Things

9/15/2016

Last night after Jeff got home from picking up the plane, which he was allowed to fly since he had another pilot with him, we went back to the hangar to update the avonics, which are important to keep updated.

We took his car, rolled the windows and top down and went 60+ miles an hour down the road with wind whipping our hair (correction - my hair).  I have to tell you that riding in a convertible is very mind clearing.  And my mind always needs clearing! (insert smile here).

We didn't eat dinner before we went but we decided that we weren't particularly hungry, so we drove through McDonald's and bought 2 ice cream cones.  They have great ice cream and you can't beat the price.  So on our short trip home, I put the radio on my music - 50's and 60's.  With the top down you have to crank up your tunes loud so that you can hear them.  Of course, if you're at a traffic light, the folks next to you can listen to your music as well!

I'm still doing battle with the girls potty business.  One thing that slows that process down is it is difficult for me to go up and down the stairs "x" number of times a day.  The girls, of course, can run at great speeds up and down.  They have so much energy.  I'm exhausted just watching them run around.

Our community has an electronic bulletin board of sorts and it amuses me to see what people take the time to post.  One such recent post was that a snake skin was found in the garage.  The person wanted to know if she should call animal control to see if the snake was poisonous.  When I read that all I could think of was - throw the skin away.  The snake is gone and not likely to have been poisonous.  Perhaps some people just have too much time on their hands.  Unfortunately, it has become the new norm to post every little detail of your life.  I rarely put anything on Facebook and when I do, I make sure it's a generic post.

Now that I've finished my morning blog, it's time to get up and get something/anything done.

P

Giving Up or Getting On?

9/14/2016

If you know me well, you also know that I suffer from some sort of "itis" in my left hip.  Over the years, I've had therapy, shots in the hip (not fun at all in case you were wondering), lifts in one shoe and anything else a reasonably sane person or doctor would do or prescribe.  

When we, although I haven't recently, done the WalMart/Costco run, I can either use one of those stupid little motorized carts, or walk and by the end of the trip end up dragging my left leg back to the car.  I hate the little carts probably because of the beep beep sound when they're backing up and also because of the number of people and/or shelf contents I have knocked into!  I know - probably shouldn't have a driver's license.

If I do get out and do some walking, it's not long before I'm very fatigued and need to sit and rest.  The problem is if I sit on a curb, then I have to try (emphasis on the word try) to get myself up and standing.  Nearly impossible.  So while exercise would be good for me, I can't go very far before my "itis" makes itself known.  Hence, I walk as little as possible.  Which I know it's healthy for me.

My doctor and I had discussed a service dog for stability but then it occurred to me that I don't need a service dog as much as I need a walker with a seat.  Turns out my doctor agrees.  They make a rollator which has a seat attached, so that when you're tired, you can sit down.  And to make it even more awesome, they make rollators which can be turned into a small transport chair that someone can push me around in.  

Medicare pays for these types of devices and you can even get a new one in 5 years of continued use.  First, you obviously need a doctor's prescription, which is no problem.  Then you have to find the rollator/transport chair that suits you best.  After you have done that, paperwork is involved between your doctor and Medicare.  Or, for around $300.00 I could just buy the rollator of my choice and ignore all the red tape.  Very tempting to just say "charge it"!!

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CPAP Madness

9/13/2016

Both Jeff and I suffer from sleep apnea and wear our masks every night and even take the machines with us when we travel.  Since we are long-time users of the CPAP masks, it would feel odd, not to mention unhealthy, to sleep without the masks.

Unfortunately, Bella looooooooooooooved my CPAP mask a week or so ago.   She put a tear in the mask, which obviously needs to be replaced.  I have ordered a new mask but in the meantime went through our stash of CPAP supplies and found an adequate old mask.  I'm getting ready for bed last night and have my strap on and one of the little plastic pieces that holds the mask in place fell off.  It's late and Jeff has been asleep and unfortunately now I've woken him up.

We found a mask but I think it originally was used by Jeff.  The mask is too big and the bottom edge of the mask goes down into my upper lip.  Needless to say I was not a happy camper and didn't sleep well at all last night.

I called again to the medical folks who supply us with our equipment and put out an "SOS" call to have at least a new mask sent to me as soon as possible.  

