The Alarm Is Set

Hey, all,

I think everything is now crossed off my to-do list.  My bag is packed.  The walker, leg brace, and cooling unit are all in the car.   All medications have been stopped over the last couple weeks.  I am achy and my leg hurts.  The way I feel is confirming that it is time to get this surgery done.

Laundry is done, the freezer and pantry are full, bills are paid, and I think I have told Golfer where all the things are located that he normally does not use or need.  (but that he will need while I am out of commission)  :)

The house is all decorated, trees are up, outside decorations done, cards are finished, shopping done, gifts are wrapped and some mailed.  I even baked a batch of cookies and put in the freezer.

So, we have things under control here right now.  I won't be online for a while, so I'll post an update when I am able.  We are to be at the hospital by 6:30 a.m.

Stay safe!

Monday

I have lots of thoughts bouncing around in my head as I'm getting ready for surgery in a week.  I've had lists of things I've wanted to be sure to do before I'm not able to do them for a while.  Those lists are almost completely checked off now.

As you know, we decided to do some of our Christmas decorating before Thanksgiving.  About all that's left is for the tree to be set up that goes in the dining room in front of the large window.  We'll get that finished up on Friday.  And Golfer will set out our outside decorations.  I did get the garland and lights up on the porch rails and hung the wreathes.

About our tree in the living room.... most of the ornaments on it have sentimental value.  There are ornaments that were passed down to us from my Grama and Mom.  Other were gifts from family and friends.  A lot are ornaments of special things we like - like all our Star Trek ones!  Some we have collected as we have traveled.  To be honest, we have a lot of ornaments.  Even after giving each of our girls boxes.  We don't really need more ornaments.  There are many still in the box that aren't being used this year.  I pick and choose every year, although there are many that go on the tree every year.  And yet, in spite of all that, this morning I bought another one.  :)

The new Starbucks ornament is right there with the really old glass decorations, the Air Force ornaments and Star Trek!  I had seen a picture of this ornament last year but they were sold out by the time I got to our Starbucks.  So this morning when I went to get my coffee I got one!  It makes me smile.

While I'm talking about decorations, let me mention that we always use the wooden ones that Golfer's Dad made for us many years ago.  They are some of my favorites.

I took stock of the pantry and made sure we have everything for Thanksgiving dinner.  The turkey has been moved into the refrigerator  and is hopefully thawing.

Golfer moved our thirty (30!!) bags of leaves out to the curb for pick up.  There are still more leaves on the trees to come down.

Our weather is just crazy.  It has been cold.  Today they say it will break heat records and be in the 80's.  By Wednesday evening we may see some snow.  I'm predicting a weather headache.  Our MDX, Kirk, has automatic wipers that sense the moisture level and come on when needed.  When I went out this morning and started him up to go to Starbucks all the wipers came on because it was so humid!  And that was while we were still sitting in the garage!  WTH!!

I hope you are all well and happy.  Stay safe!

Sigh.

We love our furry kids.

I would love them a whole lot more right now if one or all of them hadn't chewed through the wire on the string of lights on the tree.

While we were eating breakfast this morning Angus was messing around under the tree.  Not unusual, they all like to sit and/or nap under there.  He came running out with something in his mouth and I followed him and found a piece of wire.  Went back and looked and there were several pieces of wire under the tree and the plug - just the plug - in the power bar.  The tree lights are fine.  But this was the extra string we put on the tree so we can plug in our collectible Star Trek ornaments.

I have been to the store and have a new string of lights.  I will re-do the tree this afternoon.

As I said... SIGH.

Stay safe.

P.S.  The dreaded water bottle is already out and ready.  The furry kids do not like it.

A Mystery

It's a good thing I took a picture of the unusual pine cone that Golfer found.  After admiring it, taking pictures, and placing it in what I thought was a safe place of honor so we could see it, it disappeared!  It either really was an alien and moved itself or a creature came onto our porch and ate it!  All that was left were a bunch of pine seeds.  :(

Beauty of Nature

I was cleaning the floors this morning and Golfer was outside raking and sweeping up leaves.  I heard him come back inside.  He brought me a mutant pine cone to see!  We do not have any pine trees in our yard.  But our neighbors on both sides share freely!

It's an interesting cone.  I put it out in the crock on the porch with some other lovely cones we've moved around with us from Colorado.

Remember to stop and look around!  And stay safe!

Happy Veterans Day

Thank you to all who have served and are serving, especially to my favorite Veteran!

Cutie Girl

I meant to post these pictures earlier and somehow got distracted.  This is from the last time we were taking care of her here at our house.

She's just learning to play with the Duplo blocks.  She likes to make cars and make "vrooom" noises.

Here she is after her nap.  PaPa is giving her animal crackers.  :)  Notice her pretty shiny shoes.  They squeek when she walks!

It was a fun afternoon!  Stay safe!

A Couple More Things Checked Off the List

The repairs around the two windows are all done.  I think it looks pretty good.  Now we just have to wait and see if they ever leak again.

The Christmas wrapping is done and I went to the Post Office this morning to get some boxes on their way.  I have everything for doing our cards stacked up and ready.  And some time soon I plan to make a couple cookies and put in the freezer.  :)  I have been slowed down a little because my leg has been bothering me, but I have learned to pace myself.

I got Kirk to the car wash and got him all detailed and cleaned up.  Certainly looks better.

And I did a little clean-up out in the yard yesterday.  The leaves are really coming down around here.  They haven't done much in the way of color but they're sure falling off the trees.  Golfer is out there now mowing and cleaning up more leaves.

I had a scheduled phone call this morning with the hospital nurse.  I think they have all the info now and have my records all set up and ready for the surgery.  I was asked two more times this morning if I had traveled recently to any areas with confirmed Ebola cases.  Good to know they are asking.

Here's a picture of Finnigan.  This is how he often likes to "help" us while we are in the bathroom!

Stay safe!

Today Is More Productive!

Yesterday was a gray, cloudy, cool, and rainy day.  I got the basic chores done but never got around to the window spackle and paint repairs.  Golfer and I did catch up on some shows from our DVR!

Today is cool and sunny.  I got all the regular morning chores done early, went to Starbucks and came home to enjoy my coffee and read the paper while I watched the Rockefeller Square Christmas Tree arriving.  I have lovely memories of our trip to NYC a couple years ago at Christmas time.

Now I am waiting for the spackle to dry.  Next will be sanding, then applying a coat of Kilz.  Then painting.

In the spirit of "one thing leads to another" I am also washing windows.  And if I have some energy left after cleaning up after all this work, I am going to finish the Christmas wrapping!

Golfer got along okay at the doctor's yesterday and we are waiting on the biopsy report.  He is playing golf today.

Time to go poke at the spackle and see how it's doing!  Take care and stay safe!

Ahhhh! A Hot Shower!

I hope everyone is doing well.  We've been busy here.

I had some time watching (and playing) with CutieGirl.  ITGuy finally got to have his lithotrypsy for his kidney stones.  It went well and he is scheduled to get the stent out next week.  We're all hoping this helps him to feel better.

Golfer has had a couple medical appointments.  He's having another biopsy with the dermatologist.  And he's just started using a new prescribed cream on a couple of "at risk" areas.  Other than that, he's doing okay.

I went to the hospital for all my pre-surgery testing.  I went early in the morning before things got crowded.  Lots of questions so they could get all the data correct in their computer system.  Then I had a palm scan that will be used for security.  And then it was off to get a chest x-ray, EKG, and all the lab work.  More thing checked off the list!

While all these things were going on we had the garden center people here finishing their work.  It hasn't rained hard enough since then to see if the repairs on the drainage system at the down spout works, but their work in the past has been good, so I'm sure it will be fine.  The plantings they did look good.  The azalea is actually blooming now, sort of a pretty lavender color.

Then we had the plumber!  A few years ago, when we remodeled our bathroom, we had a Moen faucet system installed in the new shower.  There is a separate handle that controls the water temperature for all the fixtures.  The temperature valve stopped working and over the last months the water temperature has gotten increasingly cooler.  Still "do-able", and not a problem during the hot Summer time.  But WINTER IS COMING!  So we called the plumber we liked.

Unfortunately, he did not return any of our messages at any of his numbers and we have no idea what has happened to him.  So we got a recommendation from friends and called a new plumber.  I liked him from the first conversation.  He suggested I call Moen.  I did and they sent us a new valve at no charge.  I was told that the original valve had been discontinued and replaced with a newer, better one.  Moen backs up their products and I totally recommend them.  The part arrived and we called Martin.  He came and fixed it and we now have hot water in the shower again!  Water so hot I think we could poach an egg in there if we were so inclined!  We have both experimented with it and found temperatures that we like and it is wonderful.  I can't remember when we had water hot enough in there to make steam.  And Martin also fixed our toilet that had a sticking handle.

Tuesday we both voted.  We are a bit concerned about the security at our polling place and how things are run and and we are considering talking to someone about it.  There has been all the talk about voter ID and we did have to show our picture ID when we checked in.  But that was at the first table.  Then they send the voters to another table to get the ballot.  The problem is that someone could just walk up to that table and get a ballot.  It wasn't like they gave you a card or a number or anything.  And there were evidently different ballots.  There were other voting issues in the area with machines that did not work and votes that weren't being counted.  The officials are assuring citizens that it will all be properly counted, and I am hoping it is all worked out before the next election.  It all reminds me of plots on Scandal and Good Wife!

So now I am heading off to do some spackling and paint touch-up.  Have a good day and stay safe!

Fun Night!

Golfer and I went to see "Book of Mormon" last evening.  It was part of the Broadway on Tour series and was being presented at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk.  I can not remember when we laughed so long or so hard at anything!  The performers were great.  Very talented singers and dancers.  Since we are familiar with the writers of the show  (we watch "South Park") we had a pretty good idea what the comedy would be like.  And I listen to Broadway on XM Radio when I'm driving Kirk so I was familiar with some of the music.  It was hilarious!  And having said that I should probably mention that it is also an "adult" show.  Do not take your children!

Of course, seeing the show on Halloween night meant not being at home for trick-or-treat.  We did miss seeing CutieGirl, but she got to go out in her neighborhood.  I hate to sound like a cranky old person, but I am pretty much over participating in trick-or-treat.  I wouldn't mind if it was just family and neighborhood kids.  But last year our local newspaper ran a large article listing all the best neighborhoods to go to for trick-or-treat.  Our community was at the top of the list and van loads of kids of all ages were dropped off.  I am pretty sure the paper got some complaints.

Today is gray and cloudy and in the 50's right now.  There's a big storm front coming this way with really high winds, rain, and colder temperatures.  I need to get off the computer and go outside to move some things to safety so they don't blow around.  Our family members in Ohio are expecting snow.  They are not happy.

Stay safe!