February 29, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

This was a good day for me…so I tried to drink lots of water and use my cane when we went caching.  Todd went with us.  We found six hidden things in the desert south of Yuma.  None of them were in particularly rough terrain, but the sand is always tricky to walk in.  Some of them had a high difficulty rating, but we didn’t have any DNFs on our list.

After all that trekking around in the desert, we decided Arby’s would be a good place for lunch.  We couldn’t sit around and talk after we finished eating, because Todd had a doctor appointment this afternoon.  He does more “doctoring” than I do, and that’s a lot.

On our way back home, Bill and I looked at a few possible locations to “roost.”  Mainly we were looking for ideas.  There are many property listings, both buildable lots and lots with houses on them.  I’m glad we don’t have to make a decision soon.  This isn’t an easy thing for either one of us to think about.  We are in our 18th year of living in this “hallway” and we still love it.

It was rather hot today, but we didn’t suffer too much.  We have yet to turn on either air conditioner.

February 28, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

This morning, Bill and I met with a realtor to tour a house.  It was a very nice one bedroom house, with a mid sized closet.  The kitchen had granite countertops and new appliances, with quite a bit of cabinet space.  It was a spacious floor design.

There was a screened Arizona room and the windows on the hours were dual paned.  I wasn’t very impressed with the landscaping.  There were palm trees, but most of the plants were not desert plants.

It was fun to look at it and we will probably look at many more, and still not buy anything.  We are just trying to figure out some future options. 

The day was warm, but the house was cool.  The weather reminded me of a trip where Lori and JP were with us.  We were in Pensacola, Florida doing a 10 K Volkswalk.  The heat was beastly.  JP was in his jogging stroller, which had a cover, but not much else to keep the heat out.  I had a spray bottle of water, and sprayed him with a fine mist right in his face.

He was shocked that his Abuela would do such a thing to him.  Then it dawned on him how good the water felt.  We survived to the end of the event, thanks to very frequent misting of an 18 month old.

Bill decided it was warm enough “mist” me.  And he was right.  It felt good.  Of course, sometimes he got a little carried away with the squirt bottle, but since I can’t run and tackle him these days, I just endured the soaking and enjoyed being cool.

February 27, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

This morning, I told Bill I would like to go to In-N-Out for lunch.  He was more than glad to get me out of the house for awhile.  And I was glad to go.  My only outing for the last week has been “joy riding” in an ambulance and one visit to an emergency clinic for a shoulder X-ray.  I certainly know how to hit the high spots, don’t I?

Bill called Todd and Bonnie to see if they wanted go to lunch with us.  Of course they did.  Who could pass up such a culinary experience as that?

Luckily, we were able to get a booth to sit at.  As usual, I was already weak by then and the place was crowded, as always.

Bill thinks my weakness is cause by dehydration, and I think he is probably right.  This has happened before.  Of course, it is usually accompanied by other factors.  But now he is insisting I drink water every few minutes.  I may float away someday.

Bill and I spent part of the afternoon driving around looking at lots and houses for sale.  We have really enjoyed being here in Yuma, and think this might just be a good “snow bird” place.  We want to look at all our options.

After nap time, I got up determined to accomplish something, such as clean the clutter of the desk.  I was rather draggy and not feeling too inspired to tackle such a big task, and since it was rather warm this afternoon so we decided to ride around in our cool air conditioned Honda, and see some different parts of town.  We had a good time exploring the area.

February 26, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Today, I got a lot of rest.  In fact, that’s about all I did.  My knee and my shoulder take turn in the contest to see which can hurt the most.  I’m sorry to say the knee is usually the winner.

Bill is filling his days with walks, some geocaching, and assisting me.  I am really trying hard to watch where I’m stepping.  It is a real bore and doesn’t make for interesting things to write in my blog.

Just hang with me and maybe things will improve from all angles.

February 25, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Lori called me a Goony Bird.  I told her that wasn’t a nice thing to say to her mother.  She wanted to know if I would rather she call me a klutz.  Actually, either one would fit.

When I fell last night, I was reaching for something on our old computer cabinet.  I had my left hand on the ottoman.  It whirled me around and threw me between the front seats.  I wish I could compare this Goony Bird Dance to Swan Lake, but it just didn’t fit.

I did, however, consider offering Disneyland the right to use it as a new ride for their theme park.  They could even call it the Goony Bird Ride.  I would limit my involvement to creating the idea.  Under no cirscumstances will I demonstrate the steps involved.

We went to an Emergency Clinic and spent nearly three hours waiting for attention.  After being examined and having been xrayed from many different angles, I was basically told to go home and take two aspirin.  They didn’t say anything about calling them in the morning.  The films didn’t show any breaks or cracks in my “concrete bones.”  I was thankful for that, even though I am very sore, battered, and bruised.

I rested most of the rest of the day, but I was too uncomfortable to get much nap time in.  I hope Tylenol will help tonight!

February 24, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

This won't  be very long, because once again I fell tonight and I am quite upset.  This time my right shoulder feels not as it should.  Both knees were spared.  Yea!

I’ll put ice on it tonight and see how things are tomorrow.

February 23, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

I have already had one comment about the novel I wrote yesterday.  I hope I don’t lose anymore readers.  In the future, I will try to rein myself in.

We left the house at 6:30 to go to the lab at the hospital.  I was fasting so I didn’t want to wait much later.  I only had to sit there for about three minutes before it was my turn with the vampire.

We went to a place that serves passible biscuits and gravy.  As soon as we got back home, I crawled back in bed for two more hours sleep.

My knee is better today.  I used a lot of ice on it and did that again today.  It must be helping!  It is still not a pretty sight, though!

Bill took our neighbors on a “geo-intro” excursion, while I stayed home and iced my knee.  They had been very curious about our adventures.  They must’ve liked it because they went out on their quad and found two more caches.  It is fun to tell others about our sport.

The wind blew rather hard today, so I didn’t mind too much staying inside.

February 22, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Today is grandson JP’s 26th birthday.  Gad zooks!  I’m getting old.  I can remember him as a little boy, always questioning and exploring things.  Now he all grown up and is my MAC guru.  He’s the one that gave LOL a new meaning, just for me.  (Little Old Lady)  That’s me!

And now the saga of my latest fall.  When I passed the story on to Dwight and Sheila, they both said why do these weird things keep happening to you!

So here goes!  I fell on Saturday afternoon, tripping on one of the rugs in the motorhome.  I hit hardest on my right knee, next on my right wrist, and the final blow came to my face, full force.  I hit really hard and couldn’t believe I wasn’t bleeding from some part of my body.  Bill came to help he, but knows at times like this my body goes into shock, and I don’t want to move or be moved until I settle down a bit.

When I was able to get up, with much help from Bill, I walked back to the bedroom and climbed up on the bed.  Then the pain hit, big time.  It was more pain than I had with either of my knee replacements.  After this went on for a bit, Bill and I both decided I needed to go to the Emergency Room…in an ambulance.  That seems to be the quickest way to be seen at an ER.

The ambulance arrived in about 15 minutes.  They debated how to get me to the ambulance without doing further damage to my knee.  They couldn’t believe that I had been able to walk back to the bed.  As I think about it, I should’ve lay down on the sofa.  I will try to remember that for the next time!  There were five paramedics around the bed.  They finally decided to strap me to a back board and haul me out that way.  I was given strict instruction to keep my hands folded over my chest and not reach for anything.  The whole thing was an ordeal, but we were soon at the ambulance door.   My hands were still folded and I ask one of the attendants if he had a lilly for me to hold.  He was young and didn’t have a sense of humor!

They immediately hooked me up to an IV.  I said, “I think something is dribbling and I’m pretty sure it isn’t coming from me!”  The “kid” thought that was funny.  I was correct!  The IV had sprung a leak.

Off we went down the street, with blinking lights flashing, but no sirens on.  We are parked on the east side of Yuma and the hospital is in the northwest part of town, so it wasn’t a quick trip.  The guy in the back was about twice as old as the kid driving, so we pass the time exchanging funny stories and jokes.  It helped relax me.

When we got to the ER there were lots and lots of people waiting for their turns so they parked me by a wall.  Someone ask me how I was doing and I said fine.  They only dropped me off the gurney once.  The old EMR guy said this was a “two-fer night” and did I  want to go back so they could dump me off again.

It was about 15 or more minutes before I got into an examining room.  I had chosen to wait until the hospital for pain medicine, so the first thing the nurse did was to put “happy juice” in the IV.  Then I floated out of reach of the pain.  That was a blessed relief. 

Because of the large number of people waiting to be seen in the ER, there was lots of activity going on, but I always had someone with me at all times…except once, and it was a rather strange incidence.  Wa doctor was there, questioning Bill about my heart attack situation.  Bill told him what had happened and the doctor side he had exactly the same thing happen with him.  We both even had stints put in. 

We talked for a few more minutes until he suddenly coughed, grabbed his chest, jumped up and ran out of the room and down the hall.  We didn’t see him again.  We wonder if he had another heart attack.  Several minutes went by before anyone else came in and they weren’t answering questions.

I had an MRI, a CAT scan, and numerous xrays.  I wasn’t allowed anything to eat or drink because they thought I might need surgery.  When it was decided that was not going to be necessary, they sent me home with an Rx for pain meds, and directions to a Walgreen’s open until midnight.  It was 10:30 by then and the pharmacy couldn’t fill our order until 12:00.

I told Bill I needed food more, so we went on.  I said there was a Wendy’s not far away and I could get a Frosty.  We found it connected to a service station, so Bill went in.  The Wendy’s part was locked up.  I said there was a Burger King a few blocks on down the street.  It was closed.  Yuma must roll up the sidewalks at dark!!!!!

We knew there was a McDonald’s just before the Freeway Entrance, so we headed for it.  Bill drove to the drive in window and ordered a chocolate shake.  Their response was, “Our ice cream machine is broken.”  Can you believe it?!  I said, “Let’s go home.”  Which we did!  By then it was 11:15 and we were both very tired from another one of my medical adventures.

February 21, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

 I got a good night’s sleep last night, in spite of all my bumps and bruises.  I was beginning to write about my ER adventure when the words suddenly went away and I wasn’t able to retrieve them.

I must be tireder than I thought tonight, because I usually don’t have that kind of problem, so-o-o-o-o I am going to bed to get some extra rest.  I will try to do a better job tomorrow.  It was too good an adventure try to tell when my foggy brain isn’t cooperating.  I will try to get an earlier start tomorrow

February 20, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

I got up earlier than usual this morning, and, no, I’m not sick.  Actually, I am sick…”sick” of all the clutter.  So I got up and tackled some of it.  After enough of that four letter word nonsense…
”work,” it was time to get down to the important things, like caching.  Each of us had some computer work to do before we could get out on the “hunt.”……………………..

An ambulance ride to the E Room ended my day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Details tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

February 19, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

After leaving the house at 7:10 and driving 3/4 of the way on I-8 and 1/4 on surface roads, we arrived at the clinic with five minutes to spare.  I was very glad Bill had scoped the actual office location ahead of time.  It was in a “rabbit warren” of medical facilities.

We both liked Dr. DHillon.  She was very thorough with her questions.  I am to have blood work done and see her in a month…sooner if tests show anything amiss.

When we finished with medical stuff, we drove into California via I-8 to Ogilby Road.  Instead of going north which would take us into BLM land, we went south.  The paved road stopped there and we had to trust the CRV to take us on sand roads.  We really didn’t have to worry about getting lost.  We were only about a mile from the Mexican border.  I don’t know if a fence has been built, but we have never found staying on the right side of the border to be a problem.  In the past, the Border Patrol has kept us on the side we needed to be on.

On the south side of Ogilby Road there is a place we can collect Mexican Birdcages, the dried remains of the Desert Primrose.  We have never been out on the desert this late in the winter, so we were surprised to see only the Primrose plants, not the birdcages.  We were disappointed, but glad to see the plants growing and blooming.  We will have to go “hunting” earlier next year.

Before leaving the area, we found seven caches.  Lunch at Sam’s Club was on our list before going home to rest and recover from tromping around in the desert.

February 18, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

This morning, the eastern sky was bright orange with streaks of blue.  We had rain, also.  Bill would call it an eight inch rain, meaning eight inches between drops.  He ran out and washed the desert dust off the Honda.  We must not waste a drop of the wet stuff!

We got Todd at 10:00 and planned to do some caching, but, alas, we didn’t accomplish very much.  We found one and Todd found two more that Bill had found another day when caching with Dwight and Sheila.  The good part is that we went to In-N-Out for lunch.  Yippy, Skippy!

I have an early doctor appointment tomorrow morning at 7:50.  It is on the other side of Yuma, so we have to leave here by 7:00.  Yikes!  I thought 7:00 only came once a day and that was at night!

February 17, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We went caching a little bit later today than yesterday.  I’d guess both Bill and Todd thought I needed some extra rest. And they were probably right.

We were able to find ten caches before calling it quits.  They were scattered here and there on the desert between I-8 and the canal.  It is a really pretty part of the desert, with more trees and bushes than out on the Bombing Range. 

We saw huge areas of orange wild flowers and closer to the road were purple flowers.  The ocotillo were showing their red blooms and tiny green leaves.  We saw a few saguaro cacti, but not many.  There were date farms in the area and orange groves, also.  It is really a place of its own kind of beauty.

When we got back into the Foothills area of Yuma, we went to a street vendor for lunch.  One of them has very good fish and chips and that was the one we chose.  There were 10 or 12 vendors in the area we went to and most of them were busy.  The only drawback to eating outdoors was the traffic on the street beside us.  We found a cool, shady place to eat and in this part of Arizona, shade is really high on the list of amenities. 

After going home for some rest time, Bill and I decided to go to McDonald’s for treats…ice cream.  It didn’t agree with my stomach so it is now on my list of things to avoid.

We went to Walmart for just a little grocery shopping and then spent the evening watching TV.

February 16, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We went to cache early this morning.  Todd went with us as we headed toward Wellton, east on I-8.  Three hours later with 20 finds posted, we called it quits for a lunch break at Jack-In-The-Box.  They make really good hamburgers…not as good as In-N-Out, but good.

I was able to get out of the car and walk on the desert to hunt for several caches.  I really did enjoy the “hunt.”  However, I didn’t drink as much water as I should have.  By the time we got back home, I was feeling poorly.  A nap didn’t give me the kind of rest I needed.

I didn’t accomplish anything else for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow, we are going back to Wellton to finish the series.  Hopefully, I will come back in better shape than today.

February 15, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We spent the morning getting chores done around the house.  Bill suggested that we go to In-N-Out for lunch.  It was very crowded, probably because there was a tour bus in the parking lot and the restaurant next door, being closed, left plenty of space for a big bus.

We were able to find a place to sit, but it was noisy and we were crowded back in a corner.  But it was worth it to be at In-N-Out.  That’s always our first choice. 

I had an appointment with a surgeon this afternoon.  My hernia has grown since Michelle and I first discovered it, but the doctor said he wouldn’t recommend surgery at this time.  Due to my age, my diabetes, and having had a heart attack, he said I am a medium risk for surgery.  The hernia isn’t that big now, but to watch it.  If I get back to Loveland and it has progressed, I will ask my heart doctor for a recommendation.

When we got home, we loaded the GPS’ with a few caches I had seen on the map and wanted to do.  We plan to get Todd at 9:00 and head east to the Wellton area to finish a series of caches we started two years ago.  I remember it being in a pretty, desert setting.  The name of the series is “…Red Neck.”  Some of the names are really funny.  I’ll report more later.

February 14, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Happy Valentine’s Day!

We started the day with breakfast at Holliday Inn.  It was the monthly meeting of the local geocaching club.  We have been to  several of their gatherings over the years and have gotten to know quite a few of the local caches.

Every month, they have a 50/50 drawing.  I bought three tickets for $5.00.  One of my ticket numbers was called and I won $80.00.  The other half of the “pot” goes to the club treasurer.  Wow!  My lucky day, eh?

We went to see RV Forum friends Mike and Wendy.  They will be in Yuma for a couple of weeks.  It has been nearly two years since we saw them.  Their dog, Gordie, a big yellow lab, thinks I am his “gravy train.”  Imagine that!  I didn’t disappoint him today.

Back at the house, we rested and then together, unpacked all of my travel things. 

We had planned to go to In-N-Out (we “love” that place) for Valentine dinner, but I wasn’t feeling up to par, so Bill brought home Nachos and we watched a Western while we ate.  For the two of us, that’s about as romantic as it gets!

February 13, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

Bill went to cache a power run…120…with some visitors to Yuma.  Todd also went, kind of ramrodding the deal.  Bill, since he had done the same series with Dwight and Sheila, mainly was there as the “wheel man.”

I chose to stay home, with the intent of getting my travel things sorted out and some of the clutter picked up and organized.

Guess what?  I took a long nap!  I must need rest more than I need a tidy house.

When Bill got back, we went for a late lunch at KFC.  We also had two errands to do, but weren’t successful on either one.

Bill was extra tired from his caching morning so he wanted to take a nap.  Not to be out done, I said “Me, too.”  My second nap of the day wasn’t as long as the first one, but I didn’t miss it by much.

Tonight, I had to call JP to find out how old he will be on his upcoming birthday.  Since I send a dollar for each year, I told him I was glad he didn’t pad it.  I was glad to know he was financially secure.  He was sorry he didn’t think of padding the number first.  I don’t think he was too pleased about being outdone by his LOL…Little Old Lady grandmother.  He should be use to it by now, right JP?

February 12, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

We went by to get Todd at 10:30.  Our first stop for the morning was to get me an appointment with a surgeon, Dr. Deckey.  When I saw Dr. Huneycutt in Loveland on Monday, he said I had a hernia that needed to be repaired as soon as I got back down here to Yuma.  I will see Dr. Deckey on Monday and hopefully we will be able to get the ball rolling, so to speak.

After getting that taken care of, we set off on some cache hunts.  Some of them Todd had found before, and some Bill had found earlier, with Dwight and Shiela.  We were able to find two new ones for us and Todd found one that he hadn’t located before.  We had fun going to some new parts of Yuma…new to me anyway.

One cache was particularly difficult to find.  There was a small hole in the trunk of a palm tree.  Todd reached in with his pocket knife and pulled a string out.  A door opened up and there was the cache.  It was very clever and apparently the palm didn’t mind the intrusion.  They are tough creatures, created to last!

Went to Arby’s for lunch, before stopping by Walmart for prescriptions.  Bill took Todd home and then left me at our house to take a nap.  He went on a couple of other errands after that.

After discussing dinner options, we decided to make a salad and relax at home.  It was a good choice.

February 11, 2016—-Yuma, Arizona

I didn’t sleep to well last night, but when I got up I started unpacking my box.  I decided, after doing some of that kind of stuff, I needed to rest for a while.  Two hours later, I woke up.

I felt refreshed and, after eating lunch, we decided to go to Walmart.
We needed a few groceries and to pick up a couple of prescriptions.  We got the food OK, but the meds weren’t ready.  We’ll have to make another trip tomorrow.  I just about wore myself out.  While Bill was paying for our purchases, I sat on a bench and rested.

Todd and Bonnie came for a visit late this afternoon.  We had a lot to catch up on.  I missed a lot while I was away.  And I had a few stories of my own to tell.

We didn’t do any caching while we were out, but we hope to be able to do some looking tomorrow.  Todd is going with us tomorrow so he can show us where his surgeon’s office is located.  When I went to see Dr. Honeycutt on Monday, he said I needed to take care of the hernia situation before too long.  That is our thought on the thing also.  I don’t want to leave it to be taken care of somewhere down the road.

So tomorrow and the next few days may be filled with some decisions!

February 10, 2016—-Colorado to Yuma, Arizona

I was busy this morning getting things ready for my flights back to Arizona.  It seemed like I hadn’t left much in Mississippi or in Loveland, but I wasn’t packed as tightly as I usually am.

Hugs to Michelle as I got into Meredith’s car.  I have had a wonderful visit here in Colorado.  They dealt very well with there LOL…Little Old Lady…and I appreciate all everyone did for me.

The plane out of Denver was on time and we left with no problems, quite unlike my departure from Arizona, three weeks or so.  There was no comparison.

I am wearing my Super Bowl Champions t-shirt.  One of the flight attendants said she didn’t like my shirt…she was from North Carolina.  I didn’t remind her what a baby their quarterback was.  There is no need to rub salt into their wounds.

Well, I made it home safely.  Yippy, Skippy!  It was good to see “Ole Eight One” at the airport to fetch me.  Of course, our first stop before going home was at In-N-Out.  I got several positive comments on my t-shirt.  There are lots of smart people in Yuma!

It was really good to be back, although I had a wonderful time in both Mississippi and Colorado.  It is always great to spend time with any of our kids.

February 9, 2016—-Michelle’s house in Loveland, Colorado

Michelle and I had lunch with Steph, our ReMax agent and friend.  It was nice to have time to visit with her.  We hadn’t seen her in quite a long time.  There was a lot to catch up on with both families.

She is a great Bronco fan.  Her dad designs T-shrits and screen prints them.  Because he doesn’t have permission to use the Bronco logo, he only makes them for his family.  This year, she had a nice jacket he had made. 

When we got back home, I really wanted to take a nap, but I had so much to do, I didn’t have time to sleep.  Tomorrow is my travel day.  I tended to spread out like I did at Brent’s and it takes me awhile to round up everything.

Meredith came to share pizza with us.  The pups shared, too.  Since it is the last time the “gravy train” will be here for several months, I just had to do some extra spoiling.

We watched some of the Denver Bronco Parade, but I don’t think it was much excitement.  I’m glad we stayed home.

February 8, 2016—Michelle’s house, Loveland, Colorado

Had a ton of fun helping Natalia do her taxes and then stuffing our faces with lasagna.  Michelle had asked her what she would like for dinner, and like Garfield, she requested lasagna.  Michelle’s lasagna is the best!

I went to see Dr. Honeycutt this morning.  I have a “bulge” at my waist and it had gotten bigger.  I felt sure it wasn’t just fat, although it could’ve been.  He agreed with me and thinks it is a hernia.  Oh, great!  One more thing to deal with.  Bill made an appointment with a GP in Yuma.  I will go for that a few days after I get back from Colorado.

There was a lot of Bronco news on TV today.  I watched some of it.  There will be a parade in downtown Denver tomorrow.  Meredith and I considered going into Denver for it, but decided we wouldn’t be missed. They are estimating a million people may attend.  There is going to be a four hour coverage of it on one of the local TV stations.  That is as close as we will need to be, I’m sure.

Meredith took me to Walmart tonight.  Matthew went along, also.  It wasn’t too crowded, but there were lots of Bronco fans, so I got several “high fives” since I was wearing my blue and orange scarf.

Thanks, Natalia, for helping with this edition of my blog!

February 7, 2016—Michelle’s house, Loveland, Colorado

We spent part of the morning getting ready for a Super Bowl Party at Meredith and Dwaine’s house.

Michelle was in charge of the pre-game snacks.  She made a dip with chili and cream cheese and served it with two kinds of chips.  That was a good start to the party.  Ron made cream cheese stuffed jalapeno peppers, wrapped in bacon and broiled.  They were really good.  Michelle had made a fruit salad which helped cool down our stomachs.

There were several pre-game shows we watched before the players were introduced.  The Broncos were the underdogs, but it didn’t turn that way.  It wasn’t a roust by any means.  It was a close enough game to make it interesting.  And the Bronco fans at Meredith’s house had plenty to cheer about.

THE BRONCOS WON THE SUPER BOWL!!!!!!

We watched the after game presentations of trophies and other awards.  Then after some people went to bed, Meredith, Michelle, Joshua, and I went to Dick’s Sporting Goods to buy t-shirts in honor of the win.  The store opened 30 minutes after the game ended.  I can promise you, we weren’t the only crazy Bronco fans around.  The store was packed…and noisy.  Lots of cheering and celebrating going on.

It was a great day!

February 6, 2016—Michelle’s house, Loveland, Colorado

Today was a very busy day for us here in Loveland.  It was 32°, which isn’t exactly a heat wave, but certainly better than the 1° we had several days ago.

Dwaine loaded the pups in their bigger car…as opposed to the Mini…and he and Meredith came to take us to Ft. Collins.  Our first order of business was to eat lunch.  We went to a Mexican Restaurant we hadn’t been to before.  Their prices were good…almost as good as their salsa and chips, but the service was a bit slow, compared to number of customer in the place.

We went to a nursery in the northern part of town.  It was so peaceful among the plants of all sizes and varieties, and the sound of the water in the fish pond, I just wanted to sit and enjoy it.  I wonder if this is the where the term “vegging out” got its start.

We made a quick stop at Target before going back home for naps. 

When I came here from Brent’s, he sent Ron a package of sliced hog jowls.  I thought it was kind of like bacon, and talked Ron into frying some of the pieces.  It wasn’t to my liking, but I will hold my judgement until Courtney cooks some for me.  Hog jowls are certainly a Southern thing.

Meredith sent pictures of me feeding the dogs some of the hog jowls, with the caption, “the Gravy Train rides again!”  Brent’s response was that after having me at his house for two weeks, Willie had to let his collar out a notch.  Brent said he has enrolled Willie in K9 Jenny Craig!

We sat by the fireplace and enjoyed each other’s company for the rest of the evening!

February 5, 2016—Michelle’s house, Loveland, Colorado

Today, Meredith and Michelle celebrated their 48th birthdays.  As I have said before, time flies when you’re having fun!  Meredith was born first, nine minutes before Michelle.  Meredith occasionally called Michelle her little sister.  I reminded Michelle how many years she would have to call Meredith her older sister.

We often marked their clothes with a “1” or a “2”.  One day in a store in Pueblo, a lady ask what their names were.  Lori replied, “This is Number 1 and this is Number 2.”  The lady said, “My, what unusual names they have.”  I agreed with her.

Bill and I tried not to refer to them as “the babies,” because they were individuals with their own names.  Sometimes, we slipped up though.  So Lori called them “the Beebs.”  That simplified things in her world.  At the dinner table, she would say that the Beebs were crying.  Bill would get up to check on them.  In his absence, Lori would eat some of his dessert.  Of course, he caught on quickly, but didn’t tell his secret for quite a long time.

We had planned to do some shopping today, but other things kept getting in the way.  Michelle and I went to US Bank and were able to get a problem taken care of.  In the meantime, Meredith went to the grocery store.  I went home to get a little rest.  Afterwards, Michelle and I went to Arby’s for lunch to take to Meredith’s.  Soon after, the pups went for a walk while I rested some more and Michelle went to Walmart for my Rx.

Michelle and I went to Meredith’s for birthday dinner.  Dave and Marla, friends from Watsonville, were there, also.  Meredith and Dwaine served cheese fondue with chunks of bread and apples to dip.  The second course was salad with Meredith’s special dressing.  The last course was three kinds of meat…filet mignon,  whole large shrimp, and lobster chunks that we cooked in hot broth.  There were also whole boiled red potatoes and cheese sour cream.  We were all very well fed.  The entire meal was wonderful and we had a good visit with friends I don’t get a chance to see very often.

In honor of the birthday girls, we adjourned to Red Robin for dessert.  And that was the end of the celebration!

February 4, 2016—Michelle’s house, Loveland, Colorado

It was 1° this morning when I got up to take my morning medication.  That’s about as cold as I want it to be.  And I don’t have to get out to go to work.  Lucky me!

I stayed inside and worked on my bookwork project.  I’m making progress, but keep having to reorganize my stacks of papers.  That takes a lot of extra time.

Michelle had to go to Winston to see her co-worker.  While she was gone I did something I hadn’t done in a long, long time.  I played the piano.  It was a challenge to keep my fingers on the correct keys, but when a note was wrong, I could hear the mistake.  I was glad to discover I hadn’t lost that part of any musical talent I might have once had.

Tippy wasn’t very impressed with the concert, but he did howl in agony, either.  He just went into another room and took a nap.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself, so that’s what counts.

Ron got pizza for dinner.  Afterwards, we sat around the table and visited.  When the “party” broke up, I went back to my computer and worked on a different kind of “keys.”

February 3, 2016—Michelle’s house, Loveland, Colorado

It was 9° when we got up this morning.  Br-r-r-r-r!  The sun is out now, but with these cold temperatures, we won’t have a lot of melting snow.

Last night, Michelle and Meredith went to the restaurant where Joshua works.  They took cupcakes to share with everyone he works with.  Then they went to a place about half a block down the street to celebrate some more.

I had no idea how long they were going to be out.  I heard the car pull in at midnight.  Tippy and I met them at the door.  I was pointing to my watch, which is only virtual because I haven’t worn one for years.  I said, “You are grounded.”  Meredith had gone on home, trembling with fear, I am sure.  Thanks to the cell phone era, she didn’t escape my “wrath.”

Michelle told Joshua that when people ask what he did for his 21st birthday, he can say, “I got grounded by my grandmother.”  We all had a good laugh about the shenanigans.

Last night, Matthew and I had our own party.  He made root beer floats, which are our favorite things to have.

Meredith and the pups came for an afternoon frolic in the snow.  Joey likes to hide a tennis ball in a snow drift and then find it.  He is very good at entertaining himself.

We went out to dinner to celebrate Joshua’s birthday.  We ate at a Thai Restaurant.  The food was very good.  I had sweet and sour tofu with vegetables.  It was really tasty!

When we got back to Michelle’s, we built a fire in the fireplace and sat and talked, while the dogs played around.  It was a good way to end a great day!

The temperature was 9° at bedtime!

February 2, 2016—Michelle’s house Loveland, Colorado

Today, Joshua celebrated his 21st birthday.  When he was little he was shaped like a brick.  He had short legs and broad shoulders and not a sprig of hair on his bald little head.  And he was walking by the time he was 9 months old.  He has been on the go ever since.  I can’t believe how he has changed as he has grown into a young man.  He has beautiful dark hair.  He’s tall and slender…very athletic looking and adorable dimples when he smiles.  He’s a handsome young man.

We had over a foot of snow.  It is so beautiful.  Flights were still being canceled today, but I think things have improved,  It quit snowing about noon.  From then on it was just a few flurries off and on.

School is seldom closed for the weather, but today it was.  Matthew thought it was great…until Michelle handed him a snow shovel.  Snow is heavy and Matthew is feeling the effects on his muscles.

When our children were little and we would have a snow day, it was always one of my favorite days.  We would bake cookies, play games in front of the fireplace, and do all sorts of crazy things…singing, dancing, art projects, etc.  I think I was the only mother in our little town of Rye, Colorado, who looked forward to snow days!

Michelle and Meredith made cupcakes to take to Josh’s work place.  Meredith had printed pictures of Joshua when he was a little “brick.”  They aren’t back to give a report on the celebration.  I am sure they are having an uproarious time.

We aren’t suppose to have more snow anytime, but if it stays cold maybe what we had will hang around until after I leave next week!

February 1, 2016—Michelle’s Loveland, Colorado

It is certainly a good thing I flew in yesterday.  We had snow all night and all day today.  About 500 flights were canceled.  The roads were getting worse and worse as the temperature went down tonight.  And it was still snowing hard. 

For dinner tonight Michelle made chili.  What could be any better on a snowy night than good chili…well, eating in front of a fire in the fireplace could make it better.

Dwaine, Meredith, and the pups came over late this afternoon.  While  I was hugging Meredith, Hapa tried to wedge her fluffy body between us.  She always wants to claim her property.  We just don’t know for sure who was being claimed.

I don’t know how many inches of snow we have gotten, but its a bunch.  And I’m loving every minute of it.  Michelle and Matthew shoveled the sidewalks this afternoon.  I offered to help, but they said they didn’t need my help.  Hm-m-m-m!  I wonder why!

I talked to Bill today and he’s so glad he isn’t here in all the fluffy white stuff.  He is the only “killjoy” in the family.  Brent and Lori both wish they were here and Meredith, Michelle, and I are here. That makes the score 1 to 5.  It might go to show that I raised a bunch of snow kids.  Hooray!

I spent most of the day resting and unpacking some things.  And checking on the progress of the snow accumulation.  Tomorrow, I hope to start on some paperwork and sit by the fireplace!