When you have sleep apnea you can either: (a) use the appropriate equipment so you keep breathing, which is very important; or (b) sleep without it and find yourself waking up through the night when you stop breathing!  Obviously, option (a) is the right answer.

So mission critical today is to sort through old and tired masks and find one that will work in the interim, until my new mask arrives.  The representative from the medical company asked me how long it's been since I've had a new hose.  I had to laugh because the answer is years.  He asked how many years and I told him it has been so long that I've actually forgotten.

Here's hoping that I'll be able to find a mask somewhere in the CPAP stash box!

P

Sunny Monday

9/12/2016

Jeff came home last night from his trip to Duluth.  I knew that his plane landed late, so I took the girls and we went to bed.  I knew when he got home.  All three dogs stood up in the bed waiting for the bedroom door to open.  The dogs were so happy to see him and he received the right amount of puppy kisses.  

The dogs let me sleep in until 9:00 this morning.  When they are really ready to get up, they make sure that you know it.  The jumping up and down from the bed increases as does the volume of their yips and yaps.  

After breakfast which the girls consume in mere seconds - they are not dainty eaters - they went out to the backyard to play and see what plant(s) they could destroy this morning.  If they only loved weeds as much as they do plants!

Cooler weather today but I'm still not in the mood for opening up the house and then having to close it down again.  And yes, I can be rather lazy, a fact I freely admit.  Besides, I'm not ready to have the girls push their noses against window screens!

Agenda today: unpack Jeff's suitcase and do laundry.  I know you're all drooling with envy over my "to do" chores.  (Insert smile here).

The girls have returned from being outside for 30 minutes or so and they have collapsed onto the floor for their first nap of the day.  When they're napping, they're very, very good. 

Have a great day.

P
 

 

Where Were You?

9/11/2016

There have been many events in our lives that are forever etched in our memory.  The first one that comes to mind was the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Obviously, I wasn't around then, but old veterans remember that day every year.

The first tragedy I remember was the assassination of John Kennedy.  I was in 8th grade English when the announcement came over the speaker.  School was closed and we were to go home.  My memory isn't sharp enough to remember if the school was closed for more than one day.  As a young teen, the news of Kennedy's death was a shock.  I remember my parents stayed glued to the television all day and watched countless loops of the same pictures and the same stories.

Then there was September 11, 2001.  I was at work at Marriott headquarters.  As it was early morning, I was drinking coffee and chatting with my friends.  Then somebody ran into our office and said that a plane had hit the World Trade Tower.  I couldn't seem to get out of my chair, frozen in place I suppose.  Then the next tower went down and the Pentagon was hit.  Complete pandemonium broke out. 

We were told by our supervisors that we had two choices: (a) go home; or (b) stay inside the building where there were enough provisions for most employees for a few days.  I couldn't imagine staying at work, just to be on the safe side.

I got into my car and decided against taking the interstate home.  I drove the back roads and the world was eerily quiet.  There was no horn honking, and there wasn't a bird in the sky.  It was as if the world had stopped, and in effect it had.  Nothing would ever be the same again.

By the time I got home, I called Scott and Andy.  I told them that if we were forced to evacuate, they were to get in their car and head west.  Go to Illinois I told them and stay with my brother.  I assured them that if we were evacuated that Jeff and I would be right behind them.  I tried to reassure them, which I did as best as I could.  But, I wanted to give them an instruction to leave the area if the time arose that required us to leave our home.

Everything about the world has changed since 9/11.  Countless bombings, and terrorist attacks have unfortunately become the norm not only for us, but for the rest of the world.  The security and safety  I felt as a teenager in the 60's is something that I doubt young generations will ever know.  They will always associate airports with the necessity of removing shoes and having their body and bags scanned. 

We lost many people on 9/11 and there are countless number of survivors, who will never forget where they were, or where their loved ones were on that day.  Let us never forget that on 9/11 we lost our sense of security and peace.

P

Apologies

9/10/2016

When I talked to Jeff last night, he asked where my blog was for the 9th.  I explained that yesterday I didn't have anything to blog about.  There was no cause (in my humble opinion) that needed championing.  No earth shattering news from the home front and that I simply hadn't felt bloggy (a new word).

Yesterday, I was brave and went to the salon and left the dogs alone in the house.  This was a huge gamble because I might have come home to entire rooms destroyed.  Luckily, other than bits of tree bark in the living room, they were good.  I was only gone about 30 minutes to have my face waxed.  If I didn't wax, I could be a strong contender against Jeff in beard growing.  I would have thought that after 30 plus years of waxing, they hairs on my chin would give up.  Sadly, a new crop of hair sprouts every few weeks.  

Last night before going to sleep, I put down one of those little piddle pads in the bathroom for the girls.  When I woke up this morning, clearly a fight had ensued.  It was Bella and Daisy versus the pad.  The girls won.  I have white cotton fluff everywhere in the bedroom.  Not going to bother putting down another pad tonight!  I don't need a rock to fall on my head to know that if I put down a pad tonight, I won't be getting a different outcome.

Today is mop the kitchen and dining room floors.  Thank goodness for Pergo flooring.  I can only imagine what urine would do to a real hardwood floor.  Then I might go to Petsmart to buy another round of puppy chews.  Our house looks like a pet store vomited up chewy crisp things, fluff from a stuffed toy, and half-eaten bones.  

Daisy (terrier) is a digger.  Her black nose is now constantly brown and the holes in the backyard are impressive.  She has also taken a liking to tree bark.  Me - not so much.  Several times I've caught her in the living room (off white carpet - at least it used to be) gnawing on a piece of bark.  Very messy stuff.  I know the girls need to chew, but I'd prefer it not be tree bark!

Have a wonderful Saturday.  Jeff's trip to Duluth wraps up tonight and he'll fly home tomorrow.  I know he's had a good time.

P

Sleeping with the dogs

9/8/2016

Last night, the girls both decided that they had to sleep along side of me.  Mind you, there was more than half of the bed unoccupied, but they didn't seem to care.  Turning over with two puppies semi-attached, is a bit on the difficult side.  I'm probably going to take a short snooze in my chair this afternoon.

Benjamin is coming over for a few hours this morning while Andrew and Stacey attend a seminar on estate planning.  We'll probably watch a movie.  I'll tell him anything but Shrek (which is what I always say) and we'll end up watching Shrek.  It's a wonderful game that Benjamin and I play.

Dinner last night was a BLT, minus the "t" and the "l"!  It was absolutely yummy.  Ice cream for dessert.   When Jeff's not home, I don't cook.  So while he's eating out (think banquet food), I'm eating in (think frostie flakes, toast and ice cream).  

I know that Jeff is having a good time in Duluth.  Pilots like talking about planes every chance they get.  It's sort of like when war veterans get together, they can "fight" the war(s) all over again.

We had a thunderstorm last night.  Heaven knows we needed the rain.  Good news is that neither puppy paid any attention to the sound of thunder.  Sam would go crazy when he heard thunder and lightening.

Keeping this short because I can hear the girls grumbling in the living room.  Likely, they are fighting over the same piece of rawhide!

P

Day One

9/7/2016

Today is day one of my mini-vacation.  Jeff flew to Duluth this morning and will be back on Sunday.  He'll have a good time talking with pilots about all things aviation.  I, on the other hand, will watch cheesy television and eat cereal for dinner!

While the event planners do have events for non-flying spouses, the majority of the time is events for pilots.  I've done several migrations and don't think they are really my thing. Particularly this year, since Jeff has temporarily lost his medical and has to fly commercial (horrors), there is no way that I want to be crammed into a plane and fed peanuts and warm coke.

I've lots of things that I can and probably should do, but then again there is nothing on my to do list that is life threatening or even critical.  I can vacuum today or I can do it tomorrow.   Andy and Stacey are dropping Benjamin off tomorrow morning so that they can attend a lecture about estate planning.  So with the exception of them coming to the house, I'm not expecting anybody else.

I might do some more purging of files.  After all, how many years of insurance policies do you really need to keep?  Answer - only the current year.

The girls have returned from playing outside, so it's time for the first nap of the day.  I am a good pet owner and when they nap, I take a short snooze too.  Wouldn't want to wake the girls up!

Have a good day.

P

Purging and Merging

9/6/2016

Do you have files that instead of systematically going through to dispose of old papers, you just keep adding to the file?  I know you do.  I do too.  Yesterday, because I had nothing better to do (read: nothing better than I wanted to do), I took time to go through a file labeled "CVS" for our pharmacy receipts, etc.

The file was quite large with prescriptions going back to 2012.  Clearly, I don't purge nearly often enough.  I'm happy to say that the file is now back to a more normal size and the shredder is going to fill up when I start shredding all this paper.

I know I have many files in need of review.  I have files on cars we haven't owned in years as well as expired insurance policies.  I don't know why I don't toss out the old policies when the new ones come in.  Yes I do - I can be lazy.  And, it's not like anyone's going to know if I've tidied up the files.

Jeff leaves tomorrow for Duluth, so have to get the last of his clothes washed and his suitcase out.  He's not looking forward to a commercial flight, but he will enjoy himself ones he lands in Duluth.

I will spend the remainder of this week doing as much, or as little, as I want to.  Won't be fixing dinners I can promise you that.  Two pieces of toast would be an adequate dinner for me.  

Jeff has enjoyed these last few days off.  Gets to sleep in - sort of!  The girls begin to do their I need to eat and potty dance about 7:00 in the morning.  Good news is that after breakfast and romping through the yard, they are ready for a nap.  I'll take good advantage of that to "nap" in my chair with them.

P

Feels Like Sunday

9/5/2016

It's Monday, but feels like Sunday.  Three day weekends are lovely, but mess with your mind, at least as far as the calendar is concerned!

Jeff and I had a peaceful Sunday.  Took a nap while the girls were asleep.  Once the girls are down, I try to make as little noise as possible.  There's no reason to wake up a sleeping dog.  In the afternoon, Jeff went and did the Costco and WalMart run, basically to get me junk food to eat while he's away.

I don't cook when I'm by myself, unless you consider nuking something in the microwave cooking.  One of my favorite things to eat is frosty flakes with bananas.  There was a time when I ate Sugar Smacks, but gave them up for a more adult-like (ha) cereal like frosties.

Andy wants Jeff to come out and help or do electrical work on the deck et al on the back of his house.  I'll stay home and hold down the fort and find Jeff's suitcase, so that he can pack tomorrow for his trip.  I know he's not excited about commercial plane travel, but he is looking forward to the migration itself.  Who wouldn't like to talk about planes all day?  Non-flying spouses I suppose.

I've been using the carpet shampooer a lot recently, but couldn't figure out how to clean out the bottom of the machine where the brushes are properly.  Jeff helped me with that, and the machine is cleaned up and ready for use.  The girls are spending more time outside, so the accidents, which doesn't include peeing, is getting better.  I do believe the worst of things is behind us and the girls sleep well in our bed - up until they decide it's time to get up.  Then things get loud in a hurry.  Sleeping in is not an option when you have a dog that sits on your face!

Have a wonderful Monday day and contrary to the holiday's name, don't labor!

P

Prepping For The Trip

9/4/2016

Jeff is leaving for Duluth on Wednesday.  My job is to make sure that his shirts, pants, shorts and you name it are all washed and ready to go into his suitcase.  Also have to make sure that I have the proper bag for his CPAP machine.  Jeff and I don't travel without our machines.

We spent much of yesterday, in different rooms in recliners taking an afternoon snooze.  The girls are generally ready for a nap anytime we are - thank goodness.  I have two notions about the girls when they're sleeping.  One is that I could get up and do something/anything.  However, this would likely wake them up - bad idea.  The other is just to lean back in the recliner and zone out until they wake up - good idea.

Jeff is going to make a run to Costco and WalMart probably today.  I'll stay home.  I'm not quite ready to leave the puppies alone in the house for the hour(s) it will take to shop.  They might (emphasis on might) be good - and more likely will destroy something(s) in the house!

Slept in this morning which was lovely.  Jeff got up with the dogs after they started walking on our faces.  I pretended that I didn't notice them, but they were pretty hard to ignore.  But, I was able to go back to sleep and let Jeff handle the feeding and the potty business.  

Cooler weather again today, but temperatures will start to rise next week.  I could open up the house, but I don't want to.  First, you have to open up all the windows and then when it gets too hot, run around and close them.  Better (read easier) to just leave things alone and when I need a/c it will automatically turn on.  Much better.

Have a great day.

P

Now It's Saturday

9/3/2016

Okay following Friday, which felt like Saturday, now it really is Saturday.  Cooler weather today so I've opened up a few windows.  I hate opening windows and then having to close everything back up when the hot weather returns.  

Yesterday, Jeff and Scott went to the battery warehouse, which has sat empty, more or less since 2013, to take out a work bench and some metal cabinets.  Our last rent payment has been made (hurray) and we have until the 30th to be out.  We told our sub-lessee tenants that they have to be out by the 15th.  It's been a long time getting to the end of the lease.  We're happy to see the end of the battery business.

I don't know what plans Jeff has for today, perhaps the bank and a Costco/WalMart run.  I'll stay home and sit with the girls.  I'm not quite ready to leave them both on their own alone in the house.  But, they are wise to the ruse of putting them in the bathroom, and they won't willingly go in anymore, even with the promise of food!  Smart dogs.

This weekend heralds in the end of summer and the waiting game for fall.  Already our oak tree in the front yard, which is massive, is beginning to have leaves falling and soon the squirrels will be throwing acorns at us!  

Enjoy your long weekend.

P

Feels Like Saturday

9/2/2016

While I know it's Friday, it feels more like Saturday.  Jeff is starting his 12 day vacation today and he couldn't be happier.  He leaves for Duluth on Wednesday.  I know he's looking forward to his trip and also for the ability to sleep in.  Of course, this morning the dogs were up and about a bit before we were, but that didn't matter.  We got up because they were hungry and they wanted food right now!

Yesterday, I did shampoo the dining room carpet and while it's not as clean as it would be if a professional did the job, it doesn't look too bad.  I think, or maybe I'm just imagining it, but the girls seem to be going outside more, which is a good thing.

I've got some laundry to do and puffs of stuffing from a stolen potholder to pick up.  I've got several good reads loaded on my Kindle, so as usual, am itching to get things done so that I can get back to reading.

It rained last night and I think we're supposed to have rain sometime over the weekend.  Fall must be just around the corner, because oak leaves and acorns are beginning to be scattered over the yard.  I love autumn, but absolutely hate picking up leaves.  That one oak tree has a lot of leaves.

This is our last month on the battery warehouse.  We signed a five year lease and while we did manage to sub-lease the space eventually, but we haven't used the warehouse since 2013.  We're glad that we're coming to an end of the battery business.  There is still an outstanding IRS audit for 2013 but the company who handled our payroll in 2013 is taking care of that.

The Ox will live.  The estimate isn't too bad and we only have to pay the deductible, which we should get back from the other driver's insurance company.  The truck won't be ready until the 12th, which is perfect because Jeff will be home by then.

Have a super Friday.

P

Three Dog Bed and Two Dog Chair

9/1/2016

Can you believe it's September already?  The stores will be putting out Christmas decorations before we know it.  Retailers love to rush the seasons.

After weeks of keeping the girls in our bathroom at night, we decided to let them sleep in bed with us last night.  There was a small deposit on the carpet, but otherwise things went well.  Of course, around 7:00 this morning, they were both on top of my head, letting me know that continued sleep was over!

Bella had her last veterinary visit yesterday and her last round of shots.  Her first appointment she weighed 11 pounds.  Yesterday, it was 24.  She's getting to be a heavy girl.  To stop their "sisterly" fighting now, Bella just sits on Daisy's head.

There was a young woman in the veterinary's waiting room who had 3 young children with her.  The children were taken in by Bella, and she offered kisses all around.  The woman said that rescue organizations won't let them have a puppy because she has too many young children.  She also told me that they had bought a Golden Retriever puppy but since it chewed on everything, they got rid of it.  I smiled while in my head thinking that with a puppy you have to be on your toes all the time.

I always have my bagel and coffee in the living room while I read a book.  Normally, only Daisy gets in my lap, but today both dogs were sitting with me. By the time the girls both join me in the recliner, it's a really full chair.  I don't know if the dogs are in love with me, or also likely they think I will give them a part of my bagel.  That is so not happening.

When I feed the girls their meals, they now know they have to sit and wait before I'll put the dishes down.  It's a small step toward getting them properly "civilized", but a step nonetheless.

Today is fold the laundry (blah) day and shampoo the dining room carpet (double blah).  I'm in the middle of a book that I'm enjoying, so I want to hurry through my chores, so I can get back to it!

P