Meteorological Versus Astronomical Summer
Sunday, May 31
For May 30 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 4 min with AHI = 0.16 Events: 1 H, 1 CSR. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.14 and oximeter was on for 7 hrs 11 min.
We took care of a few things (John watered the plum trees), and then we left for Costco. We spent lots of money — $358.02, and $23.64 was tax! No tax on food items, but we also bought some stuff that is taxable. John wanted another item for his to-do list, and ceiling fans with lights were on sale —
See: Hunter-Granville
… and he bought two. I needed to stock up on eye drops (Moisture tears), and they were $3 off a pkg. We needed some new scissors and the pack of 3 (Scotch brand Titanium) was about the same price as a single in EBRG.
We made it home and now are resting. John’s round trip to a WTA work site amounted to over 4 hours of driving yesterday, so, I drove both ways today. We didn’t get to talk to John’s sister, as we often do on our way to or from Yakima.
Dinner across the street. Friend/neighbor, Klaus, is back from Laos until September when he returns. It was fun hearing all his stories.
Monday, June 1
For May 31 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 9 min with AHI = 1.82 Events: 3 CSR, 12 H. No major mask leaks (max=21 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=1.52 and oximeter was on for 8x hrs 33 min. I don’t know what was going on. Most events happened in the last hour & 20 min. And, before awaking at 3:00 a.m., and turning off the machine to get up, my AHI was 0.13, with 1H. Must have been the full moon.
Home today to figure out the tax penalty-lowering request, and to clean up more boxes of stuff. Going slowly, but I remembered to take that important donation to the mailbox for the Idaho Open Fiddle Contest, tax deductible, with some great raffle prizes. My fiddle’s carrying case is on its last legs. Strapping or duct tape is next, but will wait to see if I’m lucky and win the nice padded full sized violin case. My suitcase strap was too large to tie around it. Maybe a bungee cord, but better to donate and hope to win the raffle this Saturday! It’s going to a good tax-deductible cause, regardless.
Nice walk with John to the mailbox, a visit by the strawberry patch on the return trip, and to see a new section of fencing he finished allowing the horses around the pole barn to trim the grass. He will pick strawberries later. If I want a break, I could use my new (free) garden gloves, and help pick, but only after I make some progress on this tax penalty situation. Soon will be our brunch of leftover bacon and omelet.
I’ve been busy mostly talking to folks and trying to review my tax situation to make a logical appeal for a reduction in my penalty. This involves being on HOLD for 40 minutes 4 different times in different locations. I did have a good conversation and result with an IRS agent from the famous Cincinnati Office of the IRS. (Cincy is where Lois Lerner worked.)
Tuesday, June 2
For June 1 CPAP. Reported figures. 4 hrs 18 min with AHI = 0.70 Events: 3 H. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min).
Rascal awoke me at 5:00 a.m. with a live bird brought to my side. He released it, and he and I chased it through the house. Finally, I caught it when it flew from the top of a door frame into the wall and fell into a pile of clothes. I carried it outside and put in a cushion of grass. It was pretty dazed. I went out 5 minutes later, and it flew into the Mountain Ash tree, so I suspect it will have a little longer life than if I had not interceded. I left out some of the details of the several captures by Rascal in the process.
I was on the phone since before noon, and now at 1:21, I’m still on the phone waiting for maybe another 1/2 hour, to talk to the Balance Due department of the IRS. I just finished going through a penalty abatement process, which was permitted because of our good record. The very good news is my efforts have been rewarded by a one-time forgiveness for the penalty-to-file “parts”. That decision saved us $1,961.56 and was worth the wait and the time researching and presenting my case.
We owe $ 236.50, which is the interest that accrued on the unpaid taxes (I didn’t know I owed), and which I paid when I found out (to the tune of $6,900). I can send it tomorrow and we will be okay with getting it paid before the June 22 deadline when more interest and penalties would occur. It only has to go to Cincinnati, OH, and should be able to get there in plenty of time. It made it to Cincy Friday night, will be delivered today, but they likely won’t be back to work until Monday. I am glad I was not traveling outside the country, and therefore did not miss the message that was delivered May 27.
