Entries tagged with doug

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

33,0 miles

sunny, warm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

31.4 miles

partly cloudy

305 recordings of 21 types, 65 old CPD. 31% clear.

Tuesday (the 19th) as I was driving home, I decided to stop at Wendy's for a burger. I think this may be the first time I've been at a Wendy's since David died and Rich walked me down to the local one to help me calm down.

Alicia had left the baby gate open so the dog got into the kitty litter. She left the shower leaking. She didn't eat the strawberries and grapes I had out for her, and she had the heater up to 72%. (darn. I was really hoping this month's usage would be down.) However, she was able to come at the last minute and the dog didn't have to stay out in bad weather.

Vince called and they planned A.J.'s birthday party for Saturday. Vince wanted to put together some kits so they could make their own trains.

Wednesday Fishdom came up with an Easter game. While I had most of the things from last year (and put the delighted hedgehog into the Wonderland aquarium) I did want the two fish again (Humpty and Dumpty) so I played.

Bernadette had work this day, so she brought Padreic over in the morning on the way. I decided it was too rainy to go to Wee Wednesday, so we just stayed in the house and I gave him macaroni and cheese for lunch.

He was playing with the Cookie Monster toy and had discovered it would travel across the kitchen floor, so of course the batteries ran down. It was C batteries, and I found a pack of two unused Cs. Then I see they were both corroded. Who knew that not using batteries in many years wasted them? So I need to get new Cs.

I drove directly to the school and went out in the rain with Padreic to go to the office and donate Charlotte's Web. We hung out then for about 10 minutes until we could go wait for the kids on the school grounds. I saw Joanna and told her to go to the crosswalk and then go to my car, which was unlocked, and get into it, and then waited for Gareth. The three of us walked toward the crosswalk, at Padreic's speed, and there was Joanna with the principal holding an umbrella over her. Apparently, she only remembered the first part of the instructions, and I believe this is the second time that's happened, so from now on I'll have her repeat the whole thing.

Back at the house, I read to them and watched their homework, though Gareth needs constant prompts. Joanna played with Padreic. When Rob got home he helped set Gareth up to edit his paper (which gets electronically sent to the teacher: wonderful technology) and then went to relax. I stayed around to keep the kids sane (not that it was hard) until R. came out to start dinner and I told him B. was going to bring something. Then I asked if he was prepared to rejoin the world, he was, so I left about 5:45. It was late enough that going up Watt actually was OK and I got home myself about 6:30.

Thursday, rain rain rain. I stayed in. John called. As I suspected, he's found a widow he knew from the past and is beginning to date.

I made the backspout *whoosh* out, very satisfactory. However, I got a hand cramp. The first one I ever had was in Zubiri, Spain, but I'm getting them more often now. Foot cramps I've been having for years.

I uploaded all the pictures from my camera. It's been a couple of months.

There was a shooting over the weekend... it was initially presented as a poor unarmed young dad, but there was a bit more to the story. It's our own Michael Brown incident, though so far the Black Lives Matter people have only blocked off the Kings games. No rioting to date, which is promising.

Friday I did some digging in the garden. I called Brenda to find out how Renee is doing, and she's been removed to a convalescent home. I also called Darlene. She was on her way to St. Augustine.

Then I drove down to the Feickert school Carnival. Bernadette had bought my raffle tickets and a ticket for a cheese pizza slice. (Friday in Lent, no hot dog for me!) I danced the Macarena and Y-M-C-A, but mostly I hung out. Bernadette actually can do the hula hoop! I put my tickets mostly in the bag for the gift cards, and a few in the Kindle Fire bag. And I won nothing. However, Bernadette (and Padreic, who had carefully put the ticket in that bag when she told him to) did win a basket with a really cute bunny. And Joanna was totally thrilled with the bag.

&bsp

I sadly told them goodbye, since this is Joan's turn to have them for Easter.

Saturday I spent a lot of time playing games, then went back to sleep and ended up with 8 hours of sleep. This hardly ever happens.

I went to the store, then later went to evening Mass to avoid the Palm Sunday processions. Ever since Alan left, our Palm Sundays just aren't that exciting any more. I talked to Peter Mithin for a bit.

I adjusted a slow cooker orange chicken recipe for the Instant Pot. It wasn't bad (it's from a diabetes cookbook) though I forgot the grated orange peel which is ridiculous with all the oranges Monica gave me!

Sunday morning the dog wasn't in his bed. I went looking for him and there he was in the kitchen with a RAT! A big one! Eeek!! It scurried off to the hole next to the dishwasher. Sunday morning at 4 AM, I couldn't call the rat people till Monday. That night I tried blocking the hole with a lead weight, but it pushed it over and got into the kitchen again, though this time I didn't see it. Then I put bricks there and that seems to be working to keep it out of the kitchen.

I dug up the garden for peanuts which I planted on Monday. I'm also trying to sprout kumquats. And I have a different kind of avocado pit I hope to grow.

I had a long talk with sister-in-law Carol. Frank will be 75 on April 11th!

Fiona (from Ngoko safari) has posted her trip report. They (she and Benson) will be coming to the US in October, maybe to Seattle!

I printed up the Canadian Geotour passport, and put Doug and Nancy on the GPS.

Monday I had a nosebleed. I spent a lot of time playing games. I am spending too much money on Albion, but it's very addictive.

The cleaners were early so I had to do a quick final pass. Then while I was in the bedroom I kept hearing this "tap tap tap" and wondered what they were doing. Finally, when they tapped on my window I learned they had locked themselves out!!

My tulips are so pretty!

I'd been wondering if Roni would ask me for Easter. She finally emailed the family, what fun it would be if everyone came for Easter dinner. (This was a surprise, lately they've been taking Grandma to dinner in a restaurant. Apparently Kathy has become totally anti-social, doesn't want to go out, doesn't want people to visit.) Monica is going to New Orleans, Bernadette is in Oregon, and I said no because I'm on retreat till Easter morning and am going to want to go home with my dog. Poor Roni!

Pre-Retreat

Another Week at Home