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. 

 

351 recordings of 53 types, with 1 old SVU, 62 old CPD, and 51 old Last Man Standing. 24% clear.

 

 

Oh, I forgot to mention taking Gareth to Flapjacks for lunch. Yummy, I'll have to go back!

 

Wednesday I waited till 1:30 to call the shop and whine "am I ever getting my car back?" The answer was yes, he was waiting for the paperwork so I called the shuttle, which really worked out well as he was also picking up another woman in Carmichael. So we chatted on the way down there and while we were waiting to get our cars.

 

Thursday the cleaners were coming, about 1 she said, so I had time in the morning to make a huge commissary run. I went through self-check but also had a bagger, 9 big paper bags full! I managed to back the car in and get the groceries in quite efficiently. As it happened, the cleaners came up just as I was stashing the dog (at 12:30) and putting the dog dishes outside. They were only here a half hour (and they threw the trash bag into a green bin) but it sure was needed!

 

I finally wrote the check and signed my passport application, then put it in an envelope... but then when I was writing out the address (the second time, I blew it on the first envelope) I saw the line that said not to fold the form, but to put it in an envelope that fits. Oops. So I had to reprint the form and fill it out and put it and the check and my former passport in an envelope... oh, wait, I forgot to put the passport picture on! So the completed (I hope!) form is sitting on the table ready to go, but Friday it was raining and I just didn't feel like going to the post office (they make a big deal of not using another mailing place.) I don't know what's wrong with me, but I just seem to be reluctant to actually send this off!

 

Friday morning I walked over to the Powerhouse museum (we joined there when we moved here in July of 1997, shortly after they moved to that Auburn Boulevard location.) There I waited for the Feickert school bus to come with Joanna's second grade for their planetarium field trip. Another school bus came first, which confused me, but theirs eventually came. I joined up with Joanna and we stood in line about 20 minutes before the planetarium lady was ready.

 

I ended up sitting one kid away from Joanna and she was all wiggles. She kept arching her back and sliding to the floor (though I do think she was paying attention.) She had a bracelet that glowed in the dark and I had her put it in her pocket, but later she had it as an anklet. What really surprised me, in the audience participation part, she put her hand up and knew two answers (the Great Red Spot and that comets are made of ice.) She also shouted out answers, loudly, when the classes did. All in all, she was good. After they got back on the bus I went into the museum to go to the bathroom and also chatted with the docent, who I thought had done an excellent job. When I mentioned my rocket scientist son, she introduced me to another lady whose husband also works for Aerojet!

 

The museum currently has dinosaurs and planets, and not too much for Padreic. When I started walking home, a light rain was falling. Later on Friday, it rained a lot. My neighbor Ako, down the street, is eager to hire my gardener and we had a number of phone calls back and forth. My answering machine actually keeps the right time!

 

Then I went to see "The Regifters" which was cute. It got a little preachy at the end about the True Meaning of Christmas, but they did an adequate job.

 

On Saturday morning I went to the Widowed Person's breakfast and had a good time. (Sitting with women this time. I found out that Heinz is no longer a member. Sigh.)

 

My neighbor had a loaf of homebaked bread to share. Yum. Staying low-carb is definitely hard-to-impossible.

 

We're Still Better off With Trump Than Clinton:

 

348 recordings of 64 types, 1 old SVU (almost done here), 51 old CPD, and 50 old Last Man Standing. 25% clear.

 

It all started with a few computer glitches back in early December. I poked around to find out what to do about them, and must have triggered something. 

 

But this past week was something else. My phone went out the Thursday before Christmas, and when I reported it on Friday morning, I was promised a technician would be here Friday the 29th by 8PM.  Hoping that something would happen earlier, I spent Tuesday through Friday here in the house, with my cell phone on.  I did dash out Tuesday morning to see if I could find a Christmas tree for next year, but no such luck.  The pre-lit trees that were left were too tall. Oh, well. I'm still throwing this one out so I will HAVE to buy a new one next year. Vince forgot to call on Tuesday. I suggested FaceTime, but at the time he called on Wednesday that didn't work, as my iPad had gone off.

Oh, and that night my light bulb popped.

 

On Wednesday I was looking at the credit card bill and spied a suspect charge from December 5. See above. I looked in my diary, nothing, and checked on the internet to find "mycomputersupport.com" which had "SCAM" written right after it, so I disputed the charge and immediately lost that credit card with a new one coming in three days. I had enough cash on hand in case the phone guy charged for the service (which would happen if it was somehow my fault, though I doubted that.)  Only one bill was coming due that week, TracFone, so I wasn't too worried. Of course, it did come due on Thursday so I called and explained. And I thought that was set, but when I got the card I immediately called them and it was long and involved... something that should have been simple was terribly complicated by the Indian woman on the line. 

 

I worked on the jigsaw puzzle, days 4 and 5. It's amazing how much quicker this one is than the Rosetta Stone! I was wishing I could sleep in, since I had nowhere to go, but was awake by 4 every single day of that week.

 

I had a hot flash. This is hypoglycemia, which means I've been TOO low carb along the way. I hope the A1C test is good... I'm really tired of being so very very good.

 

 

Thursday I cut oleander along the driveway.  This night I went to bed leaving the TV on, so at 4 I saw all those strange lights coming from the living room! 

 

Friday my card came, so I had a lot of time notifying people of the new number. I got Amazon right but it took 3 tries and as many days to finally get Apple right. It was good I had the Amazon right, because my DVD player wouldn't open and give me back the Netflix disc it had. I eventually pried the tray out, but the disc fell into the machine. So I took the top off, and got the disc out unharmed, but obviously needed a new DVD player, and ordered a refurbished Sony with a 3-year warranty.  And finally, at 7 Friday night, the phone guy came. He tested all the phones, and all the jacks (which involved taking a lot of the junk in the back room out of the way, and it was all bootless anyway.) He finally decided the short was probably in the attic. I didn't want to tackle the attic with that awful fluff insulation and who knows how many rat corpses, what to do?  He decided to wire a new phone jack piggy-backed on the  U-verse jack, which is at last in the living room (what a mess if it had still been in the back!) He put my kitchen phone on it as a temporary fix, which was awkward. I ordered a cordless phone with three handsets... the base will be in the living room and the other phones in my bedroom and the kitchen, and of course I can wander around the house with them. 

 

So Saturday I first went on a walk to Trader Joe's for eggnog and to CVS for scotch tape.  The 4 pounds of eggnog got heavy by the time I got home. In the late morning I tried to go to see "Darkest Hour" but had the wrong time, and the 3 PM show would have been too late, as I needed to go to Saturday Evening Mass.  Which I did. Then when I came home in the dark I could see dark reflective spots on the carport floor. Uh-oh. I had an oil leak.

 

Before the festivities on New Year's Eve, I went out to a morning coffee geocaching get-together. And the final thing that is falling apart is ME!  When I went to get out of the car, my left hand cramped up and wouldn't stop for about 10 minutes. Ow ow ow ow ow.  The first time I had a hand cramp was in Spain and there's only been one other since.  It's either dehydration (which would be Spain) or a lack of potassium, so I had to get bananas.

 

364 recordings of 29 types, 55 old SVU. 21% clear.

 

Wednesday the 18th I left the house with Pharaoh, got money, took him in to the vet. They were getting someone with two dogs out so we waited outside for about TEN minutes. Then they couldn't get the dog and the paperwork finished. I thought I would NEVER get out of there. On down to the gas station where I filled the car. And off I went.

 

A little outside of Davis a warning light went on. I had to pull off to be sure it said what I thought it said, and indeed it did. "Check gas cap." (I don't HAVE a gas cap.) So I opened the cover to be sure the valve was closed, and it was, so I figured it was OK and kept going. Argh.

 

Outside of Milpitas I had marked 5 caches, but unfortunately went past three of them. I did find the 4th but by that time I was just eager to get to San Jose. And there, I took the wrong exit to get to Helena's. I couldn't get turned on the Lawrence expressway south and ended up driving all around before I finally got to her street. Turns out that I should have turned off on Saratoga. I can go back on the Lawrence, but to get to Helena's must turn on Saratoga. OK then.

Boy that woman can TALK. Of course, that's why I went down, so she could. She tends to repeat herself and just keep talking when one tries to comment.

She'd recently gone to Prague and had a lot to say about that. I'd never considered it as a destination, but now I'm really interested. Monica and family plan to go in 2019 and to Peru (with Helena) next year, which sounds wonderful.

Helena talks to herself, too, and repeats herself. She's louder than I am talking to myself, but I, too, repeat myself (maybe I think I didn't hear me the first time.)

We went for a short walk before dinner, which was meat loaf and trimmings. I tried to keep the carbs down, with mediocre success.

 

Thursday I woke before Helena (surprise surprise) and took a shower. She woke talking to herself.

 

After breakfast we took a longer walk, and I hoped to be able to find a geocache to show her what it is I do, but without luck.

 

Then we went to Santana Row. At first I thought I would be REALLY bored because we went to a nice clothing store, and she kept pointing out such pretty clothes. This sort of thing would be more interesting to Monica. But then on the way to lunch we stopped at Sur La Table. I wish we had this store where I could go more often. All the kitchen supplies! So many things I would like to have but have no need for them.
 

  

  

From there we went to the Village California Bistro. We had chicken waldorf wraps. Huge, but YUM! Thence to more tchotske stores. I really liked the velociraptor but thought it wouldn't fit on the plastic window ledge where I would have liked to put it. (When I got home I realized the ledge was wider than I remembered, and I decided to order the dinosaur after all. (Perhaps if I'd realized the car was going to cost so much to fix, I wouldn't have, but it's done now.))

 

 

Back at Helena's house she found out that Mark wouldn't be able to come due to trouble with the product launch on the day before. This was good for a lot of sad talk. "But I should be glad he has a job."

 

Finally Monica and the girls arrived, and cousin Olga, and Helena ordered the chinese food and went with the girls to get it. We ate, and were just finishing when Mark was able to come and Helena perked up. Monica liked her presents (some nice clothing, nice jewelry, and from me tapioca beads and dutch chocolate from Koreana. Her real present is going to be given to her on Thanksgiving.) Charlotte went to dance class and then the rest of us chatted for an hour, and then everyone left. I was getting tired and went to bed soon afterwards. I thought I would read in bed, but woke at 11:45 long enough to turn the light off.

 

 

   

Friday I got up, stripped the bed, packed, had a quick breakfast with Helena and drove home. My "check engine" light came on right away so I had a pretty tense time for 158 miles and cancelled the trip with Bernadette to Apple Hill for the next day. I figured it was probably OK to drive home if this was the same thing I had before, but since that was only 3 months ago (and I'd spent $130 on it) I was NOT a Happy Camper. At the vet, they'd lost my leash, so I got a better one for Pharaoh's vet visits. I hoped that filling the car again would fix the problem, but nooooo.