I did not go to Jazzercise today because I was still on the phone when I should have been leaving, and we had not eaten lunch yet. I did tell my teacher and one person in my class. Thanks for email connections.
Before I got on with the IRS wait line, I broke off a tooth tip – 2 to the right of my front upper largest middle teeth (my eyetooth), chewing a piece of toast (not tough bread at all – but French Bread with a soft crust). I had a call into the dentist for an appt, and finally made a second call and got the only appt before next Monday, at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow morning – on one of our busiest days, but at least John can go along with me and get his new eyeglass lenses. After we make a few stops, I will return him home, and then go back for music at the Food Bank Soup Kitchen and SAIL exercise. John mentioned last week finding a white granite rock on the trail.
We drove by Lind Hall (where my CWU era started in 1988) and took the granitic rock to Nick Z. We now think the rock is from the main core of the Cascades but had been moved miles west by a valley glacier.
Be sure to follow this link for the story: Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Range
Go in to 7 minutes to see the rock description, but watching the complete video is recommended.
Then from my still active mail slot in Dean Hall, we picked up a small cat’s paw nail-puller left by a retiring/moving colleague. And, I put a new W4 form in to withhold taxes from my retirement funds payback from CWU in intra-office mail, and two other things. I plan to mail the IRS check to Cincinnati via the USPS. I have another academic letter of recommendation to write, but luckily, I can email it. Retired 5 years now and still have such requests.
Wonderful news about Cinder the bear you remember from the Carlton Complex Fire and her going to Lake Tahoe to be treated by our friends, Kevin the vet, and Sonja, our original friend in Idaho.
… and the follow-up came on Wednesday, but I’ll put it here. This is the better of the two, showing the release, and our friend (the vet in S. Lake Tahoe, who treated Cinder), is shown below.
Wednesday, June 3
For June 2 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 38 min with AHI = 1.24 Events: 6 H, 2 CSR, 1OA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.87, and oximeter was on for 8 hrs 5 min.
Arrived at dentist and tooth is fixed temporarily, but looks good with porcelain filler used on teeth, not the usual white temporary faster fix. I will go back for a better build-up, and hope it holds so I don’t have to have a crown. I don’t like them, or the cost (even with insurance). My tooth feels fine, and no longer is rough on my tongue and cheek. From there we went for John’s eyeglass lenses and the office was closed for training. Why didn’t they tell me that when they called, or why didn’t I think to call first, is unknown. On back to the post office where I sent a certified ($3.45) letter to the IRS with my payment mentioned yesterday. I can track it, but it is due in Cincinnati, OH on Saturday, when the office isn’t open, so Monday will still be in plenty of time.
With all the excitement, I forgot to go for my INR today. Perhaps tomorrow. Bummer. The bummer is that we are playing only 9 miles from my house, and have to drive an extra few miles to get to the hospital. As things go, John will need to fill his car with gasoline for his Friday and Sunday trips to work on trail. Right now the price is cheaper in Ellensburg, than in any of the cities he goes near or through on his way to the trails. Lowest here is $2.799/gal. Yakima is $2.739, but not worth the 47-mile drive one way. Sunday he will go through Leavenworth (tourist town) and the only low gas is at Safeway with a discount coupon via buying $50 of groceries.
I finished all the music corrections on 5 songs to take with me tomorrow.
Thursday, June 4
For June 3 CPAP. Reported figures.7 hrs 23 min with AHI = 2.03 Events: 15 H, 4 CSr. No major mask leaks (max=17 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=1.30, and oximeter was on for 9 hrs 1 min.
