Today I spent most of my time and energy with Mother issues. She has been getting weaker and more unstable daily. Shannon was with her in the morning, and fixed dinner in the crockpot and made her a sandwich for lunch. I got there right after Shannon left, and we sat and talked for a long time.
Mother's not feeling at all steady, and uses the walker everywhere in the house. She had eaten lunch in her chair, and asked me to take care of her dishes - this doesn't sound like much unless you know Mother. She doesn't want me to do anything for her ordinarily - so it's unusual that she asks a favor. We discussed that maybe soon she will no longer be able to stay in her own home - she may need assisted living. She mentioned Bortz - and I know they have an assisted living facility connected to their nursing home.
I was heading for the grocery store anyway, so she told me a few things she would like me to pick up for her. While I was out and about, I went over to Bortz, and asked for a tour of the assisted living section. I think it's really well-suited for Mother. The room is small, but furnished. It reminds me of a hotel room. It has a private bathroom, cable TV, phone, etc. I could picture Mother being comfortable there. It's called Concord Place. I put our names on the list so we will be notified when a vacancy occurs.
Off to the new Oleson's - for variety in shopping. Back to Mother's to deliver groceries and discuss Concord Place. It surprised me how receptive she was to the idea of moving there. I think that's an indicator of how lousy she feels. We talked about it for quite a while, and she got most of the facts straight - we discussed the price, and she actually said, "Well, that's not too bad." I was really stunned. It was SSA day, so I took her check to the bank and brought her back some cash - she is very frugal.
We decided to wait and see how she feels for the next week, now that she's off her anti-biotics and should be shaking the side-effects soon. (Dizziness) So right now I have to say that she is not doing well - she is becoming weaker and less mobile right before our eyes. It's really noticeable. I can't predict the future, but if she is this incapacitated permanently, I can't see leaving town, even though we have plans for 2 outings coming up this month - one for a weekend and one for an entire day. Sometimes it's hard to know what is the best thing to do. I get really conflicted. I think I'm secretly hoping that a vacancy will open up at Concord Place, and that she will be willing to move in. It would be a tremendous relief to us to have her in a place with 24 hour care. It's hard to admit that.
Jim called this evening and said he's coming up Sunday, staying Sunday night, and leaving on Monday. He'll do Mom's taxes. Hooray for Jim.
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Sounds Good to Me
Well, wouldn't you just know it. We spent the day geocaching in Cadillac yesterday, and this morning we noticed there's a new cache right where we were yesterday! So, naturally, we had to go check it out, and we were the first finders! We ate breakfast at Frosty Cup again - 2 days in a row.
We used to like Frosty Cup better than anyplace, but the waitresses have changed, and the atmosphere has changed, and now we're thinking it's not really our favorite anymore. Stay tuned to find out the new favorite!
Back to T.C., we went to Sam's Club so Dick could stock up on olives. We also got water, and I got 2 new pillows and a paperback. We mailed Laurie's birthday card.
We used to like Frosty Cup better than anyplace, but the waitresses have changed, and the atmosphere has changed, and now we're thinking it's not really our favorite anymore. Stay tuned to find out the new favorite!
Back to T.C., we went to Sam's Club so Dick could stock up on olives. We also got water, and I got 2 new pillows and a paperback. We mailed Laurie's birthday card.
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
DinoDuo
We wanted to return the lost GPS to DinoDuo (Tim and Susie), so we arranged to meet them at our favorite breakfast spot, Frosty Cup in Cadillac. We had a long, leisurely breakfast. We have so much to talk about - geocaches we have found and experiences teaching - a never ending supply of great stories! As soon as someone tells a story it reminds someone else of another one. We could have sat there for a long time - well, OK, we did sit there for a long time!
After breakfast we all went out looking for the four new caches in the Cadillac area, all of them put out by Frank&Peggy. We found some new sig items, and got a good idea for how to store them (baseball card holders). It was a successful day - we found them all - 2 by Lake Mitchell, one by Lake Cadillac, and one by the cross country skiing paths. I got a great idea for a winter cache - a fake ice fishing shanty! Well, maybe not. We finished our mission around 2:30, and parted ways, with a promise to get together again in a couple of weeks.
Dick and I went into Traverse City to run a couple of errands. We went to the Camera Shop and Dick asked them what they do with the empty film containers after they develop film. It turns out that they save them for beggars like us! We know what we want them for, but we're not sure what other people want them for!
We wound up going out for an early dinner at La Senorita! Perfect end to a perfect day.
