As we work on this tonight reports from around the country are claiming snow, and some serious winter weather. Locally, the snow is 50 miles northwest and 2,000 feet higher. There is none in our week-out forecast. The rest of you, take care.
Monday, Nov 5
I reported into the AAC that I could not make it to my SAIL exercise class today. Meanwhile, this morning, the director called me to update me on all the plans for this Friday’s Veterans’ Day celebration (early) when our Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends is playing patriotic music as part of the program.
We needed to be down in imaging at the Yakima Heart Center for me to have an Echocardiogram administered by Angie. My appointment was 11:00 a.m. I had to have an IV administered with DEFINITY®. “It is an injectable cardiovascular ultrasound contrast agent comprised of lipid-coated echogenic microbubbles filled with octafluoropropane gas that enhances clinicians’ view of the left ventricle of the heart during an echocardiogram to aid with diagnosis.” I had it last time as well, with no side effects, but to be safe, John drove us home. We stopped at Jack in the Box, just two blocks from the Center, for a small lunch, on our way home. Shared a burger with other stuff on it, fries, and a drink.
Needed to get home to for my haircut appointment. John went to Costco while I was having the Echocardiogram performed. He also filled my car with gasoline, inexpensive (relative to Ellensburg prices), at $3.19/gallon.
Once home, I drove a mile to my neighbor’s house on Thomas, who has cut my hair since I arrived in Ellensburg in 1988. Then she was working at the Band Box Salon across the street from Lind Hall where my office was located initially. When we bought our house we bought close to hers in 1989.
Late afternoon (3:20) I finished assembling all my meds for the week. You guessed it, I had to order two more I was running out of. I only have one week of another (now ordered and received).
Finally, after supper, we published the blog for last week, almost 10:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov 6
Spoke with Vanessa at Respiratory Services about my pulmonary function test (PFT), before the end of the year. She will check the system for my last visit and get back to me, at home.
Pulmonary Function Test details. Jim found on the machine that I had one in Dec 2016, and then on 4-14-17. (I think that’s strange, but I am okay to be done the end of this year).
I put a call in for a referral from Dr. Wood to get one before the end of this year. A triage nurse will get back to me today about that. Once the referral makes it into the system Vanessa will contact me about time and date. This is to check my lungs to be sure they are not being scarred by the Amiodarone medication (taken successfully for atrial fibrillation, since 2010).
We went in today, and accomplished many things, including dropping off WSJ papers to a person who works near the airport. By the courthouse to drop off our Election ballets in the deposit box, on to Safeway to load up on savings: Country style sausage rolls, John’s colas (regular & zero), Nancy’s PowerAde Zero – with a coupon at a reduced price already 69₵ each that brought it down to 49₵ each. I should have calculated that savings in the store and I’d have bought some more. Heck of a savings! However, checking the receipt, I see they missed giving me $1.00 off for the second five. Also, we bought several sausage rolls, and were charged the incorrect price. I have a copy of J4U digital coupon and the receipt, so I will have to make another trip in to get my refund. They will give it to me, but sadly, that will take more of my time and gasoline. I’ll just have to keep it until my next need to go to Safeway. It is not our preferred grocery shopping destination. The pricing, discounts, coupons, and digital stuff is a pain. From there we dropped by the Senior Center and dropped off my Apple Corer/Slicer for them to use on the apples for this Friday’s lunch and program. While there I picked up the proposed program itinerary, and am adjusting our group to that.
We dropped off at Super 1, where John went for Iceberg lettuce for me, and to look for smoked turkey, and I picked up 3 of my meds. Another problem ensued when I got home and unpacked the meds to find they had not quartered my Amiodarone tablets. One more trip back in tomorrow. Phew.
From there to Bi-Mart to check our numbers (nothing won), and return for replacement my wrist Omron blood pressure measurer that quit working. Amazing their return policy. While there, John bought some tulips, 3 (18 pack) cases of cheap beer at half price, and I found 75% off on packages of 74 small wrapped candies (from Halloween). We paid $2.50/bag for a bag originally sold for $9.99. We left to come home by Grocery Outlet on our last stop because of buying Ice Cream. I also bought some syrup for pancakes. I went for the cheapest in town of Golden Griddle syrup, only to find the same thing from Best Western for $1 cheaper.
Wednesday, Nov 7
I fixed my lunch salad (with John’s help cubing smoked turkey breast and cubing an apple), and took care of some other telephoning regarding a referral for a PFT, and some needed quartering of the pills I picked up yesterday that weren’t done.
I went to the Food Bank for music, then for my blood draw, and on to SAIL exercise. Afterwards, I went by Bi-Mart to pick up the instructions for my BP monitor, which were in the box they put my broken one in to send back. It has the place to put the serial # and register it on line. Now I need to do that.
I came home to transfer the videos John took Sunday, over to our external hard drive so I can send to YouTube from there and not use space on my C drive. I need to do similarly with the stuff on my Nikon, from Saturday night. It all takes time.
While that goes up, I need to work on the intros for the 13 songs we will do Friday at the Veterans’ Day luncheon and celebration.
The next videos all go back to Sunday, Nov 4, 2018
Mattawa Ash Fall Tuff Field Trip Videos with Nick Zentner
Stop 1 Selah Creek Rest Area
Stop 2 Hwy #24 near Cold Creek
Stop 3.a Mattawa Pumicite Quarry
Stop 3.b – only 1 min; worth it Cougar Mtn Basalt
Stop 3.c In wind and dust
Thursday, Nov 8
John left after 7:30 a.m., for bottling Roussanne at White Heron, taking along some roasted and candied cashews and almonds (from Mixed Nuts at Costco), and a bag of Cheddar cheese & Caramel Popcorn.
