A bit of snow

Monday, Dec 5

For Dec 4 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.58. Events: 1 CSR, 4 H, 11 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 53 min with (max = 19 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.0%. Pulse avg. 54.6, low 49.

This was a day of rest. We had about 3″ of snow. It was still very cold. After I helped John feed the horses, we were in the house all day recovering from his surgery, doing nothing but taking his blood pressure, eating, and feeding the cats. I took care of various email chores, such as sending announcements to the NW Geography Jobs list I manage and sending a request for count of people coming to play music, so we can have enough no-arm chairs for our musicians. The assisted-living facilities prefer having arms on the chairs for their residents. Makes sense.

Actually, much of my day was frustratingly spent trying to register my new computer, set up the extra 2 yr-warranty to 4 (free from CITI & Costco), and get registered through the Dell site. I had a lot of difficulty starting the process that was not completed until the next day. Also eligible for Costco Concierge Services, but have to qualify and be recognized on the system.

Most of my day was completing (started over the weekend) getting the pictures cropped for the Friday party and sent off to the folks at the “Ellensburg Adult Activity Center” to post on their Facebook site. If you have a Facebook account, consider going there to that entire name above to see the photos; most are mine. Usually the staff members are too busy until the end to take photos.

Tuesday, Dec 6

For Nov 28 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.25. Events: 2 H, 13 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 4 min with (max = 11 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low of 86 (note CPAP was on entire time), 2 events < 88% with avg., 91.0%. Pulse avg. 60.5, low 50.

I dropped by the food bank bread room to pick up some white buns for a gal who does not drive, and dropped them off and picked up 3 Christmas things from her to donate to the senior center. I was headed there for our Jazzercise class. The staff at the AAC appreciated the gifts: one was a dancing Mick Jagger doll playing Christmas music, the other a stuffed Snoopy with a Christmas scarf, and finally a red and green candy bowl with a happy face on the side. They now reside on the counter. I should have taken my camera to record. Maybe this week.

I had extra time, so I also went by CWU to get my two-year Emeritus parking sticker. This is #004 and expires 12-31-18. The color for this changed from dark green to hot pink. I still had a few minutes so I delivered the Tree of Life (Christmas) porcelain ornament, mentioned in last week’s blog, to Carole.

On the way home, I stopped by Bi-Mart to get sale items and to check my number. I took advantage of canned stewed tomatoes (with NO SALT) on sale 2/$1.00, and bought a couple of packages of marked down briefs for John. They were below the Costco price (and what we had bought previously at Bi-Mart)! While there, I bought another Fisherman’s Friend refill of cough drops.

By the time I got home, John had already done the evening horse chores, and so I carried in the stuff and fixed food for the cats.

The next hour was spent on the phone with the COSTCO Concierge Services about the extended warranty to 4 years from the 2 years it came with. Buying it with the CITI Costco card was supposed to invoke the additional one. I have now copied all the information on their web page so if 3 years from now something happens, I can show that it is covered under the extended warranty. I was unable to get them to send me a validation of their “offer.” Seems we are just supposed to trust them.

I found out the official name of the dancing group who entertained us last Friday, and I wrote up in the blog, with videos of the children dancing to Hawaiian Christmas songs. They are the Na Pua Nani Dancers — who do Polynesian dancing.

Wednesday, Dec 7

For Dec 6 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.80. Events: 1 CSR, 5 H, 16 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 13 min with (max = 12 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low of 88, 0 events < 88% with avg., 92.0%. Pulse avg. 54.7, low 49.

I did not take Gloria along with me today, because of my dental appointment following so closely on my SAIL class, but, on my way to town, I did stop by with a package of rolls to check on her. Then I went on to the food bank and played Christmas music. We ate and I went to SAIL exercise at the senior center. On the way, I picked up free baby bottles to deliver to a person closer to our home. She had done the same for me a year ago for some gifts from across town from the free givers group.

Once at the AAC, I asked one of the AmeriCorps people to set an alarm on her computer for 1:45 so I could take my antibiotic for my appointment to clean my teeth. This was to occur at a new dentist with a new hygienist, but someone John and I knew at our bank 11 years ago. Now she has had 3 children and worked in this career for 9 years. Her name is Tracy. It was very nice to be treated by someone from our past. The office is quite well furnished – the X-ray was digital and easier on me than older models. The chair was actually comfortable and had a nice neck positioned pillow better than any I have ever experienced. The coolest thing was the chair had a back massager. At my request, I will be switched to a 4-month schedule for periodontal care, rather than 6 months. I met the new dentist who will fix up my implants with a gold crown on each.
A husband and wife team runs the business. My dentist will be Margie Sullivan (pronounced Margi). I met her today and feel very comfortable having her do my dental work. [John wonders if our previous dentist – seemed a bit young to be retiring – bailed out rather than spend lots of money to modernize. We never heard anything so maybe he ran away with … Na.]

The funniest thing about today was I was going to a new building. I went in the wrong door on the east side (another dental office), and said my name and that I was there for Tracy for teeth cleaning. They looked at me strangely, called in a Tracy (hygienist), who did not look at all familiar to me, and said they didn’t have me on the schedule. Then they mentioned the name of their dentist, and it was not Sullivan. They were on the west side of the building. Funny that two hygienists would have the same name, in two different offices (and did not previously know it until I came in). I was carrying my violin because it was too cold to leave it in the car. Do you suppose they talked when I left? I then found the correct office, just next door, about 20′ down the walkway.

I made some appointments for Jan 2017. First is for an impression for the crowns over the implants. The second is for my next hygienist appointment in April. Now to get our wall calendar hung and filled in. I also had a call this week for a Jan 3 appointment with my cardiologist, Dr. Kim, in Yakima.

Thursday, Dec 8

For Dec 7 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.31. Events: 1 CA, 5 PP, 10 H, 9 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 24 min with (significant leakage occurred). Oximetry: SpO2 one to 84, 11 events < 88% with avg., 91.2%. Pulse avg. 56.7, low 50. CPAP didn’t seem to be controlling the Sp02 tonight. Weird. I screwed up and left the oximeter on (but off my finger) for a long time, until after 6:00 p.m. tonight, until I noticed it.

Paid bills and started dishes, which John finished! while I was gallivanting around town. (Thanks.)

I was scheduled at Meadows Place to play music and set up at 1:30. We had a bunch of people there today, almost making it difficult to stay together on the beat. We had several sets of bells and made a lot of noise with our Christmas songs – Silver Bells, Jingle Bells, and we had a person using sticks to sound like a horse. We had a good audience turnout and huge bunch of us. Let’s see if I can give a roll-count. We had 5 guitars, Minerva, Maury, Manord, Gerald, Charlie, Roberta; 1 mandolin, Tim, 5 violins, Laura, Laina, Candace, Evie, me; 1 flute, Amy, and a singer, Rita.1-collagenancyhaley12-8-16Here I am with Haley on the piano bench, just before we started. I made it into a collage, with the left photo being out of focus, but showing both the little derby hats with holly and deer antlers. Haley gave me the green one to match her red one, two weeks ago, and now checks to be sure I have it for our weekly sessions. In the first, we have both hats on but in the second, you can see she is tipping her hat and waving. I was sitting in the middle of our musical group to be the “conductor” and to coordinate the songs in the audience booklets.

I went by the bread room and got bread for 2 neighbors and for a girl in town. As I got to her place, it started snowing.

I went by Complete Computer Services to pay my yearly bill for using the unlimited email account, nancyh@ellensburg.com, to maintain the email address we have had since 1995. Not bad, $60 + tax and an additional $21 + tax for a wireless mouse with a battery that lasts 8 months, for my new laptop. I used my CITI bank card and gave them the details to use to automatically charge to my card next Dec. to save me a trip in. They already do that on our charges yearly in October for our domain name, rocknponderosa.com we use for the blog and for web pages.

Snow was coming down rather well by the time I arrived home, so much so, I turned on my lights to be seen, and slowed down considerably.

Look what I was sent today. John is an avid user and admirer of Google Street View, and I use it all the time too. He has found street views on trails at Mt. Rainier and on narrow streets in the rural English countryside. So, I knew he would love this link to sheep being used to make street views in the Faroe Islands. The title is:

Faroe Islands fit cameras to sheep to create Google Street View.

Get off my back you silly camera

I skipped the Dean’s party tonight, because of all the snow, darkness, and I was tired from my day’s activities. Plus, I no longer know the Dean of the College of the Sciences. The one who took care of all my dealings in the several years before, during, and after I retired has retired himself. However, their party is always one of the best food fests in town, and I’m sure that was the case this year.

Friday, Dec 9

For Dec 8 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.38. Events: 2 H, 6 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 15 min with (max = 22 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 to low 85, 5 events < 88% with avg., 91.8%. Pulse avg. 60.1, low 53.

After doing morning chores, we got ready to go visit John’s surgeon about his surgery a week ago.

We started by fueling the Forester with gasoline at a great (2016) price: $2.259/gal. We went by Bi-Mart for sale items, more of the canned stewed tomatoes with no salt added, and for big potato dip chips; by Super 1 for pears (88¢/lb.**) – wow! – and some sliced ham; Safeway for 2 liter colas and to order some heart meds for me to pick up next week.

**Why lb for pounds?

We checked in to Dr. Harris office to have a follow up on John’s surgery. Everything was fine and we had a nice visit. We learned about “the healing ridge” because John asked about the lump under the incision. It would have been nice to learn that in advance, but it was never mentioned. At home, John searched the web for “Healing Ridge” and found this most interesting site.

About that healing ridge

This link is worth a visit. The doctor (blogger) is Sid Schwab, who is a general surgeon in Everett, WA, age ~ 72. The links therein get technical although the second one (the word ‘like’) has a very colorful chart of the approximate times of the different phases of wound healing. It starts at time=0 and goes to 2 years. Who knew?

After we left his office, we had not had lunch, so we took two “free” cards to Westside Pizza for a piece of pizza each. I picked a multiple topping one for John and Hawaiian for me. I should have asked for the pepperoni because it was generously covered, and the Hawaiian piece I received was not. It only had one small piece of cut-up Canadian bacon and several small pieces of 1/2″ by 3/4″ pineapple. I was not impressed. We brought them home and heated for a late lunch.

It was snowing hard for the trip home, so I drove slowly and with my lights on, to be sure we were seen. The intersections were icy and my Subaru went into action as traction shifted from tire to tire. Young folks may grow up with this and not really notice it but old folks (or at least us) find it startling. This is true, also, for the anti-lock braking system (ABS) – claimed to be good for us. We’d rather “pump” the brakes as we learned in our teens and not have it done for us.

Saturday, Dec 10

For Dec 9 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.21. Events: 1 CSR, 1 H, 6 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 46 min with significant mask leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 low at 85, 6 events < 88% with avg., 91.2%. Pulse avg. 61.0, low 54.

John started sooner than I did, fed the horses, and push-broomed the front walkway and a path up the driveway, where he got the paper and cleaned off the mailbox, but forgot to get the mail delivered after dark last night. While there, he visited with a neighbor who cross-country skied around the 4-½ miles block, saw him, and stopped for a visit. When he came back in, he realized he had not picked up the mail, so I used that opportunity to put a special birthday card I designed for the father of our friend, Michelle Sievertson, in a large manila envelope with a conventional birthday card wrapped around it. His 90th birthday falls on Christmas day. Michelle and hubby Bruce are in Eureka, CA and her father lives in a facility in a nearby town.

John came back in and worked on the computer awhile, and then cooked us brunch of fried egg, ham, and warmed a piece of cinnamon-brown sugar cake.

At some point, our wonderful neighbor, Allen Aronica, appeared with a big farm tractor with snowplow. John grabbed a Costco Fruitcake, coat, hat, and gloves, and got out just as Allen was about to make a 2nd pass out the drive. We don’t have a lot of snow, but Allen wanted to scrape it off before we packed it down. John was especially thankful. An inch or so of light snow with a push broom was doable but he did not want to start with a shovel. At just 8 days, his “healing ridge” is still very young and not wanting a workout. So, a special thanks this year, Allen.

John went back out later to brush off the driveway, and then drove his Subaru over the big tire tread marks from the tractor. 2-collagepushbroomallensshovelwork3deerLeft photo, John’s early morning push-brooming efforts. Right shows him cleaning a little from the newly scrapped driveway, and the deer keeping track of the activities.

While he was push brooming the drive, the 3 deer came for a visit to the front yard. They watched the Starlings take the rest of their (too high for the deer) Mt. Ash berries. We think the birds possibly knocked some off that the deer this afternoon were finding. About two o’clock the 3 resident deer entered the front yard. 3-collage-3-deer-at-2-00-pmThen about 3:30, when John was back in the house, a little buck with 3 points on one side and 2 on the other, visited. We have been leaving the gate open, but they are able to jump the 4′ fence. It is just an unnecessary danger with snow and buckets there.4-collagelittlebucklate12-10-16Likely a 2 or 3 year-old. He showed up this week and is sometimes traveling with the regulars.

Tonight’s supper was fried cauliflower, some leftover chicken casserole, baked apples, and fried potatoes (left over baked). For dessert, we enjoyed Key Lime pie with strawberries on top. Makes it colorful and quite festive for the season.

Sunday, Dec 11

For Dec 10 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.24. Events: 1 CSR, 9 H, 15 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 17 min with (max = 22 L/min). At 2:15 a.m., I awoke sneezing; took off mask for 3 min. to quit. Oximetry: SpO2 low to 86, 11 events < 88% (significant that the whole night was ON the CPAP), & with an overall avg., 90.8%. Pulse avg. 54.6, low 50.

Worked on blog.

No more snow; occasional sun, and now at 11:20, it’s snowing a little. We do not really need that. Now at 12:10, the sun is shining with no snow falling. Weather certainly changes rapidly.

After taking care of outside chores, John put a chunk of beef in a Crockpot. In searching for the onions, he found the missing onions in a bottom drawer of the refrigerator that he rarely uses, but now two recently bought ones are missing in action. Also, he found the missing baking potatoes. I must have unpacked the groceries and put them there.
Just now for a snack we had pieces of a large Bartlett pear.

Now, I have to go to work getting my new laptop packaged up with necessary attachments to go to CWU tomorrow for putting on the Microsoft Office Suite. As a retired faculty member who still assists students, I am offered this perk (better than a gold watch). I’ll also take other stuff along, such as my wireless mouse, a 4 USB extension, and a CD/DVD external reader.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan