The interview

I followed my usual morning routine. Looking at my e-mail (which took until 1 to finish), I read that you are 35,000 times more likely to get sick from other foods than from raw milk. So why is banning the sale of raw milk such a big thing for the gov't? In the afternoon, I worked on making a few more blocks for my purple and green quilt. I took a shower and put on my best shorts and top. I turned on the AC so I wouldn't sweat. But then there was the walk to post. Chris picked me up at the gate. He was so nicely dressed in his suit, holding the car door open for me. It was like having my own limousine. He drove us to his office. He put my cell phone and camera in his office. Then we walked across another pedestrian bridge to the 8th army building. I had never been inside and wanted to take pictures. It is quite nice. But apparently that would be a no-no, and posting it to my blog would be A REALLY BIG NO-NO. When we got to the conference room, there were other people there. We were early so we waited a bit. Then a general arrived to ask us questions about how well the Army Family Covenant was working, what wasn't working, etc. I think Chris and I were the only civilians there. It was very interesting to hear what army spouses had to say and I got to speak my piece too. I had a little speech prepared but did not get to use all of it. I was nervous, but Chris said I did well. We walked out talking to ladies from 2ID. Then we went back to his office. I thought he was going to drive me to the gate, but it was 20 minutes to 5, so I read the latest "Community Connections". Well, something came up and it was almost 40 minutes before he was ready to leave. When we got home, we could smell something wonderful cooking. Too bad it wasn't coming from our apartment. Chris cooked chicken legs while I listened to a subliminal mp3 and Michele watched episodes of CSI. I was going to sew after supper, but watching the latest episode of TQS filled the rest of the evening.
* from unnamed quilt show in Seoul *

Weeding books

Like yesterday, I got up after Chris left. I dressed and went downstairs to read. However, this morning there was an old Korean woman sitting on a bench on the other side of the courtyard. When I sat on the bench nearest my building, she came and sat at the other end of it. She did not talk to me, but sat there watching my building. After a while she got up and sat on a third bench, facing me and talking on her phone. Then a young Korean woman came up to me and gave me an apple in a plastic wrapper. She then sat on the bench with the older woman, watching her as she talked on her phone. Thoroughly perplexed, I read past my usual hour and then went upstairs for breakfast. I cleared some e-mail, and took a shower. Then I went to the thrift shop. There were lots of children's books, but little room for them on the shelf. So I sat on the floor and went through every book. Many were not in good shape, or had been there a long time. I weeded out quite a few. There were lots of Korean kids books so Ella asked Ms. Chung to weed those. I had just enough room to put out the books I had time for. Then I went to the ATM for money to pay Ella for her machine on behalf of Sue. I got the one with no foot pedal too. When I put them in my trunk, I pinched a nerve, and sat in the car wondering what to do. I ended up going home. I had a late lunch which became supper. I cleared more e-mail, and fought the flight website to record frequent flier miles for Michele and myself. I finished the backing for one quilt top, and wondered if I should use the leftover batting from the black and bright quilt. Chris came home and had leftovers for supper. I put on a movie called "One Week". I think it is a Canadian film. Michele and I enjoyed it. Then I reviewed my remaining quilt tops in progress to see if another one would make better use of my leftover batting. A definite maybe.
* Another pic from the unknown quilt show *

The few, the proud, the quilters

I got up just after Chris left. I dressed and went downstairs to read. The bench was full of sand. I wondered what parent let their kid do that and not clean it off afterwards. I read for almost an hour when the guard came by to pick up trash and clean the benches. Not wanting to be in his way, I went upstairs. I fixed breakfast and ate it with e-mail. I took a shower, dressed a little better, and cut up some cheese for lunch, slicing my finger in the process. Michele finished it for me. I soaked my sprouts in water and put them in the fridge 'cause the fruit flies were after them. I packed my brights on black quilt in a bag to take to quilt guild so I could trim it on a big table. I arrived at the SPC just before 9:30. One lady was waiting for a mat (my last one) so her husband could take it to work where it would be away from the heat until they went home. She also bought two rulers. She brought her friend, too. Two other ladies who were new last week showed up for a bit, then had to leave. Apparently today is a training holiday and husbands have time off. Turnout was low. As you can see in the picture, there were only 4 of us for lunch. Judy brought her birthday cake from that really expensive revolving restaurant at the top of Namsan tower. It looked really good, and really small. We talked about buying some new sewing machines, but we fear for the future of the group if we don't get new people who are willing to be officers. Some of us worked on baby quilts, and some on QOV. Three baby quilts were finished and ready to be delivered. We were packed up and out by 1. I toyed with the idea of going to Dongdaemun to get fabric to copy my new top, but I did not have quite enough energy for it. So I went home and juiced up more vegetables. That helped a lot. But then I used that energy to check out the sewing machine MaryAnn left me. At first it seemed to have a bobbin-launching feature. Never encountered that before. But I switched the metal bobbin for a plastic one and that stopped it. I don't know why it comes with 4 metal bobbins that don't work in it. Then I had to release the tension in the bobbin case to the absolute minimum. The top thread was still too loose, and the tension was cranked up to 9. So I added the bobbin thread guide to the top thread path. That gave it the needed tension to sew a balanced seam. I thought I might have it threaded wrong so I went online to find a manual. No joy in mudville. But I did come across a diagram of a similar machine, and saw I had it threaded correctly. That took far longer than I anticipated. I went back to working on the backing for my latest finished top. Chris came home, fixed supper, and brought me the mail. There was a letter from Linda, one of my friends in Augusta. Seems we share the same feeling about Obama's term in office. After supper we watched "The Wild".
Then Chris got a call from our real estate agent saying Michele's proposed apt is not a bad deal. I checked my e-mail one last time, and now am ready for bed. What a hot, sticky evening!

Getting advice on an apartment contract

I woke up at 6ish. By 6:30 I was in the courtyard reading. After an hour I came up and climbed back into bed with Chris. Eventually we took a shower and got dressed. I ate breakfast. Then we went to church. We were told that our service might get canceled after September (the end of the fiscal year). We had a new family attend today, but they did not come in the fellowship hall for refreshments. Chris counted money after the service, and then sat with the choir members (who are Korean) to review the contract for the apt. Michele wants to get with her friend. They told him they thought it was priced too highly, among other things. Also, it includes a housekeeper. That means an older woman who cleans public areas like stairwells, and cooks breakfast and dinner for residents. So far so good. And she enforces a curfew and screens visitors. As a parent I like that, but how many college students would go for it? Anyway, after that conversation, we went to the commissary for groceries. Then home. Michele helped to put them away. She had folded yesterday's laundry, and I hung up Chris' shirts. Chris stripped the beds and washed the sheets. Then we all watched a couple of movies. I quickly checked e-mail, careful not to let it swallow my whole day. Then I spent some time working to put finishing touches on another quilt top. I was piecing the backing when I quit. I listened to a scratched CD that I brought home from the thrift shop. It played fine so I will take it back and put it out for sale. Chris and Michele watched episodes of Merlin on her computer. And now it is time for bed. *Here is another quilt from an unnamed quilt show *

Saturday

I spent most of the day clearing articles and podcasts in my e-mail inbox. I did take a few breaks, like taking out the recyclables, and juicing veggies, and cooking bison for supper. I looked online for a footpedal for a machine at the thrift shop. Everything I saw was too expensive. Michele told me that she had broken up with a boy in America. She was feeling down. I did not know they were an 'item'. I told her about one of my break-ups. She mentioned finding him on Facebook to see where he is now. But that turned out to be impossible. Too many hit.
Then Chris and Michele went to post to see "Fright Night". Michele told me it was a good movie but that I would not have liked it. No kidding? They had leftovers for supper when they got back from the movie. Then the three of us watched the two remaining episodes of Middleman. Sadly, there won't be any more episodes because the series was not picked up for the next season.
* This pic was taken at some quilt show *

Getting a few items quilted

I followed my new morning routine which begins by sitting barefoot in the courtyard and reading for an hour. Then breakfast and e-mail. But I had to cut the e-mail time short, take a shower and get dressed. I grabbed my quilt top and tablerunner top and backings and a square ruler and headed out. I meant to be at the AnC center at 9, but there is always that one last thing to do before I leave. Today it was taking my supplements. Also, I ran into someone on the way who wanted to chat for a minute. When I arrived at the AnC center, Judy was waiting for me. We had not seen each other in months so we had to catch up. Then I tried to start the longarm, but there was no power. I got Ms. Kim, who flipped the breaker. Then we were in business. Judy and I pinned the quiltbacking on and I was cutting a piece of batting when Cathy arrived. Although I could longarm without her, she makes it go so much faster and is willing to do the fancier stuff that requires a better knowledge of the software than I have. Between the three of us, we picked patterns and quilted the bright on black quilt top, and the tablerunner. Cathy pieced a snowflake border from a snowflake fill. It was so good we decided to save it in case someone else wanted to use it. It was almost 5 before we left. I dropped Judy off at the Hartell House, then I went home. Chris was already home because 'they' had let everyone go home an hour early. However he was not cooking supper. I was famished having skipped lunch and only having some nuts. So I ate leftovers. I did not see him or Michele have supper at all. But later when we sat down to watch 3 episodes of Middleman, they shared a bowl of popcorn. The last episode we watched had Kevin Sorbo in it. Still looking good. Michele and I did some muscle testing on each other. That was fun and informative. Then it was 10 pm and I was tired. So we went to bed. Chris had set his alarm for 8am, but I awoke much earlier. When I got up, it woke him up too. It was so hot, we decided to put on the AC. We had some private time, and then got up at 8. He sat with his laptop to wait for the 'voices' to start. I went downstairs to read. It was nice and there were no kids on the playground, but some kid in a nearby apartment was NOT happy. I did some tapping to tune that out. I also brought my ipod and that helped too. Finally I went back upstairs for breakfast and e-mail. There was a podcast about the benefits of proper hydration and good water. Municipal water is typically full of prescription drugs that were in waste water, but the processing plant is not equipped to filter them out.

Has Michele found an apartment?

Chris got up extra early (like before 5) to go to work, so I did not get up when he did. I got up at 6 when day light came in around the curtain. I dressed and went to the courtyard to read. There was not as much daylight as I expected, and I suppose there will be less and less each morning. At 7:15 I went upstairs for breakfast and e-mail. When I had dealt with all the new mail, I showered and dressed for the job fair. No, not for me, for Michele. I drove her there and we waited outside the meeting room for it to begin. Somehow a conversation started with the lady next to me. When I mentioned that Michele was my daughter, she seemed surprised. She thought we were friends. When Col. Huber arrived, we all went in and stood while he made his opening remarks. He kept it short and soon we were visiting different tables looking for someone who had a job fit for a college student with a busy schedule. Michele collected a few handouts and applications. Then I drove her home and I went to the thrift shop. The first item of business was to check out the donated sewing machine. I had been warned that it did not have a foot pedal, so I brought mine. It fit perfectly. I put the sewing machine through its paces and it did fine, but with a little hesitation. However, in order to sell it, we have to come up with a foot pedal for it. Hmm. There were a few books and I shelved those, and moved others to where they belonged. There was a lot of stuff out of place. There were also a lot of CD's. Half I threw into charity. The other half went into a bin in the electronics room. Having finished that, I counted a 1000 piece puzzle and put it out for sale. Ella had brought in her machine that she wants to sell privately. I looked it over and took a few notes so I could send an announcement to my 'list'. It is a Brother, kinda like my other machine, but lower end. Then we packed up for the day. I went to the commissary and bought veggies to juice. When I got home, I ate lunch first, then washed the produce, cut it up, juiced it, poured it into popsicle molds, and washed the juicer. The pulp went into the kimchi jar. Then I needed a break. I checked e-mail for awhile. Chris came home while I was reading a book, and he started supper. The Netflix offering came in: "My Super Ex-girlfriend". It took us all evening to watch it because Michele kept getting phone calls. First, it seemed like her friend had found them a wonderful apartment to share, but it was going fast and they needed to decide right away. After many questions, it finally came out that a $70,000 deposit was required. Dealbreaker! So we went back to the movie. Amazingly, her future roommate called back with another deal on another apartment. But this one is not moving as fast, so we have time to look into it. Finally finish the movie. At first I thought that I wanted her to stay with us until we left. But now I think if she moves out soon, we will have time to help her make it a home before we leave. Time to make the sandwich and go to bed.
* Quilttop of Valor *

Finishing tops

I spent all morning checking e-mail and reading articles. After lunch, I worked in my sewing room. I had to finish a few short projects to get the space to do larger ones. Specifically, to finish quilt tops and make backings for them so I can get them all quilted before we PCS, wherever, whenever. I put a border on the one in the picture, and found a suitable silk backing for a tablerunner. I was working on a third top when Michele mentioned that it was 6:30 and Chris wasn't home. She was the last one to see him because the two of them took lots of cash out of the bank and deposited it in a Korean bank to pay her tuition this afternoon. I called him and soon after that, he called me back. He was working late. He had left me an e-mail, but I hadn't been on e-mail all afternoon. I also got an e-mail from my sister who had experienced a bit of an earthquake. Luckily she was all right, and no property damage either. Chris is going to bed early because he has to be at work at 6 for a teleconference. So I might as well go early too.

Catching up at the thrift shop

I followed my new morning routine: get up, make sandwich, dress, read book in courtyard, then breakfast and e-mail. I dropped off cardboard recycling on my way to post. I inventoried the remaining quilting rulers etc in my trunk. Then I went to the thrift shop. I was expecting loads of books. What was waiting for me was tons of DVD's, CD's and VHS. Oh my. Even with the help to two other ladies, we did not finish them all. Got two books shelved. Threw out lots of old PS2 games, and scratched or "Parental Advisory" CD's. Since I am required to add a large visible note to the PA ones, it is easier and quicker just to donate them to charity. We have too many CD's anyway. MaryAnn would have been shocked to see the bookroom. I couldn't tell whether parts had been reorganized, or were just badly out of place. I would have stayed longer to create more order, but the managers decided to close at 2. Then I went to the DHL to deposit a check. And then I went home. I had a few interviews to listen to while I ate lunch. All too soon, Chris was home and it was supper time. We had leftovers. After supper we watched three more episodes of Middleman. I tried to post to my blog, but I could not connect to the net and had to reboot my computer. I did not want to wait that long, so I restarted it, and went to bed. I forgot to soak my sprouts. I had put the broccoli sprouts in a container in the fridge, so they were ok. In the morning, I got up with Chris, made his sandwich, read for an hour in the courtyard, started a loaf of bread, and fixed breakfast. I ate that in front of the computer while checking e-mail. I could not believe how much had come in during the night. A bag pattern came in one e-mail and I printed it off as a possible Thursday night class project. I sent out more e-mails asking for suggestions. Finally I remembered that I hadn't posted to my blog yet, so here it is.
* Sue's quilt from show-and-tell yesterday *

Quilting day

I woke up early, but got up when Chris did. I dressed and went down to the courtyard to read for an hour. Chris greeted me as he walked by on his way to the parking garage. When my hour was up, I went upstairs to have breakfast with e-mail. I finished all the new stuff and quit so I would have time to shower and dress before quilting. I also prepared cheese cubes and broccoli sprouts for lunch. I called Cathy to see if she wanted a ride. She didn't. I gathered up the plastic recyclables, and dropped them off on my way to the parking lot on post. I drove to the SPC. Cathy was already there, so we chatted for just a moment before she had to leave. She left some show-and-tell items. I was going to do that when it seemed most people had arrived, but we had a small group all day. I was surprised and glad to see some new faces. Hopefully they will tell their friends they had a good time. Cathy returned around noon so we had show-and-tell then. She demonstrated a paper-pieced flower and pot. Then we broke for lunch. After lunch we finished up a few more baby quilts and put them in a bag for Cathy to take to the hospital. The Stork's Nest is closed for cleaning up mold, so the quilts will go to the regular obstetrics dept for awhile. I wanted to get to the DHL before their bank closed at 3, but one lady wouldn't leave until she finished the quilt she was working on and I missed my chance. Oh well, tomorrow is another chance. I went home. Michele was on her computer as usual. She had emptied the dishwasher and restacked it. I read the newest e-mail to come in, and then cleaned up the tape in my sewing room. It was good for picking up stray threads on my cutting board. By then Chris was home. He cooked bison for supper. After supper we watched 3 episodes of Middleman on Michele's computer using the flashing speakers that Faye gave us. I fell asleep during the last one, so they decided to quit for the night. I put supper away and went to bed. Chris was in bed by that time and we... went to sleep. I woke up at 5:45. I made his sandwich. When he got up to take a shower, I dressed and went downstairs to read. Then I ate breakfast, read e-mail, soaked my sprouts. The broccoli sprouts are doing very well, but the adzuki ones are not. Now I need to shower and go to the thrift shop.
*Here is the quilt Mary made. *

Walking the streets

Woke up at 5, decided to get an early start on e-mail. When Chris got up, I joined him in the shower, and then had breakfast. We were early to church for once. After church we had the usual refreshments minus the fruit. I talked to the organist for quite some time. Then we drove to the Px to buy Dr. Bronner soap, and to the class 6 for beer. That was followed by a trip to the commissary. Geri was there, and she told me there is a sewing machine at the thrift shop waiting for me to check it out. Chris and I shopped for the usual items. I used Chris' phone to call Michele for some help carrying up the groceries. When they were put away, Chris proposed that we go looking for a game shop that he recently heard about. It was kind of near where Michele goes to college, so we took the same bus she takes, and then went one stop on the subway. It took a little walking, but we found it. Here is a pic of Michele standing in the store. And then we retraced our steps back to our place. Speaking of steps, there were a lot of them, and I was still sore from yesterday. Chris wanted his hair trimmed, so we went out on the back porch and shortened it. I went back to e-mail to see what interesting articles came in today. Chris made barbequed pork in the oven. We ate that while watching Legend. Then we watched Dear John. I soaked my sprouts (some of which are ready to eat) and now it is time to say good night.

Saturday

Woke up way too early, again. Started in on e-mail. Since more comes in everyday, I feel like I am not getting very far. Finally got so sick of it that I ... are you ready for this?.... cleaned the refrigerator! Yes, all the shelves, pulled out the bins, etc. Threw out things that were unidentifiable. Then back to the salt mines, as they say. It occurred to me that I could be doing thing in my sewing room. So I went in there, but the floor was full of two unassembled bookcases. Without instructions, or even a picture, putting them together was like a puzzle. I did not get the first one right, but it did give me more information for the second one. I had to find a screwdriver that would fit the tiny sideways screw holes. I kept thinking, if William were here, he would have it done by now. After I assembled the first one in the sewing room, with only a few parts leftover, I had to get in into place next to the entertainment 'center'. It was really heavy and I had to rest my back after inching it over there. So I decided to assemble the second one next to its final resting place. I pulled out the round table and cleaned the floor beneath it. Then I was able to slide the bookshelf into place. Having the bookcases allows me to see how ineffective the round tables were at utilizing space. Again, I had to rest. While I was resting, Chris cooked supper. He made flounder, fish sticks, corn and pirogies. After supper, I listened to an interview with Gary Taubes. It was an hour and twenty two minutes long. I may have dozed off. But I got at least one point of his message - low fat diets are bad for you because they replace the fat with carbs, simple carbs. And it is the simple carbs that make you fat. Having dozed off, I decided to go to bed. I remembered to soak my sprouts, and then it was lights out.

FYI

I have just added vacation pictures to some of my previous posts for those who are interested.

Back to normal

After breakfast, I continued my clearing of the inbox. I was feeling quite like myself again. And being Friday, there was no where for me to go. I had Michele muscle-test me for the kimchi and it was bad, so I threw it in the food waste down by the recycling center. Being thus out of kimchi and previously out of eggs, I took my egg carton and went to post. I found my car easily. I drove to gate 17 and parked. I went to exit 2 which was open although I had to walk 'around my elbow to get to my nose' to get there. Then the steps up at exit 3-1. I was getting sore from all the steps. I hadn't done them in a month. Buying 10 eggs (that is what the carton holds) was no problem. I just showed the box to the proprietress and she knew. But as for kimchi, she asked me which one? I wanted the cabbage kind, but did not know the word for it. All I could do was lamely repeat 'cabbage'. Finally she said they didn't have it (in Korean). So I chose one that looked like it might be cabbage. I got 1 kilo. I walked back to post, and drove to the lot, then walked home. It was my second time over the pedestrian bridge today. Definitely sore. As I had already walked up the 5 flights to my apartment twice this morning, I decided to take the elevator. I washed the old kimchi jars and put the new kimchi in to ferment on the table. I added a little probiotic to hasten the process. Then I went back to the computer. I got so sick of sitting there, but how else to get through the mountain of e-mail? I watched the movie 'Stitched' all the way through. Usually videos from TQS cancel themselves a few minutes in, but this one didn't. It just buffered when it needed to. Maybe I will renew my membership. From articles and links in my e-mail, I learned the following things: Spirulina is 71% protein, compared to meat which is typically about 30%. Darker roast coffees are better for you than the lighter ones. Like chocolate, the darker the roast, the better, and drink it without milk and sugar. Calories from fructose are far more likely to be stored as fat (and harder on your liver) than calories from any other type of sugar. A regimen of 1 T of curcumin plus 10 mcg of D3 helps clear the cellular debris that leads to Alzheimers.
For lunch I juiced the rest of the veggies, but decided not to drink it all at once. I had some with supper along with leftover bison. Sick of sitting at the computer, I took a break around 8 to do some Sudoku and fell asleep, forgetting the nightly soaking for my sprouts. When I woke up at 3, Chris was in bed with me. I turned on my ipod and fell asleep for a little while., but mostly laid awake until daylight crept in around the edge of the curtain. Chris woke up for awhile...and then I got up for breakfast. But it was quiet outside, so I went down to the courtyard to read. But there was only 45 minutes of my book left. So I came in a little early. Michele was already up and reading her own book. Then I had breakfast and started in again on e-mail. Is there no end to this?
* Here is a picture I think I took on vacation, but can't remember where. *

Second day back - still not normal

I had read an article on food combining. So I split my breakfast into two parts - one was all the carbs, and the other was protein and fats. I ate the carb portion first, checked e-mail for awhile, and then ate the other part which takes longer to digest. About midmorning I felt like having some kimchi. So I did. It had been in the fridge since before I left. Did it go bad? How can you tell? It always smells and tastes like that. I threw out the three hb eggs. They were definitely bad. And I poured the last of the coconut milk away. The fumes were too strong. I washed the jar and started another batch. I also started a batch of broccoli sprouts. I cleaned paw prints off of the wall in the computer room. I really did not have lunch 'cause my stomach was not feeling cooperative. But around 4 I juiced up the spinach (which was going bad), and half of the celery and cucumbers. I drank all that. I went back to my computer (which had occupied my time all day), until Chris came home. He started cooking the bison for supper. Then a great lethargy came upon me. It's like my circulation got slower and slower. Eating supper helped. But then I went back to the computer, and around 8:30 realized that I needed to go to bed or I would just fall asleep in the chair. I was cursing Paypal for screwing up another transaction. Apparently I opened an account years ago, and now it has my credit card numbers and won't let me use them without going through Paypal. But since I do not know under what e-mail address I registered, or my phone number at the time, or my password, I cannot log into Paypal. I have written to Paypal with no result. I also e-mailed the site I was trying to buy from, and they said so sorry, we only use Paypal. So I went to bed. I thought I would wake up in the middle of the night to post to my blog. I did wake up, but did not get up. For some reason it occurred to me that I have seen goat milk in the grocery store, but not goat meat. I have seen bison meat in the store, but not bison milk. Of course, I would not want to be the one to volunteer to milk a bison. Why I should think of such things in the middle of the night, I don't know. I must have fallen back asleep. I awoke when Chris' alarm went off. While he took a shower, I made him a sandwich. Then I noticed that it was dry outside, and no kids in sight. So I took a book and went down to sit on a bench and rest my bare feet in the sand. It was a nice way to spend an hour. I came back in and had breakfast. There was more e-mail of course. I had it down to 50 unread e-mails yesterday. But I have over 4000 other ones in my inbox. I was amazed to learn that Chris has over 18,000 unread e-mails! And here I thought I was special.

First day back

I got a few things done in the morning. I started a loaf of bread in the bread machine. I started a batch of bean sprouts. I started in on the grunchload of e-mail that needs weeding and reading. About 12:30 Chris came home to see how I was doing and to get his cell phone. He pointed out all the veggies that he bought for me, and the bison that was defrosting in the fridge. He asked me to take it out at 4 to finish defrosting. Well, not long after he left, I was feeling a little tired (ha!) and decided to lay down for a bit with my Ipod playing meditations. Would you believe I fell asleep? Chris came home at 5:45 and I hadn't taken the bison out, so he heated leftover pulled pork for supper. I woke up as he was coming in the door. After supper I went back to the computer. I stayed up until 10:30 clearing e-mail. At that point both Chris and Michele had gone to bed, so I was up alone. So I decided I could do my blog in the morning and went to bed myself. I had no trouble going to sleep, but awoke around 2. I turned on my ipod and tried to go back to sleep. After awhile, Chris' alarm went off (he had to be at work at 4:30am). We were very nice to each other, and then he took a shower, dressed, and went to work. I forgot again to make him a sandwich. I tried to go back to sleep, wearing my sleep mask and listening to my ipod. Around 5 I gave up on that, and left the bedroom. I started in on e-mail. I received and replied to e-mail, and listened to some videos. I had forgotten how slow the internet is here. I ate the hardboiled egg from my trip. It was on the edge of going bad. I guess the eggs from before I went on vacation are really bad. The coconut milk is highly fermented, and the fumes alone could knock someone out. Gotta start a new batch of that. I decided to write to my blog and then have breakfast. When I see how I feel, I will decide whether or not I am going to the thrift shop today.

Traveling back to Seoul

We flew a puddle jumper from Richmond to Newark. We had no trouble traversing the Newark airport 'cause there was no luggage to pick up. Easy to get to our departure gate. We sat there and ate some walnuts and hard boiled eggs that I had brought. When boarding started, I asked the Continental agent about crediting our sky miles. She directed me to customer service. They gave me a form to fill out but there was no time to do that. We boarded and sat in row 27. It was the last row in that section so we were up against a wall. Could not recline much, although the person ahead of me did. That brought the movie screen on the back of the seat a little too close. During the 12 hour flight, we watched a lot of movies to pass the time. I never checked my watch because I didn't want to know how slowly time might be passing. Between supper and breakfast, they served a chicken wrap and ice cream snack. I gave Michele my ice cream. Normally I would not eat a chicken wrap because it is so processed, but I was hungry and tired of nuts. So I ate it, but did not feel good afterwards. Before we landed they served us a multilayer sandwich. I ate the egg layer, and the pastrami layer and threw the rest away. Did not feel good on that either. I did not sleep on the plane, even though we tried resting our heads on each others shoulders. When we got off in Narita, we easily found the departure gate for the flight to Korea. We had a four hour layover and there were few people waiting, so we stretched out across the seats and slept a little bit. We also had a front row seat for seeing a plane being unloaded, reloaded, re-fueled and food restocked. When that plane left, our plane arrived and the process repeated itself. The luggage arrived in large boxed containers on 'wagons' pulled by a small car. They were rolled off onto a conveyer which held two boxes at a time. Then it rose up to the level of the plane storage compartment and rolled the boxes into the hold. Then it collapsed down to ground level and picked up two more luggage boxes. I got in line at the desk to request sky miles. There was no one helping customers for awhile. Finally one lady did, but it was too much for her. Then another lady came to help. When I got up to the desk, they gave me new boarding passes (which I had not known we needed), and told me I had to do sky miles on-line. It annoyed me that I had to stand in line so long just to be told that. I was so tired I could hardly stand. There was a ringing in my head. Since more people had arrived, Michele and I tried to sleep propped against each other for support. Boarding was easy since we were assigned seats in the next to the last row. It was about a two hour flight, and we watched episodes of Big Bang theory. We were given arrival cards to fill out. I asked Michele to do mine as well as hers 'cause my eyes would not focus well enough. I had no trouble with my ears until we landed. My left ear would not pop. And it was raining. I ate some nuts to fortify myself through immigration, baggage claim, customs, and finding a way back to Seoul. I planned on catching the Capital Hotel bus which would cost $15 each. But I was amazed and so very pleased to discover that that was unnecessary. I called Chris from baggage claim to warn him that we were coming (in case he had girlfriends to evict or wild parties to clean up). He said he was in the short term parking lot at the airport! When we had found our luggage (it was not the carousel listed on the sign), we walked through customs to find him waving. After using the restroom, we went home. He used his GPS and we had a few uncomfortable moments when we weren't sure what it was telling us to do. When we walked in the apt, I could tell it was clean even before the lights came on. That was courtesy of MaryAnn. She had also left a note on a bag of cat food. It was a 'cat starter kit'.
The note was signed by Rusty and Cinnamon. They thought we should get a cat. Ha, ha. She had also left a thankyou card with two bills in it. Michele asked for part of it for her contribution to cat care, so I started to rip a piece off of one bill, and she said "Don't you dare!". I nearly fell asleep on the couch. It had been 29 hours since we had started our journey. Chris took me to bed and undressed me. I slept soundly all night. I got up about 7, and started breakfast but needed some nuts in my suitcase. So I unpacked my suitcase and carry-ons. Did not find the pecans. Just my remaining hb egg and ground flax seed. I put bean seeds in a bowl to soak. I fired up my computer to get the anti-virus program to start. I so badly wanted to lay down then, but forced myself to finish preparing and eating breakfast. I rested for awhile, and then started a loaf of bread. I tossed most of the mail that Chris left in two piles for me. Several envelopes contained Half-square triangles and I kept those. Hella's fabric had come in, and some catalogs. Michele composed her ideal list of classes at 7. At 9 the war for class sign up started. In 45 seconds she declared victory. She had gotten all of the classes she wanted! I sat down at my computer to check my 150 unread e-mails and perform other e-mail related chores. Like posting to this blog before I forget what happened yesterday.

Last Day in the States

I awoke around 7, then got up and sat in the den. One by one other people got up too, and I watched the packing commence. Actually most things were packed, but still there was the inevitable rushing around to do last minute things. When the travelers had breakfasted and dressed and were ready, they got in the Cadillac and left for PA. That left Michele, Marie and I. Ah, the sound of silence. I ate breakfast and then Marie helped me check in on-line for our flight tomorrow. She printed out the e-tickets, too. I made tomorrow's breakfast and put plastic wrap over it, setting out the supplements, too. Then I packed up the supplement bottles, etc. I read some e-mail, then ate my leftover cheese while arranging my suitcase. Then I did some Sudoku outside, and picked three tomatoes from the garden. Then I did some serious work on my inbox. Just as the three of us were discussing when to go to Red Lobster for dinner, the doorbell rang. It was Darleen. I told the others to go without me. Darleen and I chatted for hours. We hadn't seen each other since highschool. She left around 10:30 and I ate an egg and the leftover salad from last night. We all went to bed. I had trouble sleeping even though I listened to my Ipod. Finally at 4:30 Marie knocked on my door. I got up to eat the breakfast I had prepared yesterday. I swallowed the supplements, got dressed, and stuck my nightgown in my suitcase. At 5 we left for the airport. Marie dropped us off at 5:30. We had trouble finding the luggage drop for Continental. We had to go through check-in anyway. Then we went through security. It went fine but I was nervous, expecting them to tell me I was doing it all wrong or finding something in my carry-on that they didn't like. Then we sat at gateB2 until we heard that our plane would be delayed. Then we moved to B4. The ticket agent had told us the wrong gate. Still waiting for our flight...

Saturday at the Damours

I awoke minimally to the sound of pounding feet. Michele's younger cousins were up. But I was able to doze off a few more times before I got up. I took a bath and ate breakfast. By then it was almost lunch time, so when the others ate, I didn't. After lunch Michele and I watched "Bell, Book, and Candle" so we could return it to Netflix. Then I went outside to listen to a meditation tape while having my bare feet in contact with the ground. I might have dozed off too, but now and then an ant would bite me. As the CD ended, I felt a few raindrops, so I went in. I laid down on the sleeper sofa in the livingroom to take a nap. But the noise level in the house kept me from falling completely asleep. Cecily, Alfred, and Marie went to 5pm mass. When they got back, we all went to Kanpai. It is a Japanese steak house owned by a Korean. Our chef and waitress were both from Korea so Michele and I practiced talking to them. I got the chicken and scallops. I did not eat much of the rice. William and Olivia did not eat their salads so I ate one of theirs and took the other one home. When we got back, I got on the desktop computer to read e-mail. Some of the others played CLUE. Now the kids are being put to bed. I hope my parents and sister are doing well in PA.

Packing for them and for me

After being up till one in the morning, I still woke up before 7. I fixed breakfast for Mom and me. I went to get her but she appeared to be sleeping. So I folded all the laundry from last night. Then she was stirring so I got her up for breakfast. Dad put out her pills in their individual cups, and told me to see that she takes them in order. He left to take the car to Sears for a lube job, then walked back. We had just started the pill procedure. I gave them with applesauce. I took Mom to the bedroom to wash and to pack. She told me what she wanted to wear for this weekend. I put it in her suitcase. Then we went to the kitchen to make sandwiches. I made three for this evening with lettuce, tomato, turkey and cheese. Then I made three more without tomato for tomorrow. I washed and set aside a large bunch of grapes. Following Faye's list, I made sure the picnic basket had all its items. She had a list for everything, including what to do each day of the week to prepare to leave town on Saturday. She had a list of how to pack the car, what goes in each piece of luggage, and what to check the house for before locking the doors. I followed the parts I knew. We ate lunch. I used all the leftover vegetables to make juice. I tried to hurry Dad, but each thing had to be done slowly and deliberately. I told him that Faye would kill me if I did not have him ready by 4:30. Michele and Alfred came over around 2. I was hoping Michele would visit with Mom, but Mom wasn't saying much. Still, I think she enjoyed listening to our conversations. Dad packed in his own way. There wasn't much I could do, but I did it. I packed my stuff and Alfred put it in his car. I found a few items that almost escaped my attention and packed them in my purse. I came across a fruit basket that Mom said was given at Christmas. I could identify the grapes, and the banana. Mom identified a plum, and that 'stone' in the corner might have been a grapefruit at one time. I threw them all out. At 4 I packed the cooler. It was close to 5 when Faye showed up. She really took charge, having been through this before. When everything was in the car, Alfred, Michele and I left for my in-laws house. Hopefully Mom, Dad, and Faye left soon after for Kurt's place. Cecily had rotisserie chicken and wild rice ready for supper. We were soon enjoying the meal. Olivia and William really liked the chicken. I ate 4 tomatoes from the garden. We chatted after supper and then Chris called. He talked to all the adults. He said if nothing better comes up by next week, his next job will be in Huntsville, Alabama. After a while, Cecily and the kids went to bed. I read e-mail for a time and posted to my blog. I am so looking forward to going to bed myself.
* This is the quilt top I finished yesterday *

Too much to do

It was the usual morning routine until after breakfast. As I was about to take a bath, I discovered my mother standing by the bar. She was going to sit in the car. I told her Dad wasn't ready yet and suggested other possible activities. She chose to go outside to see her plants. I quickly dressed, and we toured her plants, and the garden and the blueberry bushes. The little yappy dogs next door made an appearance. But they left us alone when Mom sat on the porch swing. I sat on the ground not knowing if the swing would hold two people. She swung herself back and forth for some time, first with the left leg, then with the right leg. We went in when she was ready. Dad was checking out the car, so I could not leave her. So I worked on a quilt top that she started last year. It has a lot of squares on point cut out of graduated fabrics, so it is really hard to keep straight. She bought it as a kit, but the fabrics that came are not as nice as the ones in the picture. I was tempted to write them a nasty note. When Dad was finished, I took a sponge bath. By then it was time to start lunch. I made several cups of veggie juice, enough for lunch and supper. I barely had time to eat lunch and clean the juicer before I had to leave for the dentist's office. I was REALLY nervous. I hate needles and having my teeth drilled. So they offered me nitrous oxide. Silly me thought that was an alternative to the needles of lidocaine. They said it was $70 more, but I thought my loving husband would want me to have it. Turns out that it is just for relaxing the patient. They also gave me a radio with headphones, and dark sunglasses. Then the dentist joked that they ought to take my picture like that. The dentist said a prayer while they both held my hands. Then he injected both sides of my mouth with lidocaine, several times. It took quite a bit to deaden those nerves. Then he put a rubber dam in my mouth that covered everything but the tooth he was working on. He removed the mercury amalgam filling and replaced it. He replaced three fillings. My father says dental chairs are the most relaxing ones, but I was NOT relaxed during any part of the procedure. Just when I started to relax, they turned down the gas. It might have been just my imagination, but it seemed like the DDS and the nurse were exchanging glances, as if to say "Do you see that? Yes, it is worse than we thought". They kept checking the mercury detector to see if it had all been removed from my teeth. I was so glad when it was over, but I could hardly talk. The nurse gave me some ointment to put on my lips but I needed a mirror to find them. I paid by credit card, and the receptionist gave me a greeting card in which she had written a nice message. They wanted to see my insurance card, but I couldn't find it, even though I had it yesterday when I did the paperwork. Finally I left. I just drove home feeling numb. I did not want the numbness to wear off, and it didn't for quite a while. I thought my parents would have gone grocery shopping by the time I got back, but 'till my Dad was ready, it was 6pm. They drank the rest of the veggie juice, ate a muffin and left. I finished the inner part of Mom's quilt top. And the dentist called to see how I was doing. When they got back, Dad started on supper and I had Mom sit with me in the dining room while I put the inner borders on the quilt. My teeth back teeth were hurting by then and I had no desire to eat. I helped Mom eat and then called Faye to find out what her plans were for tomorrow. She told me I need to do the laundry so I could pack for Mom tomorrow. It was 10:30. Mom wanted to take what she was wearing on vacation, so I had to dress her for bed so I could wash it. Dad said it was ok to do all the wash in one load so I wouldn't be up all night. It is in the dryer now, and it is 1am.
* The backyard and wheelchair-friendly deck *

Another busy day

Knowing I had an early dental appointment, I got up to fix breakfast for my mother and I. When breakfast was over, it was time for me to get myself ready. She was on her own with Dad. I took the Oldsmobile to Salisbury to see Dr. Angus. The receptionist had paperwork for me to fill out, but first she had all kinds of questions about South Korea. A little while later I was in an exam room having my teeth cleaned. She took my blood pressure and it was good, but I was not as relaxed as I intended to be. I was happy to finally have clean teeth. I had tried scraping off the black line stain, but it was impossible. Before she was done, the dentist came in. Like the receptionist, he wanted to talk about North and South Korea first. Then he checked my teeth. He said the black line stain was from gastric reflux. I thought I would know something like that, but he said many people don't know they have it. Apparently the acid is eating away at my teeth. He told me my fillings need to be replaced. I agreed, since I don't want the mercury fillings in my mouth. I was astounded when they had an opening for tomorrow. So I will be going back for new fillings. After the visit, I stopped by the large Kroger on the way home. I bought fresh veggies to juice, and coconut milk. When I got home, Dad was trying to get ready for the fitness center, but couldn't trust Mom to stay put when he was out of the room. Amazingly, she had made it to the utility room once. So he gave up going to the fitness center and started getting lunch ready. I juiced up some broccoli, celery, carrots, red pepper, and kale. I gave Mom a glass of it. Then the man across the street came over with a platter of strawberry muffins that his wife had just made. He and Dad showed their age by discussing which of them owned the best sliderule. They set a time to go for a walk in the evening. After he left, we finished lunch. Kevin came over about 2. Dad left for the audiologist soon after. Kevin ran the vacuum, watered the plants, and made two casseroles. I finished the binding on the star quilt, and pulled out all the basting on the piping. Then Mom asked me to finish a quilt top that she had started last year at this time. But Dad appeared right after that with two shirts that needed mending. The new Diaper Genie arrived in the mail, so Kevin and I put it together and set it in the bathroom. I put the boxes in recycling. Then we took Mom to the bathroom to try it out. It works, though not quite like I thought. Kevin cleaned the bathrooms and washed the kitchen floor. Soon after that Dad stuck food in the microwave so they could eat in time to go walking with the man across the street. When he came over, Kevin and I talked to him until Dad and Mom were ready. I ate after they left. I wrote Kevin a check for July, and gave him Season two of McGyver. I also gave him a probiotic capsule so he can make his own fermented coconut milk. After he left, I started checking e-mail. Dad arrived shortly thereafter. He wanted to take Mom walking again. So I followed with the wheelchair. On Sandgate, she decided to stop walking and get wheeled. We got her home and to the bedroom without incident. It was bath night, so I filled the tub and got her in. She did most of her washing, I just did her back, and then called Dad to help her out. As we were drying her off, we noticed a trickle of blood down her leg. So Dad washed it and put on a small bandaid. I finished dressing her for bed. Then we put her splint back on and tucked her in for the night. As Dad was puttering around getting ready to take his bath, I skimmed my e-mail for things I could delete without reading. I got a nice e-mail from my husband which I did not delete. It is almost 11:30 so I think I will go to bed.
* The barrier that the next door neighbor has erected over Dad's property line to keep her dogs in. *

A nice evening

I got up thinking it was later than it was. Dad was ready to bring Mom to the table for breakfast. So she sat there while I fixed both our breakfasts. Then she ate while I put away the three loads of laundry I did yesterday. Then I ate. After breakfast I washed and dressed her. She sat in the den and watched me handsew the binding on her quilt. That is an activity that I worked on all day and still haven't finished. My Dad had lodged a pot lid in the dishwasher rack and neither one of us could get it out. When William stopped by at lunch, he got it out. We ate pork for lunch. After lunch Dad and I called Verizon to get the desktop computer on line. The young man was very helpful but was able to determine that the problem is in the computer itself, and not the router or the line. We cleaned up for Kevin to come over and vacuum, but he never showed up. I even called and he didn't answer. I made veggie juice, using up a bag of spinach and most of the remaining vegetables. I want to buy more veggies after I see what is left from Kevin's casseroles which he hasn't made yet. Dad wanted pictures of the barrier the ladies next door erected to keep their dogs in, because it sits across the utility easement. It should have been a short activity. It was for me, but he had to obsess over it, untangle some twine and re-string the marker for the property line. He cooked sliced sweet potatoes in the microwave. I had never seen that before, and I don't think they were done. Then he put them on plates with pork and casserole and microwaved that. I ate my pork cold with kimchi. I gave kimchi to both of them, too. When Dad had cleaned up, he took my Mom for s spin in her wheelchair. I hopped on the internet while they were gone. They came back just as I was reading an article on how coconut oil and a low carb diet helped an Alzheimer's patient get his life back. Dad wanted to take Mom for a walk and me to follow them with the wheelchair. It was a very nice night with a full moon and cicadas. I felt like the grim reaper, stalking them, waiting to scoop Mom up if she got tired. When they got home, she fell again, going up the stairs. Then we noticed that her shoe was missing. I felt her sock, and it did not feel dirty, so it had to be nearby. Dad gave me a flashlight to look for it down the street, but no luck. Turns out it was under the steps. During the search I kept wondering how she could lose a shoe without me seeing it. Thankfully she was not hurt, and we brought her to her feet. She walked into the house and sat in the den. I thought singing would be good for her, so I asked her what her favorite song was. Jesus lover of my soul. Well, I don't know that one, so I went to Youtube. There were many different versions, but I finilly found the one she knew. We both hummed. Then Dad took her to the bathroom. I looked up another song, I think is named "Come be my playmate". I remember it from childhood. My Dad says he remembered it too. So I don't know how old it is. But I remember that we did a clapping routine and I wanted Mom to do it. But she was ready to go to bed, so we dressed her and brushed her teeth and put her to bed. Then I did a few more stitches on the binding, but remembered that I have a dentist appt in the morning, so I should get to bed early.

Going to the doctor

We had a little bit of rain last night. I stayed up far too late reading e-mail and fell asleep on the couch. This morning was pretty tame: Dad had her at the table by the time I got up. So I made us both breakfast. After breakfast, I washed and dressed her and brushed her teeth. Then I bathed myself and dressed. I gave her a job picking foam off the back of the couch cover. I tried to find velcro to fix her wheelchair bag. She had me go through most of the boxes in the closet before concluding that she didn't have any. I found one side of a strip from something Grandma saved and I used that. I also sewed a sock Dad brought to me with a hole in it. I juiced up a large batch of veggie juice. We all had some and there was a cup leftover for supper. We had an early lunch, and then went to see Dr. Klatter out past the church. She spent an hour with us answering questions and telling us that she wasn't ready to accept the diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease, and that she wanted another neurologist's opinion. But she said there was no reason not to expect Mom to continue to decline. When we left there, Dad decided to stop by Swift Creek Adult Day Care to check the place out. It is very small, and costs $56 for a 6 hour day. The director seemed very nice and thought Mom was an excellent candidate for their program. I still want Dad to check out Lucy Corr Day Care because they have an associated full service around-the-clock facility. That could come in handy if Dad gets sick. We went home for supper. It took awhile for Dad to get their food ready so I gave Mom a glass of the remaining veggie juice, and some coconut milk. After supper Dad took her out for a spin in her wheelchair. I stayed behind to work on the quilt. I had put together the binding strips this morning and pinned it to the quilt this afternoon. So this evening I started sewing it on. I moved the sewing machine to the dining room table and turned on the ipod and speakers for some classical music. When Dad finished wheeling her, he popped his head in to say that he was taking her for a walk. I figured they couldn't get far. When I saw him next, he had blood on him and said she had fallen. I went out to the back porch. She was lying oddly there and I thought the worst. But while he went to get a wheelchair, she told me nothing was broken so I sat her up and and saw her scraped elbow. Dad put her in the chair and wheeled her inside. She said she wanted grapes, so I washed some for her while Dad hunted Bacitracin and bandaids. He cleaned the scrape and put a small bandaid on it. Then she ate a banana while he hunted hydrogen peroxide to get the blood spot out of his pants. She ate mushroom soup while we applied the hydrogen peroxide. It did not work completely and we wondered if that was because it was out of date. Then she wanted carrots. She really worked up an appetite! Finally we took her to the back for bed. But she had defecated, and we had to cut her Depends off. Don't want to say too much but it was an ordeal and at least there were two of us to handle it. I brushed her teeth and put her to bed. Then I noticed that the bandaid had come off and she was bleeding again. So I reapplied the Bacitracin and put a much larger bandaid on it. Then Dad and I sat in the den to chill and chat, resting up now that the work was over. Then he went to bed, while I stayed up to write to my blog.
* Posts that the backyard neighbor installed up against my Dad's fence. The pink string marks the property line. *

Church

I woke up around 7. Got Mom washed, and dressed for church. We ate breakfast and then I dressed myself. I packed some walking clothes and two hard-boiled eggs. We arrived at church only a minute or two late. Faye was already there and helped us get Mom in her wheelchair. Dad ran her up the ramp into the church. Sunday School had just started and we joined in. When it was over, I wheeled Mom into the sanctuary. People were standing around chatting but did not speak to her. I guess they thought she was totally out of it. After church there was a fellowship hour. They had fresh fruit and vegetables. I talked to a few people, mostly Shirley W. who is a retired nurse. She agreed that Mom would benefit from an adult day care center. Most people had gone when Barbara came over to tell me how much she liked my purple quilt top that was in the quilting frame there at church. After she left, we changed our clothes and went to Regency Mall. We ordered lunch at Subway. I got a veggie salad to which I added the two hard-boiled eggs. Then Dad went outside to powerwalk, while Faye and I whisked Mom around inside the mall, about 4 rounds. When Dad joined us, he and Faye got Mom up to walk slowly around, supported on both sides. I followed them with the empty wheelchair - 2 rounds. We sat and talked about their trip coming up, and then went home. It was almost supper time. I juiced up some celery, parsley, squash, cucumber, zuchini and carrots. Mom drank two small glasses, I had one, and Dad had one and a half. Mom also drank some coconut milk. Then Dad fixed individual pizzas and bowls of icecream. I ate kimchi, pork, cheese, and sprouts. After supper, I took Mom to get her teeth brushed. I had to change her clothes for that, and then she wanted to go to bed, even though it was still daylight. So I read to her for awhile so she wouldn't sleep too early. When I began missing words, she told me that if I was tired I could stop. It was full and complete sentence, properly spoken. I was amazed. I attributed it to the fresh vegetable juice. I wanted to work on the binding for her quilt, when I saw William's truck. So I went out back to find him and visit for awhile. He showed me an Ipod he got for 25 cents on a yard sale. It has both pictures and music. He also had the docking station which includes speakers, but he bought that separately. He said I could have it. I let it play while I cut binding strips. He also showed me a sewing machine. It has a problem, but he says the motor works fine and it is a 220 machine. Just the sort of thing I could use in Korea, but too heavy to put in my suitcase. After he left, I started posting to my blog. Then Dad came by to say goodnight. This will be the first time he has gone to bed before I did, and it is not midnight yet.

Shopping is a nice break

While Mom and Dad were at the fitness center, I wrote to my blog, and patched up Dad's pajama top, then put a buttonhole in it and sewed a button to the other side. Then I got in the car and went to Fresh Market. I wanted more coconut milk, but they did not have the right product, so I got the coconut water instead. I also bought celery and raw, organic cheese. Interestingly, it is the same one I get at the commissary. When I got home, my father was preparing lunch. I gave them both some kimchi. I think they are developing a taste for it. I poured myself a glass of fermented coconut milk and Mom drank it. I juiced up carrots, celery, squash, zuchini, and some cucumber. We all had some for lunch. Mom really seemed to like it. After lunch Dad fell asleep on the floor. I tried to read some e-mail and Mom told me to finish her quilt. She seemed to want me to go to the fabric store and buy quilt binding. So I did. They did not have binding that matched, so I bought some fabric and matching thread. I also got some Wonder-Under 'cause when I needed it I did not have it. On the way back, I stopped at Food Lion. They had coconut milk, and panti-liners, which the Px and commissary did not have when I left Korea. When I got home, Dad was awake. So I set up the cutting mat, but then got distracted. It was supper time and Dad has a very specific routine for that. How slow can he go? I think Mom was hungry so I tried to hurry him up. He insisted on microwaving their meals, and I ate mine cold. He kept adding food to his plate after he had finished the entire thing. I can't believe how much he eats and he stays so thin. She eats a lot too. Just when I think she is finished, he will offer her something else, and she accepts it. So I gave her some kimchi and bean sprouts. After supper, when he finally was ready, we took her for a spin. He walks very fast, and sometimes he runs with her downhill to get some momentum for going uphill. It scares me to see cars come when he is doing that. I had a hard time keeping up 'cause I had just eaten. But so had he. And he ate more than I did. When we got back, I got Mom in the tub. She washed herself and I did her back. Then Dad got her out and dried her off. I dressed her for bed, put her night splint on, and set the radio. Now I am exhausted and ready to go to bed. * The view through their front window. Don't ask me why I took it. *

Hair Day

It is the next day and I can't remember what all happened yesterday. Late morning Dad and I took Mom to the barber shop for their monthly visit. She got her hair washed and braided, and Dad got his hair cut. We ate lunch. Dad took a nap on the floor after lunch. I had to promise to wake him after 15 minutes. Chris did laundry and towels. He refreshed the ant bait. 99 percent of the ants are gone, but he says there are more in the pupal stage and we need to keep this up until those are dead, too. Chris took me to the Vitamin Store because I ran out of krill oil. We stopped at Fresh Market for bean sprouts. Faye came over with her juicer, to say goodbye to Chris. He made supper and ate with us before he left for his parents house. I took my mother into her bedroom to help me make some decisions about all the mess. We cleaned a few things off the dresser and out from in front of the closet. Dad told me not to touch any of his piles. Sigh. When she was put to bed, I came out to write to my blog, but my father wanted to use his laptop to count pills. He offered me the use of his desktop, but it would not connect to the net. Finally I went to bed in William's room, exhausted.
I awoke to the sound of the alarm in the master bedroom. I heard Dad go in and shut it off. After awhile I got up to see if Mom was awake, and there was Dad, in bed with her. He normally sleeps on the floor in front of her in case she gets up during the night. I guess his burning the candle at both ends caught up with him. So I left the house and walked to a yardsale that William told me about when he broke the bad news that I couldn't go with him. I bought a rolling suitcase and some books. They had American Girl dolls there, so I called my m-i-l to see if she wanted one for the grandkids, but she didn't. Guess I woke her up after taking Chris to the airport. When I got back to the house, Mom's side of the bed was empty. I rushed into the bathroom to see if she was there. But it was my Dad. She was sleeping on his side of the bed. I I fixed breakfast for both of us and wanted to get her up to eat it. He had to give her Fosamax first. By the time I got her washed and dressed, it took half an hour, so she could eat breakfast. But the oatmeal had been standing too long, and she had trouble swallowing it, so I mixed more water in. After she ate, we started with the pills. We gave them with applesauce today because of her tendency to put more water in her mouth than she can comfortably swallow. She wanted me to feed her, too, rather than try it herself. After breakfast I gave her a word search book that I got on the yard sale. She found one word and circled it with her left hand, the only one that works. Then she got tired of it. Dad found the bag that I chucked trash from the dresser, and told me he needed that bag for his shoes. It was ripped! As he prepared to take Mom to the fitness center, I checked my e-mail on his laptop. He had bought a Diaper Genie only to find out that it was mising a part. I had written to the company and they send me an e-mail that they were sending another whole unit to the house. It will arrive in 7 to 10 days. I probably won't be here, but I think he can figure it out. He wanted me to sew a button on his pajama shirt, way up at the top, and to use the buttonhole Mom had already made. The buttonhole needs to be completey remadem but it is doable. I refreshed the antbait, and am now blogging. Forget the rest of the e-mail, this computer is just too slow. I guess it reflects its owner. At least I am down to 80 unread e-mails.
* Mom is getting her hair washed *

Organizing the sewing area

I slept in until after 7. Dad was up puttering around with breakfast, and Mom was still in bed, but awake. I got her up and bathed, then dressed. I helped her walk to the den where she sat waiting for Dad to get organized. I fed her my kind of breakfast again. She started eating it before I finished putting ingredients in the bowl. So I poured some kefir over it and stirred it up. I was adding things while she was eating, but she didn't mind. The pill routine seemed to take forever again. We tried giving her pills with pudding instead of juice. That worked ok, but she chewed some of the pills. After breakfast she sat in the den while I tried to clean up and organize her sewing area so I could finish one of her quilts. I came across her shorthand textbook. She was still able to read it. It did not make any sense to me. I also found her certificate for completing a course in horticulture many years ago. And I found a 3-D maze with a little metal ball in it. I could not get the ball to go very far so I gave it to her and she worked on it for a while. I also made a dental appointment to get my teeth cleaned. Dad wrote a grocery list for William and one for himself. And he called the audiologist for an appointment. Chris went shopping for ant bait and meat for supper. Then we had lunch around 2. After lunch Dad and Mom went to the grocery store. They were gone for hours. Chris and I were alone... I worked on Mom's quilt and was fnishing it up when they got back. Chris had supper started, but the oven was not heating properly so we ate late. My Dad worked at getting the recyclables organized and put out for tomorrow. He is still doing that (10pm). Chris put out the ant bait and reminded me that it needs to be reapplied every day for a week. He is leaving tomorrow and I am really going to miss him. He has been very helpful and supportive.

Getting professional advice

Another dry, hot day. I slept in a little because I wasn't ready to get up. When I did get up, I looked in the mirror to discover large bags under my eyes. When did that happen? But they did not last. I brought my Mom out to the den until breakfast was ready. I helped Dad to feed her as I prepared and ate my own breakfast. After breakfast Chris took me shopping for peppers and tampons. Also we showed my mom's list of medications to the pharmacist at Rite Aid and at Kroger. They both thought there was no obvious adverse drug interaction. When we got back to the house, the plumber had arrived. He pulled out the stem of the faucet which was leaking and went looking for a replacement, but they don't make them anymore. So my Dad had to choose between a light rebuild (just new washers, o-rings, etc) or all new faucets. He took the less expensive route, but he had the man do all the tub and shower faucets. When the plumber left, it was time for lunch. We ate lunch, and then Dad walked to the garage to pick up the car and stop by Lowes for another drain kit. I tried to work on several quilts that my mom had ready for binding, but they were so bad that I didn't get very far. I had to take out what she had already done and for some reason the stitches were so small that it was impossible in several places. At 3:30 Chris took me to Panera Bread to meet with a lady from the Central Area on Aging (or something like that). She talked to us about adult day care centers, caregiver classes, in-home physical therapy, bath visits, and therapeutic recreation. My sister arrived late, having just gotten off work at the hospital. We talked to the lady until 5. When she left, the rest of us chatted a bit, then went back to the house. Kevin was there, making casseroles. He had already vacuumed the house and watered the plants. Chris was cooking too. Faye and I cleared the table, throwing out food that had been forgotten since who knows when. She set the table and the men brought in the food. We sat down to eat and chat. I had to bring out the kimchi of course. Kevin seemed to like it, Faye not so much. As it got later, Mom wanted her bath. Dad wasn't ready so I took her back there. I helped her get in the tub, but knew I could not get her out. She washed herself, and then I called Dad to left her out. We dried her off and dressed her for bed. I turned on the radio for her, and left. Chris let me check e-mail on his computer. There was too much to see it all. But now I am ready for bed.
* This is Dad at the fitness center yesterday *

The Dr.. visit

It was another dry and hot day. I guess all the rain is in Korea. I got up to get Mom washed and dressed. Then took her to the kitchen for breakfast. She ate what I ate. Then she started taking pills with apple juice. Dad had each one in its own little cup. He dumped one in her hand, and she popped it in her mouth and took a swallow of juice. Sometimes it went down, but sometimes she took too much and just sat there, not able to swallow, until I asked her to spit it out. But the pill always went down. Maybe applesauce would work better? Dad puttered around after breakfast. I kept reminding him to call a plumber, but he kept getting distracted, so I did it myself. I had trouble on the phone making the appointment. Is this phone going bad? Then I went in the back to use the other phone to find area agencies that might offer help for aging people. Mostly no one was in. But I did get one lady and she suggested we meet in person at a local restaurant. Tomorrow. Then we had an early lunch so we could take Mom to a Dr. appointment. Even though we left on time, there wasn't quite enough time when we got there for us to park on the other side of the bridge and walk back to the hospital. They have valet service, but the line was too long. So Dad let Mom and me out. I did not know where we were going, but followed the signs for Orthopaedics. I signed her in, and Dad showed up after parking. When we got in to see the Dr., she suggested botox and physical therapy for the curled fingers. If that worked, then and only then would she be willing to operate for the carpal tunnel syndrome. She wanted Mom to have individual finger splints so she wrote on a form and send us to the Hand Management center. We found that pretty easily. But after Mom was seen and the splints started, a man came in in a motorized wheel chair. He was not in good shape and all the physical therapists were worried. They called the emergency number several times before any one arrived. The man was getting worse. He had just come from dialysis, so why didn't they call down there to see if he was feeling poorly then, or if this was some kind of side effect? 30 minutes later one lady came with a backpack from which she pulled a heart monitor. After some fussing, they were able to wheel him out to where an emergency team waited, I hope. It was quite a delay. Then they finished making the splints and we were free to go. Dad offered to get the car while we waited, but I thought Mom should get some fresh air and sunshine so we all went together. Dad took control of the wheelchair and set off so fast I could hardly keep up. When he wasn't navigating turns or bumps, he walked beside her, holding only one handle. So I caught up, to grab the other handle. We crossed her over the bridge and into an inner-city neighborhood. We got in the car and went to the fitness center. We called Chris to tell him we'd be late for supper. Dad put Mom on the tread mill and stood behind her for 25 minutes, constantly reminding her to take larger steps. Then he did an arm workout. There was nothing for me to do 'cause guests aren't allowed to use the equipment. So I played patty-cake with Mom. Then Dad took her to the Back Extension machine. She did a set and then he did three sets. Then he used some other machines while I used a large exercise ball to play with Mom. We pushed it back and forth, up and down and side to side. She was really working hard. Then we drove home. Supper was almost ready. After we ate, I called Faye, but she didn't answer. Then Dad asked me to go for a walk with him and Mom. He said 'walk' but I should have brought jogging shoes. I could not keep up without running. He wheeled her in circles around me. I told him that she was going to get bugs in her teeth at that speed. When we got back, Faye was on the phone so I talked to her for awhile. Dad put Mom to bed while we were talking, so I just went to bed myself afterwards. I forgot to post to my blog.
* Mom is using the back extension machine at the fitness center *

Trying to make a difference

I awoke before 6:30. It was light out. I heard my parents alarm go off. My Dad got up to prepare Mom's breakfast, and pills. I went in to get her up, take her to the bathroom and give her a sponge bath. Then I dressed her and put on her grab belt. It is how Dad keeps her from falling down. I took her out to the kitchen, but he wasn't ready yet. So I started fixing my own breakfast and offered her some as I added each ingredient. She accepted the oatmeal, raisins, etc, but not the chlorella. Then Dad gave her apple juice to take her pills. It was a long drawn out process. After that she seemed to want to take a nap, but then changed her mind. She is not very communicative or responsive. I opened some windows and put a fan in one to pull out the bad air. My Dad had a kit to fix the drain stop in the hall sink, and I tried to use it but the rod was too long and the old one wouldn't work with the new ball. The bathtub faucet was leaking badly so we put a bucket under it to catch the water. I noticed that it was warm. Great, that means if we let it drip, by evening someone will have enough warm water to take a bath. I used some of the water to water the plants outside. Chris and Michele came over before lunch. We tried to clear some space in the living room by taking apart the standing quilt frame. I talked to my Mom at length about her childhood to see her respond and smile. My Dad took the opportunity to go get his car at the garage and drop off another one. When he came back, he started lunch: another long drawn out process. He made Mom a sandwich and carefully cut it into small pieces. I had to reassure him that the rest of us would find something to eat. I cut up tomatoes and a cucumber, and washed some lettuce. Chris ran to Best Buy and bought something that would allow Dad's laptop to connect to the wireless internet. Still he was back before lunch was ready. I ate kimchi and got my mom to eat one piece too. When I thought we had all eaten, Dad kept bringing out more food for Mom. Then he topped off his meal with a can of diced tomatoes. Then Dad took off her bib and sat her in the den. I took her outside for some fresh air. She sat for a little while, but then wanted to go back inside. I asked Chris to watch her while I went outside for a barefoot break. I did a Sudoku puzzle sitting on the lowest step. When I came in, Dad still hadn't called a plumber so I nagged him. He keeps getting distracted by other little things, like the ants all over the countertops, putting dishes in the dishwasher in just the right way, fiddling with papers and stuff. But finally he did call, and that person was out of town intending to come back this weekend. Back to square one. At 5:30 Chris started supper and I started laundry. It was 7pm until we sat down to eat. We ate some of the casserole that Kevin made, and some leftovers. After supper I called Faye. Dad was able to fix the drain stop after he cut the rod with a hack saw that William brought over. My mother wanted to see a picture of the quilt block for Annual Conference, so I used Dad's laptop to call up my blog for the day I made it. She enjoyed looking at it, and reading th eposting that went with it. It was good to see her engaged in an activity. When she tired of that, she wanted to go to bed. So I brushed her teeth and put her to bed. She wanted the radio on, so I did it, but the way things are 'wired' together, the closet light comes on at the same time, and the doors won't close due to the 'stuff' in front of them. She pulled the sheet over her face said it didn't matter. I went to the livingroom to tell Michele that she could sleep in the den now, but she and Chris were already asleep in the livingroom. Maybe I will sleep in William's room, as it has a perfectly good bed. Someone might as well sleep in it.

Leaving the Beach

Sunday morning was kind of a blur. We packed up all the leftover food, and all the kitcheny things that Cecily brought. We stripped our beds, and left the sheets and towels in a pile as directed by the 'list of things to do when you leave', provided by the rental company. We vacuumed, and swiffered, and wiped, and swept. All the cars were packed and we were ready to go well before the 10am checkout time. We all headed out together like a caravan. Each car had a walkie-talkie. When the others wanted to stop at a rest area, Chris and I kept going. We drove straight through, with only one quick pitstop. Chris refueled just before pulling into the driveway at Alfred and Cecily's house. First I ate my three leftover hardboiled eggs. Then I tried to call my parents, but there was no answer. I called the number we had for Faye's cell phone, but no luck. I called Faye's house, too. Finally I got through to William. He said they all went out to lunch after church and would walk around the mall, and be back by 6. That must be one LONG walk! So I chatted with William until the other cars arrived. Then we all chipped in to unload the cars. I went downstairs to check e-mail, and was down there until the others decided to go to supper at Applebys. I tried calling my parents again, but there was no answer. So off to supper we went. After we had eaten, Michele and Becca ordered a luscious chocolate dessert. I just watched them eat. When we got home, I called again, and my Dad answered. He said to come right over, so I loaded my stuff in Chris' car, and Cecily gave me fresh veggies from her garden and Sheila's garden. Chris dropped me off and went back to visit some more with James and Becca. My parents were just finishing supper. I was alarmed to see how far my mother had gone. The house was a mess, and the smell was worse. But I sat with her and rubbed her hand while Dad told me how things were. We took her to the bathroom, then undressed her and put her to bed. I rubbed her feet for a long time, hoping to put her to sleep. But she just lay there looking stiff and uncomfortable. It was after 11 when I put myself to bed. My father stayed up to do a few last minute things at an agonizingly slow pace.