A week at home

Monday, March 23

Starting this week with a photo by Evie Schuetz of her daughter, Franka, who turns 14 this coming Wednesday, 2/25. Franka was featured with a neat cartoon in last week’s blog with an owl hoarding toilet paper.Franka on a rock along the John Wayne Trail, in a dress made by her mom, Evie, who photographed her.

John left this morning for wine grapevine pruning at White Heron’s Mariposa Vineyard. I slept in, after being up to the wee hours of this morning.

I put away things from the dryer, and added more from yesterday, plus started a new load of clothes. Also started soaking dishes to put in the dishwasher. Washed & dried another load of clothes today.

John called at 12:25. leaving vineyard, heading to Pilot Station for gas and will call from there. I had a nutrition drink to tide me over, but will have chicken soup with added breast meat when he gets home to have his leftover meatloaf.

I am working on an Affidavit for Immigration Status for a friend. Never have I done one of these before. (It got completed and submitted.)

Tuesday, Mar 24

Call Bi-Mart and see if they are open today. They are open!! So John can drive by. Finished immigration status affidavit for Allie –signed, created PDF and sent to her.

Spent a ton of time with RCI today and learned lots. Also used one of our space-banked units in Hawaii for Dawn Dukelow (former student) who is going to Hawaii for her honeymoon, after they are married September 12, 2020 in Tacoma, WA..

Check to see if the Gothard Sisters are still out there. YES!
They are still there if you missed it from the previous blog.

The Gothard Sisters: Free Concert Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

And, here is Nick Zentner’s lecture tonight:

‘Nick from Home’ Livestream #6 – Flood Basalts

Wednesday, Mar 25

John drove to White Heron, and found snow at Renslow Bridge and at Ryegrass Hill, and on all the hills to the north. It is now snowing here. He called me on his way down the hill to the turnoff to the vineyard, and I had just waked up because of badly interrupted sleep last night.

A phone call came in from Lewis Armstrong at 8:56 a.m. here, and I was in the kitchen fixing my first cup of coffee. We talked for a while and then I tried to access my computer to look for something he sent me (a PowerPoint) about his daughter. I found I have no connection to the outside world. It’s like the Internet is totally down and unavailable. I went to the back of my house and called Cameron Fries at White Heron with the pruners where John is, but only got his voice mail. So, I left a message to call me back on my landline and what was happening here with no Internet connection on either mine or John’s computer.
I rebooted my modem but that did not help. I tested my WiFi with sending a print out to the printer and that worked.

Called consolidated communications about a bill that increased to $89.74 from last month, $90.74 Turns out our Internet price and also our landline charge both have gone up, so our entire bill since Feb went up ~$5.

Called Gloria and checked in on how she is. Be sure she knows we are not coming probably for two months. She and Shirli her younger sister were both there.

Guess I will work off line and file receipts today. I may be able to call about some more billing questions. Top photo by Maryann Donohoe Hawks, looking west from Vantage highway; lower photos our front and backyards

Snowing again, hard, at 1:00 p.m. here on the Naneum Fan. Now graupeling here (as soft hail).

Next story is about my past (in the last century).Lewis Armstrong is a friend now retired living in Fayetteville, GA. We have been in touch and he’d like me to share his Amazon books with my friends. Here’s his bio. He’s the author of these books. He and I were together in the class (top photo), along with Miriam Hill, at the University of Texas for an NSF-funded geography computer seminar in ’98. I’m 2nd back on left. Bottom left pix is at my request for his tie (of the San Andreas Fault)—especially relevant now with Nick Zentner’s livestreaming Geology lectures; along with Lewis’ books on Amazon.
Lewis retired from the Army in ’93 and then retired as a university librarian in ’03. He participates in storytelling, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion. He builds PowerPoints for patriotic programs such as Memorial Day, Flag Day, and Veterans Day.

Nick Zentner’s talk tonight.

‘Nick from Home’ Livestream #7 – Ginkgo Petrified Forest

Thursday, Mar 26

Late to bed last night, up to see John off to the Mariposa vineyard for pruning, and back to bed to sleep in late to make it through my day. Yesterday was a packed day with a lot of frustrations and realization of how much we depend on communication via the Internet. Still have not heard what took ours away for several hours. I finally heard (not the cause), but all of Consolidated Communication Internet users throughout the whole state, were without Internet access for 3 hours.

Wrote Cheryl Bach we got some empty feed bags from her trailer & thanks. Now they are destined for a 2nd life holding garbage. Called about toenails to find our appointment has been cancelled, so we’ll soak our own feet and do our own.

Called Consolidated Communications and found out about the raise in cost for phone and for Internet started in February. Also, to get a higher upload speed, (we are at 1 and 4 on download), it would be a one-time fee of $100 (almost) to go to 4 ? upload and 50 download. I will not do that.

In order to receive the Livestreaming Geology lectures, follow this link:
Way to Receive Livestreaming Geology Lectures from Nick Zentner You need to Subscribe to his YouTube Channel to be involved. Once you hit SUBSCRIBE, also to the right of that, click on the BELL icon and choose ALL for all notifications to Nick’s videos.
You’ll have access to previous lectures and to the live one when it is scheduled (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, & Sundays. These continue indefinitely, and are programmed with topics through April 5.

Tonight’s Nick’s Lecture:

3-26-20 Nick Zentner: #8 Liberty Gold, Starts 16 minutes in

Our guest was Gold Miner, Rob Repin. You can follow his own YouTubes, if you google his name.

Friday, Mar 27

Today’s accomplishments: Soaked and loaded dirty dishes. Worked on tax filing previous year.

John called on his way home 12:11 p.m., via the post office in Kittitas (closed for lunch 1-1:30 going to EBRG –Ph on frig 962-4360. He has to have the counter assistant weigh the envelope and tell him the postage to put on. He has stamps with him. This manila envelope has the 7-page document to the county contesting their $500 fee for “development on a floodplain.” Their FEMA supplied floodplain map is bogus and repairing an existing house is not “development.” Enclosing a small alcove/porch and replacing cheap garage doors with a regular stick-built wall, all on the existing foundation, hardly amounts to development. Still this is a government bureaucracy.

In fact it is a “closed” bureaucracy because of the current panic involving a virus. Thus, via the post office and $1.20 postage, the envelope will, we hope, make the 3-block trip to the County Building.

From there he’s going to two grocery stores for getting my PoweradeZero at a good price. Safeway special by 4 for 49₵ each, and Fred Meyer for multiples of 8 get for 59₵ each. One store we frequent has them priced at 1.18 each! Hopefully, they will allow him the 6.99 price on chicken on Just for U. I added the 8 piece to my just 4 u list, so if he gets the right thing, it will swipe correctly. Worked. And he had chicken for lunch and we shared a big crusty breast for supper.

Received by mail today our paperwork to get rid of the Stoneridge RCI Timeshares. This involves paying expenses for 2 years to have them take the “weeks” back. For us, this is considered “real property” in another state (Idaho) and complicates the estate. They provided standard paper work, so at least we did not need a lawyer just to deed the units back to the condominium association. The cost seems high but individuals have almost no hope in self-selling.

We have 30 days to submit these with checks payable to two different units, Stoneridge and the Office holding deeds. We need to take it to our bank for notarizing this week one afternoon, after pruning. I’ll make an appointment.

NO Nick Zentner Livestreaming tonight, not until Saturday (Topics for this weekend are shown below: Saturday, Mar 28

John did all his morning chores with feeding, and then went out to level the garden, where he has removed the fence, and the wooden planter boxes he built several years ago for various crops (strawberries, onions, etc.). He was getting it ready for tilling, and hoping the tiller would start. It started, so I took his picture.This garden spot is in a low spot. Over the years, John has been filling it with horse manure, sand, dirt, wood ships, and other organic material. Our most serious garden problem is deer. A fence needs to be reinstalled – to about 7 feet high and one they can’t crawl under. The horse panels are not high enough, so a top has to be put on.

Been working on various projects, and am finally at 3:30 getting ready to switch to filing tax receipts. I have to be ready at 5:15 to take my acetaminophen and also get ready for Nick’s livestreaming tonight of the lecture on Supercontinents.

Did my meds for the next week and ordered Coumadin 5 mg from Safeway, which they slice in half for me. Charles is doing it today; it will be $11.xx same as last time, and will be ready for pickup 3-31 Tues when I’m coming to town. Also called Kaiser Permanente Mail Order Pharmacy, and ordered 3 months of Spironolactone (cost only $10 for 90 days). It will come in the USPS mail to my mailbox.

We watched the hour long lecture on Supercontinents last year in a downtown lecture. That series has been canceled this year (whole month of April) because of COVID-19.

Here’s the HISTORY for tonight’s livestream from Nick’s side yard.

Good idea to look online (Google this): “Christopher Scotese (changing continents)” for some of the videos put out there by Christopher regarding the changing “supercontinents” of the past.
Then check Nick’s past lecture, just last year.

Supercontinents and the Pacific Northwest, 4-11-2019

The following was tonight’s lecture:

3-28-20 Nick from Home: #9 – Supercontinents, starts 10 mins in

We went to bed a little earlier tonight.

Sunday, Mar 29

We planned to cut John’s hair this morning while it is still cold outside, and I’m all prepared to do it. The time in between cuts was too long and the clippers heat up, so we stop, and John reads while they cool. Two weeks (?) next time!

John’s gone out and fed the horses, and the cats inside and outside are all fed.

Will finish blog text, after talking with sister Peggy in OH. John drove my car around the rural block to be sure it is still running after not being away from the house for over a week. That trip was to the dentist.

John’s haircut (finally) he was really looking like Einstein or Bernie Sanders. Nope, I did not take a before and after picture. Good thing I do cut his, because the barbers and hair salon businesses are all closed.

Times of the haircutting this morning: 9:33 – 9:52 wait for clippers to cool and Nancy to rest; 10:03 finished 10:33–all nicely trimmed. We’re going to do this again, 2 weeks out on Easter Sunday to see if it doesn’t go faster without all the matted hair in the back of his head. I just looked at the back of his hair above his neck and think it is a little fuller than needed, but considering the utensils are all put away and the chair is back in its place, I’ll wait 2 weeks for another haircut that won’t take an hour. Normally, I can do it in less than half that time. Two weeks might decrease the cutting time more!

John planted onion starts in the in-progress newly fenced garden.

Here’s the HISTORY for tonight’s Nick Zentner’s presentation:

Exotic Terranes of the Pacific Northwest-Feb 21, 2018

And, here’s tonight’s lecture.

3-29-20 Nick from Home #10 – Baja BC Exotic Terranes, starts 12 mins in

I’m planning to send an email to a bunch of friends about using a timeshare from our space-banked bunch before May 31, 2020 start date. If you can book one for that time, we will help you and we won’t lose all the $ we have invested in it over the past two years to keep it available. It does not have a high trading power (only 15) which will work for many in the conterminous U.S., but not for Hawaii. You maybe don’t want to try a foreign country, but a week’s worth any place in the world will cost you $400 for the week away, regardless of the size of the unit (studio to 2-bedroom, with capacity 6)
.
If you do not get an email from me and you are interested, please notify me by phone with your email address and phone number. Thanks.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan