fossilfreak

 

293 recordings of 52 types. 32% clear.

 

August  2 I wasn't going to leave the house at all, but I found some books of McClellan history in Hoarder Central and thought I'd try donating them to the air museum. They were delighted. While I was out I finally took the coffee I've been carrying around to Ann, who takes care of the donations for Sharing God's Bounty.

 

I called Carol to find out how her colonoscopy went. Better than mine, it appears.

 

 

The 3rd was Bonnie's birthday so I called her, which was fun. She was quite amused with Joanna's plans for Boxcar Children camp when SHE is a grandmother!! We discussed falls, too.

 

I was at Bernadette's from 10-1, helping sort through books, old board books out, slightly more grownup children's books to the living room (including some I took over which Padreic enjoyed), Joanna's books to her bookcases, Gareth's books to his. You can sure tell this is a family of readers!

 

Then I took some books to the library. (MY books, not hers, which she wanted to take to Little Free Libraries.)

 

Day 4 of a jigsaw puzzle I was trying to do before I go to Crater Lake. It was going fast, but it was obvious there were lots of pieces of another puzzle, as well. So I had no idea if I had enough pieces of the real puzzle. I would only know by finishing it.

 

I love watching Safari Live, and I also went onto the computer for an extra hour after the tv show was over. I just love it. I really want to go with Benson next year, but Zimbabwe is still roiling, and South Africa is looking a  bit odd too. 

 

On Saturday the 4th I got a free breakfast at the WPAC breakfast, so I left a tip and went out full and flush. One of the ladies had her daughter die of cancer. I feel, sometimes, like i've been dancing between the raindrops.

 

Willie (Bill) is going to be homeless at the end of August so will be coming to live with me for awhile. This will have some advantages... he can clean out the rain gutters which are full of driy leaves and palm seeds, and will be here if I want to take off for an overnight or two. 

 

I was a bit appalled in the morning because Pharaoh ran into the kitchen with his rat-chasing look. Didn't spy any long tails, though, and the dog relaxed. 

 

Sunday the 5th I went to Mass and Father asked us to pray for him. Apparently he's been the subject of some gossip, which isn't true, but he got a "canonical warning" (in other words a wrist slap) by the Bishop.

While in church I had a bad pain in the gall bladder area. I really don't need to add that, do I?  However, it's gone now, so it was probably gas.

 

I kept thinking there was something I wanted to do this afternoon at 2, but of course I didn't remember what till 4:30, so I missed the Knights of Columbus ice cream social.

 

Charles Spinks, my friend whom I never met, the guy who went on the Camino 5 days ahead of me, died. :(

 

So. The doctor told me to come in to his office on the 6th, so I thought maybe I could do an end run around Kayla the unhelpful receptionist by calling the doctor's office directly. Michelle, his receptionist, didn't call back till the afternoon, and told me the doctor is not in his office on Mondays. Why did he tell me this? I will see this through, with the Nurse Practitioner Svetlana, on Monday the 13th, and get my operation, but I am definitely going to deal with some other group next time. I liked Svetlana, I liked the doctor, and the nurses were fine, but I can't take the stress.

 

I was trying to remember who I gave the baby gate to. I guess it was Pagan.

 

On Tuesday the 7th I went to breakfast and updated the ladies on my medical frustrations. First off, though, I listened to Jackie's stories, and it was something like having a MadLibs read to me, without any of the blanks filled in. I had to use a lot of imagination!

 

Then I went down to Elk Grove and read to Padreic and played with him while she worked on Joanna's stuff. She's going to have that room all cleaned up so Joan can trash it.  Apparently J. complains that they don't have a decent guest room (and I've stayed at Joan's, so this is a bit hypocritical.) Anyway, I helped a bit, but mostly by keeping Padreic busy. I took a box of "food" and dishes (tiny Tupperware) to him and he was thrilled. I took the dehydrator to Bernadette. (When I dug it out I found a box, kind of a shelf which used to hold vinyl records, apparently, in the bar area and now it has scrapbooks in it)

 

Because of the smoke, it was possible that Vince would cancel Crater Lake, but now, a few days later, it seems like it'll be OK. I decided I would go anyway.

 

The 8th I apparently lost my Tac glasses, no idea how or where. Early in the morning, I removed some trumpet vine from the side yard. 

 

Then I walked over to see the doctor. I was waiting in the room and he tapped on the door and opened it and said "sorry!" and backed out! That was puzzling. When he finally got back I teased him about being afraid of me and we had a good laugh. What had happened was he wasn't quite through with the other patient and just opened the wrong door. 

 

He also took his time with me. He updated my shot records (though I'll have to correct one next time. I told him I'd had an injection for Typhoid but it was actually Yellow Fever.) He checked on the colonoscopy stuff and I told him how frustrated they are making me. He listened to my heart and lungs and felt my neck for lumps and, woe, looked at my feet. The prescription is to put Vicks Vapo-Rub on my toenails three times a day for one or two years! OK then. He said I was mildly depressed and I argued the point. It's because I don't sleep well.

 

Still, it was a satisfactory visit.

 

Once I got home again I went to the commissary for a big re-stocking (and of course, I already have two more items on the next list (oatmeal and RealLime)). It was over $220, so I'm sure glad I don't do this monthly. In fact, the last BIG one was in September, with a medium one in March, and I go pick up this and that approximately once a month. For the big ones, I go through the checkout and tip the baggers ($10 this time. Rich would have a cow.)

