… and Old Dominion visits the Naneum.
The name, Old Dominion, was given to the Colony called Virginia, by England’s King Charles II. See History of OD.
Sunday, Nov 29
For Nov 28 CPAP. Reported figures. 9 hrs 35 min with AHI=0.63 Events: 6 H, 1 CSR. 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); no oximeter. A very quiet and long night. Either I was quite tired, or got the forced air pressure hose fixed right, or the new pillow worked better for support of the head connector for the compressed air pressure hose. Whatever the reason, I enjoyed the good night’s sleep.
Dreary day spent on finalizing the blog for last week. I made a call to Costco to check on their Vitamin D3 prices that were advertised in their monthly flyer today. It looks as it my better deal is to go to Rite Aid tomorrow. I hope they received their shipment; they were short the last two times I went shopping there for the advertised price break. I found out the price for 2000 unit capsules is best from Costco, and even if not making a trip, you can get it from the web with no shipping charges added. I have enough to get by until we are down there next.
No deer in sight today.
Thank you, Anne Engels for gifting me an Advent Calendar from Jacquie Lawson in the UK. Those are very special items, and make each day of the month of December interesting.
Monday, Nov 30
For Nov 29 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 31 min with AHI=2.53 Events: 19 H, 6 CSR, 24 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=16 L/min); no oximeter. I think I will go back to my other AirFit P-10 mask. This one is too erratic and bugging me. Perhaps if my oximeter comes today, I will measure it with the new one before switching.
John fixed us a great brunch of sausage, fried potatoes, eggs, and pears. Got my shower and went 1/2 mile around the block for my haircut at 1:00 p.m. Then I had to go through a scheduler in Yakima, but we finally sorted out my blood draws to occur on the same day, Dec 16. They were duplicative so we merged the dates. I went to town to Rite Aid for getting my buy one-get one free on some vitamins. On my way to the University for a Lecture, I went by the bread room of the food bank to look for old apples for our horses. No apples were there, but a loaf of John’s favorite Rosemary Olive Oil bread was, so I picked it up.
I went to the talk at Dean Hall and it was interesting. While there, I picked up my mail in the office. I still have a mailbox there, but don’t get a lot anymore.
My oximeter USB connector made it to me today.
Tuesday, Dec 1
For Nov 30 CPAP. Reported figures. 6 hrs 37min with AHI=0.60 Events: 4 H, 9 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min); oximeter on an extra 3 hrs. with AHI=.31 and good activity the whole time, high SpO2 without CPAP on.
Jazzercise today at 2:00 — recorded my oximeter for the 45 minutes of exercise. Compared it to one done back in March, and either the exercises have changed, or my heart is improving. I’ll try it one last time this year with the same exercises as last Tuesday, this week.
I went by the post office to mail a package, so I would be able to track it.
Wednesday, Dec 2
For Dec 1 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 27 min with AHI=2.01 Events: 17 H, 5 CSR, 20 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on for another 1.5 hrs.
Today was Food Bank and Christmas songs. We had nice participation but SAIL was less well attended.
Today, via Consumer Cellular, we bought new phones. Although John hasn’t seen his old one for about 6 weeks, the purchase was prompted by the Company wanting to switch us old procrastinating folks to a 3G network from a 2G network. The newer Generation is supposed to be much better for text, video, and launching rockets to Mars – none of which we do – perhaps we will have reception on the cell phones at our home (the man on the other end of the line said so). I also bought a charger for my car from a place on the web and saved $20 Consumer Cellular wanted for a non-AARP person. Even if an AARP member, it would have cost $13.80. I paid $5.14 and it may well beat the delivery of the phones, which are not coming until Tuesday, 12/8. They only had to come from Portland, Oregon. I shipped a package across the country yesterday, and it made it to NJ, in 3 days. Why does it take so long to get a package from Oregon to us? More about this on Friday.
Thursday, Dec 3
For Dec 2. CPAP. Reported figures 8 hrs 14 min with AHI=1.70 Events: 14 H, 1 CSR, 17 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on 2 hrs more.
There is music this afternoon at 2. I left home at 12:45 to stop for my rice heating bag for neck and shoulders — a freebie gift from Joni Zehner who works on Anderson Road. Near her work-place is one of the largest hay brokers/shippers in the Northwest. Anderson Hay & Grain Co., Inc. I’ve visited there and interviewed their CEO when writing an article. One of the Anderson family was a neighbor until this summer when they moved; getting too old to care for a rural home with land and animals. Anyway, here is a photo of my new, very purple neck comforter:
Today we played at the Rehab — what a big band we had–13 for a baker’s dozen: 5 guitars, banjo, 2 fiddles, flute, 2 tambourines, bass fiddle, and singers, and a grateful audience and staff.
I filled up with gasoline at $2.24/gal. after paying my bill at the computer place here we have our web pages and email. This was just for the email service, using nancyh@ellensburg.com . We’ve had this since 1995 and now pay $5/month to keep it. That email has permeated the world, maybe the entire Milky Way, and would be a monumental loss to the Universe. Okay, maybe not.
Friday, Dec 4
For Dec 3 CPAP. Reported figures. 5 hrs 13 min with AHI=1.34 Events: 7 H, 2 CSR, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=11 L/min); oximeter on 3 hrs more.
John stayed home to await delivery of a 596 pound package of wood paneling expected from Mississippi. John ordered this via phone from northern Mississippi, although it may have been in a warehouse in Memphis. The Company used the Old Dominion Freight Line as a carrier and estimate a week transit time after loading. I arrived home about 10 minutes before the delivery and had time to get my camera. At the end of the driveway we turned the pickup around so the Green&Black deliverer could back his truck up to ours. There was nothing exciting to see but MantleCraft (the Seller) does suggest having a camera at delivery in case there is damage that has to be documented. We were next-to-last stop (from Pasco) so the truck (28 ft.) is nearly empty Photo A. {expand by clicking on photo}
We got 26 sheets of 5.2 mm thick (1/5th in.) sheets, a cover sheet of similar but damage something – Photo B, and 2 wood pallets. Photo C shows the lowering from Old Dominion to our truck. The package sticks out – Photo D, from the bed of the truck. John put broom-handle rollers under it, pushed it in, and backed the truck into the hay barn to be protected from the elements. Thank goodness, the delivery was today and not Saturday, because the weather changed dramatically from today’s.
I got home just in time for the delivery. I’d left before 11:00 a.m. to go to the Christmas party potluck at the AAC. I had my camera along, and on the trip in I stopped to take a lovely picture of our fog-filled valley. The Kittitas Valley is shaped like a canoe from SE to NW and the lowest parts fill with fog. Sometimes when it is cold and folks are burning wood (also Interstate 90 is in there) the air contains other significant things besides H2O.
You can see the layer of fog, and also the snowed-upon road I was driving on. The sun was peeking through the clouds, and then came out on my way to town, considerably brightening up the day.
I took a new wallet gift for the exchange and my camera to record the entire event. Sandra Z got the wallet I gave (and she found the pennies I included). I took 6 cans of food for the Community Christmas basket donation: 2 of peaches, 2 beans, and 2 canned dog food (our entry fee for the meal). It was a potluck, so for that I took canned pears and a large bag of honey/mustard pretzel chips. One of the AmeriCorps organizers loved them so much that I gave the remaining of the large bag to her (Carly) when I left. I was one of the photographers of the event and she was the other. Below is a collage of our two AmeriCorps volunteers at the Adult Activity Center. They were primarily the leaders responsible for putting on this event yesterday, but had a lot of help from volunteer staff as well. The director and her husband had to be out of town for a relative’s funeral. Normally, they perform as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.
Carly is on the left with the leftovers bag of cheese/honey/mustard chips, and to the right is Olivia, in her Bah Hum Pug vest with the little pug dog on her left side. Carly is from Portland this year and Olivia from Kentucky is in her second year with us.
Another collage of the activities:
The left one is with a friend (his wife took the photo), and he was in the Rehab with me in 2010, going through physical therapy, recovering from a stroke. He has come a long way, and is a regular at AAC events, but is confined to a wheelchair. The picture on the right is with three members of my SAIL (Stay Active & Independent for Life) exercise group, Myrna with me, Judy, and Sandra.
Here is another collage of some of the gifts received, with explanation below pix:
Pat Carney is on the left with Christmas towels, George with his nice warm gloves, and upper right is the table of gifts people brought that were distributed, with bottom right showing some handmade knitted potholders received by Donna.
After leaving, the party, I went by the grocery to pick up some ice cream and some frozen chicken breasts on sale. From there, I dropped by to pick up a very large Rubbermaid container, given freely from the Buy Nothing site. Here it is–
I arrived home and found 5 deer in our driveway–three had antlers. One buck tried to share Ebony’s grain container with an added apple, but she nosed him away. She was out in the driveway away from the other horses. The buck stood by and respected her.
My last travel shot of the day was on the way home, of the ridge behind our home, called Mission Ridge (accessible from Wenatchee, for a ski area). The ridge feeds the eastern side of the Naneum Creek drainage.
I was partied out so, we did not go back in for the annual Anthro/Geog sponsored University-wide Christmas party. We are having BBQ pork ribs tonight. Chowed down this afternoon on candy I brought home from the party, and on one of our Honeycrisp apples. They are mostly gone now, and of those that remain about 1 of 5 is going or has gone bad. By cutting the worst out, the deer and horses will eat them. John decided to make an apple cake and used 6, with about 1/3rd of one thrown out. We cut and froze 2/3rds of it. We still have about 30 in the refrigerator.
Tomorrow is a free day, so we will likely spend time working on clean up & organization. I need to put in time on the annual newsletter and on notifying people of our changed domain for web pages, the place where our annual greetings can be found.
Saturday, Dec 5
For Dec 4 CPAP. Reported figures. 8 hrs 14 min with AHI=0.49 Events: 4 H, 2 CSR, 18 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=15 L/min); oximeter for 1.5 hrs more. Used my older preferred nasal pillow mask.
Big snowflakes falling just now about 10:20 a.m. Only an hour ago, John walked to the back door and commented we needed more snow to cover the brown parts exposed. Ask and you shall receive. We have to drive to the upper county (35 minutes) tomorrow to the Swauk-Teanaway Grange for a Christmas dinner, so I hope the snow doesn’t continue as it did several years ago for the same event. Now it has changed to rain. Temperature is 37.6°. Rain continued into the night, with the sun setting at 4:13 p.m.
Cats and horses fed, and newspapers and mail retrieved by John. Thanks. Now the evening feedings have happened too, and Sue (mamma cat) returned after several days away. She was hungry.
John made another apple cake tonight for us to take along tomorrow to the Grange’s Community turkey/dressing/potatoes/gravy dinner provided free with potluck sides and desserts from attendees.
Sorry there is nothing for scale in this photo–but it is a beautiful Honeycrisp apple cake in a 9×12″ baking pan.
We hope it is not snowing big time up there, although that would be better than sleet. The forecast is for morning snow followed by rain.
Sunday, Dec 6
For Dec 5 CPAP. Reported figures. 7 hrs 3 min with AHI=0.85 Events: 6 H, 5 CSR. 20 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on an extra 4 hrs. with good activity the whole time, high SpO2 without CPAP on.
Crazy night of nightmares. I explained them to John but I would not venture to share elsewhere or they might commit me. Used my older nasal pillow mask last night and the night before.
Christmas party 1:00 at the Grange. A little rain and fog on the way but clear there. Fewer folks showed than last time and they had lots of prepared turkey, ham, bread stuffing, and mashed taters – thus, big servings of those. People came with other dishes, mostly desserts. A bit lopsided in that sense, but no one complained. Next year, if we go, we can remember to take a roaster of carrots, brown sugar, and pecans, or some other veggie.
We were home before 4 and the horses and outside cats were waiting for their meals.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan