fossilfreak

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 602

100.3 miles

80s

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.

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 602

74.5 miles

hot again but a break in the smoke after weeks!

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.

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

73.0 miles

HOT and smoky!!

291 recordings of 53 types (most of them individual NCIS episodes), 23% clear.

The 19th of July, the day after the long San Jose trip, I sat on the edge of the bed for a long time talking myself into digging. I did it, finally, though not for long.

Ann G., from Sharing God's Bounty, called to invite me to the board dinner in August. I've been on the mailing list forever but the only time I actually went to one was back when it was a couple of blocks from Music Circus the same night as a play we were seeing. Rich went every year, since he was in charge of security. My current contribution is giving them coffee every so often, though at the moment the coffee has been riding around in the back of my car for a couple of months. Ann doesn't go to Mass at St. Philomene's as often as she used to, as she has issues with Father Martin. (After the really bad start when he shut SGB down, I thought he'd calmed down.)

I finally buckled down and finished reading Little Women.

The 20th was Moonwalk Day. I remember when North Highlands had a parade every year.

Bernadette and the kids came over. They leave a terrible mess. Joanna in particular... "here, put these blocks away" and she puts one in the bin and gets distracted. They built a nice tower, though, which I left up.

I showed Gareth how to log onto The Tech to scan his TechTag.

Bernadette weighs 20# more than I do! It's not lack of exercise, that's for sure.

Saturday I was awake from 1:30 to 4:00, possible because I was nervous about the colonoscopy.

Kimberly Guilfoyle is gone from Fox. Darn.

I trimmed back some of the mulberry, which is taking off again. It's getting low enough to touch the mandarin and my head, and going towards the peach tree. I'll need a tree guy again, but my old one blew it last year and I'm not having him again.

I went to Bernadette's to have a last day with the grandchildren till the end of August, as they are off to Joan's. Joanna and I showed Mommy the sticks and rocks game. We tried to get Gareth's real tech tag up but apparently they'll only take one a day, so we're stuck with my experiment. Oh, well. Next year we'll get it right. Then I read a couple more Grimm tales (in both senses of the word) to them and said goodbye. Sniff!

On the 22nd, I didn't sleep that well. I've been spending far too much money on the Mirrors of Albion game, so I've cut back enormously (since I won't get any of the special temporary prizes anyway).

You would think the last regular poop before a day of liquid would be normal but apparently my body knows what's coming.

I've missed two VIP weekends at LazyBoy, darn it. I hope they don't take me off the list. I never buy anything but it's fun to look and I get nice prizes.

Steve has started paying me!

I called Pittsburgh and had a nice long talk with both Frank and Carol (who is having her colonoscopy next week). I thanked Frank again for his good cooking and said I'd picked up some ideas. We discussed our innards quite a bit.

I finally caught entirely up with Chicago Police Department. My next project should be to get last season of SVU done. I can use On Demand for the episodes I haven't taped. Meanwhile, I'm still in season 2 of NCIS and as I remembered, Tony is a real dick..

I figured out how to set the alarm on my Timex. I was concerned that I would have to figure out how to unset it, because I don't want to get up at 3 AM forever. (I usually DO, actually, but I wouldn't mind sleeping longer!)

And I woke up on my own on the 23rd, so I went online and learned how to unset it. The yucky drink worked (and stayed down) so I was ready. Bernadette, worried about traffic, actually got here at 7 so we were a few minutes early for my appointment.

And then they didn't take me back for a half hour or more and didn't start the procedure till 40 minutes late. The doctor seems nice. I felt the cold in my vein as she put the sedative in, then woke up as he reached the end of the trail, where there is a big polyp growing in my appendix tube that he couldn't remove. I jerked a bit when I woke up but then just lay there enjoying the movie of my insides.

This big polyp will need surgery and he said he wanted to see me on the 6th. This has proven to be a lot more difficult than you'd think, and I'm still (the 30th) waiting for a call back on it. The nurses sent a "thank you" card(!) but I'd much more appreciate someone being able to set up an appointment. I still don't know if I can go to Crater Lake and Ashland, as I've been planning for months! Roni has said she can help (as long as it's not over Labor Day) and I think I would need her for three nights. But nothing is going to happen IF THEY NEVER CALL BACK ABOUT AN APPOINTMENT!!

On the 24th, I learned Lexi, again, is an All-American cheerleader and this year she'll be going to Rome!

Jackhammer noise all day, as the neighbors in back, the ones who took care of Pharaoh, took their pool out.

I went to breakfast with the ladies. Afterwards I went to the neighbors to get painter recommendations, but it's been too hot to call anyone. Because of the hassle of my surgery, I've decided to put the painters off Yet Another Year. This is when I started trying to get hold of the doctor's office to make an appointment.

I had the first peach off my tree. The squirrels were quicker, so in the week I only got 3, but they were good while they lasted.

And I finished Pere Goriot. Im not surprised that Balzac was on the Index. Not that we ever followed the Index, but the "morals" of this book were really grim and depressing.

And Vince called.

On the 25th I took Spooky in for checkup. The woman who took my call apparently forgot that part after she told me he needed two shots, so I was quite surprised when the tech came out for the carrier with the cat inside it and was starting to take him away. We got the checkup anyway. Next time I'll have the blood workup, though he's in fine health at the moment. 13#!

I called Road Scholar to beg for no more neck wallets. I already have seven!

On Thursday the 26th I went to Mass at the Retreat House, and then to the State Fair with Bernadette and Padreic. He wasn't very interested in most of the kiddie things, but loved the corner of the Counties building (only 18 counties? Shameful!) where they have a little store with play food. It was well over 100 degrees and very very tiring.

On Friday I was SO TIRED* but went down to Elk Grove to babysit so Bernadette could go to Camp Winton for their final campfire. I took some P.D. Eastman books to the boy (I've been helping to rearrange the books, and Bernadette got rid of a lot of the not-so-popular board books so the other preschool books could leave Joanna's room for the living room. So more of HER books could be shelved (though most of them end up on Gareth's floor anyway.)

*because I changed the bed, did laundry, finished digging, evened out the dirt, added compost and new garden dirt, and planted zinnias.

I got home about 5 to calls from the doctor's assistant (argh) and Road Scholar, all of which had to wait till this week to deal with.

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; Tyler's Row, Miss Read; Archie Meets Nero Wolfe, Robert Goldsborough; plus I want to reread Charles Krauthammer's Things that Matter.

In between I read Old Goriot by Balzac!

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

66.6 miles

HOT

On Wednesday the 11th I drove Debby to Vina, the Cistercian Monastery. They were dedicating the church, which has been added on to the former chapter house made from the medieval stones of Oliva Monastery in France. Rich and I had watched while they started this chapter house and visited when they'd finished, and I've been back a couple of times, with WPAC, then Laurie and then Brenda. I was talking and overshot the turn-off, so we were about 15 minutes behind when I thought we would be and ended up sitting behind a pillar, but it was still a special Mass with chanting and Latin (fun for the convert!!) and incense and all. Then we had wine and a nice lunch buffet in a tent before we stopped at the winery and came home. (This time I missed the turn to Yuba City so ended up in Oroville, so it took a little longer to get home, but as a compensation Debby taught me a better way to get through Marysville.

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!

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

66.4 miles

HOT

341 recordings of 69 types, (I watched the end of the season of Suits and am not going to continue with it), 11 old CPD (with one missing). 23% clear.

Tuesday I went down to Elk Grove to pick up the sunscreen Rob bought for me (it's an add-on, and I don't spend enough at Amazon for it). The place looked like it exploded... Rob apparently decided to clean out the garage. Their cat was so lonesome! And after that it turned out to be the wrong kind of sunscreen..I wanted the roll-on kind. Oh, well.

I had wanted to look for two geocaches, but when the GPSr batteries died I only got 10 or so caches loaded on. Fortunately, one of them was one I wanted to get, so I found it, for the first find in June.

I finished Notre Dame de Paris, volume 12 of the Harvard Shelf of Classics. There are some laugh out loud moments in it.

The cleaners came because I had the lifeline screening on Monday. While I was getting ready, after I'd shut my bedroom door, I opened Bernadette's room... and the sneaky cat wasn't locked away so went in there. Poor Alicia!

June 20 I went to the Knights of Columbus Ladies' Lunch. As they are on Wednesdays, I normally can't go. I sat with a lady who told the exact same story I'd heard before (from another woman) either at the brunch in Modesto or at the Retreat House. I.e., she's a parishioner at St. John Evangelist, her husband was Grand Knight, it was a lot of work, he was always on call, and when he was replaced they joined the Carmichael Elks and she said do NOT try to work up through the ranks. The exact same story, different woman.

I took one lady home afterwards.

I made a "Boxcar" geocache list.

June 21 Pagan came over and helped set up the White Elephant TV Rob and Bernadette gave me three or so years ago. It was a lot simpler than I thought it was going to be... I didn't need speakers. Also, getting the Uverse hooked up should have worked better, but there were some difficulties. Since I couldn't get through on the Internet, I was on the phone a long time with a helpdesk guy. The trouble with hooking up to the TV was that the DVR wasn't plugged in very well. (Oops.)

I treated him to an Indian lunch. So good.

In the afternoon I moved the furniture to get a good view of the television, which is now on the hearth. Then I took the 30-year-old Sharp TV to the recycling place. I was offered all of $1.30 for it, but couldn't be bothered.

Charles Krauthammer died. So sad! Meanwhile, I've realized that I'm much happier when I fast forward through Juan Williams. You're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts. And even his opinions are written by the Democrats.

I ordered up the Crater Lake boat trip. I decided I wanted to go, too, even though the climb back up is going to be very hard. This is fortunate, as it turns out Vincent misinformed me as to how long they were going to be there, (so I will be leaving before they do, instead of the same day, because I have a play ticket that night. Sigh.)

Friday I printed up the permission slip for Joanna, since Bernadette apparently didn't send it in and then lost it, and Rob hadn't yet received the replacement.

I spent so much on Albion the last few weeks, and didn't get the prize I was trying for, I've cut way back, and am doing all right.

Saturday I went out and got money, a hose for the back stand pipe, and bread, and mailed off the graduation and birthday cards to the boys in Snohomish. And Niki is reluctant to do all the great things around Bend, which is stupid.

Today at Mass Gerrie had the two Bertie books, and doesn't like them all that much, and I gave her Village School by Miss Read (which I re-read in a hurry this week: and am now reading the next in the set so we can trade next week.)

After Mass I went down to have Rob sign the permission slips (which I have left in the car! How awful if I forgot them!!) We also traded sunscreen since he got the stick stuff, including for himself. He's skipping the Crater Lake part of his trip, as Gareth isn't all that interested.

I got gas coming home, so I think I'm pretty well ready. I will water everything tomorrow morning and then it should be OK until Friday. I hope.

Today I decided I didn't feel like digging up tulips. It's not like I could be done tomorrow, so one day probably won't matter.

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

66,3 miles

HOT

354 recordings of 72 types, 14 old CPD (one was mislabeled and I had to order the right one from Netflix, and I accidentally let two get deleted). 21% clear.

On June 10 I went on a WPAC tour to see Frankie Avalon! We took a bus down to Modesto and then went to Surla's Restaurant where we had a fantastic brunch buffet. I tried to get as few carbs as possible, but I certainly overate!

Thence to the Gallo Center (and there's a virtual cache right outside but I hadn't even bothered to check!) Frankie has aged well. He's gorgeous. It was a fun show.

I had planned to sit with Gary T., Darlene's friend, but he was in the hospital having cancer surgery. So my seatmate was Bobbie, and we got along well. She's from Connecticut and couldn't believe that I knew the name of the Peabody museum. So I told her about the Bone Wars.

I also found out that the other lady from the Tuesday breakfasts who I want to be when I grow up had died (at 93).

Coming home from the WPAC office I passed a two car accident with a demolished car on each side of 4-lane and a divider El Camino, and they'd knocked out a power pole, so the lights were flashing red.

On Monday, while I was digging and setting up the watering, I found a dead rat partly under the cedar tree. Must be Monday!

Tristan, the neighbor's baby, has arrived. I decided to wait a few days before I go admire him.

Tuesday I realized my little food chopper, which does work, is missing the metal spindle to put the blade on. So I ordered a new one.

Vince called. The Saturday Bernadette was there they had family game night. My sister came so she got to see Bernadette and Padreic. P. and AJ got along pretty well. Padreic thinks the construction toys should only look like the box.

My computer uploaded itself again. After a couple of hours the day before. Annoying.

June 13th. 17 years since I found David's body.

I am SO TIRED of Cryin' Chuck!! The "resist at all costs, no matter who gets hurt" is old, and I sure hope it backfires. But he was funny today complaining about the North Korea summit.. "all cattle, no hat."

I went to the Commissary, as I was low on kitty litter, and of course had a list of other stuff to get. (Cayenne pepper and nutmeg, for instance.) I forgot the TP but made a quick trip the next day after Mass at the Retreat House, in and out in 5 minutes with a huge pack of toilet paper.

I also got dishwasher cleaner. When I used it, I almost forgot to take the lid off. In any case, the dishwasher got so clean I didn't want to put dirty dishes into it.

I got a palm frond off the roof using a rake and my stepstool.

My scratchoff map fell, so I guess I'll have to countersink screws to hang it.

June 14, Father Giltus is back! I listed Charles in the prayers.

I ordered a hose tap adapter for the front, which will be a lot easier than the current plastic one.

I also ordered a Great Courses on Japan.

I went to dinner at Appleby's. That's quite early, and the chicken won ton tacos, which are delicious and cheap, aren't quite as filling as I would like, so later I just splurged on ice cream and cookies. My blood test is going to be a disaster.

June 15 I was sweeping up oleander blossoms with a really tired broom, turns out i do have a better one in the carport (which is the 4th best broom, there are three in the house)

The microwave door was acting up a little but is now back to normal.

I took 3-rail track electric train set, which the original owner of this house left, so it's at least 50 years old and probably worth a bit if I felt like taking the trouble, and the oven pan, and the Instant Pot yogurt cups, to St, Vincent de Paul. Then, oh so exciting, I had the car washed!

I signed up for Lifeline screening at the Retreat House for the next Monday.

I took two days to catch up with the Union Bank checkbook (since September) I had a number of little math mistakes, but the biggie was that I deleted $400 twice, so I have more money in that account than I'd realized. In total, I was $400.10 off.

On Saturday, playing Mirrors of Albion, I got a note "dropping you" and got all paranoid. Wait, it's a game, nobody knows who I am, and I didn't do anything.

I ordered tulips, at last.

The gardeners put he cut roots and wood stakes into the green bin so I had to get those out, the county won't take them. I can possibly use the stakes, and the other stuff the hauler can take, but not just yet.

I'm thinking about a Mississippi cruise next April. I called Jean to begin to talk about Iceland.

I was sad on Father's Day. I got a phone call, "Is Richard there?" A bit odd, that.

I finally made it to my normal Mass, and Gerrie was disappointed with the Bertie books. I'm going to try her on Miss Read.

On June 18 I spent 90 minutes or so on Fishdom and got the Fairy Tale aquarium finished and I'm really happy with it.

I went to the retreat house for the Lifeline screening. While on my 4 hour fast I got the hypoglycemic sweats, so I ate a piece of candy. Tsk. The screening was quick and they said there are no life-threatening issues.

Afterwards, I dropped off a brass joint or whatever at America's Plumbing.

The lady at the corner, Mary, 97, died. She never spent a night alone in the house since her husband died. And when I went to Newcomer's I found out another guy died.

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

35.3 miles

sunny!

338 recordings of 26 types, 61 old CPD. 24% clear.

So I need to summarize the last few days because tomorrow I'm heading to Pittsburgh and Ottawa. I'll write after I get back, because I'm not taking the laptop, just the iPad.

I've seen some interesting things going on outside, and I hope I don't miss too much. The wrens have built a nest in the kitty kat nest box, and I hope I'll get to see the fledglings. My yucca, that I grew from one of the shoots from the deformed one I cut down, is going to bloom. And as my tulips begin to die back, the poppies are coming out beautifully.

On Tuesday I walked over to the Powerhouse museum to renew that membership, and I see that the Salvation Army is operating a transitional shelter on a nearby street.

When Vince called, I had a two week list! He told me about a computer museum he went to with Eric. Sounds fascinating.

Then Wednesday was fun. Padreic made a vase with pipe cleaner flowers and was very justifiably proud of it. I gave Bernadette her dragon basket present in the morning, then asked Joanna in the afternoon if she'd seen it... "yes, did you get anything for me?" Why yes I did, but you have to wait till after I read to you. I read two Just-So Stories, then went out to the car and brought in the two parts of her present. I handed her the big box and she started unwrapping it... "It's BOXCAR CHILDREN! And look! It's in a box that's a boxcar!!" Then I showed her the picture of the resort I'd printed up with the trains showing... you and I are going on a Boxcar Children camp and we'll stay in a real train car! She is beyond excited. Gareth wanted to know when he was going and I pointed out that I took him to Mt. St. Helens and Seattle when he was 8. Her turn. Padreic, meanwhile, wanted a birthday present too, but was OK with being told he had to wait till his birthday. He sang "Happy Birthday" to Mommy and Joanna, however.

When I got home I called Road Scholar to give them Joanna's address and tell them to send the paperwork to her (and mommy.)

Bernadette and I were talking about the summer... the kids will be gone most of June and a lot of August, so if I'm going to finish Charlotte's Web before we're separated for most of the time, I'll have to really read a lot every day.

Thursday I went with the WPAC to Cache Creek Casino. I had my old player's card that they gave me when I went in Rich's place back in 2012. From now on, if I go to a geocaching party at the Road Trip Cafe, I'll stop by here coming back. I lost $50, then won it back and cashed out, but still had a couple of hours, so in the end I lost $30. Fun, though. I sat with a Barbara, but she mostly had her nose in a book.

In June they're going to see Frankie Avalon live in Modesto. I asked Sharon if she had the coupons yet, but she agreed to take my money now and hold a coupon for me.

I took that in on Friday before I went to Renaissance and saw the movie About Time. Great actors, including a guy from The Best Marigold Hotel movies, who dies from lung cancer, sniff! At home I watched Donnie Darko (and was on my computer, which is why it confused me) which I didn't like as well.

In the evening, the Chatauqua did a super job with "A Time to Kill." And my friend Bill looks pretty good and says he feels well, and they're planning a geocaching trip to the East (so he can actually get away from a bathroom!). However, another geocaching friend had a heart attack and died Friday night. Owl is the person who asked me, a week after Rich died, if I was planning to move. No. (Though nowadays it sometimes seems like a good idea.)

I forgot to order my blood pressure pills last week, and had not realized I had no refills left so they had to contact the doctor, and since last time they didn't change my doctor's name despite my telling them that, it's taking too long, so I went into the pharmacy to ask them not to return the prescription while I'm gone. Who knows. I have some blood pressure pills that I got when I wrongly panicked on my 2012 Wyoming trip, because I thought I'd forgotten the pills. So I can use them, a slightly different prescription but still HCTZ.

I decided to order a bright blue luggage strap with a TSA approved lock, mostly because this way I can spot my bag more easily.

Yesterday I accidentally drove first to the First Saturday restaurant, thinking how fast time flies, it only seems like a week since I was there. Oops. Off to the right place! Then in the evening it was the church social where I sat with Laurie.

Today I saw "Chappaquiddick." What a POS Teddy Kennedy was, but the people in Massachusetts loved him. He'd never have been President, though. On the Kennedy tour in Boston the guide said Kennedy's fight with Carter finished his chances, but I thought about Chappaquiddick. The rest of the country isn't Massachusetts, just like the rest of the country isn't, thank goodness, California.

Getting nervous! As long as I remember to take the iPad charging cord, I should be OK. I'm otherwise packed, I believe. (But just now remembered to check in and print my boarding pass!)

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

35.1 miles

cloudy, one small rain shower

337 recordings of 27 types, 62 old SVU. 25% clear. (and 216 recordings (this morning) in "keep till I remove.")

Monday (the 2nd) I stopped at the credit union to let them know I was traveling in two weeks, and to check on the status of my loan. Which I'm doing well with... I'm about 40% paid off, and of course as I bring it down, more of the principal and less of the interest are in each payment.

I got the C batteries that were needed for the Cookie Monster toy. I also found a watch, almost the same as Rich's that broke, but in plastic rather than metal. But it works the same way.

I also bought dog food, but couldn't find Staples for an ink cartridge. The place I pictured in my mind was actually a Fed Ex place. So I went to Amazon. (And mistakenly only ordered color, so I still needed black. On Thursday I looked up the address in the new Yellow Pages. They failed me, and it was Harbor Freight Tools at the address they posted. This was the second YP failure, the other being the wrong number for the exterminator. So into the recycling it goes.

I was working on trip plans and could SEE the New York Merci Boxcar on Google Earth Street View. I am staying... free... in Syracuse with Choice Hotel points.

And I waited and waited for Vince to call. But it was Monday!!

Tuesday morning there was another rat in the kitchen! It dashed for a hole on the other side of the dishwasher, since the one hole was blocked with bricks. So I guess the noises I heard on Sunday were, indeed, vermin, even though my pets didn't react.

I started clearing out some TV shows I like but don't really need to have recorded while I'm gone, like "How the Universe Works" and "What on Earth" (for two really cheerful shows about how we're all gonna diiiiiiiiiie. Also "Love it or List it", which is great fun but it doesn't matter if I miss a few or a hundred.

There was a Herman game, so I played Fishdom. I had a tuna sandwich for lunch and a slow-cooked stuffed pepper (in the tiny slow cooker, the one for nacho cheese) for dinner, and still have some food in the pantry past the sell-by date.

Fiona from Ngoko Safari had sent on the letter from Kathula's grandfather. Besides the letter (thanking me for supporting his nephew!) there was a picture and a tiny necklace and bracelet set.

My arm really hurt. I apparently strained it, possibly by picking up the dog food.

Vince called (about time, right?) and we are agreed that we both miss St. Philomene's Easter Vigil (done right, before the new priest and the different musicians.)

Wednesday was my day with the kids. At Wee Wednesday, Padreic was very busy putting big soft blocks into the "shack" and was really upset when Arthur went into the shack. I went over to tell him that Arthur could go in the shack too, there's room for two. Then I told Arthur that Padreic was putting the blocks in, and Arthur's mother came over to suggest Arthur could help. Then we left them alone, and they put all the blocks in, and played in the shack, then threw them all out, and (this was the exciting part) they cooperated on a different project involving lining up the blocks under the shack. No grownups involved!

I finished reading The Land of Oz to the kids. I told them next week it would be short stories so I wouldn't start a long book and leave them hanging (though now it looks like they'll be gone in June so I'll have to really work to read all of Charlotte's Web to them before they leave. Of course, I can read some to them when we go to Gilroy.) Anyway, Joanna suggested I should FaceTime them and read to them. This was a nice comment, proving that I'm right, they do enjoy it.

Apparently I just ordered colored ink, not a double package with black, for the printer, so I decided I had to go to Staples. I finally, on Thursday, ended up at Office Max.

Thursday was the rat guy. It was Cody again. He plugged the new outside holes and trimmed back the oleander, and really surrounded the dishwasher with copper wool and black gunk. At first it was really hard to open the dishwasher and I pushed the lid down Very Carefully, but today the lid just falls down. This is worrying, since the plug's wearing out. We put bait up in the attic. Thursday night, though, the rats apparently brought along elephants to protest with them. It was a lot of noise. The dog keeps checking, but I think they're gone... except Wednesday morning I pushed at the dishwasher and there were noises back behind the sink. DIE, already! The heavy heavy rain on Friday should have erased their trails outside so I should be OK for awhile.

Also, the water people came through. They dug a hole in front but then dug underground all the way to the back...I didn't know that for sure until I asked on Tuesday. Then the guy took me in back and showed me where they'll connect up the pipe... in 4 to 6 weeks. Oops. I thought it was immediate so I scheduled the pipe replacement May 14 and 15th. The water guy didn't think it would be a problem, in fact it would be easier to hook up to new pipes. So maybe they'll all arrive together! Guess we'll see.

Friday, rain rain rain! I decided to stay home and play games, so I did.

Saturday I went to the WPAC breakfast in the morning and then met Bernadette and the kids for "Jack and the Beanstalk." Padreic did enjoy it and also enjoyed meeting the actors afterwards and getting their autographs. Then they came here so Padreic could play with the Cookie Monster toy now that it had new batteries. They had to leave by 3, though, because Gareth had a play date!

Then, instead of going to the shell ceremony with Sacramento Pilgrims, I decided to stay home. I hadn't called John back, though I did some days later and left a message.

Sunday I had forgotten it was the second Sunday, so almost didn't help with Communion at the nursing home, but I did go and enjoyed it a lot. I did remember to take the baby bottle full of change that I had filled during Lent. It was Divine Mercy Sunday and Father Martin is really excited about it.

I called Helena to find out how her brace was working out, and discovered that the x-rays for the back fracture had uncovered a lump in her lung. It's stage 1 and hasn't spread at all, so next week they're having a treatment conference, her, doctors, and Mark and Diane. (D. via Skype.)

The squirrels, or so I believe, dug up one of the peanuts I planted.

I was watching an olde John Wayne movie and there were cartoons and shorts before it. One was clips of historic film, including the funeral of Edward VII with all the royalty of England there. Fascinating!

Monday the water guys were working across the street. I didn't know they'd finished my yard until the next day, when I asked. The cleaners came, and I had called ahead to ask them to park in my driveway. I also had neighbors parking in the driveway, too. After they left, I went to the commissary, a small trip but almost $100 because I was getting Alicia some breakfast burritos and found some impulse food for myself.

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!

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 595

31.3 miles

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.

Faith Ringgold Book and Quilt at Wee Wednesday

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.

Biggest leprechaun I've ever seen.

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 595

31.3 miles

rain rain rain

328 recordings of 28 types. 68 old CPD, 1 old SVU. 25% clear.

Sunday March 4 I went on a WPAC trip for the first time in a couple of years. I had planned to sit in the bus with Thea, and she thought we were doing it too, but Sharon was convinced Thea would be with Donna and she put me with Ray. Uh-oh... while Ray and I have been communicating (ever since I showed him my air museum membership card) lately, there was some tension earlier. As it happened, we got along fine. At the beginning he said "I don't know why I'm stammering" and I said "Apparently I intimidate you. I certainly don't MEAN to" and after that he stopped stammering.

We talked books and travel, seeing President Kennedy and other famous people (I had Milton Caniff, and he knew who that was! I completely forgot Eva Gabor) and it was quite entertaining. When the coach arrived in Antioch we stopped at the Lone Tree golf club for their brunch buffet, and all I can say is.. wow. There was so very much food! I didn't wait for the roast beef, but went through a different line, so filled my plate with so very much good food. Thea and Donna had waited for us to sit next to them, and Ron and Gen were also at the table. I had wanted to tell Ron that I walked across Spain, because he always liked to walk. I also wanted to tell him I'd gone to Africa. And I wanted to tell Gen that my Wednesdays were fun, since she had asked the last time I saw them. I still miss him, though I don't think I showed it. I did find his dithering exasperating while he was trying to find the dining room. At one point I pointed at Ron and Ray and said they were the only two WPAC members I'd been geocaching with.

I ate a lot, but tried to be carb conscious. I was the only person at the table who only had one dessert! There was a lot of merriment going on when Donna couldn't get her dishes picked up and put them on another table... then the people who had that table reserved came in.

I'd noticed a geocache but it would have been too far a walk, so I didn't go for it.

Then the driver wanted to show us some of Belmont, but eventually decided there was too much traffic. So off to the Antioch theater where the Zmed brothers did their Everly Brothers Experience show. Not only did they sing the songs, but told us biographical information. It was really great! Toward the end I found myself in tears, not so much crying for Rich (who was later than most of these songs) but apparently for my lost youth. Which was a huge surprise, since this is the first time I've not been content with my current age.

And so home, a quieter ride during which I pretty well finished my book.

Monday the water people were back, to my surprise. I spent much of the day watching, wondering what they were doing. Finally, as they unloaded the fire hydrant at my neighbor's house, it all became clear. Oh, THAT's what the mysterious "FH" meant!

This is when I discovered the VCR control panel and rescued "Lady and the Tramp." I'm not going to try to get it set up with this television, though, but going to wait until I get the white elephant set up. It dawns on me I will need a remote, as well as speakers. I'd thought I could do it by hand but with a VCR and DVD player I will almost certainly need a remote to get to the different INPUTs.

The olde movie I watched was "Ball of Fire."

I guess I fed Pharaoh twice He doesn't let me know, but then he upchucked. Sigh.

I'd dozed off, and Helena called at 9 something, to let me know it would be OK to stay with her in a couple of weeks.

Tuesday my Fishdom game finally had something I could play, Herman the crab, so I did that. (I'm saving the main games, which get added 15 at a time on Thursdays, till they open the new aquarium, so I can win their goodies to furnish it.

Once again, I skipped the ladies' breakfast. I like the people, but not the restaurant so much.

Movies were "Test Pilot" and "Talk of the Town."

I took a box of books to the library and stopped at the office. They still didn't have my name badge, so I tried ordering it again. I made my reservation for a gambling trip to Cache Creek casino. They had sent Rich an invitation, before he died, and I thought I could use it but called first, what a hassle, but I have a membership now. But I've only gone there one time, in 2012, so would enjoy going back. Without having to drive it!

I then stayed for the board meeting.

On the way home I stopped for cuticle cream, because my fingernails are miserable. I couldn't find the sort ot tube I was looking for, so I got Aquaphor which says it's for cuticles, too.

And it was a nice call from Vince. I'm actually letting him talk occasionally.

The Gummint is suing California over sanctuary cities. Great, I get to pay both sides (as well as the 18 times Becerra has sued Trump. One of which he's lost.) The state is going to pot, and this is how they spend my tax money.

Wednesday, my dreams seemed to mix up Eric's page job with Last Man Standing. Odd.

Wee Wednesday was about the Faith Ringgold exhibit. We started with the "word quilt" book, then upstairs, in front of the quilt, we had the story the quilt tells.Padreic was interested and talked about the first book but we got interrupted with an unneeded potty stop, and he didn't know about grandma's quilt. When I went back to the Crocker on my own to really look at the exhibits, I bought both those books and took them to him and he was fascinated and loved them.

The kids got out early this week, so I was home in time to call the church bookkeeper and get my donations sorted out. I figure the tax people would have taken my word for it, so we'd only need proof if I got audited. However, the bookkeeper mailed the correction right away.

I've got a new game, Alice in the Mirrors of Albion. It's a very involved hidden objects game and I was getting frustrated that it wouldn't let me buy hints and kept freezing on me. I deleted and reinstalled it twice with minimal success, but then I reset the iPad and all was well.

Thursday, the kids were still getting out early, so we went over to Davis to the Raptor Center. It doesn't take much time to go through, but I think Joanna was quite interested. I walked over to look for a cache but there was a woman sitting in a car there. Then when we drove past she was gone and I said that, but Bernadette didn't stop. Oh, well, I'll look for it when I'm going down to San Jose.

Kim wants to meet with Trump! His Gridiron joke, about "how do you meet with a madman? That's not my problem, it's Kim's!" is coming true!

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 595

28.1 miles

sunny (!)

331 recordings of 31 types. 2 old SVU, 71 CPD, 5 LMS. 24% clear.

When I woke up on Friday, the 23rd, there was a hard frost all over everything.

At Renaissance, they seem to have fallen apart. The woman's bathroom in the Tahoe Building (which used to be business) was blocked off for
cleaning, though nothing happened and we finally ducked under the rail and used it. It was still blocked hours later.

The documentary was from HBORomainia, 1985, Chuck Norris v. Communism. It's about how videotapes of western movies led to the downfall of the dictatorship of Ceaucescu. Then I went to get my tuna banh mi and tea, dropped it off in Benicia and walked to the car for my pillow. Then the time travel movie was Twelve Monkeys. As it's basically the same movie as La Jetee, I knew how it would end. OK, but not great.

I removed the babyproof knob cover from the bathroom door. It's been there almost 10 years, time to go.

The garbage recycling truck is white!

I had to restart my solitaire game so lost all the data. Then I soon got a two win streak which hadn't happened to me in the last couple of years, but a 2% win percentage as opposed to the former 3%.

The play was "Beer for Breakfast" which was quite funny and very well done indeed. I was worried because Bill wasn't there and I was afraid he'd gotten worse, but it turns out they came last week and were on vacation and it was fine.

Saturday I was remembering that I left for Africa a year ago. I wish I were there again. I got started on serious planning for the Pittsburgh trip. I cleaned the kitchen, ordered Bernadette's birthday present and added a year to my NRA membership.

It turns out calling Canada just like calling the US!

Sunday I went to Mass and gave 2 books to Gerrie and coffee to Ann for Sharing God's Bounty.

Then I stayed close to home again. I worked a bit more on the nanoblock dinosaur. And fixed steak and green beans for dinner.

I've been watching old movies from TCM while they get ready for the Oscars. Great fun.

Monday was another stay at home day. I sorted out the paper basket in back. It had some of the play booklets from Rich's high school, and I thought I'd take them to the family to show them with the old ads and stuff. Now the basket has my will and trust papers and cremation and burial papers. I will add some immediate information, like who to notify, and then Bernadette and I am in agreement that we hope she doesn't need this stuff for 20 more years!

The cleaners came, too.

Tuesday the water company came by and started digging up our street. The new main is going down the other side of the street. When I went out to see a movie, I asked if I'd be able to come home, and they said I would. When they start digging my yard for my water meter, they'll dig up the beautiful display of daffodils. I'm going to try to save them by getting some good soil and then putting the flowers in with as much of the soil they are in as I can, on top, then replacing them when the crew is done. I'm more concerned about the mulberry. The two crews (the water company, and the local plumbers who are going to replace my pipes) will likely destroy most of the roots of the mulberry. I imagine it may need to be taken out, and when the neighbors take down their oak, I'll have no shade at all in back.

The movie was Game Night, which was fun.

Eric is going to be a page at the Washington State Capitol the first week in March!

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 595

26.3 miles

COLD!

334 recordings of 37 types. (Lots of movies, because TCM is really interesting right now). 70 CPD, 1 SVU (SO close to being done!) and 11 LMS. 24% clear.

(This is the stuff from Tuesday, Feb. 27th.)

Ash Wednesday being on Wednesday this year, I skipped getting ashes and instead did my stuff with the kids. Priorities! On my way down the hall in the early morning, I saw the map was skewed. One of the hooks had given way. I took the map down and replaced it later in the day. I wonder what happened... perhaps the cleaners bumped into it?

Padreic made a valentne for Mommy at Wee Wednesday and was so proud of it. He let me take care of it while he played at the Wng Ding exhibit, but otherwise he held it all the way home. He almost panicked when I took it while I was taking him out of the car, but was willing to hear me explain. He presented it with great pride and Bernadette was appropriately thrilled. Then he helped load the dishwasher.

I had nice valentines for the three and told Padreic his was the one with his name, and he picked it out. And was good about not taking the others. The big kids, too, enjoyed theirs, Joanna logically more than Gareth. (The school has an "all or none" policy about Valentines, so Joanna gave them out and Gareth didn't.)

And I drove home with the car seat. Fortunately, Bernadette didn't need it until Saturday, so I didn't have to take it back. This is good, because the freeway was a total disaster. I was going to get wine before I went home and had decided to get off on El Camino, fortunately. Hence, even though the Arden Way on-ramp was much busier than usual, I started over, and then one more lane to the El Camino exit, then, as things were really really slow... pretty well stopped in fact, one more to the exit only lane. Which was fortunate. As I glanced over on it, I saw traffic was completely stopped and the highway was empty, because there was an incident (suicide attempt?) on the overpass. I had heard on the radio there was an accident at Marconi, which is why I had thought things were so slow, but this was a surprise, and had developed about 5 minutes before I arrived there. They were telling people to get off on surface streets, but I was on the only possible way to do that. Lucky me. It only took me 45 minutes to do the normal 20 minute stretch.

I got the wine, got home, and waited impatiently for the time to go to Debby's. She'd asked me to a Valentine's day for widows, bring something red, so I brought red wine. The first time I went there, no one appeared to be home. I drove home to be positive I had the right time, then called... and she was there, apparently in the garage when I rang the doorbell. When I got back, another person was there and another person drove up, so I felt better. My wine went over well, and the food was great. A real disaster for low-carb, spaghetti (Debby had two sauces, but I didn't want to be the one among all the Catholics to remind everyone it was a day of abstinance, so my Ash Wednesday was a total failure!) and two fantastic desserts, but it was a delightful evening with a lot of talk, about widowhood and about other things. A nice Valentine's day after all.

Thursday, Pagan was in town (it was his birthday) but this would have been the only day I could see him and I really needed some time to wind down. I went out to the Retreat House and then came home to finish the jigsaw puzzle.(18 days of work since New Year's Day.) I also signed up for the triduum retreat.

It was really windy. Also, there are magpies building in the palm tree so I have to keep picking up so many sticks.

I took some stuff to St. Vincent de Paul, including my mom's rice cooker.

Friday was, of course, Renaissance. The morning documentary was about the Oscars, and gave me a lot of ideas of movies I would like to see. My Netflix queue somehow never gets smaller. In the Time Travel class, he had 3 short films. My favorite of the three was "Mi-Temps", and "La Jetee" was grim... and was the inspiration for the film we saw the next week, "Twelve Monkeys." I called Notre Dame High School in San Jose to RSVP for the Grandparent's day.

Oooh. Road Scholar is offering an Oberammergau Passion Play tour. When I mentioned it, Father Giltus at the Retreat House said he was possibly going to lead one. I would rather go with him instead of with a bunch of strangers, though the RS one also goes to Salzburg which would be nice. I've found out that I would lose $200 of the $500 deposit (it would be a transfer fee to another program, which I have planned anyway) if I signed up with RS then backed out. So I'm holding back for a short while. At least till the next credit card bill closes, because this month's is so huge I need to recoup a bit. (I paid for the Boxcar Children in full.)

Saturday I had a nice lunch at Marie Callendar's and met a Bob, new member of WPAC. Then Bernadette came by for the car seat, and I also gave her a ton of conditioner (because I kept getting it instead of shampoo) which she says Joanna can use, and fancy material for her costume-making friend.) Thence to Mass, because I had a great plan for Sunday.

Father Brown is Mr. Weasley?

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 595

5.1 miles

sunny (but cold)

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.)

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 585

4.3 miles

rain

343 recordings of 42 types. 1 old SVU, 71 CPD, 49 LMS. 25% clear.

I forgot to mention that on Wednesday, I found treasure! I had left too early for the Crocker and arrived with about 25 minutes to wait until it opened, so I took Padreic over to look at the utility box that looks like a little house. Then we walked back through the park, and I spied two halves of a disco ball which had been thrown out. Bernadette was equally pleased and plans to put them together. Treasure!

Since I had no luck at Bed Bath and Beyond, I ordered an Instant Pot from Amazon. Then, when I was at the senior care center to help with Communion, I learned the nearby WalMart was closing. So afterwards I stopped by just to see. The lines just to get IN at Sam's Club were amazing, but it wasn't that bad at WalMart. They had one Instant Pot there for a lot less than I'd paid from Amazon... I considered having someone get the box, and then the lines to check out, and the fact I'm reluctant to use the credit card at WalMart, and the fun of either cancelling or returning the pot at Amazon, and I chose the lazy way.

I stood in front of the TVs for quite a while. It's really tempting just to buy one that actually has everything I want instead of this constant fight with the white elephant Bernadette and Rob gave me. But then I had the bright idea to have Pagan help me the next time he's here.

Reading my Nero Wolfe, I suddenly got to a page where all the capital Os were blacked in. It was just like my Mom was saying "hi."

On the way to church I had a bit of dizziness. I wondered if I was going to be like the man last week. Fortunately, no. Gerrie wasn't there, so I couldn't trade books with her.

I don't like the toothbrush, guess I will buy an Oralcare one. Too bad I can't find that 20% coupon from Bed Bath and Beyond. I suppose I'll get it from the dentist.

I got my tickets to Pittsburgh and reserved a car. I also filled out a reservation form for the Crater Lake boat, but it's 2017 and I had to put all the credit card info out there... sort of worrying. I had to call the Bard's Inn because they're no longer with Best Western and their online reservation system is being revamped. That's a relief, I was afraid they were sold out. I got a room on the first floor of the building I like. It's going to be pricy, but worth it. So I pretty well have August and April set. (Still need motel reservations for the Ottawa trip.) I tried to get Joanna's camp set up online but will have to call it in.

Yesterday, Monday, I got a call from John (a friend of Jackey's) who is planning to go on the Camino. I talked to him and since it was the third Monday, I invited him to the Newcomer's dinner. We met and he'll be coming over today to see my pictures (well, about 5% of them.)

I had wondered if the cleaners were coming yesterday, as it was a holiday. They sure did, at 8:30, and I really wasn't ready. Oh, well.

I got a lot of the sky done on the jigsaw puzzle. It's coming along nicely.

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 572

3.8 miles

cool, partly cloudy

355 recordings of 49 types. No old SVU (but I still need 2 episodes from season 18), 69 old CPD, and 50 LMS. 23% clear.

Below is my Facebook post. The only thing I didn't say was that the dental hygienist Stephanie (who has been there 10 years! I'm amazed, but yeah, I remember 6.5 years ago when we sponsored her on a walk, and sick Rich got mad "you should have told me" and I had, oh I had, over and over) said I was so funny on Facebook, that she hadn't realized it because I didn't talk that much in the office. Because my mouth is full of tools, maybe? I asked her about something personal and she talked to me the whole time. Obviously, she needed to share her problems and I'm so glad I asked.

I almost got swallowed by the computer this morning and would have been late to the dentist, but I escaped. Quick cleaning, done before 9:30, so I had to wait till things were open. TJMaxx was open, though, and as usual I found things I didn't know I had wanted in there: in this case, a wire sink screen (that is slightly warped so it's currently in place with a pot full of water on top of it) to replace the current one which has begun to rust out, two new dryer balls so I will have 4 beating up on the clothes, and a griddle! I've been wishing I had one to make grilled cheese sandwiches, ever since I got rid of my Mom's old waffle maker/griddle. Later, at Beds, Bath, and Beyond, I see NOW they have a waffle maker/griddle, but when I was looking for a replacement, all they had was a dedicated waffle maker. Which I now have.

BBB was disappointing. I have a 20% off coupon so I thought I might get an Instant Pot. No luckatall. Apparently they don't carry them. They didn't even have any pressure cookers!

OK, 10 o'clock had come and gone, so I stopped by the church office, having forgotten they're only open in the afternoons. OK, I'll stop by tomorrow to request a Mass for Rich near his birthday.

Then I went to the WPAC office, and saw a woman I used to walk with (before she got a boyfriend.) I renewed my membership and also signed up for this month's luncheon and a trip to Antioch in March to see someone reprising the Everley Brothers.

Here at home, I emptied out the garden cart which was FULL of water, hence heavy to dump. That was a LOT of rain!

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 560

202.4 miles

c-c-cold!

(It would be easier to keep up if I weren't so busy. Of course, then I would have nothing to write about.)

Last Saturday, November 25, I slept in until 6 and started covering a garden bed with leaves before the gardeners came.

I spent most of the afternoon waiting for Bernadette, and still bitter, at one point I took a 4.3 mile walk to take a book to the farthest Little Free Library. No Bernadette. I thought she'd forgotten, but it turns out my communications major was unclear as to when she was coming... she'd meant SUNDAY afternoon.

There was a Black Friday sale on Fishdom. I'm not playing much, only getting the diamonds when they are on sale.

While online, I also bought one thing for Steve&Family, since it was something I was already going to get but was on sale.

The 26th was Niki's birthday and I actually sent her card on time. Bernadette came by and got her tickets, and stayed and talked. She admired Hoarder Central. She says it's gone from "dumpster ready" to "messy." I was having her help me move the train layout so I could cover it with plastic and put it out, but it turned out to be broken. The plaster mountains had cracked. OK, then, it will go with the hauler. She helped me move it out to the carport.

Also, I found out they are going to WorldCon in San Jose next August. Since I'll be in Oregon with Vince and family, Joan will be babysitting. I hope she doesn't have the heat problem again. (She fainted last year.)

While Bernadette was here I darn near burnt the turkey soup, but saved it just in time. It's gonna be good.

I replaced a light bulb and the Brita filter.

I was beginning to wonder about the night twinges I've been having. They are normal, hyptic jerks or sleep starts. (And, of course, now I know that, I haven't had any since.) On this evening, I'd been asleep for about an hour when there was a TERRIBLE noise. The cat somehow managed to knock my ceremonial dagger to the ground! Boy, that changed things!

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 560

196.4 miles

clear and cold

371 recordings of 29 types, 7 old SVU and 32 old CPD. 24% clear.

Thursday the 16th I was a seething mass of resentment because Bernadette and family were going to Oregon for Thanksgiving, even though they had been planning to be at Roni's with me and the rest of the family. There's a good (though sad) reason for it, in that Rob's Aunt Marie is sick with bone cancer. But I really resented it, and it brought up memories of some of the other good reasons, like last Christmas, and really, tellingly, Bernadette's wedding, which Joan took over. I had wonderful plans for here, but it had to be in Junction City, for the good reason that Rob's dad was too ill to travel here.

Joan only left 10 days ago, and would see the kids again on Saturday. She sees more of the kids than I do!

When I got to Bernadette's, she was gone. I burst into tears. Then I called her, where the heck are you? She was at her Mom's group, Heart 2 Heart, which I thought she'd had last week, so would be home this week. FINE! I'm going home!! Wait, wait, she said. Why don't you come to Heart 2 Heart with me? I grudgingly said OK, but really was considering going home anyway. But I drove over there and she was waiting outside in the cold for me. In we went, with me griping about the trip to Oregon. Then I hear the speaker talking about "how to get along with your inlaws this holiday season!"

She was really very good and made a lot of telling points about relationships and how a quick prayer can help. Most of the mothers there are young (Bernadette, at 40, may well be on the old side) but the points still applied to me, and I got the definite feeling God got me here. I definitely finished with a better attitude and am trying to hold on to it.

When we got back to Bernadette's, it was almost time for me to fetch the kids. I stopped at Joanna's class (she had a good report for a change!) to talk to the teacher and ask if I could chaperone the planetarium trip in January. It's at the nearby museum so I would like to meet them there rather than ride the bus. We don't know yet.

Meanwhile, all the way home Joanna insisted the field trip would be tomorrow. She only heard part of the directions, that they had to return the permission slip the next day. This was one of the things the teacher meeting talked about, that her comprehension was down. Apparently we need to have her feed back what she heard. She didn't really believe me till Mommy told her the permission slip was what she needed.

Vincenik sent my Christmas present already. Since I hadn't actually read the Facebook thread, I'm afraid I opened it. Then I re-packed it. (It's a scratch-off map, you scratch off places you've been.) . I think I'll know where I'll put it.

(On Friday, in the Travel discussion at Renaissance, which was about Panama, I started listing all the places I want to go. There are at least 10 of high priority. Then I realized that we didn't travel (out of the country) for 40 years! (Rich had trips to Europe, but I stayed home except for a quick trip to Burwell in 1977.) 40 years between 1972 and 2012 wasted. Lots of travel in the states, but a lot of it was to places we'd been before. So this map will have a lot of places not scratched off, and never will. Well, at least I got to Hawaii.)

I finished And be a Villain which introduces the criminal master Arnold Zink. So I am now reading

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; Pepys' Diary; Embarrassments by PJ Nel; Shattered, Jonathan Allen & Amie Parnes; The Little World of Don Camillo, Giovanni Guareschi; and The Second Confession by Rex Stout.

I have to renew my passport next month! I was thinking of doing it next year, but now realize I'll be going into Canada just a couple of weeks before it expires. Can't do that! I guess (see above) it's possible the next one will be my last.

Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, vol 1 p. 560

196.4 miles

beautiful after a rainy day and pouring night

372 recordings of 28 types, 7 old SVU but the darn DVR keeps recording episodes I tell it not to, 32 old CPD, 24% clear.

Wednesday I was puttering around looking up possible geocaches to hunt for and I suddenly remembered, OMG, it's the day I can order my Shakespeare tickets! And it's important to get in as early as possible because some shows, even in August, sell out quickly. So I got online, got checked in, and was just starting when suddenly the computer decided to go down. ACK! (It's done that a couple of times since. I guess the laptop is due to be replaced.) Fortunately, I hadn't committed to anything yet. As it ground away updating me against my will, I decided to try the phone. That worked beautifully, as I had everything I wanted circled in the pre-order magazine. I've got the backstage tour and the festival noons and the Daedalus play-reading, as well as all the plays, 6 of them, that I wanted. She was very efficient and I am getting really excited.

Then I went down to the Zoo to renew our membership. I'm afraid I lied when she asked if Bernadette was at the same address as me. Some of these memberships that's important on, but I'm not sure the zoo is one, they may just want some demographic information. Oh, well, the lie came easily and 'fessing up wouldn't have.

Then I wandered around the zoo. I haven't been there in a long time, and there have been improvements, though they took away the cement snake slide which all the kids love, even though it wasn't a good slide. I saw the aardvark! He was asleep of course, but I haven't seen him since they opened the exhibit. A lot of the animals were hiding out and I didn't see either Painted Jaguar which I was hoping to see after reading the Just-So story to the kids. The Amazon parrot kept saying "Hello!" to me. The tiger was asleep but the lions were fairly active. I caught a glimpse of the otters, but not as much as I would have liked. I had a burger at the cafe, completely forgetting about the discount I'd just renewed! Oh, well.

After about an hour I left and started to look for geocaches. The one closest to the Zoo is probably somewhere in a tree but I had absolutely no luck. Then there was a multi, and I couldn't find any indication of where the second stage would be, and finally, a puzzle letterbox which made no sense to me. Very discouraging.

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December 2018

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Entries tagged with plans

First Time Roommate

Still Limbo

Colostomy Fun and Games

Two Fantastic Wednesdays, and the Stuff in Between

Ready for Boxcar Children Camp

The Middle of June

Ready to Travel

Back to Real Life

Pre-Retreat

Another Week at Home

Mid-March

Antioch and Davis, This and That

Lazy Days

A Slow Start to Lent

Buyer's Remorse?

Plans

Errands

The Last Weekend in November

God Takes the Reins

Discouraging Wednesday

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