I play music at Royal Vista, so John dropped me off so he could go get gasoline, and by Bi-Mart [markets in 2 states, thus, Bi-Mart] to look for some grout. He got back to pick me up at 3:00, but we didn’t get done until after. Then I had to wait for a hand off of my newest musical shirt made by Ellen for me (our clarinet player). This is a beautiful print to add to my collection. She makes it for me for free (probably to repay me for transposing her music into a key she can play for the B. Flat clarinet). She finds the material, buys it, and I give her $20 for the cost of the cloth.
The shirts are 100% cotton and short-sleeved. She has created me a very nice collection. I will wear this Saturday for the festivities at Geography’s end of year BBQ party and student awards announcements.
From there we went to the hospital for me to get my blood drawn for my INR that I forgot to get yesterday, and pick up meds. We went to Super One and got the meds, and then shopped for sandwiches for John to take on his trail work tomorrow and Sunday (two different places). Also grabbed a couple of microwave pre-package dinners – we are rushed because of going to hear a lecture on Rock Glaciers in the area, 7:00 p.m. and we won’t likely make it home until 9:00 or a little after.
On our way home we stopped and picked up the two free 5-gallon buckets (with tops), from a gal close to the end (start) of our road, about 7.6 miles south.
Added another song to my packet to take along today – Leaves – as a request from a resident, because it is not in our usual fare for May / June.
Tonight is Ice Age Floods (IAF); take $20 check for KAS (Kittitas Audubon Society) to Tuck Forsythe who handles dues for both groups. He wasn’t there, so I shall mail it to him. Lectures resume in September. Karl Lillquist talked on rock glaciers of the Cascades.
We finally dropped off the found bound Audubon book of 1971 magazines, for a donation to our local Audubon Society’s next meeting. They put such things on the stage of the meeting room, and encourage anyone interested to take it and donate something to the club in return.
Friday, June 5
For June 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 48 min with AHI = 1.04 Events: 2CSR, 6H. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min). After SpO2 oximetry data added, AHI=0.72, and oximeter was on for 8 hrs 48 min.
John left about 5:00 for breakfast at a truck stop with WTA crew leaders before today’s trail work on Dirty Harry’s Trail; others going to a different trail a few miles east. I called and fed Woody her morning vittles. My doctor’s nurse called to report my INR=2.6 – right where it is supposed to be. Good.
Now to tackle the in-house projects of the day and check the outside temp so I can close the windows to preserve the cool house. Maybe I should do that right away.
I need to write a letter of recommendation for Utsab Bhattarai (a former student, from Nepal, for a Ph. D. program in New Zealand). I finally started and am alternating with dishes and clothes, because if I don’t set an alarm, I keep working on the same project and it lasts all day, and nothing on the others gets done.
Must clean, cut, and sugar strawberries for our dinner tonight. John picked yesterday. That fixing didn’t happen until after John got home – a bit early. The volunteers were a very diverse group in a physical-shape sense. All were from an internet gaming development company with about 250 employees – DoubleDown Interactive Group. {In that sense, they are all very bright folks.} The trail project is to make a path across a very old scree (rock) slope. One of John’s mates was lifting 80 pound rocks with ease – still at 2 PM. Others were worn out. Time, then, for cold drinks and a snack.
The dishes collected for a couple of days, but the dishwasher was finishing as John arrived. I also managed to complete one load of clothes; a necessity because we both need clean underwear.
I think I figured out the problem with the Down By the Old Mill I took Thursday. It was the wrong copy. I also have a correct copy for Evelyn of I’ll be All Smiles Tonight. I carried all to the others, but thought she had the revised copy we worked on Wed. She didn’t.
Here is the photo of John on the saw at an old log on his last WTA trip. With crosscut saw work the letters WTA mean “We Talk Alot” – then the actual sawing gets passed from person to person – note the 2 others in line. Meanwhile, others might be preparing the next place for cutting.
Saturday, June 6
This afternoon is our end of year Geography party, mentioned earlier (I think), but this day will have to go in next week’s blog. The temperature is warm this weekend, but the party is in a location with lots of shade.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan