Finishing up 645

Tuesday

I got up after 7. It was cool out – in the 50's. I read some e-mail and started an order for supplements. But it was taking too long. I quit and went out to water the plants and annoy gophers. I took methylene blue.

I went to the garden to check everything. On the way someone texted me about cleaning and I agreed to doing a quote tomorrow. Then I went to 625 and cleaned for 2.5 hours. Jamie showed up just as I was leaving. We talked, then I left.

I made and ate breakfast, and read e-mail. I went by Housing to make an appointment for the final inspection of 625 at 2, then went to Saronna's house to play music. I discovered that we could play the alto sax part if we pretended the treble clef was a bass clef and lowered the key by a minor third.

After playing, I went back to 645 and cleaned for 2 hours and brought all my cleaning stuff home. I stopped at the post office. When I got home, I drank a bottle of tart cherry juice, not noticing that it said 'concentrate'. I sat in the sun and read for a bit. I was not feeling well. I ate some ground beef, then did some raking and mowing in the side yard. Still not feeling well. I worked on filling in gaps in my family tree. The juice did not settle well so I took some activated charcoal. I listened to podcasts to take my mind off of it. There were still holes in my family tree so I looked through my pics for one of the genealogy that Dad made. But I could not find it.

I took more activated charcoal. And around 1:30am things seemed settled enough that I laid in the recliner for a sleep cycle, then went to bed.

** Still can't add pics. I send them feedback every day. **

Emergency cleaning

Monday

I got up after 7, having had a terrible night of niggling pains. I got ready for the day. I checked messages, then watered outside. I fertilized with chelated iron. I checked messages again. Housing called and asked if I could finish the newest house in the next couple of days so they could repaint and replace the floors. I promised to try. I texted Jamie and she texted back that she would come ASAP.

I found a hymn in the same key as the one I planned for next Sunday. I scanned it into the computer and cleaned it up, then made it as big as possible. I saved it to a thumb drive.

I went to the garden to check on everything there, and to fertilize with iron. Then I went over to 645, expecting to see Jamie, but she wasn't there yet. So I parked in the garage and resumed cleaning where I'd left off on Saturday. I cleaned for 2 hours, then turned on the Self-Clean cycle on the oven.

I went home for breakfast. I read e-mail. Jamie texted me looking for the garage code. Around 2pm, I went to the post office and found no mail. Not even junk mail. Then I went to the library to print out the hymn.

Finally I arrived at 645. Jamie met me in the kitchen. We chatted for quite some time, first about the house, then about other things. Around 3 we actually got to work. I cleaned the cabinets, and the sliding glass door. When the oven was cool enough, I wiped it out. Jamie had to run home for awhile. When she got back, we chatted again. Then I finished up in the kitchen and went home.

I got home around 6. I made a carrot salad and also ate some ground beef with salsa. Then I went to band practice. We played through the hymns and a few Broadway tunes. Then we packed up. 3 year old Jedediah wanted to carry my trombone to my car, so I let him. I locked up the church and made sure everyone was out. When I got to my car, he had put it in the trunk. Then he wanted to carry my trombone stand. So I gave it to him and asked him to put it in the back seat. Which he did. So cute!

When I got home, I worked on my blog. Still not able to upload pics. I made tea and we watched two episodes of WTR. Chris packed for his trip and went to bed. I got ready for bed, then read for awhile, and climbed into the recliner. I did fall asleep, then went to bed after the first sleep cycle.

Reber Reunion via Zoom

Sunday

I was up by 8. I took supplements, then discovered that I took the evening collection instead of the morning collection. I checked messages. I read e-mail. Dr. Bryan Ardis talked about the nicotine found in eggplant, nightshades, etc. not being addictive. It helps with inflammatory diseases, and viral diseases.

I watered the plants in front, in back and inside. I dug up a gopher mound but could not find the tunnel. I whipped up a batch of seed crackers and put them in the oven. Then I went to the garden to check irrigation, etc.

I came home and got dressed for church. I took my trombone to the chapel and set it up on its stand. I also put out the music stand with today's hymns. I returned home to make and eat breakfast.

Then I signed into Zoom for the Reber reunion. I called Chris for help with the camera and he said I told him to order a laptop without a camera. Huh? But he had an external one that he hooked to my computer. And it worked quite well. There were about 9 people on Zoom and one from the reunion itself. I sat through the business meeting, then chatted with the other Zoomies while the reunion people took a group pic and chatted with each other.

Around 1:30 I signed out. I took cheese squares to the chapel. The sermon was in progress but I easily and quietly slipped down the side to the front and sat and listened. Then we musicians went up front with our instruments. We played through two hymns. The chaplain was pleased with our choices. I stayed to chat with Keli and the chaplain. She paid me for yesterday, then I went home.

I read e-mail for awhile then changed clothes. I ate a grapefruit. I mended several of Chris' pants. They needed patches on top of patches, which I said I wouldn't do. But he has a goal of not buying any new suits before retirement. And he doesn't care what the patches look like.

I read some more, then invited Jenni to the pool. She agreed so I texted Michelle, too. She was busy but said her husband would go. So I got dressed and met Jenni at the pool. Casey came later. We talked and swam. I stayed in constant motion. Finally it was time to get out. It had been over an hour because the lifeguard let us stay late. So I was quite tired. I wrapped up in a towel and followed Jenni to the parking lot. Then I went home.

I changed into dry clothes. I gave some water to the tomato out front. I worked on my blog. It still wouldn't accept images. I sent feedback. We watched two episodes of Walker Texas Ranger. I took the morning supplements to replace the evening ones that I took this morning. I read a few last e-mails, then laid in the lounger. But my hands were bothering me again so I could not fall asleep. I went to bed and laid awake there.

The trees are on their own now

Saturday

I got up around 8. I got dressed, then went out to water veggies and grass. I dug up some gopher mounds and placed both traps. I came in to read e-mail for awhile and to have a snack. No more intermittant fasting. Then I went to the garden. Surprisingly, the shade cloth structure was still in place. I checked my irrigation and the irrigation to the peach tree. Someone had turned off the water to it, so I turned it back on. No leaks in my lines. I chatted with McKenzie, pulled dead mice from the trap, and went home.

I asked for a massage and when he was ready, we went back to the bedroom. Later he took his shower and then I took mine. I refilled the spirulina container, then made breakfast. I ate it while reading e-mail.

Keli texted me that she was gone with the dogs. So I gathered my cleaning supplies and went over to her RV to clean. I should have vacuumed first, because the power went out while I was cleaning the bathroom. I dusted the fan and woodwork. I cleaned kitchen surfaces and mopped the floors. I sent her a message and left.

I went to house #2. I untangled the hoses that Jamie had left. I attached the splitter. One hose was already on the apple tree so I ran the new one to the pear tree and put a round sprinkler on the end. (I found it at 645B). I tested to make sure water was coming out at both trees.

It was really hot so I went home. The power (and internet) were still out. I drank a large glass of water with a little salt in it. I jotted notes for my blog. I went outside to read for awhile, but got sleepy. I laid down, but sleep wouldn't come. I got up and ate cool yogurt from the fridge. I texted Jenni and told her there was no point in coming back to the base.

I went to 645 to clean for an hour. Then I went home to eat the ground beef Chris cooked on the gas stove top. He went to open the ACS building which has its own generator, so people could come and cool off. I put on my suit to go to the pool, but Michelle texted that it was closed due to the outage. So instead, I raked part of the side yard and mowed it up and down, and across. I put the mower away in case the sprinklers come on.

When I finished, the power was on and the washing machine was running, and the internet was up. But Chris was still gone. I started reading Facebook messages. The power went out again and then back on, several times. But the internet took much longer to restore. Chris came home. We made the bed with a second set of sheets. He was too tired to watch TV.

I posted to my blog, but it still wouldn't accept images. I watched a Myst Uru walkthrough. Chris went to bed. I stayed up to catch up on messages and post to my blog. Then I fell asleep in the recliner. When I woke up, I went to bed.

Fun with my avatar

Friday

I got up around 7:30. I pulled the milk out of the dehydrator and it was like yogurt. I put it in a jar in the fridge. Then I got ready for the day, then went out to water. I reset the traps.

I read a bit of e-mail and headed to the school to meet Michelle and Jenni. Jenni had three kids that she was babysitting. She got them ready, then we all started walking around the school block. Michelle got worried that she would burn. Jenni stopped at second street and took a left to go to the park. Michelle and I continued on.

When we passed the garden, we stopped to look at mine. Just then Casey drove up to check his garden. My shade cloth structure had fallen in the windstorm and looked like it was trying to crawl over the fence. I threw the outside parts back inside the fence, then entered by the gate. We reattached everything, then continued our walk.

When we got back to the school, Michelle went home to lay down. I went home to read e-mail. Then I put the second halfgallon of milk in a pan and heated it to 180F. I read as it heated. I also used the automatic stirring rod. When it was hot, I poured in vinegar and let it cheese.

I made and ate breakfast. Chris came home from the office. A lady called wanting to get into the swap shop. I suggested 5pm and she agreed. I separated the curds from the whey. Then Chris and I went to the commissary and stopped by the post office to pick up a package. We offloaded the groceries, then headed to Tooele. We shopped for a few more things. Melanies was still out of Allium, but Cal Ranch had the splitter that I wanted. They also had half gallon jars, which I have been looking for for some time. Then we went to Macey's and then back to base.

We put the food away. I was tired but couldn't take a nap. And soon it was 5 so I went to the swap shop to unlock the doors. It was a new family who needed furniture. It was great to see so much go so fast. And they were thankful. The swap shop did not have enough lamps, nor a vacuum cleaner, so I went home and got two matching lamps and a vacuum. They thanked me and went home. I went home to find the crevice tool, then over to their house to deliver it.

Since I was on that side of the village, I went to 645 and worked on the stove and sink for 1:15. Then I went home for supper and e-mail. I also got ready for game night, putting a little cheese and yogurt in containers for Michelle. I put some tea in a bottle for me.

I went over at 8:30. I talked to Michelle while Casey brought up the game. Michelle ate the cheese and yogurt. She liked them but was afraid she would not feel good later. When the game came up, it gave me all kinds of choices for the avatar. None of the other games had one. So I experimented with the different features and had to laugh at the results.

When I had made all the choices, I entered the game. Parts of it I had seen online so I had some idea of what to do. But I couldn't remember it all, plus getting the action right was extremely frustrating. Finally I set it to the view of my avatar and that was easier to control. I got further than the video I had watched.

But when 11 came, I did not know how to save it and had to trust that it would save when I exited. I thanked Casey (Michelle had gone to bed) and went home. Chris was still up. I got ready for bed, then worked on my blog. Google still blocked pics so I posted without it.

Trying to cheese cow's milk

Thursday

I got up around 7:30, got dressed, watered plants and the yard. I flushed out a gopher, and set traps for others. I read e-mail, then went to the garden. I fertilized the veggies and fixed the shade cloth structure, and re-baited the mouse traps. Two ladies wanted to get into the swap shop so I went and unlocked it. But no one there. I left it unlocked, got my package and went home. I read e-mail. I showed Chris a post on a community Facebook page that sounded odd. He called his team to find out what was going on.

I made breakfast and started watching The Highwire. At 12:45, I put on shoes and took a contract over to 625 where I met the inspectors and went in. While the inspectors looked for damage, I filled out the contract. Then we waited for Jamie because she has Venmo on her phone. Finally I called her and she came over. We signed the papers. The inspectors and the occupant left. Jamie and I talked for some time. Then we went home.

I continued watching The Highwire. I put milk in a pot and heated it to 100. I put probiotics in it and put it in the dehydrator to ferment. I met Michelle at the gym and did a workout with weights. Then we both came to my house. I put rennet in the milk. We got the two 5-gallon water jugs and took them to the shopette to fill up. She brought them back. We talked about this and that. I checked on the curds but there weren't any. We continued talking. Then she went home.

I finished The Highwire. I added more rennet to the milk. I went to the garden to look for my pair of scissors. I had to fix the shade cloth again. Then I went to 645 with ammonia. I made sudsy ammonia in the meat drawer from the fridge, placed the hood filters, knobs and burner bowls in it and placed it in the oven. I scrubbed the stove top to little avail. I did not have the proper scrubbies. There was beer left in the fridge so I took it home.

I checked the traps and found a gopher. I took a pic and sent it to Michelle. Then I got out the mower and mowed a few parts of the lawn. I came in to work on my blog. A wind storm blew in and the internet went down so I couldn't finish. The milk still had not made curds. I made tea. We watched one episode of WTR.

My ethernet still wasn't working. We moved my laptop close to the modem so we could try a different cord. But it still didn't work. So we put it back where it was, hooked it back up like before, thinking I would have to go to wi-fi. But this time it worked. ???

I got ready for bed, then tried to finish posting my blog. But I kept getting a message about allowing Google cookies. I tried every which way to avoid it, but finally clicked on . However, Google still couldn't do it. So I had to post without a picture.

A three-gopher day

Wednesday

I got up once during the night. I was a little nauseous, but I went to the bathroom, then back to bed. I woke up again at 6:30 (I will NOT miss Reveille after he retires), then again after Chris left for work.

I drank the third dose of epsom salt water, and went out to fertilize the plants. I found a gopher in one trap and flushed another one out with water. Then I prepared for the usual coffee morning. Sadly there was a 4th dose at 9:30. But after that, it all went as usual. Actually, I was a little disappointed because there was no flush to speak of.

Just as I started cleaning, Chris came home for lunch. I washed dishes and vacuumed. I read e-mail, putting off my shower until after the garden. But I never went. Instead, I laid out in the sun to tan some paler parts. Then I took my shower.

I was still dressed in a towel when I had to handle some phone calls. No one was available to cover the swap shop today. And Steve said we had to get all the cleaning solutions out of the swap shop. So we agreed to meet on Friday.

I read articles and listened to some interviews. Faye sent me pics from Dad's last birthday party. I hadn't realized his birthday was today. Here in Utah, it is Pioneer Day. After a while, Chris came home from work. I went out to mow. I checked the wire trap and it was covered with dirt. So I reset it and started mowing. Each time I checked again, it was covered with dirt. So I figured the rodent wasn't far away. I got out the hose and large bore watering can. I poured both in the hole at the same time. I had to do it twice, but then up he came. I clobbered him with the empty watering can. Then I left him in the hole and reset the trap in case there was another critter down there.

I finished mowing and released the battery to bring it in for recharge. But there were so many flies around that I was loathe to open the door. I slipped in without the battery and went back for it later.

After checking Telegram messages ( and wishing I knew how to share them on Facebook or by e-mail), I worked on my blog. I made tea, and we watched one episode of WTR. Later Chris went to bed. I stayed up to find a longer version of the theme song, but apparently that is all there is. Then I put on some relaxing music and crawled in the recliner. I think I fell asleep, but hard to tell. I went to bed.

Liver cleanse

Tuesday

I got up around 7:30. I got ready for the day. I watered outside and addressed several gopher mounds. The GopherHawk caught one in the side yard. I took a pic for Casey. I came in and read e-mail for awhile to cool off. Then I went to the garden to check the irrigation system and pull some weeds. I also tried to imagine how the shade cloth should go up.

On the way home, I stopped at the post office to talk to Lisa. We ended up talking about more than the info I came to share. But as soon as someone else walked up to the desk, I bid her adieu and went home for breakfast.

I made a week's worth of supplements. Then I realized that I had taken three weeks of the liver cleanse supplement, so it was time to do the final protocol. I looked up liver cleanses online and picked one. It called for a non-fat breakfast and no eating or drinking after 2pm. So instead of my regular breakfast, I ate lettuce from the tower garden and the last of the tomatoes and cucumber in the fridge. I also cut up a pineapple and ate part of that. It made my lips hurt.

I made up a batch of the epsom salt water. I took my trombone to Saronna's house and we practiced several pieces. My lip gave out early due to the pineapple. I went home.

I looked at my PVC collection and realized I needed more poles. I thought I had 8 5' pipes, but apparently not. I retired to my laptop to read e-mail, messages, and articles. I watched some tapping videos.

Jamie texted me about doing at quote at 6:30. Chris came home from work. At 6pm I drank 6 oz of the Epsom salt water. Yuck! I texted Michelle about the PVC. Then she called me and we talked. We were still talking when I got in the car and drove over to the house. Jamie was outside waiting.

I hung up with Michelle. Jamie and I knocked on the door. A man answered. He put his dog out while we looked around the house and came up with a price. We quoted $600 and he accepted. Jamie discussed payment options, then we said goodbye and left.

I went home and did some watering. Even though the protocol called for no drinking, I was too parched. I drank several cups around 7:15. Someone posted that milk products were marked down at the commissary. So I went to get some to make cheese with. I met a man who is going to run a food truck and a car detailing business.

Then I read articles until 8 and drank another 6 oz of the nasty water. I worked on my blog. We watched one episode of WTR. I got ready for bed. I mended a pair of pants for Chris to wear, but then he couldn't find the jacket that went with it. Finally I made the oil-grapefruit juice drink, drank it, and went to bed. Chris turned off the light and eventually I went to sleep.

A sisterly chat

Monday

I got up after 7:30. I got dressed and went out to water and dig up gopher mounds. I raked and carried off tumbleweeds. Then I sat and read barefoot in the grass.

I came in and put on an interview. As it played, I cleaned up in the kitchen. I jotted notes for my blog. I took some methylene blue. When the interview was over, I went to the post office to pick up a box of cacao nibs. I went by the apartment to pick up my cleaning supplies. I went to the fruit trees to move the hose from one to the other. I went to the library to print out music for tonight. Then I went to the garden to check the irrigation. I also used the hose to spray down my back window.

When I got home, Chris was home. He had a package from the post office (another one?) and it was shade cloth. He brought in the cacao nibs for me. I made breakfast and talked to Jamie, telling her that the lady at the post office needs help moving a mattress and furniture.

I sat out in the sun and read from Brave New World. I came in to cool off. Faye called. We talked about a bunch of things. Then another call came in so we had to hang up. I went on reading messages. I posted to Facebook for band practice. I looked at possible projects for future sewing classes. Chris came home from work.

Jamie came over to tell me about her son's first day at work. It did not go well. After she left, I made a carrot salad for supper. Then I listened to some of Dr. Ruby before gathering my instrument and music and going to the chapel.

Saronna and her kids were waiting when I got there. I unlocked the door and we all went in. Keli wasn't far behind. We played through the hymns and then some Broadway tunes. My lip ran out on 76 Trombones. So we called it a day, packed up, turned off the lights and went home.

When I got home, I worked on my blog. Then I made tea and we watched two episodes of Walker Texas Ranger. Chris went to bed a little later and I got ready for bed, then read for awhile before climbing into the recliner. After 45 minutes, I gave up and went to bed.

Looking for the hymns

Sunday

I got up late, having slept through the night. That was surprising since I had eaten things at Michelle's house that I don't normally eat. I got ready for the day. I watered plants outside. I wrestled with some gopher mounds.

I read some e-mail as a break. Then I went to the garden to check the irrigation systems. I needed to patch one of the lines. I came home and read more e-mail and other messages. I listened to something online., I think.

I made and ate breakfast while still listening. I got ready for church. I looked for the large-print music but couldn't find it. So I took just the trombone and the cheese squares.

When I got there, I dropped the cheese on the back table. Then I went up front to assemble my trombone. I talked to the chaplain who was preparing for worship. Then I brought out the music stand and paged through the hymnal trying to remember what songs we had practiced. I knew one, and the other had to be in the same key. Eventually I chose another one in the same key.

I sat up front for the service. I never heard Saronna come in, probably because her kids didn't come. But when the sermon ended, she came up with her string bass. The pastor said a few more words and I had a chance to ask her what the second hymn was. And she had it on her phone. So then we played as the congregation sang. Afterward, there was chatting and snacks. Saronna gave me a box of food for the swap shop so I took it over. There were two jars of salsa and I took one after reading the ingredients.

When I got home, I read for a bit. Then I worked on choosing and scanning more music for tomorrow night. Saronna came over to get the chapel key because she left her phone in there. I finished up the music. Then I listened to another something online. I changed back into shorts. The family game got canceled, which was a real shame because we only have one session left. I went out to mow the back yard and part of the side yard. Then I came in for supper. I worked on my blog and made tea.

We watched two episodes of WTR. Then Chris got his clothes out for tomorrow and went to bed. I stayed up to read and then got in the recliner with headphones and music. But sleep did not come so I went to bed.

Hot sauce night

Saturday

I got up just after 7. I watered at home, then raked the side yard and trimmed some dead branches from the tree. Then I went to the garden to check the irrigation, etc. I came home and checked e-mail until Chris was ready. He gave me a massage, then took a shower. Afterward, I took mine.

I heated half a gallon of goat milk to 100F on the stove, then put it in the dehydrator. I heated the other half to 180F and curdled it with vinegar. I made and ate breakfast, keeping an eye on the dehydrator.

I packed all the bags of polyfil and fleece into the car, along with the usual sewing accessories. I went to the chapel to set up for sewing. Saronna came with her kids, one of whom wanted to make 3 of the seatbelt pillows. Jenni came and made two of them.

About 4:20, I encouraged Sophia to come back later to finish. I went home and strained the curds from the whey in the dehydrator. Then I put on my suit and went swimming with Jenni. I got nice compliments on my suit. Then I went home for supper and to try to catch up on e-mail.

All too soon, I had to run back to the chapel for Project Night. I unlocked the doors, then spread out my spaceship project. MeryAnn and Stirling came. They both made the project. Jenni came and finished her second one. Saronna brought the kids back so Sophia could finish, and she made progress, but still didn't finish. Her sister caught two gophers when the sprinklers came on. Casey made a rocket shaped like a bomb.

Everyone helped me pack up. Casey encouraged me to come over for hot sauce. Apparently he had bought hot sauces to the kids camp this week and some of the kids made themselves sick trying to show how much they could handle. So I went home and invited Chris.

First we made the bed, then we went over to Michelle's house. I gave her the vinegar cheese. She brought out the hot sauces and some tiny pita breads. I tried very sparing amounts and still got burned. She put some canned whipped cream in a cup for me. That helped, surprisingly. Chris ate larger amounts than I did. Then Casey loaded the game and I made the final choice, giving the tablet to the bahro. It was the right choice, but lead to unnecessary conversations and so-so graphics. Not what I expected for the winning moment. Then Myst V was over.

Chris was sleeping on their couch. I woke him up and we went home. He went to bed while I stayed up just long enough to post to my blog. Then I went straight to bed, also.

Pickled eggs and cheese squares

Friday

I got up before 8. I watered at home and wrestled with some gopher mounds. Then I went to the garden. I fixed two leaks in the irrigation system. I went to the swap shop to move boxes to comply with fire code. Then I went to the apartment to clean for two hours.

I went home for breakfast. I made a grocery list. We went to the commissary and brought food home. Then we went to Tooele. While there I stopped at Joanns and bought more fleece. I forgot to get more stuffing. Guess I'll use batting if I run out.

When we got home, I read e-mail. I hard boiled eggs for pickling and I made a batch of cheese squares. I turned on the sprinkler. I posted for Project Night. Jamie came over to get the apartment key and a pumice stone. But she stayed to talk until the sprinklers came on.

That meant it was after 8:30. So I quick jotted notes for my blog and finished posting for Project Night. I put tea in a bottle and some cheese squares in a small container. I drove to Michelle's house. She was there with the cat and the dog. We talked and then I turned on the TV and the raspberry pie. It took a while to get the game to load. Then I started to play from where I left off.

It started out fine. I was able to get to the next level. After a bit and a clue, I solved the red-green-blue puzzle and a door opened. I explored a new area. I found the 7 rocks puzzle. The trick was to balance them, but the balancing rod did not respond to every addition or subtraction of weight. Michelle looked up the answer, but when I tried it, it didn't balance properly. So I kept trying incremental solutions. Finally the door opened and I crawled through the rock to a platform. I had to look up another clue to find the next clue. And I needed a clue to know what to do with the clue.

And then, the tablet appeared. The whole game was about finding and unlocking the tablet. But now the choice was who to give it to. I went back to the beginning and there was Yeesha, but she didn't ask for the tablet. So I went and linked to Myst. And then...

...it was time to go home. Michelle brought out 4 bottles of goat milk and I paid her. I thanked her and drove home. Chris had left the light on for me. I turned off everything, then posted to my blog. I got ready for bed.

Fire safety violations

Thursday

I got up around 8. I got ready for the day and went out to water the plants. I checked the gopher trap and found nothing. Then I went to the gas station to fill up before going to the garden. Tom was there and we had a small chat. Then I went to the garden to check on irrigation systems and mouse traps. There wasn't much else to do.

I went home and got cleaning stuff. Then I went to the apartment to clean. I put all the dry innards back in the fridge. I filled the meat tray with hot ammonia water and put it in the oven with the stove filters. I cleaned cupboards, and pulled the stove forward. I had to climb to get behind the stove and unplug it. I cleaned the whole area. I pushed the stove forward to get out.

At noon I went home for breakfast. Chris came home while I was listening to The Highwire. It ended early. I read e-mail. I sat outside and read Brave New World.

Then Rick the safety guy texted me, wanting to go through the swap shop for fire safety violations at 3. I had just enough time to post about the sewing class on Saturday. Then I met him at the swap shop. We went through and moved things. We discussed other things that needed to be moved.

After our chat, I went home and got the Bradbury book, F451. I took it to the library to return. We chatted. Keli made me some copies of music. She gave me a craft for Saronna's kids. Then I went home and read more e-mail. I jotted notes for my blog. I sent out a note asking for help moving boxes at the swap shop.

I read e-mail until Jenni called and invited me to the pool. It was almost 7. So I changed into my suit and drove over there, forgetting to bring a towel. She was already in the pool, talking to Gene and Ron. I got in, thinking it was a little cool for our 100+ F days. But I swam around and we all chatted.

Eventually Ron called time, pronouncing the pool closed. We all got out. I put my shirt on over my wet suit and walked out with Jenni. I drove home, and took a short shower. Chris came home and changed his clothes. I re-dressed and ate the sweet potato I had prepared just before Jenni called. I jotted notes for my blog.

I made tea and we watched two episodes of WTR. Chris went to bed and I stayed up. I put on relaxing music and laid in the recliner. Sleep didn't come so I went to bed. I think I slept fine after that.

Relinquishment of Responsibilities

Wednesday

I got up around 7:30. I watered the plants at home. I leveled some gopher mounds and set the Gopherhawk trap. Then I went to the garden. McKenzie was there, too. We tended our gardens, then managed to replace the timer on the peach tree with a working one.

I went home and took a shower. I put on a dress and earrings. Chris came home from work to pick me up. He asked if I had a gift bag for a dodge ball. So I went through my collection and found one that was a little too big. And a piece of tissue paper. I had to explain to Chris the protocols of tissue paper.

We went to the school auditorium for a Relinquishment of responsibilities ceremony for our CSM. He is moving on to another base. Afterward, we went to the club for lunch. Everyone stood in line to pick up lunch. I talked to people here and there, then joined Chris in line. All I got was a cup of water. I got to talk to someone from Senator Lee's team.

Then we sat with a protocol officer and chatted while Chris ate his lunch. Then they started the rounds of thank-yous. Each division gave the CSM something. Nice words were exchanged, and a few laughs.

When it was over, there was more chatting and then Chris took me home and went back to work. I spent the afternoon finishing the seatbelt pillow project for this weekend and taking some pics. Then I looked online for better pics. I found an easier way to make it: not as nice, but better for kids.

Jamie came over to pay me. I offered to help her clean a new apartment in exchange for yardwork. So she gave me the key and left. I went to the post office for mail, then to the apartment. It was different. The cabinets were lower and there were no base cabinets. Later I realized that it was for someone in a wheelchair. For two hours I cleaned the fridge and stove and cabinet fronts.

I went home and gave Chris his mail. I turned on a sprinkler. I looked at other seatbelt pillow projects online. After an hour, I turned off the sprinkler and watered some spots by hand. Then I came in and worked on my blog.

I made tea and we watched two episodes of WTR. Chris got ready for bed and retired for the night. I put on some music and laid in the recliner and went to sleep. Later I got up and went to bed.

Velcro, O Velcro, wherefore art thou O Velcro?

Tuesday

I woke up just as Chris left. I got ready for the day. I watered the plants at home. I grabbed the trap and pulled out a dead gopher. I reset the trap in another location. I read e-mail, then made up yeast water. It needed to sit for 2 hours.

I read e-mail. I washed Chris' white shirt but the tumeric did not come out. I set it to soak, and headed to the garden with the yeast water. I got a call to open the swap shop, so I stopped there first. I met the new doctor and his wife. They took a quick look and left.

I locked up, then got the mail and went to the garden. I checked the irrigation system, then diluted the yeast water and poured it on plants and places where future plants might go. It took longer than I thought.

I went home for breakfast. I had to make more breakfast mix first. I read messages as I ate. They were all about Trump. Is this a distraction from something else? I jotted notes for yesterday.

I took my trombone to Saronna's house. We talked and played (in between remarks to the kids). She gave me a 3-hole punch. I went by the pear tree and gave it a gallon of the yeast water.

When I got home, I looked for Velcro in my sewing room for the project this weekend. I found some lengths that were 1 inch or less wide. Only one piece was wider. So I went to my laptop to find wider velcro. Joanns had some on their website, but it was not available for shipping nor pickup. So, do they really have it? I looked at other sites but theirs were sticky-backed.

At 5, I opened Zoom and signed into the quilt guild meeting. Zoom couldn't find my camera, so I just watched, anonymously. I also had supper. When it was over, I went out to run the sprinkler and mow. It kind of hurt my back, so I called it quits and put the mower away.

I posted to my blog and made tea. We watched two episodes of WTR. It took longer than I thought. Chris went to bed. I stayed up for another hour, then took some activated charcoal and got in the recliner. I listened to the sleep music for half an hour, then went to bed.

Ironing my garden

Monday

I woke up hearing Chris getting ready for work. I pulled the towel over my eyes and tried to go back to sleep, but it didn't work. Finally I got up and started my day. I went outside to water the plants with the iron dilution that I used on the garden. Then I checked e-mail for messages and cleared out some that were obvious wastes of time.

I went to the garden and checked the irrigation. No new leaks. I checked the bucket traps. No mice. I tied a piece of netting over the tomato plants in anticipation of shade cloth. I went to 621 to do one last walkthrough, but Jamie's van was in the driveway. So I went home.

I put on Mike Adams talking about the attempted assassination. I listened as I went through and tested a bucketful of batteries that someone left behind. Chris came home early for lunch. He checked on the pork roast in the oven. He got drips on his shirt so I put it in a bucket with soap and ammonia to soak. Then he played on his laptop till he had to go back to work.

I parsed supplements, then made and ate breakfast. I read e-mail. I went to 621 with a dust mop. Jamie came over to blow out the garage one last time. The inspectors came and passed the house. I went to Housing to turn in the key. I came home and massaged the numbers on hours until I got nice round figures. I worked out how much Jamie owes me from the Venmo payment on 612. Then I counted the cash to make sure all my figures were right. I jotted notes about it for my blog. I read Telegram messages, then posted to my blog for yesterday in case I don't have time later. I jotted some notes for the next sewing project: seatbelt pillow. I went through two boxes of soft fabrics, pulling out fleece and flannels. I purposely left out the minkie because cutting that would make a terrible mess in the fellowship hall. I started cutting, but came to a halt when it called for Velcro. I couldn't find it.

I had a bite to eat, then went to the chapel for band. Bethany came so we were all there. We played through some hymns and 76 Trombones and Broadway tunes. Then we packed up. Keli stayed to play piano on her own. As I left the building, Moira was holding a live gopher by the tail. I was impressed!

I went home to drop off my trombone. Then I went to the ACS hall for the carry-in meal after the dodgeball tournament. Chris was already there and the players were just arriving. I talked to Camille. Then people lined up to get food. I sat across from Shannon and she told me about the Massage Envy that she went to and how she much she enjoyed a 'stretch' session. It sounded like a great idea.

After everyone left and all the tables put up, we went home. I made tea and we watched two episodes of WTR. Afterward, he went to bed. I stayed up to read, then retired to the recliner. One ear bud broke off and I tried to fix it to no avail. I listened with my left ear for quite some time, then gave up and went to bed.

Potluck

Sunday

I got up around 8. I got dressed and went outside to water plants. I dug up a gopher mound as well and set a trap. I planted the big pepper and some basil rootings. Then I read some e-mail before going to the garden. I found the irrigation had some holes, which I fixed. I dug up some gopher holes and made a space big enough to sink a 5 gallon bucket. I watered my rows with a dilution of iron and other minerals.

When I got home, it was almost 11:30. I took a shower, then started making breakfast. I ate as I read messages. Then I put my trombone in the car, and got the jar of pickled eggs. Subsequently I drove to the chapel. I brought the eggs in first and put them in the fridge. Then I brought my trombone in.

I talked with the other band members about moving the practice time due to the dodgeball event tomorrow. We moved it from 7 to 6. I almost didn't have time to assemble the instrument before the singing began. Keli led us in three praise songs. Then pastor Chris talked about parallels between the Abraham and Issac story and Jesus' crucifixion. I was not happy that he went into such graphic detail about the suffering of crucifixion. I tried to distract myself. I pointedly looked at my watch (since he was going over time). Normally I wouldn't care, but I didn't want nightmares. He didn't seem to get the hint.

When he finally wrapped it up, we musicians played our two hymns. Then I packed up and people went to the fellowship hall for the meal. I guess Jenni set it up. I brought out my pickled eggs and laid them on the table. The amount of food seemed low compared to the number of people who arrived after church. John sat by me and we discussed embroidery and then his job. Finally we got up to leave. Saronna agreed with me that we could leave our instruments in a closet till band tomorrow night. So we put them in the sewing room.

I went home. I ate my daily grapefruit. I read e-mail and other messages. I finished reading a book outside with my feet in wet grass. The cool water felt good. When I came in, the family game was starting.

We had trouble getting my voice heard over the connection, but after messing around, it healed itself. Then we gamed for over an hour. We all took a break and I started reading Brave New World. When I came in, they were gaming again. In the game my character fell in a vat of bleach, twice. Apparently Zoltan (Chris) pulled me out while I was out reading. Then we chased off the bad guy, beat his minions, and explored his hideout. Finally we found the incriminating ledger showing the buying and selling of corpses. Then the DM called it quits, saying we will probably wrap up the game next week.

I worked on my blog. I made tea and we watched two episodes of Walker Texas Ranger. Chris went to bed. I stayed up to read, then got ready for bed and cued up the music. I became very relaxed, but I just could not sleep with the incident with Pastor Chris going through my mind. I gave up and went to bed. As the night progressed, my body became more and more uncomfortable. Finally, around 4, I got up and took some activated charcoal. I laid awake for awhile, then got in one, maybe two sleep cycles, before I woke up hearing Chris get ready for work.

Fun in Tooele

Saturday

I planned to get up at 7:30 and get started on outdoor work. But it was almost 9 when I awoke. I watered the plants at home and checked a gopher trap. But it had not been sprung.

So then I went to the garden with some seeds. McKenzie was there so we chatted about our gardens. After she left, I turned on the irrigation system to test it and there were two leaks. I slid patches over them, which was only mildly successful. I tipped the bucket of water with mint sprigs into a gopher hole. It sounded like water falling into a deep well. No gophers came out. The garden seemed wet under the mulch, so I turned the watering time down. Then I planted seeds here and there. They are old seeds so I might as well plant them.

I went home, stopping at the post office. There was a note in my box. I showed it to the clerk and she gave me a big box of cashews. I was just able to carry it to my car and take it home.

I asked Chris for a massage and he said he needed a few minutes. So I got online and read messages for quite some time. Then I went to tell him it was time for breakfast, but he pulled away from his laptop and we went in the back for the massage.

Later I made and ate breakfast, then took a shower, getting ready for our trip. I got an e-mail from Jenni that she had lost her car keys. So I went over there to help look. She found them eventually in the washer, nice and clean. And yes, they still worked.

We got in her car and she drove us to Tooele. We went to Melanie's. They had a bunch of free stuff out, including sugar-free smores. I tried a few things. I talked with Melanie. There was a new vendor there selling CBD products. He gave me some samples and guaranteed that they would help me get to sleep. I guaranteed him that if they worked, I would be a customer.

After we left there, we went to the farm stand. She bought some corn. Then we went to Home Depot. Jenni wanted mulch, and I wanted dowels (easily found) and 6” PVC pipe. Not to be found. Charity was there. The man she was talking to recommended checking with a plumbing store. We also searched for fruit tree fertilizer but they didn't have that either. I did find a bee house. And we found pepper plants on sale. We each got one.

From there we went to look for a sign about cherries. We didn't find it, but there was a small parking lot sale with 10 vendors. She signed up for a meal which is designed to sell cooking classes and a manual food processor.

Then we went to Great Clips. There was no wait. I went right in and she went to visit a friend. I had the most relaxing haircut ever, starting with her spraying cool water on my head. It felt so good that I wanted to fall asleep right there. At the end, I paid, then texted Jenni. While waiting, I went to Macey's and bought some tonic water and a bag of cherries. Then I took a quick gander through the dollar store. I walked back to Great Clips and arrived just as she was pulling up.I got in the car and we headed back to base, chatting all the way. I texted Michelle and she agreed to meet us at the pool. Jenni pulled up beside my car and we transferred my stuff to my car. I gave her the cherries. Then I went home and changed into my suit.

I went to the pool and met Michelle and Casey. Jenni was already in the pool. It was surprisingly cold for having sat through a week of 100F+ days. But we got in and swam as we talked. It was lot of fun. I talked about pulling one gopher from the freezer to throw out, and not being able to find the second one. Michelle offered to help me find it later.

Then it started to rain. I didn't care except my purse and shoes were getting rained on. So we got out and moved our stuff under the big umbrella. A little later Casey got out too. The pool was closing, so we took our stuff and left. I picked up my clock, but noticed that the plug-in clock that Jenni brought was still sitting on a chair by the wall, ticking away. Huh.

I went home and changed back into shorts and t-shirt. I watered the pepper plant. I made supper from the pan of browned beef and a carrot and some mushrooms. I watched Myst V videos. Then I worked on my blog and made tea. It was late so we watched only one episode of WTR. Afterward, he worked on his laptop and I read on mine. Then he went to bed. I continued to read, then put on the relaxing music and headphones. I crawled into the recliner and eventually fell asleep. Then I woke up and went to bed.

Quick trip to Melanie's in Tooele

Friday

I got up at 8:30, not having slept well. I think it was something I ate. I watered the plants at home. I read e-mail for a bit, then went to the garden. There were no mice. I did a little watering, then headed out.

I stopped at Self-help to see what kind of hoses they were giving out so if I spotted one while cleaning, I could return it. But they didn't have any left. Apparently the all hoses and sprinklers were gone in a week, leaving some people hose-less and angry.

I also stopped at the post office. I got my mail and headed out. But she caught me right after I exited the door. So I went back in. We talked until she saw a customer and had to go.

So it was way after noon when I got home and made breakfast. I read e-mail and messages. I made a grocery list and we went to the commissary. We unloaded those groceries and went to Tooele for whatever we didn't find at the commissary. Usually Chris sits in the car and waits at Melanie's but it was over 100F. So he came in. He was not patient, so I got a few things and paid, then we left.

We listened to a book on CD. When we got back to base, we went home and unloaded more groceries. I read e-mail for awhile. Chris made mushrooms in the oven. I heated the last of the chicken for supper. Jenni invited me to go walking so I agreed to walk at 8. I went out to mow and water a part of the lawn.

I drove over to Jenni's house and we walked around the block. We passed the fruit trees so I moved the hose from the pear to the apple. When we got back to her house, we concluded our conversation, then I drove to Michelle's house for game night.

Michelle wasn't home, but Casey was. We got the game going. Then he worked on some computerized thing at the dining room table while I played. I finished the world of rain, then turned my full attention to the world of wind, the only world left. I got stuck and called it quits at 11. I thanked Casey, and went home. Chris was already in bed. I posted to my blog and got ready too.

Hymns and more hymns

Thursday

I got up around 7:30. I brushed and swished. I got dressed and went outside to water the plants. I also leveled a mound and put a gopher trap in it. I took two dead mice out of the bucket and buried them with the corn.

I read e-mail for awhile, then went to the garden to check it. I also turned on the water to the fruit tree for the time I was there. No mice. But nothing seems to be growing taller. Tassels are beginning to show.

I went home. I went through all my contracts and made a list of type of home and how long it took to clean it. Then I averaged them to give us a better idea of how much our minimum charge should be.

I opened a spread sheet to make a list of first lines of hymns by number for a Baptist clarinet book that Jenni gave me. I'd rather have titles, but it's all I could find online.

At noon, I stopped to make breakfast. Then I ate while watching The Highwire. When it was over, I went back to entering titles. I stopped a little after 200. I went out to check the gopher trap. It had been sprung, but there was no gopher in it. I cleaned up a corner of the front porch, and a few other places.

I looked at my list of hymns for the next two months and played the base lines, looking for a pair of good ones (in the same key). Then I scanned them into the old computer and cleaned up the copy. It took a long time. But at least with them being in the same key, I could copy/paste parts from one to the other. Chris came home from work with a pizza. I knew it was game night at the club, but I wanted to finish. I downloaded the clean copies to a thumb drive and added a screenshot of Little Brown church in the vale. Then I took the thumb drive to the library. Melissa printed them out for me. We talked for a bit, then her daughter and granddaughter arrived. Since it was almost 7 (quitting time for her), I left and went home.

I turned on the sprinkler. I was going to mow the lawn, but Michele and John called because Michele was feeling down. So they were talking to Chris. I heated some chicken and rice. Then I suggested singing, because she and I used to do that, a decade or more ago. So, singing ensued. It wasn't great, or on-key, or anything good, but we enjoyed it. Then they said their goodbye's because it was 10:30 for them.

I worked on my blog. I made tea. We watched two episodes of WTR. Chris got ready and went to bed. I stayed up to read, then got in the recliner and used headphones to get to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come and I sensed RLS coming on. I took a premptive tablet and went to bed.

Finishing up wtih 621

Wednesday

I got up after hearing the 7:35 alarm. I watered the plants inside and out with fertilized water. I found a gopher in the Gopherhawk trap. I tried to re-set it in another hole, but could not find the tunnel.

I made coffee and did the special exercises. I meditated and tapped. Someone asked to go to the swap shop at 1. So after Coffee Morning, I cleaned the bathrooms, then went to unlock the swap shop. I ran past Chris talking to the postmaster. I went to the garden to check on the plants and give a little extra water. No mice in the traps.

Then I went to 621, arrived just as Jamie opened the garage door for me. We started talking about what was done vs undone, when she got a call from her son who was having a heavy nosebleed. So she walked home to help him. While she was gone, I removed all my stuff from the house. I also took stuff for the swap shop. Then she came back and we talked, deciding that we were done, except for the garage and yard – which she does. We have also reached our limit of hours to make our goal, so we will be over. But we did really well on 612.

I left there and went to Housing to schedule an inspection (Monday at 2). Then I went to the swap shop, but someone was already in that space by the door. So I went home. I resumed the music and washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen. I added a can of beets to the eggs.

I read some e-mail. Then I went to the swap shop. I put everything in that I didn't want to keep. I also left a bag of cleaning supplies for Steve who agreed to man the shop this evening. I grabbed a 5-gallon water jug for flushing out gophers. Then I went to the gym for a weightlifting session. I skipped one machine because someone left really heavy weights on it and I didn't want to chance lifting them off.

When I got home, I checked e-mail and messages. I washed the bowls of rootings. I planted a celery rooting in the tower garden. I put the citrus rooting outside to acclimate. Chris came home briefly between work and Mass. I worked on my blog. I did yardwork outside. After he got home, I made tea and we watched WTR. Then he got ready for bed. I did too, but stayed up later to finish a podcast. Then I laid in the recliner with headphones. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I went to bed.

FRG meeting

Tuesday

I awoke hearing Chris in the shower. I went back to sleep and to the dream I was having. Then I heard my 7:30 alarm. In a few minutes, I got up, brushed my teeth, and started watering the plants. I also went to the garden to water plants, and check the traps. I noticed that the peach tree was flooded even though the timer was off. I turned the faucet off because the timer isn't stopping the flow of water.

I went to 621 to clean. I mopped floors and scrubbed some black marks, and washed shelves and appliances in the wash room. I could not get a hold of Jamie and I didn't want to repeat anything she had done. So I left.

When I got home, I looked up whitening and made a concoction with really hot water to soak a shower curtain in. Then I made up a week's worth of breakfast mix. I listened to Mike Adams talk about not recognizing the electors from any state that lets non-citizens vote in a federal election. I made and ate breakfast. I sat out in the sun and read for a bit. It was awfully hot. Thermometer read 140, ha, ha. I unpacked some boxes that came recently. I tried to order printer ink, but there was no credit card option to pay.

I looked up a recipe for pickled eggs. I punctured each egg with a push pin. I put the eggs in the pot on the stove to boil. I put beets in the jar. When the eggs were done, I put them in a cold bath. I used the pot to heat up the vinegar and water and spices. I went to the computer to double check the recipe and it was all horked up. Waterfox was trying to tell Microsoft what happened and I said 'no'. So I had to wing it based on what I remembered.

Then Chris came home and he was ready to go to the community club. I was peeling eggs, but then quit to put on shoes. We went to the club and he ordered supper. We talked to Charity and Summer. Then other people came. Camille brought me two inflatable alien costumes. Soon the FRG meeting started. We talked about VMIS and lots of other stuff.

After the meeting, both Chris and I stayed to talk, mostly to Camille because she is leaving soon. Then we went home around 8. I finished peeling the eggs, then made tea and worked on my blog. We watched two episodes of WTR. Later Chris went to bed and I stayed up to finish a podcast, then climb into the recliner to use headphones to get to sleep. It did work, but I think a commercial woke me up when the video ended. I went to bed.

Passed inspection

Monday

I got up after 7. I brushed and got ready for the day. I worked on my write-up of yesterday because it was a cool 60 outside and I wanted to wait for the temp to rise. Usually it goes up about 40 degrees from early morning to late afternoon.

I sat down to post about band practice. I went to Pinterest to get funny music memes to add to the post and spent almost 3 hours before I could tear myself away. Then I watered my home plants, and afterward, went to the garden to water those. I also pulled dead mice out of the traps and buried them in the garden.

I went to 612 and gave it one last sweep. I also had to mop the kitchen floor again and scrape off black marks that I didn't notice before. Anyway, Karen texted me that she was done with my key, so I drove up the hill to her house. She gave me the chapel key and we talked.

I went home for breakfast. I listened to more of an interview from Britain. Then I went to 612 for the inspection. I opened the garage door and we all went in. Everything looked good. Gary found boxes of baggies in the cupboard. (I left them there for Jamie then forgot all about them). Anyway, papers got signed and I left.

I went home to finish breakfast. Then I worked on the hymns I scanned yesterday. I put the corrected forms on the thumb drive and went to the library. Melissa printed them out for me. And we talked for some time.

About 4pm I went to 621 and cleaned for an hour and a half. When I got back, I worked on the numbers for 612 to calculate how much to pay Jamie. Actually, she will have to pay me since the occupant paid her with Venmo.

I made a salad and heated up some chicken and rice. After eating, I went to the chapel for band practice. Everyone came but Bethany. We played through two hymns and some Broadway tunes. Then my lip gave out and we packed up to go. It took the kids longer than usual to pack up the toys they brought out from the nursery, and by the time we left, the sprinklers were on. We had to dodge them to get to the cars.

I went home and worked on my blog. I made tea and we watched two episodes of WTR. I turned off the sprinkler. I took the bedtime supplements. I finished my blog post. I read some articles, then put on some music and settled myself in the recliner. Sleep seemed to take a long time in coming, but it did come and I think I was there for several cycles.

The non-existant fruits of my labor

Sunday

I got up around 8. I went out to water the plants. I moved the sprinkler. I watered a gopher hole but nothing came out. Then I read some e-mail. Later, I went to the garden to check irrigation systems and to water. I moved the hose from the apple tree to the pear tree. I checked all the fruit trees, and none of them had fruit. So the late cold snap must have killed the blossoms.

I read e-mail and articles. I parsed supplements for the week. Then I made breakfast and read while I ate. Finally I washed up and got dressed for chapel. I took the remaining cheese squares and my trombone and headed out.

As I walked in, only Rick and Keli were there. Then the supply pastor came from Tooele. Saronna came with her string bass (and her kids). Just when I thought only service participants were coming, Karen and her husband came as well as the couple from the LDS faith.

Keli led the singing, and Pastor Chris gave his sermon. Then the band played two hymns, including “God give us men whose aim twill be”. It was easy to play and I liked the words. Afterward, there was conversation and snacks. Jenni brought a white cake with strawberries on it. Karen borrowed my key so her daughter could get the stuff from the freezer.

I went home. I ate a grapefruit and read e-mail, articles, and messages. I changed my clothes. I picked and scanned two hymns for tomorrow. I started cleaning up the copy, listening to Chris talk to Michele over the internet.

When everyone was on and ready, we played the game. I ate supper when it wasn't my turn. They ended early because John was tired. Then I listened to part of an interview on breathing.

I turned on the sprinkler. I mowed the tallest parts of the yard. Mostly that is where the sprinkler heads are. I raked a bunch of gopher mounds and put the mower away.

I worked on my blog and posted for yesterday. I made tea. I turned off the sprinklers. We watched two episodes of Walker Texas Ranger. Chris went to bed, although not immediately. I got ready for bed, then stayed up to finish the interview. I crawled into the recliner wearing headphones, and waited. But sleep never came. After an hour, I went to bed.

A ribbon of stars

Saturday

I got up around 7:30. Chris was gone to his 5am game. I got ready for the day. I watered outside, then watched two Myst V videos to figure out my next step. Chris came home just as I was getting ready to go to the garden. I went and checked my irrigation system and Casey's. I watered plants and snipped the tall weeds. There were no mice.

I went home and asked Chris for a massage. He was ready and willing. So we put the old sheet on the bed and he massaged me from head to toe. Later I took a shower while he napped. Then I went to my sewing room to cut fabric for the sewing project. I also selected some rolls of ribbon. As I finished, it was noon. So I made and ate breakfast while reading e-mail.

At 1:45, I went to the chapel. I unlocked the doors and set up the sewing machines. Saronna came with her kids. I showed them the project. I wanted to write the instructions on the whiteboard with diagrams, but could not find any dry-erase markers. So I drew on a piece of paper. Then the kids got started. I helped Wilhelm with his. Moira took off tracing, then started sewing. There was a problem with the thread winding up inside. I loosened the screw on the light cover plate. And she took it from there. Not only did she persevere in removing the threads, she also put the cover back on. While I watched her, Wilhelm got tired of waiting for me and he finished sewing his stars all by himself. His mother took a short video to send to his father.

Sophia, however, cut the stars out on the lines instead of sewing on the lines. So then she had to cut all the layers in star shapes as well. She sewed them together in sandwiches and attached them to a ribbon, but it took 4 times as long as the others. Jenni came and she made one, too. Then we talked until Sophia finished.

At 4:40 I went home. I drank some whey and rested. Then I went to 621 to clean for an hour. Then I went home for supper. I made a salad and heated beef in the oven. There wasn't much time to eat it, and then return to the chapel for Project Night.

As I drove up, MeryAnn arrived. I unlocked the doors and she brought her motorscooter inside. We talked as she worked on her project. Then McKenzie came and worked on a quilt top. I got out the iron and ironing board for her. Finally Jenni arrived with cross-stitch. We all chatted till 9. Then we started packing up. Everyone helped. And we saw a mouse run across the floor. I chased it with a broom but was far too slow. And it went into the room we keep our supplies in. I saw some batting on the floor, which I scooped up and packed to take home. I took all the batting home.

Chris said it was too late to watch TV. I started working on my blog, then helped him dress the bed and put away my laundry. I got ready for bed, then started watching Call the Midwife. I paused in the middle to finish my blog. When it was over, I just went to bed.

Ready to eat weeds

Friday

I got up around 8, took supplements, washed up etc. Then I read e-mail till 9. I watered the plants inside and out. I jotted notes for my blog, then went to the garden. Afterward, I went to 621 to clean for two hours. Jamie was there, too, so we had a good time.

I went home for breakfast. Jamie came to put string in my weedwhacker. We discovered that the core was broken and she said she had a spare. So she went home and I finished making breakfast. I ate what I could til she came back. She had two, and the one that fit was from her other weedeater. But she tried it out to make sure it worked. Then we talked of other things. Finally she got a call from her husband and she left.

I went in to finish breakfast. I made a grocery list. We went to the commissary first and brought those groceries home. Then we went to Tooele for everything else. I needed some lace from JoAnns but they didn't have the right thing.

When we got back home, we put those groceries away. I read e-mail and posted announcements for Project Night. I stopped by Michelle's house to turn on the sprinklers. I went to clean for an hour. Jamie was there cleaning too.

I came home and ate supper. I made a Joanns order for what the store didn't have. I poured tea in a bottle and added magnesium and ashwagandha. I took my game notebook and went to Michelle's house. I turned off the sprinklers.

Then I called up the text from Casey that told me how to load the game. First item was to turn on the TV, but it would not turn on. I called Michelle. She said the remote had new batteries. I tried flipping the breaker. I tried turning the power strip off and on. I tried other lights and they had power. Finally I turned on the computer. It had power so I pressed on the TV plug to make sure it was tight, and Voila! From there I figured out how to start Windows 10, and then Myst V. I texted her so she would know.

I played with the game, getting nowhere in the rain world. I went to the time world and finished it properly. Then I went to the wind world and got stuck. I had to go to a previous version of the game to get unstuck so I was sure to save it when I regained lost time. Then I made progress in both worlds before getting stuck again.

It was after 11 and time to go home, but I had to shut it down. I tried following his directions but it didn't work like I thought it should. I went through it again, and this time it did shut down. I bid the cat goodbye and went home. I posted to my blog. Then I went to bed.

The actual 4th of July

Thursday

I got up late. I went out to water the plants on the porches and the lawn. Then I went to the garden to check the trap and give the plants some hand-watering. I doubled the amount of water that the irrigation system puts out, but the plants remain small.

I went to 621 to clean in the kitchen. Things were going well until I took down the kitchen blinds which needed to soak. I took them upstairs to the tub, but they were too long. So I got the slender trash can and filled it with water, but it leaked all over the floor. And it's the kind of floor that is ruined by water. So I sopped it up as quickly as I could. Then I tried it with a liner, but either the liner had holes or the blinds made holes. I had to go to the bigger trash can. That took longer to fill up. I added ammonia to it.

I washed the outside of the fridge and behind it. Then it was noon, so I went home for breakfast. Chris was just pulling the chicken thighs out of the oven. He took the meat and all the paperware to the pool for the party. I stayed home to eat breakfast and start watching The Highwire. It was the second segment of Aaron Siri talking to the NH legislature about covid vaccines and injuries.

Later I put on my bathing suit and went to the party. I sat with Chris in the pavilion. People came by to eat, and more people showed up with food. I guess it was more drop-in than I expected. So then I ate too. Someone made mint lemonade, but there were no cups. I went home to find some and didn't have any picnic cups. So I went to the commissary and all they had were insulated cups. I bought a package of those and went back to the party.

I apologized to McKensie for leaving her at Dugway Days. Then we got to talking. Her husband talked about stuff that gets thrown away after 10 years but is still good. He also is coming up with some new testing method. After some time, a man came over and we encouraged him to get something to eat. Well, his wife and family had set up their food at a table by the pool. He took me over and introduced me. His wife said she kept hearing about me and was glad to finally meet me. (What has she heard?) So we talked for some time and I encouraged her to come to the events I put on. Sounds like she will.

I went in the pool and swam between the kids for … maybe an hour. Idk. Then I got out and went back to the pavilion. Chris had gone home, but left everything. So I texted him and he came back for the two bowls of chicken and all the paper and plastic products. I followed him home.

I was still wet from the pool so I sat outside and read Fahrenheit 451 till I was dry. Then I changed into regular clothes. I tried out the sewing project for Saturday. I hung it up and took pics. I watered the flowerbeds and lawn. Then I posted the class to the three community pages.

Finally I worked on my blog. I went out to turn the sprinkler off and got hit by all the built-in sprinklers. I posted for yesterday. I made tea. We watched one episode of WTR. Then I put on a jacket and went to the fire station to watch people set off their personal fireworks. It has been so hot here during the days that 70 degree night weather necessitates a jacket. While the fire works were going off, Mikala's little sister talked to me about everything. I think I convinced her to join my band.

After the celebration, I walked back to my car and drove home. Chris was in bed. I got ready for bed. I read the latest Facebook messages, then jotted notes for my blog and cued the music from last night. I laid in the recliner to go to sleep, but sleep wouldn't come. After an hour, I went to bed.

The left-behinds

Wednesday

I got up early to go to the bathroom, then went back to bed for awhile. It was after 7:30 when I got up. I watered and fertilized all the plants outside. Then I went to the garden to do the same. I had trouble fixing a leak in my irrigation system. I checked Casey's garden.

I went home to start coffee morning. While doing the exercises, the power went out. It came back on, but the CD player didn't have electricity. Nor did I have internet. I completed coffee morning without music.

The internet came up right before Chris came home for lunch. I vacuumed and started in the kitchen. Then I got dressed and went to meet the Housing people for a signing on Coyote Cove. The guy was moving to Germany. Jamie signed the contract and gave me the money and the key. We stayed a bit to talk, then she left. I went to Housing to schedule a Final Clean for next Monday.

I went home to clean the kitchen and wash dishes. I mopped the floor, then looked at e-mail. Jamie called and we met at 612 for our pre-inspection. We also gathered our cleaning stuff and took it to 621. She texted the man for the garage code and we got in. We looked around and saw that he left a lot of kitchenware. She called him and he said he meant to leave it. So ok. We divided it up into hers, mine and swap shop. Then we carried it out to our cars. I went home.

Chris was home having supper. Then he went to Mass. I stayed to read e-mail. Michelle voice-texted from the road about two packages that were delivered to her house. So I went over there to unlock her door and put them inside. I tried to figure out how to water the new plantings on the E side, but there were too many hoses, tangled in and around each other.

On the way home, I stopped at house #2 to make sure the timer was still working. Then I went home. I got out the mower and worked on the shady side of the yard. Chris came home with a pizza. I finished up a portion of the grass and put the mower away.

I worked on my blog. I made tea. We watched two episodes of WTR. He went to bed. I stayed up as usual, and spent my first sleep cycle in the recliner, then went to bed.

Dugway Days - celebrating the 4th of July

Tuesday

I got up before 7, surprised that Chris hadn't taken his shower yet. I found him on his laptop. Soon he took his shower and left. I watered all the plants outside. There were no new gopher holes. I read e-mail until the power went out. They had predicted at 9, but it happened at 8:22. Then I took the overdue book and went to the garden. I checked the traps, and buried the dead mice.

Then I went to the apple tree to move the soaker hose. I also moved all the dead branches on the ground so it could be mowed. From there I could see people setting up the Community Club for Dugway Days later today. I went to the library to return the book and get a new one. Melissa gave me two. The computer was down so she couldn't check them out.

I went home. I sat on the back patio and read Fahrenheit 451. It put me to sleep, but the lounger was not comfortable enough for me to stay asleep. I tried going to bed, but then I thought about walking to the post office. So I did. It was dark inside, but I was able to make out just enough to open our P.O. Box and get the mail out.

Home again. I picked up some trash in the yard. I jotted notes for my blog. The power came back on at 11:46. But the internet took longer. It was back up by the tine I made more breakfast mix, and then finished making breakfast. I ate while reading, but Michelle called during. She asked me to drop everything and go on an adventure with her. She was so excited that I called Saronna and asked if it was ok (since we were supposed to play at 2). She said yes. So I called Michelle back and sat outside finishing my breakfast. A white truck pulled up and she came out to help me in (since it was so high).

The four of us (Casey and co-worker) went driving out on the range. We stopped at Devil's Post Pile. We climbed up the hill and then to the top of the pile. Casey said it was made of cooling lava. Lots of people had etched their names up there. A guy called me about signing over his place tomorrow at 1. I told him to call Jamie for a quote.

Then we went to Granite mountain to a man made cave where they test detonations. There really wasn't much to see. We also went to German Village. But again, not much to see. Then we went back to Ditto. I met another one of Casey's co-workers. Then Michelle drove me home.

I brought in the eggs that CJ left. I checked my front seat to see that Jamie had collected the garage opener and her cash. Then I sat down to relax with my usual after-breakfast grapefruit. But then Chris came home and said it was time to go to Dugway Days. Sigh. I finished the grapefruit and changed my shirt. Then we headed to the celebration.

We parked at the hotel and walked across the street. The band was playing. We talked to the head of MWR, and from there, many other people. Michelle and Casey came. I saw Saronna and her kids. Jamie and I got to talk about the signover tomorrow. There were game contests and cooking contests. Chris was a judge and I sat with him to help him eat his samples. However each entry had four pieces and there was only one judge. So they made me a judge too. I did my best, but like the others, I could not eat all of each thing. We had chicken, pork and ribs, plus 5 different desserts. So I saved the desserts for Saronna's kids.

Afterward I headed over to the regular tables and sat with Michelle. There was a jalapeno eating contest. It was after 7 and no mention of the award ceremony. I had a sort of plan to ride the big water slide AFTER the ceremony. But they packed it up. I spoke to Shannon and then to Chris. I went out to wait for it, but had an accident. I told Chris I needed to go home, so he drove me home. I changed clothes and got the meat out of my teeth. Then we went back to find that the ceremony was in session. Lots of people were called up, almost everyone I nominated. They each got an award and were spoken of as a group. Then four of us were called up and they spoke of our contributions individually. That was nice. But the certificates all spoke pretty words about general volunteer hours, and no specifics.

Michelle was going to take me home, but she stopped at her house to get something. We went back to the parking lot, then she went home again to wash her hands before taking me home. I gave her some cork hot plate holders. Then she left. Chris was home by then. The sprinklers came on and I looked out to see how each one was doing. I had spoken to the deputy garrison manager about it and he said they were inundated with sprinkler problems.

I worked on my blog, writing down nearly everything that happened today. It took a long time so it was too late to watch TV. I read some e-mail, and then Michelle and Casey picked me up. We went to the parade field and spread a blanket on the ground. We sat down to watch the fireworks. Although the day had been hot, it was quite nippy at 10pm. I rolled up in a corner of the blanket. When it was over, they took me home.

Chris went to bed and I stayed up as usual, then went to the recliner for my first (and maybe second) sleep cycle. After that, I went to bed.