When I was putting the food away I heard the back toilet gurgling. Has that been happening since the cleaners were here?  And if so, why didn't I hear it when I was putting papers in the back? 


The temperature was back at triple digits.

 

 

On the 9th, I slept 9:30-2:40 and then went right back to sleep till 4:30.

 

I watched Gordon Ramsay's new show. He's doing a Sacto Restaurant next week. The post-show reviews don't look good. I believe I'll skip it.

 

I took the car in for its 122+K mile check-up. All it needed was a tune up and a replaced third brake light. (I hadn't even known I HAD a third brake light!) I took a long shuttle ride home, through downtown and East Sacramento, but that's nothing, he was in Rancho Cordova when I called him back so it took more than an hour. It's OK, though. At least I got to spend some time at home.

 

And THAT was interesting. Because it's Thursday, I took the dog poop bag out to the trash. While I was puttering back there, I decided to lop some of the lowest branches on the mulberry, so I opened the shed door to get the pole lopper. Like a flash, Pharaoh jumped into the shed and trapped and killed a squirrel right before my eyes. He was so proud of himself!  He strutted out of the shed (thank goodness. I really didn't want to try to get the corpse with all the junk all over the floor and shelves) and brought his trophy to the porch, where I was waiting with a plastic bag. Then, as I took it to the trash, in front, I could hear him back in the shed. He then presented me with a dead young rat. So back into the house I went for another plastic bag (AFTER shutting the shed door!) and took THAT body to the trash! At least it's trash night!

 

And yes, I lopped the branches, and when I put the pole lopper away, I had the dog shut in the house.

 

I got new TacGlasses when I drove home. I see Sprouts has come into the grocery store that used to be SaveMart! If my food storage wasn't so chock-a-block full, I'd have checked it out, but maybe in a week or two.

 

That night, Pharaoh was still full of himself and wouldn't come in when I called him. I got the flashlight, which is usually the magic tool, and he still wouldn't come in. So I got a newspaper and whapped him when he came in. The next day again he didn't come in and I left him out for a couple of hours. Since then he's remembered to come when I tell him. (Which was something I taught him after Rich died. He needed to know who was boss, and it isn't him.)

 

The 10th, I was weeding the zinnia garden, one foot in my garden, one in the neighbor's yard, and I tripped over my little wire fence. Fortunately I didn't fall, but I sure got a big, painful, bruise.

 

I went back to Bernadette's, and again helped mostly by letting Padreic show me stuff. "Look!" every little thing he does. That and he starts every sentence with "no." "Are you going to put that in the dollhouse?" "No, I'm putting it in the dollhouse."  Bernadette says he inherited it from Rich, who was very contradictory. "Why do you contradict everything?" "I don't contradict all the time!" he would say, contradicting me.

 

I finished the puzzle, 9 days, 995 pieces. There were 5 missing, but they didn't really ruin the picture.  There were 31(!) pieces that didn't belong to this puzzle. No, I didn't pack them up with the puzzle!

 

My driver's license renewal came. I can't get an appointment until I know when my surgery will be. This is so frustrating. I did spend some time looking for my social security card, which I'm sure I used when I got my TSA pre-check number. Oh, well. I did find a piece of paper in my tax papers with the full number in it. And today I talked to Joan M. who didn't have an appointment but went at 0630 in the morning and got it taken care of and home by 9. So I'll do that.

 

I was invited to the Sharing God's Bounty board meeting, which was at a pizza place. I was amazed at how this ministry has grown. When it came time for me to speak I talked about the start, 35 years ago, and how Rich and I were in on the planning. How he did security/parking for something like 20 years. How I don't do much since he died except provide coffee.  (Ann said there was more, but I didn't want to brag up my donations in his name.) I sat with Peter Mithin and talked to Bill Durborough.

 

I really pigged out on the pizza. And on the way home, my jaw hurt. I'm thinking imminent heart attack (no, if I get a heart attack, I want to do it in Svetlana's office!) It stopped when I got home, though I had it happen a little the next morning.

 

I was too late to see most of Safari Live live on the TV, but I managed to get to it overtime on the computer while I was finishing the puzzle. And it was exciting. There was a leopard (Hosana) stalking prey (and not getting it) and a hyena baby!

 

The next morning was the second Saturday breakfast, and I saw many of my friends. Mostly I talked to Marty.

Afterwards I went to Raley's for my prescription, and to Lazy Boy to look around (lots of pretty stuff, but I actually don't want any more overstuffed furniture in my living room. Something more like Bernadette's gliding chair which was initially Roni's.  I don't like the new covers Joan put on that chair and stool so I've told her I don't want it. I got 4 glasses. 

(Friday's stats.)

 

353 recordings of 64 types. This is deceptive as I am getting old NCIS episodes individually (because I don't have room for 19 seasons on the DVR!) 22 old CPD and going down quickly.

21% clear.

 

June 1 I took Joanna to the Powerhouse museum, then took her home with Ozma of Oz.  I read the kids a couple of stories from a 5th grade school reader, then came home to sort through kids books. I thought I'd read Thornton Burgess this summer. (However, I went back on the 4th and read Old Mother West Wind... a bit (a LOT!) boring for Gareth. Later in the month I got a compendium of Andrew Lang Fairy Books (disappointing, all but the Blue the unfamiliar ones, too small print and no illustrations) and think that's what I'll do this summer.  First off at Boxcar children camp with Joanna, but I think Gareth can stand these a few times. 

 

On June 2nd I went to breakfast with WPAC and Gene U. sat next to me. He has a new girl friend, it seems, so much for Judy and I'm a terrible person for being a little glad (because she threw me over to chase after him, and I thought (judgemental me) that it was far too soon after her husband died.) 

 

The next day Gene had a stroke and he's in a recuperation home at the moment.

 

Timing was such that I decided to go to see "The Book Club" (so where's MY pilot??) first and then go to the  SPCA book sale. I took a big bag of books and another bag of bags. I picked up a few books, some for Bernadette, but came out ahead with only 7 books.  I did find some more Bernard Cornwell books.  When I went back on Friday (the 8th) I ended up with a much larger bag of books. I had taken back some John D. MacDonald mysteries which I read one-a-day and put back into their plastic envelopes.

 

 

 

June 3 was the Fiesta at the Retreat House. I didn't really want to go, but I'd promised to help.  Fortunately, Mass was indoors, and I dashed over to the dining room and dished up rice for people.  Then I really thought to stay till the end, but it was so hot and I hadn't brought a book, so I came home. 

 

I've been digging out the tulip bed. Only a month late. I wish I'd done it in May, but noooo I had to sit in the house feeling sorry for myself.

 

Monday is when I went down and read Old Mother West Wind to the kids. They're going away for the summer and I won't see them again till a short while in July and then not till late August. Sniff.

 

Coming home I scared myself badly. I blanked out (not blacked out, more like highway hypnosis) and came to running a red light at Edison, close to home. Lucked out there. But this is scary.

 

In my Albion game I  wound up trying to get something and spent far too much money. Without getting the reward. So I've learned my lesson and am not spending much, and not trying for prizes, they will come when they come. I had trouble with the iPad one day and thought I would have to get a new one. I will have to do that, but fortunately not right away, it's talking to the Internet again. 

 

I am enjoying my windows! I've had the AC on a little bit, but not too much.

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.
 

 

 

348 recordings of 32 types. 1 old SVU, 71 old CPD, 33 LMS. 23% clear.

 

 

Friday was OW day!

I woke with a terrible back pain and took an Ibuprofen, which worked, but I forgot to take another to Renaissance. The morning was a documentary, For the Love of Spock. The newsletter had said it was in a room at the library at 10 but it turned out to be in a room in Tahoe Hall (which used to be the business building) at 9:30 so I barely made it. I sat next to Gerry, my former Shakespeare teacher. He won't be going to Ashland this year... their casting of a woman as Hotspur last year was a bridge too far for him. As is the making Oklahoma! all about gay couples is for me, but I can just not go to it.  The Oregon Shakespeare people keep trying to push boundaries, and sometimes it's just ridiculous. As was the feud with the bookstore, which nearly pushed me out.

 

I love this documentary couple, and they're moving to Boise! NOOOOO! They didn't have closed captioning on this one and the sound was low, and Gerry couldn't hear it and left early. Too bad. It was really good.

 

Then I went for my tea and tuna banh mi and took it to Time Travel, as usual. Chip had "invented a time machine", an animation, over the break.  It was a pipe at the top, and two openings on a "box" underneath. It worked in that a ball dropped from the top into the left opening, then came up out of the right opening and disappeared at the top. Turn the machine on, and the ball came out before it dropped in. Then if you warp the box, the ball comes out and hits itself coming down, so it doesn't go into the box (the grandfather paradox.) But if you warp the box just right, into a shallow U shape, the ball emerging from the right side hits the ball dropping and caroms it into the left side. This is the ontological paradox (where does the ball come from?) Then he showed a short from the Netherlands, A Single Life, which was sad... and so to the feature film, the Terminator, which I saw with GoE back when it came out, and didn't like it, too noisy and violent.  I was prepared to give it a second chance, but my back pain came back with a vengeance, and I reached the point I just had to leave. 

 

I called Bernadette to cancel having Joanna, which was a disappointment. I'd made sure I had the ingredients for her science kit, I had brought out 5 VCR films so she could have her choice (I was hoping for Lady and the Tramp, in fact) and I had a macaroni and cheese dinner ready to go, since I didn't want t a repeat of the fried chicken disaster of last time. I'd also hidden the Boxcar Children books. Rats. But I thought I was lucky just to get home.

 

Saturday I went to Lyon's for the WPAC breakfast. It was disappointing this month. Apparently they were short a cook, and the meals came out 3 at a time. My bacon was limp and the eggs cold.  And then the waiter took FOREVER to get our checks to us. 

 

At home I went through a box of old papers. I found a letter from Nelda in 1964 when she was working at Glacier National Park and flirting with guys, and it was flooding. I was at the Indian Reservation and we went to see her after Mom picked me up. There was also a letter from my sister saying she wouldn't come be my matron of honor.  It wasn't, as I remembered, because it would be hard to travel with my 5-month-old niece, but because she was so much in love with her husband she couldn't picture leaving him for a week... (didn't we invite him? Oh, well.) It's interesting how time changes things!  Nelda's now a nun, and Chris divorced for upwards of 30 years.

 

Because moving is the best thing for my back, I had an ambitious plan to walk to a nearby park, but only got to the corner when I realized I wasn't up to it. So I did a shorter, 2 mile walk, and passed the museum where I admired the crowds for Free Museum Day.  Rich and I volunteered for that a few years.

 

 

Sunday at Mass I saw a friend was there with his girlfriend. I'm glad for him. His wife left him in 2012 and decided to write me a letter explaining why, and the upshot was it was no way his fault, she just needed to find herself. I found (find) it hard not to resent this: there were times with Rich I felt this way but I stuck it out, and I lost him and had no choice.  She moved away and is now in Redding with her boyfriend (second husband? I don't know).  I'm glad to see he's finally found someone, himself. (And, she (the ex-wife) was in a car accident Sunday afternoon but is fortunately only shaken up.)

 

Laurie has moved in with her daughter! No longer in the neighborhood. THAT was fast. I missed the garage sale... maybe it was last week while I was at the retreat.

 

LazyBoy had another VIP sale, so I went over and looked at everything and got 6 nice drinking glasses, this time not in a LazyBoy box. I really liked a Blue Agate table. There was also a bird made of sticks, and since the last few days I've been picking up twigs because the magpies are building a nest in my palm tree, this seemed appropriate.

 

In the afternoon I drove up to Citrus Heights to see A Shot in the Dark. I managed to get a front row seat (I really have to get these tickets ahead of time) and they did an adequate job. It was quite a talky performance, with quite a few laughs. The two principal actors were really good. 

 

351 recordings of 40 types. 1 old SVU, 74 CPD, 51 LMS. 24% clear.

 

Tuesday the 16th I went to breakfast with the widows and we had a great time discussing funerals and laughing and laughing. 

 

Then in the afternoon John came over and I showed him pictures and told him about the Camino for two and a half hours. I had a great time.... that was a lot of fun!

 

Vince called and apart from a time when his microphone went out, this week it all worked.  

 

And then I got to looking at the geocaches in Canada, and before I knew it, it was nearly midnight. 

 

 

On Wednesday I went to pick up Padreic for Wee Wednesday. Rob was home, celebrating his birthday with two weeks off. Padreic was OK with leaving today and he was happy to check out the play room and the tot room. He had a little difficulty sharing. I was spelling his name out with the blocks, and of course the C was missing... then he lined all the blocks up in no particular order, and then went to play with something else, but when another kid came to play with the blocks he was possessive... "MINE!" No, you have to share. Tears, real tears, and loud crying. If you keep that up, we're going home. Immediate quiet.  Then when a little girl came over, she wanted to have him play with her... "you can help me put some blocks on." He didn't understand that, so while she built a tower (and kept offering to let him help) he built a triangle wall. The girl was ahead socially, but he was an engineer.  

 

The story was about "happy" and "sad" and then we went up to look at pictures. Then the idea was to show how we could make happy and sad faces. Hey, Padreic was real good down in the tot room with sad when he had to share.  But he really didn't have a clue. Then they were given an oval and lots of shapes to glue on to make a face. Again, he just liked gluing shapes on. He was very very proud of his collage. I saw the black square needed more glue and took it to do that and he clouded up, but he listened when I explained and I gave his creation right back after it was mended. He carefully took it home to give to Mommy to display. (They have a dresser in front of most of the refrigerator display space, but Bernadette found room.)  Then I gave him a Cars sticker book. 

 

After awhile they were having Alexa play songs. Padreic was dancing and spinning and got really over-excited so had a major breakdown just before I left to pick up the kids at school. Needed some cuddle time with Mommy.  "Raining Tacos" is a really silly song.

 

Joanna had a good behavior slip this time, with only one "oops" and again, it was about writing. It's kind of scary that her birthday present, a Boxcar Children themed camp, is going to have writing, but I hope that the different setting will help her, and hey, if she doesn't want to do it, it really won't matter. 

I read more of Betsy and Tacy go over the Big Hill, just one day left of this, which will also include the real story.

 

My name tag wasn't in the raincoat after all, so I wasn't hallucinating putting it somewhere last Friday. But I thought it was in the car and I have turned that inside out, so I have no idea where it is. 

 

I had thought I would go to Yuba City for the geocaching event, but I was really too tired.

 

My Instant Pot came, and I've got a bit (a lot?) of buyer's remorse. It's too big (if I'd bought one off the shelf, I'd have gotten a smaller one), I managed to scald myself during the "this is how to use it" program, and the kicker is the rice cooker feature, one I really wanted it for, was a disaster. I was hoping to replace my Mom's 40+ year old rice cooker.  But I followed the "multigrain" instructions, and about half of the rice stuck to the pan and needed to be scrubbed off. I do have a big, shallow, pan that I've used for rice before on the big burner on my stove, and it works well, so I still have a plan for rice. Certainly not this Instant Pot. I've also looked at the recipes, and there's a lot of prep for each meal. When they say "10 minutes" they don't count the time to soak beans or cut up meat, for instance. 

 

The next day I tried to modify a slow cooker meal for the pressure cooker. Turns out, I don't have corn starch, so I couldn't thicken the gravy, but oh my goodness, the beef cubes were delicious!  So my Buyer's Remorse is still to be decided. I ordered some yogurt cups, and will try making yogurt in it.

 

 

Thursday I made a commissary run.  As I was putting the food away I noted a case of diced tomato cans, and they're from 2008! (I don't remember getting anything like this while Rich was alive, since I avoided the commissary like the plague.) They seem OK. I keep buying diced tomatoes because I use them a lot, so I'll probably be able to get rid of these fairly soon. 

 

I called for Joanna's camp and paid for it all right now. I looked at the map, and it does look like fun. I'll print the page up for her because the information probably won't come until May.  

 

Friday I didn't do much, just stayed home all day, got a call from Food for the Poor so they now have my new credit card number.  I worked on the jigsaw, pretty much finishing the blue sky. I also scratched off the countries in South America for my map, and the flags on that side of the map. (Which I hate, though I've discovered that my thumbnails work better than the idiot guitar pick they gave me.)

 

369 recordings of 72 types, 3 old SVU, 48 old CPD, and 61 Last Man Standing. 21% clear. (I particularly went mad over Christmas movies.)

 

 

Tuesday morning (the 19th) I went to the Widow's Breakfast, and Fay had again crocheted kitchen towels for us, and also did a needlepoint indicator of "clean or dirty" for the dishwasher. It's rather an ugly color, but I believe I'll use it anyway. She also put cookies and trail mix in the bag, but I put them too close to the edge of the table and Pharaoh got them. At least, no temptations for me.

 

In the afternoon Laurie came by. Her car was in the shop so Father Delgado gave her a ride over, and after a couple of hours with wine and cheese and great conversation, I gave her a ride to the shop. I realize I actually LIKE entertaining and I haven't been doing much of it. Or actually, any at all the last 6 years.

 

I got a notice from Social Security, a 2% raise... which somehow comes out to the exact same amount I've been getting the last three years! I may actually write them about this. Meanwhile, it looks like the tax cut will actually be good for me.

 

I asked Frank if he had a drill, because I can't get the hangers into the frame (I really should find Rich's drill and learn to use it. But it's only been 6 years!) He agreed he'll help me, after Christmas.

 

Wednesday I told Bernadette I would stick around so she could go see Lady Bird. First I took Padreic to Wee Wednesday. This was the least successful of the month... they had lots of kids, and they went through the galleries looking for winter pictures. A lot of this was over Padreic's head. The craft was making icicles from glittery pipe cleaners and beads. He very carefully put 4 beads on, was done, didn't want to twirl it, didn't want to make another. When we got home he put it on the tree. I wish Bernadette had displayed Padreic's tree that he made at my house. Heck, I wish she hadn't lost the alphabet board books, which were hard to collect.

 

I read to the kids, and then they played with their iPads, and I read, until Bernadette got back. I'm glad she had this chance, as she's been so excited about this movie. I know why I wasn't all that thrilled... I graduated from a small co-ed high school 40 years before Greta Gerwig and her character graduated from a larger all-girls' Catholic high school. Our experiences were totally different. Meanwhile, my girls were less than 20 years different, and from all-girls' Catholic high school, so they had more points of reference.

 

At home I had boiled that pork shoulder to get the last of the meat off, and used the broth to make 15 bean soup. It was good and I had enough to make two bricks for the freezer as well as this dinner.
 

 

 

 

 

Thursday Pagan came and we went to lunch at Fahrenheit 250. Yum. I had the One Meat lunch with cole slaw, as low-carb as I could manage. As I said, Yum. Then we went thrift shopping. I was looking at stereo slides and horrified to see Hawaiian natives referred to as "bucks." Oh, my goodness. Then, in South Sacramento, we were at a Goodwill dump-off station, all the stuff in bins and you buy by weight. I had seen a little penguin to stick in Gareth's stocking and a horse for Joanna's (I'd already given B. a notepad with a candy-cane pen for Joanna, too) and I saw a Thomas train for Padreic's, but then I saw more trains, all magnetic so they fasten together and don't need a rail, and got 13. So I called Bernadette. I thought they'd give him them from themselves, but at least on Facebook she said it was from me.

 

I was packing up the bean soup for the freezer and noticed the answering machine looked odd. I tried pushing buttons without luck, and thought at first it was broken, but then I picked the phone headset up and discovered the landline was down. I checked all three phones, making sure they were cradled. Nope.

 

Willie said he was homeless starting in mid-January. I dithered about it for awhile, then told him that while I really like living alone, if he needed to, he could stay here as plan B. He says he has a plan A but it's nice to have a backup plan in case. OK then. (I feel like I owe him for his willingness to house-sit while I was in Africa.)

 

I was watching Roots and Ed Asner talked about people making adjustments to maintain an evil... like, say, "body autonomy" to excuse the evil of abortion. I'm sure my great-grandchildren will look back on the likes of Planned Parenthood the way we look at slavery.

 

Friday I got in touch with AT&T and got a repair scheduled. I saw the "Friday at 8 PM" but glossed over the "29th" the first time. I made a quick dash to Raley's for pies. Then I realized I probably wouldn't have a phone for a week. I turned the cell phone on, and got a call... from a telemarketer!

 

In the afternoon I got the rest of the beds covered with leaves out of the bin. I thought the gardeners wouldn't be here the next two weeks (I was wrong. They came on Saturday. Fortunately, I left a note to stay out of the back yard.) Each wagon load took three scoops from the bin, and I moved 8 wagon loads, so I was tired when I was done.

 

My neighbor LaVonne brought over taffy. I've been terrible this year. I learned two things this week, that I've got to be better prepared for my neighbors and that I like entertaining.

 

I watched "Jailhouse Rock" (for the first time) and saw Knott's Berry Farm! The way it was on our honeymoon, before it stopped being a nice little frontier park and turned into a glitzy huge amusement park.

 

131 recordings of 29 types, 6 old SVU and 29 old CPD. 23% clear.

 

Saturday, Veteran's Day, I only put out the little flag as it was cloudy and possibly would rain. I really have to label my Granddaddy's coffin flag and take it to the veteran's cemetery. (Maybe Thanksgiving if I remember, since I'll be driving down that way.)  They have a bin and will properly dispose of the now-faded flag. 

 

The widowed person's breakfast was good, though it took a long time to get food. I was hungry even though I knew there was a luncheon in my future so had a skillet. Yum. 

 

There was just about an hour afterwards and the next stop was only a few blocks away, so I thought I could muddle about and read my book in the parking lot. After, that is, I stopped to get a card for Genevieve. I did that, and looked at the pet store, but then realized I had to go to the bathroom and decided I'd rather do that at home. I explored a couple of ways to get to the church, coming and going.

 

I was greeted by the Knights of Columbus, including the guy who hadn't known my name. I saw some other people I actually knew. The big surprise was another WPAC woman, who was widowed in 1991! We sat together for the Mass, which was nice. They gave each of us a long-stemmed red rose to remember our husbands with.  We had a wonderful luncheon, roast beef and green beans and mashed potatoes, with ice cream for dessert. St. John the Evangelist 7th graders did the serving and they were great. I chased down the woman who was watching them and asked "are you in charge of the wait staff?" and she rather warily said she was, and I complimented them. And, as I left, a guy who used to sell fireworks with Rich accosted me in the parking lot and said he was supposed to watch out for me (but he was late) and he had enjoyed talking to Rich and arguing with him. "Rich?? ARGUE??" Heh.

 

At home, I sure didn't eat much for dinner. I had bad foot and leg cramps, in the evening and then later they woke me up. (Bananas seem to have fixed it.)

 

370 recordings of 28 types, 9 old SVU and 12 old Chicago PD (I need to see how the series started). 22% clear.

 

Harry Lewis: An excellent question. Kelly's point is analogizing the Civil War to the current situation in the country. If we can't find a basis for compromise, we will end up in another civil war. Obama drove us toward civil war, because he deliberately "federalized" many controversial leftist policies, leaving many religious and other communities with no civic space in which to survive.

 

This just in: Mueller has determined that Carter Page returned a tape to Blockbuster without rewinding it in 2001. And it was 'Gorky Park'! This definitively connects Trump to Russia. ~ @NotElizabethNJ

 

 

Sunday I scheduled a Mass for Rich. Ellen was the lector so pronounced his name correctly. I heard more about Jeannie (who died Tuesday.) I really didn't feel like going to the nursing home to give out Communion... this is really a hard time of year.

 

I finally finished volume 10 of the Shelf of Harvard Classics. This was American short stories and I kept getting sidetracked by other things. Like playing Fishdom. I finished in 2nd place in the silver guild.

 

Monday I made a Commissary trip, and that was it.

 

Tuesday after the WPAC breakfast (the restaurant is getting more and more lame. There's always someone sitting in "our place" and they don't manage separate checks or even separate orders very efficiently) I went to buy gas while I can still afford it.

 

Besides the restaurant, I have another grumble with the Knights of Columbus. I've signed up for their Widow's Mass and Luncheon, but OMG the coordinator is a pain. He'd never heard of Rich. He needed everything at least twice and I had to call him back to repeat when Rich had died. Today I got the letter explaining what the Mass was, and halfway through he called me "Barbara." ARGH!!!

 

I dug up weeds and raked oak leaves over one garden bed (the one I'd had corn, beans, and squash in). There were squirrels in the shed, driving Pharaoh nuts, and I put some tools back in and scared two squirrels out.

 

I only had 17 kids trick-or-treating. I really wonder if I should continue to try. (But the ones who came were really cute.)

 

 

Vince found this about the Franklin.

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

cold in the mornings, sunny and breezy

 

371 recordings of 31 types, 67 old SVU. 18% clear.

 

Monday I did all the watering I put off Sunday because of the wind (which has led to the terrible fires going on in California.) I had a dental appointment at 11 and was a little surprised I would have scheduled it the same day as the cleaners. Then I remembered I changed the cleaning week after my trip to Ashland.  In any case, Stephanie was quick and I also had a nice visit with the dentist himself. He asked if I'd gotten their birthday card... no, actually, and I haven't gotten it yet.

 

I was back in time for the cleaners. In fact, I'd just made my lunch and there they were!

 

To my utter surprise, one of the squash grew!

 

After the cleaners left I went to Walmart to see if I could find ramekins. No luck.  Then I got gasoline and went down to Raley's to see if my prescriptions were in. The Lisinopril was, but there was a question about the Simvastatin and they were checking (with the doctor in Placerville, sigh, so I guess I'll have to do the doctor change thing again next year.) According to the paperwork, they think it will interact with the blood pressure meds. It hasn't for the last what, 4 years? 5 years? 

 

I got my flu shot while I was there.  And on the way out I found some ramekins, so I bought 3. I use them for bacon grease, and stupidly shattered one of the two I had by putting the still-warm one into the fridge. Fortunately, it cracked but held together by the bacon grease.  I posted about the great ramekin hunt in Facebook and drew a surprising argument about cooking with bacon grease.

 

I called Cricket Media to get the last three subscriptions at the lower price they were giving on the online renewals.  To my utter shock, Kelly at customer service was quick and efficient. After all the trouble I've had with them through the years, this was surprising.

 

I had also intended to call the heater people and the hauler, but didn't. I'll get them later.

 

Tuesday I went to the WPAC breakfast, then down to Elk Grove. Bernadette went out for dust masks and then spent all the rest of the time cutting and decorating a gourd. Since I had thought the plan was to finish with the garage, I found this frustrating. I felt a little better when I learned the gourd was for the 2nd grade basket for the school carnival. She wants me to win it if she doesn't! Meanwhile she thinks she'll be able to keep Joan out of the garage. Chance would be a fine thing, though Joan and I had a long talk about the science kits so she may be making messes with them instead.

 

Because the kids had a dental appointment, I came home early and vegged out. Vince called and talked for about an hour about his trip to Washington. It sounds like they had a great time. I'm so glad he had the idea (he went when he was in 8th grade but their school doesn't participate, so he thought he'd give Eric the same advantage.)

 

Mark says Monica doesn't like surprises, so I can talk about my trip to San Jose next week. 

 

Wednesday was really frustrating. I was hoping to write this up but when I tried to get Facebook up it was awful on the computer and I tried to run a repair app on it, which froze. Even the iPad didn't do well with FB, which was giving me Bernadette's posts from 2016!! Also, I got together a bag of toiletries, toothbrushes, and toilet paper for a nursing home that has taken in evacuees from the fires, and then drove 20 miles out of my way but couldn't find the place. Argh.

 

I did get down to Elk Grove and did the reading, but next week Gareth is having his teeth sealed, so I can drive down to San Jose earlier. I left the kids on a cliffhanger. Gareth was trying to see how the story ends, so Pinocchio was a good choice. I asked Joanna if she was trying for a record of the most "consequences" in second grade. She says she was good at the beginning, but it's hard.

 

When I got home the computer was still frozen, but I hit every key and eventually it restarted, and restarted, and restarted a third time, and it works!

 

I had picked 18 pounds of pomegranates in the morning, about a third of them, so I will have plenty to share with Joan and with Monica next week. I gave a dozen to my neighbor Mindy.

 

I had pretty well gotten over the coughing but this day was really smoky.

 

Yesterday the water guy came and showed me where the new meter would be. He looked at the setup in back and has a plan where the new main will join the current pipes. I get to keep the standpipe. I didn't ask if there would be a way for me to cut off the water to replace washers (as if, but there are a couple of things in the bathroom that need attention.) I'll call him and ask later.

 

Andy came while he was here and fixed the shed door. I also went in and rearranged stuff after the dog had really messed it up.  I took a huge box out. I was surprised to see glasses at the bottom... apparently they were the current ones which fell in when I wasn't paying attention.  Anyway, I got it into the recycling can. I'd intended to get a lot more paperwork in but got ambushed by Rich's notes on banking last week. 

 

Since I intend to have a big open house on my 75th birthday, I've got to get to work.

Quick trip to the Commissary. $60+, though.

 

I went out to Appleby's for dinner. Ray sat with me, and was quite pleasant. I also met a Dave, whose son plans to walk the Camino. This gave me a chance to tell some of my stories to someone who hadn't heard them!  I tried the appetizer combo and it was too big, and then they gave me a birthday dessert!  When I got home, there was a hatching raptor candle from Monica.

 

I was going to write this then, but Bernadette wants Monica's pictures NOW so I downloaded 270 of them and started to sort them chronologically, but my eyes began to cross after about 80 or so. Darn. I had hoped to have this one so much more organized than Roni's was. Oh, well.

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

warm

 

350 recordings of 31 types, 66 old SVU. 21% clear.

 

On my birthday I went over to the WPAC breakfast with a bag of pomegranates, but nobody turned up for a long time and I thought I'd be eating alone. Finally Jackey came and I got to tell her my tale of stupidity. Then Terryl came and I got to repeat it. It's a good story if it has happened to someone else! They each took a pomegranate, leaving me with about 7 to take to Bernadette. I guess that's why I forgot my glasses!

 

On down (ow) to Bernadette's, where I dropped trows for her. She was properly impressed with the bruise, which is less black but still impressive. Now, two days later, the outskirts of it are feathery (I'd do well camouflaged in a forest!) then blue, purple, ending with black in the crack. Still painful.

 

She didn't do much cleaning in the garage, though she got out an impressive amount of Hallowe'en decorations. She did pass out Boo Baskets the day before, two in the neighborhood (they're wise to her by now, as proven by the nice Easter baskets a neighbor gave the kids this year) and one with Gareth's teacher from last year. (SHE will be baffled!) B's main project this day was to clean up the kitchen counter. That she could have done without me. Meanwhile, I went into Gareth's room. All the stuff was up off the floor but in a tumble on the desk. I sorted through papers, keeping an awful lot because I didn't know for sure if it was important. Joanna has been there, too, leaving her junk in the room, and I sorted that out. I dug down to his computer, anyway.

 

Joanna had had a "difficult day." I would guess SO. She's defiant in school and refusing to do what the teacher says. Wednesday's report was much the same. I know there have been times she's argumentative (like almost all the time) but she's gone over the line to bratty.

 

I talked to Gareth about what HE would have done if I'd gone unconscious. "CPR" was his answer, so we had a talk about calling 911 or at least running into the museum to say "My Nana needs help." I'd better talk to him some more about how you need to actually know HOW to do CPR or you'll hurt someone worse. (Though teaching the Heimlich manouver might not be a bad idea.)

 

Vince called. He told me all about the plans for his and Eric's trip to Washington, which started the next day. On Thursday they had a Congresswoman (Eric's friend's district... he's moved to Kentucky but the kids are still close) giving them a tour of the White House and later (dunno if it's the same person) the Capitol. Nick will give them a tour of the Pentagon and the rest of the time it's play it by ear museums and so forth, though they will definitely do the Spy Museum. If Rich had been going after it was built, I'd have certainly directed him there. Apparently if you want to go to the bathroom, you have to crack the code! Rich would ask me what he should see when he had Pentagon trips and I told him the VietNam wall, and the Holocaust Museum, both new since we were there together 50 years ago. Vince and I talked about when he went, in 8th grade. He saw the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I don't think we saw the Tomb... I remember the Iwo Jima monument and the eternal flame for Kennedy, but I don't remember that. Gabe will go with Niki in two years. (Personalities similar. I remember when Rich and I took the two to the Lawrence Hall of Science. Rich, who was ill, was able to sit with Eric concentrating on some computer program, while Gabe led me on a merry chase through all the exhibits.) I'm putting in my bid to be the one to take A.J. when he's in 8th grade!

 

Vince, living in Washington (state), doesn't have an acceptable driver's license for ID, but he does have a passport. Eric has a passport and also an ID card.

 

Anyway, it sounds WONDERFUL!

 

Yesterday I started trimming the privet in back, because I was looking for the water cutoff for one of the houses on French avenue and couldn't see it. I want to show the water guy next week... I called him to tell him I had three, and when they are installing the new water mains, I would really like it if they didn't come here three times to do it. Since the other two are on a different street, I imagine that's not going to work.

Then down to my usual Wednesday stint at Bernadette's, though this time she had an appointment about Joanna. It wasn't an actual 504, because the J. is not having any educational problems, it's all behavior. (Howling in the bathroom, screming in line, defiant with the teacher.) They have a behavioral specialist at school so she'll work with J. and give Bernadette and Rob some helpful ideas. I sure hope so. Meanwhile, I emptied both kids' wastebaskets before the recycle truck came... hello? I thought that would have happened last night! I started going through Joanna's stuff and found the poster she didn't have last weekend, so I put it out with the stickers she was supposed to put on it. When Bernadette got home, though, Joanna had picked up the Ladybug magazine and could barely keep her eyes off it. I stopped her twice from taking it into her room before she'd done her homework.

 

(This reminds me. I went to CricketMedia to do the yearly renewals, but naturally, they didn't send my password. Hmm. Maybe I didn't have one. I'll have to start fresh, but who knows who's getting what. This company has been nothing but trouble since I started.)

 

I finished the Nero Wolfe I'd brought with me, and so while I was waiting for B. to get home with the kids, I started "The Little World of Don Camillo" (I'd had two so gave her one.) OK, hooked again.

 

Now reading: Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (yeah, right); Pepys' Diary; American Fiction; Embarrassments by PJ Nel; Shattered, Jonathan Allen & Amie Parnes; The Red Box by Rex Stout; and The Little World of Don Camillo, by Giovanni Guaresci.

Today was pretty much a waste. I finally got my act together to drive to the restaurant to look for my glasses, and they told me Jackey had picked them up. This afternoon I was going to go to the neighbor's water polo match only it was cancelled. I talked to her about others and thought I might go to Rio next week, but no, I'll be heading to a WPAC dinner.

 

So I did drive enough to get the car out of the carport so I could take the bin back for the rest of the privet, and leaves, and yes I found the water cutoff.

 

Lots of real phone calls. From the WPAC lady reminding me of breakfast next Saturday, from Jackey to tell me she has my glasses (NOW she tells me!) and can bring them by, from Alicia, twice, to find out if I was home (I was the first time, outside talking to Jackey!) and then they came by with my birthday present, a Tricerataco holder! The other call was from Helena, Monica's mother-in-law, first off to thank me for a grief booklet I sent, and to tell me she's having a hard time (go figure, of course she is) and to invite me down in a couple of weeks. I don't think Monica is reading this, in fact, I don't think she ever read my LiveJournal and I haven't yet actually advertised that I'm here, but in any case I think that's all I'm saying at the moment.

 

I snapped about half the green and wax beans Bernadette gave me, heated them in the microwave, sprinkled them with Parmesan and YUMMMMM! Also had leftover andouille and squash stew. Yum. I'm spoiling all that nice healthy eating with Amarula, but ohhhhh, it's good!