… Happy Thanksgiving
Monday, Nov 21
For Nov 20 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.84. Events: 5 H, 7 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 55 min with (max = 15 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 spurious one to 82, I only see 3 of 87 on the graph, 6 events < 88% with avg., 91.1%. Pulse avg. 60.1, low 53.
Chipping crew guys are sick with “the flu” and not coming to chip and saw until next Monday, and plan to work for the rest of that week. John can assist them M-W, but not after that.
At 1:00 p.m. I called Audra Levine-Fuller at her cell #, and arranged to meet her at her business, Maximus Gym on 5th & Main, about receiving a new pair of sweatpants, freely given, that I requested on line (Free Givers of Kittitas County) for John’s operation (as suggested in the preliminary planning in the surgeon’s office last Friday). To pick them up, I climbed two stories of very steep stairs to get up to the gym that resides in an old building downtown. I went too fast and had to sit down and rest once at the top. I measured my pulse at 80 (very high for me). Guess I’m still not in shape from being sick a month and not exercising. I must get in good shape by Dec 12 for my Pulmonary Function Test (PFT).
On my way there, I had stopped off at a gal’s house to exchange an over-the-door hanger for 5 hangers for a package of cases she was giving me. One was a pencil case, but I have converted it to be a connector case for my car for things that operate via the cigarette lighter, now a power outlet receptacle. One is a power supply I think might work for my computer; the other is a charger for my cell phone (and oximeter). I found those during my search for the BP cuff.
I also stopped by the F.I.S.H. bread room and got some stuff for us, for my friend Gloria, who sings with our group Wednesdays (except this week, a holiday), and for my neighbor. Also, I loaded up on Mrs. Smith’s Blue Premium pies for only $2.99 each, a great price at Grocery Outlet. I got Apple, Very Berry, Pumpkin, and Cherry. This is just easier. We should be making our own but seem so busy. John is the pie (& bread) maker and he is setting things up outside so chores are easier and I can help more. He is having a bit of surgery on Dec. 1, and will be very restricted for a few days, and less so for 6 weeks.
Tuesday, Nov 22
For Nov 21 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.70. Events: 1 CA, 5 H, 2 PP, 12 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 32 min with (max = 17 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 minimum to 86, 2 below 88%, with avg., 92.1%. Avg. Pulse 57.2, low 50.
Started at 9:00 a.m., leaving for our local hospital to go to pre-opt care. John was scheduled for his first ever ECG (or EKG following German language) and to schedule the necessary things for Dec 1 surgery. Nurse Bonnie gave him a special soap to start using Tuesday (in the shower only; bathtubs not allowed), and we set up the times and signed the paperwork required. She also was going to call our PCP to suggest upping his BP medication from 5mg to 10mg. For the surgery to happen, he must not exceed 140 for the Systolic reading, and he cannot be sick, or have any rashes or open wounds. He was also given a MRSA nose swab to be sure he was clear of that. MRSA is the acronym for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. When a person is admitted to a hospital or to a nursing home, they are always tested for it.
Off to Costco. Wow, price of gasoline was unbelievable. $2.52 is the lowest in Ellensburg, and it was $2.29 in Union Gap, at the Costco station. There were so many people in the warehouse, however, that it was almost impossible to move around. We bought a ton of things and then went to Home Depot to spend a gift card, but sadly they did not have either thing we needed (filters – one for a humidifier; one for our furnace). We have made two other trips there to spend our gift card from last year, but been unsuccessful. The first search was for a push broom with strong bristles. Failed. The second was for wood paneling at a decent price. Also failed. Perhaps the third time will be a charm.
We came home via Ellensburg, to Bi-Mart to check our number, and to buy John some plain underpants not available at Costco. They did have fancy ones.
We didn’t arrive home until almost dark. All three cats were waiting patiently, ready to eat. The horses were looking for us, and two deer came to the front yard to check to see if we had something for them, as we were unloading the car. It took awhile to unload $370 worth of supplies. We honestly do not have to return to Costco for heavy items before January; that being part of the plan.
Wednesday, Nov 23
For Nov 22 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.29. Events: 2 H, 13 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 52 min with (max = 11 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 minimum to 85, 5 events <88% with avg., 92.1%. Pulse 58.1, low 49.
John spent a bunch of time filling the old ’80 Chevy farm truck with garbage to take to the transfer station, which is open today, thankfully. We called to check. He’ll also get some gasoline because that truck doesn’t leave the property very often. On his way home, he will stop at Mary Johnson’s on Look Road. She is giving away apples. Earlier she asked to be paid but now is free season. The ground is covered with “falls” but there are still more on the trees. Some are small – just right for deer. When John arrived Mary was cleaning under a Horse Chestnut (Buckeye) tree. Nice tree with toxic fruit. He stopped, visited, and brought home 3 wine boxes filled with apples, about 75 pounds. She invited him back. He will likely take a ladder over if he goes, because he picked all he could reach from the ground. Actually, he has enough to do around here before next week and before the snow, so he probably won’t go back.
We had an invitation to the Orcutt’s Family Thanksgiving dinner where we always are included, but both of us cannot afford to be exposed to a lot of people and any germs right now, before John’s surgery next Thursday, and my upcoming Pulmonary Function Test, required to be sure my lungs are not being scarred by the use of the medication, Amiodarone, to control my atrial fibrillation. It has been fine since 2010 and I want it to remain so.
I have been taking care of things in the house and kitchen and trying to get through a search for our cuff blood pressure measurer. I have more places to search, but I suspect it is right here in the den, and will likely be in the very lastly searched box at the bottom of the stack.
I made several calls and found what I needed for the furnace at Woods Ace Hardware in town. This is an odd ball size furnace filter we are going to have to change monthly. It is a size 1 x 20 x 24, and you saw the beginning of the search described yesterday in Yakima and Ellensburg. Ted at the store will order a case (12) and give us a 10% discount, on their individual price of $4.99. The only other place I have found in town sells them for $8.00 each. Others we saw with one dimension an inch (25 rather than 24) different, cost $14. That would get pretty pricey for a year’s need.
I also looked at the Costco flyer starting this Monday, and found they have a computer marked down $150 – the exact laptop I used and evaluated Tuesday when we were there, and decided I might like to consider getting it, after examining information on the web from other sources. The advantage of buying from Costco is monetary and service related. The two-year warranty is doubled, if we use our CITI bank Costco card to pay for it. Anything we buy in Costco with the card, also provides a 2% cash rebate. We will not have to pay shipping. It’s an all-around win situation. I very much need a new computer – before the one I have dies. It is a bit flaky, and I have already replaced its battery and the keyboard.
Thursday, Nov 24 Happy Thanksgiving
For Nov 23 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.13. Events: 1 H, 19 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 41 min with (max = 12 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 spurious minimum to 81 at start, avg. < 88% was 87, with only one hit at 87, overall avg., 92.4%. Pulse 60.7, low 53.
Our friends, Barbara & Paul at Paradisos del Sol Winery in Zillah, sent this live turkey wish from Blue Marvin with his harem at their “farm.” Next year they will have turkeys for sale; now they are just loving these.
At my request, John started the day by examining the web for information about the Dell Inspiron I was considering. He found it for a higher price, but he found excellent ratings. So I plan to get one when I’m in Yakima to have my Stability Test on my dental implants, this coming Monday. John cannot go along because he has to stay to work with the chipping / sawing crew for the Fire-Wise work.
Today is a stay-at-home Thanksgiving because we cannot be exposed to a crowd of people with little germ carriers running all about.
John is moving our wood shed off the patio to the place where the Nanking Cherries and sod was removed from between the heat pump and the patio. You saw the start of that in last week’s blog. See current photos below on Friday, this week. In this case, the rocks went back while the dirt went elsewhere.
I’m searching for the blood pressure cuff and cleaning up paperwork of months’ piled up in our den. Also, I’m doing a little fix-up work on the Christmas music that begins Dec 1, after receiving feedback from of our new members on chords in 11 of our 21 proposed songs.
Eureka! I found it – in the last box I looked (as predicted). We started using it to record the BPs and they have remained in the upper 130s and 140s.
Friday, Nov 25
For Nov 24 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.13. Events: 10 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 44 min with (max = 11 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one spurious blip to 66 (assume moving finger), with avg., 91.7%. Pulse 58.9, low 50.
We are contributing desserts to our neighbors’ Thanksgiving dinner today, but I’m only delivering, and then coming home. I will have to take a peek at the newest great grandchild, Kainoa (3 months old), and not touch or hug anyone. He is cute with an infectious smile, but I did not take my camera along, so the next day I asked his mom, Jessie, for photos. She obliged, so here are pictures of the happy baby (and mom).
Kainoa Aholelei with mom Jessie (Swedberg), and other smiles captured. The one on the far right was on Thanksgiving Day 2016, and that is my memory of his smile. Kai’s dad is Rick, who is Hawaiian.
John is splitting more wood for the wood shed today.
This set of photos represents the stages of development and filling of the wood shed. (Look back to previous weeks to see where it was previously, with the base for the platform now dug out, and the big rock and Nanking Cherry trees removed). It is filled with about a 1/2 cord of wood, and 3 buckets of kindling. More is stored farther away from the house, if needed. Mostly we use the heat-pump, but wood is the emergency fuel. When real cold the wood stove is a great addition – except for the mess.
We received two plates of leftovers delivered by son Ken on his way home. They included turkey, ham, dressing, and mashed potatoes with a little brown gravy. The family ate all the Zucchini/nut/pineapple bread, but they returned two pieces of apple pie. There were other desserts there, namely a pumpkin pie (usually more appropriate for Thanksgiving). Ken, also brought us a container of his outside-the-bird dressing without sausage, but with celery. John made a gravy with Almond Breeze, mushrooms, sour cream, cheddar cheese, flour, and spices. He said it would be the best gravy I ever tasted – and it was very good. We had it two nights with supper starting Saturday night.
For supper tonight, we had half of each of the plates and the apple pie. We saved some for tomorrow’s supper.
I finished the corrections on the December music, but I have to make copies and instructions to share.
Saturday, Nov 26
For Nov 25 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.89. Events: 7 H, 12 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 51 min with (max = 18 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 spurious minimum to 79, with avg., 92.2%. Pulse 55.4, low 50.
Morning started with John’s BP readings. It’s lowering some, whoopie. Should be down in time for surgery.
I was wrong last night. I am not done with the music for December. I started going through the instructions for the group to send them pdf files, or correct on the old Xeroxed copies for 3, but found a problem with something I missed on Frosty the Snowman. Now that is corrected, and I’m able to continue.
Early I had a request from the gal whose thesis I have been reviewing to print a few pages from a pdf file and make measurements of the left and right margins and the same for the positioning of the Arabic and Roman numerals in the document. It took me an hour to do the work, take photo close ups, and get back to her. Her printer is not working and she has to send this revied document to her committee chair Monday.
Then I managed to load the dishwasher and cleaned the frying pans for John to come in and make a ham, cheese, mushroom omelet for brunch, from the leftovers of dinner yesterday. We already ate supper off them and have more tonight to finish, of turkey, potatoes, and dressing.
Brunch was made from the ham.
I took a before picture and with salsa and sour cream added on the right, so one can see the beautiful ham/cheese/mushroom omelet creation (well, 1/4 of it). That’s Rosemary & Olive Oil bread toasted and orange slices.
Here’s a plate of tonight’s leftovers beneath John’s awesome gravy appropriately beside a photo of our Thanksgiving Cactus blooming right on schedule.
After I finish the music, I shall work on the blog. I’m still struggling with the music, now all copies are made and I’m numbering them to send to the person who helped find all the changes, just to be sure it is ready to go.
After moving gravel and chips to the walkway, John did more outside work until dark; we fed all 4 cats, and he took off for the pharmacy and for Bi-Mart. Both close at 6:00 p.m. He’s getting his new/higher dosage of 10mg Lisinopril, some cough drops, and some Almond Roca for me. It seems to be their “loss-leader” this week.
While at Super 1, he got canned cat food on sale and brought home quite a few cans, also a Pecan Pie, a head of cauliflower, onions, and baking potatoes.
On another subject, for 21 years Bobbie Pearce taught Intermediate & Advanced Violin classes at the summer workshop for the WA Old Time Fiddlers. I was in all of her classes from the very first one in Kittitas, WA until the last in Moses Lake, WA. She may come back again in the future. This next story is about her daughter, whom both John and I know (and have written about previously in our blog).
You can reach the whole article at :
Idaho Press highlights Katrina
Her daughter, Katrina Nicolayeff, has been re-invited to play 20 fiddle tunes at the Washington DC Lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree. Note, that is not a mirror image; she plays her violin left-handed, but with the strings in the same position as all fiddlers, G, D, A, E.
Katrina Nicolayeff, along with her two students Macy Keller and Makaela Shippy, will ply next month during two separate ceremonies: The Forest Chief’s Reception and the Congressional Reception at the U.S. Botanic Garden.
“I was asked to get some of my students who have placed the highest,” Nicolayeff told the Idaho Press-Tribune. “Macy and Makaela have both placed in the top ten at nationals, so I just chose a couple of students who have done well.”
The current national grand champion fiddler, Nicolayeff is no stranger to big events and playing in front of a crowd. The Nampa native is a six-time national fiddler champion and three-time world champion, a title that earned her the honor of playing three times at the Grand Ole Opry. She also performed at the inauguration of President George H.W. Bush in 1989.
Sunday, Nov 27
For Nov 26 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.50. Events: 4 H, 2 PP, 12 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 59 min 41 sec with (max = 22 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 spurious minimum to 81, avg. low % was 89.3 with overall avg., 91.9%. Pulse 56.3, low 50.
Excitement with taking John’s a.m. BP and seeing a large antlered buck in the front yard. The only potentially sad news is John heard a rifle shot this afternoon from our neighbor’s and we think hunting season is open. We don’t object to hunting, but we have already lost two beautiful bucks, who need to be around to contribute to the gene pool. Maybe they already have.
After that, with two outside cats fed, we had our morning toast, and then started working on computer chores. John has now left the house in the nice sunny day, temperature 45°. He’ll be back for brunch later to finish the omelet. He’s not back yet, but the sunny day turned cloudy and gray around noon. Turns out John never made it back so we’ll have the omelet tomorrow morning. Instead, he worked building another hay shed, in the pathway to a gate from the corral.
I squeezed in checking two thesis chapters that arrived last night while I slept. They are coming through better than last night with properly situated page numbers. And now, at noon, I just went through three revised ones.
I took data off my machines earlier today than usual, so tonight won’t be so hectic trying to get to bed. I do have to put the supply of meds in my weekly container.
Using all previously used material, except for a dozen nails, and poles from our Popular Trees, John is building a shed.
Far left above are the twin fawns and mom, who have been watching John’s construction. On the right is later, when the hay shed is taking shape and the gate is still open for John’s access. The purpose of this is to have covered hay close to the house and easy to get to. The horses can feed on the other side of the fence. John will put a ton of hay here and we’ll be able to feed with ease. John isn’t to do anything very strenuous as of Dec.1.
Here is another early morning photo of the older hay shed out back where Lemon hangs out. That’s his morning and evening pose, awaiting food to be carried out and put on the baled straw (not seen here, beneath him). There is a ½ cord of firewood in this shed, also. It’s where I took his evening meal tonight, while John was still finishing up the chores before dark. While walking to feed him, I found the finished graveled and chipped walkway from the patio, so I combined these photos. The gravel is recycled concrete, with much to come next year as we want a no-burn area around the whole house.
John is adding mushrooms and grilled chicken strips to the heated dressing and gravy for our supper tonight. That will finish our leftovers from the neighbors.
After dinner I plan to read another two final chapters of the thesis. Only one to go and references, and maybe a run through the Table of Contents and List of Figures.
Cascades are getting snow. High passes are closed. Ski slopes are opening. The one below is 50 miles from us, but getting there takes about 3 hours drive time.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan