Sunday, Jun 23
You already heard about today in last week’s blog, but we did get the blog published at 9:20 p.m.
My violin classes started in WA in 1991 in Kittitas, WA for 22 years for the WOTFA (WA Old Time Fiddlers Association) summer workshop held there for a week. It was only 10 miles from our house. Today, I had a facebook message from Bobbie Pearce, my teacher all those years, about her left-handed fiddling daughter from Meridian, ID – Katrina Nicolayeff, who won for the 5th time, the National Grand Champion Fiddler of the WOTFA competition this year. This video is 45 minutes of the top 8 contestants for the final round in Weiser, ID, June 22, 2019. Katrina’s fiddling starts at 5:45 into the video. I’m trying to find out the names of the 3 songs she plays. I cannot decipher from the speaker. Closest I can get is Building on Low Ground, Valen’s (unsure of the spelling) Waltz, and the Clarinet Polka.
Katrina Nicolayeff, 5th time, Nat’l Grand Champion Fiddler
Monday, Jun 24
We left early this morning for our first stop with my laptop at the ComputAbility place in Ellensburg. Savannah there was going to assess the problem with my Dell’s on-off switch and find the part to order. We had to continue on to the Yakima Heart Center for my appointment with my new cardiologist.
Before leaving for Yakima, I mailed out the long-awaited Jack Nisbet lecture. Next thing needing sent is the report on the May 21 awards, to the Geography & CERM recipients, which still is not yet completed because of searching for pictures taken by others to add and for email addresses of the students involved. I already put the videos in for our part on May 21 in our weekly blog.
Before my scheduled cardiologist visit, I went to Toni for a device check on my ICD, which had misfired (reported a higher than normal pulse rate) back in February 2 days, right before my oral dental surgery. It did not trigger the kick of stopping the heart to repace it, but it did notify the professionals, who called me to see if I was okay. It was a couple months later, so I studied my calendar and realized what I thought caused it, and reported back to Dr. Dave Krueger my thoughts, in line with the stress I was going under at the time waiting 10 days to remove the bacteria infected abscessed tooth threatening my heart valves until the tooth could be extracted. You’ve already heard that story. He accepted it and we scheduled the first available appointment to meet him – which was today.
FACC = Fellow of the American College of Cardiology
John and I had an excellent medical discussion with my new cardiologist, Dave Krueger, MD, at the Yakima Heart Center. You have heard in a previous blog, that he was on the team when I was so sick awaiting open heart surgery Nov – Dec 2009. He agreed to take me as his patient, and he plans to be on board for another 10 years before retiring. That is great news. He also involves the patient in all the decision making and transcribes the details of the visit, the same as my original cardiologist in 2009 (Dr. Anatole Kim) did. He retired 2 years ago, and his replacement left for another job, earlier this year, leaving me without a cardiologist.
I have not received my transcription yet from him, but below is from notes and my memory of what transpired. First, I was seen by his medical assistant (MA), and she gave me an ECG. He later showed it to us, and remarked on the good signs it demonstrated. She then went through my medications list, took my BP and pulse, and we visited about the doctor. We had a very short wait until he came into the room.
We discussed the medications I’m on, and the necessary things to keep an eye on my progress with them. I’m already aware and doing most of the necessary things. Because of the Amiodarone I’m on for stopping atrial fibrillation, I get a Pulmonary Function Test annually. I do have to get him to request the next one because they shortened the length of time to plan for the next year. I used to do it at the time for the next year, but that’s changed. I’ll check on that tomorrow. I have previously asked for the records to be transferred to the Yakima Heart Center (YHC) for my file, but I will check to see if they are in my file; if not, I’ll copy the ones I have.
I learned from Dr. Krueger that I should be taking all vitamins with food in my stomach. We also discussed other meds, and necessary blood tests to have in the next couple weeks to evaluate several things: my thyroid, liver, kidney, electrolytes, and anemia counts. He ordered those labs and I picked up the paperwork as I was checking out. Labs will require fasting, and include HDL/Lipid Profile, BNP, CBC, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, and TSH. I will also have an Echocardiogram (with Angie) at the YHC in October, at least a week before a scheduled appointment with Dr. Krueger in October or November.
I probably cannot schedule his appointment until August, and it will be on a Tuesday in Ellensburg! One other thing is that I am supposed to let my eye doctor know I take Amiodarone because it can have an effect on the surface of the cornea. I never knew that so because I have an eye appointment coming up this Tuesday, July 2, I called and talked to a medical assistant I know there. She said not to worry; they were aware of that and had several patients on the drug. I was due for a medication update this year (every 2 years), so I will carry that in. But, I have been on it since 2010 and at the same eye doctor. So I’m okay.
We had a nice thorough visit and I went away pleased. Got to visit with my favorite nurse down there since 2009 (Colleen). She’s my liaison for getting messages transferred. Knows both John and me very well.
Tuesday, Jun 25
Checked and paid for tabs on our old Chevy 1980 farm truck and found the correct insurance papers are not in the glove compartment, so I wrote an email to our insurance company in Idaho (for our vehicles), requesting them to send me the one only for the Chevy truck, which only had inside one that expired in March this year. I will pick up the tabs tomorrow, along with getting John’s medications.
I changed my next haircut in July to Friday, 7/19, because we are planning to be at Asahel Curtis Trail head for a special celebration potluck for Pete Dewell’s WTA achievements, working >2000 days volunteering for WTA trails.
John spoke with Pete Saturday this week on the Annette Lake Trail. He sent his regards through John to me, and John told him I would be coming along to his celebration potluck.
I worked on various computer projects (sending jobs out to the jobs list I manage), and creating an emailing group list to send to folks who attended the End-Of-Year Geography awards ceremony, back on May 21. You have already seen that video report in the blog, photographs others took, to my report.
John thawed a pound of older ground beef from the freezer (in very good shape) and fixed homemade spaghetti meat sauce at my request tonight and we had it over rice, because we didn’t have any pasta in the house.
Wednesday, Jun 26
This morning, I called Discover Magazine when I awoke about receiving two issues of same magazine for July/August.
Changed there to expire April 2021 in John’s name, (since 2011). We will still get duplicate copies for this Sept. I called College Subscription Service and see if they can alter it if Discover Mags have not, but they had. Phone # I need (855) – (Ext 212 for Shaku); Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm Central Time. Shaku is only an agent. She was going to check with the publisher, and she called me back later in the week, but said the expiration date was 2020 not 2021. I’ll wait to see what it says on the October label.
I fixed my salad with John’s help cubing smoked turkey and apple and took to the food bank music and lunch afterward. They had 50 pound bags of small onions – last year’s crop – and loaded one in my car. John sorted them, throwing out about 10, and packaged most of the rest in 5-6 pound containers. These will go to friends and neighbors. Before the few we kept are used, our own crop will ripen; but could be used now.
I picked up John’s meds at the Pharmacy and the tabs for his Chevy ‘80 truck from Meridian Theater building office; better to deal with than the county courthouse.
Thursday, Jun 27
We played music today at Hearthstone for the residents with a large group of 12 players, and a good bunch in the audience.
I also delivered onions today; worked on getting clothing collected for a family who lost all in a house fire.
I still need to set up the July music for the music books I’m in charge of and also for the audiences; next week we play both days, July 4 and July 5.
Friday, Jun 28
We went a long time this week, without a Kittitas Valley photograph by our friend Evie Scheutz, so here are two from this morning.
6/28/19 Sunrise in the Kittitas Valley by Evie Scheutz
Followed by a characteristic of the global economy of our valley, with the hay industry:
Early morning Hay Field by Evie Schuetz
Our valley grows timothy, mixed grass, and alfalfa and bales it into regular bales, picked up using a Harobed and into megabales for shipment overseas. Both sized bales go overseas and to users in the USA.
I have to put in a few images of these megabales, which many folks have never seen. When I have toured the Anderson Hay and Grain facility here in town they call these sized bales by that title, but on the web, they are known only as Large Square Bales (which they really aren’t) – maybe better called Large Rectangular Bales. I like the term, “Megabales.” 
I drove to Ellensburg directly into a thunderstorm, with street, sidewalk, and parking lot flooding. I went to Super 1 and did not find what John wanted for mixed vegetables, but I got a 2# pkg. of the closest thing to it for 98₵. I found the Navel Oranges all right. I walked out into a the first few raindrops of a heavy rainstorm with lightning and thunder (with no raincoat in my car). I wrapped up the frozen veggies in some clothing in the back of my car to keep it cold. The worst rainfall happened after I was inside the car. I waited about 10 minutes before I even tried driving away.
I drove to the AAC to pick up feed bags left for me early this morning. On the way back, I left a bucket of last years’ onions by Amy’s house. I had to sit there awhile too, until the rain slowed. Then I drove by Dairy Queen to cash in a free coupon for a chocolate dipped 3 oz. cone for my treat of the day after all the excitement. From there I came back by way of Celia’s to drop off a box with the rest of the onions. That finishes them. We will soon have our own coming on.
John is taking a nap and I think I will too. My escapades took a lot longer than I ever expected today with all the thunderstorm activity. I slept for 1.5 hrs. Guess I needed it.
We had a great stir-fry for supper, and we will have a piece of red velvet frosted cake with ice cream for dessert.
I finished the play list and plans for our group to play patriotic music next Friday at the Senior Center (officially known as the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center). They don’t have a program on the 4th, because there is much else going on in the area.
Saturday, Jun 29
John leaves early for a WTA work party on the Annette Lake Trail, on the west side of Snoqualmie Pass. He worked with 2 others on brushing where the trail meanders under a power-line, for 1/10 of a mile. That starts just 3/10ths of a mile from the parking lot. A fellow has bursitis (hips), and did not want to go very far. Some of the others went 2.25 miles up a hard climb. Tomorrow there are 2 rock & tread projects under the power-lines, and then they will work farther up, but still only about ½ mile up.
My day today was fruitful and frustrating. I started by going by a friend’s porch to drop off clothes and pick up more, but she forgot to put them on her porch. Later before I was out of town, she reached me and I did go back by to get them. I was able to take a skirt out of her bag to add to another delivery made today after the next place I went.
The next stop was at the Ellensburg Community Clothing Center (operated by the Methodist Church volunteers) to check out things for us, and also to donate a lot of clothes. I found a few things: a blouse, floppy cloth hat to keep the sun off my neck and face, a couple pairs of socks, and 2 types of underwear that fit. I left a whole lot more than I took.
I went by a friend’s house to drop off a garbage bag full of clothes for a family who lost everything in a house fire. I met her older brother Paul, who has moved in to stay with her so they can look after each other. We had a nice catch-up visit. Carole has recovered from an earlier stoke, with no problems apparent. We had visited by email and phone so I knew she had drastically improved. It was great to see her up and around and so we exchanged a big hug.
From there I went to ComputAbility, open from noon to 4:00 Saturday, because the part was delivered this morning. However, they wouldn’t be able to get it back to me until Monday afternoon. I have to have it over the weekend, so I will just have to take it in on Monday morning, or Tuesday morning. Yes, I was upset, from information I had learned earlier about the expected turnaround.
John tried calling me through his Bluetooth but the phone is not working. He got into the valley and tried turning it on, dialed my number, and it did not come through. We don’t know what is blacking out the screen, and why it is not working.
After getting the mail and taking the dog for a brief walk, he came back in the house and took a short nap. Then he fixed a nice soup for supper and cooked corn-on-the-cob, but neither one of us wanted any after the large bowl of chicken & vegetable & wild rice soup. Later just before John went to bed, we had our dessert.
Now John has been in bed awhile, but just walked out in bare feet to ask me to bring in the cat food because there was a bad skunk smell coming through the bedroom window. I am still in the den and the smell is permeating our entire house. Yes, I brought in the food. Neither inside / outside cat is in the house, so we hope they don’t get sprayed. They came through clean.
Sunday, June 30
This morning before John left, I awoke and had a circulation problem with my feet from socks I wore overnight for the first time that had too tight a clinch on my lower leg. When I took them off, there was a lump above on my leg, so I wrapped up the socks to give away and not bother with cutting the top elastic. I changed to loose fitting socks; it was better within an hour, but I checked it all day. I think I will postpone exercise one more day.
John left ~ 6:35 to WTA today Annette lake again today, earlier than yesterday because of the parking lot at the trail head rapidly filling up. In mid-afternoon, a thunder storm rumbled along the ridge near them. That shortened the work by about 45 minutes. It turned out the storm went a bit east of them, and they only got a little rain.
He arrived home just after 4:00 p.m. unable to call me because his cell phone is not connecting; only a black screen, and cannot turn on to run through his Bluetooth, or to accept phone calls from me. We don’t know how to fix it. I guess we’ll take it to town and see if anyone can help us turn it on. And, I’ll call Consumer Cellular for assistance.
Finished working on blog today, one more thing and I can turn it over to John.
In between, I emptied and filled the dishwasher, ate brunch, listened to a hard rainstorm, moved a chair under cover in the front yard, planned attendance and number of people eating on Friday at the Senior Center celebration for July 4 on the 5th, where our group is providing the patriotic music.
I contacted a person coming to town tomorrow to coordinate our schedules, but have not yet been in touch. It’s in her lap now.
Hope your week was fine.
Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan