Last minute gift

I got up to silence my alarm. I went back to bed and did some spinal twists because my back was not as comfortable as it had been all week. Maybe it was too good to last. When we got up to start the day, I opened the package that came in the mail yesterday. It was the Xero shoes that I ordered. They were supposed to be like walking barefoot, but the soles seemed stiffer than the ones in my everyday shoes. I went online to see if I could exchange them for thinner soles. I saw a Facebook message from someone here and realized that there was a whole conversation going on that Facebook was not telling me about. Specifically, there is a going away party tomorrow. We meet to drive over to Dream Park, whatever that is, to take our pics in hats we made. Then we go to a buffet for lunch, but it is $32 per person, which I think is too much. I called Nela, Myra and Anna. Myra said she would come back with me from the Dream Park, but Nela wants to stay for lunch.
We tried to call Michele but she wasn't home. I went outside to beat the foyer rugs. I also watered all the plants and picked up the empty pots. I planted some seeds that Danielle had given me. I came to wash my hands and listen to a podcast from yesterday. Chris got dressed and left for work. I made a new mixture of spices and one of chia/flax seed. I made and ate breakfast while listening to audios. I heard about electromagnetic sensitivity – she postulated that the symptoms match Lyme disease so the two diagnoses may get confused. I wanted to sew but it was so sunny out that I went around the yard, trimming the grass by hand. Afterward, I saw that Myra and Nela had both called. I called Nela back, she said Myra isn't going tomorrow. I called Myra, but there was no answer. Then I nearly lost my religion hemming two ends of the scarf fabric because it kept sliding all over the place. I sewed the shoulder seams and then my phone rang. It was Myra. I took her a sweet potato to plant. She wanted to go out in town for pots so I changed to pants and got my fanny pack. We walked to the everyday market. She found a tub to sit in the top of a kimchi pot to plant flowers in. I asked for a watch battery. The lady found one, and put it in and only charged me 2000 won (<$2). And she set it to the right time. We walked to Daiso. We bought containers to plant in. I bought an apron and a bag to embroider on. We looked at the plants across the street, but the vendor was busy and we were losing daylight. Myra found some peppers and an onion for supper. We walked back, stopping at the market for mushrooms. Then we went home. Chris was having supper. He left for the movie and I made a salad. After eating, I got out my embroidery machine to stitch the phrase “To be honest...” Kemora had used it liberally one night so I sewed it on a piece of brown cloth, then stitched it to the apron. It sounds so quick and easy when I write it, but it was a long process of trial and error. Then I wrapped it up, forgetting to take a pic. So I unwrapped it, could not find my camera so I used the tablet to take a pic. Then I rewrapped it and wrote a note to attach. Chris came home from the movie. I listened to an audio until he was ready. Then we watched one episode of CSI. He went to bed and I stayed up just long enough to blog.

Reaping and sowing

I was awake before Chris' alarm went off, but he did not get up for another hour. So much for PT. Then I heard my alarm go off, but did not feel like getting up at that point and wished I had gotten up sooner. I got up when he came back for his shower. I swished and drank water while reading e-mail. I hustled to get dressed and run to the FFTC building for roundup. But it got postponed while I was on my way. I found out on the elevator when I asked the other occupant if she was going to the community round-up and she said the notice had just gone out on Facebook. So when I got there, I looked inside the auditorium, and something else was going on. I headed for the stairs and there came Chris. I told him it had been postponed an hour. We walked home together. He had something to do online that his work computer could not access. I read e-mail and looked at a Pinterest site that had one of my pins. Then we walked back to the FFTC auditorium. Few people came, but they had it anyway. I told Myra that combining sewing class with QOV did not work well. The commissary announced that anyone wearing purple to the commissary would get a free box of freezer pops. Myra wanted them for the lemonade social so we agreed to go wearing purple. But then MC scheduled a meeting with her. So we walked to the gym to drop off my locker key. She showed me some hosta we could dig up. She gave me a leftover impatiens. I came home, dropped off the impatiens, put on a purple shirt and went to Chris' car to get my sewing box. I thought about storing a machine at the chapel so we wouldn't have to lug so much on QOV days, but any machine I leave there, I won't have access to on sewing night. The only machine I am comfortable doing without is the one that was damaged in shipping. No one else would be willing to go through the agony of sewing on it. I jotted some notes for my blog. I boxed up the four roses to take to Myra's building. I brought the box back and set it out to dry. I saw Myra had called so I called her back. She was at the commissary. So I left. But I met Danielle on the way and stopped to talk. Later I found Myra with her cart full in the freezer aisle. We talked, and then I picked out an avocado and we checked out. A man came to take our picture holding our free freezer pops. Kim asked to go with us next time we went to the fabric market. I pushed the cart out while Myra got the car from her husband. I rode home with her and helped her carry groceries in. Then I came home for breakfast. I was so hungry that I ate one of her breakfast cookies, even though I just found out that she made them with honey from a plastic bear. I made breakfast and read e-mail. When I was ready, I called her and walked down there with a box. She had a trowel but must have laid it down when she helped Thunder get untangled from the branch. When we got to the hosta, all she had was the leaf-shaped digger. She used it to dig up some hosta. I took it home and got another box. She showed up with her trowel and two plants in baskets. We walked the trail, looking for ferns growing where the cameras were not aimed. It made for slim pickings. We found some other plants worth digging up. We took turns standing in front of the camera while the other dug up something. We walked all the way back to her house. Then I came home with my box. I sat down to dig around the tree and plant hosta and impatiens and begonias, but there were too many roots so I could only plant shallow things like the ferns and ground cover. So the others I planted around the side of the house. Getting the hosta divided was really tough. But eventually I did it. My hands were muddy but I had to get in the house to get the key to turn on the hose water. Weird, I know. I watered the plantings and came in to wash my hands. I changed my clothes. I made a salad from kale, tomato, and a cucumber. I was reading e-mail and listening to an audio when Chris came home. He had been at Turtle Cove. They had a grand opening of their patio grill and had free food. I finished what I was doing, and we watched three episodes of CSI. He went to bed and I stayed up to post to my blog.
* I did not take any pics today, so here is one from a bus stop when we got lost. I think it is a pea plant or a sweet pea plant. *

Biased flying geese

I got up sometime after my alarm went off. Chris was having breakfast. It was another rainy day. I drank a quart of water and read e-mail, listening to an audio. I put water in the coffee pot to heat. I put on my bathing suit and yoga clothes. I packed my sauna bag with three bottles of water. I did not take bath towels this time. Just before 9:30 I took my yoga mat and bag and went to the gym. I got a locker key from the desk, as well as two gym towels. I turned on the sauna, noting that it was still hot so someone else must have been in there. I sat in the sauna in my suit, on a towel. I had brought my table to listen to audios, but there was no wi-fi connection. I did find an mp3 on the tablet, so I used headphones to block out the gym music and to hear my guided meditation. The padded case kept my tablet from overheating, but the headphone cord got hot. I made a mental note to find the mp3 headphones that Kurt gave me years ago. With a towel on my head to keep it cool, it might be just the thing. After an hour, I came out, and took a shower and got dressed. The gym had a basket for used towels. I left the suit and tablet in the locker. I went into the gym where Joelle was setting up. It was a small class today. Joelle did more flow than static poses. We used the wall for inversions. Afterward, I got my stuff from the locker. I walked out with Myra to her house. She gave me some plastic containers that someone had given her. She also gave me some breakfast cookies, the kind made of just fruit and oatmeal and an egg. When I got home, I hung my suit to dry. I ate a seed cracker with a large dollop of my mayo (coconut, olive and sesame). I jotted notes for my blog. I ate some ox-tail soup. I read e-mail and made another Swanson's order just in time to get 20% off. I thought about making a cloth shower cap to keep my hair cool in the sauna. I found the mp3 headphones and plugged them in to charge. I went to my sewing room to try a new technique for making flying geese rectangles.

I had notes I took from the internet. I used fabric that would go with the fish quilt. While I cut and sewed, I playing interviews on my tablet. When I finished sewing and cutting the first finished rectangle, I could see that all the edges were on bias. I decided it wasn't worth it. I contemplated working on my scarf to kimono project. But, duty won out. I dusted in the bedroom and living area. Then I got out the vacuum cleaner and did the bedroom and master bath. I used a damp mop in the bathroom and the hallway and living area. I was just getting to the foyer when Chris came home. I mopped the foyer after he walked in. He changed clothes and got on his computer. I stacked dishes in the dishwasher. He moved the coffee table and I vacuumed the rug under it. I ate a piece of aloe and cut a thin slice to put behind my ear. Then I crushed a garlic clove. We started watching CSI. After 15 minutes I mixed the clove with hummus and ate it. We finished watching two episodes of CSI. Then he went to bed and I stayed up to post to my blog.

Rainy day sewing class

I got up when my alarm went off. Chris had already left for PT. I drank a quart of water with lemon in it and started reading e-mail. I did my exercises and drybrushed. I even rebounded, which was amazing because it did not hurt at all. My back is so back to normal that it is like nothing ever happened. Whoever was sticking pins in their Fern doll must have taken them out. I made coffee, did some tapping, and listened to an audio or two. I cleaned the kitchen. I made mayonnaise. I played an audio on my tablet to listen to as I ironed all the fabric that I bought in Seoul. The tablet battery got low, so I played a CD for the last part. I took pics of the fabrics I thought might do well for stack-n-whack. I folded each piece and put it in a pile. The dark reds were pulled out to go to sewing class. I checked e-mail again, then took a shower. I called Myra to make sure she had my sewing stuff. I packed up the machine that usually stays at home. I got Chris' keys and drove to sewing class in the rain. Chris was just passing the FFTC building so he helped me carry my machine in. He helped Myra too, who pulled up beside me. We set up the room as ladies came in. Two ladies brought their toddler daughters. Only one brought something for her child to do. I set up my two machines and Myra set up her two. Nela brought one, but used it all evening. I trimmed half-square triangles for the fish quilt while Myra helped ladies with their projects. I auditioned the red fabrics, but the purple borders I cut last week were still the best. There was no machine unused, so all I could do was iron and trim. The projects were: a princess dress, a table runner, a bag, and an apron. Anna came late. She entertained the kids. At 8:20 I announced the time and started packing up. We were not out by 8:30, but the ladies did help pack the machines and put all the tables and chairs back. Anna and another lady carried my fabrics and machines to the car. I drove to our spot and took about 5 minutes to back the car into the space properly. When I got in, Chris was ready to watch CSI. So we did, sitting together and cuddling. Then I posted to my blog and we probably went to bed.

NEO training

I got up after 8. Chris had already left. I separated the fabrics I bought in Seoul and washed them in two loads with the t-shirts. I drank water and read e-mail. I folded the rest of the laundry and put mine away. Anna called to tell me about the hat-making party at her house, but I said I already made a hat and I had stuff to do. I went outside to water the plants. I saw Kelly and we got into a conversation. She gave me her two roses. We agreed to hang our daisies and carnations on the fence out front. She asked me to make hummus for the lemonade party next week. I went inside to take out the first load from the dryer and fold it before putting in the second load. Then I grabbed my mat and headed for yoga. I was a little late, but it was ok. Kelly was there and Joelle took it easy on us. After yoga, I walked back with Myra. We talked about digging up hosta from one of the empty houses. I told her to call me after lunch to go out in town to set up another massage appointment. I made and ate breakfast while reading e-mail. One had links to sewing projects. I started out looking at bags, thinking to make one as a prize for the party. But I got sidetracked looking for that dress tutorial that I never found. And then I saw tutorials for making kimonos out of scarves, and tying scarfs into tops. I put on my sundress and tried tying scarves over it, but what looked good on a skinny 25 yo did nothing for my body type. So I gave some thought as to how to make a kimono robe out of some scarf material. I actually cut a straight edge on one, and sewed it to the other panel. But the ends did not match up. So I took out most of the seam and pinned it and sewed it again. That is when I realized that I sewed rst, not wst as in the start of a french seam. Arrgg! I did not want to take it out again, so I got out the serger which had no pedal. I searched the house to find it. Then I serged the seam and pressed it. I buried the thread tails in the seam. Chris came home. He brought me a package from Swansons. I ate some leftovers and a cucumber. Then I put my shoes on and we walked to the chapel for NEO training. The man with a thick Peruvian accent read the slides, explaining lots of things that did not apply to most of us. I wished he had said more about what goes in a NEO bag. But he was more concerned with the people who did not have their gas masks. Myra asked how long a gas mask would operate. The man said from 24 to 72 hours, depending on the level of contamination. BUT, after 24 hours, you would have other more pressing problems. Anyway, we had to sign a sheet saying we were there. We stood around talking, and then walked back part of the way with Myra. When we got home, I read more e-mail and did today's puzzle. I prepared the recyclables for tomorrow morning. Chris made popcorn and cued up the next CSI episode. We watched three of them. He went to bed and I stayed up to write up the events of the day. I drank a mug of bentonite and psyllium husk mixed with water. I opened the Swanson's box. I took a pic of my project in process. Then I posted and went to bed.

Taking the wrong bus

Chris got up and went to PT at the gym. I stayed in bed until he got back. I got up while he showered. I drank a quart of water and checked e-mail. Nela called and then Myra. We agreed to meet at 10:15 to go to Changwan for hat supplies for Nela. I made up a week's worth of supplements. It was after 10 so I got dressed, but then Nela called to say they were going to be late. I had just enough time to do my exercises and choose an item to mend. It was a pair of Chris' suit pants. I got some smokey monofilament thread to repair the hem. Then Nela called to say they were ready. So I put on shoes and grabbed my bag and fanny pack and stuff I had bought for them. I walked down to the quad. I gave them each their bag. Then we went to the ATM, but Myra needed to go to the other one. So they went there and I went to the bathroom downstairs. When I came up, they were gone. I got some won and then saw Nela across the street. I met up with her and we found Myra somewhere. She got dollars out by mistake. Then we walked to the main street to the stop where 751 comes. We had just missed it so I called Jane to see if any other buses went to Changwon. She said 150, but the next 751 came first. So we rode to the bookshop stop in Changwon. I ate some seed crackers on the bus. Nela led us through the streets to an old market. We looked around then stopped for lunch. Myra and I had kimbap and it went perfectly with the kimchi provided by Nela's seller. But Nela's meal was served cold and she did not like it. Then we walked all around the perimeter of the market, then down the street to the Alpha store. Nela looked at paper, ribbon, feathers, flowers, felt – anything orange or pink to decorate a hat. She even found a hat to decorate. I wandered around, looking at what was for sale, but I did not buy anything. Finally she paid and we left. She led us down another street to show me an owl backpack that she had seen months ago. But it was not there anymore. As we sat on a bench, a lady came over and gave each of us a sample of soap. She was selling that and a whole line of body products and makeup. We did not buy. Then we walked toward the bus stop, which was blocks away. When we passed Lotte Mart, we went inside to use the restroom. Myra and Nela got soft-serve ice cream cones. Then we finished our walk to the bus stop. When 757 came, Myra said she had seen it in Jinhae, so we got on. But, though we did pass through a small part of Jinhae, it's destination was much further away. We were lost. Eventually, we got off the bus and crossed the street to catch 305, which we knew went to the stop near the base. Half way back, a whole bunch of teenagers got on. When the bus pulled away from the curb, a horrible grinding noise could be heard. At the next stop, we sat for about 10 minutes. Then we proceeded slowly. A few stops later, the grinding noise stopped. The rest of the ride was uneventful. Nela got off early to check something in the traditional market. But Myra and I were done. As we walked in the gate, the firechief was driving onto post and offered us a ride. I was so grateful not to have to climb the hill. He took us both home. Chris was not home yet, even though it was after 5. I drank some water and sat down to mend. I fixed the pants and the jacket. I fixed a second pair of pants that needed patching. I picked up the third one, and saw that it had been patched twice before. Chris came home and I told him he should get a new suit. He said he needed that one to last until he could find a local tailor. So I gave it a shot, thinking that I am not a miracle worker. I can make his money disappear, but not the holes in his pants. I ate some supper and read some e-mail. I made breakfast while Chris cued up the next CSI episode. I ate while we watched. After three episodes, he was done. He made the bed with clean sheets while I folded laundry from yesterday. We fell into bed. Later I got up to clear some e-mail and post to my blog before retiring for the night.
* We walked by these flowers in Changwon. The scent was incredible. *

Trading flowers

We woke up hearing my alarm. I hopped out of bed to shut it off. When I came back, I realized how painless it all had been. When Chris got up to take his shower, I got up to unpack the purchases from my suitcase. Then I had some water and vitamin C. I put coconut oil on my hair to soak in. I read e-mail while Chris ate his breakfast and headed to church. I listened to part of an audio, then paused it to take a shower. I could not get all the oil out of my hair. I had trouble deciding what to wear. I settled on my red dress and pearl necklace. I resumed the audio. Chris came home from church. I paused the audio and he dropped me off at the chapel and went to work. I talked to the man filling in for the chaplain until just after 10:30. I had to stop so he could start the service. We sang praise songs, greeted each other, listened to the choir, and then the sermon. His title was “God fixes $5 haircuts”. If he is an example, God's fix is a bald head. After the sermon, I walked outside and called Chris. He picked me up and took me home. I changed into pants. They were so long that I stepped on the hem, so I hemmed up just the backs. Then we walked out to the Korean church for lunch. We sat with Jane and talked a little to the lady across the table. Each person was handed a rice cake. I gave mine to Chris and he had me put both of them in my purse. After lunch we walked back to base. We went to the commissary for a few groceries. When we got home, I gave one of my plants some water. I read e-mail and finished the audio. I watched the awards ceremony for Paducah. We took a walk up the trail. I thought it was a beautiful day, in spite of Koreans in church that said it was bad weather due to yellow dust. We watched both sides of the trail, looking for plants that I could 'borrow' for my yard. Then Chris wanted to go down by his office to check the locks. It is a secure building. While he was upstairs doing that, I saw the sign-in book lying open. I thought about signing it “EYE WUZ HEAR” and see if it caused any ripples. As we walked home, we passed Myra and Chaun planting flowers. So we went down there to talk to them. Chris did not stick around long. He went home to check on the laundry. Myra showed me where she planted stuff and where the rest will go, and what she did with the bulbs that she dug up. She and Chaun said they were going to NEO training in the chapel tomorrow at 9. I hadn't heard anything about it. I went home and watered all the flowers. Lily came over to get the lilies and bring me a begonia and an impatiens. I mowed the yard. I made breakfast and ate it while reading e-mail. We ran the dishwasher. I made seed crackers and burned my wrist checking to see if they were done. I did a lot of tapping because it hurt. Chris looked up NEO training and it will be offered Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I messaged that to Myra. Later we watched two episodes of CSI with an ice pack. Chris gave me some burn gel and went to bed. I decided to cut off a piece of my aloe plant. I typed up my blog post for the day and went to bed.
* These are the flowers from Housing. They also handed out a trowel and set of gloves for each customer. *

A Walk in the Park

We woke up when my alarm went off. But we found something else to do besides getting up. Later we washed up, dressed and went to breakfast. I had two plates of food, none of it my usual breakfast stuff. Then we went back to the room to get my jacket. We walked down to the main street, across to the park and over to the steps I could see from our window. The manager had told us that they lead to Namsan tower if you took all the right turns. We walked up tons of steps. My knees were not so happy. The wooded area was beautiful with flowers and hosta. We turned around when the main path intercepted a road. We saw an exercise station that sported gymnastic equipment. Then I discovered that coming down the steps was just as bad as going up. When we passed back through the park, we stopped at a barefoot path. I walked it in my thin-soled shoes. Then we went back to the hotel, walking up even more steps. The total walk time was 90 minutes. When we got back to the room I stripped and washed off the sweat. I packed my fabric. I read e-mail while cooling off. Then we had to finish packing and check out. We checked out up on the 23rd floor by the executive lounge. Then we went down to the first floor to catch a taxi to Seoul station. A young man with the hotel helped us get the taxi. I never heard him or Chris tell the driver where we wanted to go. So I loudly asked Chris when we had to be at Seoul station. We got there, so somehow the driver knew. We had to use the elevator to get up to the main floor at the station. We found seats to wait for our train. Chris showed me the e-mail he had sent to the taxi driver to meet us at Masan at 1:45. I questioned the time and Chris called the driver to say we would not be there until 4:30. At the 15 minute mark, we went down to the platform, passing food vendors, one of whom was selling kimbap. I was hungry. Then we got on the train and settled in first class. It was an uneventful trip and quick. I took a nap and watched scenery.

When we got to Masan, the driver was waiting inside. He took the large suitcase from Chris and carried it out. It was heavy because it was full of fabric and $1 t-shirts. Chris took the smaller suitcase from me and carried it to the taxi. It took awhile for us to get home because of traffic. I wanted to stop and eat somewhere, but that would have raised the taxi price. When we arrived at home, there were lots of flowers in pots sitting on my front porch. I kind of unpacked the clothing in the suitcase. I ate some kimchi and fermented coconut milk. I called Myra to thank her for the flowers, but she did not answer. I called Nela, too, but same lack of response. I sat down at my laptop to catch up on e-mail and Sudoku. Myra called and explained that when Housing gave away the flowers on Friday, they told everyone they could have two of each kind, so Myra got me two of each kind (and some for her and her neighbor). Then Nela called and we had a nice chat. Knowing that everyone got only two of each kind, I posted on the community Facebook page that I was willing to trade whatever flowers someone else wanted for their begonias and impatiens. I would rather have a lot of two things than two of lots of things. Chris popped a bowl of popcorn. We watched two episodes of CSI. I found two responses to my post. I responded to them and played the songs for church tomorrow. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* This is me having breakfast in the executive lounge, which is huge and nicely furnished. *

Anyone need a spool of thread?

Chris got up early and went to work. I waited until my alarm went off. Once up, I drank two bottles of water and read e-mail. One article advocated growing mushrooms on old coffee grounds, but did not explain how. I did my exercises. I stirred coconut milk into my powdered breakfast and ate it. I took a shower and got dressed. I just had time to gather my backpack and coat and head for the front of the building. In three minutes the Shilla bus for Dongdaemun arrived. Fifteen minutes later it let me out at Doota. The first order of business was to buy socks. The two pairs I brought had holes in them. But the lady only sold them in packs of 10. They seemed right, so I bought the pack, and put on a pair. They were comfortable, but just a little heavier than I wanted. Second order of business was to return the bathing suit. The clerk there spoke English. He took the suit back and let me exchange it for another larger size – 3xx. Really. He didn't think I needed a larger size, but I knew better. Then I headed across the river to the fabric buildings. I searched the first floor of B and did not find ironing board fabric. One man suggested the second floor. So I looked up there, too. My idea was to go up and down every aisle until I either found it, or could be certain it was not there. But I had forgotten that Dongdaemun doesn't work that way. There are impediments to doing that and soon I was lost, wandering from one building to another seamlessly on each floor (because the buildings are connected). I saw thousands of fabrics, but not the one I wanted. When I got to the fifth floor, I stopped to buy several strings of stones; jade, tiger eye and hematite. Then I visited the Happy Quilt booth again. I bought some gray for Myra, and some blue for the back of the fish quilt. I called Jane to explain to the lady about the ironing board fabric. But the lady said they do not use it in Korea. Onward and downward, I bought a black separating zipper, and several rolls of ribbon, which was surprisingly cheap. I went to the basement to get some yarn for Nela. The skeins were cheaper, but so small. I found one huge one for 10,000 so I got that. A little more wandering from floor to floor and I decided to find a place to sit. I sat for almost half an hour, then decided I was done shopping. I could not think of anything else I needed and I was almost out of money. I walked to the Doota building and waited for the bus. As I waited, I chanted “Shilla bus, shilla bus”. It sounded like what you get on the first day of class. I rode the bus back to the hotel by 3. I went up to the room and laid down on the bed and took a nap. Chris called to check on his razor. It had not charged or at least, would not start. So he planned to buy another before he came home from work. I tried on the bathing suit and it fit. Then the door rang. A lady announced Turn Down service. But our room had already been straightened so I shook my head. I read e-mail and looked up ironing board fabric online. It was very hard to find. And for whatever reason, JoAnns will only sell one yard per order. Chris came back from the base. I got dressed and we went to the executive lounge for supper. After eating, we sat together and enjoyed the view while Chris sipped his wine. Then we went back to our room. From there we could see colored lights down by the pool and we heard a band. So I put on a jacket and we went to the third floor. We were given arm bands to wear to go out there and door prize tickets. It was cold out, but the pool water was heated. People were wearing white bathrobes and lounging all around. The cabanas looked nice, but they were all taken. We sat in some empty chairs that were behind a hedge. We could not see the show, but we listened to the music. Then we walked around by the outdoor hot tubs. I wanted to try one, but my stomach was just not in the mood. The band finished and a lady picked up the mic. We did not understand what she was saying, but people laughed, shouted, danced, etc as she talked it up. A man came by to ask if we knew the numbers of our tickets in Korean. We did not, so he stood with us until the numbers were called. We did not win anything, but he took us to another higher seating area where we could see well. We spoke to him for some time. Then one of the seating areas opened up. There was a gas fire in the middle which was really nice. We sat together for awhile, staring at the building and warming my feet. The man came back and suggested we ask if we could exchange breakfast at the executive lounge for the first floor buffet. So when we went in, we did ask, but the answer was no. We went back to our room and got on our computers. I checked the latest e-mail. I tried to add streaming to our Netflix plan, but could not get it to work, even by signing out and back in. We get their DVD's in a week, but somehow when we mail them back, the DVD don't arrive. I gave up and posted to my blog. Then it was time for bed.

A day with Gerrie in Seoul

In the middle of the night I got up to use the bathroom. Then it made sense that the toilet bowl was lit. Very convenient. Chris' alarm went off at 6. He got up a little later, showered and dressed. I told him we needed a top sheet because the comforter was too much but I needed something over me. He went to breakfast in the executive lounge. When he got back, he threw a robe over me and that was just right. He left for the base. I stayed in bed until my alarm went off at 7:30. I opened the drapes to discover that daylight was in full force. I drank bottles of water while reading e-mail. I did my exercises. I washed up. I read the list of guest services. They have a sauna and offer in-room massage bya visually impaired masseuse. They also have shuttle buses to markets like Dongdaemun. Chris called to tell me how he found the subway station. I called Gerrie to see what she wanted to do today and agreed to meet her at the base after breakfast. I had brought my breakfast and coconut milk, but did not have a spoon. So I had to go to the executive lounge to eat. I felt too self-conscious to take my coconut milk jar, so I drank some before I left. I had to swipe my card at the entrance to the lounge. Then a lady found me a seat. I asked her for a bowl. They had small ones, but not large enough for my breakfast. She had to send down to the first floor for one. I got some fruit from the buffet. Then she brought me a glass of water and later a bowl. I emptied my powdered meal into the bowl and added water. She brought me a spoon without my asking. I sat there, feeling self-conscious, but at least I had my nicest outfit on. When I finished, I looked out the window on the other side to see the path Chris had talked about. Then I went to the room to clean my teeth and dress for a rainy day. I listened to more of an audio that I had started earlier. I put on my backpack, and carried a coat and tote. I went to the front desk and asked about taking the shuttle bus to Itaewon, but they said it only goes to the Dongdaemun area. So I asked them to call me an AFEES taxi. They dialed the number and I did the talking. I was given a plate number to look for. I went outside to wait. When it came, I got in and asked to go to the theatre on post. The man was in a mood to talk so we had some conversation. At one point, we drove through a deep narrow tunnel only big enough for one car. It made me a little claustrophobic. Then we went around and through the commissary gate. I showed him my quilt top and paid him. The fare was 7100 and I gave him a 10,000. Gerrie was waiting at the thrift shop next door. There was another lady there who recognized me. We chatted and I walked around, looking at all the stuff for sale. With people moving away from the base, the drop-offs had increased and the clientele had decreased. I picked out a bunch of $1 t-shirts, and looked through the formal dresses for something that would look good at the Navy ball, but nothing struck me. I got a spoon for breakfast tomorrow. When I went to check out, Gerrie paid for my items with her extra thrifty bucks. That was very nice of her. I rolled the t-shirts up tightly and stored them in my backpack. I went to the ATM to get more cash. We went to MWR and I dropped off the quilt top for Ruth Ann. They showed me the pile of tops waiting for her to quilt. I had not realized that she was the only one who was allowed to operate the machine. Then we caught a bus to the hospital gate. As we walked off base, Gerrie pointed out all the new buildings. We entered the subway and took the one headed to Dongdaemun. We got to talking and missed our stop so we had to come back one. I looked for ironing board fabric on the first floor of building B, but it was not as I had remembered it. Then we went upstairs to see the Happy Quilt man. He was not there, but his wife was and she recognized me with a big smile. Gerrie sat while I picked among the rolls of fabric. I did not see anything for the back of the fish quilt. I tried to explain ironing board fabric but it did not translate. Her assistant got out his translate app. Then she said no. I asked about exchanging money and she sent her assistant to show us where the back was. When it was in sight, I thanked him and he left. We entered the bank and I was given a number. At my turn, I handed the lady my dollars and she changed it to won, at a better interest rate than the ATM or the hotel. We wandered back through the market but did not see what I wanted. Gerrie wanted to go to Daiso, which had been on base but closed. We walked quite a ways, and saw lots of plants and plant pots that I would have loved to buy but space was at a premium. But no Daiso. We crossed the stream and walked back the other way. I stopped at a bathing suit stand for $10. I picked one out to wear in the sauna. Then we walked by booths full of scarves, hats, belts, and ties. At the end of the street we turned right, towards Doota. I wasn't done shopping but she must have thought we were. She made sure I was at the bus stop for the Shilla bus and then she took the subway. I waited for 40 minutes, watching all kinds of tour buses stop to divulge or pick up passengers. Then it came and I rode it back to the hotel, which had all kinds of tour buses in front of it. Could I have taken another bus? I got to our room at 5. I saw Chris had called so I called him back. He said he'd be back by 6:30 and then we'd go to the executive lounge to eat. I was hungry but I read e-mail to take my mind off. I did some tapping, too. I tried on the bathing suit but it was almost impossible to get into because of how high the back was cut. It was after 6:30 when he got here. I put on my shoes and we went to eat. We sat by the window with a nice view. Chris introduced me to two ladies sitting at the next table. Then we ate from the buffet. When Chris went back for a second plate, the hostess took away his first plate and silverware and napkin to reset his place setting. She did the same when I went back for seconds. When we were finished, we went down to the first floor to ask when the bus left for Dongdaemun in the morning. Then Chris showed me how to walk to the nearest subway station. When we got back, we went to the room and I showed him my bathing suit and told him I intended to return it. My laptop was low on charge because the electricity cut off when I left the room earlier. As it charged, I called Myra. We had a nice chat and when I asked if she wanted anything from the market, she just asked for some gray fabric for a quilt. Then I went back to reading e-mail. I wrote up my blog a little early because Chris wanted to go to bed.
* Korean ties in the market *

All the fish now in one school

During the night, I rolled over and felt a sharp pain in my back. It seemed like my back was getting worse, not better. But when I woke up this morning, I did not notice the pain. Even when I got up, I was unable to believe how little pain there was. Maybe something was out of alignment and it snapped back in? I drank water and checked e-mail and swallowed three packets of Vit C. I did some tapping around letting go of past events, and not quite believing the back pain was gone. I wrote my blog post for yesterday, thinking there must be more than I was remembering. I got dressed and assembled the fish blocks. I decided a few extra would be nice, just in case. I made one more and was working on another when Myra rang the doorbell. She was early, but it was ok. We put stuff in her car, including stuff that was still in Chris' car. Then we went to the chapel. I set up while she went to park the car. We laid out all the fish blocks. We arranged them randomly. I had forgotten my camera, so the church secretary took a picture with her phone and printed it out. We were going to work from that, but we decided to try other arrangements, like dark to light, rainbow order, etc. I went home to get my camera so we could compare the different arrangements. Anna came to help. She had her son with her and he wanted to go home. Nela came on her lunch break. She made another fish, and Myra fixed a fish. So we traded out. Then we decided we had a shot at finishing the top so we stayed late. I cut edge blocks and corner blocks. Myra had to go do something. Anna stayed to help, but her little boy got hungry so she took him for lunch. Myra came back and we sewed as fast as we could. We got most of it together before she got back. When it was down to two pieces, I cut borders from a piece of purple while someone else did the final seam. Then I trimmed the corners and edges in preparation for the border. But it was 4pm and the taxi was coming at 4. I wanted to take it to Seoul to get quilted, but I did not have a backing and Myra calculated that it would cost at least $100 to quilt it. We did not think it would raise that much money on silent auction, so there was no point in paying to have it quilted. We decided to tie it after all. We folded it up and packed everything in her car for sewing class later. She drove me home. Chris was home waiting. I threw a few last minute things in the suitcase and packed my laptop. I ate some seed crackers. The taxi arrived and we got in. He drove us to the Masan train station. We stood in line for paper tickets, having secured seats online. Then I bought some flavored kimbap at the convenience store. We ate it on the train platform. Chris put his jacket on me to keep warm. When the train arrived, we got on, Chris carried the luggage. We had first class seats; nice and roomy. There was no place to plug in, so I got out my tablet. It took a while to get on the net, so I decided to read kindle books. It turns out that the books were not actually on my tablet. When I finally got on the net, I made sure to download them for next time. I read some e-mail, and meditated (dozed). In three hours we reached Seoul. When we came out of Seoul Station, it had just rained. We stood in line for a taxi, which took about 10 minutes. He drove us to the Shilla hotel. I was amazed with the curb side service: everyone bowing and welcoming us. The lobby was incredible: shiny, glittery hanging things from the ceiling. Our luggage was taken to our room and we were escorted to the 23rd floor, where we checked in and were directed to the lounge. Happy hour was in force with a buffet. Although it was after nine, we both got a plate of upscale food. I felt severly under dressed. Then we used the passcard to go to our room. The bathroom walls were all glass and the view was beautiful. We got ready for bed and I sat down to answer e-mail and write to my blog.

Fun people

I slept in late again. I guess my cortisol was low and it was hard to get up – not to mention the pain in my back. I did get up in the middle of the night to rub magnesium oil on it. Apparently that was not enough. Anyway, getting up and moving around helped. I did not do my exercises, but I did drink a quart of water and check e-mail. I went outside to plant the flowers and tomato and pepper plants from Monday. It felt good to be outside. Myra came over at 11 to check on me because she had called and I hadn't answered. We went up to the top of the hill behind my house to look for cement blocks so she could elevate her planter. But they were gone. What we did find was lots of handles – mop-type and axe-type. I grabbed some of the longer ones to use as stakes. We also found a brick. I gave her some bricks from my yard and she took them home. I made breakfast and checked e-mail. I went out periodically to check the sun in the yard. I was surprised to see that my yard was mostly shady in the afternoon. When I made today's breakfast, I also made two others for the trip. I did tomorrow's Sudoku puzzle while listening to an audio. I folded laundry and took mine to the bedroom. I looked up spleen meridian points online. After reading info about the meridian, I decided mine was over active, so I traced my meridian backwards several times to calm it down. I looked up the weather in Seoul. Chris called to say he wanted to take some folks her on TDY out to dinner. That sounded fine except for the part about sitting on the floor. But he was able to get seating outside. So at 5:30 I took a shower. Chris came home from work and changed his clothes. Then we walked down to the security check point to meet the three people. Sadly I don't remember their names. One was a quilter and her husband. The other one was into eating healthy and she had back trouble too. She highly recommended dry needling, which she has done every week. We walked to the duck restaurant around the corner. They seated us at a picnic table outside. We got one order of duck and it was enough for all of us. Then the lady made fried rice from the leftovers. We talked for a long time, especially about quilts. She showed me pics of her quilting room and it is larger than mine. I invited them to come see my sewing room. When we got to our house, I showed them all my quilts and they were very patient. Then I showed them my sewing room. It was a mess and not very impressive but they said nice things anyway. the ladies hugged me good bye and then they walked back to the base motel. Chris and I packed for the trip tomorrow. Then we watched two episodes of CSI. Chris went to bed and I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up, skipped my blog and went to bed.
* I saw these at the market on Monday and wondered what they were. *

The foot massage

It was a rough night. Long after we went to bed, my phone rang. A Korean voice was on the other end. I spoke until he hung up. I went back to bed, but he called again 10 minutes later. I refused the call. I had to get up several more times during the night to pee. So I slept late, like 'till 9:30. I checked e-mail, and drank water. I did my exercises while swishing. Nela called and I had to mmmm my way through the call. When the swishing was over, I called her back. She wanted me to go to the five day market with her and Myra at noon. I pushed it to 12:30. I dry brushed and boiled coffee. I checked e-mail. I listened to an audio on liver health. I dust-mopped the floor. I cleaned in the kitchen and bathroom. I got dressed and put on my backpack. I put a small empty box in a grocery sack since it would not fit in my backpack. Then I walked down the hill to Myra's. Nela was just walking up. We walked to the bus stop and waited for a bus to the market. When we got there, we roamed the street. We stopped at several places that sold plants. I bought a bunch of tomato and pepper seedlings and put them in the box. I asked the man to hold them until I came back. Then I found a stand selling strawberries and bought a plateful. As we roamed, I also bought seaweed, cucumbers and a petunia. We found Chaun at the market. She walked with us and then at the end, gave us a ride home. I put my plants on the front porch and the food in the kitchen. I 'drank' some beef broth through straw (even though it was not quite liquid). Then Myra called so I grabbed my tablet and walked down to her place. She got Chaun and we walked to The Foot Shop. Myra went in for her massage. I showed Chaun where the fabric store was and Daiso. She bought some potting soil. Across the street from Daiso was the lady with the marigolds. There were two more yellow and orange ones, so I bought them. We walked back to The Foot Shop. Chaun went home. I sat and played a version of Tetris on my tablet. But my back started to hurt, so I stood up. I tried to load a Kindle book and Nela showed up. So I talked to her until 5. We went inside the shop. Nela took pics. The man had me get a locker that had clogs in it. I exchanged them for my shoes. Then went in the dressing room to change. When I came out, he set me to soak my feet in warm water while drinking bamboo tea. Nela hung around until Myra came out. Then they went to Daiso. The masseuse came and dried off my feet with a towel. I had trouble getting up to follow him. It was a room with big stuffed chairs. He indicated one and I sat down. It laid back which was really nice. He rubbed some lotion on my legs and feet. Then he proceeded to massage them. Part of the massage was very relaxing and I enjoyed the faint piano music in the background. But, he could tell which spots hurt and he REALLY pressed on those spots. I tried not to react, but it was quite painful. Working on my left foot, he then pointed to my spleen. I guess that was the meridian that correlated to the point. When he moved to the right foot, he went directly to the spots that hurt on the left foot. Then he massaged up my leg, and then points on either side of the pubic bone. He indicated that spots on my feet correlated to those spots as well. Then he tied my legs in knots like yoga positions. He sat behind me and pulled my arms back, placing his foot on my spine. I was sure my lower back would complain but it kept silent. Then he handed me my locker keys. I thanked him and went to change back. At the counter, the clerk put a small yogurt drink on a tray, but I declined. I got my fanny pack out and paid him. Nela and Myra were waiting for me. Myra told me how the masseuse had pressed, prodded and rotated her shoulder. She could now raise it as high as the other one, which she could not do before. It still hurt, but she was pleased. Nela said she wasn't going to get a massage after listening to us. We walked back to base. Nela and Myra stopped to pick up pizza for supper. I went home. Chris was finishing up supper. I made and ate breakfast while checking e-mail. Then we watched two episodes of CSI, with an ice pack on my back. I finished today's Sudoku puzzle and posted to my blog.
* I really wanted the hydrangea on the middle left *

Trimming grass and pulling weeds

We woke up before the alarm went off, but did not feel like getting out of bed. I kept hearing something that I thought might be a low battery sound. When I finally got up to check it out, I no longer heard it, so could not find it. Chris showered and dressed and went to church. I checked e-mail. I turned off the crock pot. I picked the bones out with chop sticks. I ladled out the fat and put it in one jar. I ladled out the broth and put it in another. The veggies and bits of meat went into a third container. I emptied the sink, then washed the crock pot bowl and the metal part. I took a shower and got dressed for church. I had to iron my dress. I placed a Swanson's order and then I listened to part of an audio. Chris came home from church and offered me a ride. So I put on my shoes and got my purse. He dropped me off at the chapel and went to work. I met Scott and Myra going in. I sat in my usual spot and they sat with me. The young songmaster played three praise songs on his guitar. I had heard them because he had sent me the links, but others must not have because they did not sing. Jane came in late. We had a fill-in pastor because our chaplain is on vacation. He asked for someone to pass the offering plates, which we don't do. And after the sermon, he announced the end of the service. We kind of looked at each other wondering about communion. I looked in the back and the wine and crackers were not there. The organist came to me to ask why I did not eat with them Thursday night. I could not remember Thursday night so I mumbled something about my back. Presently it came to me that there was an FRG meeting. So I mentioned that and she said to come next week. So I had to tell her that I don't eat what normal people eat. Then she said her English was not so good. So I guess she did not understand. I went outside to meet Chris, but he was not there. I called him, and in a few minutes he arrived. We went home and I changed my clothes to pants and top. We walked to the Korean church for lunch with Jane (and the rest of the congregation). Several Korean ladies shook my hand and said they missed me. I had not realized our absence was noted. We stood in line to get food, then sat on the floor by a table. On the table we found lettuce and plates of bite-sized pork pieces. Also red sauce and garlic. As we ate, Jane talked to the ladies around us. One tried to talk to me, but her English was not good and with all the noise in the room, I could not make any of it out. After the meal, Jane asked someone to take a photo of her with us and the other lady. Since I know Jane loves having her picture taken, I got out my phone and turned on the camera function. I took a surprise photo of her. Then she made Chris take our photo with my phone. We put on our shoes and walked back to base. I went to the ATM to get cash for the week and Chris went to work. I read e-mail for awhile, worked on a Sudoku puzzle and did some tapping. But it was so nice and sunny (after such a rainy yesterday) that I went outside to trim grass and pull weeds. Some of them were chickweed. I wasn't certain, but I ate some and did not get sick. The sun got low and Chris came home. He asked if I was cold, but I said no, I was sitting on a hot sidewalk. I clipped and pulled until I reached the halfway mark where the neighbors property begins and quit. As I came inside, I noticed the cucumber sprouts were so tall that they were falling over. So I quickly planted them in the flower bed. I came in to jot notes for my blog. I worked another Sudoku puzzle. I made and ate breakfast. I listened to an audio. Then I laid on the couch until Chris was ready to watch TV. We saw two episodes of CSI. We dressed the bed. Chris laid down with a book and I stayed up to post to my blog. Then I deleted most of the pictures from my camera to make room for more.

Bone broth

I woke up really early because Chris got up at 3:30 for a 4am conference call. Even though he closed the door, I could hear the voices talking. I don't know when he came back to bed. I got a cold pack for my back. But then we slept in late. It was almost 10 when we got up. I put the cold pack back in the fridge. Chris called William on his skype account. William and I talked for almost an hour. He told he me he lost weight and is on a healthy eating plan. Chris helped me harvest several gallons of water from the shower filter. About noon Chris and I walked to the commissary. Among other things, we got ox-tail bones. The garlic was no good and the onions not much better. When we got home, we put the bones in the crock pot with carrots, celery and an onion. I put two cloves of garlic in. I made and ate breakfast. I cut up a pineapple and we planted the top and ate part of the remainder. I went outside to plant the marigolds. Kelly came over. She saw our rosemary plant and I told her to take all she wanted. She invited me to her house for fresh parsley. From her little grow-lite garden, she cut parsley and basil. She also gave me some garlic from out in town. When I got home, I took my garlic, which was sprouting, and planted it outside. I put her garlic in the bone broth and some parsley, too. I filled the bread machine and ran it. I worked Sudoku puzzles while listening to audios and I checked e-mail. I had Chris look at my ear, which still itches. He said it looked like new skin. I guess I had scratched it raw. Even though I haven't solved the itch problem, the night sweats are gone. I think it is the extra maca, but it could be several other things, too. A friend sent me an article on melatonin. In a study of women 42 to 62, it had anti-aging effects, to the point that the menopausal women got their cycles back. Yikes! I am all for anti-aging, but I don't miss those monthly visits.
We took a nap. I heated up a bowl of pulled pork in the toaster oven, along with some pickled garlic that Nela gave me. I ran through more e-mail. I made up a week's worth of supplements while listening to an interview. I paused it when Chris was ready to watch. We watched at least three episodes of CSI. Chris went to bed. I added some water to the crock pot so it could simmer the bones all night. Then I posted to my blog and went to bed.
* We passed this tree on the way to the commissary. We think it is a different species of cherry tree. *

Do I really need a doctor?

I woke up early because Chris had another 5am conference. After his conference, he came back to bed, But then he got up for PT. I heard my alarm go off, but was in so much pain that I stayed in bed. I got up later to read e-mail and drink water, and Chris came home. He laid on the floor with a pillow, exhausted from the workout. After awhile, he got up to shower and dress for work. I was supposed to go to the community round-up but the pain was too bad. I got an ice pack and went back to bed. I alternated the ice pack and the heating pad. That seemed to help a little. But I was tired of being in pain. So I decided to see the doctor on post. I washed up and got dressed. I went outside to see if I needed a coat. But then I saw my flowers and gardening tools that I bought yesterday. I could not resist trimming the hedges and digging up weeds. The next door neighbors were coming home from somewhere and they stopped to talk. They said they had an electric mower and were going to mow tomorrow. I continued digging weeds. I set the flowers where I intended to plant them. Then I went inside to call Chris to find out if anything else was planted there and hadn't come up yet. He said no. I figured if I could trim bushes and dig up weeds I probably did not need to see a doctor. I was checked e-mail again. At noon I ate some seed crackers, then made and ate breakfast. Chris came home for lunch and brought me a package from Swansons. He had to re-do the tax pages and I signed them when he finished. He showed me some repairs that his suit needed. I opened the Swansons box and put the bottles away, or combined them with those that were about to run out. As I put the empty box away, I noticed the box that held all the stuff I cleaned off the dining room table before Steve came. My Sudoku calendar was in there. I started working puzzles while listening to interviews. I was still doing that when Chris came home from work. He handed me a paper from Housing that announced they would be giving out free flowers next Thursday. This was not good news because we will be leaving town Wednesday night. He made and ate supper. I took a break to go outside and mow the lawn. I put the mower away and came in. I worked more puzzles and was about to put another audio on when Chris said he was ready to watch. My stomach hurt so I skipped supper, but drank some water with peppermint oil in it. We saw one episode of CSI. Then he went to bed because he had a 3 or 4 am conference to attend. I stayed up to listen to more audios. One had a recipe for dandelion and chickpeas. When I finished 15 puzzles, I decided to stop and write to my blog before going to bed.
* Here is a pic from the fish market. Can anyone tell me what the red things are? *

Buying flowers

I got up about 8:20. I turned on my laptop and harvested water from the shower filter to drink and heat up in the coffee maker. After drinking the usual quart of water, I put on my bathing suit. I filled two water bottles with hot salt water. I packed my sauna bag and grabbed my yoga mat. I walked down to the gym. I turned on the sauna then got a locker key so I could put all my stuff in the locker. I sat on a towel in the sauna with another towel on my head to keep my hair from drying out. It took at least 20 minutes for the sauna to heat up. I drank my salt water and started to sweat. I did my exercises. My back was still touchy and painful. I stayed in a little after the one hour time limit. Then I took a shower and got dressed for yoga. I went out to the pool where class had just started. It was just Myra and I and then another lady came. So Joelle took it easy on us. Some poses I just couldn't do. Anyway, it seemed like it was over pretty quickly. I got my stuff and walked home, just behind Chris, who apparently did not hear me when I called to him. When we got home, he told me about the arrangements that he made for our trip to Seoul next week. He made himself a sandwich and went back to work. I took my vit C as I read e-mail. Then I had a few seed crackers with homemade mayo. Then I made and ate breakfast and meditated. I called Myra to see if she could remember where we saw gardening tools. I asked if she wanted to come along and she said she had to write a bio for the Ombudsman page. So I walked down there to help her. I ran into Chaun and Danielle, and talked to them for a bit. Then I went to Myra's. I wrote a short bio for her, but she needed a little more for the OAL. Then we walked into town. We went out of our way to find a set of steps that we had seen last week. We ended up behind GS25 market. Then we went to the Foot Shop so Myra could make an appointment to get her shoulder massaged. I wanted to get a foot massage at the same time as hers, but the only person available then was the same lady I had before. No thanks. So he made my appointment right after Myra's and with the same guy. Then we went to the everyday market. First we found a hardware shop. I had a fun time getting the man to understand that I wanted a trowel. But he had one and then I asked for clippers. He had that too, but no rake. Then we tried another store, but still no rake. We sifted through clothing in a second hand shop. We examined flowers at a garden shop. We looked for kimchi on the way to Daiso. Across the street was another flower shop, cheaper than the first. So we each got something there. Myra went in Daiso to get a flower box and dirt. On the way back, we found kimchi. I asked the lady to chop it up and she did. We went back to the first flower shop and I got an inpatients. The lady put it in Myra's flowerbox. Then we walked back to base, stopping at the corner market for strawberries we had seen earlier, but they were all gone. When we got to the base, Jane was standing at the entrance waiting for someone to sign her in. We chatted for a bit, then I hurried to catch up with Myra. There was not time to go home before the FRG meeting at the chapel, so we went there and left our flowers outside. Soon the officers arrived and we gathered in one of the classrooms. Chris was there, too, since he had just attended rosary night – whatever that is. The meeting went ok, but long. We identified problems but had no solutions. Then Chris helped me carry my flowers and kimchi home. I put the kimchi in a jar and the plants outside. We each made and ate our suppers. I read e-mail and listened to part of an audio. Then we watched an episode of CSI together. Chris went to bed because he has to get up for a 5am teleconference. I stayed up looking for the dress pattern that I swear I saved in November, but still did not find it. I wrote to my blog and went to bed.
* The steps led to a bridge and this is what we saw from the bridge. *

Alone again

I heard my alarm go off at 7:30 and prayed for 5 more minutes of sleep. I got up at 8, not sure if I had actually slept for 5 minutes during the previous half hour. I quickly stuffed the recyclables into separate bags and took them out to the curb. I turned on my computer, then filled my 4 cup measure with water to drink. I swished and read e-mail. Chris came home from PT, took a shower and went to work. I washed up and got dressed. I put on an audio and took my laptop to my sewing room to listen to while I gathered up the fish blocks and pieces. Steve got up so I asked if there was anything he needed before I left. He said no, and he would leave the key on the table when he left. Myra knocked at the door. I shut off my laptop. We moved supplies to her car, then drove to the chapel. The front door was open and our room was set up, but no one was there and the offices were locked. Myra remembered that today is a voting day in Korea. We set up her machine and my iron and cutting board. She sewed while I drew lines and cut and pressed. I took a break to use the bathroom, but it was locked, as was the men's room. Each had an out-of-order sign that said to go to another building. So I ran to the FFTC. When I got back, I resumed cutting and pressing. We were going to pack up at noon if no one showed up. But just then the interim chaplain came and he talked about his deer farm, and hunting and such. It was interesting but after awhile, I was ready to go home. It was after 1 when we packed her car and she drove me home. I found Steve's luggage in the foyer, but his shoes were gone. I made breakfast and ate it while reading e-mail. Steve came back and dropped the key on the table. He kissed me on both cheeks. His taxi beeped. So I wished him a good trip and he took his luggage and left. I ate a piece of aloe, resumed reading, and then I meditated. Nela came over to order yarn. She had wanted to go to the 5-day market, but it was raining. So we sat at my laptop and chose skeins from Jo-anns. I gave her one of the thread stands and she promised to pay for the yarn tonight. Then she went to Myra's house. Chaun wanted the thread stand so I put one by my purse to bring later. I read e-mail, and found Gerrie's number. I called, but there was no response. I worked on the claim appeal letter. I jotted notes for my blog. I got out fabric to make a dress I had seen instructions for back in November. But search as I did, I could not find any sign of it on my computer or on the website I thought I got it from. Finally I jumped in Chris' car and drove to the FFTC. I got there before Myra and only slightly ahead of Nela. She set up the room while I carried stuff in. At first it was just the three of us and we worked on fish blocks. Then Hai Wa showed up and Myra helped her make three bags for her mother in the nursing home. Nela played music on her smart phone for us to listen to. I was determined to pack up and be out by 8:30 because last week we ended up staying until 9:30. While I was packing up, Gerrie returned my earlier call, so I promised to call her back in 10 minutes. Nela helped me carry my machine out and I drove home. All I brought in from the car was the box of mats, rulers and fish blocks. We had 49, which was enough. I called Gerrie and we had a nice chat and agreed to get together next week in Seoul. Then I sat down to read the latest e-mail until Chris was ready. Then we watched two episodes of CSI. He went to bed and I stayed up to blog.
* I saw this dress at a second-hand store and wondered what body type would look good in it. *

Fabric and the fish market

I heard my alarm go off and was up before 8. I threw the food scraps in the waste container, put on shoes and a coat and put the container at the curb. I read e-mail and drank water with fresh lime juice in it. I wanted to play an audio while exercising but did not want to wake Steve. Finally I got the idea to play it in my bedroom with the door shut. But as I was getting my laptop ready, Steve came out of his room and went in the bathroom. I took my laptop to the bedroom but had trouble finding something to play. When I did, I started exercising and heard Steve leave the house. When I came out, his shoes were gone from the foyer, but his toiletries were still in the bathroom. I got dressed and ate some seed crackers with the mayo I made yesterday. It was ok, but the taste of olive oil was too strong. Then I made breakfast. Just before I finished, Nela called to say Myra was done with her meeting and waiting for us. I had a few bites of breakfast and threw the rest in the fridge. I put on my coat and earmuffs and backpack. I walked down the hill. Kelly waved to me and said she just got final permission to run a hair styling business out of her house (which is part of our duplex). So when I saw Myra and Nela, I told them and Nela asked how much, but I did not know. We walked into town to a bus station, missing the bus by seconds. We waited almost half an hour for the next one. We rode bus 163 into Masan to the fish market. It was bait and switch. They had said they wanted to buy fabric and yarn. But we spent hours looking at clothing and scarves. We found a used clothing market underground. I went through pretty quickly, but they scoured every piece. I bought one top. Then we looked for the fabric. I bought two that I had bought a yard of before, but the prices had gone up and I wasn't expecting that. Myra got some fabric, too. Then we went across the street and I got some dark gray to make pants. I saw some green that caught my eye and he made me a deal I couldn't refuse which cost me $20 more. We walked around, and then went in search of a bathroom. Last time it was located in the basement full of construction dust. But today that basement had food booths and a K-Pop band playing VERY loudly. I was glad to have earmuffs. We looked at the foods but decided to eat on the street. We sat at a booth and I ordered kimbap, and Nela got fish noodles. Myra brought cookies. After we ate, we paid and went wandering through the market, heading for the bus stop. We strolled through the fish part, too. The visual was interesting as was the smell. One booth was selling aloe branches so I bought one. When we got to the bus stop, Nela took a pic of the sign showing which buses stopped there. She wanted to compare it with the bus stop signs in Chinhae. When we got on the bus, I found myself sitting beside a very nice young Korean man who offered to give up his seat to Myra. It turned out that he used to work on the Navy base and would again if given the chance. Myra promised to put in a good word for him. He got off at the same stop we did. We walked back to the base. Nela called her son to meet her so they could go out to eat. Myra and I stopped by the ATM to recharge our wallets. Then we walked home. I was alone when I got there. I checked e-mail and finished breakfast. Chris came home and I showed him the letter I got from the post office denying my claim for damages to my sewing machine because I did not have a receipt for it's purchase 8 years ago. Chris told me to contact the Inspector General to complain that they did not inform us that the insurance is no good with out proof of purchase (but if we shipped an item that wasn't purchased, what then?), but then he read the letter and saw that we could make one more appeal: to the vice president and consumer advocate. So I composed a letter to the address listed. I read it to Chris and tweaked it. Steve came home and engaged us in conversation. He asked what I was doing and when I explained, said I should write to the company I bought it from to see if they had the purchase information. Nela called to talk about buying yarn on sale at Jo-Anns. Steve went to his room. When Nela hung up, I read through the postal regulations to find loop-holes and make my statements more specific. But when Chris was ready to watch CSI (at 9:30), I stopped to sit with him and watch. After two episodes, he went to bed and I stayed up to review my day and post to my blog.

Mayonnaise

I woke up when Chris left the house for PT with Scott. I stayed in bed in a dream state until my alarm went off. Then I struggled to get out of bed, my back muscles in a clench. I swished while washing the dishes left in the sink. Chris came back from PT, greeted me, then went in the back. Steve got up and spoke to me but my mouth was full from swishing so I could not answer him. He said if I needed anything from Daegu to call him. Then he left. I finished washing the dishes in the sink and went in the back to spit and Chris was lying on the bed, tired from PT. I won't describe what happened next. Steve came back to get something he had forgotten. I drank a quart of lemon water while reading e-mail. Chris took a shower and got on his computer while eating breakfast. I listened to an audio, and exercised, and drybrushed. I boiled water for coffee. After my coffee morning, I cleaned the coffee utensils, and started making breakfast. Chris came home with my JoAnns order, made a sandwich and went back to work. I finished making breakfast and ate it while listening to an interview on Lyme disease and alzheimers and parkinsons. I listened to another audio on lyme disease. I opened Ashley's envelop to find a save-the-date magnet, which I put on the fridge. I called Mrs. Byrne but there was no answer. I opened the Jo-ann's package to find 6 cone thread holders and some Insul-brite. I was hoping it was the t-shirts. Sigh. I called Myra and heard she had made cookies, which made me remember to make seed crackers. I made hummus while they were baking. Then I made mayonnaise because it uses the same immersion blender; and I thought it might be good on the seed crackers. I had to clean the kitchen again. Nela called: she wanted to go to Masan instead of Busan tomorrow. There was only one yard of silver ironing fabric in the order. I got my iron caddy out of the car and flipped it this way and that, trying to get three cuts of it out of the one yard. But there was no way. I measured the leftover to see if I could do a third cut with one seam, but it would take at least 3. I sorted the fish blocks by color, even the unfinished ones. Unless I miscounted, I have enough, more greens and purples than the other colors. I was counting leftover half square triangles when Steve arrived. He started right in and asked me to follow him to the kitchen so he could get a glass of water. The path of least resistance was to go. We talked until Chris came home, and beyond. Chris made himself supper and I made a salad. Finally, about 9, I broke off to watch CSI with Chris, but there was only time for one episode. Steve left when we turned the TV on. After CSI, I checked e-mail one last time, posted to my blog and went to bed.
* These are the 8 Blocks Of the Month that I have directions for so far *

Last day of the festival

My back was very sensitive this morning. Chris got up and went to church early, probably to meet with the organist. I got up very gingerly and went to the bathroom. I came out to fire up my computer and check e-mail Steve got ready and then came out to talk to me. I walked up and down the hallway, trying to work the cramps out of my back. He talked until I had to use the restroom again and then he went off to detail his car. It hurt to sit so I kept walking. I put on the dress I had bought at the festival and walked around the house outside for a bit. Chris came home from church and I told him I was not up to going. He changed clothes and went to work. At noon I ate some seed crackers and butter. I listened to some audios, but nothing that really turned out to be interesting. I got this great idea to look at the tag on my favorite top and find it online so I could order more. But the name on the tag was AGENDA. Well, you can imagine what kind of search results I got. I folded laundry and scrubbed the jelly roll pan that had been under the pork casserole dish. I took nap. Chris came home with groceries. We stripped the beds and washed the sheets, then remade them. I worked in my sewing room, counting sewn fish blocks and cut squares. The count was higher than I thought. A few stacks were missing a square or two so I cut some extra to make complete stacks. Chris said he had seen Myra at the commissary and she had talked about going into town one last time. I wanted another coconut so I called her, but she was at home and they were going to light the fire pit. She invited us to come over later. I wasn't so sure I could do that. Chris made eggplant with garlic. I did not care for it. We had supper. Chris put some wines in a backpack. I put chocolate in a baggie. When it got dark, we walked down to Myra's place. Scott was sitting by the raised fire pit. Nela came over, as well as Danielle and Ross. Chris went to our shed for some folding chairs. Myra had sticks and marshmallows. Danielle brought graham crackers and some wrapped chocolates. I passed on that, but enjoyed watching the others burn their marshmallows. The talk turned to military and police stories. We could hear music and some popping noises from the stadium. Finally there were fireworks. Myra and I walked up the hill to the antenna circle to watch them. It wasn't the best vantage point, but I enjoyed the show. And then the festival was over. I did not feel up to walking down into the firepit area and back up so I just went home. Two moths followed me in, and I chased them with flyswatters since they could imperil my fabric stash. Steve was home, but in his room and did not come out. I sat down to write my blog. Chris came home with the bottle of wine that did not get drunk. He sat at his computer, too. Then I finished posting and went to bed.

Caught up on BOM

I got up about nine. Steve had already left. I checked e-mail and drank water. After reading an article about sunlight, I went outside to water the plants. Chris was playing with the voices, so I used my headphones to listen to an interview and then meditate. I looked up my tahini bread recipe. I put yeast in a bowl to rise. Chris had gotten a haircut yesterday and it inspired me, so I trimmed my hair in the bathroom and wiped up all the hair. I brought in the garbage can. I collected garbage from the bathrooms. I swept in several areas. I made and ate breakfast. I let the yeast rise a few more times and then put it in the bread machine with flour, etc. I listened to an interview on the benefits of going barefoot. Apparently it activates all kinds of motions and nerves in the feet that benefit the entire body. He has a company Xero Shoes, that makes thin lightweight footwear. When the bread dough was mixed and risen, I made it into large long rolls and left it to rise again. I looked into ordering a pair of the sandals. I think I walked outside. Chris did laundry and ran the dishwasher. When the rolls had risen enough, I put them in the oven with the pork that Chris was slow-roasting. It was only 250 degrees so I figured it would take longer. I set the timer for 45 minutes and we went for a walk. We walked up the trail and around. The timer had just started beeping when we came in. But the rolls were not done. I put them in for another 15 minutes, and another 15 after that. Then I cut one open, and pronounced it done. I went into my sewing room and worked on the last block of the month. When the pork was done, Chris put some on one of the rolls and brought it to me. I am not proud of the fact that I ate it. But it was good! Then he brought me more pork, but with a salad instead. I finished the block. When I came out, Chris was emptying the dishwasher. I helped with the pork. He had put a jelly roll pan under the dish of pork and it was full of pork oil. Oh, so yummy. He cleaned that up and we sat down to watch CSI. We watched a lot of episodes because I misread my watch. Steve came back from wherever he went and I had to quick cover up with the quilt we keep on the couch because I had taken my shirt off. At the end of the episode, he went to bed and I put my shirt back on. Then Chris went to bed and I stayed up just long enough to blog.

Band and air show

After I posted to my blog, I got dressed for bed so I wouldn't have to wake up Chris later. Then I heard fireworks, so I slipped on some shoes and rushed outside. I had to go up the hill a little to get a vantage point between the trees. It was a little chilly to be standing outside in a nightgown, but I did not care. I came back in and checked e-mail, hoping to find a meditation. But Steve came out of his room and started talking to me. It was 11:15 when I gave up on ever meditating, and insisted I was going to bed.

I stayed in bed in the morning, until I heard Steve leave. It was after 8:30 when I got up. I checked e-mail and drank water. I did my exercises. Nela called to say they were at Duffy's, ready to hit the festival. I said I'd call when I was ready to meet them in town. I swept up the dirt in the foyer, which has increased with the fall of the cherry petals. I made up a week's worth of supplements. I placed an order for the ones that were low. The order was 11 cents short of free shipping so I had to look for something else to order. Then I stacked the dishwasher. I packed some seed crackers in my fanny pack. I called Nela to see how warm it was in town. Then I got dressed, changing a few times until I felt I was appropriately dressed. Then I put on my backpack and walked down the hill. I passed the CO and CPO dressed in whites in the antenna circle. I wondered if there was something else I was supposed to attend. I walked out into town and headed to the rotary. I called Nela and she said they would wait by the jumpy thing. I met up with them and we walked up and down streets of vendors. We happened to catch a marching band with three parts. One was a Korean sailor marching band, then what looked like marines, and then a small contingent from the 8th army band from Seoul. It was a nice surprise. We stopped at a line of Indian vendors and I bought a dyed dress. We looked at a lot of jewelry. I ate some seed crackers. Then we went to a restaurant that was recommended to Nela. We ordered pork. The lady brought us side dishes first. Then she brought pot of coals which went in the center of the table. Then she put a grill over that. She laid strips of meat from a plate with meat and onions and mushrooms to be grilled. She cooked three strips at a time. Then cut them up, moved them to the side and put three more in. It was very good. It was a lot of meat. But we did our best to eat it all. Then, when we went to pay, she charged us for a dinner for 5.

We tried to argue that we only ordered for three and the menu said 8,ooo won per person. But she charged us 44,000. The math did not add up, but the other ladies said we should just pay it and leave. I wished I had called Jane to iron out what happened. But we got out in time to see the air show. Large planes were flying overhead, swooping and rolling, and barely missing each other. They used colored exhaust to make designs in the sky. It was amazing. Then we walked to the main street and waited for a bus. When we got on, So Young was on it. That was a good thing because she was able to tell us where to get off to see the train station by the 5 day market. The train station was full of people with selfie-sticks. There was one train on the tracks, but it was parked. The ground was covered in petals. We took pictures. Eventually we made our way back to a bus stop. We waited a long time, skipping several crowded buses. Then we took one we had never ridden before. It took us pretty close to the base! We got off and entered the store where we added money to our bus cards. Then we walked to the base. I stopped at the ATM for more money. Then we went home. I came in my house and could see Steve's shoes in the foyer. I quietly sat down at my computer to check e-mail and drink water. I listened to an audio. I wrote up my blog for the day so far. I got up for a snack and ate it at my laptop, reading an article. Steve came out of his room and sat next to me. He asked what I was reading and proceeded from there. Finally Chris came home. But nothing really changed. The conversation went on. Chris made himself supper, and I ate a bowl of curry. At 9, Chris made a phone call to the states about the corrected W-2 that he never got. It was not handled to his satisfaction. Then we watched two episodes of CSI. Chris went to bed and I stayed up to choose a photo to go with my blog post.

Cherry Blossom canal at night

I woke up hearing Chris at his 5am teleconference. I stayed in bed until 8:30 hoping to go back to sleep. By then the two men had left. I harvested pitchers of water from the shower filter. I drank a quart and put a quart in the coffee maker to heat up. I read e-mail. Then I put on my bathing suit and packed my sauna bag. I put on my galoshes and a plastic rain coat over my regular coat. I added an umbrella and my yoga mat. I walked down to the gym in the pouring rain. I signed out a locker key, then proceeded to get ready for the sauna with my two hot bottles of salt water. I had to turn the sauna on, which started out at 68 degrees. I did my exercises to warm up, and a few yoga stretches. During the hour I was in there, the Korean cleaning lady kept checking, probably hoping to come in when it was empty. After an hour, I took a shower and went to yoga. I took it easy on my back, which wasn't so happy in the sauna, but did ok at yoga. Myra came late and had to leave early. I walked home by myself. I ate seed crackers while reading e-mail. I made and ate breakfast. I made chocolate, but messed up the first recipe because I did not measure correctly and forgot the honey and vanilla. So I made another batch and poured some on top of each of the ones already poured. I read e-mail again. At 4 Steve came in. He proceeded to sit down and talk to me. He told me all kinds of stories, even ones my delicate ears shouldn't be hearing. He told me that if he had a problem with someone, he would have it out with them and not vent to someone else. I tried unsuccessfully to point out the irony of that statement. My back began to hurt so I got up to walk around a little. I tried a piece of chocolate.

He kept talking. Finally I started walking to the back. He followed me, turning on the light in my sewing room. I told him I was heading to the master bathroom. When I was washing my hands afterward, I could hear him asking me a question. I hoped Chris would come home soon, and then he did. Steve went to his room and Chris made himself a burritto. I heated up a bowl of the curry and ate a tomato. Then I changed my clothes, and we walked out in town. The rain had stopped and it was pleasant. I wanted to see the lights. But we also did some shopping. I got a pair of black socks to replace the holey ones I wore to yoga today. It might be a sin in this country to have holes in ones socks. Chris got a turkish kaboba and shared it with me. We stopped at an Indian place and I bought a silk scarf and an embroidered top. We walked around and then towards the canal. I took pictures of the lights there. On the way, we passed a place selling Japanese water cakes. Each one was a large clear bubble, like a jelly fish. I asked what it was made of. He typed something into his phone app and the word 'seaweed' came up. He said there was no sugar in it. So Chris bought me one. The man added what looked like brown sugar but tasted like peanuts, and some honey. It was quite good. After photographing the lights in the canal, we walked back to base. We met Tara and her group coming in. Then we went home. Chris went to bed and I stayed up to blog and read some more e-mail, and maybe meditate.
* Japanese water cake with peanut something *

First nighttime sewing class

I waited until 8 to get up. I read e-mail, drank water, and wiped the counter tops. I made ginger tea, which I put it in a water bottle to take along. Myra callled to say she'd be here at 8:45. I got dressed, pulled out some fish fabric and found my fish blocks. I started moving stuff to the front porch and my back spasmed. I laid on the floor for awhile, then got up. I called Myra at 10: someone had trapped her in a conversation. When she got here, she had to load the car herself because of my back. We got to the chapel and she had to unload it all herself. The room was set up for rows of people, not for sewing but I only moved two tables. Myra had to go park the car and then see the dentist. I set up my machine and busied myself arranging fish blocks and figuring out what colors we needed more of. There were fly-overs, which turned out to be the South Korean squad. They were really loud and were flying low. Myra worked on bags. Nela came at 12 on her lunch hour,. Chris came by with the mail. At 1, we packed up. Three men were waiting to use the room. We put the sewing stuff in Myra's car. She took me home. We talked a little bit, then I went in. I ate seed crackers, then made and ate breakfast. I also had some cashews with butter. I cleared e-mail and listened to audios. Then I worked on blocks of the month, finishing one and starting the most recent one. I had trouble picking the fabrics. I took a break to take the daily photograph. And I stood outside talking to Kelly until her husband called. I worked on the block some more. Steve came home. He talked to me about all the things that were going wrong, so I listened. He brought me a chocolate bar from Daegu. I called Myra to see about class. Chris came home while I was talking to Myra. I took my supplements with the last of the ginger tea. I jotted notes for my blog. Then Chris put my box of fabric in his car and I drove to the FFTC classroom. Myra was there, setting up. I brought my box in. I went to the bathroom then set up my machine for someone to use. Several ladies came in. One lady brought her daughter who wanted to make a stuffed bear and brought a pattern and fabric. Another lady wanted to make a princess dress. She had fabric cut out but not page 1 of the instructions. Myra went home to get buttons for the bear's eyes. Nela worked on finishing her oven mitt. A new lady made a bag like Myra's. I tried to help where I could, but since everyone was doing something different, it was hard. Myra had made three open-ended bags for holding and dispensing plastic bags, but no one chose that project. Bernie stuffed a pillow and mended a towel. The lady making the princess dress used my machine and the needle was pushing the fabric down in, so I replaced it. But then it made a popping sound as though it were dull, too. At 8:25 I called Chris to say it was raining and not to come to walk in town with me (an arrangement we had made earlier). But class did not end at 8:30. No one left on time and indeed, I did not get out of there until 9:30. Myra and the lady with the bag were still there, packing up. I told Myra we will have to be more pushy about getting out on time. Myra carried out my machine and I carried out the boxes of stuff. Then I drove home, stalling once. I did not bother bringing stuff in because of the rain. I let Chris know I was home (he was in bed) and I sat down to write to my blog.