Sunday, Feb 21
Long weekend of frustration, but the blog was published 11:30 p.m. PST.
John reconfigured his computer, but still has not had time to try installing the downloads of the Epson printer drivers to give us printer access again. He wanted to wait until the blog was published, before risking a try.
Monday, Feb 22
For Feb 21 CPAP. Reported figures 7 hrs 2 min with AHI=1.71. Events: 12 H, 4 CSR, 10 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=22 L/min); oximeter on entire time AOK.
John removed ice from the horse water. Then he added a little warm water to keep it from icing over. The horses can break thin ice and drink but the idea is to make drinking easy. Sort of like the difference between drinking beer and whiskey over ice. He left just before 8:00 for pruning. We are out of dry cat food so he went by Wenatchee’s Costco on the way home from White Heron pruning, to get it, gasoline (unexpectedly priced much higher than in EBRG), and to check the new special prices that ended yesterday. He loaded up on quite a few things, including a large boneless pork loin roast that he will fix for an upcoming potluck.
I await a call today from CCSOE that my keyboard has arrived and they can install it. I lost two more keys over the weekend so this will be sweet. Call came and I left home, arriving about 1:45. I went away for over 1/2 hour and when I returned, they had cleaned my laptop, while replacing the keyboard. It was very dirty inside from all the dust in our house, and the fact it is 4 years old and never been cleaned. When I left it, I had the technician check my CD drive because I couldn’t open it and needed to burn some information on a disk. I last used it the start of October.
I did dishes, started working on March music, and wrote my reminder (organizing) email to the group about this week’s location, asking who might be expected. I have to call ahead with a chair count, and also this week, I must take along packets of music for those there to have before we start a new set next week.
I spent some time researching a 1979 picture of Brittanys with the 4th placement claimed to be our old dog, FC Simons Ruff-Shod O’Dee. I saw the picture and immediately knew it was our trainer, Dan Richmond, but it was not Ruffy. I notified the people who needed to check further for the correct dog (it was found in an old American Brittany magazine).
I worked on a new song for our group – the Ash Grove, a Welsh folk song to the tune of “Let All Things Now Living” (a hymn). My father’s family was from Wales, so that makes it special to me.
The director of the Adult Activity Center, Katrina, wrote me an email request for our group to play the July 4th music at the celebration this year on July 1. This is perhaps the 10th year we have provided the music. I have lost count. I responded right away and confirmed the timing. We will set up between 10:00 and 11:00 and they will start serving at 11:30, but we are fed first. They grill hamburgers, hot dogs, fix many salads, and people potluck desserts and sides.
John was able to get our printer running again and, after over 6 months of not being able to scan from across the room, that too is fixed. I’ve been putting songs onto a jump drive, then plugged that into the printer, and used the screen buttons. I then had to return to my computer to process it and get to interested folks. Now he has gotten all the parts talking politely to each other.
Tuesday, Feb 23
For Feb 22 CPAP. Reported figures 7 hrs 1 min with AHI=0.43. Events: 3 H, 2 CSR, 18 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=12 L/min); oximeter on entire time AOK.
John left 7:47 a.m. for pruning.
I took off just before noon for a haircut from my friend in her house about a mile away. She began cutting my hair in 1988 when I arrived in town. At that time, she had a shop in town, across the street from Lind Hall, the old science building, where my office was for the first 11 years. Over my employment there (22 years), I had 3 different office locations.
While there, she gave me some professional clothes to offer to CWU’s Career Closet. The department, Career Services, is setting up a clothing place for students to borrow items for going to a job interview. She gave me a blouse, jacket, and a complete women’s suit. The recipient, my friend, in charge of the program, was thrilled when I delivered them to her.
I dropped off my computer to have its CD drive checked at the place where my keyboard was installed yesterday, with the intent to go to my Jazzercise class and come back by afterwards to pick it up. The class only had three people, and it was a rather tough workout, but I made it through.
I dropped off more clothes for the share by the organizer’s house on my way to pick up my computer.
I was not surprised that it could not be restored. This morning, I called around to see if I could locate an external CD drive on campus – computer center, surplus, or geography. Nothing was available. I also searched the web to get an idea about prices and read reviews of different models.
Once I returned to the computer shop, they told me the news and showed me an LG model for $40. During the demo, LG installed its driver software on my computer.
I came home and had John’s help researching a cheaper one I found on line this morning. He did not like that one – not that it was the wrong thing, but that it was being sold by a company not noted for its tech-savvy. However, LG had one for just $23.94.
We ended up adding to his Amazon Cart from a couple of weeks ago when he ran out of Italian seasoning mix he once got at Costco (they no longer have). I added a Micro USB to USB Cable (for our cell phones with a camera), a portable hard travel storage case for the external CD drive, a 4-port USB 2.0 hub, to go along with my new LG Electronics 8x, USB 2.0 Super Multi Ultra Slim Portable DVD Rewriter, CD drive we ordered and received free 2-day shipping through UPS. It was interesting how it went from Amazon’s fulfillment center
Also: { Put ‘ Amazon Fulfillment Center ‘ in Google Earth to see. } Note, there are 3 large Amazon Fulfillment Centers in Phoenix, AZ.
… in southwest Phoenix, AZ to UPS Worldport Air Hub at Louisville International Airport, to SeaTac, to Redmond, to EBRG.
Just before I left for town, my Latitude transmitter (for my defibrillator data) came by FedEx.
Wednesday, Feb 24
For Feb 23 CPAP. Reported figures 6 hrs 40 min with AHI=0.75. Events: 5 H, 2 CSR, 14 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=19 L/min); oximeter on entire time AOK.
John left at 7:43 a.m. and will bring back clothes for the BNE share from the Snyders in Quincy. Tom is one of the pruners.
Got all data from CPAP, Oximeter, and clean a lot of dishes after unloading yesterday’s. I picked up Gloria at 11:15, and we went on to set up at the Food Bank. Our normal setter-upper was gone. He is taking a friend to Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle for removal of two gallstones. These were not seen on an X-ray because of the liver getting in the way. Don’t know if they had been in previously and missed them? I thought gall bladders were just removed when a problem arose.
On our way home, we went by near the north end of campus to pick up clothes from a gal there at her apt. to deliver my next time by 3rd Avenue on my travel to town.
I was very tired when I got home, and lay down hoping for a 20-minute power nap (or longer). I lay there for an hour’s rest but never went to sleep.
We went back for a lecture from Nick Zentner on the old Sunset Hwy through WA. It was well done as usual. The Sunset Hwy was the first designated cross-State road and went between Spokane and Seattle. Bing Crosby used it as the first leg of his journey to stardom.
I have not yet received the professionally videoed one by CWU, and have not put up all the ones I took, but here is what I have thus far, of my own.
Nick Zentner’s #3 Lecture 2-24-16
Bing Crosby, the Sunset Highway, & the Channeled Scablands
Part 1, Nick’s Greenboard Intro – 25 min.
Part 2, Nick’s Sunset Start of Visuals.
Part 3, Nick’s Sunset Visuals.
Part 4 Bing Crosby 1.5 Minutes.
Thursday, Feb 25
For Feb 24 CPAP. Reported figures 7x hrs 16 min with AHI=0.28. Events: 2 H, 0 CSR, 12 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=14 L/min); oximeter on entire time AOK.
I got John’s help removing staples from some copies of music from last March and replaced the changed playlist, and removed some pages at the end, replacing with new songs. I was able to give copies out today to the people there, and keep some for others to give next week.
People who came today to Hearthstone included Amy, Maury, Charlie, Gerald, Dave, Bob, Liana, and me. We had a huge and appreciative audience, with good participation. Four of us actually stayed around until 3:30 working on one of our songs for next month you will hear about below. Some stayed and listened to us practice and thanked us for that. They really enjoy music and our coming to visit.
When I got home, I saw a report on Facebook (I was tagged so was notified on email). It was complete with photos from Jeri Conklin in Lancaster, CA about Daisy’s action in field training today. Below are some photos of our sweet little Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’ JH in training for her SH (Senior Hunter) title:
Left, she leaps sagebrush with one bound. Middle shows her running (eyes closed), and the right is her on point. Anyone not familiar with Brittanys, note the pink nose and compare with the next non-Britt you see.
Above is Daisy again in the spa. Left is her happy smile, and the one on the right is described by Jeri as showing Poodle Berries (named by her grandma). I asked her for a definition, and this is her explanation, “Poodle berries are when you put your lips together and blow out. The air escapes out of both sides of your cheeks, so that your checks blow out. It makes the sound of a horse, so to speak.” (Eyes closed again from dunking her head in the water.)
Friday, Feb 26
For Feb 25 CPAP. Reported figures 6 hrs 28 min with AHI=0.31. Events: 2 H, 12 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=13 L/min); oximeter on entire time AOK.
Morning sunrise brightly greeted us.
The collage above shows Woody coming down the drive past a deer on her way to the pallet she climbs to the cable-table, where she prefers to eat. The middle bottom photo left is the orange sunrise that John mentioned to get me out with my camera (my first view — almost looked like a wildfire in the hills above the valley). Normally, our sunrises are shades of purple and pink pastels, so this was strikingly different. I almost waited too long to get the rich darker oranges. Far right Woody awaits her morning vittles.
Got some remote collar information for Daisy to Jeri that she needs to follow up on. During my clean-up of the wooden cabinet at the end off our hallway, I found this collar we had for training Cedaridge Duch’ss Dancer back in the 1990s. It is not a shock collar but a vibration one to discourage behavior and encourage what a dog is supposed to do on a retrieve (or other behaviors) associated with obedience.
I left for town about 11:10, stopped and took a photo of two Eagles (mature & juvenile), having missed capturing one last week, at the end of our driveway (no camera along).
Here we have an eagle and a younger one a half mile down Naneum from our driveway.
I will eventually initiate my new cell phone that has a camera on it, so opportunities are not lost. I now have the proper MicroUSB to USB that I can remove photos from John’s camera that is like mine. I’ll check his soon to be sure it works. Back when he got the phone to replace his lost one, I took a few pictures on it.
I arrived at Dean Hall (my old department office hangout), in time to help set the tables for 12 people to eat at the Ruth Harrington Scholarship Luncheon. Monica (the Geography secretary) is in our group and she and Carrie were the hostesses. It was a fantastic lunch — a Caesar salad with large pieces of grilled chicken, and an Olive Garden Italian dressing, creamy and quite nice. They had fresh rolls and soft real butter, with cookies and ice cream for dessert. I rushed through the food, brought home my chocolate frosted chocolate cookie to share with John, skipped ice cream, and took off for the AAC for the planned Bingo fundraiser for Parkinson’s disease. It was well attended and I was an hour late getting there. The staff knew I would be arriving late. I had previously decided to pay $10 for four cards, and had my check ready. I managed to win Bingo on 3 cards to get some coupons. At the end, we pick what we want from two tables of certificates and packages, and place one half of a ticket in an associated cup. I was fortunate and won a long-sleeved tee shirt with the Seahawk colors from Knudson’s, a local wood & hardware store. Oddly enough, I won one of their sweatshirts last year and gave it to John, who wore it into the store and thanked the manager for the donation. I suppose I should do it this year to thank them again. They also gave sweatshirts again this year. Other certificates for $10 purchases were given out, from Knudson’s and other places, as well as several $20-25 certificates at other stores (Bi-Mart) and several different restaurants, plus many free large pizzas, mostly from Pizza Hut. My being gone for an hour left me with fewer coupons than in the past, but I still walked away with a nice gift, and we had fun, for a good cause. Associated food on tables with red tulips (the international symbol for Parkinson’s research), and lemonade was served with sherbet, pretzels, fruit, and a raspberry layered cake. Below is my reward for winning Bingo games, the long-sleeved tee shirt, which I might wear to exercise, or John might wear to prune, if their temperatures warm before they finish.
On my way out, I walked by a table of take-away items with pamphlets and pens that had a penlight on one end. That will be handy for when I get home in the dark and need to write down my mileage and don’t wish to turn on the inside car light, which is easily forgotten and will run down the battery.
From there I went by two places — first, to Bi-Mart, for a special price on canned cat food. Only problem was they overcharged me, $2 / box, but I realized it, and they corrected it. I also found my GenTeal Gel on sale for $2 off, so $2 was the number of the day. I stopped another place to deliver a box and bags of clothes from several friends, and my own purging, to put in the organization sorting for the upcoming BNE clothing share. Finally, my last stop was at Bouillon Hall, on campus, where my office was from 1997 to 2008, to drop off a bag of professional clothes for the CWU Career Closet. {Mentioned Tuesday.}
I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on one piece of music to try to coordinate it with Martina McBride’s version on the web, which did not match the score I had put into my computer to print for our group. The song is, “I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight.” Her big voice is in a 5′ 3″ body.
Here is the on-line link with Martina singing with the Chieftains.
Saturday, Feb 27
For Feb 26 CPAP. Reported figures 6 hrs 41 min with AHI=0.90. Events: 5 H, 5 CSR, 5 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=18 L/min); oximeter on entire time AOK.
I spent the entire day working on music, cleaning and sorting clothes, washing dishes, filing, and worrying about other things for the future, medical, musical, and tax related. John worked on several long-delayed outside projects, including cleaning and sharpening the chainsaw. He cut one 4″ piece of young Cottonwood and announced it stupendously superb. I think he meant the saw.
Sunday, Feb 28
For Feb 27 CPAP. Reported figures, 4 hrs 37 min with AHI=1.08. Events: 4 H, 3 CSR, 6 RERA. No major mask leaks (max=10 L/min); oximeter on entire time, with high SpO2 and normal pulse. Apparently, I removed the mask after a 1:03 a.m. H, and a CA @ 1:06 with a PP @ 1:15 a.m., and awoke at 4:00 a.m. realized it was off, and replaced it.
We have both been working, me on the blog and John on cleaning up Ponderosa pine limbs cut when cold and snow stressed the deer. As soon as about half the ground was snow free they lost interest in both trees and hay. They are still around but haven’t said what they are dining on.
We saw a pheasant today. John has seen it recently, and I seldom have seen one here, just lots of quail. I tried to get a picture of it, but did not succeed. Deer were coming over the fence into the driveway and checking him out, so he left.
I spent time with two people trying to match them with a timeshare for upcoming trips. If we do not use our timeshares expiring after two years, on May 31, 2016, we lose access to a lot of trading power and use of them goes away. This condo-by-the-week thing is something we got into when still in Idaho and a local place (new) had a sales pitch we could not refuse. In 1988, with the move to CWU, we went from a semester to a quarter system, couldn’t use the week as intended, and began trading it. Then found friends could go more often than we could. God laughs when humans make plans.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan