… places where we could hang out after school
January 25 is supposed to be the date for the first patent. Others were doing similar things, so who knows?
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Sunday, Jan 18
CPAP report. Reported figures. 7 hrs 21 min with AHI = 0.00
No events. No major leaks, max was 5 L/min
We awoke to ice on everything but a sunny day and as you all know I took photos to add to the blog we finally got published today (so look below if you missed last week). We both have been working on projects, tax records, other things, and now getting ready for John’s haircut to keep him from looking like Einstein. We had a nice brunch.
We telephoned friends in CA for his birthday and found they were watching the Seahawk/Green Bay game. Meanwhile, I heard about the way to watch the end of the game on-line. I learned on Facebook about its availability from a former student now on the North Cheyenne Reservation. Our TV is not accessible, so this was a treat, especially in the final moments of the game and not having to watch the horrible beginning.
I finished cutting John’s hair and helping a friend with an on-going project.
I went through all the audience songbooks, looking for the one with the missing page but all were fine. Pages near end are low-weight (cheap from the dollar store) paper and probably stuck together. Now I added a flower stamp to the front cover of all. Several of the people there at Briarwood loved the little polar bear stamps.
Now I can get back to my own stuff (non-music) that has been waiting awhile.
Monday, Jan 19
CPAP report. Reported figures. 9 hrs 11 min with AHI = 0.00
No events. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min)
David Hazlett, our farrier, came this morning for trims on two of our horses. It’s the MLK holiday, so we’re staying home today. David was expected at 10 but went elsewhere – his screw-up. At 11 John had just turned the horses out into the pasture – the old one stayed to get pelleted feed – when we got a call that David was 10 minutes away. Ebony got tied to a post while Myst had to be retrieved from 100 yards away. Oh well.
Finished my charting of CPAP and Oximetry and shared with my friend in ID.
Washed some dishes. After lunch, John cut brush along where there once was a fence. Some posts still show but the wire is on the ground. When the things with thorns (wild roses and Hawthorns) are gone he can clear the downed trees, remove the wire and posts, and start over.
Tuesday, Jan 20
CPAP report. Reported figures. 7 hrs 29 min with AHI = 0.40, but the CPAP reported after SpO2 was AHI =.33, 8 hrs 59 min, 48 sec, so I guess the added time makes a difference in the calculation of AHI. No major leaks, max 15 L/min., 3 H, one awoke me, 12:30 a.m. with maybe another at 7:00 a.m. I am getting leaks by trying to loosen my headgear to prevent nose chafing.
A late cancellation at the dentist had them calling to see if John was available to come in at 10:00 a.m. for teeth cleaning. He was scheduled for next week and they’ll have more time to fill that slot. Us retired folk can be accommodating quite often. I spent time on tax records, bank statements (checks), and paying bills. I got both the Cedaridge Brittanys and regular checking accounts done and printed and now have to sort in the cancelled stubs for 2014. Then, it’s a major task tackling filing and tallying in my computer. Medical payments keep changing along with some other stuff and a quick estimation for tax prep seems impossible. I hope it pays off this year. Last year I spent all the time itemizing deductions only to find it better to take the standard deduction. A lot of wasted time.
I will be going to town to play music tonight, and then home to dinner that John’s fixing – baked chicken, baked battered apples, and acorn squash.
Wednesday, Jan 21
CPAP report. Reported figures. 6 hrs 7 min with AHI = 0.16. No major leaks, max 9 L/min. One H. Then, the figures after SpO2 was uploaded showed results: 9 hrs 9 min with AHI=0.11
WHY THE DIFFERENCE? I just noticed that yesterday for the first time.
We were awakened, very unhappily, at 5:45 a.m., with a call from India about a security risk on my computer. I was unhappy about the time (the middle of my night), and told him so, but he kept pushing about the urgency of the message and I hung up, royally ticked off. Do they not know about time zones? It took me awhile to get back to sleep, without my CPAP on, but continued with the oximeter.
Worked some on my data from the CPAP and the oximeter, but still have to finish it, as I did not this morning. Instead, I left about 11:00 for town because I had to stop on the north side of town to share a large heavy (handled straw) basket requested on the Buy Nothing site by a gal who wants to load it up for a gift basket for her kid’s school fundraiser. I do not even recall where I got it (we picked a few up one year for 25₵ each), probably at a garage sale, but it was easy to empty and get one more thing out of the house clutter. I need to do that every day. Then I went to the Food Bank, in time to visit and set up before people all arrived. The food delivery was running late, so we entertained the folks there before they were served. We had good participation today, singing off the cuff, I’ll Fly Away, Do Lord, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, You Are my Sunshine, and then others once they started eating, but several still sang along and applauded. We even had one of the servers dancing in the aisles; always cool to watch. Our fan club grouped at the front table.
