January
I'm so done with 2020, so I am writing everything that occurred after December 26 here.
Kathy turned 47 on January 2. We went to the Toyota dealer to buy running boards for Kathy's new car on Dec 28. We bought them and then Bill said the fateful words, "Let's just look around." Five hours later we drove off with this
The parts for Kathy's car came in today, so we are going to pick up her car tomorrow afternoon and go over to have them installed. She knows we are getting her something, because we had to ask for her car, but I don't think she would think we were getting the running boards because they are quite expensive. I think she will be surprised.
January 2
We waited for four hours for Kathy's running boards to be installed. After 1 and 1/4 hours, the service person came to us and said that they didn't have all the necessary parts and we would have to come back. We were not happy, because we wanted them to be on for her birthday. We made an appointment to go back on January 5, but, just as we were starting to drive out, she came running over and said that they had found the part they needed. She said they would expedite the installation, so it shouldn't be very long. Three hours later, it was done/ We were pretty mad, because we could have had one of the kids pick us up so we could wait at home, but, we were glad to finally be able to leave. Bill went to the cashier with the service person. It was supposed to be over $400.00 just for the installation, but she said that, because of the problem, the bill was only $200.00. That made us feel a lot better!
We had planned to pick up a pizza on the way home, but we didn't have time, so we fixed soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Because it was New Year's Eve, we had invited Micky and Maxine to come over at 6:30 to play games, so we changed that to 7:30. We served apple turnovers, which we had made that morning, and drank wine while we played Mexican Train and Skip-bo. They left at about 10:30 and we went to bed just before midnight. We heard the fireworks in the neighborhood on the other side of Vista, but we didn't bother to look out the window. This was the first time in 15 years, that we didn't have a scared dog cuddled up with us for the fireworks.
Kathy came over yesterday to get her car. She had figured out what we were getting, because there were only a couple of things it could have been. She was very happy with the way the car looked.
This is what happens when we watch a British movie.
January 15
I started working at the Disc office of H&R Block yesterday. I was apprehensive because the training was so in depth, but it went better than I expected. Mostly, I am making phone calls to let past clients know that it's tax time and to set up appointments for one of the tax pros to call them to discuss it. I worked six hours yesterday, and a little over 4 and 1/2 hours today, and I will work six hours tomorrow. Then I'm off until Thursday. Beginning the week of January 24, I will be working Monday through Friday, with no weekends. I like that.
I got an email from Talent Framework asking Bill and me to work at a Covid shot clinic on Monday. Since I'm not working that day, I agreed to do it. That will be a nice chunk of money for us.
January 21
So far, working at H&R is not hard, but it is repetitious. Mostly I call orphan clients to ask if a tax pro can call them to find the right pro to do their taxes this year. I also confirm appointments and answer the phone. Unfortunately, my phone started acting strange - people couldn't hear me. I called Nancy from a different phone and she said to call tech support. I was on hold with them for 45 minutes and then it took over 15 minutes for the tech to decide that the office qualifies for a new phone. How efficient is that? It is going to take a few days for it to arrive, so, I took a phone from Lilia's desk, since she is only there on the weekends. Later that day, Debbie got a phone from the back room and hooked it up so we could put Lilia's phone back on her desk.
We worked at a Covid shot clinic on Monday, and we were very busy, directing cars where to park to wait to see if they had any reaction.
We enjoyed it, but we were super sore that night and the next day. We plan to do it again, and the shifts are only going to be four hours, so that is much better. We were able to get appointments for our shots next Saturday.
We took meatloaf, stuffing and carrots to Sally and John on Tuesday. They have really been enjoying the home cooked meals.
Saturday, January 23
We got a little bit of snow last night. I tried to sleep later than usual this morning, but no luck, so I am writing this at 6:15. The sun isn't up, yet, but I can see the backyard because of the snow on the ground. We are going to get our Covid shots in three hours, not a moment too soon, according to the news of a new, more deadly strain that has been making its way across the country.
I've been on the job at H&R for a little over one week. Yesterday, I was scheduled for noon to 6 pm yesterday, but Nancy asked me to go in early because the phone was ringing "off the hook." I got there at about 11:15 and found that the "new" phone from the back room was not working. Nancy had said that moving office equipment without permission is a fireable offense and that I should have just moved to a different desk to work. So, while she talked to tech support, again, I sat at Debbie's desk. That was not a great option, though, because, I had to get up and walk out of the cubicle whenever someone came in the door.
When Nancy left at 4:30, she told me that the evening CSP, Amy, would be coming in at 5 and that I should show her what I do. Great. I'm supposed to train someone when I am still new on the job. I tried to show Amy, but, the software wasn't working properly, which has been happening every day, so she was able to make one phone call to an orphan, and then she had to wait until the call list populated. I stayed until 6 and wished her luck.
Tony and Anais came to the rescue when a vagrant broke into Gary's house while Jeanene was home. He fell asleep on their couch and Jeanene saw him as she was going down the stairs. She called Gary who called Tony, who was on his way over to take us to dinner. He and Anais jetted over to Gary's house and rousted the guy out of there.
January 28
We had a good snowfall on Sunday night, making the drive to work on Monday a bit messy, but the car did a great job of getting me there. More snow was promised for the next three days, but we only got a little bit more, along with some rain.
Bill walked to the store on Tuesday, one day after all the snow, and got ingredients to make coconut cream pies. He even made the filling from scratch. It was the best one I've ever had, and I really liked the one the Nugget used to serve. This was far better.
There have been hundreds of memes made from a photo of Bernie Sanders sitting at Joe Biden's inauguration. Here are three of the ones we really liked.
February 20, 2021
Annie,
I have been thinking about you a lot. I just want you to know
that you are an amazing person. Raising Michael and Joy and loving all the
aspects of being a wife and mom. You've had serious health issues for many
years, and I know that makes everything such a big challenge for you, but that
hasn't stopped you from being an incredible wife, daughter, aunt, mother,
grandma and dear friend. I love you and I think of you as more of a sister than
a friend. I love thinking about the times we've spent together and the fun the
four of us have had. I know your support got us through a very hard few
years, and I especially love you for that. You drove up to see us at the
hospital in San Francisco when Bill was there for one of his treatments, and
that is something I will never forget.
I don't call you as often as would like to but I really do think we have such a
close connection, that we don't need to talk often.
Just now, I thought about not sending this email, because you deserve to have
my thoughts written on a pretty card or note, but, for some reason, I'm feeling
the need to let you know how I feel right now. I hope that, once
Covid settles down, we will once again, be able to travel freely. We would love
to drive over to see you and John, and spend some time just enjoying
your company and your beautiful home.
Love,
Billie
Hi Billie,
Thank you for the beautiful letter. It touched
me deeply. I feel the same about you. No matter how long we are
apart it always feels like coming home to be with you or to hear from
you. You are a part of my life that I cherish and always will.
We are on our way tomorrow to go to UCSF to see
a rheumatology specialist to get some much needed answers to questions about
medications for arthritis. I have been struggling lately with more joint
damage and bad effects from medications. I am also going to have surgery
on my hands. The ligaments and joints are so damaged I have lost the
function of two of my fingers. The surgery will repair damage and prevent
the loss of use of any more fingers. We will be having a meeting with an
orthopedic specialist soon. I imagine I will have the surgery at
UCSF. We will stay with Michael and Susan while we are there.
We got our COVID vaccinations this past
week! I am so happy about it. You will be getting your second soon,
right? It’s amazing how fast they came up with a vaccine. Hopefully we
will soon get to travel. I look forward to having a visit with you and
Bill.
Thank you again, my dear forever friend. I
love you .
Ann
Annie,
Ann,
Oh my, that is good news. I will pray for a
successful outcome for your surgery, and that your medical team can come up
with some kind of wonderful solution to the pain you are having to endure. We
got our second vaccine this morning, and, so far, neither of us has had any
reaction. Our arms aren't even sore this time. When you have time, please let
me know how everything goes.
Love,
Billie
We brought a tomato plant into the kitchen at the end of the season, and it finally is ripe. We are going to eat it tonight.
Two years ago, I had posted something on Facebook saying
that people should have to show proof of citizenship in order to vote.
Joline
Wow…people are merely expressing their point of view with regard to the very real problem of voter fraud in this country. I am sorry that you are having a difficult time right now, but it seems awfully mean spirited and spiteful to ridicule people whose opinions differ from yours as “white privileged people like you.”
Robin
I moved so much I had no idea where my birth certificate was. It was a royal pain and cost $$$$ to figure out how to get a copy. If I was poorer, less educated, more disadvantaged the task would have been overwhelming, I have never had a passport Because we are technically homeless we can't get real id. But for white, privileged people like you, it seems an easy thing. I am disgusted by some people's inability to imagine that because it is easier for them, it must be that easy for everyone. Or worse, because people make bad choices (and who doesn't) they don't deserves any of ease of polite society. Or have the right to vote.
And this is what Tony said.
So, it's replies like yours that keep many people from even
attempting to see or understand both sides of a situation. I have no idea who
you are, whether you are a good person or not, or what my mother is doing being
friends with someone who so quickly throws this type of vitriol out, but
comments like "white, privileged people like you" pretty much um up
everything I need to know about you. Seriously, you must not know much about my
mom if you feel this comment, unprompted, and out of the blue, is necessary.
Now, let's see if you can change my mind, or even care to....
February 26
I think he is in good hands. It has now been 16 minutes since we left Renown.
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| Sanseveria Starfish |
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| Key Lime Kiss Chick Charms |
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| Eyelash Fern |
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| Cissus Rotundifolia |
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| Bearpaw Succulent |
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| Air Fern in tiny pot |
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| Variegated Ivy |
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| African Violet |
On Sat, Feb 20, 2021 at 11:37 AM <mauiboss@aol.com>
wrote:
Annie,
I have been thinking about you a lot. I just want you to know that you are an amazing person. Raising Michael and Joy and loving all the aspects of being a wife and mom. You've had serious health issues for many years, and I know that makes everything such a big challenge for you, but that hasn't stopped you from being an incredible wife, daughter, aunt, mother, grandma and dear friend. I love you and I think of you as more of a sister than a friend. I love thinking about the times we've spent together and the fun the four of us have had. I know your support got us through a very hard few years, and I especially love you for that. You drove up to see us at the hospital in San Francisco when Bill was there for one of his treatments, and that is something I will never forget.
I don't call you as often as would like to but I really do think we have such a close connection, that we don't need to talk often.
Just now, I thought about not sending this email, because you deserve to have
my thoughts written on a pretty card or note, but, for some reason, I'm feeling
the need to let you know how I feel right now. I hope that, once
Covid settles down, we will once again, be able to travel freely. We would love
to drive over to see you and John, and spend some time just enjoying
your company and your beautiful home.
Love,
Billie
From: ann holman <holman.ann3@gmail.com>
To: mauiboss@aol.com
Sent: Sat, Feb 20, 2021 4:28 pm
Subject: Re: Just some thoughts
Hi Billie,
Thank you for the beautiful letter. It touched me deeply. I feel the same about you. No matter how long we are apart it always feels like coming home to be with you or to hear from you. You are a part of my life that I cherish and always will.
We are on our way tomorrow to go to UCSF to see a rheumatology specialist to get some much needed answers to questions about medications for arthritis. I have been struggling lately with more joint damage and bad effects from medications. I am also going to have surgery on my hands. The ligaments and joints are so damaged I have lost the function of two of my fingers. The surgery will repair damage and prevent the loss of use of any more fingers. We will be having a meeting with an orthopedic specialist soon. I imagine I will have the surgery at UCSF. We will stay with Michael and Susan while we are there.
We got our COVID vaccinations this past week! I am so happy about it. You will be getting your second soon, right? It’s amazing how fast they came up with a vaccine. Hopefully we will soon get to travel. I look forward to having a visit with you and Bill.
Thank you again, my dear forever friend. I
love you .
Ann
On Sat, Feb 20, 2021 at 4:44 PM <mauiboss@aol.com> wrote:
Ann,
Oh my, that is good news. I will pray for a successful outcome for your surgery, and that your medical team can come up with some kind of wonderful solution to the pain you are having to endure. We got our second vaccine this morning, and, so far, neither of us has had any reaction. Our arms aren't even sore this time. When you have time, please let me know how everything goes.
Love,
Billie
To: mauiboss@aol.com
Sent: Wed, Mar 3, 2021 12:14 pm
Subject: Re: Just some thoughts
Hi Billie,
I had my visit with a rheumatologist at UCSF
last week. She was wonderful, very informative and helpful.
With her recommendations I will be changing medications. Hopefully they will
calm the arthritis down and give me some relief.
I liked her a lot. I was so impressed by UCSF.
Was Bill there when we visited him in the hospital? We couldn’t remember.
😕 must be a senior
moment LOL.
I am so glad that Bill is doing well with his eyes. Gave us a scare there. You are a good Doctor, Billie. Your diagnosis was straight on.
Love to both of you,
Ann
*********************************************************************************
Bill's eye continues to get better with the first medication that the ER doc prescribed. He cut his thumb making dinner a few days ago, and it bled pretty badly, but he refused to go to urgent care for it. I didn't think it was so bad that I should insist. We changed his bandages when they got icky, and last night, it seemed to be much better.
I am having a problem with my Good Earth Tea. All of a sudden it tastes different. It isn't as cinnamony and it tastes a little bit like the tea we bought a few years ago, that had some kind of herb in it, whose name I can't remember. Anyway, I took all the tea out of the drawer, because we had recently bought a case of it from Amazon, and I was going to see if we could return it. Then I tried it again and I can tolerate it, but I certainly don't enjoy it as much as I used to. I want to buy a box at the store to compare the taste.
The Villa is having a pizza night on Feb 12. I didn't want to go, thinking that the pizza would probably not be as good as what we can make or buy at our favorite pizzaria. But I decided that it would be fun to go to something where there are people.
They are only allowing 20 people per sitting, and we are going to go to the second seating. Patty and Bob are going to be servers, and then they will be able to sit down with us to eat.
They cancelled your feelings,
They cancelled your thoughts.
They canceled the Dr. Seuss
Books that you bought.
‘We’ll cancel your culture
And history,” they said.
They even cancelled
Poor Mr. Potato Head.
They’ll cancel your clothes
And the shoes that you wear.
They’ll cancel your opinions
And the style of your hair.
You warriors of justice
I ask you to please
Stop trying to cancel
The air that I breathe.
For I live in America,
The land of the free.
And one thing is certain,
You won’t cancel me!
March 12
Tony has gotten Bill interested in Hoge. We bought $100.00 worth of Coinbase, which is associated with Bitcoin, a couple of years ago. After going down for a long time, it finally has gone up to over $400.00. Bill used $200 and some of those earnings, totaling about $400 to buy over 3,000,000 shares of Doge and a few other associated cyber coins. That has gone up to over $1,550. He is having fun with it and it's making money.
I have four weeks left to work. I like the work and hope to do it again next year, unless I find something else that conflicts with it. Nancy has asked me to work on Saturdays for the rest of the season. I might as well make the money while I can.
Tonight we are going to Pizza night at the Villa. All they are serving is pizza, so we are taking wine and salad for us and the Tiexiera's. If anything thinks that is rude, oh well. They can take their own salad.
Pizza night was not great, but we got to visit with Bob and Patty for a little while so that was nice. They only served pepperoni and vegie pizza, so I had to take the pepperoni off mine. I took salad for the four of us, and that tasted good.
Two days after pizza night, we had all the kids over, except Bryanna, who was busy, for do it yourself pizza. Bill and I made a German Chocolate Pie and had the pizza dough ready for them.
We had a huge salad. Some of us made our own pizzas and some of us had other people make their pizzas, but everyone had fun. Bailey threw hers up in the air, and we got a pic of her, but unfortunately, the pizza dough was too high to be in the pic.
The day after I wrote about the cyber coins that Bill was having so much fun with, our total was up to over $1,700.00. Bill looked at the account and discovered that all the money had been taken in some kind of fraud. Tony took him to the police station, but they can't do anything about it. Bill wrote to the Doge, but they said that he probably did something that let someone get into the account and take the money. What a poopy thing to happen.
Our amarilyss bloomed beautifully. The red one was first and then the candy cane bloomed. It is still looking good, but the red one has gone all droopy. We have a third one that will bloom in a couple of weeks.
All of them were given to us by a lady from the Northern Nevada Plant group on Facebook.
Bryanna asked us to go to lunch last weekend to meet Jayce, We were going to go to Red Robin, but they wouldn't seat six people, so we went to Los Compadres. We enjoyed meeting him and being able to visit with the girls and Kathy, but I thought the quality of the food was not as good as we were used to. Unfortunately, I forgot to take some pictures of them.
March 28
We got a text from Kristin yesterday, that makes us very sad.
"Hey guys, I know it's poor form to do this over text, but I won't manage a call. Mom's pneumonia and pneumothorax came back and she was moved from life care back to the hospital. She couldn't breathe and it was terrifying her so they went ahead with a chest tube to drain the fluid so she could breathe easier. It was a minimal intervention and she came through ok. She was very confused the first day then she became non responsive. They found she has been seizing for the last 2 days. They have tried multiple interventions to stop the seizures with no luck. The only thing left is to intubate and put her in a coma and even then only a 50/50 chance of stopping the seizures and little to no chance of her ever coming off the ventilator. She was very clear with us that she didn't want to be a vegetable. We won't be intubating. We have a meeting at ten this morning with the doctors to figure out next steps. Her body is here, but she's far away. Unfortunately, with covid-19 rules still in effect we are still limited in who can visit. Just 1 person per day, only 2 on the list, it's awful. The doctors also said that it's the 4 months since she had covid-19 that she's just gotten weaker and weaker that brought her to this point. I'm sorry to give you the news this way, but you're family and I thought you'd want to know asap. You could call and talk to her while one of us is there. She won't respond, but she could hear you, you don't know. We love you very much. ❤️ I don't know what else to say. "
She has been sick for four months, and we had been holding onto hope that she would recover, but it isn't going to happen.
Tony and Anais moved into their house over the last week. They had it painted and they got the garage floor coated before putting their things in. It is still in disarray, but they are in. We took them to Red Robin last night for dinner and got to hear all about the move.
Bailey has decided that she wants to be a helicopter paramedic. This is her in her uniform.
March 30
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Our breakfast visit was so much fun. The girls brought us a dozen long stemmed tulips. I had made parfaits with yogurt, blueberries, strawberries and granola, so we had that and one of the smoothies with breakfast. They told us all about their school and career plans. Bailey is already classified as an EMT and when she is done with her training, she will be a paramedic.
They looked through some of our old linens and things we've collected through the years, and Bryanna took a few of them with her for her apartment in Alabama. The rest of the things have been put in a box to save for them.
They did the dishes for us. 
Our flights home were good. Flights are always a concern, but the news has been saying that people are getting into fights in airports and even on planes, so we were on high alert. Kathy and Bailey picked us up. We got unpacked and started a load of laundry. Then we went to Safeway to get a few things for morning.
which was the one I liked best, too. She didn't even hesitate about which set to choose. Dinner was a big success, and everyone was surprised that I had made a pizza. Kathy and Rommie gave Bill a new tropical shirt and a hat for Father's Day.
Don Mello Sports Complex, located next to the original outlet mall, was built in two phases. The first was completed in 1978 and the second in 1984. The facility accommodated league softball play for the area as well as Pop Warner football games and practices. It was here for so long, and so many kids learned to play here so it was sort of a legend in itself.
The plans for Legends were announced in 2005 and the original artist rendering showed that they were going to include the sports complex. But, in 2008, after 30 years of hosting thousands of ball games for local kids, it was relocated to Spanish Springs and became the Golden Eagle Regional Park, a beautiful and gigantic sports complex. The only problem was that kids could no longer ride their bikes from anywhere in sparks to play ball, as the new park is several miles away. We were very sorry to see it go to make way for progress.
In 2008, the first portion of Legends opened as an upscale outlet mall and is billed as one of the largest shopping malls in Reno. Since it is one of only three malls we have, that is sort of a given. Legends has grown quite a bit and now features several restaurants, stores and a huge multi-plex theater. Strangely, some of the nice restaurants, such as Cadillac Ranch and Jazz only lasted for a few years and there are several empty stores within the mall. Currently, two hotels are under construction, which is something that was promised several years ago. We are glad to see the construction going on because the dirt and weeds between Legends and the marina have been quite an eyesore. It will be good to have the area finally completed.
In the artist's rendering, it clearly shows the Don Mello Sports Complex included in the vision for Legends. The mall is nicely laid out, with lots of seating areas, sculptures, fire pits, attractive landscaping and even a small water feature for kids to play in, so it well used, even in the colder months, even though it is not an enclosed mall.
We played games with the kids and had a very good time. Michelle and the girls had to leave early because, she had to work on Sunday, but Emily and Kirsten stayed a bit later so we sat by the firepit and played a game.
They left about 9:00, so we watched TV for a little while and then went to bed.
Well, the f---ing
computer just closed down a whole word document that I was working on for the
blog, so I have to start over. I hope I can remember everything.
…pick it up on
Thursday evening, and she is paying $50.00, which is what we were hoping to
get.
Bill and I
installed drip line to the new tomato plants this morning, so Bailey won’t have
to go out back to water every day. Yesterday, Bill looked under the kitchen sink,
and found that our sponge and brush container was full of water. The garbage
disposal, which was only five years old, was leaking. It only had a one-year
warranty. So, we drove to Lowes and bought a new one, with a five-year
warranty. I called our handy man, Todd, to see if he could install it ASAP, but
he didn’t get back to me until late in the day. We needed to use the sink, so
Bill installed it himself. It isn’t a hard job, but laying under the sink in
that hole is hard on the body, so I was sorry that he had to do it.
We have been
enjoying being able to use the pool on weekends after hours for the last few
weeks. Laurie and Dave came over on Sunday night, so we had the Arutas and
Teixeiras there for two hours. We had a great time talking, listening to music
and playing ball. They came over again last night, (except for Dave, who wasn’t
feeling well.) I guess we were having too much fun, because today, we got this
letter. I was not surprised.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Garrow: It has come to my
attention that you and a small group of other residents have had access to the
outdoor pool after regular Villa hours on the weekends. I do not know how
this got started. I have been told that this may have been approved by a
former Board of Toscana Community Association. I have spoken to Joele
Decker at Equus and she was not aware of this situation. I have also
spoken to Ron Wright, our insurance agent, who has clearly stated that we
should not have this situation as it may affect our insurance coverage. I
have also informed the other board members of this circumstance.
Therefore, I have directed our Community Coordinator, Beth, to place a key lock
on the outdoor pool when the Villa closes each day. You and your friends
will no longer have access to the pool except during normal open hours.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss this matter, please feel free to
call me at 775-623-8775. Thank you for your attention to this
matter. Jack Bullock, Board President.
Under our agreement with Beth over the past two summers, we welcomed all Toscana residents at the pool on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Everyone was happy to be able to swim and enjoy the area, while following the pool rules, and we locked the gate as directed no later than 8:00 pm on those evenings. However, we understand, and will abide by, your position.
Respectfully,
Billie
So, we will miss our weekend fun, but we didn’t really think it would last. The insurance thing was the biggest drawback. If one of us had gotten hurt, they might have had to pay big $$$.
This morning, we went
to breakfast at D’Licious Café wth The Arutas and Teixerias. We had a great
time, with lots of laughing. We will meet in the pool later this evening. We
have a couple of new balls to toss.
We decided to go
to Food Truck Friday, but, because I knew the prices of the food would be high,
we had sandwiches before we left. That way, we could buy a snack if we found
something we wanted to try. We have been wanting to go but we never remembered
to do it. We needn’t have bothered. There are over 35 food and drink vendors,
but no craft-type booths, so we just walked through, checking out the menus and
Bill got a Guinness Beer. We were there less than a half hour. Tony had texted
just before we left for Reno, to ask us if we wanted to go over for BBQ hots
and hams, so we headed over to their house and stayed until almost 8. I wasn’t
hungry, because we had eaten just before we went to the park, but the burgers
smelled really good, so I had half a hamburger and it tasted as good as it smelled.
Kathy and Rommie were there, so we had fun talking with all of them.
We are all packed
and ready to go on our Pacific Northwest Adventure. The house and yard are all
ready for Bailey and her puppy, Zoe. Jackie texted me at 10:16 this morning,
telling me to call her when we get to the curb. I immediately checked our
flight times, and sure enough, we are scheduled for the night flight, and will
arrive in Portland just after 10 tonight. I called Jackie and asked if she was
kidding. She was puzzled and asked, “kidding about what?” I asked if they were
at the airport, and they were. When I told her, I could hear her jaw hit the
floor. I said that I had figured they chose the late flight so they would not
have to drive to Portland to pick us up in the morning traffic. She said, “Yeah,
let’s go with that.” She texted a few
minutes later, that she is going to check their Kauai tickets as soon as they
get home, just after she kills Craig. I texted asking if there might be an
opening for one of us to go with her, after all. She said, “quite possibly.
Whoever helps her bury the body is the one who will go with her. I said that
Bill is out in the backyard burying the body, so he will be her traveling
companion. I can hang out with the animals.
We got to Portland right on time and Craig picked us up
shortly after we picked up our luggage. We got to the house and met all the
dogs, had a nice snack of cheese, watermelon and crackers, and unpacked a lot
of out things. Their dogs are Kala and Murphy and we have Cedar and Daphne until tomorrow night. The cat is Punkin. We got to
bed about 1 am.
In the morning, we got up pretty early, and mostly talked with Craig and Jackie. They pointed out the routine for feeding the dogs and cat, and for taking care of the plants. Their yard is just beautiful, and there is a lot to water. We played Amerous, Spite and Malace, and Racko in the afternoon. They fed us well, on hot dogs for lunch and hamburgers and macaroni salad for dinner. Their friends, John and Molly came over to visit for a while. They are nice. They used to live in Fallon. We have John’s phone number in case we need anything. After dinner we played Racko on the firepit table.
On Monday, we hung around the house in the morning, and they took us for a drive to see some of the town. In the afternoon, we played Racko, Amerous, and Phase 10. They like all three. In the evening, we had Cuban Crock Pot Pork and Hawaiian Macaroni Salad. In the evening, we sat around the firepit and talked, with a lot of laughter thrown in.
I started to get a sore throat in the late afternoon. By bedtime, I figured I had a cold.
Tuesday, I woke up feeling ok, except for my throat. I hope
I haven’t given Craig and Jackie colds, or anything worse. Craig took Bill in
the Porshe, to World Of Liquor. While they were gone, Jackie and I played Phase
10. When the guys got back, they played with us until it was time to leave.
We went to Vancouver for a very good Mexican dinner at Who-song and Larrys. After dinner, we sat and talked while enjoying watching the activity on the Columbia River.
We left about 5:30 to get them to their hotel. Their flight to Kauai is at 7 am, and they didn’t want us to have to get up super early and drive in traffic to get them to the airport.
After we left them, we had an uneventful drive back to the
house. We pottied the dogs, and fed them and the cat. Now we are going to spend a quiet evening just
reading our books.
July 22
Yesterday was our first day here without Craig and Jackie.
The morning feeding went fine. We did a few things around the house and then we
left to go to the Columbia River. We had a short, but very nice walk and had a
bit of a surprise. We saw the Pride Of America, the ship that we went on for
our winning cruise through the Regis and Kelly Show in 2005. It was their inaugural
voyage. We got a shot of an osprey nest, but didn’t see any ospreys.
We went home and had a snack of fruit, cheese and crackers
and read for a little while. Bill went downstairs to take a nap and I watched a
little bit of TV and tried to doze. We were going to have a late night because
Will was due to pick up Daphne and Cedar about 10:30. For dinner, we had rib
eye steak, corn on the cob and macaroni salad. We watched The American, with
George Clooney and didn’t lie it at all. We watched three Jeopardys and then
played Racko until Will arrived at 10:44. He stayed for a while to have some of
Jackie’s Cuban Beef. We got to bed about 11:30.
This morning went well. I watered everything and we left
here about 9:30 to meander around the area. We went to the Cowlitz Museum, but
found that it is closed for the next couple of days. We stopped at the train
depot in Kelso to find out about taking the train to Seattle. I will check out
the Amtrak website and check the map of the train station in Seattle to find
out if there is anywhere to walk once we get there. We will decide in a little
while to see if we want to do it or not. went to Riverside Park to walk along the
Cowlitz River. The last place we went
was Castle Rock, a small town about 10 miles away towards the north. We walked
there, and went into a few shops, but there was nothing much to see, except the
beautiful flowers in front of all the shops.
We prepared a snack and went out to the deck to read but the
dog next door barked continuously for over 40 minutes, so we had to coma back
inside. Bill is taking a nap and I am going to finish watching Sister Act,
which I started yesterday.
July 23, 2021
I called Scott for his birthday this morning, and he
reminded me that his birthday is the 24th. We had a good talk,
anyway They bought a new BMW X3 a couple of weeks ago. It is a plug-in hybrid,
and they are very happy with it.
Bill said he coughed all night and he feels terrible, so we
are going to go to a testing site for a Covid test as soon as we can get him an
appointment.
July 26, 2021
We’ve lost three days of our vacation. I’m feeling pretty. good
but Bill isn’t up, yet, so I don’t know how he is. He still felt very tired and
headachy yesterday. His Covid test was negative, so that is good news. He went
t bed at 7:30 last night and he is still sleeping at a little after 8 am. He
got up after 9 and dragged himself upstairs. He had a slight fever and chills
and terrible fatigue. I made him go downstairs and get into the sauna with some
eucalyptus oil for just a few minutes. Then he took a shower and got into clean
clothes. He slept for an hour and was able to come up to watch some TV and then
he felt well enough to play SkipBo and Racko for over an hour. We read and watched
TV for the rest of the day, and he wanted to go to bed at 8. I stayed up until
9, reading and playing a video game.
July 27, 2021
Well, I am feeling pretty good, except for being very tired
for the first two hours I am up. Bill had chills again this morning. I was able
to get him to eat half a bowl of cereal and about 2/3 of a banana with some
mild. He had half a cup of coffee, some water and half a cup of tea. We watched
a couple of hours of TV and then he needed a nap. I gave him his testosterone
shot two days early, hoping that it will perk him up. I was hoping to be able
to go to the store for supplies today. I wish I could drive the car.
July 28, 2021
Wednesday started off slowly, but Bill is definitely doing
better. Yesterday afternoon, he perked up after his shot and nap, so we played
Phase 10 for a while and then he was able to go to Fred Meyer for some food. He
dragged but he did it.
When we got home, I made fried eggs and English muffins for
dinner with fresh peaches. He mentioned that the scale shows that he has gained
7 pounds while we’ve been here and that isn’t possible since he hasn’t been
eating for the last four days. It showed that I have gained the same amount of
weight so that means that the scale is off, making me quite relieved.
We had cereal, bananas, strawberries and a half piece of
toast for breakfast. I watered really well, yesterday, so I’m only doing a few
areas this morning. I found a Boggle game in the game cabinet, so when he feels
like doing something, we will give that a try.
That night, we went out for a driving lesson, so I won’t be
dependent on Bill to go places. I haven’t driven a standard transmission car for
over 35 years, but it came back to me pretty quickly. We drove to the visitor’s
center in Kelso to pick up a few brochures about the beach areas, and then we
went to Stuffies Too for dinner. I had a club sandwich and Bill had Cinnamon
roll French toast. He ate very little, but he felt fine. When we got home, we
watch TV until bedtime.
July 30, 2021
Bill was much better yesterday morning. He even got up early
and ate a good breakfast. I asked him if he felt up to going to Long Beach to
walk around a bit, see some sights and have a late lunch. He said as long as I
drove, he would be fine. We had a nice drive to Columbian White-tailed Deer
National Refuge. It was a long road with several turn outs and one area near
the end where people could park to walk on the trails or fish in the lake. We
actually saw one deer lying about 20 feet from the road and nibbling on a bush.
She saw us, but wasn’t concerned when we stopped to take her picture. We stayed
within the refuge for close to an hour, and we got out of the car at the
parking area to take a few pics, but Bill was really struggling with trying to
move around. It was hot, but he had been having chills all along so he was hot
and shivering. I decided that we needed to turn around and head back. We drove
through a town called Cathlemet. It had some nice old buildings and it reminded
us of some of the towns we went through near Sacramento, like Plymouth and a
small scale Auburn.
I stopped at Walmart to get Bill some sparkling water and a sweat shirt and pants. I also picked up a few other things so I was in the store for about 15 minutes. Bill didn’t want to go in, but with the car running and the air on, we thought he would be fine. When I got back to the car, he was not doing well. He was very hot. We got home and he could barely walk from the car to the house. Getting into the cool house helped, and we went downstairs and got him down for a nap with ice water next to him. About 10 minutes later, he texted me that he wanted his temperature taken. I took the little thermometer we had been using, down but I couldn’t figure out how to clear it. It showed 103.3 but I wanted to reset it and take it again. First. I took off his long pants and put cold washcloths on him. I called Craig and he told me about a digital thermometer that was better. It showed his temp at 100.5. I was very relieved. Craig, again, said that they would come home right away if we needed them to. I told him that there is no need for that. I left Bill to rest since his temp was not terribly high. About 10 minutes later, Will called, and told me that he would be able to be here in 30 minutes to drive him or us to the urgent care that would allow me to stay with him. I talked him out of it after taking Bills temp, again, and finding that it had gone down to 99.5. He also offered to bring me dinner or anything we need. I thought that was very kind. I let Craig know that Bill was much better. He slept for an hour and then came upstairs to watch TV with me. He ate carrots and cucumbers with dip for dinner and I had a salad. Later, we had some of the cinnamon roll French toast for dessert. We went to bed at 8:15.
He had a good night and he just got up at few minutes ago. He has a bad headache, but no fever. The day was spent quietly, reading, napping, and playing cards. I went into the back yard to pick boysenberries, but only got a few.
For dinner, I grilled hamburgers and reheated the French
fries from a couple of days ago, when we went out for dinner.
July 31, 2021
Bill has improved greatly. Still his usual morning fog, but he came fully awake by 9. We had fried egg, toast and strawberries, with blackberries that I picked from the yard yesterday afternoon.
We drove to Safeway to get a couple of things and Bill rode
in the handicapped cart, just to make sure he didn’t get too exhausted.
After dinner, we watched TV until almost 9 so we got to bed
a bit later than usual.
August 1, 2021
I got up at 5 to put the dogs out. Then. I was able to get
back to sleep for a little while. When I got up, I cleaned the cat box and took
a shower. I took the shower spray up to the kitchen and cleaned all the
counters and the stove. A little after 7 am, I heard Bill coming up the stairs.
After a slow start, Bill felt and acted even better. We went
outside so he could sit while I watered. He got up and went to get squirrel
food. After he dumped it, he said he didn’t feel as winded as he has been
feeling. He also went up to get the mail, after I was done watering.
I made a loaf of French bread to have with soup for dinner
tonight. Then, I made a small batch of pie crust to see if coconut oil works as
well as Crisco, because I want to make a chicken pie for when Jackie and Craig get
home. We are also planning to have a pizza night. Jackie just texted that we
are invited to Jenn and Will’s new house for dinner next Sunday night. They
will be home on Friday, so it will be the four of us going. I’m hoping that,
the way Bill has been improving, we might be able to go to Long Beach on
Tuesday or Wednesday. If we can make a day of it, we might be able to go to
Astoria, too. I really want to see some of the lighthouses and walk through the
shops.
The bread was delicious, but the pie crust cookies were not
flakey at all, and they needed salt. I made Hauipa to have with them, but it
wasn’t a big success. After dinner, Bill took the trash out for me. I’m so glad
that he is feeling able to do some things again. We went to bed after watching
some Twilight Zones and Everybody Loves Raymond.
Monday, August 2, 2021
We both slept in the master bedroom last night, until Bill
started snoring loudly. I got up at 5:30 went to the kitchen to clean the
freezer. Then I read for a couple of hours. I went downstairs a little after
8:30 to wake Bill up. We planned to go somewhere today, and I wanted him to
have enough time to wake all the way up. For breakfast we had yogurt, cereal,
fruit and homemade bread toast. Since I watered extra well yesterday, I don’t
need to water today.
We went to sit at Sacajewea Park for a little more than an hour, reading and enjoying being outside.
Wednesday, August 4, 2021
Bill was feeling fine so we drove to Long Beach and Astoria. We stopped at several places but nothing was outstanding. We went into a nature preserve, but their restrooms were closed due to vandalism, so we didn’t stay very long.
We also had to drive through the covered bridge, which we had done on our trip to see Craig and Jackie a few years ago.
In Long Beach, we walked through the town, looking for souvenirs. It was pretty much like any little beach town, but a lot of the shops were closed.
We drove down the beach through an arch that said it is the longest beach in the world.
We drove almost to the water. We walked just a little bit, down towards the water, but I decided I didn’t need to put my feet. There were no shells or other debris, except for several dead jellies.
We tried to go to two lighthouses, but weren’t able to because we forgot to take our Discover Pass, and we weren’t going to pay $10 just to drive through to take some pictures. We crossed several bridges and enjoyed the views.
We liked the Astoria Bridge. It was long and there was plenty of time to look around. We found a parking spot right away when we got to the historic district. We were looking for a place to get fish and chips and we found a restaurant right away, but they only served the types of seafood that we don’t like. We went to the Astoria Brewpub, which advertised fish and chips. It was an upscale kind of place, but we didn’t want to waste time knowing that we had to be home for the dogs dinner. Unfortunately, the wait for a table 45 minutes. We didn’t want to wait. We walked back to the car, thinking that we would see if there was a place along the way towards home. Just before we got in the car, I saw a place across the street, that was hidden by foliage. I walked over to see if it was a restaurant, and it was a fish place. We got delicious fish and chips and Bill had a beer. We drove home happy.
We stopped at the market to pick up some ice cream for
dessert. We got some of the supplies we will need for the pizza dinner on
Saturday. We were so tired from our long day. We watched TV and had our ice
cream and got to bed just after 8.
Wednesday. August 4
We spent a lazy day, reading, playing cards and watching tv.
We sat on the deck reading for a couple of peaceful hours. The weather was
perfect, with a little bit of a breeze to keep us comfortable. For dinner, we
had salads and baked potatoes.
Thursday. August 5, 2021
This is our last full day here without Craig and Jackie. She
wrote, last night, that they have made plans to go to Seattle next Monday, so
that will be a fun day. We had given thought to going there by train, or driving,
but, with Bill feeling so icky, we had tabled that idea.
Today, we went back to Willow Grove park at the river. We just walked and enjoyed the beauty of the area. Of course, we took several photos. We are surprised that there is such a lack of predatory birds, like eagles and ospreys at the river. I remember seeing lots of them the last time we were here.
On the way home, we stopped at the market to pick up a couple of things that we forgot to get for pizza night.
The rest of the day will be spent just relaxing. For dinner
we are going to have hot dogs and hamburgers, with potato chips. A very simple
dinner. For dessert, we have the rest of the Cherry Garcia ice cream we bought
a few days ago.
August 7, 2021
We spent a quiet day yesterday. We washed the bedding and towels, and cleaned the house for Craig and Jackie’s return. We made the pizza sauce to put away for pizza night and we made two Caribbean Banana Breads, which turned out to be delicious, although they could have used more banana.
The main difference from regular banana bread is that there are no nuts and there is coconut in and on the bread.
We played cards, read and watched tv. It rained lightly most
of the day, so I didn’t need to water. We had grilled cheese and bacon
sandwiches for dinner and left to drive to Portland just before 5 pm. We had an
uneventful drive, and made it to Cascades shopping center by 6:30. We walked a
little bit, but Bill is still having trouble with getting out of breath when he
walks, so we didn’t go far. It had also gotten pretty hot, which made it uncomfortable
to walk due to the humidity. We ended up at Red Robin for a slice of Mudd pie
and a milk shake. We drove to the cell phone waiting lot at the airport and
waited until they let us know that they were at baggage claim. We got there
with no trouble and Craig took over the driving.
We found out that Jackie has been having her heart problem for the whole time they were gone. She gets short of breath with only a few steps, and her heart procedure is still two weeks away, so we dropped her at the hospital and Craig brought us home. He greeted the dogs and cat, and then left go be with Jackie. I went downstairs to change into my nightclothes and found a humongous spider on the hallway floor. I got a glass to put over it and Bill brought me a piece of cardboard so I could carry it upstairs. I put it into a plastic container so I could take its picture and then I took it outside. I sent a picture to Jackie asking her if she had brought it home with her from Hawai’i.
I got up at 6 am and came upstairs to put the dogs out and
feed the cat, hoping that Craig and Jackie can get some sleep. I heard Kala
snuffing around on their bed, so she woke them up but after a few minutes, she
came up to go outside and when I went down to close their door, I found it
already closed. It is 7:20 now and there has been no sounds coming from downstairs.
Great news! I got the email from the DETR, that my PUA claim
has finally been approved!! Now, we’ll see how long it takes to get my money.
We spent the day relaxing and playing cards. For dinner, I
made the pizza crust and put out all the extras, and everyone made their own
pizza. We had a large salad with it. Delicious.
We got sad news from Kathy. Cory Buchanan died of Covid today. He was such a nice man, and their family was very special. The Wild Hawk Gang are taking his loss very hard.
August 8, 2021
We only have two days until we go home. This has been a
different kind of vacation, with Bill being sick for a large part of the time we’ve
been here, but we have had some fun. Yesterday, Craig had four patients, so we played
Phase 10 and Racko with Jackie for a long time. Jackie took over the watering
of the yard and she said she was very pleased with how everything looked. Blooming
flowers are everywhere. We are planning on going to Cannon Beach today, instead
of going to Jennifer and Will’s for dinner. I still hope to find something
great for Bailey.
August 9, 2021
The trip to Cannon Beach was a lot of fun. We enjoyed
another fish and chips dinner. I think that will be enough for the rest of year,
because there is so much fat involved, but we have thoroughly enjoyed the ones we’ve had.
We walked on the beach at the restaurant, Moes, while waiting for our seats.
Jackie was doing a lot better, but she still had trouble walking so she and
Craig waited on benches while we walked. We went to a cute little gift shop and
found a couple of things that I liked, including a beachy bracelet for Bailey.
On the way home, we stopped at Costco and Craig bought a decadent Tuxedo Cake for dessert, which we had while playing cards. We didn't even have dinner, because lunch was so late.
Monday we stayed home and just had a nice lazy day. We sat on the deck for a long
time, talking and playing cards, and, of course nibbling on yummy snacks. We had leftover pizza and lemon fettuccini for dinner. Another delicious meal. We had cocktails and Bill had a bit more than he is used to, but he did fine, just getting a little bit sillier than usual.
Today is our last day here, but we’ve made plans to come
back. One of the plans is to rent a cottage or a yurt at the beach for a few
days in the fall or early spring. Craig and Jackie asked us to go to Spain with
them next year, but we don’t think we are going to go. We might come back up
here to house and animal sit, again, but we will drive so we’ll have our own
car.
August 10, 2021
Today is our last day here, but we’ve made plans to come
back. One of the plans is to rent a cottage or a yurt at the beach for a few
days in the fall or early spring. Craig and Jackie asked us to go to Spain with
them next year, but we don’t think we are going to go. We might come back up
here to house and animal sit, again, but we will drive so we’ll have our own
car.
We went to Jennifer and Will’s new house to have a tour. It
is very nice, with lots of high end touches. Then we went to a restaurant for a
last fish and chips meal. It was good, but not as good as the fish at Moes or Hurricane
Rons. After lunch, they took us to the airport and, after a couple of hours, we
were on our way home. The smokey sky started a few minutes south east of
Portland and it just got worse all the way home. When we got here, we walked
off the plane and picked up our gate checked bags. By the time we got up the
ramp, Bill was ready to pass out, so I got him a wheelchair. I started wheeling
him toward the entrance, with him pushing the roller bag with the computer bag
on top of it and the duffle bag on his lap. It made for very slow going. After
a couple of hundred feet, an attendant ran up and offered to push him. Kathy
was waiting for us.
The house and yard looked wonderful. Bailey did a great job.
The blackberry bush has given her lots of berries to eat and to freeze for us,
and this morning, we picked about five cups of berries, with more to ripen
soon. The peaches are starting to ripen, although they aren’t very big, and the
mystery tree appears to be a plum or a pluot tree. It is totally loaded with
fruit, so much that it is bent over. I hope it doesn’t break.
August 24, 2021
Our lawn was terribly long so it took over 45 minutes to mow
it, but it looks beautiful. The tomatoes have been delicious and we have been
enjoying blackberries, tiny peaches and the mystery fruit, that may be
nectarines.
We have been home for two weeks, and it has been terribly
smoky every day but two, when there was a little bit of wind to blow the smoke
away. The Air Now reading has been in the 300 range the last two days. We are
working at the Covid clinic again. We work the traffic lanes on Tuesday and
Thursday and I work in the recovery lot on Wednesday, while Bill stays in the
traffic lanes. It is better for him to be there because he isn’t in the direct
sun the whole time.
I got my PUA money, and it was very welcome. We have bought
a few small things that we have been wanting, like a rolling pin and some other
baking utensils. And, we bought a set of furniture for the patio! I have been
wanting nice furniture out there for a long time. We went out looking for a
table and comfortable chairs but we found a wicker conversation set with a
couch and two swivel chairs with a low table, that we both love. It will be
delivered sometime in the middle of September. Bill also wants to get a new
BBQ, so we have been looking for just the right one.
Tony’s yard is looking so good. It is almost finished, and
he is mostly happy with it. The company that poured the cement edging for the grass
put in three decorative rocks and Tony didn’t want that, but he said that since
it’s done, he will live with it.
Last week, we went to Jennifer and Rich’s wedding reception
at Sherry’s community center. Our family were the only people not related to
Jen and Rich that were invited, so we felt very special. Tony and Anais couldn’t
go because he works 6 to 6 on Thursdays and Fridays, but Kathy and Rommie were
there. Everyone just visited and ate. The food was catered from Famous Dave’s
and it was delicious. It was the first time we met Rich, and we found that we
like him a lot. It’s good that Jennifer has found someone like him to spend her
life with. All the kids were all very well behaved that whole time. We found
out today, that they are expecting a baby on April 19. They are very happy
about it.
August 30, 2021
The Caldor fire that started near Placerville, has now
crossed Hwy 50 near Lake Tahoe, and the entire south side of the lake in evacuating.
It is terrible. Our air has actually been in the good range here for the last
couple of days, but for the most part, it has been in the unhealthy to
hazardous range.
I signed up to take care of animals through a website called Rover.com. Our first client was Koda, an Austrian Shepard/Poodle. He came over on Saturday morning. He Is such a good dog, and we enjoyed having him here. We took him to Wingfield Park for the Aloha Festival but once we got there we found out it was cancelled. We sat in the park for a little while, and then decided to go up to Graeagle to visit with Kathy and Rommie and Phil and Brenda.
We spent a couple of hours there, and then, on the way home, we decided to go to Dairy Queen for blizzards. The server, Nat, saw Koda in the back seat, and asked if he could have a Puppy Cup. He was a happy camper.
His parents went to the bay area for a day, and they contacted us to ask if Koda could spend the night, and we said that would be ok. One of their relatives came to pick him up on Sunday afternoon.
We have another client coming at the end of the month, Jack.
He is a Shi Tzu, and he will be staying for five days. That will be a bit more
challenging, but the pay is pretty good for boarding.
Last night Susie and Kurt took us to Fortune Palace for Bill’s
birthday dinner. We had a good time. After dinner, we went to their house where
they gave him his present, a new game, called Worst Cast Scenario. We played it
while we had Banana cake that Susie made. We like the game a lot.
Craig and Jackie had to cancel their plans to come to Lake Tahoe
on Sept 12 because of the fire, so we are going to drive up to visit them for a
few days to pick up the suitcase we left there. So, we will have another little
getaway starting on Sept 16.
We’re going to go to Susie and Kurt’s house for dinner on
Friday, Sept 3, to celebrate Nick’s 40th birthday. The kids and Bailey,
and Susie and Kurt are going to come over for Bill’s birthday dinner on
Saturday night. We are going to make pizza and salad. They all loved our pizza
when they came over a few weeks ago. So we have a busy weekend coming up.
They stayed until almost 9.
The next night, we went to Kurt and Susie’s for Nick’s
party. He is now 40. Susie is having a hard time believing that she has a 40
year old son. Chris and Charli were there with Chase and Cohen. They are both
so cute and very well behaved. Pierce and Landon were there. Pierce is 12, and
he has become a nice young man. He has good manners and he kept Chase and Cohen
pretty busy. Landon, 18, is very friendly although he has gotten into quite a
bit of trouble, which is very troubling for Nick, being a parole officer. Danielle
has not been a good influence on him.
We are taking care of Archie, a 6 month old dachshund. He is a bundle of energy and adorable, but he hasn’t figured out that he needs to potty outside, so we are having to clean up lots of small puddles. He cried a lot for his mom the first morning, but today, he was fine.
We went to Micky and Maxine’s for dinner last night and he was very entertaining.
Because of him, I am skipping work this week, which doesn’t make me sad, at all.
Sept 18
Tony came over to take away the old barbeque and the new
barbeque was delivered on Monday. Our rover business has taken off. We had
Ginger and Molly after Archie. We took care of Abby Caracker for a few days while
they went to Napa. But she is Patty and Dan’s dog, not a Rover dog.
Bill worked on Monday and Tuesday, but he took Wednesday off
because his back was hurting him too much to stand and move cones all morning.
We got up a few minutes before 4 on Thursday morning and were ready to leave before 4:30. We stopped at Maverick for coffee and were on the road at 4:35. I didn’t like driving in the dark, but it’s highway and the traffic was light. We stopped at Walmart in Susanville to use the bathroom and headed toward Alturas. We had planned to have breakfast there, but the GPS took us a different way, toward Klamath Falls We passed some interesting places, that I would love to explore sometime, like Lava Beds National Monument. It was a very large area and one of the signs pointed out the way to some petroglyphs.
A large portion was forest and there were so many small lakes and campgrounds.
We had breakfast in Klamath Falls at a little restaurant
near the freeway. I had a waffle, made with yeast, which was very good, totally
different from the usual waffle. Then we got back on the road and only stopped
one time, in Eugene for gas. We got to Craig and Jackie’s house at 4:40,
exactly the time we had planned.
Yesterday, we drove to Seaside because they needed to go to Costco to pick up a prescription for the dog. It drizzled for most of the day, but not terribly hard. We had a fun day, stopping in Seaside to have lunch, but unfortunately, after waiting three hours for the prescription, it wasn’t ready. So, Craig has to drive all the way back there this morning to get it. We had lunch at 12:30 or so, and, last night, none of us was hungry, so we just skipped dinner. We had a couple of pieces of candy, and Jackie and Bill had popcorn after a few hits of pakalolo.
It rained last night which was very nice for us. It is
supposed to be this way for the whole weekend. We are planning on reading and
playing games all day.
We are talking about taking the train to Seattle on Monday
or Tuesday.
Sept 24
We’re home. We had a fun time with Craig and Jackie. Craig and Bill had some male bonding discussions and we played Spite and Malice a LOT. And we had lots of Covid tails.
We had planned to take the train to Seattle on Tuesday, but that morning, after we were all ready, Jackie let us know that she was going to stay home, because she wasn’t going to be able to do any walking. We refused to go and said that we could either go somewhere else that Jackie would be able to go to, or we could stay home and play games all day.
We drove all the way to Lincoln City, which took over three hours each way, so we didn’t spend much time there, but we had a good time. And we stopped for lunch at a really cute huge restaurant along a river and the food was delicious.
We had perfect weather all day.
Wednesday, we packed for the trip home and at 11, Jackie and I got pedicures. In the afternoon, we played cards until dinner time, when Craig and Bill went to pick up pizzas. We had brownies for dessert.
Our trip home was uneventful. We tried to take lots of pictures, but that meant stopping often, and we wanted to get home before dark. We left their house at 4:30, and got on the road at 5, after finding coffee and having our first bathroom stop. It rained most of the morning. We stopped in Gresham, Oregon at 6:45 for breakfast at Elmers. The food was good, and we were very glad we had left early enough to get through Portland before the rush hour started.
We had a good, but short, view of Mt. Hood and got one good shot of it after the clouds parted just as we got to it. Several miles later, we had a good view of the mountain, so we stopped to get a last shot of it.
We got home at 6:00 and unpacked the beige bag and the beach bag, and I took care of the rest of the suitcases this morning. As always, it is good to be home.
We have a meet and greet with a new family on Sunday, and on
Monday, we will be taking care of Jack for six days.
October 9, 2021
We finally had some rain here. It was much needed. The trees are well on their way toward fall, so we will be spending lots of time racking and cleaning the yard in the next few weeks. I already picked the last of the tomatoes and pulled up the plants,
Jack was here for a week, and he was a problem right from the start. He was afraid of us, so he growled whenever we tried to get near him. We were able to keep our distance most of the time, just putting his food down and letting him go to it when he was ready. He slept in a kennel and it was a chore to get him to come out in the morning. It was also a big chore to get him to come inside. We had to leave the door open to the yard, and sneak around to close it when he would venture inside. Several times he heard the one doing the sneaking and he would dart back outside. After four days, we were able to pet him on the face and he even came up on the couch a few times and we were able to reach over to pet him. Patty brought Abby over to play three times, and that made Jack much more tolerable to have here. The last day, Bill was able to get down on the floor and play with him, but he still wouldn't come close to us.
For all that trouble, we didn’t even get a tip, although we did get a great review, which is much needed so other people will want to contact us.
We have two golden doodles coming on Friday and staying
until Sunday. We’re sure they will be no trouble at all. We have two older dogs
coming over Thanksgiving week for $720. We’re so glad Tony told us to try
Rover.
Speaking of Tony…he took us out to the rocky area at Nightingale Hot Springs to get some volcanic rock for the firepit. We got a lot of it, along with several decorative rocks. We are very happy with the result.
He told us not to make any plans for the night of October 16. So he has another surprise in store for us.
We bought two toilets, with smooth sides, two sinks and two faucets. Now all we have to do is find someone to install the countertops in the bathrooms.
Foothill Road near Minden
Emerald Bay
Bliss State Park
HomewoodOctober 15
We are boarding Maple and Moose until Monday morning. The are very good dogs, except for an occasional bark, which scares the bejeebees out of us.
Moose sleeps between us at our feet, and Maple sleeps in her kennel in the sunroom. Jackie’s surgery went well. I spoke to her in the hospital yesterday. She has a broken rib, which, after it broke, they simply cut the end off, so she is not only in pain from the surgery, but from the rib. She hopes to go home on Saturday. Craig confirmed that she will probably be able to do that.
Sad news – Our friend Dan, who we met last summer at the pool,
and liked immediately, has been losing weight and feeling exhausted for the
last several weeks. He was taken to the hospital last week and the biopsy,
which was already scheduled, showed that he has pancreatic and liver cancer. They
are putting him in hospice and he won’t be going home. Tina is devastated. They
are such nice people.
Sam and Squeege came over for a meet and greet last week.
They are great dogs so they will be with us October 30 to November 11 and we will
have Ozkar Nov 23 to Nov 30, Thanksgiving week. He is a sweetie. He likes to
hold arms in his mouth, which is fine, except we get very wet arms. Tomorrow,
we will meet Fox. If he works out, he will be with Oct. 28 to Nov 1, part of the
time while Sam and Squeege are here. They are all old, so we checked with Sam and
Squeege’s parents to ask if they would mind if Fox came over for a short time.
They are fine with that.
October 17
So, Tony told us two weeks ago, that we were going to go
somewhere on Oct 16, but, as usual, we weren’t allowed to know where we were
going. We arranged for Bailey to come over about half way through the evening
to let the dogs go outside. He called at 1:00 and asked us to go with them
early, but, because of the dogs, we had to pass.
Tony and Anais picked us up at 4:30 ish, and we started out
by driving down to Caramella Ranch near Geiger Grade, by way of Hidden Valley
and the back roads so we could visit hundreds of wild horses. We were amazed by
how many there were, and how scattered they were over the whole area.
We got to the “Ranch,” which is actually a housing development
at about 5:30. As Tony drove through the gate, he told the guard that he was
with the band. We thought he was just being funny, and that we were stopping
there to look at a model home, as he had mentioned how nice the house were. We
parked and walked up to an area full of lawn chairs, and I immediately saw a
Slam Grand. We were at an Abbacadabra show! Tony and Anais had been at the
sound check in the afternoon. That was why he had called to ask us to go early.
We could have gone to that with them.
Sandy came up to us and we talked for a long time, about the
old Gary and Sandy days as well as the Abba shows. She even sang a few bars of
Love On the Rocks and Do Me a Favor. She still has a wonderful singing voice.
We just love it so much that Tony comes up with fun things for us to do with them.
Today is windy and tomorrow is supposed to bring some rain.
We had a stone and tile company send a man over to give us
an estimate on the bathroom work. We are hoping it will be within our budget.
We had dinner at Tony and Anais' house on Friday, Oct 19. Anais made Swedish meatballs, which were really delicious. Bailey and Kathy were there. We had a good evening
There really isn’t anything new to write. We’ve had a lot of
dogs since we started doing Rover, and most of them have been really fun to
have here. Right now, we have Fox for four days, and Sam and Squeege for 14
days. Sam and Squeege are really sweet, but very needy of attention. I hope it
will be easier after Fox goes home, because Squeege is a bit protective when
she is next to me on the couch. She is a Border Collie, which explains that a
little bit.
Our bathrooms are going to be done on Thursday. We are using Raudel. Their men came
over on Friday to take our slab in to be cut. I am so excited. The cost is
$2,200, which is below what we were prepared to pay.
Craig and Jackie asked us to join them for a week at a Eagle
Crest Resort in Redmond Oregon the week of November 14. We are going to do it.
We are always up for a vacation. The normal cost of the two- bedroom condo is
$1,300 + but because Jackie’s daughter, Jennifer, is in a vacation club, we are
getting it for $524, including tax and fees. So, our part is only $262. We are
going to take some spaghetti sauce, and another meal, along with some breakfast
foods, and snacks with us. We will leave
by Friday morning, because we are going to meet Monique and Brian in Sacramento
on Saturday, November 20. I don’t know what we are going to do with them yet,
but we’ll figure it out.
I took Tina shopping at Penny's on Friday to find an outfit for Dan's memorial on November 14. We won't be going. She understands why. We wouldn't know anyone there, and it is a five hour drive, so we'd have to stay in a hotel.
November 6
We’ve had a pretty quiet week, except for Sam and Squeege,
who are the neediest dogs we’ve ever known. I’ve had to turn down a few day
care requests because of Squeege’s possessiveness.
On Wednesday, we went to dinner at Cantina Los Tres Hombres
with Mahon and Valerie,
Sarah, Taffy and Tippy’s parents. We had a good time, and we
really have a lot in common, like the way we grew up, our kids, etc. We like
them, but they are looking to buy a house in Yerington, so we will probably not
see them after that.
We got our first repeat booking. It is for Maple and Moose,
who are not Rover clients, so there will be no commission. Yay.
Craig told us that Jackie moved her arm a couple of nights
ago, heard a snap, and was immediately in tremendous pain. She was rushed to
the hospital in an ambulance. They found that when they broke her front rib,
they also broke a back one. She will be fine, but there will be pain management
for a while. I hope she will be able to go on the trip next week.
I gave crochet lessons to Tina and Patty, yesterday, at Tina’s
house. It was fun, and they both learned a little bit.
I tested Tony and Kathy to ask if we were going to be able
to get together for Thanksgiving dinner. Tony and Anais are going to be with
Phil’s family, so we will be going to Kathy and Rommie’s. We will have Oskar
here, so he will have to be alone, but he seemed to be calm enough that he will
be able to stay for a few hours. We will test him for a couple of hours before
that day, by going out for a little while.
The bathrooms were supposed to be done on the 4th, but the workers showed up on the 3rd. We had to scramble to get dressed and remove the few things that were left in both bathrooms. I’m glad that I had already boxed up the things that live under the sink. The work only took a few hours. The only thing left for them to do is put the tile backsplash on. I thought maybe we could do it ourselves, but Bill didn’t think it was a good idea. They look so good, even without the tile.
I’ve already received a check from Block, for some of the
training I had to do. My first day of work will be November 22. I don’t think I’ll
be working five days a week, at first, but I don’t know, because Nancy hasn’t
given me my schedule, yet.
Last Monday, we had two dogs, Buchoy and Luna, just for the day and over-night. They were okay, but not very endearing dogs, and they were dirty. When Bill patted one of them, dust flew out of his coat. They live in the desert, and they are probably outside a lot. Tuesday, after they left, Oskar arrived. He is such a sweet boy, and very well behaved. I think he is my favorite client so far.
Now all that is left to have done are the floors, still three weeks away.
My 2021 Thanksgiving Message
This year, I give thanks for:
My husband – without whom, I am sure, I would never have grown into the person I am. He has been my support, my inspiration, and my companion for 44 and ½ years.
Bill’s doctors who have worked diligently to keep him alive and functioning through this very challenging disease. I am thankful that his cancer is being controlled by some amazing medications, that weren’t even available as recently as five years ago.
My kids – who despite growing up at a time when many became druggies, despite not always having the advantages that might have been available to many others, turned out to be competent, productive, responsible individuals and people with whom I enjoy spending time.
My kids spouses – they married our kids and make them happy.
My grandchildren – we have been so fortunate to have our lovely granddaughters so close that we know them inside and out. My regret is that we don’t live near our grandsons, who are quickly turning into real people. I’m grateful that the boys are able to see their other grandparents so often. Children learn so much from the older generation.
Joline – my sister is very important to me. Her support has been constant through Bill’s illness. When I get into a panic, she knows just what to say to keep me going. I don’t think I could have gotten through the past four years without her.
Family – this is one everyone is thankful for. I don’t see our cousins, nieces and nephews and in-laws very often, but I’m happy to have them and see them whenever possible.
My dogs – yes, my dogs. All the wonderful 4-legged beings that have graced my life with unconditional love, dedication, unbridled joy, companionship and acceptance almost constantly since I was seven years old.
My profession – I was so fortunate that Bill had a profession which allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom most of the time. The few “real” jobs I had to supplement our income so we could have some extras, never kept me from my main job of being a wife and mom. I’m grateful that, since we moved back to Nevada, I was able to work at one full-time job for one year, and several part-time jobs for five years, allowing us to maintain our way of life even with the economy giving us constant challenges.
Aunt Vera – who finally convinced me that I needed to retire from all those part-time jobs once and for all. My sister and several friends had been telling me to take care of myself but Aunt Vera helped me to see that by retiring, I would be doing just that, allowing me to be more available for Bill’s health needs.
Bill’s dad – I am very thankful that we were able to bring him out here to live near us last October, and that he was healthy and happy in his assisted living home. We were able to see him from five to seven days a week, and we enjoyed being with him up until he got sick. While I miss him, I’m thankful that he didn’t linger once God decided to call him home.
My health – I weigh more than I should, but, despite that, and a few small occasional illnesses, I have enjoyed good health all my life. This is very important to me because it is allowing me to be a full-time caregiver to Bill when he needs me to fill that role.
Friends –we don’t see them as much as we used to when the kids were home. Everyone has their own families and most of our friends are still working. I wish we were able to spend time with them. But, I know that, if we needed something, I have friends I could call on, and they would be there in a flash.
Our house – which is way too small for us. But, at least we have one.
Our neighborhood – it is quiet and safe. We enjoy the amenities we have just three short blocks away, like the pool and gym.
Our condo – we are fortunate that we have been able to hold onto the condo in Maui for 17 years, and we are especially happy that we are able to go to Maui again. We missed going for four years, while Bill was undergoing myriads of treatments.
All U.S. Veterans – And their families. – For giving up all that they do and have to assure me the ability and the right to do what I want, like share this with you.
I'm thankful that I can post this on Facebook so my friends and family can read it. I'm sure I'll look at this later and realize I've forgotten something. If so, I have the choice to add a comment if necessary.
We went to Kathy
and Rommie’s for Thanksgiving dinner, and, as always, the meal was delicious. They
had ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, stuffing and green beans. Kathy cooked
the beans in the air fryer, and they were nice and tender, but still a little
bit firm.
After dinner, we hurried over to Phil’s for dessert, because they had their dinner at 2 and we didn’t eat until a little after 3, and they had already served some of their desserts. There were quite a few people there, including Phil, Sr. and Barbara, who I talked to for quite a while. We took our apple and German Chocolate Pecan pies.
We didn’t stay long, because we had Oskar and we didn’t know how well he would behave with us gone. It turned out that he is a complete angel, so we needn’t have hurried.
The kids
went to get their trees on Saturday. They were blessed with perfect weather. I’m
really happy that Kathy and Tony are spending so much time together with each
other and their friends.
I got a lot
of presents wrapped already, because I will be doing a lot of Block work
starting on Dec 1. I finally found things at Lowes for all the kids that I’m
happy about. Kathy and Rommie, and Scott and Jenn are getting rain chains, and
Tony and Anais are getting a hanging birdbath.
We have
started taking things out of the kitchen and living room. Several plants and
the wine rack are now in the office and sunroom. I wish we could just get it
done, but we don’t want to live for the next three weeks, with no furniture,
Susie and Kurt came over for pasta casserole last night. We used our new patio furniture for the first time.
We were lucky to have a fairly warm evening until the sun went down.
Kurt and Susie both had seconds so I guess that makes dinner a success. We played Shut the Box and Racko after dinner and we had a lot of fun. During dessert, we had Bill’s Pecan pie. Both of them said it was delicious. They brought Annie over to play with Oskar, which wasn’t a great idea, because, he is young and vigorous, and she is getting old and crochety. They played a little bit, and he was so tires that he slept all night without even changing his position.
December 9
I have been busy going through the training for my Block
job. It is going to be much more involved than it was last year. I just hope I’ll
be able to understand how to do all the reports and different tasks I will have
to do. I feel very intimidated by it. There
were two training days in Carson City last week, but Nancy drove Shelly, the
ATL at the Prater office, and me to it, so I didn’t have to drive all that way
in the terrible traffic. I learned how to do some of the tasks. There will be
more hands on and 1 on 1 training next week.
Maple and Moose made their first return visit last week.
They are good except they don’t listen very well. Moose had issues with pooping
the last two nights. We are going to have them again in January and February,
and I hope that issue will be resolved by then. We are getting Stewie and Maverick,
our client cats, today. I hope they are no trouble. I have a picture in my mind
of Hammy, who mostly walks around and visits everyone, and then goes into
hiding.
We’re continuing to empty out any moveable furniture that
has glass in it, for the floor installation on the 20th. The house
already looks very bare.
Patty loaned me an ugly sweater, that I made even uglier, for the Pot Luck that I went to before one of the training classes. I didn’t win, even though mine was one of the best. An ATL named Chelsea, had added all kinds of strange things to her sweater, and it really was good.
Patty and Bob are having a Christmas open house on Dec 18. That is the only party we’ve been invited to. We bought the rolls to make the monkey bread, and we are going to put that together in the next few days, freeze it, and bake it at Kathy’s Christmas morning. All the presents are wrapped and living in our bedroom closet.
December 12
I finally got fed up with my computer. It never performed the way I wanted it to and the last straw was that I couldn't connect to the Internet anywhere but at home. I needed to be able to connect for work the first day, because there are things I am supposed to do, but there are no computers there, yet. I don't know if I like it, yet, because, since it is smaller than I'm used to, the keyboard is a bit off. We'll see. At least I have it for the next few days.
The kids went out of their way to get us perfect gifts. Slippers and shirts for Bill, a soft pink short robe and a plaid poncho for me, and a calendar with 12 of Tony's pictures, were some of the highlights. Bryanna got us a 1000 piece football stadium puzzle of the U of Arkansas, which I already have ready to start on the dining room table. I told the girls they should come over to help us in the next couple of weeks, while Bryanna is home.