After breakfast we all went out looking for the four new caches in the Cadillac area, all of them put out by Frank&Peggy. We found some new sig items, and got a good idea for how to store them (baseball card holders). It was a successful day - we found them all - 2 by Lake Mitchell, one by Lake Cadillac, and one by the cross country skiing paths. I got a great idea for a winter cache - a fake ice fishing shanty! Well, maybe not. We finished our mission around 2:30, and parted ways, with a promise to get together again in a couple of weeks.
Dick and I went into Traverse City to run a couple of errands. We went to the Camera Shop and Dick asked them what they do with the empty film containers after they develop film. It turns out that they save them for beggars like us! We know what we want them for, but we're not sure what other people want them for!
We wound up going out for an early dinner at La Senorita! Perfect end to a perfect day.
Monday, January 31, 2005
China Cabinet
Dick worked at the Agency this morning and had 5 contacts. Then he went to various city parks and to Meijer, from which he brought home steaks for dinner!
So today I cleaned out and rearranged the china cabinet to accommodate the dishes I brought from Mother's. I put my four favorite plates up above, and the rest are stored below in the cabinet. I found some things that I had forgotten I had! There are some beautiful glass dessert plates with an etched butterfly in the center - I'm sure they came from Mother Gen. Some of the items previously stored in the cabinet have been demoted to the guest room closet. Now I'll probably forget those things too!
The lady from Integrity convinced me to let the 18 year old girl try being a caretaker for Mother. The lady seemed to think that Ashley is more than qualified to handle any situation, and that we will come to really rely on her. So we haven't cut the cord yet. I also arranged for Lisa Zimmerman from the COA to go to Mom's tomorrow to give her a haircut.
Sharon and John have a teen-ager living with them again, after 10 years alone. John's niece Joyce is being deployed to Iraq with her National Guard Unit from Grayling. Joyce has 2 daughters, one of whom is in college, and the other is a senior in high school and needs a place to stay. I really admire Sharon and John for taking her into their home, and I'm hoping that all goes smoothly for everyone. I'm thinking that Patty will need a lot of emotional support.
So today I cleaned out and rearranged the china cabinet to accommodate the dishes I brought from Mother's. I put my four favorite plates up above, and the rest are stored below in the cabinet. I found some things that I had forgotten I had! There are some beautiful glass dessert plates with an etched butterfly in the center - I'm sure they came from Mother Gen. Some of the items previously stored in the cabinet have been demoted to the guest room closet. Now I'll probably forget those things too!
The lady from Integrity convinced me to let the 18 year old girl try being a caretaker for Mother. The lady seemed to think that Ashley is more than qualified to handle any situation, and that we will come to really rely on her. So we haven't cut the cord yet. I also arranged for Lisa Zimmerman from the COA to go to Mom's tomorrow to give her a haircut.
Sharon and John have a teen-ager living with them again, after 10 years alone. John's niece Joyce is being deployed to Iraq with her National Guard Unit from Grayling. Joyce has 2 daughters, one of whom is in college, and the other is a senior in high school and needs a place to stay. I really admire Sharon and John for taking her into their home, and I'm hoping that all goes smoothly for everyone. I'm thinking that Patty will need a lot of emotional support.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
U of M Historic Dinner Plates
Today when we visited Mother, I took along the new dish protector set and my jug of Drano Gel. The kitchen sink on Union St. has always been annoyingly slow to drain, and I really wanted to try my new favorite clog treatment. I did, and it worked great. When I washed her dishes, I think the sink drained much faster.
For years and years Mother has been telling me that she wants me to have the U of M dishes, service for 12. So when we got there, Dick did the trash and loaded up the recycling, and then he got all of the blue dishes out of the china cabinet and we packed them up. The U of M plates are really quite interesting. They were made in 1928, and each plate has a picture of a different campus building. Some of the buildings are still there, and still look much the same. But some have been torn down and replaced. The buildings which still exist are the President's House, the Michigan League, the Union, Angell Hall, the Engineering Arch, Alumni Hall (which is now the Art Museum), U of M Hospital, and the old gates to Ferry Field. My grandmother Geib supplemented the plates with serving pieces and other place setting items of similar color but different pattern. It really makes quite a nice service. The only things missing are soup bowls.
We had just sat down to visit when Uncle Fritz and Aunt Ruth dropped in. It was good to see them. They are looking well. Uncle Fritz was full of stories as usual.
By the way, my grandmother, Mary Blanche Rice Geib, always went by the name Blanche, but she signed personal letters and notes with her initials, MBRG, which is why I use NJKS for the signature on the blog. Her intials rhymed better than mine though.
While I'm typing this, Dick is reading to me out of his book, Deadly Dance, by M.C. Beaton. It's an Agatha Raisin mystery. Try typing and listening to a story at the same time. It's a challenge. But it's a very funny book, despite the title.
For years and years Mother has been telling me that she wants me to have the U of M dishes, service for 12. So when we got there, Dick did the trash and loaded up the recycling, and then he got all of the blue dishes out of the china cabinet and we packed them up. The U of M plates are really quite interesting. They were made in 1928, and each plate has a picture of a different campus building. Some of the buildings are still there, and still look much the same. But some have been torn down and replaced. The buildings which still exist are the President's House, the Michigan League, the Union, Angell Hall, the Engineering Arch, Alumni Hall (which is now the Art Museum), U of M Hospital, and the old gates to Ferry Field. My grandmother Geib supplemented the plates with serving pieces and other place setting items of similar color but different pattern. It really makes quite a nice service. The only things missing are soup bowls.
We had just sat down to visit when Uncle Fritz and Aunt Ruth dropped in. It was good to see them. They are looking well. Uncle Fritz was full of stories as usual.
By the way, my grandmother, Mary Blanche Rice Geib, always went by the name Blanche, but she signed personal letters and notes with her initials, MBRG, which is why I use NJKS for the signature on the blog. Her intials rhymed better than mine though.
While I'm typing this, Dick is reading to me out of his book, Deadly Dance, by M.C. Beaton. It's an Agatha Raisin mystery. Try typing and listening to a story at the same time. It's a challenge. But it's a very funny book, despite the title.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Veggie Soup
One of the joys of winter is having Dick make veggie-beef soup. Wow, is it good. This is not your mother's veggie soup. We put in lots of good beef, carrots, onions, lima beans, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato soup, red wine, beef broth, tomato juice, chili powder, seasonings, celery, and garlic. Yum yum yum.
With a big pot of soup bubbling on the stove, he went cross country skiing combined with some geocaching research for future caches.
Things were very quiet here at home - I did laundry, ran the Roomba (I love that thing), stirred the soup, read my book (Memorial Hall by Jane Langton), and played pogo.com. Life is good.
I took some soup in for Mother - she loves our soup, or at least she tells us that she does!
With a big pot of soup bubbling on the stove, he went cross country skiing combined with some geocaching research for future caches.
Things were very quiet here at home - I did laundry, ran the Roomba (I love that thing), stirred the soup, read my book (Memorial Hall by Jane Langton), and played pogo.com. Life is good.
I took some soup in for Mother - she loves our soup, or at least she tells us that she does!
Friday, January 28, 2005
Paging Dr. Auer
This morning Dick worked at the Visitor Center, and had a long conversation with Kathee. The two of them get along so well - it's great. She tells her kids about his geocaching experiences, and so now they want Dick to take them out geocaching sometime. That would be a lot of fun.
Mother paged Dr. Auer this morning - he asked her about humidity in the house, and mentioned that maybe she should spend a couple of days in the hospital. She definitely doesn't want to do that, but I pointed out to her that after all, he is the doctor.
Integrity sent a Feb. calendar indicating that Stacy will only be coming for one more week, and then another person will be coming. Mother asked Stacy about it and she said that the new girl is 18 years old! We agree that this is not good - Mother needs somebody who has housekeeping and cooking skills. If they can't give us someone with more experience, we'll change homecare companies.
Mother paged Dr. Auer this morning - he asked her about humidity in the house, and mentioned that maybe she should spend a couple of days in the hospital. She definitely doesn't want to do that, but I pointed out to her that after all, he is the doctor.
Integrity sent a Feb. calendar indicating that Stacy will only be coming for one more week, and then another person will be coming. Mother asked Stacy about it and she said that the new girl is 18 years old! We agree that this is not good - Mother needs somebody who has housekeeping and cooking skills. If they can't give us someone with more experience, we'll change homecare companies.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
Blue Skies
This morning the weather report cracked me up. It was 24 below in Gaylord, and they said that Traverse City had some cloud cover, and so we were "considerably warmer". Our temperature was 1. (!!!) We lost our cloud cover, because by the time we took Mother to the doctor, the skies were a beautiful blue, and cloudless. Or as Willie Nelson would say, "unclouded".
(If you want to hear Willie sing The Unclouded Day in person, go to the following link, and he's the background music. If you scroll down past the memorial, you get all of the lyrics. Willie sings the *whole* thing!)
http://www.minibite.com/serious/nicky.htm
This was the first time going to the Clinic that we used a wheelchair for Mother. She always says "I'm not that desparate." But this time I told her that the doctor said it had to be that way because he didn't want her to get dizzy and pass out. Using the wheelchair was so much easier than having her struggle along hanging on to my arm and going so-o-o-o slowly. We both enjoyed it. Dick was in charge of the chair, and I really appreciated it!
We had a good doctor visit. First came a chest x-ray, which revealed that Mom has a "touch" of pneumonia. The doctor prescribed a 7-day course of antibiotics. He said to apply ointment to her side to relieve the pain she has left over from the shingles. They did an O2 test, which turned out OK, and a blood test which we'll find out about later.
I feel much better about her condition than I did yesterday. I think that Shannon may be a bit of an alarmist.
Mother is supposed to call Dr. Auer at the hospital on Friday and Monday between 8-9 a.m. and have him paged. He wants to talk to her to see how she's doing, if she's eating properly, and to give her the test results.
Right now I'm watching the Michigan basketball team be slaughtered by MSU. It's quite painful. Right now it's 61 - 47. Is that enough of a drubbing? Yes it is. Oh well.
(If you want to hear Willie sing The Unclouded Day in person, go to the following link, and he's the background music. If you scroll down past the memorial, you get all of the lyrics. Willie sings the *whole* thing!)
http://www.minibite.com/serious/nicky.htm
This was the first time going to the Clinic that we used a wheelchair for Mother. She always says "I'm not that desparate." But this time I told her that the doctor said it had to be that way because he didn't want her to get dizzy and pass out. Using the wheelchair was so much easier than having her struggle along hanging on to my arm and going so-o-o-o slowly. We both enjoyed it. Dick was in charge of the chair, and I really appreciated it!
We had a good doctor visit. First came a chest x-ray, which revealed that Mom has a "touch" of pneumonia. The doctor prescribed a 7-day course of antibiotics. He said to apply ointment to her side to relieve the pain she has left over from the shingles. They did an O2 test, which turned out OK, and a blood test which we'll find out about later.
I feel much better about her condition than I did yesterday. I think that Shannon may be a bit of an alarmist.
Mother is supposed to call Dr. Auer at the hospital on Friday and Monday between 8-9 a.m. and have him paged. He wants to talk to her to see how she's doing, if she's eating properly, and to give her the test results.
Right now I'm watching the Michigan basketball team be slaughtered by MSU. It's quite painful. Right now it's 61 - 47. Is that enough of a drubbing? Yes it is. Oh well.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
The Lost is Found!!!
Dick is now an official hero, especially to Tim and Susie. He couldn't stand not knowing what happened to that GPS, so this morning he rented a metal detector, and went back over to the Vasa Trail. He located the GPS right in the middle of the path (snow-covered) and fairly close to the parking lot. Dick spoke to Tim and Susie (they're in Jackson), and they were surprised and pleased. They had already purchased a new one, but they'll be very glad to have this one back, with five years' worth of data! Congratulations Dick!
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Jet Katana
Bill and Jan got here around 10 a.m. We had a bit of brunch, and then we went to the airport to pick up Bob, Reiko, and Jet. He is such a sweet baby, you just wouldn't believe it. He's 11 months old, has 8 teeth, and weighs 14,000 pounds. Well, maybe not. But he's a big boy. They're off to Manistee to visit until Friday.
Mother is having a health crisis - she's still really sick with a bad cold, and Shannon is afraid that the cold will develop into pneumonia, or that it's a contagious virus of some kind. Shannon doesn't want to pass on any viral conditions to her other clients. Mother refuses to see a doctor.
I called Thirlby Clinic and talked to Dr. Auer's nurse, who said that she would set up a home visit tomorrow so a nurse will come and evaluate Mom's health, listen to her chest, etc. I really wish she would come here and stay with us until she feels better, but right now she won't hear of it. Shannon says that if Mother's not better by Thursday, she's not coming to the house.
Dr. Auer was nice enough to call Mom, but according to Mother, nothing came of the phone call. We'll wait and see what the visiting nurse says tomorrow. Right now I'm feeling that if Mom's not better by Thursday, she'll have to come out here whether she wants to or not. I'm certainly not going to spend days and nights at her house. Maybe if we made her come out here, it would give her incentive to get better so she could go back home! I have a problem though trying to figure out how to make her do anything that she doesn't want to do. I don't know the fireman's carry!
Meanwhile, Stacy from Integrity is scheduled to be at Mother's in the morning. I haven't heard from the visiting nurse yet.
I lost the desire to go to the movies. Maybe next week.
Dr. Auer called me and insisted that Mother come in for an appointment. I told him that she didn't want to, and he said that there comes a time when we don't give people choices. I mentioned that she has trouble getting around, and he said they have wheelchairs for that. I made an appointment for Thursday. I told mother, and she really didn't object that much, which surprised me. She said, "I guess I don't have any choice."
The doctor visit takes the place of the visiting nurse. Dr. Auer said that listening to the lungs is about 20% as effective as having an x-ray. He said that she really needs a health assessment at this point in case we want to have hospice care or special medications. He can determine how bad (or good) it is and what we need to do next.
Mother is having a health crisis - she's still really sick with a bad cold, and Shannon is afraid that the cold will develop into pneumonia, or that it's a contagious virus of some kind. Shannon doesn't want to pass on any viral conditions to her other clients. Mother refuses to see a doctor.
I called Thirlby Clinic and talked to Dr. Auer's nurse, who said that she would set up a home visit tomorrow so a nurse will come and evaluate Mom's health, listen to her chest, etc. I really wish she would come here and stay with us until she feels better, but right now she won't hear of it. Shannon says that if Mother's not better by Thursday, she's not coming to the house.
Dr. Auer was nice enough to call Mom, but according to Mother, nothing came of the phone call. We'll wait and see what the visiting nurse says tomorrow. Right now I'm feeling that if Mom's not better by Thursday, she'll have to come out here whether she wants to or not. I'm certainly not going to spend days and nights at her house. Maybe if we made her come out here, it would give her incentive to get better so she could go back home! I have a problem though trying to figure out how to make her do anything that she doesn't want to do. I don't know the fireman's carry!
Meanwhile, Stacy from Integrity is scheduled to be at Mother's in the morning. I haven't heard from the visiting nurse yet.
I lost the desire to go to the movies. Maybe next week.
Dr. Auer called me and insisted that Mother come in for an appointment. I told him that she didn't want to, and he said that there comes a time when we don't give people choices. I mentioned that she has trouble getting around, and he said they have wheelchairs for that. I made an appointment for Thursday. I told mother, and she really didn't object that much, which surprised me. She said, "I guess I don't have any choice."
The doctor visit takes the place of the visiting nurse. Dr. Auer said that listening to the lungs is about 20% as effective as having an x-ray. He said that she really needs a health assessment at this point in case we want to have hospice care or special medications. He can determine how bad (or good) it is and what we need to do next.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Ho Hum
Somebody in England at the Royal College of General Practitioners has come forth with the statement that today, Monday January 24, is the worst day of the year. People are bored with winter, have given up on their New Year's resolutions, are in debt from Christmas, etc., etc., etc. You can read the whole article here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4187183.stm
This morning when I heard about this, I wasn't worried, because Jan was scheduled to come and visit, and that would brighten any day. But as it turned out, Reiko and Bob can't fly here today because of the storm-disrupted airline situation. So Jan isn't coming until tomorrow.
So while it actually wasn't the worst day I ever heard of, it was disappointing and lack-luster. I made bean soup. Whoop whoop.
Dick worked at the Agency, and went shopping at Meijer, so he had that sort of excitement. (?)
Since I didn't do anything interesting today, I am planning to go to the movies tomorrow. (Free popcorn day) I'm in the mood for something scary, so I'm thinking of seeing White Noise.
Jan is planning on coming early in the morning to pick up the California branch of their family at the airport. We'll have a chance to visit, and we're planning to go to the airport to see baby Jet. Yes, that's right, Jet. And then they will all go to Kim's house in Manistee.
By next November, Jan and Bill will have 5 grandchildren. Five! FIVE! How much fun would that be?!?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4187183.stm
This morning when I heard about this, I wasn't worried, because Jan was scheduled to come and visit, and that would brighten any day. But as it turned out, Reiko and Bob can't fly here today because of the storm-disrupted airline situation. So Jan isn't coming until tomorrow.
So while it actually wasn't the worst day I ever heard of, it was disappointing and lack-luster. I made bean soup. Whoop whoop.
Dick worked at the Agency, and went shopping at Meijer, so he had that sort of excitement. (?)
Since I didn't do anything interesting today, I am planning to go to the movies tomorrow. (Free popcorn day) I'm in the mood for something scary, so I'm thinking of seeing White Noise.
Jan is planning on coming early in the morning to pick up the California branch of their family at the airport. We'll have a chance to visit, and we're planning to go to the airport to see baby Jet. Yes, that's right, Jet. And then they will all go to Kim's house in Manistee.
By next November, Jan and Bill will have 5 grandchildren. Five! FIVE! How much fun would that be?!?
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Br-r-r-r-r
This morning it was 9 degrees below zero! That's too cold for me!
I sat by the fire and folded clothes and ran the Roomba. (I love that thing.)
We went grocery shopping for play-off snacks and for lunch things in case Jan Snider comes tomorrow. (More later.)
Visiting Mother was a little discouraging because she is feeling so listless. She has no energy to do much of anything. I can sympathize with that feeling, but I'm sure that her lack of stamina far exceeds anything I experienced. Dick took out the trash and shoveled the walks and the driveway. Mom said she was hungry for a "hamburg" with a big slice of onion. So Dick went to J&S and got her a burger. She ate it right in her chair - she didn't feel like walking to the dining room. She still has a bad cold and the post-shingles type pain in her side.
We watched the Eagles win their play-off game, and now we're watching Tom Brady beat the Steelers. Sorry, Chip!
Depending on the weather, Reiko may be flying into T.C. tomorrow. If she does, Jan will drive over to pick her up, and will stop here to wait and to get directions to the new terminal. I hope everything works out - it would be fun. Unfortunately, the recent storms have disrupted the airline schedules, so we'll just have to wait until the morning to see if she can come.
Johnny Carson died today. He was always a big favorite of ours when we were young and able to stay up late! If he were on now, we would TiVo him! He was a very funny and popular man - "The King of Late Night".
I sat by the fire and folded clothes and ran the Roomba. (I love that thing.)
We went grocery shopping for play-off snacks and for lunch things in case Jan Snider comes tomorrow. (More later.)
Visiting Mother was a little discouraging because she is feeling so listless. She has no energy to do much of anything. I can sympathize with that feeling, but I'm sure that her lack of stamina far exceeds anything I experienced. Dick took out the trash and shoveled the walks and the driveway. Mom said she was hungry for a "hamburg" with a big slice of onion. So Dick went to J&S and got her a burger. She ate it right in her chair - she didn't feel like walking to the dining room. She still has a bad cold and the post-shingles type pain in her side.
We watched the Eagles win their play-off game, and now we're watching Tom Brady beat the Steelers. Sorry, Chip!
Depending on the weather, Reiko may be flying into T.C. tomorrow. If she does, Jan will drive over to pick her up, and will stop here to wait and to get directions to the new terminal. I hope everything works out - it would be fun. Unfortunately, the recent storms have disrupted the airline schedules, so we'll just have to wait until the morning to see if she can come.
Johnny Carson died today. He was always a big favorite of ours when we were young and able to stay up late! If he were on now, we would TiVo him! He was a very funny and popular man - "The King of Late Night".
Saturday, January 22, 2005
The Search
We were back over at the Vasa Trail at 9:45 a.m. armed with broom rakes to search for Tim's GPS. Tim and Susie came around 10:30. We all raked the snow along the path, but we came up empty. We stopped looking at noon and came home to get warm and have some lunch. I still don't understand how a bright yellow object can totally disappear in the snow.
Michigan lost their basketball game today to Wisconsin. Next week we play Michigan State, and they will eat us alive. They are ranked in the top 20. Michigan is not ranked. I wonder how a coach prepares a team to go to East Lansing and take a beating. The Big Ten season is getting interesting. It's so enjoyable to watch basketball by a warm fire on a snowy January day.
Dick plowed out the whole road and driveway - it took a long time.
Michigan lost their basketball game today to Wisconsin. Next week we play Michigan State, and they will eat us alive. They are ranked in the top 20. Michigan is not ranked. I wonder how a coach prepares a team to go to East Lansing and take a beating. The Big Ten season is getting interesting. It's so enjoyable to watch basketball by a warm fire on a snowy January day.
Dick plowed out the whole road and driveway - it took a long time.
Friday, January 21, 2005
The Lost GPS
Today we took both cars into town - I visited Mother, Dick went to the dentist. We met Tim and Susie for lunch at the Green House Cafe, and had a great geo-lunch!
Then all four of us went to find a cache that we had been unable to locate before, and this time Dick found it! We were all very excited, because it was so cold outside, it was a relief to get back into the car! It had been 12 below zero F in the early morning, but by the time we were geo-caching, it had zoomed up to 10.
Then the 3 intrepid cachers (DinoDuo and Basswood Bend) went off into the woods for more geocaching.
I stayed in town to do all the mundane things - grocery shopping, library, post office, gas station. And I went back to Mother's to deliver this humungous muffin that I got at the Cafe. I think it's enough for a whole meal!
When Dick got home, he told me the bad news... while they were tromping around in the snow, somehow Tim dropped his GPS. They searched everywhere they could think of - pockets, snow drifts, etc., but they couldn't come up with it. After searching for more than an hour, they gave up. DinoDuo returned to the area and searched some more, but it's nowhere to be seen. We just can't imagine what happened to it - and it's bright yellow, so you would think that it would be easy to spot in the snow. It's a big loss for any geocacher, and I'm almost positive that we will go back over there tomorrow for another look.
The only good news to come out of that expedition was that they did actually find the cache!
Then all four of us went to find a cache that we had been unable to locate before, and this time Dick found it! We were all very excited, because it was so cold outside, it was a relief to get back into the car! It had been 12 below zero F in the early morning, but by the time we were geo-caching, it had zoomed up to 10.
Then the 3 intrepid cachers (DinoDuo and Basswood Bend) went off into the woods for more geocaching.
I stayed in town to do all the mundane things - grocery shopping, library, post office, gas station. And I went back to Mother's to deliver this humungous muffin that I got at the Cafe. I think it's enough for a whole meal!
When Dick got home, he told me the bad news... while they were tromping around in the snow, somehow Tim dropped his GPS. They searched everywhere they could think of - pockets, snow drifts, etc., but they couldn't come up with it. After searching for more than an hour, they gave up. DinoDuo returned to the area and searched some more, but it's nowhere to be seen. We just can't imagine what happened to it - and it's bright yellow, so you would think that it would be easy to spot in the snow. It's a big loss for any geocacher, and I'm almost positive that we will go back over there tomorrow for another look.
The only good news to come out of that expedition was that they did actually find the cache!
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Inauguration Day
I really enjoyed watching the pomp and circumstance of the whole Inauguration proceeding. Dick refused to look at any of it - he busied himself outside bringing wood to the house and moving snow. Or else he sat in a different room reading a book. I'm just hooked on seeing all of the bigwigs and seeing how the women are dressed.
It was fun to see the first families and ex-Presidents and first ladies entering the podium for the oath of office. It's unusual to see a gathering of so many people and recognize all of the faces. The people accompanying and escorting the bigwigs were interesting too. For instance, the announcer actually said, "Ladies and gentlemen, accompanying Mrs. Lynn Cheney are Mrs. Tom DeLay and Mr. Paul Pelosi." Now there's an odd couple!
It was heroic of Chief Justice Rehnquist to make it to the podium for the swearing in. He's so ill - I know it was a real struggle for him to do that. And he was escorted out immediately after "So help me God." He must have had a strong desire to be there.
During the speech, I just listened on the computer while I cleaned out our files in the computer room. I tossed out a bunch of old financial statements and filed away all of the new stuff. Made a new folder for our Subaru and just generally organized papers all afternoon. Finally have all of the year-end tax documents in one place - so that's a good job done.
Made some chili for supper, and it smells so good it's making me hungry! The coverage of the Inaugural Balls begins at 8 p.m. I would really like to watch some of it - it's fun to see how the other half lives. Dick will not be at all interested.
We do have this problem of such an extravagant Inaugural celebration at a time of such widespread human suffering in Iraq and also in South East Asia. It would have been such an excellent plan to tone things down a bit, and send some of that money to the other side of the world. But it didn't happen that way - it's the biggest, splashiest celebration ever. I had the thought when I saw all the flags around the Capitol building that those flags should have been at half mast in honor of dead soldiers. We have felt ever since George was sort of elected the first time that the country has been totally out of our hands. The feeling continues.
It was fun to see the first families and ex-Presidents and first ladies entering the podium for the oath of office. It's unusual to see a gathering of so many people and recognize all of the faces. The people accompanying and escorting the bigwigs were interesting too. For instance, the announcer actually said, "Ladies and gentlemen, accompanying Mrs. Lynn Cheney are Mrs. Tom DeLay and Mr. Paul Pelosi." Now there's an odd couple!
It was heroic of Chief Justice Rehnquist to make it to the podium for the swearing in. He's so ill - I know it was a real struggle for him to do that. And he was escorted out immediately after "So help me God." He must have had a strong desire to be there.
During the speech, I just listened on the computer while I cleaned out our files in the computer room. I tossed out a bunch of old financial statements and filed away all of the new stuff. Made a new folder for our Subaru and just generally organized papers all afternoon. Finally have all of the year-end tax documents in one place - so that's a good job done.
Made some chili for supper, and it smells so good it's making me hungry! The coverage of the Inaugural Balls begins at 8 p.m. I would really like to watch some of it - it's fun to see how the other half lives. Dick will not be at all interested.
We do have this problem of such an extravagant Inaugural celebration at a time of such widespread human suffering in Iraq and also in South East Asia. It would have been such an excellent plan to tone things down a bit, and send some of that money to the other side of the world. But it didn't happen that way - it's the biggest, splashiest celebration ever. I had the thought when I saw all the flags around the Capitol building that those flags should have been at half mast in honor of dead soldiers. We have felt ever since George was sort of elected the first time that the country has been totally out of our hands. The feeling continues.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Roomba
Dick bought me a Roomba yesterday, and I mentioned it in my journal. Well, my friend Mitch in England didn't understand what it is, so she posted a comment. I think it's possible that other people may not know what it is either, because we are so cutting edge (!). And also some people may not read the comments, so this is what I posted for Mitch:
A Roomba is (what else) a robot vacuum cleaner! It does your floors whether carpet or wood or linoleum. I used it this morning for the first time, and it was great! I followed it all around the house just giggling. It's round and red and flat, and when it bumps into things, it very wisely turns itself around and goes in a different direction. It runs for 2 hours on one charge, and then it needs to be plugged in again. I'm telling you what - it's the most fun you can have cleaning house!! I am a happy camper!
We gave Jana a Roomba for Christmas, because it's supposed to be very good at picking up cat hair. I waited for a report from her before I asked for one. She really liked it and recommended it - so hooray! Her cats didn't mind it either. Dick thought that maybe the cats would take turns riding it like a skateboard.
Today was very snowy and blowy - more than 30 school districts cancelled school today. I haven't left the fireside all day. I'm reading the latest Kinsey Milhone, R is for Ricochet. McLenithan came along with his snow blower, and Dick shoveled off the porch, but I was a couch potato.
I watched quite a bit of Condoleezza's confirmation hearing. I love Senator Barbara Boxer. Dr. Rice is a piece of work.
A Roomba is (what else) a robot vacuum cleaner! It does your floors whether carpet or wood or linoleum. I used it this morning for the first time, and it was great! I followed it all around the house just giggling. It's round and red and flat, and when it bumps into things, it very wisely turns itself around and goes in a different direction. It runs for 2 hours on one charge, and then it needs to be plugged in again. I'm telling you what - it's the most fun you can have cleaning house!! I am a happy camper!
We gave Jana a Roomba for Christmas, because it's supposed to be very good at picking up cat hair. I waited for a report from her before I asked for one. She really liked it and recommended it - so hooray! Her cats didn't mind it either. Dick thought that maybe the cats would take turns riding it like a skateboard.
Today was very snowy and blowy - more than 30 school districts cancelled school today. I haven't left the fireside all day. I'm reading the latest Kinsey Milhone, R is for Ricochet. McLenithan came along with his snow blower, and Dick shoveled off the porch, but I was a couch potato.
I watched quite a bit of Condoleezza's confirmation hearing. I love Senator Barbara Boxer. Dr. Rice is a piece of work.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Chianti's and BoTangles
Originally, we were going to meet DinoDuo for lunch, and Dick was going geocaching with them afterwards, while I went to get a perm and a haircut. The weather changed our plans. We all decided that it wouldn't be a good day for them to drive over from Kalkaska, so they didn't come. Dick and I went to Chianti's anyway, since their buffet special was 2/$10. Nobody told us about the $2 for parking, however.
So I went to BoTangles, and Dick ran some errands. It was fun talking to Colleen - her life is better than my soap opera! Dick bought me a Roomba! I can hardly wait to try it. It has to charge up overnight and so we'll see how it works tomorrow.
So I went to BoTangles, and Dick ran some errands. It was fun talking to Colleen - her life is better than my soap opera! Dick bought me a Roomba! I can hardly wait to try it. It has to charge up overnight and so we'll see how it works tomorrow.
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