's pizza party, and this time I didn't pig out quite so much. I gave a little speech about Casa Leopoldo in Palas de Rei. I bought wine for the trip to Ashland and packed my Ashland glass, but couldn't find my beaded covers for the glasses!

And, finally, Wednesday the 15th, I could start my Oregon trip. I packed two duffel bags, one for Crater Lake and the other for Ashland. My sandwich was too big for a regular sandwich bag! Finally, I left the house at 7:47. I drove and drove (past a field of melons!) till 9:48, the Corning rest area. I needed to get out and stretch even more than I needed a potty break! What a nice rest area, where I've probably never stopped before. Look at all the olive trees! Is there a geocache here? (My pocket query assumed I was taking Highway 99 instead of I-5.)

At 11:39 I was at Castella, looking (unsuccessfully) for a cache. I had waved gaily at the rest area where I saw the eclipse last year. After the fruitless search I stopped at the RRPark resort to ask how they were doing with the smoke. I'd put on my mask at Redding because it was really bad there. There were "thank you" signs to firefighters on all the overpasses. My favorite was "thank you for kickin' ash."

I ate my sandwich at the resort and decided not to stop in Dunsmuir, maybe on the way back. (no.) I went on to Weed and couldn't find the cache at the totem pole, but fortunately stopped at the gas station for a potty break. I say "fortunately" because the rest area on hwy 97 was closed.

I didn't notice there was a cache in Dorris (and in a store, I really could have found it!) till I was just past the turn to it. And no real place to turn around. Oh, well. I did stop and take a good look at the second-highest flagpole in the world, which we had watched being built, back in the days when we would drive to Spokane on 97.

I stopped for gas in Klamath Falls, next to the Super 8 where I stayed when I went up alone to get Vince (when Rich bought the van!) Actually, leave them alone for 25 years and they change everything! Then when I took the turn for Crater Lake I started looking for geocaches, but only found one of the ones I had marked. I stopped at the overlook for Annie Falls, and finally got to Crater Lake about 4:30. I registered and got cabin D1.

Then I tried to call Vince, and discovered there was no phone service. So I left a note at the camping check-in, but decided, sensibly, not to trust that and sat on a log overlooking the parking lot while I read a book. Sure enough, I saw them, about 5:30, and told Niki just to register to see if they got the message... nope. They were camped about .4 miles away, further when I walked around the long way.

I sprang for dinner and had pork chops with mustard, cornbread and butter, and green beans. Yummy. And I bought A.J. his first stretched penny. I spent the rest of the time at Crater Lake looking for an album, but they finally managed to get one (and two more pennies) on the way home.

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 599

33,0 miles

sunny, warm

334 recordings of 40 types. 63 old CPD. 23% clear.

I'd better catch up on the couple of days before the retreat!

Tuesday morning (the 27th) I went to breakfast with the ladies and I told Christa that I was thinking of going to Oberammergau. This got us talking about Germany and I told her about our trip to Walchensee. We had been going to go into Austria but that was the day our parked car got hit ---by a beer truck! How traditional for Bavaria! I told her about going to Oberammergau, in 1969 (not a Passion Play year) and carefully selecting 10 carved figures for our Nativity set... so pleased to have a set from Oberammegau.. only to find it was actually carved in Italy!

Christa told me about how in the War her home town was used to make munitions, so the women and children were moved out and her family ended up living in a castle with a baron, who took them in so they'd help pick strawberries. And she mentioned her husband's (he was born in Germany but moved to the US when he was small and was a citizen) father was buried in Belgium (World War I), and it took me a minute to realize he'd be in the German cemetery there.

I finally called Canada. It was harder than it should have been, considering the country code is "1". I tried everything and finally went into chat with TracFone. There's an access number to call first. Actually, I don't know if having called it once I need to bother with it again, but I certainly will keep it handy.

I finally got to talk to Doug. Nancy was off at a meeting. They intend to go with me to the Canadian Geocaching capital! What a wonderful idea!! It was a nice talk, and of course, Frank came over to give me some rye bread while I was still on the phone!

Vince tells me they've put AJ back into PreK. The aortic disease he had probably slowed him down. It's hard for grownups to get emotionally straight when their bodies are sick, how very much harder it must be for a 3 and 4 year old!

Wednesday the rat guys came over.and checked the place out. There are 4 or 5 new holes or ones where the old caulking has worn down, and they were really against all the vegetation close to the house. They will come next week and plug the holes and cut back the trees and bushes and plug the rat hole in the kitchen (the bricks seem to be doing their job, anyway. The rat didn't get in while I was gone.) Again, I was on the phone when they came, talking to Clare (from the tax company. She's Jewish so wanted to know about Oberammergau.) I chatted with the inspector for about a half hour after they had finished.

I'd called the water company in the morning. The water guy came over almost right away and eased my fears. They burrow under the tree roots and he will be sure they get it right. So I didn't need to move the daffodils as I did. Now, as I write this, I know they'll be on the street on the 4th and 5th. (Rat guys on the 4th. It all happens at once.)

I changed the living room light bulb (still have incandescents) and cleaned the shade while I was about it.

I also got a number of geocaching areas figured out. I decided I'd best download them to the computer right away, to the GPS late

Thursday morning I packed and frittered. Rich's watch fell apart in my hands... not just the band but the connection to it on the case. I took it loose to the retreat and it's amazing how often I look at my wrist!! I played the Mirrors of Albion for quite awhile, too.

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 558

178.6 miles

cool in the mornings, hot in the day. No heater, no AC, just wait it out.

369 recordings of 31 types, 18 old SVU. 21% clear.

After I got home from the garage on Monday (the 23rd), I called Sacramento Suburban Water to report that I have an underground leak in back. I've noticed the last week that there's a wet spot (with really green grass) back there. Such timing! It's pretty much where the old pipe will join the new one when they move the main to the front in the next few months. The so-called "customer service" person, who didn't give me her name, said I would have to get a plumber. Wait a minute, it's your pipe. No, if it's on my property it's my pipe.

I did have the satisfaction of slamming the phone down, and have decided to let it leak until the water company comes to join it to the new main. Then they probably will fix it! I told Vince this and he said it'll be a lot on the meter, and I told him I don't yet HAVE a meter! That's what moving the main is all about!

I forgot all about the WPAC breakfast on Tuesday and arranged to go to Elk Grove. You know, I don't much like the new restaurant so I didn't care. I was a little later than I intended going down anyway because I was looking for my camera. In the end, Tuesday evening, I found it in the shelves in back, which I've been cleaning. For some reason I thought it was the one I dropped into the ocean in the Galapagos, and I somehow thought my new camera was silver. Nope, it's black, and the ocean camera turns out to be red. Now I have all the cameras of the past 10 years. (Only the ocean one is completely broken. The Canon (which I *loved*) was warped after I dropped it while chasing after Gareth, the first Sony, red, which Rich gave me, was beginning to make rattling noises, and I discovered it would cost $200 to repair, or $200 to get a new one, decisions decisions. The new one was the one I dropped in the ocean. Its replacement is the one that was lost in July and found in September, and it was beginning to go bad. The lens doesn't open automatically, and when you try to view pictures, they waver through a number back and forth. So I was reluctantly going to replace it anyway!)

Anyway, I finally made it to Bernadette's. She went shopping for the material for Joanna's costume. She had the house all decorated and I kept reaching for the camera. No luck. Padreic now has a splint and has to spend a little time walking. He still was attached to the iPad and cried when he had to put it down. I read him "Green Eggs and Ham" and "Are You My Mother?" and he seemed to like them well enough. When I picked up the kids Joanna had a good report, for 4 of the last 5 days. However, the next day she was too excited that Grandma was coming and so was in trouble again. Daddy had warned her about that.

Vince's call was going to be short because they were caring for the brother of a kid in the hospital in Seattle. However, he was able to stay on while I rapidly rattled about the last two weeks, and told me a lot about A.J., who is having trouble adjusting to school (I think making Kindergarten all day, as Washington did, is a huge mistake!) and who is emotionally very young. We won't be talking this week, because Tuesday is Hallowe'en and I'm busy the rest of the week.

Wednesday I had a Rich dream, something about being in Marrakesh with the grandkids (not Bernadette) and trying to get out of the hotel (and getting lost, of course) and someone giving me a LOT of stuff for them... he was very little help, which isn't fair to him, he would have been much better in real life.

Bernadette and I took Padreic to Wee Hallowe'en. Since I forgot to bring dollar coins for the meter, I bought quarters from Gareth's bank. We found a parking place across from the museum and went to check in. We had to wait for our turn about 30 minutes, but they had a yarn spider web to play with. And here I had all those little remnants of yarn (and still have a few) that I could have donated to the museum. I will, next time I get to that part of the cleanup again. We saw a Sherlock, a dinosaur with little brother dinosaur still coming out of the egg, a home-made stegosaur (likely carnivorous!) and a family with two of the 101 Dalmations and Cruella deVille. It's so neat to see the little kids, because the parents go all out to make really cute costumes.

Padreic was a little bemused at decorating his goodie bag and getting the first two prizes in it, but when we got to the place where the prize was a jingle bell, he'd caught on and "me! me! me!" The ballet was the Nutcracker... I would really like them to do something else, like Peter Pan, something I know Joanna would like. (The Nutcracker is too crowded.) At one of the last stops, in the galleries in front of the Yosemite picture, a cowboy sang "Home on the Range." A young mother with two little kids was in the gallery and they came to listen to the song. I thought it would be a shame if they didn't get the little prize (a beanbag with a picture of a horse) so asked the cowboy if he had a couple of extras and I gave them to the kids. No flamenco dancer this year, but outside a guy played a tuba and recited (with great panache) "Custard the Dragon" which is one of my favorites.

We went to the refurbished Tot Room and Padreic got a lot of exercise walking a bit around the ship and up the ramp. His legs are getting stronger.

I picked up the kids and read a couple of chapters of Pinocchio, and Grandma arrived just as I was about to finish. So I did and said goodbye to all and came home to cut into my little pumpkin and stuff it. (Actually, I cut it in the morning and got the seeds out, then kept it in the fridge till I could make the stuffing. I just used stuffing mix and the boullion gel I decided to try.) It turned out well! Enough for two days. The big one will be almost a week's worth of meals, and I intend to stuff it with quinoa, sausage, and ground turkey!

Thursday I detected a smell in the bathroom. This is unusual, believe it or not. I got a pine candle and set it in the bathtub (and closed the door so the cat wouldn't get curious and ignite himself) and after a couple of hours it smelled great. However, by that time I got a worse whiff in the playroom. I checked for cat misbehavior, but no. Then I thought it might be gas, the water heater. I went out to check and the top of the door (which is a heavy press to fit door, not a proper door) was open. I pulled it all the way off but I couldn't tell if the pilot light was out or not. There was no discernible smell there. I put the door back on and worried, but decided if the pilot was out I could start it the next day, when I had more daylight to work with.

Meanwhile, my velociraptor came!! So I finished cleaning off the shelf and built the dinosaur (HEAVY!!) and put it up. I've been cleaning the shelves in back... there were SO many things just thrown up there.

I didn't sleep well and woke up early Friday fretting about the pilot light, but when I checked to see if I had hot water, I did! The room really smelled bad, something rotten somewhere. Maybe a rodent got into the water heater compartment and died? Then Saturday it was fine. So I may never know.

It was Renaissance, and a really fun one. The morning seminar was developments in architecture and I saw a lot of places I want to go see for real. One of the really modern ones is The Barn, in West Sacramento! Another place he talked about was a development downtown made with modular units assembled in Tennessee. Then the time travel movie was Brigadoon. I've seen it before, and I do like the stage version better, but it was a fun change from the mind benders of the past few weeks.

Still cleaning the shelves in back... look, I found Nasty! I stepped on a needle. Fortunately I was wearing slippers so I didn't get too much in my foot.

I'm reading the Nero Wolfe series. He never leaves the home, right? Except, of course, when he does... 6 times in the first 9 books!!!

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 547
154.7 miles
mild

372 recordings of 50 types, 71 old SVU. 17% clear.

Saturday the 9th was a busy busy day. After I did my morning watering I walked down to Leslie's house to help her set up her garage sale. I worked there until it was time for the sale, and got a decent wheeled ice chest and a great National Geographic atlas for my trouble. (Well, I paid for them, but it was nice stuff. I needed a new ice chest... I had taken one from the neighbor's discards and they told me the handle was broken, but in actuality this lasted about 3 years before completely falling apart when we went to Micke Grove Park last April.)

I had planned to go to the WPAC second Saturday breakfast but decided there simply wasn't time. I headed back to the garage sale about 9:15 to chat and wait, and my friend Eileen came about 9:30 to take me and Alisa to Oroville for Jeo's memorial. I was wearing an orange Hawai'ian shirt that Rich bought about 10 years ago. (That was a great surprise. He always wore very conservative shirts, till we were in Hawai'i and he got a shirt for the luau (at my insistence.) This was on sale at the Lathrop gas station for $10 and he bought it.) It is far too big, and I couldn't wear my waist pouch on the outside and didn't want to wear it underneath since it made me look 10 months pregnant. So I pocketed my camera and ID and money and keys, and made do without the kitchen sink I normally carry. (And I remembered when we picked up Alisa who is attached to her phone that I didn't take mine.)

It was a nice ride and I got some answers about why Jeo and his wife were no longer together. I thought she had washed her hands of him when he got sick, which I don't really approve of, but it was the other way around. Jeo told her to get out of his life (I have to believe it was the disease talking, as Jeo was usually a very sweet guy). So at the memorial it was easy to hug her and tell her how sorry I was. At the memorial (which was at Jeo's sister's house) I learned some other friends are now divorced. Sigh. There were about 35 geocachers there (all in Hawai'ian shirts, plus the family. The three children, and Cinde and her parents, Jeo's sisters and brother, and his mother. (Woe. Eileen says she's somewhat out of it, what a blessing.) Plenty of food (although the cookies I brought were unpacked at the end.) I picked up a geocoin to remember him by. It's a California one, not recognized by Groundspeak, but that's OK.) I wrote a memory of Jeo in the book. (Rich and I had just started geocaching, and found a big travel bug hotel in Elk Grove, and we were engrossed in checking the contents when this voice boomed out "WHAT ARE YOU DOING??" and scared us to death.) Jeo's son spoke. It was nice to see so many old friends.

I got home about 5.

Eric Bolling's son died. The hits just keep coming.

Sunday was also a busy day. At church, Gerrie returned my books and gave me some candy (how the heck am I supposed to get my A1C down this way?). I hadn't planned to go back to the house before the late afternoon, but had to get the candy bar out of the car. Thence down to help with Communion... there's s guy from church there recouperating from a fall, in his 90s and sharp as a tack, knew my name and Brenda's. He has an easy name to remember, Charles Schulz!

Hence to Elk Grove. I thought I would drop in on the 9/11 event and see some of the people who weren't in Oroville the day before, but I couldn't find the group. Oh, well. I stopped at Jack-in-the-box for lunch, then got to Bernarob's house. When it was his truck left in the driveway, I thought maybe they'd changed their plans, but no, he was still taking the big kids to see their Mom in the play. My job was to babysit Padreic.

He was busy busy. There was plenty for him to do in the living room, but at one point he climbed over the gate into Mommy and Daddy's room (forbidden, and I'd locked both kids' bedrooms.) I got him out and then told him to pick up the little bells he'd been carrying. "No." He said "No" a couple of times, and finally I gave him a pop on the backside. Then held him while he cried it out, and we started playing finger games.

Rob and the kids enjoyed the play. He said it was better than the other Gilbert&Sullivan's Bernadette has been in.

Monday the 11th of September I had the flags out all over the yard. It was the day for the cleaners. They sat in the driveway in their car and had lunch, and here I was all ready to let them in and disappear into the bedroom. I could have finished my TV show!

While I was in the bedroom, I straightened up some more for the window people, and called my classmate Rich who was in town for the weekend. Too hot to leave the house again, though.

I had cloudy urine. But it's been coming and going, mostly clear, so I don't know what's going on.

My neighbor Carol brought over ice cream bars to keep in my freezer for the party the next day.

Tuesday I went to breakfast with the ladies. We only had 4 this time.

I found and rescued a tiny alligator lizard in the house. I thought at first maybe Pharoah had hurt it, but it moved from the zinnia bed where I put it, so it's probably OK. So beautiful!

Carol had a farewell party for Leslie. I will be sad to have her (and Zeus) go. We met the new homeowners, James and Yolanda. They're into wine and across the street Sloan and Christy (who were new to me) brew beer! Hey, I live on a party street! I also met Luann, and then chatted with the neighbors I know, as well.

I got home just before Vince's call. Eric will be going to the Bahamas next year. Gabe and A.J. are doing well in soccer. And I forgot to tell him about Jeo's memorial and about the alligator lizard... so I started a list for the next time!

Wednesday I went down to Elk Grove as usual, and Bernadette wasn't there. I thought maybe she had decided to take Padreic in to the doctor, since he's been crying over a hurt leg since Monday. Sure enough, it's broken! He had a splint on it and it will be cast on Friday. He was apparently really good with the doctor, and the X-rays. It was a trampoline accident. I said, when Joan gave them that, it was dangerous for such small children. Monica argued that it was good exercise and I said it would lead to broken bones. She said "at least they won't be overweight." So of course, when I posted about the broken leg, I said "told you so, Monica!"

The big kids were in trouble about this. They just stood on the trampoline watching while Padreic cried. No one went in to tell Mommy. Also, while B. was trying to clean up, Gareth just went to his room and Joanna wouldn't go fetch something "there's a branch in the way." She got popped on the bottom for her pains, too. Daddy had a long lecture for them.

I fetched them and we talked about the broken leg on the way home. Nobody knows what exactly happened. I read them more of Pinocchio. I decided I need to bring over a marionette so they really know what it is.

Thursday, I got my new windows!!!!!! I just love it! The annoying thing is I will have to make sure all the smoke alarms have batteries (I really only keep the hall one and my bedroom charged up, the others are old and beep even with new batteries, too much trouble) before I call the county inspector to come out. It took the guys 4 hours to get all the windows in, and I spied one defective screen so called about it at the end of the day.

I went to the WPAC Appleby's dinner. I ordered the chicken tacos which were filling enough, and to my surprise, between the half price Happy Hour and the 10% discount, I only owed a little over 4 dollars!

Friday was Renaissance. The morning documentary was "And Still I Fly" about Maya Angelou. When it was dealing with her early life, there was a cameo with Hillary Clinton, who said it was like her mother's early life. All I could think about was "was that before or after she named you for Sir Edmund Hillary?" The bitter old woman (mighod, this book tour!) always has to make it all about herself! The documentary, however, was really good. There was this time she lectured Tupac Shakur about his language. I'd read all the autobiographies and really enjoyed this documentary.

The time travel movie was Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. I enjoyed it more this time than when I saw it first. Silly but fun. I was tempted to go to the forum but really wanted to come home.

Before I left I saw Leslie walking Zeus for the last time here, so dashed out for a hug from her and a total slobber from him.

The windows will go on November's bill! Hooray, it's nice to spread the misery out!

They warned me there might still be pieces of glass, but I forgot, and sure enough, barefoot in my bedroom. Ow.

Saturday I was pretty well crippled up with a terrible backache, but because I'd promised, I saw Bernadette's play, Patience. It's cute and funny. I'd never heard of it before though there's one song in it I've heard somewhere (an ad, maybe?)

Sunday I stayed in to heal up. My back still hurt but not as badly as it did the day before. I've been leaving the windows open night and day, except when the gardeners were here. I trimmed the roses in the rose garden Rich made for me. Most of them are dead, thanks to the drought.

I made a salad of dragonfruit, pineapple, (I wanted pomegranates, but they aren't quite ready yet. There are so many I think I can have some despite the squirrels), romaine, one small bell pepper chopped up with a blueberry balsalmic vinaigrette. Yum.

I actually READ "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" for the first time. Disney did a great job following the descriptions! Irving's prose is great!

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fossilfreak

December 2018

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