I left a message with Roberta at Meadows Place for 12 chairs today. One player stands, so we have a Baker’s Dozen.
The temps got very cold here last night, and Czar was in early for some attention and food. I slept in and then did a few chores. He was still around when I removed the hard pellets from the front porch because of the Magpies screaming and streaming in. I was able to take him some canned food and he cleaned the plate. I wish we had a heated place for him to sleep.
John got caught a traffic accident and made him an hour late arriving home, after dark. He has written about it in his column Not So Nasty News (below). Please check that.
I have been working tonight on music for tomorrow at the AAC.
I only have 36 audience copies left to distribute. We started a couple years ago with 50.
Anne wrote tonight she will be there tomorrow. Just got back at 3:30 p.m. today from a long car trip back East to New York.
Friday, Nov 9
Early celebration of Veterans’ Day at the Senior Center, which is officially named, Ellensburg Adult Activity Center, and that is the name of their Facebook page, if you are inclined to visit.
Off at 10:30 for AAC. It all went fine with several surprises, but nothing bad, and we had probably the best (early) Veterans’ Day celebration there ever. My estimate is over 60. We have many photos. John took pictures, I took a few, and a new friend (from Persia) came and videotaped much of the AAC program. I think among the 3 of us we will have many nice ones, and the videos Allie_Adi took that I have received are awesome. I have only seen the first 6, and I’m sharing five below. As she sends me more links, I will post them in order, as taken. We thank her from the bottom of our hearts for helping document the event.
This is our new friend, from Persia, Allie-Adi, who shared the day with us and her talents of videotaping from her Smartphone. We have 5 to share now, with more to come in the future, when she has time. She is a Freshman at CWU in the Department of Construction Management. I met her at the FISH Food Bank where I will see her every Wednesday.
A few photos from Friday are up there already, but mine have not yet been sent in. I’m still working on them Sunday night. They may get posted Monday when the staff returns, and after I get them the link.
The 1st: Early arrivals, and John
Presentation of Colors and Pledge Allegiance to USA Flag and at end, everyone singing, “God Bless America”, with Karen Eslinger on accordion, leading us.
The 2nd: Presentation of Colors and Pledge Allegiance
The 3rd: MC David Douglas invites the Navy personnel to step forward
These are the only videos I took on Friday: (beneath the photo taken by the AAC)
Dean Allen (our harmonica player; flag behind head) & other Navy, Nov 9, 2018.
David, on the very left is the master of ceremonies, and an army guy. On the very right in the audience above in the picture is the “apple family” — our friend Dee with family. He about got his feet frozen in France during WWII.
The next video (taken by Nancy) has more of the interviewing of the Navy veterans.
Below is the Army contingent, with Dee Eberhart, the orchardist, mentioned above in the Navy vets’ picture (in the audience far right) bottom. Below he is second from the left in the Army veterans, and MC David is on the right.
This video is ONLY of David Douglas. The interview with the others may be on our friend’s tape I don’t yet have.
David Douglas (Army), Nov 9, 2018 at AAC Veterans’ Day Early
Army vets
We also watched this song/video, but here is a web link:
John Conlee – They Also Serve
Then we had the Retiring of the Flags, and I was asked to play taps (with a battery operated very loud trumpet) I had to hold toward the ceiling so as not to blast into anyone’s ear drums. 
After that we ate, and then we eventually played music for a singalong. Here we are.
This was our first singalong song:
America by Fiddlers and Friends
Nine of our group, Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends
I’ll share a Google Photo link with all the photos on it, in next week’s blog.
I went by the Kittitas Neighborhood Pantry on the way home to show my patriotic outfit to the ladies there. Ida, said that her two sons served our country in the war. She gave me a hug and thanked me for being part of the early celebration today and for coming by to share my flag vest and red/white/blue pants.
Saturday, Nov 10
We stayed busy with John outside and me inside. He dug a hole for a gate post. I’ve worked on the photos and links you have encountered, so far.
Sunday, Nov 11 Happy Armistice Day!
I grew up calling it that, and here is a wonderful quote from Kurt Vonnegut about that name change.
Sent to me by my former student, Casey Stedman, now a Training Officer with the Association of Spaceflight Professionals. He sent this quote today via Facebook.
“I will come to a time in my backwards trip when November eleventh, accidentally my birthday, was a sacred day called Armistice Day. When I was a boy, and when Dwayne Hoover was a boy, all the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, which was the eleventh day of the eleventh month.
It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the Voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when God spoke clearly to mankind.
Armistice Day has become Veterans’ Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans’ Day is not.
So I will throw Veterans’ Day over my shoulder. Armistice Day I will keep. I don’t want to throw away any sacred things.”
Kurt Vonnegut (PFC, US Army)
John started his day by setting up our flag at the end of the drive. No wind to blow it today, however. Sun was well up, so he was a little late. He took it down just at sunset.
I started my day by calling Gloria to wish her a Happy Birthday on her 93rd year of existence. She’s amazing. Still walking around on her own, and not taking any prescription drugs (only an aspirin/day). She always complains that she can never receive mailed birthday cards (not because it is Sunday this year), but because in other years USPS claims a holiday. This year there will be no mail on Monday. Twice bad.
I called Dee Eberhart tonight to catch up on Friday and thanking them for coming, and also to coordinate with him about his schedule, letting him know we would be meeting at Hearthstone with the retired geography group and who were coming.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan