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!

 

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:

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

371 recordings of 51 types, 75 old SVU. 17% clear.

Saturday, September 2, I went to the WPAC breakfast. It's at a new place, so I got there a lot quicker than I used to. So I sat in the corner and talked to a couple of guys, and wasn't that happy when Ralph came along, but it turns out he's interesting. Also, he makes model ships so I need to talk to him.

The cat got locked in the pantry, and this time he urinated copiously. Grumble.

In church I said hi to a number of people. It was the 50th wedding anniversary for one couple who I talked to about Renaissance and the Camino (they may walk part of it next year.)  I'm happy for them, but envious as well. 

I gave the last of the Betsy-Tacy books to Gerrie, who called later to thank me.

My Canadian friends, Nancy and Doug, invited me to stay. So I'm serious now about driving to Ottowa from Pittsburgh next spring. This is the one thing that was Rich's job, hiring rental cars, that I haven't yet done.

I sorted through the SVU episodes and there were a number I had already seen, so that's why that number is lower.

On Labor Day I started the Trip Advisor reviews. I only did three, and have so many more to do. My current goal is to finish them all by the end of September. 

I finished crumbling up dipping chips at the bottom of the bag, and used it to crust a chicken breast before I fried it. YUMMY.

New Orleans handled Katrina so badly, and continued whining afterwards, and Nagel was re-elected and talked about a "Chocolate City." I decided then and there that I never wanted to go back to that place.  The way the people have handled Hurricane Harvey in Houston (how alliterative!) has made me interested in seeing it after a few years. So I looked up things to see... oh, yes, the Johnson Space Center!  Vince, of course, knew this!

Tuesday I cut fur mats off Spooky. I haven't had a cat mat up since long-hair Smokey, before I met Rich.  Spooky is short-hair, but sheds a LOT and is not the most fastidious cat.

I went over to the Tuesday morning breakfast. Afterwards I mailed the book to Sue from Ashland. It was too hot to go to the board meeting in the afternoon.

Fires and smoke everywhere!

Sometime that afternoon the squirrels took off with the two tiny pumpkin starts! AND the squash, and I have no idea how they got that (it was huge and I was going to have it that night)! This may have been my last chance for pumpkins (no, I have one more female flower and I'm going to net it the second it has flowered and been visited by a bee!)

Vince called. The boys started school this day. And there was a harvest moon.

Wednesday was my mammogram, then down to Elk Grove. I started Pinocchio with the kids.

Jeo, one of the first geocachers I ever knew, died! He'd been in the hospital a few years back and I thought he would die then, but he came out and seemed to be pretty much back to normal. I'm so sad.

I try to sponsor kids who are fundraising for local schools, so when this teen turned up on my porch selling cookie dough for El Camino's water polo team, I bought one. I talked to him a few minutes, then brought him the money... he said "how do you spell Yarnot?" and I asked "how do you know my name?" and it turned out he's a neighbor!  From the house where they have the Hallowe'en parties! Oops.

Thursday I went into Hoarder central and moved stuff so as to get to the windows. I  started sweeping there, too.

Outside there was a truck vacuuming out the storm sewers.  Then it broke down and this ENORMOUS tow truck came to get it.  Never a dull moment in this neighborhood!

I had a nice but small fish tv dinner. I wanted to add one more fish fillet, so I put it in the microwave at the same instructions as the dinner. No. You can't do that... smoke started pouring out of the microwave and it took quite some time to clear it out of the kitchen.

When I went to water the peanut plant, I startled up this HUGE black widow. Lesson learned, when I clear the junk and the cacti away from the back windows, I must be sure to wear gloves!

Friday I did clean the back by the high windows, wearing gloves of course. There was so much dirt and leaves under the boards Rich had there as shelves, that my dustpan broke.

Then it was Renaissance. The morning seminar was about the theater scene in Sacramento. I mostly went so I could tell about Patience, the play Bernadette is in.  Someone else did that, anyway, so I didn't have to.

The time travel movie was "Somewhere in Time." Schmaltzy, but fun. Chip (the teacher) says the watch is an "ontological paradox" (because there is no origin.) This gave me a great pun, (what is a "phylogenical paradox"? To recapitulate) which no one understands. I had a hard time seeing this movie because Mr. Big Head came in late and sat right in front of me. Every time I almost could see, he'd move his head. He even had his cell phone on and it rang.) I believe the people behind me could see my occasional "choking hands" reaching for his neck. In the end, though, I was even polite to the creep.

On the way home I bought a Power Curve power strip (the 15 foot cord is of the most interest, because that would mean I could move the TV in front of the fireplace without rewiring one outlet) and a Spin Broom. As seen on TV. Unfortunately, that doesn't work as nicely as the tv would have one believe.

Then I was making cookies for tomorrow's memorial meeting, and put three pans into the oven at once. Because I messed up the preheating, the cookies were in too long and the kitchen filled with smoke, again. This time I apparently started burning the cookie pans, aluminum, because I accidentally had a whiff of it and couldn't breathe at all. Since then my persistent cough is persisting even more, and I'm a bit worried about shortness of breath. This time I locked the cat away and opened all the doors and waved the smoke out.  I did eventually make some cookies, but maybe I should just stay away from the kitchen.