fossilfreak

 

266 recordings of 54 types and I finished season 3 of NCIS. 37% clear.

 

I have never had a roommate before (Rich doesn't count, we were married and busy building a family.) I really thought I liked living alone, can go to bed when I want, get up when I want, leave dishes in the sink, watch the TV *I* like, cook with  onions...  so, when Steve's friend from 30 years ago needed a home back last summer, I reluctantly told him I would be plan B. And he was able to find another place to stay.  Whew!

 

Unfortunately, that place fell through on the first of September.  Bill e-mailed me to ask if the offer still held. My heart sank. I really tried to think of how I could say "no", but there was no way to do that. So, darn it, I said yes. I took all the stuff off the captain's bed in the playroom, made the bed, found some pillows, and prepared it as well as I could, though there are still a gazillion toys in it. If I have the kids, I'll have to take the toys out.  

 

Then, in August, the medical issues came up and I realized there was a silver lining. He'll be here to feed the pets, and when I get back from the hospital he can help with some of the chores. 

 

So, Saturday September 1, he came. I gave him a key, showed him his room, told him that the back bathroom was his. I told him I wouldn't cook for him all the time, but there's plenty of food in the freezer and pantry.  I did cook for him this night, a frozen chicken-broccoli pasta dish.  

 

 

To my surprise, it's working out! I kind of resented sharing the living room (like where else? I had given him a bedside light but there's not much room in the bedroom) but we knock along OK. The TV is mine till I go to bed, and if it's Fox News he disappears, but he likes much of the other things I watch.  Then I go to bed about 9 or 10 and it's his, and he goes to the Cartoon Network or some "History" channel show.  He's been buying his own food so I don't have to feel guilty about hiding the peanuts or the nachos! He has friends and goes gaming, and he has part-time work (he's applying for more) and I am on the go a lot, so we aren't under each other's feet all the time. 

 

Bernadette and Rob got new kittens. They are, surprise surprise, cute!! 

 

I went to church on the second. Then it was  Day 5 with the puzzle, and I hooked up a cookie.

 

On the 3rd I woke up with  tummy pains. I'll be so glad when this operation is over.  My whole digestive system is not up to par these days.

 

 I got a lot of goodies in Fishdom.

 

My computer was not talking to the Internet. Bill figured out how to fix it.

 

On the puzzle, I hooked two cookies together.

 

On the 4th, I played lots of games. My ankle bruise (from August 10) is slowly healing. The Senate indulged in Kavanaugh Kabuki. I had breakfast with the ladies, giving Fay the parking pass for the Kingston Trio. 

 

Pagan came over and we went to Koreana. I love this store, but didn't have anything in mind to buy. I'll have to introduce Bernadette to it. I got the screws to hang the scratch-off map and the next day asked the neighbors to help. Carol misunderstood and when she found the right drill bit (actually not, I needed a concrete one) she called and asked if I wanted the drill, too. "Yes, and the husband!" Frank came and got the  hangers up (pulling off the adhesive and the paint in one place. I do have patch paint and a couple of places it will go, someday.)

 

On the 5th, Spooky, who has midlength hair, was really matted. I did find a rake which took care of the mats instantly. Boy, that cat sheds!

 

I took Padreic to Wee Wednesday, which was fun. It was about primary colors and pretty well over the kids' heads. There was a three-year-old who was all over the place. It's amazing how Padreic ("I FOUR!") has grown!

 

I cooked an actual meal, tuna noodle casserole and salad.

 

 

Fishdom was going well  on the 6th.

Oberammergau is on! Including Medjugoric which I know absolutely nothing about.

 

After the Retreat House I went to the Commissary. It was around here I was begining to resent cooking, but it's gotten better. Bill is really polite and stays out from underfoot.

 

I took a bag of books to the library.

 

I was going to relax but then I remembered that this was the day I was going to put the poop bag into the trash, darn it. 

 

Day 7 of puzzle. Slogging today.

 

I started the Camino 3 years ago on the 7th. The butafumiero is down right now. How lucky I was!

 

I spent money on Fishdom. I've been playing Albion for 6 months. I hate to think how much I've spent on that.

 

I went to Renaissance, almost forgetting breakfast. I saw a slide show about Nepal. The western movie film was a documentary, Reel Injuns. Fascinating, about the depiction of Native Americans in movies. We saw "Smoke Signals" being filmed when we were in Spokane at one point.

 

On Saturday the 8th I went down to Oak Park to take the CASA files to be shredded. I'd never seen the actual park in the area, and it's gorgeous. I've been in the seedier parts of OP, but this area is nice. The volunteers at Wellspring were nice and I'm really glad to have these sensitive files off my hands.

 

Then I went to where the breakfast was to check on why Fay called. It was to remind me of breakfast! 

Marty asked me to dinner to see Mike F., who is in town.

 

Day 8 on the puzzle.

 

I was tired of taking pictures off the picture disc so I could take more, and I bought a 32G new one. 3000+ new pictures!

Marty asked me to dinner to see Mike

 

I've been reading the Driver's Handbook. 

 

Bill returned before I went to bed, darn it. 

 

On the 9th, I finally finished Act One by Moss Hart.

 

(Reading:  I'm still reading Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; Pepys' Diary; Embarrassments by PJ Nel;  We Die Standing Up, Dom Hubert van Zeller; The Gates of the Alamo, Stephen Harrigan;  Archie Meets Nero Wolfe, Robert Goldsborough; The Halcyon Fairy Book, T. Kingfisher; plus I want to reread Charles Krauthammer's Things that Matter. I must read the Alamo book and the others I got as "homework" for San  Antonio and stop getting sidetracked by Miss Read (though Gerrie is catching up!))

 

I went to Church and helped with Communion at the nursing home. That night I had dinner with Marty and Jim, Alicia and Mike F. We went to Olive Garden. It was so good! Mike actually met Steve when he was at Caterpillar. He also is really impressed with the IT system there, a fact I should share with Steve. Interesting... in his early 40s, he seems to be at the "finding himself" phase.

 

The cleaners came on Monday but didn't clean up the kitty litter. I will talk to them next time, before complaining to the office. 

 

9-11 was on Tuesday again. I went to the DMV early and was #22 in line. They have it set up well, and I was actually done within an hour so I could go to the ladies' breakfast. 

 

Minor gripes: he uses so many ice cubes! And has peanut butter in the evening and leaves the knives just sitting.

 

I'm going through old papers and found a letter from Granddaddy's brother, Uncle Frank. It was written in 1976 and was all about his brother Harry and sister-in-law Mary.  Interesting letter, but they're all dead without children or grandchildren, nobody but me left who remembers them, and I pitched the letter. Later I found one from Tom, the guy I went to the Air Force Academy ring dance with... I was dating Rich by this time so probably wrote him just to find out what was up. He was madly in love with a girl in Pinedale who didn't return his calls, and he planned to go to flight school and then be an astronaut. Instead, he was shot down in VietNam. Another letter I trashed. Sniff.

 

And, Tuesday, a nice call from Vince.

 

 

The 12th I only dug one tulip bulb out. I went to Bernadette's in the morning and picked up some of the mess while she had a dentist appointment. Back at home I changed the kitty litter out, did laundry, and fixed stuffed peppers with a southwestern rice hamburger mix topped with mozzarella.

 

On Friday the 13th I finished season 4 of Chicaco P.D. and discovered one of the season 2 NCIS episodes has gone missing. Maybe I accidentally let it get erased. 

 

It turns out I waited too long to sign up for the Mississippi River cruise next April. Darn it, it looked like fun. 

 

I went out to thrift shops and a bookstore and found 4 Boxcar children books for Joanna.

 

Carol and Frank were leaving just as I was so she didn't get a chance to tell me they had some food for me in their fridge. She called. And so I looked for their key in the plastic bag I keep it in, and it wasn't there! Maybe the cleaners saw it and hung it up, so I took a fistful of keys over, and sure enough, the second one I tried opened the door!  The food was two huge artichokes and a big pack of potato salad.

 

That night I went to see 1776 at the Chatauqua. Bev didn't arrive in time for the first act, and when I saw it was an all female cast I was annoyed, but it was great. Bev was there after intermission so I could stop worrying about her. Meanwhile, my friend Bill with the Pancreatic Cancer, looks great! He's recovered so well they gave him a new knee and they geocached through a lot of states.

 

I liked the first act better, but then I believe that's true every time I've seen it.

 

Saturday I had gotten tickets for us to ride the Sacramento River Train.  Bernadette came by for me and we got down to Old Sacramento early. We stopped at the History Museum to spend some time. I am guessing it's been over 10 years since I've been there and they've surely changed a lot. They had a stretched penny machine so Joanna and Padreic each got one. Then we started walking toward the depot and when Padreic said he would like to get on the train, is when I let them know that's what I planned. We rode in the back coach and got our tickets punched, rode the 3 miles south and then got to watch the engine go down a spur then couple onto our coach. 

 

I was wearing my Wyoming shirt and a guy asked me was I from the state. Turns out he is from Rock Springs and did indeed know the Zs, Joe's family.  

 

I learned two short toots mean "we're starting" and two longs and a short mean "we're coming in." 

It was a fun ride and the kids seemed to like it.  When we got off Gareth asked "have you noticed we haven't had lunch?" so he got a bit of a talk from Mommy about how to tell people you're hungry a bit more politely.  We went to a restaurant and Joanna turned into a whiny thorny monster because nobody else had finished their lunch. She was hanging her head with her shoulders hunched and near tears, so I tried to comfort her. A porcupine would have been easier. Turns out she wanted to "do something exciting."  

 

Then we went over to the Railroad Museum, and she got into her "cling-to-mommy-because-there-are-scary-adults" phase. Mighod. She's got to be the saddest little girl in the world.  It was NOT a good day for her. (Oh, yeah, she'd already informed me she doesn't like ballet and didn't want to see "Cinderella" and I'm pretty sure it's just that she didn't want to go anywhere with me. This despite a good camp. I've made myself feel better because I'll take Bernadette, and she can just stay home and maybe rethink her life.) It was the kind of day that makes me say that while I love her very much, sometimes I don't really like her. (I said that to B., and she agrees.)

 

At that gift shop we got more stretched pennies and I got Padreic his book. He was thrilled. 

 

At home I noticed that after maybe a year, my fridge water filter needed changing. (I've been looking at the light for months, but never saw it go yellow. It was red this time.) I pulled it out to see what it was (but didn't write it down) and went to put it back and jammed it in, couldn't close the filter door. I tried to get the filter out but couldn't, asked for help from my friends, but no, and finally freed it on Sunday by attacking on a different angle. 

 

\I dozed off and woke at 7:47. As it was light outside, I thought I'd overslept through the night, had missed my chance to dig, and would have to hurry for church. It finally dawned on me that it wasn't actually Sunday, but was still Saturday!

 

 

Sunday the 15th, I was distracted in church because of Joanna. Grrr.

 

I ordered tickets for the Kingston Trio (just me), Pinocchio with the kids and Bernadette, and the ballet with Bernadette. These are at Folsom. Last week I got the Mondavi (Davis) catalog for next year and they don't really have anything I want this time.

 

I was making chicken a la king and dropped it as I was putting it back into the microwave for the second part. And it smelled so good, all over the floor. I was amazed at the dog, who just sat looking at it until I told him it was OK for him to eat it. Such a clean floor!! Sigh.

 

 

Monday, I'd thought I'd be done digging by the weekend, but I was overoptimistic. I waited all day for the cleaners. Once they came I called Helena, who is also having a colonoscopy, hers this coming Friday.

 

I went to the Newcomer's dinner, and took my iPad (in its new cover) so I could show  Bill my wounded picture. He wasn't there, but I did talk to Tom.

 

I am in 37 different places in Albion because I accidentally opened the perfumer's workshop instead of keeping it for the artist's studio. 

 

 

July 17 I dug up 14 bulbs, then went to the WPAC breakfast. There were 6 of us. After a nice meal and chat I went to the commissary for a few things. I got home before it got too hot. It's been over 100 the last two weeks.

 

 

And at home, Benson asked me to come on safari next year. I really want to! It would be all over Zimbabwe. I asked if I could come early and go geocaching with him around Victoria Falls. It actually sounds like maybe we could do that! So I went to the Road Scholar page and checked it out, and then looked at the Iceland tour.  I called Jean and we firmed up the date. I will sign up at the end of July. 

 

I had found out at the Newcomer's dinner that Gary T. was home again so I called him. He's doing well.

 

And, of course, I forgot it was Tuesday until Vince called.

 

July 18 was the day I gave Gareth his promised trip toThe Tech Museum  in San Jose. I got there by 7:30 so as to get to San Jose by 10, but I didn't account for dire traffic especially on 580. There were times I would have to come to a complete stop, then go a few car lengths and stop again.  It was frustrating, but we finally arrived at the parking garage and got to the Tech a little before 11.  The bathroom was the first stop. Gareth was so excited. I got our tickets (free, with a membership at the Powerhouse) and the guy asked if I'd like to donate. I said "yes, but later" and actually did drop $10 into the box as we left.  

 

We stopped at the exhibit entrance and asked how the TechTags (which were the tickets) work. You scan it at each exhibit and at the end of the day you can put the number in at home and see a summary of your day. This sounds good, but Gareth lost his at the first exhibit. Used mine for awhile, but then when we left for lunch he got a different one, which he mostly used but at the end of the day he was back to using mine, and lost it. At the same exhibit. I'd picked up another one so at home I tried to see what that ticket user had done, and this spoiled the chance for Gareth to use the blue, substitute one, since apparently they only register one each day. Oh, well. If we do this next year we'll do better.

 

I had brought a book and sat nearby while he played. I did, at one point, show him there was another area, since he had pretty well done the whole coding area.  At one point he was encrypting a password and the numbers were flying past and he was covering his ears to help him to focus.  When we went to the different area he was entranced with the earthquake exhibit and with Google Earth.  At 1 I finally suggested we go to lunch, where we spent a whopping 20 minutes.  Back to the area. He discovered the biometrics area, and signed up for a monitor which he wore for about 40 minutes.  (Again, this would be one of the first things if we come back.) Then we went upstairs, where there was my favorite thing of the day, the biochemistry. I helped him put on plastic gloves and a pair of goggles, and then he got a tube of bacteria and a tube of dna, combined them, warmed it, cooled it, spread it in a petri dish, put in the warmer to cook, (after scanning it) picked a cooked one and looked at it for various colors. The whole thing was fascinating.  Another one that he liked was "building bacteria". We turned in his monitor and discovered he's a "confident builder." This is something I really would have liked to have on his tech tag at home. Oh, well. 

 

He stood in line to ride the jet chair in space. Definitely he'd be Major Tom.  There were lots of camp groups, but eventually he got to do everything he wanted to do. He finished on the same exhibit he'd started on, a game of building a network. I was interested to see how he interacted with other kids. 

 

We went to dinner across the street, but didn't stay long enough to avoid major traffic jams on the way home. Gareth said he'd like to go with Joanna and Padreic and I pointed out that they would want to go to some other exhibits when he didn't. Padreic in particular would be bored with a lot of it, though there are areas he would enjoy. I think we would need three adults for the three kids.  I was not the only adult who had brought a book (though I used my iPad more, to report on Facebook) and let the kids do their thing. I had a good time and I know he did, and I may do this again for his birthday next year. However, I believe then I would get a motel room on 1st street by the metro line and ride the train in, and avoid traffic. Rich and I did that when we went to ConJose in 2002. If we did that we might visit, uh, someone who lives here (to quote Gareth, who doesn't remember Aunt Monica's name.)  

 

Anyway, I didn't get home till past 9, but the dog had behaved himself. A nice day!

 

367 recordings of 28 types. 29 old CPD, 4 old SVU. 24% clear.

 

Wednesday I finished Pinocchio with the kids. Not only were they reading along, which is fine, but Gareth was reading ahead of my voice which I found immensely distracting.

 

I ordered Doc Martin season 8!  Also, my African nativity set was supposed to arrive and it wasn't until Sunday that I questioned it. 

 

Thursday I finally heard from a gastroenterologist about making my appointment. I thought I would hear in July, and when I didn't, I tried calling the number on the card my doctor gave me, with no luck. Because my doctor had left me, I finally figured I'd get the colonoscopy next year.  But now, I guess I'll just call them and make an appointment (AFTER Thanksgiving!)

 

I stopped at the SPCA booksale. I had a really good day there, with 2 Trollopes (Anthony, not Joanna) and 4 Cornwells (Bernard, not Patricia) that I didn't have. Yay! I also got a book of Grimm Fairy Tales. It's slanted to grownups, with commentary about the sexual fantasies, etc, but the stories themselves are good. (I was hoping for Rainbow Fairy books, no luck there.)

 

And I finally had the last day of the dinosaur candle and then had to carve away the rest of the wax.  This should have worked better but I had to keep carving down the egg so the flame wouldn't drown. Oh, well. At the end it cracked the glaze, but the dinosaur is cute anyway.

 

Friday the computer was very slow and I spent a lot of time on Facebook. I finally, about 11, got out the door to go to Rancho Cordova and geocache.  I had ten in mind, on a bike trail that makes a loop so I wouldn't be too far away from the car when I finished.  The first two were DNFs, and I was beginning to be dubious, but then I found one.  The fourth I tried was down a really steep hill, and I was a bit scared to try it by myself, but I went down and looked, but couldn't find it, and then somehow managed to get back up the hill, cussing myself out for being stupid. I also couldn't find the next one, then had to try to get to the other side of the loop. I was paralleling it for awhile, but then found access and again couldn't find one. Then I found #7, and was on my way to #8, but by that time the skies opened and I was half a mile away from the car. I had left my raincoat at Bernadette's on Wednesday and forgot I had a decent rain jacket that I had taken to Spain. Hence, I had a light jacket, which didn't protect me very much. I was soaked by the time I got back to the car. I was too wet to stop at a fast food place so came on home, arriving about 1:30.

 

In the evening, the Chatauqua show was "Frankenstein." I was glad to see my friend Bill, who is still looking good despite the Pancreatic cancer. His tumor hasn't shrunk but is less dense, and after Thanksgiving he starts a round of radiation.  I'm impressed with his upbeat attitude. Anyway, it was great to see him (and his wife, of course.) 

 

I had no idea how they would present "Frankenstein" but it was just terrific. It was Mary Shelley telling the story and the other characters showing her story. I was very impressed with it.