The very long tomato

Thursday

I got up at 7:30. I was surprised since I went to bed so late - although I did tap before laying down. I brushed my teeth, washed up and got dressed. I went to the kitchen and put the B12 under my tongue. I made vitamin C water with electrolytes. I hunted for the tomato pattern and could not find it. I tried on all the tops I got from the swap shop. Only two were keepers and one had a spot. So I soaped the spots and left them to soak.

I went to the chapel and waited in my car like the other ladies who arrived before me. I guess I spaced out because I was startled by the chaplain knocking on my window. So I got out and joined the others who had gathered. After discussion, I rode with Keli and the others rode with the chaplain. We went to Ditto to the chem lab for a tour. Kurt would have loved it. We had to show our ID's to get in. We got to look inside labs and see what safety equipment and procedures they had. We also got to ask questions. Sadly I forgot to bring my camera. They did an experiment under a hood where he put a few drops of brake fluid in a beaker of pool shock. It did nothing. And then it caught fire. Whoa! Then he made chlorine gas so we could see the color of it.

When the tour was over, Keli dropped me off at the chapel. I drove home and was surprised to see it was 12:30. I tuned into The Highwire. I ate half of the fiber gel and watched for a bit, then made and ate breakfast. I figured out how much I owed Jamie and put it in an envelop. I marked the last several contracts with the hours and amounts. Then I got caught up in reading e-mail and other messages.

I made another tomato pattern and then looked at the sample picture. It was bigger. So I made a bigger pattern. I tried to free-hand the inside, but that didn't work. So I got some thin paper and traced it from the computer screen. I mounted that on cardboard and cut out the insides with an Xacto knife. I used the pattern to cut out felt in the appropriate circles.

I took a break to get the gopher head ready. I ran over it with an iron and wax paper. Not sure that helped. I tied a bow on top and put it in a box. Then I messaged Emily to see if she was in her office. I jotted notes for my blog. When Retreat sounded, I went to her office anyway, but she wasn't there. I stopped at the library to get something for us to watch, but the librarian said my husband had already been there. So we chatted for some time and then I went home.

I had a bite to eat, and listened to an interview while sewing the tomato parts together and putting in the seeds. I posed it on a plate and took pics. Chris came home with his Thursday pizza.

I listened to part of another interview. I posted to my blog and made tea. We had finished Brokenwood, so we tried another police drama that takes place in Italy. It was in Italian with English subtitles. It was ok, but probably better in the original language.

After watching, Chris went to bed. I stayed up later to read e-mail. Then I went through my bedtime rituals, did some tapping, and went to bed.

Picking up the accordion

Wednesday

I got up before 7:30. I cut up banana peels. I prepared for coffee morning by making coffee. I stretched and rotated all my joints. I drybrushed my skin and read for half an hour. I meditated and tapped. I cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms. I vacuumed and mopped, then took a shower.

I made a quick trip to the swap shop to get the bag of clothing I left behind. I put those clothes and some cleaning cloths in the washer. I filled a water bottle. Jamie came to pick me up.

We chatted as she drove us into Salt Lake City to the accordion place. She stayed outside to smoke while I went in. The man brought the accordion out and I opened it to check it. The case was in bad repair so I asked about a new case. He took me in the back and showed me the soft-sided cases that they use now. The case comes with backpack straps which seemed pretty good to me. I tried it on and bought one. Jamie carried it out to her car and I carried the old case.

Then we headed to the fabric store. It was a lot bigger than it looked from the front. There was A LOT of decorator fabric, but they had all sorts of others as well. Jamie had brought the dress she wanted copied and the clerk pointed us to rolls of similar fabrics. We had a great time feeling all the rolls and discussing the merits. Finally she picked three. Another clerk cut them for her. Then we used the restroom. She went outside to smoke, leaving me alone. I realized that I was surrounded by fabric and had no idea where the front door was. Oh well. I wandered till I found my way out.

From there, we went to Tooele to Joanns. We found some waistband elastic and a diamond art kit. After that, we went to Little Caesar's. She got a bunch of pizzas. Then we drove back to Dugway. She brought the accordion in and stayed long enough to look at the dodecahedron I made years ago.

After she left, I talked with Chris. I was getting cold, so I ate a bowl of pork and rice. John and Michele came over. I showed her the fabric Deb gave me and she took some. Then we watched the last episode of Brokenwood.

After that, Michele said she was too tired to drive and John said he was too tipsy. So Chris drove them home in his car and I followed to pick him up. Then Chris got ready for bed. I read some messages. I worked on my blog and realized there was wet laundry in the washer. I threw it in the dryer, then finished my blog and went to bed, late.

** This is Jamie getting excited over all the fancy new accordions **

The garden in back on my radar

Tuesday

I got up before 7:30 having slept pretty well. I got ready for the day. I worked on the sticky gopher ball. The ammonia I used yesterday didn't work, so today I used rubbing alcohol. Just rubbing didn't work, so I let it soak while I read e-mail and other messages. I checked again and it wasn't ready. So I let it soak some more. I compared supplements looking for a probiotic with bifidobacterium longum BB 536.

I went early to inspection of 627. I took a bucket of cleaners and looked through the house to make sure she hadn't missed anything. The inspectors came. Jack found dust on top of the fridge. I can't imagine how I missed that. Everything else looked good. When Jamie arrived, I asked her to clean the top of the fridge. We signed the papers. Jack accepted the key to 627 plus the key to 645 and the other inspector had a key for him. I hope he was able to keep them separate. He left and we ladies stayed to chat.

Then the accordion place called. Jamie said she could take me so I told them I would pick it up tomorrow. We went home. I made fiber gel and consumed half. I washed dishes in the sink. I made and ate breakfast. I found info for Emily about the garden. She wanted to put the clean-up event in her flyer.

At 2, I went to the swap shop and worked with Jenni for 3.5 hours packing up adult clothing. We also let people come and 'shop'.

After 5:30, I went home. Chris was there, having supper. I ate the rest of the fiber gel. I made supper, and read more e-mail and messages as I ate. I worked on my blog and made tea. We watched one episode of Brokenwood. Then Chris went to bed and I stayed up to read.

Busy afternoon

Monday

I got up around 8 and got ready for the day. I checked e-mail. I looked through the Zoom worksheets. I examined the resin gopher skull. It was sticky and I thought maybe the resin hadn't been properly mixed. I looked up how to dissolve resin and ammonia was suggested. So I poured some ammonia in a bottle cap and let the sticky side of the gopher skull soak in it. I left it set until almost 11 and checked it. There was still a streak of sticky resin on it. So I put it back in to soak some more. It was on a cookie sheet so I stuck it in the oven so I didn't have to smell it.

I posted for band tonight. Then Keli said she couldn't make it at 6. Had she told me earlier, I would have scheduled band an hour later. But maybe reading my post is what prompted her to tell me. Then I chose hymns for next Sunday and Palm Sunday.

I went to the swap shop for the meeting. I chatted with the other ladies until Jamie came. Then Brian started the meeting. He told us that the work would begin either this week or next, that we could put stuff in the Connex, that if the swap shop closes it will only be for a week or two. We went to see the connex and some other empty spaces where swap shop stuff could go. Then he told us about all the plans the base has for a new park, running and biking trails, batting cage, golf cage, etc. Sounded too goo to be true.

After the meeting broke up, I went to the post office to get the mail. A lady asked if I was Fern and I said yes. So she asked about getting a quote for cleaning her quarters. I told her I could do it after 2.

Til I got home it was almost 1. I drank fiber gel and fielded some calls. Deb wanted me to come by and get some fabric she was clearing out. I texted Jamie about the quote. I made and ate breakfast.

All too soon, I paused whatever I was watching and went to the inspection at 645. I didn't see the inspectors cars, but I went in and two were there looking around. They said the oven looked great. I explained about all the other stuff I had to clean. We all signed papers and I left. I went to 610 where Jamie was looking over the place with the occupant. I joined in. The house looked pretty good to me. Better than 627. I would have been happy with $400 but Jamie was thinking $600 so we quoted her $500. She was happy with that because another lady had quoted her $800.

From there I went to Deb's house. She showed me two tubs of fabric and ribbon she was getting rid of. I agreed to take them but could not carry them. We talked about this and that. Her husband came home. He carried the tubs to my car and I drove home.

I stopped at Housing to schedule an inspection for tomorrow for 627 which Jamie said was finished. When I got home, I had a bite to eat. I read some messages and jotted notes for my blog. I rested up for band. Chris came home. We chatted.

I went to the chapel for band and realized I had forgotten the music. So I unlocked the door and went home for the music. When I got back, Saronna and Randy were set up. I asked Randy about buying a live sheep and rendering it. He said he knew how. Jenni came and we played through a bunch of hymns and Broadway tunes. Then we packed up. Keli stopped by with cartons of eggs.

When I got home, I drank the rest of the fiber gel. I read some e-mail, then put pulled pork in the toaster oven. I continued reading. I read about a green house heated by compost and also a geothermal greenhouse which was heated by pipes underground.

I made tea and we watched an episode of Brokenwood. Later Chris went to bed. I stayed up to read online. Then I joined him.