On my way in, I peeked in the bread room they encourage us to visit, and saw a couple of loaves of my favorite English Muffin Bread for toasting. I should have gotten it then, because by the time I returned, it was gone. I was able to get John some rosemary olive oil bread he likes, some French bread with sesame seeds on top, and some cheese rolls. For food today, they fed us lamb! The first piece I had was very tender and good, but the second piece could not be cut or chewed. With it they had nicely cooked (according to people at my table), kale, but that is totally off my diet with Coumadin medication. It is at the top of the no-no Vitamin K list for green veggies. They had a combo of fried mushrooms and zucchini, and I enjoyed the mushrooms, some green salad, of which I had only a little (mostly the carrots and tomatoes) and, for dessert, we had a piece of a decorated Seahawks (colors) sheet cake.
I left there for the hospital lab for my blood draw for the INR for Coumadin test that had been too low 2 weeks ago. Today it was fine (2.4), but they want me to go back again in two weeks before going back to once a month. I’m not happy about that, especially because it costs me $37.26. Yuk. Well, it is early in the year so I’ve maybe not reached the deduction part. I’m tempted just to wait another couple of weeks to make it a month between readings. Went on from there to the Senior Center for my exercise class, with 33 people in it! That is a huge bunch for all the walking around the room and making movements in close proximity. From there to Super One Pharmacy to pick up my Coumadin.
Came back headed north (toward home), dropped by to pay a bill at my computer place — used for our email connections and web page presence, and continued to another music date at Royal Vista from 3 to 4:00. Once a month, I join an accordion player and we sing and play songs with the residents. We had a few active and happily involved folks today. At the end, Karen (accordionist) had promised one of the residents she would play a polka for her. She ended up playing two songs, and while I was going around the room, picking up music booklets from people, I gathered energy from somewhere and was dancing polka steps around the room. We were singing beer-barrel polka as I danced and she played. People were singing and applauding and it was very neat. A sweet lady I saw down the hall when I came in and invited her to come in, said, “Thank you for coming; I enjoyed it very much.” She is 88 and confused. Every time I’m there (3 times/month), she asks where she is, and I tell her. Then she asks me if she lives there and how she got there. I tell her, yes, you live here, I don’t know for how long, but I see you every time I come, “Remember last night?” She said she did but she says she has trouble with her memory. I told her she didn’t look her age, and that her memory was fine with the words of the songs. She was happy and bubbling. I wished her well, and that I would see her in two weeks when I’ll come back there with a different group. Except for seeing people deteriorating, it is rewarding to interact with them and see them enjoying it. Music does wonders.
Thursday, Jan 22
CPAP report. Reported figures. 8 hrs 25 min with AHI = 0.00
No major leaks, max 15 L/min.
Managed a lot of stuff this morning about medical appointments and accomplished more bill paying. It is tough to write a check for $3,646, but we figure the cost is worth it for Long Term Care Insurance for the both of us. Another medical issue. With my Coumadin yesterday I had 6 pages of singled spaced small font warnings to read; so I did. I didn’t learn anything I didn’t already know, but it was a new item, so I went through it. Also, took my 1/2 hour to record the CPAP and oximeter results from last night, with various screen captures for my files. And, I re-read my cardiologist’s last report, to give me heads-up before my next appointment. Monday, I must begin my daily recording of my blood pressure for his interests in my records.
I spent some time arranging for hats to wear today to play music at Hearthstone, at their request, for National Hat Week. All but two of our players wore one.
I spent some time arranging for hats to wear today to play music at Hearthstone, at their request, for National Hat Week. All but two of our players wore one.
I wore my mink hat (it was my mom’s she bought in Canada, at Simpsons) and took my cowboy hat, but changed to it very soon, because my head got too hot wearing the fur hat. We sang 21 songs and had a good audience who joined in. Lots of players there: Dale on the washtub bass, Laura his wife on Guitar, but she plans to switch to fiddle next week to help me, Ellen on Clarinet, Keith on Trumpet, Anne on Tambourine, me on fiddle, Evelyn on Banjo, Manord, Maury, Charlie, Gerald, & Minerva on guitar, and Bob singing. Bob joins Evelyn and me the day before at the food bank where he also plays his guitar and sings along. We have enough guitars in the other group, so we just enjoy his voice.
This link below is not a very good rendition of part of I’ll Fly Away, taken by a resident’s daughter on her phone: and posted on Facebook, but everyone at her table was happily enjoying themselves, so I’m including it. It’s a few seconds under a minute.
Here’s another movie on my camera, taken by a volunteer server there today: (I uploaded it to You Tube). This was her first ever using my camera and taking a video, so considering that, I think she did very well. She walked around and captured the entire song. This was early in our performance and another bunch of people came in later, including a couple I have known since arriving in town in 1988. I spent my first year at their house while they were away on a sabbatical. He is also a geographer. He’s a good singer too, singing in the Ellensburg Barbershop Quartet and the Barbershop Choir in town. {Click on image to enlarge.}
Part of our group is shown with our hats; in the foreground are three ladies (residents) with their special hats. The black hat in the middle has pins all over it from her travels and stops at Hard Rock Cafes around the United States. We had fun visiting about it afterwards. Some showing in this picture include Maury and Manord, guitarists from Cle Elum, Evelyn, banjoist from S. Cle Elum, Nancy, fiddler, Anne, tambourine player, and Keith, trumpeter, from Ellensburg. Out of sight to the left are Charlie, Gerald, & Minerva on guitar, Bob singing, and out of sight to the right, are Ellen on clarinet, Laura on guitar, and Dale on washtub bass. You can see us all in the video.
Here’s a link to the video “Karn” took of us, doing “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”
KV Fiddlers & Friends, Jan 22, 2015 Hearthstone for Nat’l Hat Week
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
Friday, Jan 23
CPAP report. Reported figures. 7 hrs 51 min with AHI = 0.00
No major leaks, max 13 L/min, oximeter on for 8 hrs 32 min.
Off to CWU Dean Hall (my old stomping grounds) for a scholarship luncheon today. While there I visited with a former colleague, Jen, and left a package on the door for another colleague in Geography, an image reader for an older computer he still has, and I no longer can use. I threw in a large shirt for him that had a neck opening John does not prefer. He wants shirts to button down all the way.
While there, in addition to eating an Italian pasta salad (made by Monica) for lunch, with pound cake and a plum sauce (made by Ruth) from our plums, I gathered some rolls of toilet paper from two restrooms (see story below).
Then off to SAIL exercise class, where I delivered some more gifts, and picked up some left for me by a lady who volunteers knitting of hats, scarves, slippers, and finger-less gloves, for free (with only a request of a donation to the coffee fund for the center). I had arranged with Carol (the knitter) to make a special pair of gloves for a lady at Briarwood who has Lymphedema in her arm. I took her arm measurements last week when we were there, and passed along to the knitter. She already had made them and left them for me at the AAC. I called and did not reach her, and so I thought she might be at the clubhouse playing cards or bingo. I drove over and walked in, with the gloves and a knitted hat, and the group was playing bingo. I apologized for interrupting and said I was looking for the gal (by name). Normally, she would be there, but wasn’t, because she had to be taken for an emergency operation on her back to Harborview Hospital in Seattle. I haven’t called to talk with her yet to see how she’s doing. One of the ladies said her cancer had returned. I know that the condition can be caused by medicines such as tamoxifen (Nolvadex) or radiation therapy. So sad; I hope they can get a handle on it and bring her back to health. What a sweet wonderful lady she is, always cheerful and positive.
Left there and went by Super One for summary statements of our medical expenses for 2014 and to buy some goodies we needed.
On the way home, I went by Wilson Creek Rd to pick up a freely given iron (Buy Nothing site) so John can use iron-on patches to repair work clothes. Need to remember to offer them some garden produce next summer. (I did and found out they have their own garden with most stuff, except they would like garlic, if we had any.) We grow lots of onions, but no garlic, as neither one of us likes it. I did learn from her they like to go to the mountains for picking elderberries, currants, and chokecherries for making jam. We have those on our property, so they plan to come share in the bounty, next year.
The next story goes with the following image:
I wrote the following to the Buy Nothing Ellensburg list on Facebook.
ASK -ing for help in finding small toilet paper rolls, as are taken from the big roll dispensers around town. Today I was on campus and found 6 still very usable rolls. I know that’s the policy to take them out and replace. I never thought until I saw the (attached) piece in a magazine, the end of December. I contacted our FISH Food Bank to ask if they would take such an item to distribute to the needy. They were very happy and said, yes. So, next Wednesday I will take my offering. I hope anyone with an opportunity might do something like this. The unused paper rolls are left on the counters in restrooms in all buildings.
I was happy to back up my full computer this afternoon on a backup external drive. The automatic process that happens on John’s every Sunday night, failed on mine several months ago, so I have to initiate it myself, and usually do it when I’m away from home and it can sit and churn on its own.
We had a late dinner tonight, chili.
Saturday, Jan 24
CPAP report. Reported figures. 5 hrs 47 min with AHI = 0.00
No major leaks, max 11 L/min
I went by a gal’s porch on Rustic Road (just west of us but 5 miles round trip by road) to drop off clothes for her (two vests & a blouse) and to pick up two pairs of nice men’s trousers. One of them still has the price tag on it. I hope they fit John, as he occasionally needs something for dressing up – out of his scruffy denims.
We only had toast for breakfast and then fixed a brunch of well-cooked bacon and pancake with chopped pecans with strawberries on top. It sprinkled early morning, was gray, and overcast much of the day, but at 3:00, the sun came out, and so John cut barbed wire from the old fence, with more left to do. A few trees have grown around wire and other places trunks of trees are laying across the wires. Many moons have come and gone since these fences (more recent) were put up. A fence along the creek is almost completely buried – it has likely been there 100 years. Now, it’s all clouded over again. One of our feral cats, Johnny, was not around at feeding time. I hope nothing happened to him.
John read today that two cougars had been shot and killed (one ate a dog), on Thomas Road (1/2 mile south of us), and another on Charlton Road, 1/2 mile north of us. In our local paper, the front page story was all about the big cats. Their numbers have increased in the last 18 years, partly as a response to not being hunted. Up to about 1997 hunting with hounds was allowed. The wildlife officials now say the State’s habitat for cougars has been filled and young animals are having a difficult time finding a territory to call their own. Maybe it is time to move.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan