What I hope to see in Honduras

Last night I went to bed without playing any games. In the morning, I did not hear Dad's alarm or mine, but when I got out the to the den, it was 8:02, so I had just missed it. I called my phone so I could find it. There was no mending on my pile today. I looked for the tub no-slip strips to do Dad's tub, but could not find them. I swished, exercised and checked e-mail. I read Dad the annual letter draft that I had written. He made changes, and then I put it on his thumb drive. I was about to make breakfast when I spotted the strips. I read the instructions, then rinsed the tub, dried it and cleaned it with alcohol. I peeled the strips and placed them, hoping Dad would not find imperfections in the placement. Dad was editing the annual letter when I finished. I made two breakfasts, one for today and one for tomorrow, so I could pack up all the ingredients. Some things I left behind for my next visit. I drank a large glass of cruciferous juice and ate breakfast, then I took my supplements. Dad brought me a copy of the annual letter to read. Then I practiced his trombone for the last time and put it away. William stopped by for lunch and he and Dad settled accounts. I wrote a note to Parker. I checked in with Delta on line and put the ticket image on a thumbdrive to print using Dad's desktop and printer. I looked up on Google maps how to get to the airport. I helped Dad with printing the annual letter (the font on the screen was not the one that printed out). I started the second half of a project Mom started. It involved making 45 or so large stitches with black darning thread. I found a size 7 hook to do the crochet part. The moving company called to say they would deliver the Pinehurst stuff to Huntsville on the 2^nd. I gave up on the agent calling, and took a bath. I called Parker and she said she didn't know anything yet but would call when she did. I wrote her a check as I promised Chris. I cut apart name labels from Dad's christmas card list. I folded the printed letters, and stuffed them in envelops. I even put stamps on. Dad signed them and we were ready to go to the mall. Parker called, so I jotted notes to Chris and sent them. We went to the mall to pick up my shoes. Even with the ticket, he couldn't find them. When I mentioned they were to be stretched, he found them on the stretcher unit. They were not right, so he gave me my money back. I asked if he were able to fix instrument cases, and he said yes. We came home. I saw Chris was on skype so we chatted. He told me some of the things we could do when I get there. I broke open the coconut we got at Martins and it was rotten. I have never seen a rotten one before. Patrick came over to chat and look around. Dad needed return address labels for the letters. Patrick helped me look for them. I found some of Mom's labels. I apologized to Patrick and started packing. When Patrick left, I searched and found more labels with Dad's name on them. I packed and wrapped, arranged and rearranged clothes, shoes and supplements. When the suitcase was packed, it would not shut, so I repacked it. Then I couldn't lift it. So I switched some heavier non-liquid items to the carry-on. With the suitcase shut, I latched it and strapped it, then moved it off the bed. I closed my carry-on, leaving room for my purse (hopefully). Then it was time to blog and go to bed. 

*  Honduran pointsettia  *

I am a closet organizer

Last night I played a game of Tetris. I am getting better at moving the pieces. This morning, I ignored Dad's alarm and went back to sleep. I did the same with mine. But I was up before 9. I wiped Dad's new shoes with alcohol since he wears them with bare feet. I swished while checking e-mail. He called the dentist and they said they'd call back when they received his records. I drank water and took the vit C. I did some tapping for the stress of dealing with rental agents. I exercised and made breakfast. I painted Dad's toenails with fungicide. We discussed William's recompense for various services rendered . I got a call from our church organist wanting to practice before Sunday. So we decided on Saturday at 1. Dad and I discussed driving stick shift. He recalled driving with his mother. Reciting those memories, he seemed to straighten up and use his right arm more expressively. I vacuumed spots that don't normally get swept. I wanted to clean, but my hands still hurt. But I could not resist taking the bathroom rug out to beat it. Then I swept the bathroom floor and washed the baseboards. Since I had the water already, I washed the doors in the den and kitchen. Kevin arrived to do the cooking. I got a call from Denise. I got to tell her all about the agent problem. Dad popped his head in to say he was taking a walk. By then Denise had given me her advice and told me I might as well go walking with him. So I put on my coat to follow him, but he came back to make a pit stop. Parker called me back. I went walking with Dad. It was really cold and I was wearing only a short-sleeved top under my coat. But eventually I did warm up. Parker called again when she got to the house to tell me about the water. She said it wasn't there on the 23^rd, and she did not see any movement (no more water coming in). She wondered if the sump pump breaker had been flipped. But the electrical panel was in the back room of the basement. Neither one of us thought she should wade through the water to open the electrical panel. By the time the call was over, so was our walk. Kevin was watching TV, and started the cruciferous juice when we walked in. I sat in the living room enjoying the silence and the Christmas tree lights while tapping. I wrote Kevin a check.  Then I used my tub of water to clean in the utility room. I moved some boxes from the hall closet to the little bedroom closet so I could get all of the extra towels and washcloths in.  I think Parker called again. I got distracted. I washed surfaces in the utility room, and then in the kitchen. I guess that was after Kevin left. Dad was eating, so I ate some too. Dad wanted me to cut the casserole in 16 precisely equal pieces. It wasn't hard with Mom's 12.5 inch square ruler. I brought in the bathroom rug. It was a little damp but seemed to dry quickly. And then I reorganized the hall closet so that the sheets and pillowcases and blankets were more accessible. Dad asked if Chris was going to skype, which reminded me to check. He had, so I responded. Then he had to go to bed. Dad had already gone to bed. So that makes it my turn.

I put hydrogen peroxide on my thumb cut again.  Seems like it just keeps getting reinfected.  I took a pic of the closet, and posted to my blog.

A "shoe-shopping good" day

I did not think to put the phone in my bedroom before I went to bed. So I did not hear it in the morning. It was about 20 after 8 when I got up. I called Parker but she did not answer. Dad had some mending for me to do so he could put three pajama shirts in the wash. But he wanted to do the sheets first so they would be dry by bedtime. ??? I mended the shirts and exercised and then swished. I took the sheets out of the washer and put them in the dryer. We talked about putting the new towels and washcloths in the space under his sink. But he said it was soapy, so I checked it out. The sink leaks around the stopper lever connection. I pulled the soapy shelf paper out to wash in the tub. We talked about replacing it with a piece of excess kitchen flooring. I made and ate breakfast and checked e-mail. I put a load of his clothes and my clothes in the washer. It did not all go in, but I needed clean clothes to wear. I cut a piece of flooring to fit under the sink. With a tub of water, I washed around floors and baseboards. Then I moved to the other bathroom. I did the dirtiest parts there. Yuck. Then I needed to rest my hands. I found a message on my phone from a referred agent in Pinehurst. I returned his call. Then I e-mailed Chris. When the dryer was done, I got dressed. Dad was already dressed but wanted to drink before we left on errands. He also made file folders for various medical personnel. Then we sorted all his papers into the folders, which we took with us. First I drove us to the Urology Center. Dad gave them the forms and made sure they canceled the appointments. The lady could not (or would not) give him anything in writing to guarantee that the appts were canceled. The receptionist also would not give him the Dr.s phone number, only the number to the office. And no e-mail address either. From there we went to the dentist. I told the receptionist that he wanted to change to the other office and what did we need to do? She said just cancel any appts here and make one there. She canceled the April cleaning and gave us the number to call to reschedule with the other office. Then we went to the big shoestore at the mall. The open-toed shoes were at the back of the store. I could not find any footie things for Dad to use while trying them on. But the first pair fit so it wasn't an issue. Waiting in line, he saw the inserts, so we talked about how they might solve his problem of one leg being shorter than the other. They did not sell heel lifts. Then we went to the shoe repair place to ask about lifts. They said they could nail something to the bottom of his shoe heels. I asked about stretching shoes. They said they could do that in 3 or 4 days. I told them I was leaving on Thursday and they said to bring them in right away. We went home and spent 10 minutes parking. Do you know what it is like to park a car from the passenger seat? Ask Dad. We had to eat something before going back to the mall. Dad wanted to drive. We parked in a low density area by Sears and walked to the other end of the mall. I brought stockings to try on with the shoes and told the man where the tightness was. He gave me a ticket and I paid him and left the shoes. We walked back to Sears and drove home. I let Dad park this time. He ate while I got on the computer to check for recent communications. I skyped with Chris. Then tried to call Denise. I ate half a banana and practiced the trombone. I cleared e-mail. I spent lots of time looking up real estate agent reviews online. He looks great on Zillow but not so good on Neighborhoodcity. She looks good in the three reviews I can find, no reviews on Zillow. Finally I had to call it quits and go to bed.

Meeting new people

I got up before 8 and took a shower. I was back in the bedroom by the time the alarm sounded. Dad was going to skip Sunday School and aim for 10:30 for choir practice. But we were ready early so we went. His class was a small affair: three of the five participants were choir members. We talked about Jesus walking on water, and the time he calmed the sea. The discussion often turned existential, but the teacher brought it back each time. At 10:30 she dismissed the class and most of them went to choir. I talked to Jaime, the other lady who was not in the choir. Faye came up from her class to join us. Then she and I sat in church. Dad sat with the choir. When they sang the anthem I realized just how different it was from the Youtube versions. Near the end, the Beers family stood up and sang a jazz version of a Christmas song. They were good. Faye noticed that I was standing back from the hymnal in order to see it, so she got a pair of folding glasses from her purse and handed them to me. I used them for the last hymn. Then I had to admit to her that I had glasses in my purse, too. But I was impressed by how small hers folded up to. After the service, I was able to talk to the choir director about ways Dad could hold and turn his music more easily. I talked to several people I haven't seen in a while. One couple was from Texas and driving back next week. I offered them a place to stay for a night on their way back. We got on the subject of GMOs and the man talked about goats that were genetically modified to produce spider silk. After everyone left, Dad and Faye changed clothes and we went to Subway for lunch. I got a salad, but they stopped offering avocado to go with it. The counter lady knew Dad and Faye's order by heart. After we sat down to eat, she came over to tell us she was going on maternity leave for 12 weeks. Then she introduced her 4-year-old. Cute kid. When we finished eating, we went back to the church to get Faye's car and drove to the mall. Dad walked outside while Faye and I walked inside (where it wasn't raining). After 5 ½ laps, we stopped to shop. I got something to wear in Honduras and a stylus for my tablet. At another store I got something for Chris. Then we went to the food court to talk. We decided to exit through one of the department stores. They had a pair of open-toed shoes Dad would like for around the house, but there was no one to wait on us. He and I walked to the car and I drove us home. He fell asleep in the car and I woke him up after I parked. But he made me move the car. Then we had a bite to eat. I checked my e-mail and skyped with Chris. Chris sang to me. After we hung up, Dad told me what a good job Chris did. I sliced my thumb on a lid and put hydrogen peroxide on it. I wanted to clean in the kitchen, but worried about getting dirty water in the cut. I tried to fix Dad's umbrella. It looked fixed when I was done, but might not hold long. Dad found a receipt and we tried to figure out where it was from. I looked up the goats with spider genes. It seems they give milk which has an extra protein in it that can be spun into silk. I picked lint off of blue socks while listening to an audio about the myths of pesticides in our food supply. One myth is that they are tested rigorously. But only the active ingredient is tested, alone, and not in the combination which is applied to crops. Another myth is that if a certain level of pesticide doesn't cause ill effects, then a lower dose won't either. But in parts per trillion some are more dangerous because they mimic hormone levels in the body.

I put my earrings away. I watched Smarter in Seven Minutes until Dad started talking to me. He wanted to write me a check. I finished my video and started an audio on health tips. I cleared some e-mail and did some tapping. My hands ached, so I rolled a tennis ball over the tendons near my elbows and that helped. I also used the ball on my jaw joints to help with the clenching. Then I practiced the trombone before going to bed.

*  I did not take any pictures today (although I wish I had) so here is one from Christmas day.  *

Gorcery shopping

Last night I had to play a few rounds of the Tetris app to get used to it and then I went to bed. I did not have my cell phone in the room so I did not hear the alarm ring. I must have gotten up afterward because it never rang later. There was a shirt laying across the couch in the den so I surmised that Dad wanted it mended. And he did. So I did. He made his breakfast while I juiced 3 cucumbers and some carrots. We both drank most of it. I put the rest in the fridge and cleaned up the juicer. I made and ate most of my breakfast and then we went shopping. We stopped at Office Max for tape refills, then went to Martins. We got all kinds of grocery items and checked the list several times. There is no way I could have followed that list myself. We got stamps at the customer service desk where Dad asked about Product 19. While he was waiting for an answer, I took the groceries out to the car. He met me there and we drove to Fresh Market for watercress, which looked much better than the watercress at Martins. We also got kimchi. When we got home, I parked the car in the precise spot he wanted it. I carried the groceries in while he opened the house and put them away. I finished breakfast and ate some cheese. Chris skyped me. Then Dad and I ate leftovers. I replaced a bulb under the microwave. Faye called to ask about colors for matching dishtowels and potholders. We got a call from Verizon which might have been asking if the connectivity issue from last night was resolved. However, the guy spoke so fast that even playing the message 5 times, we could not make it out. I used two of the many dishcloths Faye gave Dad to make some matching oven towels. Buttons were a problem. I searched high and low knowing my mom had to have a jar of buttons. I finally found a sewing basket in her bedroom with 3 jars of buttons. Mostly, though, they were too small. But there was one which matched one of the worn towels. And two non-matching towels had matching buttons. So, I traded buttons all around and sacrificed two towels to get their crocheted tops to make a nice set of oven towels (made of washcloths). Dad spent all evening doing his Sunday morning checklist. He also slipped in a shirt to mend so he could wear it tomorrow. Fortunately it was an easy fix. I started to practice Dad's trombone. Michele skyped me, and later Chris joined in. The call ended at midnight. Dad was taking his bath. I posted to my blog and put the trombone away. Will I go to bed or play Tetris?

I got more for her money at Payless

Instead of going directly to bed last night, I played one game of Sudoku.

This morning I stayed in bed a little after the alarm. When I got up, Dad was unstacking the dishwasher and asked me to get the pickle label off of one of the plates. I used coconut oil and then mayo to get the label off of the dessert plate. Then I exercised, and got dressed. I washed the towels Faye gave Dad for Christmas along with some of my own laundry. We collected Mom's old meds into a box. I made breakfast, and ate breakfast. I cut a finger on the sharp edge of a coconut milk can. I put the towels in the dryer and pulled out lots of lint. I practiced Dad's trombone. I separated the items for shredding. I cut up the name-address labels, and plastic cards. I shredded papers, and checks, emptying the bin several times. I looked up Reminisce on the web and re-ordered it by phone. I watched more of the health video. Then Faye called. She came over, and picked up me and the box of meds. We went to Walgreens, but their pharmacy would not take the meds, but they sold us a bag for disposing of meds. We shared a bag of toasted coconut shreds. They were too good. She took me to Payless, and bought me one pair. There was another one I liked, but it was slightly scuffed so the saleslady recommended the store at Chesterfield Towncenter. Then we went to A.C. Moore's, and got the kind of yarn for making dishcloths. Then we went to Chesterfield towncenter, and got another pair of shoes. There were a few shoes lying on the floor in the aisle and we tried to find which box they belonged in. There must be an app for that. We enjoyed walking around the mall, and going to HomeStore, where we got small storage cups and a measuring cup. I was hoping for a basket-type coffee filter, but there were none. We went back through Macy's and looked for men's wallets. Faye couldn't find any, so I whispered in her ear that every man in the store had one... She gave me a priceless look. We went home, and Dad was waiting with light on. She went home. I saw that Chris had called. I looked up reuseable coffee filters. I worked with Dad to shut down his computer so he could remove his USB drive. I finished the health video. I looked up Buford road pharmacy but could not find a website. Dad turned on the TV to watch the McLaughlin Report on public television. Then we ate leftovers for supper. While I was eating cheese, Chris skyped me. We talked for awhile, and then he helped me get Dad's computer online. Chris went to bed, but I stayed up to get to Dad's e-mail. We tried the Verizon troubleshoot program, which was completely unhelpful, except that it gave us the option to chat with a live person. I waited in the queue for 5 minutes or more, then texted with the tech whose name was telereddy or something like that. He got a little testy with me for not understanding his directions. Since my name came up as A. Reber, I was tempted to write “Hey, I've been dead for 6 months. What do you expect?” Anyway, he encouraged me to reset the browser. The browser warned me not to do it unless it was unuseable. But the tech said it was safe, and to reboot afterward. So I reset the browser and rebooted, but although Dad could get a prompt for the user ID, there was none for the password. We decided to give it up for the night. I wrote to my blog and went to bed.

*  This is a large TV screen playing a video of ocean waves.  Mall shoppers have to walk in front of it to enter the store.  It was relaxing to stand and watch it.  *

Christmas

The alarm woke me up this morning and I had a terrible time finding the phone in my purse so I could shut it off. I rolled over for another 40 winks. I tried to imagine each part of the day going well, but thoughts of Pinehurst kept intruding. So I got up. I washed the sweet potatoes and rubbed them with coconut oil. I put them in a glass pan in the oven and set it for 350. I set the timer for an hour knowing they needed more time. I set 10:30 as my target cook time. I swished and exercised. Dad brought me a gift to wrap. So I went on the attic and got a bag of used wrapping. Then Kurt went up and he was able to reach the rolls of wrapping. As I wrapped the one gift, Dad brought me a bag of others to wrap. He did not give me the names of who they were intended for. I had to stop to eat. I saw it was 11 and ran to get the sweet potatoes out, but they were cold. I tried setting the stove again. I did not do anything differently but checked over and over again to make sure it was heating up and stayed hot. Then I made breakfast and ate it. I wrapped the rest of the presents,When the potatoes were done, I put the pan on the stove top to cool. As my Christmas present, Kurt downloaded some game apps to my tablet: Sudoku and something else. I peeled the potatoes and started mashing them with butter, salt and nuts. Kurt mashed while I tried out the new Sudoku app. Chris called Dad's cell in order to reach me. I finished making the potato casserole and put it on the table. Kurt and I spent some time finding other places to put all the clutter from the dining room table. Faye and Kevin came over with ham, beans, red potatoes and pineapple casserole. While they were getting the food cooking in the kitchen, William arrived. Patrick came, too, at some point. While the ham cooked, Dad played his accordion and Faye and I sang. Playing the accordion was a little painful for my father's shoulder. So then we opened presents. I got a Sudoku calendar.  I hadn't bought gifts, so I handed out cash.  When the ham was done, we gathered in the diningroom to eat. I skipped the pineapple casserole because of the sugar, but I did eat the ham in spite of the glaze. It caught up with me later. For dessert, we passed around the fudge (among other things) and it got dropped (accidentally) into the pineapple casserole. I hear the two went great together. Faye did most of the cleaning up. I communicated with Chris on Skype. Everyone got to say hello to him, After Faye and Kevin left, I talked to William about suitcases like mine, and replacing the wheel. It is possible. Then he left, and I helped Dad order some shoes online. Then we talked about ordering a magazine for William. Dad wanted to check the 11pm weather on TV, but just missed it, so I looked it up online. I checked Dad's e-mail to get the confirmation number. Then I downloaded pics from DropBox to send to Chris. I took some notes for my blog and downloaded the pics.  And now it is past time for bed.

Cleaning on Christmas Eve

I finished an interview on EMF and autism before I went to bed last night. I left my phone out in the den so I did not hear it ring in the morning. It was almost 8:30 when I got up. I checked e-mail, then exercised and made breakfast. Kurt was up so I talked to him. Somehow we got to watching videos on space and time. Dad walked to the mall in the rain. When he came back, we took apart the oven door to tighten the handle. We also took off the light panel under the microwave. There were two burnt out bulbs. We examined one with the intent of replacing it. I looked it up online and thought Sears might have it. Dad answered his phone and said the neighbor was coming over in 15 minutes. I wasn't dressed, so I took a quick bath and put on my Christmas Eve outift of red top and black pants. Soon after I finished, Al from across the street arrived. He brought homemade fudge and strawberry bread hot from the oven. We found out that he is a Star Trek Next Generation enthusiast. After he had to leave, Kurt drove the three of us to Subway. I got a veggie salad and asked for avocado but they were out. Kurt decided to take a chance and eat what I ate. He said later he wished he had gotten turkey added to his salad. We stopped at Home Depot for a bulb and gift card. When we got home, we installed the bulb and it worked even though the base was a different metal. I practiced Christmas music on my trombone. Kurt couldn't find his laptop so I helped him. But he was unable to find my glasses. Chris skyped me and we talked for 20 minutes. Then Kurt drove us to church. We talked to a few people before the service. The organist played until the start. There was lots of singing in the service, and I cried during the last one. Hopefully no one could tell. We lit candles and blew them out at the end. I talked to Sandy, who had done some missionary work overseas and a few other people. Most had left by the time we were ready. Kurt drove us home. Patrick came over. He put the grill back on the microwave and we put clean plastic over the touch pad. I scrubbed the microwave inside and out. I also scrubbed the cupboard above it and the stove below it. The word 'scrub' does not do the effort justice. The grease did not want to come off.  But the result was enough of an improvement to be worth it.   Dad felt he needed to eat before he could go to sleep. I posted to my blog and went to bed.

*  I did not take any pictures today so here is one of the ugly Christmas sweatshirt contest last Thursday.  *

If i had my glasses, I could find them.

I got up at 8, and started swishing. When that was finished, I called Parker but there was no answer. Dad talked to me about patching his shirt. I searched and found the to-do list. Dad and I discussed several items. I scanned his July PSA and the Medicare response. We were going to e-mail them to his doctor, but when I called the office, they said they had fax but no e-mail. I wrote on a sticky note to attach to the sheets so we can submit them in person. We cancelled his PSA appt. I exercised, and made breakfast. Kurt and I watched a Youtube video to see how badly the CC messed up. Kurt had to go pick up his car, so I finished breakfast and got dressed. We found a Swansons package on the porch. The three of us drove to the auto shop. The mechanic had seen Mom's death notice in the paper and remarked on it. He offered us the paper and we gratefully accepted. Dad paid the bill as Kurt's present. Kurt went to the Vitamin Shoppe while I drove Dad home. I was going to fix Dad's shirt while he and Kurt took a walk, but he wanted to wear it with his other two shirts and his coat. So I indicated that I would do the shredding while he was gone. He said some of what was in the shredding bag wasn't actually for shredding. Ga!!!! I read e-mail. I listened to a tapping audio. It ended as Dad and Kurt returned from their walk. Then I practiced Dad's trombone. It was turning green on the bell and the slide was rough. Kurt used his music app for a metronome. After practicing, I found some slide cream to apply. Not sure it helped much. Then I sat down to watch another tapping video. Kevin arrived. He started cooking. I had some of Floyd's soup for lunch, as well as a banana with organic cream cheese. Then I basted and handsewed two patches on Dad's shirt. I read e-mail while Dad ate. Then I drove him to Dress Barn to get a gift certificate. When we got back, Kevin was cleaning. Kurt went to pick up Patrick so they and Faye and Kevin could meet at Pizza Hut for supper. Dad walked to the mall, while Chris skyped me.  We talked about what to do when I go visit him in Honduras.  I hardboiled four eggs and ate one. After I hung up with Chris, I cut up three onions and boiled them in a pot. I added salt. When Dad came home, he had groceries, including brown rice. So I made a pot of rice, too. The recipe on the back called for butter. So when I put butter in the rice, I put some in the onion soup, too. I cut up some cheddar cheese to melt on top of the soup. When the onions were cooked, I threw in some eggs for protein. Then I put the soup in other containers so the pot could go in the dishwasher. Dad asked me to cut some pills in half. I could not find my close-up glasses so I asked Kurt to do it while I worked on my blog. I helped Dad find his denture case, then went back to my blog. It was difficult with the TV on. I planned to go to bed when I finished.

*  Since I did not take any pics today, here is what I packed for my trip.  *

Working on Dad's to-do list

My phone alarm rang at 8 EST. I did not tell it I changed time zones, but somehow it knew. I got up to exercise and swish. Then I called Parker. She told me she have more info later today. I sewed a button on Dad's shirt. I read e-mail. Dad gave me his bills and I wrote the 4 checks and readied the envelopes so all he would have to do it sign the checks. I encouraged him to print out the to-do list he had made. But it was at the end of a very large file. I tried to select and print, but his software would not allow it. So I copy/pasted it to its own file, printed it and then closed the file without saving it. I made and ate breakfast. Dad wanted to put a death notice in the newspaper for Mom. I already had the instructions on my computer. So I wrote an e-mail with all the info they asked for. I found a photo of Mom on my laptop that I could crop to just a head shot. I typed in the obituary and saved it as a .doc file. I attached both to the e-mail. Then we called the paper. They said to send the e-mail and then they would send a reply with a mock-up and the price. In less than half an hour, it was here. We checked it over and called them back to pay the cost. They said it would run tomorrow. Then Dad and I bundled up warmly to take a two mile walk in the rain. When we got back, we considered walking to Fresh Market, but it was not a safe walk in the weather. Then Kurt arrived. He told us about how the power steering in his car went out earlier today. And how he wanted to buy another car. Then Faye arrived. Then Chris was on Skype, so we all got to say hello to him. After Faye left, Kurt put his spare car keys in an envelop and drove to a mechanic shop to drop it off. Dad followed him and brought him back. I stayed home to talk to Chris. He made flight plans for me to visit him in Honduras. Sadly, the voucher I was given yesterday was not applicable. I hung up with Chris when the men came home. Kurt said he needed to go back in the morning and straighten things out. Then Dad and I went to Martins for organic foods and a few things for Kurt. Dad did not have the bags from his last grocery trip with him, so we got new ones. When we got home, we put the food away. I talked to Kurt who was perusing Craig's list for a used car. Then it was really late, so I posted to my blog and went to bed.

*  I did not take any pics today so here is a 'before' pic of my luggage. *

Home again, home again

I got up at 7 when the phone alarm went off. My socks had made rings around my ankles and my left ankle hurt. I took a shower and turned on the desktop. I had left the laptop on all night to charge the mp3 headphones and ipod (both of which I found last night before I went to bed. I mixed my breakfast with coconut milk and ate it while reading e-mail. I tried to watch a tutorial from The Missouri Star Quilt Company, but could not get the link to work. I moved all my packed items to the front door. I turned the heat down to 55 and opened the doors under the sink. I sat in the livingroom, relaxing and watching for Bertha. When she drove up, I moved my luggage to the front porch and locked the door. I gave her a small gift and we got my bags in her car. She drove me to the airport. I checked in my suitcase and was directed upstairs. there were two lanes, one marked Passengers and one marked TSA-pre-board. I chose the one marked Passengers and was told I was in the wrong line but she would check me anyway. she said the people in the other lane were in the wrong line, so I have no idea what the correct procedure was. I had to surrender my stuff to be scanned, but not take off my shoes. When I asked about that, they said 'not in this line'. Was I receiving special treatment? On the way to my gate, I passed a store. I stopped to see if they sold Earplanes.They did, and the price was the same as Walgreens so I bought them. I sat at my gate and played 2048 until it was time to board. When I got to the plane, it was small and cramped, so I agreed to surrender my carryon to be checked. I did not see it leave the aircraft, but when I remembered my earplugs were in there, they had to send out for it. the flight was short and uneventful. My ears were slightly uncomfortable. When we landed, they made an announcement about checked carry-ons being at the end of the walkway. but I did not see any and walked to the desk in the lounge. I was told I could not go back and so I stood there until the baggage was delivered and everyone had gotten theirs. Then the attendant brought me the last one. It was mine even though I did not remember tying a scrap of fabric to it. But I had time to walk to the train and take it from D to A. My gate was A7 which was near the end. Of course. I visited the bathroom and then sat to wait. The couple next to me was eating sandwiches, so I got out my baggie of raisins and pumpkin seeds. After eating, I opened up my laptop to jot some notes for my blog. I thought I would call Chris' skype number, but it was in my Yahoo file and since I had no internet connection, I could not access it. I closed the laptop and waited to be called to board. I was seated in row 11. I put my earplugs in. when the plane reached cruising altitude, they said we could use wi-fi, so I got out my tablet. But although it connected, it did not download e-mail (or anything else) so I shut off the wifi and played 2048 until it was time to land. I watched the terrain grow closer and closer, with the shadow of the plane. When the shadow reached the plane, we had touched down. I did not see Dad out walking on the runway. After getting off the plane, I rolled my carry-ons along a looooooong hallway. I saw people waiting at the end and tried to pick out Faye. But I walked right past her and she took my picture. She gave me a hug, and we found Dad. We headed down to the baggage claim area. She watched my stuff while I surveyed the carrousel. When my suitcase came around, I pulled it off and rolled toward Faye. Ka-thump, ka-thump, ka-thump. We turned it over to discover that one wheel was broken, as in the covering was coming off. I went immediately to the baggage office and reported it. She said Delta did not cover damage to wheels, but she gave me a $50 voucher for a future flight. ( Maybe I should have asked for an upgrade on a future flight?) Anyway, it was something, We ka-thumped our way to the parking lot and stowed my items in the car. Faye drove us back to Dad's house. It was cold so I turned on the heat in 'my' room. Dad turned up the heat in the den. Faye gave me a box of coconut water as a birthday present. She wanted an address for Chris. I suggested that we send Michele an Easy-Bake oven if she wants pecan pie. We discussed what to eat on Christmas. Dad was in favor of going out, but I couldn't find a good list of restaurants open on Christmas, not even for take-out. After Faye left, Dad told me some of the things he wanted us to do this week. Then his attention went to eating. Patrick called from the front porch to be let in. He was looking for boxtops and canceled stamps. After he left, Dad talked to me about putting an obit in the paper for Mom. He showed me the two versions he had written and printed them out. He explained about the smudges his printer is making. We talked about submitting a photo with the obit. He went back to eating. I put Chris' skype number in my phone. Dad started the process of taking out the garbage. My brain was shutting down and I did not know why. I drank two glasses of water. I unwrapped the food from the suitcases and put it in the diningroom. I opened my can of coconut milk and combined it with the starter that I brought. I started typing up my blog and saw that Chris was on Skype. We chatted for a bit, but then I had to go to bed.

Packing and packaging

Last night after posting to my blog, I turned off the router and put the newly washed sheet and blanket on my bed. I went to sleep.

I woke up not knowing what time it was and wondering if I had missed the alarm again. But no. I got on my laptop and Chris was waiting for me on Skype. I replied by text, then went to the bathroom to finish brushing my teeth. That is when he called. I moved the laptop to a sunny window so I could soak up some daylight. We had a good chat until it was time for his workout. Then I cleared some e-mail. Cecily had sent me an e-card which reminded me of the advent calendar on the desktop. I watched today's animation, wondering if I can get it on my laptop over the holidays. I practiced my trombone and placed the mouthpiece near the suitcase. I did my exercises. I juiced the aloe, remaining broccoli, cucumber and some carrots. I cleaned up and tried to meditate with Christmas music, and set a positive intention for tomorrow. I read e-mail. I made two breakfasts, and ate one while reading e-mail. I watched Smarter in Seven Minutes. I signed in to the Delta website and printed out boarding passes. I put the sprouted sweet potatoes in a large bowl of water in the garage. I raked leaves and cones under the magnolia tree. I brought in the rain collection tubs and folded laundry. I downloaded a pdf of all Delta flights. It looks like all their flights out of HSV go to Atlanta. Is that possible? I called Dad to find out what his indoor temp was so I could pack accordingly. I looked up local places to buy Earplanes. I drove to Bed Bath n Beyond. They did not have them in stock. Neither did Target a few doors down. But Walgreens on the corner had one package left. Since they are single-use, I will have to find another pair in Richmond for the return trip (assuming they work as advertised). Then I got out my packing list. I reviewed everything on it because it is a little outdated and tries to cover all seasons. I laid out outfits and took a pic for next time. I had to choose one coat and scarf, not knowing what the weather will be for the next 11 days. I bagged the clothing in clear plastic bags. I packed the solid foods in a box which fit in my carryon. I bubble-wrapped and double-wrapped the liquids and put them in the suitcase. I took pics of my suitcase so I wouldn't forget what it looks like when it comes through the baggage claim.  I chose a different purse and took only what was necessary out of mine.  On and on it went. Finally I thought I was done. I watched an episode of Lone Gunmen. Then I remembered my ipod and headphones. But I could not find it anywhere. My ankle started bothering me so I put on heeled shoes, not knowing why it hurt and hoping it would resolve itself by morning. I weighed the suitcase and it was about 40 pounds. I loaded the dishwasher and ran it. I played an audio on the laptop. Michele skyped me for awhile, and I got to talk to Chris, but not for long because it was LATE and I had to get up early in the morning.

*  This is Lisa's cool stack-n-whack  *

Lunch on a cold day

When I got up, I was surprised to find it was after 8 and I never heard the alarm. I swished and read e-mail. I exercised, juiced, and showered. Two Jehovah Witnesses got me out of the shower by ringing the doorbell. They could tell by the towel I was wearing that this was not the time and they left. I got dressed, and looked up the restaurant menu online. I decided to order the lamb. I was going to clean the juicer, but Faye skyped me. Then I put on my coat and walked to Chris' car. The thought that the front door wasn't locked came to me and I walked up the sidewalk to check. It wasn't, and I could see the JW ladies visiting a neighbor across the street. I drove to post. I stood in full view of the parking lot to wait for Mr. Connolly. He and his wife came by to pick me up, and we went to Bridgestreet. We met Mr. McCord and his wife at Connors. We ordered and talked. I left for a moment to go to the bathroom. Rowena sympathized with me on having to drive stickshift. Then the conversation turned to travel and kids. After we had our fill of food and chat, we put on our coats to leave. Outside we ran into someone from work. It was freezing outside but the men seemed not to notice. On the way back to the car, we met Santa. So Mr. Connolly took a pic of his wife and me standing with Santa. I think Santa enjoyed the extra body heat. He had a beautiful costume, but I doubt he was warm enough. Then they dropped me off in the commissary parking lot. I drove myself home. I had some sweet potato casserole as dessert and took my supplements. I checked e-mail, and saw a message from Dad on my phone. It must have rung while I was in the bathroom at the restaurant. I called him back. I researched cinnamon oil and placed a Swansons order and cleaned the juicer. Walter came by to pick up his pants and gave me a $10 bill. I practiced my trombone. I cleaned the bathroom. I was listening to an audio when Darren came by to change the lightbulb over the stairs. I asked him about the outlet in the basement bathroom. He fixed that one with some new screws. After he left, I put a hold on the mail for my trip. I opened the present under the tree. I thought it was fabric and I was right – a set of sheets. I got out the suitcase from the garage with every intention of packing it. I took two baskets of laundry down to the basement and put one in the washer. I watched videos on gardening as a subversive activity. I changed loads of laundry. I watched the Smarter in 7 minutes video. I haven't seen it in three weeks because it was on my laptop. I read and cleared more e-mail. I tapped on all the balls I am trying to juggle and dropping. I pulled out the dry clothes and put in wet clothes. I ironed the one piece of fabric. I went upstairs to find out that Chris had called and gone to bed. While waiting for the second load to dry, I tapped a little more, and wrote up my blog notes for the day. 

*  This lady is showing the mat she is crocheting with plastic bags for the homeless  *  

Our Christmas program

Last night I listened to an audio while I laid in bed trying to sleep, but it went long and I was glad when it was over. I got up at 8 with the alarm. I boiled water to wash the Drano out in the bathroom sink. I swished while reading about how to pop your ears on a plane. It is often a problem for me and sometimes really bad for days. I came across a product called earplanes. They are a type of ear plug that equalizes pressure. I took out the recyclables. I searched where to get earplanes locally, and it could be a common item at drugstores. There is no time for shipping before Sunday. I exercised, and listened to audios. I juiced, made breakfast. I called the computer place, and my laptop was ready. I went immediately to pick it up. The sound was working. I asked for another 512MB stick, but he was all out. I paid for the laptop and previous sticks of memory. We talked for a while. He's a nice guy, but I still haven't caught his name. When I got home, I took my supplements, then made blog notes on the desktop. I reconfigured the internet to enable the wi-fi. It was time for lunch. Then I cleaned in the kitchen, and started making up supplements for the trip. Parker called: Mr. Shore hasn't returned the keys so she can't check on handyman's work, but she should have the keys back tomorrow and will check again. I went back to the supplements. Then I parsed out 11 days worth of nuts. Some of them went into the supplement bottles for better use of space. The rest went into a baggie. Some nutritional powders were put into small jars for the trip. I called Walter to arrange to meet after the meeting tonight. I tweezed my eyebrows and scrubbed my face to get rid of wrinkles. I tried to compose an answer to an e-mail. I kept getting distracted because it was too hard to think. I listened to a short audio by Dain Heer. Then it was time to go. But first I had to find my name tag, and then put on a Christmas sweatshirt. I threw on my scrap scarf to go with it. I took the bag with Walter's hemmed pants, and headed to the guild meeting. A number of the usual activities were canceled for the night. The meeting was short. A lady spoke about making things for Linus that were not quilted. Most were knitted or crocheted. One lady talked about crocheting plastic bags to make mats for the homeless. We had show-n-tell (my favorite part). Lisa was there, for the first time I think. She and I got to talk. She was interested in the new group I had joined. I promised to send her the link. Each member had been given a paper bag and told not to open it. When it was time, we each got a pencil, Hershey kisses, a candy cane, and a felt cutout and some embroidery thread and a needle. Oh, and a raffle ticket. I did not win, but my phone rang. I always have the volume turned up so I can hear it anywhere in the house. Well, the whole group could hear it and I rifled through my purse trying to find it. When I saw that it was my dad, I ran outside to answer it. He wanted to know what he could buy at the grocery store for me. I told him the list was at home. Then I went back and worked on the ornament. But it seemed everyone else was packing up. Walter did not show up. I hung around for awhile, but finally went home to call Dad. I also called Walter and set up another time for tomorrow. Then Chris was on skype so we talked for a bit. Then I rested and got a new idea about how to compose the answer to the e-mail. When that was done, and a few more answered as well, it was time to blog and go to bed. 

*  This is our raffle quilt for the quilt show this year  * 

Not quite laptop

As soon as I woke up, I reached for my phone and called Parker. There was no answer and I left a message. I got up to start the day. I looked for my detox sheet, but could not find it anywhere. I thought of printing another one, but the original is on my laptop. And it's got Mike and Howard's phone numbers which I hadn't put in my phone yet. I put on some Christmas music. I squeezed a lemon into a glass of water and drank it. I swished and read by my HappyLight. It doesn't seem to be doing its job. I searched again. I found other things that needed to be moved. I looked downstairs. Finally I found it underneath another piece of paper. I entered the numbers into my phone. That took longer than it should have. I got out my bifocals, but they wouldn't stay on. So I got the tiny screwdriver set and tighten the screws. Then I was able to read the numbers. I started exercising, took notes for my blog and the Christmas music ran out. I completed the detox, enjoying the jolt of caffeine. Then I made two batches of juice to make up for missing yesterday. I expected to make it to the gym early. Chris called, worried about the emotional state I was in last night. I finished juicing and while I was cleaning, Parker called. She promised to call tomorrow, both before and after seeing if the house was in proper shape. I called Datac to see if my laptop was ready. He said the new fan was in and was working. He had it 99% together. So I said I'd be by to pick it up after going to the gym. I packed my bag and water bottles. I put on my suit under my clothes. I drove to the gym. I was alone at first, but then a Korean woman came in. I spoke some Korean to her and we had a nice conversation. After an hour and a half, and taking a shower, I went to Datac. The laptop was ready but when he booted it up, it did not make any sounds. So I had to leave it. Maybe I should have stayed to watch. I came home to hang up my wet stuff to dry. I made breakfast and had some supper, too. I checked e-mail, and listened to audios. I tried to call Walter to get his pants to him, but there was no answer, so I left a message. I read more e-mail, and made a donation to Heifer as Dad's present. I looked up 'port scan attacks' because I keep getting them. Did I get them before but there was no notification? I played Mahjong, and practiced my trombone. I watched an episode of Lone Gunmen while picking lint off of a black pair of pants. I swear there was more lint on the pants than on the scarf it all came from. When I came up, Chris had just gotten on Skype. We talked for a little while, but then the connection broke and we could not get it back. So he went to bed. And I alone am left to blog.

*  Beverly's lovely stack-n-whack from yesterday  *

Possible project for next year

I was having some odd dreams. I got up before the alarm. The computer had shut down and I had trouble getting it back on to see if there was any word from Parker. No. I called her, but there was no answer. I sat with my HappyLight, swishing and writing Christmas cards and listening to an audio on dirty electricity. I packaged a pecan pie for Michele. Apparently there is a shortage of pecan pies in Korea, or at least her apartment. I filled out the paperwork, and put the cards in the mail. I drove to post to mail the pie. A lady commented on my red scrap scarf. Then I went to quilting. Susan had made cute little Christmas bags for everyone. The one I got had hand soap, notepaper, and a star in it. Quilts were arranged on a table to everyone to see. I put mine up as well. I finally got a pic of the block Jane has picked out for next year's project. She did not have the instructions for me, but I won't have time before Christmas to start on it anyway. Beverly said she would consider taking me to the airport at 4 in the morning if I needed a ride. We lined up for lunch. I hadn't brought anything, but there was plenty of food and I was strongly encouraged to stay and eat. I got a couple pieces of broccoli, a strip of pepper, and some green beans. I chatted with the two Beverlys. Then I wished everyone Merry Christmas and left. I went to the Asian store for kimbap. I gave the proprieter the bag with the hand soap in it. She was touched and gave me a calendar. Then I stopped at the computer store. The fan had come in, but wasn't installed yet. He was working on something else. Grr! I went home to eat the kimbap and read e-mail. I contributed money to a crowdfunded solar powered water desalination machine. I installed Adblock to get rid of annoying moving ads and that bouncing newsfeed number. And it worked beautifully! I brought in the mail. There was a Christmas card to the landlord. So I called our agent and she gave me the landlord's address so I could forward it. While listening to an audio on the effects of EMF on pregnant women, I scanned my trombone music and printed out another copy. When the audio was over, I went outside to rake leaves and pinestraw. Then I practiced my trombone. I washed and oiled sweet potatoes and put them in the oven. Then I made breakfast. After eating, I hemmed the dress pair of pants for Walter. It took an hour. I had some time left, so I started on the jeans. But I cut too soon and royally messed them up. I tried to fix it several ways, but all I accomplished was to fray the edges. I pinned the last option and gave it up for the night. I came up to eat the sweet potato skins. Chris was on skype so we talked for an hour. I took a break to mash melted butter into the potatoes. I was annoyed to see that the red bouncing number was back.  But at least the ads were still gone.  After our call, I read e-mail, and played with the tablet. I played 2048, and other apps that I didn't recognize. How did they get there? I put away the potatoes, and then downloaded today's pics from my camera. I wrote to my blog and went to bed.

My plate is full

I laid in bed a little while past the alarm. I got up to address an issue from yesterday. I sat in the sun and read. I practiced my trombone. I put on an audio and exercised. I checked e-mail. I started juicing and realized that it was trash day. So I quickly got dressed and collected the garbage and took it out to the street. On the way back I closed the garage door. Then I juiced the sprouts and a pepper and some carrots. Then I sat with my HappyLight. I packed a little bit of lunch and a bottle of water. Then the phone rang. Denise wanted to know if I still wanted used cat litter. We talked for some time. Then I took a shower, put my sewing stuff in the car, and drove to quilting. The ladies were finishing up lunch which was leftovers from a church supper. I ate some of the veggie tray. Walter brought two new pairs of pants for me to hem. He said to do them at my convenience, but Maryann encouraged me to have them done before I went away for Christmas. (Obviously I have nothing to do this week.) I set up my sewing machine in the back and worked on the Linus quilt triangle blocks. Many of the trapezoid segments did not fit and I didn't know if it was in the cutting or the sewing. I think I made 30 blocks. About 4:30 I packed up to go home. When I got home, I checked the mail box and found some Christmas cards. There were also some bills. One credit card bill had an interest charge. I called to check, and we paid $3 less than the full bill (my eyesight or poor typing) and so they charged us interest on the average daily amount for the month, which was more than $3. I wanted to cancel the card then and there, but decided to check with Chris first. I ate the rest of the fish for supper, and part of the veggie platter that Dinah asked me to take home. I checked e-mail and finished the interview on surviving a total system collapse. My desktop got really slow so I rebooted it. Then Chris was on skype. We tried to make plane reservations for me to Honduras. There is only one flight per day to Tegu and I would have to take either the 5:30am or 7am flight to Atlanta to catch it. I really did not want to get up that early in the cold and the dark to catch a taxi to the airport. When I heard the rain, I ran out with my collection tubs to catch it. Then I obsessed some more over flights and possibly staying overnight at an airport hotel either in Huntsville or Atlanta. Finally we hung up. I thought he went to bed. I had an emotional breakdown. I decided to make a list of everything that had to be done this week. It was a long list. But I did feel better having it on paper. It was too late to do anything on the list, so I posted to my blog and went to bed. 

*  I didn't take any pics today, so here is one from the KK3 program.  * 

Chrismons on the tree

I went to bed so late last night that I had to sleep past the alarm. I must have gotten up a little past 8:30, surprised it wasn't later. Something unwanted happened overnight and I wondered how long it would last. When I get to heaven, Jesus and I are going to have a chat about menopause. Did his mother have to go through this?

I checked on my sprouting sweet potatoes. The leaves are curling on the one on the left and I don't know why. No signs of rotting. I woke up my computer. I had a harder time waking up the router. I checked e-mail, then made breakfast. I ate with Happylight. Then I showered, dressed in red and green, and went to church. I checked the cross wall to see what the average size was. I turned in the flashlights to the tree for the homeless. I spoke to Mr. Cox and then sat for the service. At one point, the congregation was invited to place a Chrismon on the tree on the left. It was so cute to see one man lift his little girl way up high to place her ornament near the top. After church, I showed Jennifer the sample kit I got in the mail. It sounded like the same one she got. I went home, changed, and went to grocery store. I bought some non-organic produce since the organic did not look good. I came home, put away the refrigerated stuff, and ate lunch. I pulled the last piece of fish out to thaw. I listened to an audio on no-till farming and soil regeneration. I sprinkled cinnamon on the rest of the stuffed dates and ate them. I mowed the sideyard. I put on gloves to pick up pinecones. I covered the rest of the plastic with wallboard to divert rain water from the house. I planted globs of lemon mash around the HVAC system to repel pests. I sat to rest in the sun, then pulled up dead stalks. I came in, washed my hands and played trombone. I read e-mail while eating my fish, and some blueberries. Daylight was waning and I was tired so I took a nap. I got up at 8, and messaged Chris. I read e-mail until he replied, then we skyped. I tried to download a 64-bit flashplayer to replace the 32bit one on my desktop. Not sure why it is a 32bit. Looking at Windows task manager, I have lots of 32 bit processes running on my 64 bit system. Is this a problem? I vacummed the rug in the computer room with the hose. The beater bar just wasn't picking up the threads. Then I sat down to write my blog post. I think I will watch an episode of Lone Gunmen downstairs to listen for mice and to pick threads from the cotton items in the laundry.

Christmas concert and party

I slept so well last night that I wanted to sleep some more when the alarm rang. So I did. Then I started my day by waking up the computer (which was sleeping instead of finishing the scan) then sitting in the sun, reading and swishing. I put mail in the mailbox, and then I had to wake the computer up again. I downloaded Malewarebytes but did not want to install and run it before the other scan finished. I had promised myself to stay off the net this morning, but it seemed like I had to be there or the computer would snooze off. I read email, and checked on my firewall. I looked up the error code, and tried to fix it. I could not tell if it was enabled and working or not. I played Christmas music on the stereo while I exercised. I put laundry in the washer, and had to spray the stains on the sewing table to have enough light to see them. I washed the biggest dirty dishes by hand. I realized that one sweet potato was sprouting at one end and rotting at the other. I wondered if they will all be dead when I get back, and if they don't die over Christmas, will they survive my trip to Honduras? And gee, I'd REALLY like a poinsettia, but would it survive both trips coming up? I juiced, and cleaned up. I moved the laundry to the dryer. I made breakfast, and wondered how I was going to get all my special foods on the plane. I stacked the dishwasher. I read more quotes, and checked e-mail. I listened to an audio, and took my supplements. When the dryer finished, I folded laundry and ironed the fabric pieces that were in there. I noted that it would take time to get all the stray threads off of the clothing. After taking a shower, I got dressed and drove to the church. I sat in the parking lot until Jennifer drove up. I got in her car and we went to the choral concert at Latham United Methodist. She found a place to park. The church and lot were crowded. We sat near the front with Cecelia. First the kids choir sang. One girl was from our church. Then the youth choir sang, and finally the adult choir sang. Our organist was in that one. The finale had all three choirs singing and a brass quartet. Marvelous. After the concert, we talked to Cecelia, and then Jennifer took me to a party she'd been at before she picked me up. Only a few people were left, but many church people had come. Jennifer wanted to show me all the Christmas trees and decorations from around the world. They invited me to fill a plate. They had many interesting stories to tell about living in other countries. She showed me her pictures of Saint Barbara and a quilt her granddaughter had made. Jen drove me back to the church and I got home before 7. I changed my clothes, and found my sample kit to show Jennifer tomorrow. I sat at the computer to eat my mushrooms and meatballs (a 'gift' from Barbara). I checked on the security scan. It's description said it would look for infected files and make a report. Well, when I checked on it, it had finished AND it said it had deleted all the files it thought were infected. I was not sure if that was a good idea. I looked for other ways to tune up my computer. Disk cleanup was recommended, so I did that. I ran dishwasher. I looked for updated drivers. One program identified 5 drivers that needed updating, but I had to pay $30 if I wanted the updates. So I looked up how to do it myself using Device Manager. But when I asked DM to update the 5 drivers, it said that I already had the latest versions. Chris indicated that he would be skyping me soon, so I read more quotes and waited a while. I put a new bulb in my lamp. But the lampshade was fitted to the old bulb and would not fit the new one which looks like a curly fry. Then I rebooted my computer. That took so long that I rewired the router into the modem and got out my tablet and called up Skype on it. But that version did not handle group calls well (Michele was on, too), so when the desktop finished its updates, I used it for the rest of the skype call. At midnight we hung up and I posted to my blog and went to bed. 

*  This is a pic of the youth chorale.  I don't have the software on my desktop to crop out the unimportant details.  * 

Scarf

I got up before 8:30. I was swishing while reading in a sunny spot when my phone rang. It was one of Chris' coworkers inviting me to a Christmas lunch at a restaurant in Bridge Street for next Friday. Then I went back to reading in the sun. I cleared e-mail, and answered some that came in since last night. I exercised and listened to an interview on releasing unwanted emotions. It was not EFT however. I reloaded my camera software, and the installation worked this time. I juiced beans, and sweet peppers, and a carrot. I had to throw out the alfalfa sprouts because they went bad too quickly. The sun was still shining, so I went outside to rake in the side yard. I dumped many loads of pinestraw on the apple tree in the back. I put another board on the water diversion structure. The wallboard looks so much better there than the black plastic. Then I made breakfast. I was eating and listening to an audio when I got a call from American Express saying there was a possible identity issue. I did not want to answer all their questions so they entreated me to call back using the number on the back of my card. Then I was put on hold. I put the phone on speaker and went back to listening to the audio. When an agent picked up the call, we sorted it out. Then I called the HVAC people and paid that bill. I talked to Dad to make sure he can take me back to the airport after my trip. He told me that he is still trying to get Mom's obit in the paper. I looked up his local paper but there was nothing about how to submit an obit. So I called and the lady said she would sent me the info in an e-mail. Jennifer invited me to a choral concert at Latham tomorrow. I got a check ready to mail to the Retina Center. Somehow I got started watching Youtube videos: like how to explode a watermelon with rubberbands, how to blow plastic bubbles out of an old CD, and too many other links to mention. I pushed myself away from the computer and finished sewing pieces on the scarf. My computer wanted to install all the updates that were canceled out by the system restore. This time I decided to check each one individually before installing it. In my search, I came across the Microsoft Safety Scanner. I downloaded it and started running it. I started reading quotes on Pinterest. Some were real tear-jerkers. Chris skyped me. I told him about the parts of my day that I thought he would be interested in. I read more quotes. I checked on the scan. After two hours, it has scanned only a small fraction of all the files on my computer and had identified 16 as being infected. I wondered if they really were, or if the scan program just did not recognize them.  I read more quotes.  I decided it was past time to go to bed.  The scan was still running and would probably run all night.  I posted to my blog and went to bed.

A little smaller than I expected

I heard the alarm but was tired enough to stay in bed until 9. I was up late checking the old computer to see how it performed on only one memory card. It must be ok since I played three different games with graphics and they all worked well enough, if not perfectly.

It was sunny this morning, so I sat in the sun to read for while. But before the time was up, I heard the recycle truck. So I got dressed quickly and took out the recyclables. But there weren't enough to justify running it out to the road. I swished and checked e-mail. Windows wanted to install 15 updates. In the past I haven't trusted Windows updates, but people smarter than me allow the updates, so I did. That involved restarting my computer which took three tries before it would recognize the mouse. I played my trombone. I exercised and juiced. I took what was left of the pitted dates and filled them with fermented nut mixture. It was sweet enough without any sugar. I also grabbed my satchel of leftovers to cut up. I drove to Stitch-Its. The ladies were lining up for lunch. I placed my dates on the dessert table. Charmaine explained the game she brought and I realized that it was not the same game that we played last year. I got in line for lunch. I noticed that no one brought a sweet potato casserole so maybe I should have. After lunch someone showed off a quilt and I took a pic. Charmaine asked me if I could post it to the group Facebook page and unsuspectingly, I said yes. We played the fat quarter game according to the rules of L,R,C. Since it was not the game from last year, we had to tweak the rules so one person did not end up with all of the fabric. I talked to Leanne. She offered to show me how to drive over the mountain in a manual transmission car. Mary M offered me a ride home from the airport after my Richmond trip. About 2:30 I realized that I was going to run into school traffic, so I raced home. I did run into traffic, but the cop waved me through the intersection so I did not have to stop and risk stalling. I put my leftover dates away (apparently very few people even tried them). More for me. I checked the front porch. There was my new Christmas tree. Umm...? I made breakfast. I woke up the desktop. There was a message that my computer was going to experience problems because I wasn't running genuine Windows. What!?!? Then I plugged my camera into the desktop to upload the photo. But the uploading software did not run. I tried going onto the drive associated with the port. I could open the camera file, but not download the photo. I tried reinstalling the camera software, but something interrupted the installation. I went outside to rake. I dumped several loads of pinestraw on the garden. I thought about how I seldom make promises and now MS was stopping me from keeping one. When I stopped raking because of darkness, I called Datac to ask about my laptop, figuring that Microsoft hadn't had a chance to screw it up. The man was still waiting for the new (third) fan to come in. He said I could revalidate my Windows version without the validation code from the original packaging. So I tried clicking the link in the message. It opened in IE and when I followed the instructions, I downloaded and 'ran' software, but nothing happened. Did it even run? I copypasted the link into Firefox. Following it that way, I ended up with a window telling me “Files that Windows needs to work have been modified, removed, or disabled. To resolve, you need to install genuine Windows.” Since I have a genuine purchased version, I can only assume this is some ploy on MS part to sell more software or 'encourage' users to update to a more recent version. Following up on the photo, I found I was able to drag-drop it into the downloads folder and from there was able to post it to the group page. But by then I had forgotten who to give credit to. I searched for my Abraham Hicks book, but could not find it. I listened to Alison Heath.

At Chris' suggestion, I looked up 'system restore' and restored my system to a 4 day old restore point. The computer rebooted and when it came back online, I got a message “Updates are available”. I laughed. To see if it worked, I tried downloading pics from my camera, and it still would not. Grr. But it was time to go. I put on something warm, and got in my car. I followed the map in my head (courtesy of Googlemaps) to New Hope. Everything was just as I'd seen it online, except that it was after dark. And the sign was different. I was the last one to arrive. There was a leader and two attendees (and me). We talked about all the woo-woo stuff that turns most people into skeptics. The leader presented a lesson from Abraham-Hicks on pivoting and segment intending. The ladies who had listed items on the manifestation board shared that these things had come true. We listed new stuff for next time. After the meeting, the other ladies had to leave. The leader offered to do an angel reading for me. He let me pick out a stone, and it was blue. Then we sat on the couch and he called in one angel and others came forth to offer gifts or spread healing energy. It was amazing. After the session, I thanked him and left. The drive home in the dark did not bother me. When I got home, I checked for Chris, but he had already gone to bed. I cleared the newest mail and indulged myself in a few games of Spider Solitaire. Then I posted to my blog, did some tapping, and went to bed.

I learned something new today

I woke up early and could not sleep. I called Parker at almost 7 here, 8 her time. I called again every 10 minutes from bed. At 8 I got up to swish and read e-mail. She had sent a message that her phone was having problems. She promised to call later. I wrote back. I put coffee on the stove. I drybrushed and exercised. I listened to two audios. I finished the detox process early. So I juiced and sat with my HappyLight, listening to Christmas music. Then I packed my gym bag and went to post. I prayed for lots of green lights and I got them. But when I got to gate 10, there was a large tractor trailer that was being made to back up and go to another gate. Traffic was all backed up. After the truck drove away, in trying to start up again, I stalled the car. The guard pointed to the other lane, the one without a green light, so I started going there, and then he seemed to change his mind, so I went through the one with the green light. There was no one there to check my credentials, so I kept going, wondering what went wrong. I drove to the gym where I changed into my bathing suit and got in the sauna with my water bottles and towels. I put sea salt in the water to keep my electrolytes up. I brought a Sudoku book to keep myself occupied, but I needn't have. Other ladies talked to me and we got on the subject of health and getting healthier. The hour went quickly. I wanted to stay longer, but was starting to feel lightheaded, and had finished my salt water, so I got out and took a shower. Then I headed home. I stopped at the computer repair place. My laptop was not ready because the second fan did not work either and he was expecting another one to arrive later today. So I should have it tomorrow. IF the fan arrives, and IF it works. I asked to buy another stick of 512MB for the old computer and he recommended that I try running it with just the first 512. He said something about running 'enum', some process for reinstalling the drivers. The police were there investigating a stolen computer so I left. I looked up how to open the gas tank and then drove to the gas station. I filled Chris' car with gas and went home. I hung up my wet stuff, and made breakfast. I took out the 256MB stick and started up the old computer. I googled 'enum' but did not find what he was talking about. I did find something called Regcure and wasn't sure if I could trust it. I cooked up a package of grassfed beef with a jar of home canned tomatoes in my new fry pan. It was very satisfying. I ate a bowl of it in front of the computer and then ate some more from the pan and put the rest away. I looked up the address of a Meet-up I want to try tomorrow. It is on the other side of the mountain so I plan to take my car even though it will be Thursday which is a day I usually drive only Chris' car. My plan is to pay attention to all the lights to see if I could get stopped heading up a steep hill.

I listened to another audio on positive and negative thinking. Then I remembered that Chris was getting in late, so I went downstairs to work on a scarf. I cut up a bunch of red and white pieces like I do for the rugs. Then I sewed them to the back of a piece of red jersey. I had not finished yet when I looked at the time. I ran up to check for Chris. We talked for awhile and then he went to bed.

*  This quilt is from the guild meeting last month  *

Still no laptop

I got up before the alarm went off to call Parker. Not only did she not answer, but her phone would not take a message. I went back to bed briefly until the alarm rang. The day was overcast, so I sat with my Happylight and read. Then I swished as I read e-mail. The doorbell rang and a man handed me a package. I have forgotten what was in it. Then I exercised and juiced. I got dressed and drove to the church on Jordan. Jane showed me the two projects they will be doing next year. I signed up for the pieced one (Three Shades of ...) and took a handout. I probably won't make the whole thing because it is 95x95 and uses 8.5 yards of background fabric.  That is pretty incredible since it wouldn't take that much to make the backing. I walked out talking to Beverly. My dad called to ask for my flight information. I did not have it with me. I stopped by the Asian store for kimbap and sprouts. Then on to the computer store, where the saleslady told me that my fan arrived yesterday and the tech's harddrive failed today and my laptop might be fixed by tomorrow morning. When I got home, I looked up my flight info and called Dad. I asked if he had a trombone I could practice while I am there, and he did. Then I went outside to rake and pull up dead flower stalks. I moved a piece of ceiling board to the side of the house where I intend to use it once the area is fully dried out. The rest of the construction leftovers I put in the carport to keep dry. I brought in the mail. I answered e-mail, and read some e-mail. I listened to an audio interview of an expert electrician on electrical fields of cell phones, wi-fi, and smart meters. You could tell he was miffed at being dismissed by gov't and industry professionals for reporting the facts about these fields on human health. Ignoring the rest of my e-mail, I went into the garage to do some more decluttering. The birds were in there and chittering at me for disturbing their space. I threatened to nail screening over their nest in the insulation if they didn't stop. I threw out some stuff that was broken. I rearranged other stuff. I tried to find a way to make a quilt frame out of PVC that would be about 9 inches by 40+. Not sure how close I came but I can try again tomorrow. I ripped apart an old round table skirt that someone was going to throw out. As I was ironing it, I heard scratching from the nearby duct work. There is a small sliding door into the duct area and I opened it. The scratching stopped for awhile, then started a little further away. I wished my mom was here so I could ask her how to get rid of mice. Her answer probably would have been cats. Not wanting the commitment of a cat, I seemed to remember someone recommending used kitty litter. I tried to think of someone local who would have some. I am sure MaryAnn has plenty, but the post office wouldn't want to deliver it. I put some lemon mash in a lid and placed it inside the door. That seemed to work in the attic. I cleaned out some boxes of scraps and consolidated them. I brought in my sewing machine from Chris' car so it wouldn't freeze. I looked up the weather to make sure there was no rain forecast for tonight or tomorrow. I came up to make breakfast and ate it in front of the computer. Chris had already sent me his skype message announcing that he was ready if I was. We skyped for over an hour, talking about the stuff the movers put on their list for the estimate and what they did not put on the list. Then he went to bed (I assume) and I got caught up in checked repins on Pinterest. It tells me when other people pin one of my pics to their page. Sometimes my name accompanies the pic, and sometimes it doesn't, which makes it look like it was their picture or project. So I tried to find those and add a comment that it was from my Pinterest site. I got sidetracked and found myself reading a post called “28 ways to fix what your kids did”. One of them talked about ways to repair a scratched CD. Fascinating stuff. And then I posted to my blog and hopefully went to bed. 

*  This is the next Renegades project  * 

Finally has her head on straight

I heard the alarm go off but stayed in bed for maybe half an hour. I thought a little brightness was needed, so I read by the HappyLight. While I was reading, I noticed a white vehicle enter our driveway. So I rushed to the bedroom window for a better look. There was a postal emblem on the side of a white wagon. So I figured it must be delivering my new tree. I dressed quickly and opened the front door. The man was coming up the steps with two packages. I accepted them, thanked him, and he left. One package was the wind-up flashlights. One of them is solar powered too. How cool is that? The other was a wrapped gift from my mother-in-law. I took it out of the priority mail box but did not unwrap it. It could be fabric! I finished my HappyLight session and checked e-mail. I exercised. I looked for a serving dish to put the sweet potato casserole in. I could not remember having one. Odd. I remembered my m-i-l serving in her china bowls, so I went looking for mine. Then I worried about dropping it. Oven-type casserole dishes popped into my head so I got one of those out. Seemed appropriate then to stick it in the oven to warm up. I put it in at 250 while I juiced cranberrries, zucchini, carrots, and sweet peppers. The peppers were not organic, but there weren't any organic ones, and I get tired of juicing the same veggies every week.

When the casserole was hot, I wrapped it in a very large towel and carried it with potholders to Chris' car. My sewing stuff was already in there, so I was ready to go. But I went back for neutral fabrics to cut more strips from. I arrived at the church before noon. Doris invited me to choose a gift from the basket she carried. It felt like two cookies, but turned out to be a really cool tin of pins. I went back to the car for my sewing stuff. We all sat down for our potluck lunch. My casserole seemed to go over well. Barbara's husband stopped by for a bit, too. He was looking for someone to hem pants. Dinah brought Michele's doll back after looking for a new head, but there wasn't one, so she reglued the pieces of the head and did a much better repair job than I had done. I gave her what she asked for but thought she deserved more. I sewed strips on onto the base triangles. Mirna stopped by to chat. I cut more strips for triangles from the fabric I went back for. It was dark when we packed up to go home. I made three trips to the car to be sure I didn't drop anything: the casserole, the doll, the sewing stuff. When I got home, I brought in the mail and made breakfast. I sorted the mail and marked the bills. I ate breakfast while reading e-mail. A box arrived: the lantern battery.

Chris skyped me while I was trying to figure out one of the ball puzzles. He asked how I felt about him coming home in March/April to drive me up to Washington to see our daughter when she arrives in the states. I looked for pictures of the cross wall at church to see if people were putting their names on the ones they donated. But I couldn't find one, so they must be on my laptop, which is still in the shop. I remembered that I needed fat quarters for the game on Thursday. So I cut 2 and then recalled that there were a bunch left over from last year. I got those out and made a pile. I tried suspending the 2” PVC poles on ½ “ poles, thinking the larger ones would rotate freely on the smaller ones, but they didn't. Back to the drawing board. I cleared most of the items from the rug in the computer room, then tugged the rug forward and to the left so my chair wheels won't catch the corner so often. Then I got out my trombone and played the piece Mary gave me on Sunday. It went well, but I need to practice for endurance. That will be tricky while I am visiting my dad. By then it was after 10, so I posted to my blog, tried really hard to ignore the ball puzzle, and went to bed.

A new-to-me block

I got up at 8 to take my vit C, shower, and dress. I made breakfast and ate it while reading e-mail. Then I put my angel gift in the car and drove to church. I laid it with the other ones at church. I talked to a few people, and then found my usual seat in church. I was there early to watch the children's play. But my regular seat was not a good vantage point. So I did not take any pics. But the children were adorable and the play went very well. After the play, everyone went into the fellowship hall for cookies. The quilt I donated was raffled off. Cecelia won it. The church raised over $500 from the raffle. In a little while the choir gathered to practice. After the practice, I sat back down. Mr. Cox, my pewbuddy, asked about Chris, and somehow the conversation turned to Michele. He was surprised I had a daughter old enough to be working cause he thought I was in my 30's. I decided then that he can sit next to me ANY time. The service went well, and afterward Mary handed me a piece she wants me to play on my trombone for the first Sunday of next year. Then I went to Publix. The bill was almost $100. Something must have gotten pricier. The clerk said it was the organic vegetables. The man who carried out my groceries said his country (Jamaica) was better because all their food was organic. I could not argue with that. I brought the groceries home and put them away. I changed my clothes and put the laundry away. Then I grabbed a container of dates to take along. I used Chris' car 'cause my sewing stuff was still in there. I went to Renegades. They were working on a design of strips sewn around a triangle. I turned in my completed quilt top. Keril gave me fabric to cut for a backing.  She was looking for feeble weight fabric to use as foundations for next month's block. So I went home and pawed through my box of ' fabric seconds' to find a pile for her. When I got back, she picked out the lightest colored ones. Norm showed me a box of toy cars he had made and invited me to pick one. So I did. Later he asked if I had kids at home and needed another one.  (He can sit beside me, too)  There was a lady handing out laminated sheets of paper on which were printed photos that her father took. Many were of Christmas things. I did not take any, but at the end she handed out all that were left and gave me three. I had to piece the backing for my top and was working on that, when the game started. I had brought a gift for the game, not knowing what game it was. It was a dirty Santa game. I should have played it safe and picked the gift I brought, but I chose a different one. Oddly enough, I got Jo's gift and she got mine. I ended up telling the story of how a dirty Santa game in Korea turned me off of dirty Santa games forever. When the excitement was over, we went back to sewing. Keril let me use her new acrylic ruler. It was a prototype that she had cut and scored. It worked well for cutting the strips with the right angle on the ends. I selected a bunch of browns and neutrals and cut trapezoids. Mirna stopped by to lock up. Then everyone packed up, cleaned up, and left. I drove Chris's car home. I finished the fish from last night, and had some hummus with broccoli. Bertha mentioned liking dates with a walnut inside and covered with powdered sugar. I tried putting a walnut inside a date but it was just ok. Then I tried putting fermented nut cheese inside, and that was really good. I unstacked the dishwasher. I read e-mail, and wrote to Kurt on skype. Chris skyped me and we talked for 2 hours. He told me he applied for 4 jobs today. I typed up my blog, and had time to play a little ball before going to bed. BUT, I played too long and missed my bedtime completely.

There's no time like this present

I heard the alarm but stayed in bed after staying up so late last night watching that stupid movie. One of its reviews said it left the viewer guessing. Well, it left me guessing why I bothered to watch it. There are no answers at the end of the film. Half an hour later I got up to check e-mail and then call JenQ to see if I should run the border strips down to the church. But she said she had something else she could use. So I read some e-mail, then put the Netflix movie in the mail. I took the angel box into the basement to find wrapping paper for it. I found a lot of used wrapping paper that was saved. But none with useable parts big enough for the box. I found some unused at the bottom of a roll. Apparently I wrap multiple papers on each roll to save space. I used my large square ruler to precisely cut a rectangle the right size. Then I laid the box on the paper and oriented it just right to that the edges of paper lined up when I covered the box. I had to decide what to do with the gift card. I ended up putting it inside the box just before I wrapped it. I put it on the stairs and cleaned up the mess of papers and tape. Then I started juicing the leftover vegetables. The doorbell rang, signifying that the mailman had brought me packages. The smaller one was a watch and it had a gift message from Chris. That made me cry but I don't know why. The larger one was a cutting mat from my in-laws. I finished juicing, drinking and cleaning up. Then I got on the computer to thank them and cross those items off of my Amazon wish list. I listened to a meditation audio, the last one for the week. Then I made breakfast, and delved into Donnie Darko and read a whole bunch of stuff about it that I swear wasn't in the movie. My mother In law wrote back that she did not send mat so I went back to the box to look and it was from Chris. I went outside to do yardwork and get fresh air but it was too wet. Denise called to find out the latest on our house in Pinehurst. I set out a piece of fish to thaw. I stacked the dishwasher and put soap in it. I gathered the laundry and put it in the machine. I repaired the Princess of Power sleeping bag. I did some sorting of scraps, then made border strips and sewed them together. I was sewing them on the red and blue quilt when the washer finished. I put the laundry in the dryer then went up to start the dishwasher. I ate the fish while listening to an audio interview on intuitives. I worked some puzzles on the Jackie Lawson advent calendar site. I looked around the house for cylindrical items that might work as rollers for a homemade quilt frame like the one John Flynn uses. I found a roll of netting, also that I could load two balls of crochet cotton on a narrow pole of PVC. I finished the laundry, picked off the lint, mended and folded. I vacuumed the lint trap. I finished sewing the border for the Linus quilt. I searched for all my Christmas CD's, loaded them all in CD changer, and set it to play all. I looked in the computer room for more Christmas CD's, but only found classical ones. I watched a video on relationships. I cut a strip of red jersey, and some small pieces of red and white scraps. I checked for Chris on skype and left him a message. I ate a few spoonsful of the sweet potato casserole. It needs more cranberries, which I can buy tomorrow. I looked at a Pinterest site that was supposed to be Christmas items, but further down it was quilts, and most of mine were in there. Hmm. Chris returned my skype call, then went back to bed. I found myself unable to stop looking at quilt pics. But I need to go to bed so I can get up early to see the kids Christmas program at church.