Keeping track

Monday, Dec 19

For Dec 18 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.41. Events: 1 CSR, 3 H, 7 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 17 min with (max = 21 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.4%. Pulse avg. 57.0, low 49.

First, we were scheduled for our toenail trims at the foot doctor, at 10:30. We were not even taken into the office until after 11:00 and still had to wait for the doctor to appear. He had a sidekick (Mary, his shadow today), who is a Physician’s Assistant, being exposed to different people’s needs and cases. Maybe that was the cause and responsible for the delay. We explained our issues with our feet.

After that was done, we went to Rite Aid for to prevent Annie’s (dog) seizures. The 180 tablets will last us half a year. She takes one a day, and at this price, we are saving half price over getting it from our own pharmacy. It is still $24/mo. Next time I need it refilled, I will call around for the best price. It is variable in pricing and costly enough to warrant checking at different pharmacies. It is the least expensive anti-seizure medication at around $5 USD a year in the developing world. So why is it so expensive in the USA? John’s guess is that we are subsidizing the poor in another part of the world. I picked up my Amoxicillin today too to be ready for upcoming dental work.

We went to Grocery Outlet for canned cat food to get our $20 worth of groceries with a $5.00 off coupon. Unfortunately, they had no Friskies cat food — only kind we use. The others are only 3 ounces at the same price, instead of 5.5 oz. Luckily, they had pork loin roast on sale for $1.79/#, so we got that with our ice cream, salsa, and sour cream to up the tally (which was almost $30 by the time we checked out) to meet the coupon. Food adds up quickly, as those with larger families are well aware.

We went by the feed store and bought some Country Critters feed for the deer. When we got home, John started with the three normally around, and the little buck we pictured here a few weeks ago was also back in the front yard. We do not know if he found the deer block and apples John put out up the driveway. Mamma and her twins must have decided to come to the front door to tell us John had not given them enough. First, he gave them a deer block. Here he has made pictures for me to use in a collage to answer questions you might have. The deer block he hammered on a little to show the contents better. Claims to be 10% protein. The smallest doe (fawn) has figured out nibbling on it.She prefers this cob mixture. It’s easier to eat, and higher in protein.

The quail also found it, so John bought them some “scratch” and has built a feeding station in the Mt. Ash tree. Se below on Christmas day. I hope that the deer cannot reach that.Here’s the scratch and here are the quail Christmas morning next to the deer block finding the scratch. Now he has a place in the backyard for them, but they haven’t found it yet.

Tuesday, Dec 20

For Dec 19 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.71. Events: 5 H, 15 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 0 min with (max = 19 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 81 spurious, 10 events <88% with avg., 91.5%. Pulse avg. 56.4, low 50.

Warm temperatures and winds!

I spent a ton of time working on music for Jan/Feb – today, I finished Cotton Jenny by Gordon Lightfoot. Neat song.

I went to Jazzercise and we had quite a little workout. My shoulder was hurting when I played fiddle at the Food Bank – Noon meal for those that need it. And, they thank us for our music by feeding us.

We went to dinner at the Weirs, our new friends in town. John met Bill through WTA and we met his wife Linda a month or so later, and have been out to restaurants to eat. This time was dinner at their home. It started with cheese, crackers, and Sauvignon Blanc wine, then beef stroganoff, salad, bread, and huckleberry chocolate brownies with two kinds of special ice cream. Nice evening.

I’m sorry I have not made a review of the year in the Best of the Blog as I have done in the past. I hope I have time to before next year – but right now I have to complete all the music for the next 2 months of playing with the Kittitas Valley Fiddlers and Friends. Our last performance this month is Thursday at an assisted living home, for all Christmas music. I have to have the next set of music finished by Jan 3 with copies to give to the players on the 5th. I’m adding new stuff to some of our old. Songs such as Gordon Lightfoot’s Cotton Jenny (mentioned above), Patsy Cline’s, I Fall to Pieces, Kingston Trio’s The M.T. A., and Jimmie Rogers, T for Texas. I need to do one other new one: Your Cheating Heart.

Wednesday, Dec 21

For Dec 20 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.44. Events: 9 H, 3 PP, 8 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 15 min with (max = 18 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 75 spurious at turn off time, 1 true low event, 87 <88% with avg., 93.1%. Pulse avg. 53.0, low 50.

In the USA, most media and others call this the 1st day of winter. Elsewhere other dates are used, such as in November or the 1st of December. It is better called the December Solstice, the date that the Noon Sun is lowest in the sky. Whatever it is called, the best thought is that the daylight stops getting shorter and begins to lengthen. Maybe by John’s birthday that will become noticeable. In 2017, perihelion (when Earth is closest to the Sun) is also on his birthday (1/4). He claims he will be 38.

Today I picked up Gloria, and we went first to the food bank for music and food, and then to SAIL for exercise. We were both not too wanting of exercise. She had on boots that were not good for class. My shoulder was very painful from playing music, and I didn’t feel at all up to exercise class. We made a couple of stops on the way home, for her to get some gifts for a grandson, and go to the bank. She gave us 2 dozen cookies she made this morning. Nice peanut butter cookies. I wish I was closer to John’s sister to share; it’s her favorite but not John’s. So I ate several and froze the rest in smaller packages.

We were invited to a Solstice party tonight, but neither one of us felt like going. Folks bring music instruments to play “solstice music” but not “Christmas” music. I know a lot of the latter and not much of the former. Had I gone, I was going to take, “On the Sunny Side of the Street” music. We went to bed a little earlier than usual.

Thursday, Dec 22

For Dec 21 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.28. Events: 2 H, 2 PP, 18 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 13 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 2 events <88% with avg., 92.3%. Pulse avg. 53.1, low 47.

I worked on music for Jan/Feb most of the morning. John took care of chores. He decided to go with me and help me by taking the Forester to the gas station. We were playing music at Hearthstone. It was our last time to do Christmas songs, and we had a good appreciative and participatory crowd. Some of my music disappeared, sadly. I was already operating on low numbers of copies, so probably next year I’ll have to rerun a set. These old folks get up and take the packet with them. I wonder what they do with it?

I also gathered some bar soap leftover from visiting hotels and motels for conferences in my past and put in two little containers of hand lotion. This is explained below.

One of the residents (Helen), and I do not know her last name, gave me a bell wreath:I loaned it to a resident to hold and play with our songs, because I have both hands occupied with the violin, and I could not attach it to my foot. I need to find out her last name so I can write her a sweet thank you note, and send her a thank you picture.

Speaking of pictures – today after we were done playing, a gal I mentioned yesterday arrived at the place we were playing to deliver the wallet she was giving me for John. It is a nice Genuine Leather simple wallet to replace his long used and worn out wallet.Hers she donated to John. It is new. It has many slots for cards and things. I think one will work well for his picture ID (Driver’s License). (John says: Washington politicians fuss about silly things and ignore their duties. Our WA drivers licenses are soon to be obsolete with regard to national security; called REAL ID. WA residents won’t be able to get on an airplane or visit a US Gov’t Office, such as Social Security. They have known of this for 10 years.)

My picture on the Free Givers Kittitas County site, which elicited her gift, is below. This is the same site that brought us the sweatpants John used to go to and from the hospital and lounge around the house for 3 days after his surgery.I wonder if John remembers where he got this (he doesn’t). I know he never used the coin purse, so the one given to us by Lindsey is perfect.

She works nights at the Homeless shelter, so I took her some bars of soap, mouthwash, and lotion to share with the people. I’m going to go through our socks and gloves and fix up another bag of goodies to deliver. The homeless are housed each night of the week in a different church in town.

Friday, Dec 23

For Dec 22 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.36. Events: 1 CSR, 3 H, 21 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 21 min with some leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 low 85, 16 events <88% with avg., 91.5%. Pulse avg. 55.8, low 51.

Started the morning with music. The M.T.A is first, mixed in with scanning. Been fighting with both all morning. It should not be this difficult. Of course, there are tons of verses, so that adds to the problem, and they are printed only (at the bottom of the page and not beneath the notes), so I have to listen to a video of the Kingston Trio to see where to put the words on the score. I also have had to change the notes in the music book printed copy to fit with the way they actually sang it that so many of us remember. I think I will leave Worried Man for a future playlist! It goes on for many more verses than this song.

John took care of outside chores, and while we thought we would awake to silver frost (frozen fog), instead, it snowed about an inch overnight. John put out “scratch” for the quail, but the deer found it before the birds.

Mid-morning John fixed us a nice brunch: eggs, link sausage, hash browns, toast, and an orange. Now he is resting.

I have been dealing with bills and music. I give up. I’m done with The M.T.A., although it is not perfect. Two of the verses do not line up with the notation of the music score. I mentioned to a friend in the group and he sent me access to one page where the words were with the notes. It is now much better.

Saturday, Dec 24

For Dec 23 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.00. Events: 8 H, 1 PP, 11 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 0 min with (max = 18 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 91.6%. Pulse avg. 53.8, low 50.

We worked on outside and inside chores. I decided I needed to send a greeting to a few people. I used the wrong set and a bunch bounced, but a lot made it through and we have received responses.

We’ve got clear sky so it will be cold tonight and no snow for Christmas Day. We’ve got 8 inches or so on the ground. A bit more is expected Monday evening.

John put up the feeder in the Mt. Ash tree today, and I got these pictures Christmas morning.The broad view shows the placement in the limbs of the tree, and the shots on the right are two Juncos enjoying the scratch. Generally the name Dark-Eyed Junco is given to these birds but there are color-pattern differences.
Juncos, general

The very distinct dark (almost black) head is common here and to the south of us. So the name is Oregon Junco in these parts.
“Regional Differences” are described near the bottom of this page:
Color patterns and more

Sunday, Dec 25 . . . . MERRY CHRISTMAS . . . .

For Dec 24 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.26. Events: 2 H, 1 PP, 15 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 42 min with (max = 23 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 89, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.3%. Pulse avg. 53.3, low 50.

We wish you a great tasting pie:John made the pecan pies from his mom’s recipe. My hat is from my friend since the 6th grade when we met. Her name was Nancy also, and we went around Atlanta as a duet playing our guitars and singing, when we were in high school. We both played violin in the high school orchestra.

We went about 11 miles SE to Fox Road for the Orcutt’s Family Christmas dinner. We had much food and many people. Food was ham, London broil, turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potato/pecan casserole, many salads, and many desserts (including wonderful fudge of several varieties; the blonde was great and certainly all the chocolates, with & without nuts, and also with marshmallows).

Below (left) are father and mother (holding a bloom from our Cactus we clipped just before leaving), and on the right daughter Suzy with hubby Bob. We can’t keep all the others straight so won’t include them. We met a relative of this family within a month of moving here, and he was at the dinner today. The longest distance traveled award goes to a granddaughter who is a US Air Force pilot stationed in northern Germany.On the way home we drove to the Brickmill Road display of Christmas lights we saw several nights ago. Below is a collage of part of what we saw.The top left is the entrance and at the end of the driveway is a sign pointing up the drive for more lights. We took this as an invitation and drove farther toward the house. The top right picture was near the entrance, and the bottom panorama is south of the house, where we turned around. It was a striking presentation.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Dec 12

For Dec 11 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.67. Events: 1 CSR, 14 H, 4 PP, 14 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 24 min with major leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 low 85, 9 events <88% with avg., 90.8%. Pulse avg. 56.1, low 50. I sent an announcement to our music group for this Thursday and Saturday. Put my meds for the week into the pill case and added my name on my computer carrier case.I delivered the computer to Monica’s office in Geography for getting Microsoft Office Suite software put on and went by the bread room for some sweets that I planned to take to the Retired Geographers’ meeting Tuesday morning.

I was on my way to the hospital to have my Pulmonary Function Test, at at 2:00 p.m. I have to have it done every year because of Amiodarone, a med I take to help control atrial fibrillation (a-fib). It can have a reaction with people’s lungs and scarring them. I have been fortunate since 2010 in not having the potential interaction but most importantly, also not having any atrial fibs. I have it assessed each year and trust that it will continue to work for me. I do not want to have to switch to the alternative medication that is a lot more trouble to get the dosage right, and requires a 3-night stay in the hospital. I prefer to stay away from such encounters. I have an appointment coming up with Dr. Kim, my cardiologist, where he will review the findings and make decisions. I will be concerned until I hear his comments January 3, 2017.

The rest of the evening we worked on photos of our FireWise & Fuel Reduction work around our place the last 2 weeks of November, so we could add to the discussion at the geography meeting in the morning. We made two pages of before, after shots, and in progress work at our place, and printed four copies for people to share around the table.

Here are a few collages of the scenes described, before and after:Left (taken from the very right side of the other) goes back to October behind the shed; over the “Jay’s folly” depression – camera at a utility pole. Note all the green-yellowish vegetation. Right photo taken Nov 30 is from the opposite direction, showing the reduction of brush and trees (fuel). The center of the depression is 75 feet from the back (wood siding) of our house. For these two, note the utility pole (at corner of shed). The slightly brownish brush in the center (left photo) is Elderberry with a brush pile in front of it. The “after” photo on the right has had enough material removed that the big trunk of a Ponderosa Pine is now visible. It is on the neighbor’s property. The stumps of the Aspen trees have been left long so leverage can be gotten if we want to remove them. These are likely clones and all part of one large organism. For context, see Pando
Left photo is the entrance to the north side of the folly before, and the right photo is the last day’s clearing on the left (south) side, directly behind our house. All the limbs and trunks under 8 inches diameter went through the chipper. What a time saver that is. They also piled logs for John to use later for firewood.

Finally, the sun just came out December 17, 2016 when we are finalizing this blog, and I got this collage from our back patio over the scene seen in parts above. [John says: In my spare time I should look for a merge to panorama program].

You can see the two Ponderosas that are in both photos, and the one on the right centers on the “folly” hole, which had filled with brush. Some of that (very entangled) is still there, waiting for John to pull it out and get into a brush pile they can come back in the spring to put through the chipper. The FireWise crew had promised an upper-County landowner to do a small job before they quit for winter. Plan is for John to use the truck and a chain to get the stuff out to a better place.

Tuesday, Dec 13

For Dec 12 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.25. Events: 2 H, 11 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 3 min with (max = 20 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 92.5%. Pulse avg. 56.9, low 51.

2nd Tuesday each month is gathering day of the old folks from the Geography Department and often some visitors, less old.Left to right: Dee Eberhart, Jo & Ken Hammond, George Macinko, Diane & Jim Huckabay, John behind, Urban Eberhart, John Bowen, Sterling Quinn, James & Lillian Brooks, Rose Shriner.

We were gathered for our monthly meeting of the Emeritus Geographers and friends. Rose Shriner was our speaker I invited to our meeting. She is a graduate (2009) of our department and now is the GIS Analyst & head of the FireWise & Fuel Reduction Program at the Kittitas County Conservation District. We had worked with her to get our FireWise work started the end of November. John Bowen is the chair of Geography and brought Sterling Quinn, our most recent Geography professor who just arrived this year, and is who teaching GIS courses and Maps & Cartography, and also will teach Latin America next year with more GIS courses. All his courses (except Latin America), I taught while there over the many years.

I was in charge of refreshments for the meeting. As players for the Food Bank’s Soup Kitchen, we are encouraged to come get things from the bread room. That is from where I got the huge several-layered Christmas chocolate cake with mint and white frosting. It was a mess cutting up, but I took our colorful glass platter for presentation. Then I went around as the server.

Funny story. I collected the bow tie and ribbons on top of the cake, and, thinking they were plastic (because they were unable to be cut), so I carried them home to clean up to give to my friend who bakes desserts for friends and relatives. When I soaked them, they dissolved. Molded sugar does that, plastic not so much. What the folks did not eat we gave to the neighbors. John isn’t fond of mint and neither of us like so much thick frosting – unless it is good chocolate! Jazzercise was today at 2:00 p.m. at the senior center. It was quite a workout today, and we all felt it the next day. I felt before then by having to play fiddle tonight, when I went back to Hearthstone for Christmas music. That was with “The Connections.” Because of all the different keys changes that thankfully I can do (by ear) because I know the songs, I was the only other instrument besides the piano. There we saw a bunch of our followers who love the music. As a kid in elementary school, I learned the descant on several songs, and so with the four singers, I played it on 4 songs: “Oh, Come All You Faithful,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “It Came upon a Midnight Clear,” and “Silent Night.”

Wednesday, Dec 14

For Dec 13 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.65. Events: 1 OA, 1 PP, 4 H, 21 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 42 min with (max = 17 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 I think a spurious low 82 when I moved, I think the true low was 85; 9 events <88% with avg., 90.6%. Pulse avg. 57.0, low 53.

John drove himself to his own 10:15 check-in with Dr. Paul Schmitt, in Cle Elum, taking both blood pressure instruments with our created book of BP numbers, and his ECG/EKG from before his surgery. Dr. Paul suggests, at this time, not changing the dosage from the 30mg Lisinopril. He reviewed the ECG and said it was fine. They made an appointment to recheck 5/1 so they can dance around the Maypole, just before Paul officially retires.

I stayed home to get ready to leave for music at the Food Bank. Gloria drove herself because she needed to go to a hair appointment at 1:00 p.m. for an hour, and I needed to go to SAIL class, from 1:30 to 2:30.

For the photo that follows, before SAIL class, I set up this scenario. I fooled these gals who thought I was just going to take their picture with the donated Christmas gifts (I got FREE from a person in town, picked up, and donated to the senior center). Instead, I took the video, and later sent them some stills, so they could send back home. These are AmeriCorps staff at our senior center, Ellensburg Adult Activity Center; one is from NJ and the other from PA. Each teaches an exercise class in SAIL. Megan teaches the morning class, and Lauren teaches the afternoon class I attend. SAIL is offered M-W-F. Megan Willwerth is on the left and Lauren Healey is on the right.

Rocking & Jagging Christmas with Megan & Lauren at AAC

I participated in SAIL and on the way home, I stopped by Hospice Friends to thank Janel for the lovely porcelain ornament and picked up a case of Ensure. I intended to get my Telmisartan from the Safeway pharmacy, but I was traveling without my pocketbook and did not have my credit card with me. Oops.

Thursday, Dec 15

For Dec 14 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.32. Events: 2 H, 3 PP, 8 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 15 min with (max = 13 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low 84, 6 events <88% with avg., 90.9%. Pulse avg. 56.7, low 51.

I worked more on Jingle-Bell Rock and could not get it onto 1 page, but changed the key to G, and put on 2 pages. I have a couple of notes that need changed but that only affected the flute and violins, so we corrected it and they played nicely. The chords were fine for the rest of the string band. I will set up my master correctly before I store for future use, or before sending a pdf to anyone.

We had a huge group (lucky 13) playing at Pacifica Senior Living/ Brookdale/ Dry Creek today. We used all 12 Coca-Cola chairs and others too. Our group included Fiddlers (Nancy, Evie, Laina, & Laura); guitars (Gerald, Charlie, Manord, Maury, Roberta); mandolin (Tim); tambourine (Anne); flute (Amy) playing first fiddle melody and daughter, Haley (3.5 yrs old), dancing; and singer, Rita. In addition, we had many bells and noise-making shakers in the audience keeping time. Haley carries a stick with bells and keeps time perfectly to the music. I need to capture her in a video. We only have one more chance this year. I don’t know if I can pull it off or not.

I went by Safeway to pick up Telemisartan (135 tablets), for $98. That covers 3 months of pills for me for the most expensive medication I take for my heart. Next expensive pill I have to arrange for is Phenobarbital, for our dog, Annie. We give her a half a pill a day.

I was rather worn out and my shoulder was aching from all the music and exercise this week: Tuesday (both), Wed (both), and today (no exercise except for carrying heavy weight into the place from the end of a snow-covered parking lot). At least I have a day’s rest until we play music again Saturday afternoon.

Friday, Dec 16

For Dec 15 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.13. Events: 1 H, 12 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 25 min with (max = 14 L/min). Oximetry: (only recorded 4 hrs, battery died). SpO2 low 88, 0 events <88% with avg., 91.8%. Pulse avg. 59.1, low 53.

We both were on the phone talking with Peggy in Ohio for 48 minutes !! We solved all the big problems of the world. Now we have to solve all the little ones.

John did all outside chores, and I helped with a few inside, feeding kitties, cleaning dishes, but the biggest thing I did was not intentional. I tried using the microwave egg cooker I got as a white elephant gift (and you have seen previously in the blog, 12/2), but I failed spectacularly – and blew up three eggs and 2 cups of water. An incredible mess in a small space. I started the cleaning, and John finished, reaching to the back and ceiling of the microwave. We will have to research more on-line about such devices. This one came with no instructions.

The rest of the day was spent taking care of paying bills, music things, taking a photo of John and the deer walking up to feed them their deer block and some apples. It was late in the day when they appeared at the front gate. Maybe earlier, they were down the street eating from a neighbor’s front yard.
10 second video of John and the deer

In the short video, you see the 3 resident deer, mom and two fawns (doe & buck) who come in every morning and evening for a handout. Now that we are out of Mt. Ash berries and will be running out of apples, John is starting them on a deer block, of which we bought two.
He is bringing it in every night to preserve from an onslaught of 15+ deer in the neighborhood.

The morning feed was late until they showed up at the front gate. John went and carried the deer block in the Gorilla Cart™ and the cut apples in a plastic bucket. First, the twins followed him and then mamma joined.

Saturday, Dec 17

For Dec 16 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.78. Events: 1 CSR, 6 H, 17 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 43 min with small leakage. Oximetry: SpO2 low 87, 3 events <88% with avg., 91.4%. Pulse avg. 55.4, low 50.

We did our morning chores in the house and yard.

I left about 1:00 to drive to Briarwood for our music appearance and a good crowd of people to sing Christmas songs.

We normally end with several in the group singing and playing the song, A’ Soalin’, accompanied and led by Manord Rucker.
Song meaning

The audience also has the words and joins in with the group. I haven’t videotaped us playing but here is a version by the group who made it famous – and significantly, it was recorded in the year John and I met in Cincinnati, OH.

Peter, Paul and Mary – A Soalin’ (live in France, 1965)
We did today as well, but were followed by Evie Schuetz and Manord doing a duet of another special Christmas song —

Christmas in the Trenches
(when the fighting stopped)You may wish to hear it on You tube with photographs of the time in WWI – 1915.

Song & Photos

Maybe you’d like to follow the story of the song here:

About the song

And, for other places on the web, check for the history; just search on Christmas in the Trenches.

The people at Briarwood treat us to mid-afternoon dinner at the end of our performance. Today was no different. We had hot split pea soup, cornbread muffins, several salads, two types of sandwiches, and a large amount of cookies and a tray of Christmas cookies brought by our flute player, Amy, whose daughter is our sweet dancing mascot – photos Haley on the front row of the audience and the beginnings of our table of food. Haley’s mom, Amy is at the end of the table with the red shirt with white Christmas tree. We also had cheese cake and raspberry sherbet punch.

Sunday, Dec 18

For Dec 17 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.42. Events: 1 CSR, 10 H, 1 PP, 11 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 2 min with major leakage). Oximetry: SpO2 low 86, 2 events <88% with avg., 92.0%. Pulse avg. 56.0, low 48.

Most of the day spent on blog, feeding, showing the deer block to the youngsters, doing dishes, and email chores.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

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.Here 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. Left 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. Then 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.Likely 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

Monday, Nov 28

For Nov 27 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.35. Events: 1 CSR, 2 H, 14 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 48 min with (max = 19 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 spurious one to 77, 3 events <88% with avg., 91.3%. Pulse avg. 56.6, low 47.

Today started at 6:30 expecting the work crew to be here to start at 7:30. They did not arrive until 9:30 a.m. John got a lot of work in before they arrived, and I left about 11:00 a.m. for my dental surgeon’s office in Yakima, an hour away. I was going for a stability test to see if the implants were ready to support a gold crown. They were.
Left photo is the X-ray of the two implants. The one on the right is smaller because of the room in my mouth. Each will eventually be covered with a gold crown. Right photo is the view inside my mouth. Both were taken at the 11-28-16 appointment, and shipped to me via encrypted email. Much amazing technology.

I will not get them done until next year, and then I think my insurance limits me to one per year. Therefore, this will be a long process. I will be happy to be able to chew on both sides of my mouth. The work of the dental surgeon is over, and my regular dentist in Ellensburg will set the crowns in place. Actually, the regular since 1988 dentist retired so this will be the new regular dentist.

I hope to get my teeth cleaned yet this year, if they can work me in.

I did not get out until 12:48, and then was hungry, so stopped at Burger King. It was not that great; I should have gone to Costco’s deli. At BK, I had elongated chicken nuggets and fries. I brought most of it home. John had the remaining fries with dinner, and we put the chicken in with our leftover chicken strips for eating later.

On to Costco, where I filled up my car still at $2.299 / gallon. I noted on my way back through town that the lowest price now in EBRG is $2.429; saving me about $1.70.
Then I went in and started by getting Claude Finch (Costco’s computer technician salesman) to help me learn a little more about the computer laptop I wanted, answer some of my questions, and to help set up the way to buy it. I carried the paperwork to the cashier, and they processed it, took my money, and had a person deliver it in person to me, after she checked my paid receipt.

I suppose this is the place to describe what I bought. With all that is happening this week, I will not get around to linking to our home network and can’t really use it until that is done.

For my interested technical friends, here is what I bought:

Dell I5378, 5000 Series 2 in 1.
13.3″ Inspiron Laptop 13
Intel core I7-7500 U
Storage: 256 GB SS drive, Battery 42 Hr, 3 cell
Wireless 802.11 ac + Bluetooth.
4 Dual band 2.485 GH2
Weight 3.44 lbs.

The price when I looked at the in-store model last Tuesday (Nov 22) was $849.99. I brought all the information home, to look on line to see what was available and find out about the unit. John helped me with that chore.
Surprisingly, a new flyer for Costco arrived with the price for this computer starting Nov. 28, the day I have to be at the dental surgeon’s office in Yakima. The price is marked down $150 and I had already decided I wanted to buy it.

Here is a photo of the laptop and its keyboard.
It has an SD card slot on the right side (out of sight here), and 3 USB ports (one 2.0 and two 3.0), plus some others.

While there, I also bought myself two sets of socks (3 pr. in one packet; 4 in another) both on sale (one of them called lounging [for good reason] socks are very soft and look nice, but have “ribs” in them), so using them to walk or exercise in are not fun. The other pairs will work out all right, after I cut the elastic in the band. I also bought us two more Kirkland fruitcakes and a ~ 8# Pork Loin Roast for $8.00 off. Limit was one (at the price / lb., of $1.99).

Then off for Ellensburg. My first stop … I didn’t find the person there. Second stop I skipped until tomorrow (Super 1). Third stop was at Wood’s Ace Hardware to pick up the case of filters, mentioned last week. On home, getting here just before dark.

I had enough light to see that John filled the new hay shed. He accomplished a lot today, and I haven’t had a chance to see it all.

I finished sending the music out and have had two replies thus far; also printed copies for 4 people. We had to put in a new black printer ink cartridge and it was our last, so we ordered a couple from Amazon. Later in the week, I had to print 3 more copies for members of the group.

I need to decide on a Bluetooth or wireless mouse (and anything else I might need for my new laptop). That did not get done.

Tuesday, Nov 29

For Nov 28 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.66. Events: 1 CSR, 4 H, 11 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 4 min with (max = 13 L/min). Oximetry: No report. I neglected to start the oximeter properly.

John took an extra 10 mg BP pill (Lisinopril) this morning, and it had a good effect on his next morning BP. We need to ask our primary care provider if he shouldn’t move up to 30mg/day. Others we know are taking more than that. The first dosage (5mg) didn’t work for John.

We had breakfast, and I washed dishes. The chipping crew arrived at 8:00 and left after an hour, talked to John, and didn’t tell him they were leaving or if they’d be back, but they drove off.

Two of the guys returned later and we found out what happened. One had a job interview at our local Fire Department.

I worked on References and the last pages of the thesis and wrote Terri and Kathleen that I am done; the thesis needs to be uploaded by 5:00 today, and I will not be around.

I left at 1:00 for town. I made 4 stops today before coming home. The major reason for going was for Jazzercise; four of us were there with our leader. Also, I had to buy more canned cat food, the last day it was marked down. I then went by Bi-Mart to get strawberry preserves on sale and to check numbers.

John had to add a chicken wire guard to the new hay shed because the horses found they could stand on tiptoes, reach over and around a post, and pull the top bale off.

It was getting darker on the way home. Once here, I got a fast tour of the yard and all the guys and John had done. I took a few more photos.

We cleaned up a lot of things tonight, and started on John’s washing his body with Dyna-Hex 4 before the operation. The plan is to get of all the free-riding little critters. I continued taking his BP and it was lower tonight with the additional pill taken this morning.

Wednesday, Nov 30

For Nov 29 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.56. Events: 2 H, 12 RERA. Time on 3 hrs 34 min with (max = 10 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low of 77 with CPAP off, 46 events < 88% with avg., 90.3%. Pulse avg. 56.9, low 50. This demonstrates the need of using the CPAP to keep Sp02 above 88%, but without showing you more graphs, the results on Friday's numbers are totally different and make one wonder. In addition, this is the report from SleepyHead with CPAP merged with the Oximetry.
If I compared to Friday this week, we’d get totally different graphical results while the CPAP was off. Very strange indeed.

Today, we were joined by a singer from our Thursday group, to pick up the Christmas music and stay to sing with us at Food Bank. It was a good session, and we had the audience participating on several of the songs, notably Jingle Bells and White Christmas. She will be back to join us the rest of the December weeks.

I have needed to get the Serial Number from the back of computer and today I succeeded in getting it and also the DELL service tag #. Both are now stored for future reference.

I still need to do the Costco Concierge paperwork and call CITI about an extension of the warranty for an additional 2 years.

A neighbor told me his cost for DSL via the phone company was lower than mine. I called our provider (Fairpoint Communications) and talked to Sadie. She cannot lower my rate. I need to call back in 4 months and see if there is a retention rate reduction. This has happened before, and they never lower it. I wonder if I’ll ever hit it by accident. I guess I could call every month for the heck of it.

Thursday, Dec 1

For Nov 30 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.44. Events: 2 H, 9 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 35 min with (max = 11 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 low to 86 spurious with removing oximeter at 3:30 a.m., 0 events < 88% with avg., 91.1%. Pulse avg. 55.9, low 50.

I was up at 3:00 a.m. to turn on the oil-filled electric heater in our bathroom with a shower in the back of a cold house. John planned to get up at 4:30, take another DYNA-HEX 4 soap wash and shower, to be at the local hospital for a 6:30 a.m. check-in at the front desk. We made the trip around to the Outpatient Division, where I spent many hours back in 2009 and 2010, with daily IVs for bacteria in my blood (twice for 9 weeks each). Many of the staff still know me from then. Two of them were helpers for John’s prep. They involved me (I don’t know if this is usual or not, or why the staff didn’t do it), but the curtain was closed and I was given a diagram and 6 soap pads (VERY COLD) that I had to use on John’s neck, upper body, arms to fingers, back, buttocks, legs to toes, and then the groin area. Once that was done, we had to put on his hospital socks (XL, but too tight) and his gown, tied in the back. I was to notify them when completed.

The surgical nurse (Sue) came in and introduced herself, and Kristi, Lin, and Jamie were there for various reasons, such as setting up the IV and hooking John up to the automatic BP and other vital signs machine that displays beside the bed. Then Randy, the anesthesiologist, came in to set up John’s sedation.
Sue on left, Randy in middle, getting John ready to go to surgery.

Randy asked John a few questions, and then John had a form to sign (which he did, but says his comment will be that he should have been given a copy of the form before, when he had time to read it). He has no idea what he signed. John was ready to be wheeled to the operating room at 8:00 a.m. I left to attend to my own affairs before returning to the outpatient lobby. They had my cell phone to alert me, but I figured it would be a little after 9:00. We would not know until the surgery was over whether he would have to go to a different room for recovery, or be wheeled back to the same room we started in, and where we left his clothes and glasses.

Meanwhile, I went back by the lab to be sure my favorite phlebotomist, Kim, would be there to draw my blood for an INR. Unfortunately, I had not signed in at the front desk at 6:30 when John did, and there were no people around. I had to wait through three people, to have my paperwork completed, so I could be admitted to the lab. This was after I went to the cafeteria, and enjoyed a breakfast (scrambled eggs with cheese, two pieces of bacon, and a pancake). I had taken my computer, so after I ate, I checked my email. I didn’t stay long because I needed to get back to the Lab for my blood draw. The wait was not too long, and that freed me up to return just a few steps to where I needed to be. They were ready for me very soon. John had not required going to the recovery room.

I sat for a few minutes in a recliner in Outpatient Services before Kristi came to get me. I was able to get John’s glasses for him and hear a little about what he remembered and how he was feeling. His sedation must have started very quickly, because he did not remember leaving the room, where I saw him rolled out. He remembered nothing about anything during the operation. Lin (nurse) showed me the patch dressing over the wound, and went over some information with us, while we waited for Dr. Harris to return to speak to us.
Dr. Harris came in and John asked him how big the piece of mesh was. He held up his hands to show (and you can hear the conversation in the video below).

Dr. Ken Harris Talks to Us

After he left, we finished more of the departing paperwork, and this time I had to sign that I had read and understood.
The collage above shows the vitals screen as John was coming out from under the aesthetic, and his blood pressure was lowered significantly. Screen shows 42 for pulse and that, too, is a few beats low. Occasionally it is 44 but usually up towards 50. On the right, nurse Lin, is talking with him and removing some of the things so we can leave.

Below is a before and after.
John in the waiting room at 6:30 a.m. before admission to Surgical Outpatient services (they abbreviate, SOP, which I find strange). On the right, he still has his intravenous hookup on his left hand, but Lin removed it. We were ready for the trip home.

I helped him get dressed, and then I left to bring the car to the front door, and Lin wheeled him out in a wheelchair (normal protocol).

We came home and John began resting. He never really had any bad pain as predicted. We were both very tired.

I had to leave at 1:00 p.m. because I was expected to stop by the pharmacy for his pain meds and other OTC things, and I needed to get to the Rehab with music for December for our Fiddlers & Friends group with setup at 1:45, play from 2:00 to 3:00, and then home. I finally laid down for an hour nap and slept almost 3 hrs. It had been a long day.

Friday, Dec 2

For Dec 1 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.38. Events: 3 H, 11 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 52 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 spurious one to 82 that happened while removing CPAP, 0 events < 88% with avg., 91.6%. Pulse avg. 56.7, low 48.

We were greeted by a fiery morning sky at sunrise.
Then early morning, 8:40 a.m., 4 of the crew arrived for their last day of fire-wise work.
We decided later to go feed the male outside cat, and put out hay for the horses, down farther in the pasture. That done, John went to get the mail and paper, which came after dark last night. As we were coming back, two of the crew came out in the chipper rig (as seen above) through the orchard, to take one fellow back to town so that he could leave for the Puget Sound area before Snoqualmie Pass got messy. Two workers stayed. The fellow returned about 10:40, and I took a video of the trip around the house I had missed earlier.

Fire-wise Crew west of house

They were kind enough to close the backyard gates so John (or I in this case) didn’t have to lift them. They were going to chip a couple of short stacks of brush along the driveway before leaving. It was getting late for me to leave for my Christmas party, and I wouldn’t have been able to get by them. Just before I was to leave two of the fellows came down to the front yard, and John and I talked with them and thanked them for all they had accomplished. If the program is funded in 2017 we should get a crew for at least one more day. They will go to the Upper County area next week for a day or two and that will finish this season. November weather was good to them, and us. They left and so did I, to get to the senior center for the Christmas party lunch and fun.

I had fixed croutons from buttered English Muffin bread toast, this morning, with the idea it would go nicely with the main course — soups. From John’s chili-making stash, I took two cans each of red beans and black beans for the F.I.S.H Food Bank food donation collection. For my “white elephant gift” I took 3 Christmas potholders (2 matching), and a little figurine statue of Santa Claus holding a World Globe. All were carried in a bright Santa Claus themed gift bag.

My largest contribution to the party, besides enjoying the food, was to be the recording photographer for the AAC’s Facebook page (it is at Ellensburg Adult Activity Center). Check it out if you have a Facebook account. On that Facebook page, the staff publishes many photos taken at each event. What was very special was seeing our little friend Haley (our mascot for the music group) dancing. You will be able to enjoy viewing a few videos below.

Here’s Haley: Watch some of the videos farther down to see her in action, with other children — she’s 3.5 yrs old, Ewan (little drummer boy) is 5, and his sister, Isla is 3. The first is the daughter of our flute player, Amy Davison, and the other two belong to Maren McCosh, who actually was the AAC SAIL teacher when I joined the class in 2010.
Haley

Our meal today was a choice of two soups: Meatloaf-vegetable or Taco soup. I picked the meatloaf-vegetable particularly because of the thickness and the large blob of mashed potatoes in the middle. They also served us each a large plate of goodies (crackers, ham, & cheese, mixed green salad, fruit salad, Jello & celery), and they brought a platter of desserts to the table. The people who attended the potluck party donated most of the food. Katrina offered and Erica fixed a plate of desserts to send home to John and were happy to hear he survived yesterday’s surgery.

I will show a couple of photos I took or was in and then add a few videos of our entertainment, by Polynesian Dancers for Christmas songs.
Here I am showing my costume at the start and on my way out the door, I posed with my white elephant gift (a microwave egg cooker).

I took photos of the crowd, most of those will likely be on the Facebook page for the senior center. Ate lunch, and then photographed and videotaped the performance.

Here are some links you may enjoy following:

Maren McCosh Introduces Haley 3.5, Ewan 5, & Isla 3

Haley, Ewan, & Isla Dancing Tahitian @ AAC 12-2-16

Haley, Ewan, & Isla Perform Silent Night Hawaiian Style

Little Drummer Boy (Ewan) with other dancers

Here’s a cute final collage with the children and Santa Claus:
First shot and the on the right, they are all saying HO HO HO !

On my way home, I went by Hospice Friends to wish Janel a Merry Christmas and request 6 Ensure drinks. John is supposed to drink lots of liquids for healing, and these are nutritious drinks. [He bought a couple gallons of orange juice with pulp, so I will have to drink the Ensure.]

While I was there, she gave me my thank you receipt for a donation we gave for the Tree of Life program (Christmas tree), which will be lighted tonight, in honor of those community members who have passed over the rainbow bridge. I received one porcelain Christmas ornament I am going to give to Carole Pritchett for her own tree. Our picks were two folks we knew well, Robert Pritchett (from our music group, Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends), and Peg Robotham (from our Kittitas Valley Trail Riders club) that we were in for many years. We went on many trail rides with Peg. Our horses liked each other and paired well together. Peg actually was one of the original founders of the Hospice Friends organization, and a grandson was my student at CWU.

Here are the parts of the Pritchett memorial, including the porcelain version and a paper one to hang on the Tree of Life. Tonight is the ceremony, but I’m not going.
Paper one on left, gift box in middle (our name spelled wrongly), and porcelain ornament on right.

While I was gone today, John took photos of the Fire-wise work. Just after he finished, Lance Downing from the Kittitas Conservation District came to see the work completed by the chipping and falling crew. So, John got more walking, showing Lance around so Lance could also photo document it. We will send our photos taken over the past 2 weeks. Maybe they can find a use for them.

At some point today, when I was home, John took two Percoset and had a reaction. Here is his story he told his sister Peggy and me:

Percocet (acetaminophen – Oxycodone side effects)

About pain:
When Nancy had open-heart surgery the medical staff were sure she would have a good deal of pain afterwards. They gave her a big heart shaped pillow to hold, especially when she coughed. Lo, she had very little pain (except from the chest drains, and once the stitches were removed, that pain stopped).

This week, the medical staff at Kittitas Valley outpatient surgery thought I would have pain after the doctor cut open my left side to insert a mesh to repair a tear in my plumbing. Lo, I had very little pain.

In anticipation of my pain, I was given a prescription for Percocet. This pill is mostly acetaminophen (325 mg) with 5 mg of Oxycodone. The directions say to start with 1 or 2 and then more after 4 to 6 hours. I took 2.

Forty minutes later, I experienced most of the “non-serious adverse reactions” listed on the micro-font printed, double-sided, 40,000-word compendium, folded and mutilated into a ¾-inch square and ½-inch thick, and glued to the top of the bottle.
I was still reading this micro-massive document when I began to experience mild nausea, near vomiting, upset stomach, and dizziness. I did not notice blurred vision, and I did not have dry mouth. The text says some or all these effects are more common if one is ambulatory – a technical term for walking around or capable of walking around. Of course getting to the bathroom sink (just in case) did require being ambulatory.

After a couple of minutes of looking at the sink, I returned to a chair in the den, sat down, and stretched out. Being no longer ambulatory, I was soon feeling better. About ½ hour later I was in good shape, more or less just as I had been before taking the 2 little bluish-green (aqua) [Hex: #00FFFF; needed for web pages to get this color] pills – that I really did not need.

Interestingly, Nancy can take these things without any of the “non-serious adverse reactions” that I experienced. Go figure.

John decided he was not going to take any more Percoset, took some Naproxen Sodium, and will continue with it and Acetaminophen (one tablet).

Not too long after I got home, John cut up some apples that we took to the 3 deer (mom and twin fawns). Then we walked to 2 different hay bale sources, and put several flakes in several places (feeders and on the ground). It is good to have the horses moving rather than standing in one place.

We skipped the Christmas Party in Dean Hall at CWU, put on by the Anthropology and Geography departments. We found out the next morning Morris Uebelacker was there, and we were very disappointed we chose not to go. John is still recovering but able to walk and eat, so we could have. We missed another in 2009 when I was in ICU in Yakima Regional. The first one I attended was in 1988. Oh, well, we’ll be there next year, hopefully, though the folks I know and worked with are dwindling. John knows just a few.

John felt up to fixing Nachos for supper tonight, and we enjoyed them.

Saturday, Dec 3

For Dec 2 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.83. Events: 1 CSR, 5 H, 14 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 3 min with (max = 17 L/min).
Oximetry: SpO2 minimum was 86 (2) & 2@87; those were the 4 events < 88% with overall avg., 91.8%. Pulse avg. 53.9, low 50.

We started at sunrise with 3 residents waiting to have their morning treat. John obliged and threw them a bucket full of cuttings. Mountain Ash trees are pretty but the limbs break easily and outgrow their strength. In past years birds have gotten most of the fruit but John wanted the tree trimmed back, and did so before his visit to the hospital. They would eat more than they get. Now they are resting under the walnut trees, so we had to circumvent them and go out the back door with Annie to throw hay into the feeders and over the fence for the horses.

Now we are resting before going to town for the Super 1 juice sale and inexpensive eggs (68 cents/dozen) and a good deal on cheddar cheese [raincheck on the last]. It was only a 5-hr sale, with some good prices on a few things we normally use. Early afternoon, John started a low-oven roast of the pork loin I bought Monday. It cooked from about 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. It was my-sort of tender – enough to take a serving with a fork; no knife needed to “shred” it. We had a baked potato with the cauliflower, mushrooms, and onions, also in the roasting pan. I cut up a large Bartlett pear that we halved. Great dinner.
Today, otherwise, was a stay at home day. I’m processing the photos I took at yesterday’s party.
We went out to feed the horses, and came back to feed the cats. It was a long walk for me because I went a different route from John, who had to send the horses by Annie and me. We did not expect them to follow us down into the pasture after feeding them in the corral where their water tank is. There’s still water in the irrigation ditch, so they are drinking from there.

After feeding in the other spot, Annie and I went back to fix food for the cats, and John went to pull garden hoses into the pole barn for storage over winter. He had drained them but they had not been put away.
Okay. I took care of 3 outside and 1 inside/outside cat. We never got our mail tonight. It is now delivered after dark. Morning will work.

Sunday, Dec 4

For Dec 3 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.40 Events: 3 H, 15 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 33 min with (max = 11 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 artifact to 79 right at start, 0 events < 88% with avg., 92.1%. Pulse avg. 57.6, low 49. Here we are waiting for John to bring the branches of berries. Mom is in the rear (dark spot on left cheek), and the buck twin is in the middle, little doe in front. It has been good to watch them grow from little babies with white spots.

Mt. Ash tree berry limbs thrown to the deer

This morning was chilly. I hope it does not snow tonight, but it might. We fed the horses and John got yesterday’s mail.

Back from morning chores. About 9:50 a.m., John laid on the bed and I removed the fat gauze pad and the surgical dressing (except for the Steri Strips holding the incision. Those come off on their own later.)

Blog creation will take up a bunch of our time today. We decided to pass on the Community Christmas Party we normally attend at the Swauk-Teanaway Grange east of Cle Elum. They serve turkey, dressing, potatoes, and people bring side dishes. It is a nice feast. We will go next year with our “ugly” Christmas sweater and my Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer sweatshirt. People at the senior center asked me where it was this year (because you can see in the photos above, I wore a different one). Now I have to dig it out, and wear to other events at the AAC in December (and elsewhere in EBRG).
We’ll end with a story of the Liberty Bell and the company that originally made it. John found a note in the paper and more on line, was fascinated, and we decided to share.

The photo of the Liberty Bell is by J. Fusco for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC).
A company that has made large bells since 1570 made one (ordered in 1751) for the Pennsylvania State House. This was 36+ years before the Constitutional Convention and Ratification, 1787–1789, and the United States of America. A news story this week claims the Whitechapel Bell Foundry that made the Liberty Bell is going out of business.
Not so fast!
That bell cracked and local Philadelphia workers melted down that bell and cast a new one. After nearly 90 years of use, that bell cracked. A repair was tried in 1846 but was not successful. The weighty object became a symbol rather than a bell – made in the USA.

Should you care to know what the sound was, go here:
The Bell as Ben Franklin Heard It

Cold weather coming and snow (lots in the mountains), not much here.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

… 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.

Crystal Mountain webcams

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

….. here – not yet.

Sunday, Nov 13

For Nov 12 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.83. Events: 4 H, 5 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 28 min with (max = 13 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 81, 24 below 88 (all off CPAP) with avg., 91.1%. Total time almost 9 hrs.

John used his patio-door carrier creation to move a couple of large rocks without lifting into the truck. Using a ¾ inch piece of plywood as a ramp worked like a charm. The wheels are heavy duty plastic from a kiddy-car acquired many years ago at a yard sale.
John with the re-purposed carrier. This rock went from back to front and will be part of a landscaping wall.

The next collage will be explained below it.
Left shows the rock with John’s work glove alongside for scale. The right photo is of a bed between the patio and our TRANE heat pump. The space used to house 3-4 Nanking cherry trees which were pretty and provided small red fruits for birds. Rascal-cat would occasionally get to the roof of the house via these trees.
The area will be covered with gravel and a small firewood shelter that now sits on the patio. The photo shows dirt and rocks being removed – the rocks will go back and then gravel on top. The dirt will follow the big rock to the front.

While we are on yard things, I will use this space to update you on our Veterans’ Day walk around the place 2 days ago, which I didn’t have room for in last week’s blog.

We started our walk with John showing me the bulbs & tubers for 3 plants he is digging up, separating, and saving two of out of the cold ground for winter protection.

First, the separation of the Iris we got from our friend, Celia.
This is a handful of Iris John showed me and then separated and replanted. After a few years the rhizomes, just below or on the soil surface, fill in so much they become like a very thick heavy carpet. Large sections can be lifted or peeled up. Behind him on the hill are the gladioli corms that he will protect in the garage over winter, and you can see below (right) the dahlia tubers.
Left are the glads with many pea-sized youngsters, and right is a dahlia. A couple of years ago John did not dig up the dahlias – two types and both pretty. This year only one of the 2 types was nice. John is trying to save that one, and will also find a few new ones. We hope this year will be more successful. Many of our friends and others at celebrations where we shared, enjoyed both this year, presented in beautiful bouquets. It replaced the normal garden veggies we were light on in 2016. But, we made up for some things when the cherries came and later we picked Honeycrisp and Gala apples across the valley at our friends’ orchard.

We traveled around the property for stories of John’s changes I had not seen for over a month. Here is a short version in two collages.
Out around the Iris garden to see new fencing for the horses. Then on the right is the new entrance to the pole barn, where John has made room for both trucks under cover in front of the hay. Below, the left photo (#1) shows poles and gate in the fence he set up temporarily last year – and never completed.
Number 2, middle, is a large dead tree leaning toward the camera. On the upper left of the tree is a broken part where a limb came off – now cut into firewood rounds but not yet split. These old Cottonwoods and Poplars drop lots of dead wood and then other things grow up through (rose bushes and Hawthorns, for example) such that the tangle is impenetrable.
Photo #3, top right, shows a fence that was in that area that has been uncovered and a thin pole hung along the top wire. All the dead stuff, vines and small plants have been removed on both sides. About 8 years ago a small deer died in this spot. John assumes it got caught, but that is not certain. Regardless, the passage is now easier and visually clearer. The bottom right is a view of our neighbor’s awesome red maple tree, about 100 feet from our fence line. We hope to get cuttings next spring but will also try seeds. We invited ourselves over to do that but haven’t gone yet.

I returned to reviewing the thesis, for tomorrow’s defense. I expect to awake to a completed PowerPoint for the defense to review in the morning.

Monday, Nov 14

For Nov 13 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 0 H, 1 PP, 9 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 46 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 minimum to 88, with avg., 91.4%.

I awoke at 5:30 a.m., and checked my computer. At 2:00 a.m., my student sent a humongous slide show of 160 slides. There is no way she could show those in 35-40 minutes. I made suggestions of where to cut and went back to bed.

I awoke a couple hours later and received a “shortened” version, but it still had 160 slides. She had plans to flip to certain slides by number.

This time I made a new slide show for her with 71 slides of which the last 4 could be eliminated. I put it on a jump drive and planned to get there early, give it to her before her presentation, and go through it with her.
I called and paid our invoiced bill at Brad & Burke for their heat-pump “tune-up” mentioned last week. It is the Trane Heat Pump, which provides electric heat in the winter months and a/c in the summer. We were charged for 2 hours of time, mostly cleaning plus a paper filter (20x24x1) for an empty slot we did not know was there. We hope to find a carton of those someplace. John cleaned the two electrostatic filters – washed one at a time in the in the top of the dishwasher.

I went by Bi-Mart to get a large desktop calendar for 2017 that we hang annually on the kitchen wall to keep us aware of all our activities. While there, I picked up more of two kinds of cough drops.

I also took time this morning to put in all my meds into a daily case for morning and evening. For those running low, I called in for refills.

Okay, the defense is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and I left to get there with plenty of time to share my version of her PowerPoint.

I was going through it with her when her main adviser (aka Committe Chair) approached and said her planned PowerPoint was too long. I told her what I had done, and the chair suggested she use the smaller version. She had it on her computer, but she chose not to use it. At 45 minutes, she was cut off and changed to answering questions from the audience. She had made it through 80 slides by flipping the last 10 one after another with no comments for most. The introduction was adequate to demonstrate the research time spent. The question/answer part went well, and then the audience was dismissed for the committee’s interrogation. The results were successful, but now the pressure is on to get the large word document in shape within two weeks. For a 250+ paged thesis, this will be a challenge.

From there, eight of us went to late lunch/early dinner at El Caporal at 3:00 – 4:20 p.m. It was a nice celebration and I brought home part of my meal for the next day.

Tuesday, Nov 15

For Nov 14 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.13. Events: 1 H, 1 PP, 18 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 6 min with (max = 10 L/min). Good night. Oximetry: SpO2 minimum 88, with avg., 92.1%, avg. pulse 58.5, low 52.

We both went together to our second part of the annual physical today with Dr. Paul Schmitt. It poured rain just before we left, but no more for a good trip up. I drove to Cle Elum and we arrived at 9:15 a.m.
We did a good visit together. First, we went over my blood test results, and he checked me. All is well. John was next, and Dr. Schmitt had planned last week to evaluate John’s inguinal hernia. Luckily, it was “out” so there was something to actually touch and manipulate, where in two previous visits with P. A.s, it could not be “seen.” Our doctor explained what he thought it was and that he would start a referral process that day to have Dr. Harris get him on the docket as soon as possible. First, we have to have him review it. That happened sooner than expected (see Friday below). Dr. Schmitt also noted that John’s blood pressure has increased over the past few years, and he wanted him to start on a low dose of Lisinopril. We made an appointment for John to see him again in a month, after taking the medication and monitoring BP.

I have driven my Subaru Forester for 3 years, and never had a problem with opening the door, but today, I pulled it too hard, hit my head; John was already in the passenger seat and heard the thump. It put a large knot on my head and was hurting, so John drove us home.
I changed clothes and went back to town for Jazzercise, although having gone without exercise for several weeks and with the bruised bump on my head, I only participated in half the routines.

I drove by the Conoco station south of the freeway for these pictured below.
This hardly used set of Merrill shoes were gifted from a friend (Ann Draper) in our old “Buy Nothing Ellensburg” (BNE) Facebook group. She was the one who donated the lovely Native American poster (1989) I gave to my Yakama band friend, Allen Aronica, and you saw written up here back in July with our picture of my presenting it to him, alongside a photo of him in his native Head Dress. The old BNE group subdivided into 3 groups, and now I am away from most of my old friends, who now belong to the North and South Ellensburg groups. Many have switched to a new group, Free Givers of Kittitas County, and that is where these shoes came from. I will now put my efforts into that group.

John was doing his normal surfing and came up with this I am sharing with you. Check this Super Moon Rising from Dr. Roy Spencer in Huntsville, AL. Roy is known for temperature readings of the atmosphere using satellites. He likes to do time-lapse videos. A couple of years ago he did “frost flowers.” Frost Flowers

Here is Mr. Moon: Super Moon Rising

Wednesday, Nov 16

For Nov 15 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 0 H, 11 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 27 min with (max = 8 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to spurious low 71, with no events below 88 and avg., 92.0%. Two blips predictably caused by changing oximeter to a different finger. Avg. pulse (bpm) 60.2, low 50. My defibrillator is set to increase it when it hits 50.

The 2016 Thanks to the WTA Volunteers; 2 minutes.

Some of the WTA folks and things they do

Now we received our picture from that WTA Appreciation Dinner, Nov 4, where Evonne Ellis took our picture.

Thursday, Nov 17

For Nov 16 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.31. Events: 2 H, 11 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 33 min with (max = 13 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 87, 1 event below 88 with avg., 92.4%. Pulse 61.5, low 56.

I think I will start today with something from John regarding his newly acquired mediation (his only prescription-needed pill). All he usually takes is OTC Acetaminophen and Naproxen sodium.

John says: I’ve been doing a bit of reading trying to figure out why my primary care physician wants me to ingest something akin to snake venom. It helps to start with this word: angiotensin

This is a complicated chemical in the body and the 2 parts of the name are:
angio ← meaning vessel or arteries and veins that carry blood
tensin ← meaning tension or tightening
So this thing causes a tightening of blood vessels and raises blood pressure.

See if you can make it through this (no fair if you are a trained medical person):
Angiotensin is a peptide hormone that causes vasoconstriction and a subsequent increase in blood pressure.
Angiotensin I is converted to angiotensin II (AII) through removal of two C-terminal residues by the enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), primarily through ACE within the lung.
Bradykinin is an inflammatory mediator. It is a peptide that causes blood vessels to dilate (enlarge), and therefore causes blood pressure to fall.

In 1970, using bradykinin potentiating factor (BPF) provided by Sergio Ferreira, Ng and Vane found the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II was inhibited during its passage through the pulmonary circulation. BPF was later found to be a peptide in the venom of a lancehead viper (Bothrops jararaca).
This lovely snake is found in southeast South America to the right of the aqua-colored line in the map below. The photo of the Jararaca is by Felipe Süssekind:
Original and more here
So, the “Jararaca” injects venom into a mammal and the blood pressure drops and the animal dies, but not before a number of other nasty things happen, including but not limited to “immediate burning pain, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, sweating, headache, massive swelling of the bitten extremity, …” – it is a long list.

Okay, chemists have altered the concoction so it is supposed to do only one thing in a very controlled way.
Let’s hope. John

Nancy is back now:

My music group friends all met at Pacifica Senior Living @ Ellensburg, and they had the chairs set up and tables moved. We had a good audience and a good play set. I had to hit the road soon to get home to take care of some things before we took off for the Audubon Society local chapter meeting. The topic was about 2 trips (2013 and 2016) on rafts down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. The speaker is a WA Fish & Wildlife person. One was a private 3-week trip on the river. One was a scientific data gathering trip shocking fish at night and other catch methods, and going through rapids in darkness. It was fascinating. We had called ahead and stopped after the program to pick up our dinner, a 3-meat pizza from Dominoes.

Friday, Nov 18

For Nov 17 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 10 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 35 min with (max = 12 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 86, with avg., 92.0%. Pulse 59.9, low 53.

I received a surprise call from the scheduler for the surgeon our PCP set up on Tuesday for John’s visit to the internal surgeon, Dr. Kenneth Harris, for fixing his hernia. The earliest was today, which I first refused, and put off until later, because I knew John had to continue with the chipping crew explained below. However, he came in for his camera, and heard what had happened and said he would be free earlier than expected because the crew had to leave at 1:00 to return the chipper to Cle Elum for maintenance. I immediately called back, and we were able to get an appointment this afternoon!

John began the 8:30 a.m. meeting with the Chipper Crew of four and Lance, the supervisor from the Kittitas County Conservation District (KCCD), for discussing the work on our property. John signed a contract (at no cost to us) for all the preliminary brushing and other work completed by John and others (bulldozing a new access drive to our house where a large fire-fighting rig can access and turn around). Today, with Monday, Tuesday next week, will consist of this year’s fire-wise cleanup efforts on our property. Today was chipping brush piles John has created over the past several years of clearing, and adding adjacent brush or thinning trees, where appropriate. We keep the fallen timber. All the chips will be redistributed on our property; hence, the photo below shows the crew at work, blowing chips into the back of our old Chevy farm truck to be moved and deposited around our place. The first pile created will be near the newer garden so John can make pathways through it.
The two people on the left are pulling brush from one of the piles near our driveway entrance and the middle fellow is putting the pieces into the shredder. The fellow on the right has a chainsaw (a Stihl, similar to John’s) and he is taking out chokecherries.

I drove by and said thank you as I left for my couple of hours in town. I had met them earlier when they arrived, but I did not take the trip around the property because I had previously done that (and it is written in our blog) a month ago with two folks, Lance and Rose, from the KCCD.

My first stop was at the hospital because the temperature was 33°, and I could not leave my violin in the car for over an hour. I am loaning my 3/4 size violin (I started with in the 4th grade), to the daughter of my drawer-of-blood (phlebotomist) friend I have known for 7 years. Her daughter’s teacher told her she would have to get a smaller violin than the full size one she had, which belonged to her grandfather. She claimed it would cause the little girl to acquire carpal tunnel syndrome. When I heard that, I offered mine.
Our scholarship luncheon this time met at the CWU Alumni office on Main St. across from my bank. I thought I might have to park in the bank’s parking lot, but I found a space on the street.

After lunch (pizza, pasta salad, and green salad) and some little sweets, I went by Hospice Friends for some supplies and to give a donation for the Tree of Life, which accepts donations in memory of others who have passed. [Someone was soliciting for the Food Bank at Grocery Outlet and John bought them large boxes of pancake/biscuit mix. Then we went by the Food Bank and picked up a loaf of date-expired Rosemary/Olive bread.] At Hospice Friends, the donations go toward the benefit of those in town still needing medical services, supplies, medical equipment, in home care, and grief counseling. Also with advanced notice, Hospice Friends provide rides as far as Yakima, to doctor visits for those without transportation. Needs are met for any person regardless of age and insurance.

On my way home, I went by Grocery Outlet to grab some canned dog food and salsa we forgot to get yesterday. Well, John had gotten some salsa but it was a bit too spicy so we’ll mix the two.

I returned home to get John so we could be at the surgeon’s office, Dr. Kenneth Harris, by 2:40 to sign in and collect information and vitals for a 3:00 p.m. appointment.

John and I went by Super 1 for a few things on our way home. We were both tired from awaking so early to be ready for the chipping crew, so we quit the trail a little sooner than normally.

Saturday, Nov 19

For Nov 18 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 14 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 6 min with (max = 9 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 two blips to low 87, with avg., 91.7%. Pulse 60.3, low 54.

Our Kittitas Valley Fiddlers and Friends, 8 of us, played, sang, and ate with an appreciative audience at Briarwood Commons Retirement center today. I invited our neighbor with her mom, who is considering moving into Briarwood. I thought that would be an excellent introduction to many of the active participants living there, who feed us every 3rd Saturday of the month. Next time will be Christmas music. Our meal today was little pigs cooked in a barbeque sauce, three different salads (potato, macaroni, and fruit). Some other stuff such as chips (Fritos & potato). Then a table of desserts.

Before we started, two of our guitar players sang through the song, Cotton Jenny, written by Gordon Lightfoot, in 1971, and sung by others through the years.

This link is a live performance in 1979 by Gordon Lightfoot, who is from Canada. He performed at the University of Iowa while we were there (? about 1971).

Cotton Jenny

I brought the music home to put into my SongWriter software for us to add to our repertoire.

I put in my meds into the week’s container for the a.m. and p.m. dispersal. That’s the only way to go when you’re on as many as I am.

Sunday, Nov 20

For Nov 19 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.46. Events: 1 H, 1 OA, 4 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 22 min with (max = 10 L/min). I kept my oximeter on for the rest of the night. Oximetry: SpO2 many events, 31, below 88%, for 12 minutes between 5:30 a.m. -6, and a few between 7:30-8. Once to low 80, with overall avg., 90.7%. Pulse 61.9, low 50.

We both slept in (after I got up and turned off the CPAP at 4:00 a.m.). It did not freeze overnight.

We had early morning visitors in our front yard – the doe and her twins. We can now see the nubs on the larger twin, we had figured was a buck. They were coming to clean up the mountain ash berries John cut and had not yet picked up the single berries. He takes a few branches out to them, starting with the lower ones. Now he will not have to worry with cleaning anything up but the leaves, inside our fence.
The trio walked in the front gate and the twin doe (right) came up to see the cat (Lemon), who now is leaving the scene. Mama doe is in the middle, and the buck fawn is to the left. You can see John’s ladder and the Mountain Ash tree. After the fruit freezes the birds will eat it, but they won’t take it now.

Next, a collage close-up of the fawns at work:
Left, note the coloration of his nubs for antlers to come, and the doe fawn on the right demos the cleanup with a few berries showing beside her left foot, between her legs in front, and behind her right foot. Before the three left, they cleaned up all the berries, leaving only the leaves for John to sweep up.

We fed two cats and now John is out to feed the horses and take the dog for her morning walk. I need to get to work on the blog.

It is overcast but he may be able to accomplish something before it rains (a slim chance). The third feral cat arrived and had her morning vittles. Our inside/outside cat ate at 4:00 a.m. and went back to bed where he remains.

Actually, it is now 12:30 and the sun is out, and John returned to make an omelet for brunch. I am making good progress on the blog to hand over to John (probably not until dark because he needs to be working while light is available). At least tomorrow’s forecast is for sunny weather for the continuation of the fire-wise work. John flagged a few trees and flowering shrubs to be left.

The weather stayed okay for John all day so he didn’t come in until near dark – still that is early now. We managed to feed 2 of the ferals, and another came in and cleaned up the plates. We’re calling her Sally, but we don’t know where she originates, nor if she is girl or a guy. She has located the hard food feeder at our front door, but also will eat from the leftovers in the bowls of canned food for the two girls, Woody and Sue. Lemon eats around back. Tonight we missed picking up the girls’ leftovers, and apparently Sally scooped them clean.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Sunday, Nov 6

For Nov 5 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.16. Events: 1 H, 9 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 15 min with (max = 10 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 86, only 1 other below 88 with avg., 91.8%.

Experienced a long day, mostly away from home. We took a field trip, conducted by Nick Zentner (CWU Geologist) to find the location of courses the Columbia River has taken in the past. It was a fascinating day.

We went to town early for gasoline for John’s car, and got to the leaving point on campus before the 10:00 departure time. We did not get home until almost dark.

Our first stop was south of Ellensburg, was to view rocks deposited by the Yakima River, with access from Ringer Loop.
John is visible in the top right of the left photo, with his light blue hat. The right photo has 3 of his small rounded found rocks at the top left. Most of the rocks are darkish and many are not very roundish. Such are typical of the Yakima River because of the closeness of the mountain source regions and types of rocks found there.

The second stop was past Moxee at Konnowac Pass, an old wind gap (a failed water gap).
I took both of these photos on my way slowly up the hill to join the crowd for Nick’s presentation. The trees are fruit orchards, still with leaves but most of the color is gone.

The next stop was likely my favorite of the trip. First, the view when we got out of the car is directly below.
To appreciate this, watch my very short movie of Emerald Road Cobbles, laid down by the old Columbia River.

Appreciate these cobbles

Next is a collage of some close-ups of the river rock cobbles at that site.
Finally, from across the street overlooking the Yakima River is this collage:
Left Nick explains how the river rocks across the street were not deposited by the Yakima River behind him, but by the Columbia River during another route it took long ago. The middle photograph is to his left and focuses on Toppenish Ridge, with the Yakima River in the foreground, and below our position. The right photo is looking (northeast) at the many feet of cobbles, all very roundish and most orange-ish, unlike the rocks from the Yakima River (1st photo, above). The Columbia River begins near the Village of Canal Flats (Canada), but other big rivers also flow in the region, namely the Kootenay, Clark Fork and others near Missoula, MT. So the small rock he is holding has an unknown source, but it did not come from the drainage of the Yakima.
Story of Quartzite inside Cobble on Snipes Ridge near Sunnyside, WA pictured above, and videoed below.

The Quartzite Story

Nick Zentner with cracked-open cobble explaining the Quartzite inside from the old Columbia River deposited rock along Emerald Road on Snipes Ridge near Sunnyside, WA on 11-6-16, Field Trip, “Chasing the Old Channel of the Columbia River.” It is Precambrian Quartzite, older than 500 million years. Brief intro here, 21 seconds, see above link.
Below is a further short video introduction (1 minute) to the old channel of the Columbia River that deposited this picturesque river rock feature.

Old Route of the Columbia River near Sunnyside, WA

Below are the rocks we carried away from our day in the field.
These (just on the board) are what John collected. Top 4 (whiteish) are from the current Columbia just downstream of Priest Rapids Dam. The large flattish orange one (and the others close by) are from the cobbled hillside (southwest side of Snipes Mtn., between Granger and Sunnyside. The new rocks will find a place among our other rock-garden treasures. Do you have anything that is 500 million years old?

Monday, Nov 7

For Nov 6 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.40. Events: 3 H, 15 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 34 min with (max = 19 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 3 blips to 88, 0 < 88 with avg., 92.2%. (Probably low considering a spurious 83 which doesn't show on the graph I received & inexplicable considering the events below 88% is zero)

Much of my day was spent assembling my medical reports for tomorrow’s doctor appointment, filling in our voting ballots to drop off at the courthouse on election day, and reviewing more of the master’s thesis for which I’m on the committee (to be defended in a week) at the graduate program at CWU – Cultural & Natural Resource Management. I retired April 2010, but stayed on this committee. It is my last. Over the past several years, Terri Towner researched this thesis, entitled, “Everyday Farm Life in the Moxee Valley 1915-1950 Historical Ethnography.” We went through the Valley just before our 2nd stop on the Sunday field trip.

Tuesday, Nov 8

For Nov 7 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.29. Events: 2 H, 19 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 58 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: did not record properly.

We left for the start of our doctor appointments at 9:25 a.m. in
Cle Elum, 45 minutes away. We participated together. This was part one of our annual physicals. Part two is next Tuesday, same time. Today was primarily data gathering of vitals and a fasting blood draw. After the nurse collected information, we visited with our doctor, who will be retiring in May 2017. He was going to retire in December but a new Doc isn’t coming in time. Regardless, this will likely be our last appointment with Dr. Paul – started in 1988/89.

On the way home, we drove back through Ellensburg to Grocery Outlet for ice cream and cat food and dropped off our election ballots at the Courthouse drive-up box receptacle. Ballots are mailed to us and we drop them in a box, but could mail if we needed to. The car in front of us pulled away just before we got there, so no waiting. Our citizen-duty done, we talked with John’s sister Peggy (in Ohio) for the trip back home.

I returned home, changed clothes, and went to Bi-mart to check my number and bought two kinds of cough drops; luckily, one type was on sale for 50¢ off, a 25% larger package than I had recently bought.

I went to get my 3-month medical supplies (for CPAP machine, supplies and equipment), and found out starting Oct 13, I no longer get a break on prices for supplies and equipment paid for by Medicare. They have cut back 45% on payments for the stuff I have been getting without any $ crossing hands every 3 months. The medical costs are rising all around – not a surprise but not welcome either.

I picked up limited supplies today at Kittitas Medical Supply. Now it will cost me almost $185.00 every quarter. I did not get the mask, nosepieces, and short tubing, saving that money. I will just clean the mask I have and keep using it. At least they gave me the two filters, one foam and three paper ones. That is charged out at $48.00 to Medicare, and my supplier decided to take the loss on that, but not on the mask parts or both sections of tubing.

Here’s the scoop — especially if you depend in part on Medicare.

2016 is the year of Medicare’s Rural Payment cuts.

You can voice your concerns, in WA:
with Senators
                       Patty Murray  866-431-9186
                       Maria Cantwell   202-224-3441

Ask them to pass Senate Bill 2312  to roll back the rural Medicare cutbacks.

Congressman Dave Reichart     202-225-7761 

needs to be requested to sponsor Bill 4185, which will do the rollback needed.

IF you have a specific Medicare complaint about the decline in your home healthcare services, call the Medicare Complaint Hotline (NOT AFFILIATED WITH MEDICARE). You will be asked to leave your name, phone number & complaint, and they will get back to you.
 CALL 800-404-8702. 
I did this, and if you follow below, you will see the interesting results.

I also went to Jazzercise class this afternoon for 45 minutes and it was too much considering I have not exercised in 3+ weeks.

I canceled my contribution playing and singing music at Hearthstone tonight because I am not up to it. It is with The Connections and is religious music, twice monthly.

Wednesday, Nov 9

For Nov 8 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 7 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 57 min with (max = 10 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blips to low 87, all rest > 88 with avg., 91.5%. (Spurious blip to 78, probably from changing fingers on Oximeter).

I picked up Gloria and we went to the Food Bank to sing and eat, and to SAIL exercise. I was feeling much better today. I came home to more thesis chapter reviews.

Thursday, Nov 10

For Nov 9 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.64. Events: 5 H, 19 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 50 min with (max = 18 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 blip to low 86, 5 < 88 with avg., 91.8%. A friend shared this interesting link with me. You may wish to check it out, especially if you want to voice your comment about the Medicare cutbacks. If you do not live in Washington State, there likely is something similar for other states. The information on all the elections we have voted in, since 2005 is informative. (No, nothing is revealed about your voting behavior. Just that you did.) weiapplets.sos.wa.gov/myvote/#/login

I went to Meadows Place today for music. I forewarned the activities director and the head as to the count for armless chairs, but they were not ready for us, having no chairs out, tables moved, or fireplace turned off. We had to set up ourselves. We only had 7 of us there to play because of scheduling conflicts with doctors, school functions, and other activities. We had an appreciative audience.

I filled the Forester’s tank with gas, so it was not a completely wasted day.

Most of any spare time left the past few days, even when I was feeling bad, I have been reviewing the thesis, for which the defense is Monday. I am on my third read of every chapter (of eight). I am the only committee member reading not only for content, but also for grammar, syntax, phrasing, details, spelling, margins, style, and anything else I see. To me, I have to get those problems out of the way to be able to digest the content. The committee consists of me, a geographer, the chair, an anthropologist, and the other member is an historian.

Friday, Nov 11

For Nov 10 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.13. Events: 1 CSR, 1 H, 14 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 57 min with (max = 13 L/min). Oximetry: 0 events < 88 with avg., 92.0%. (Spurious blip to 79 probably from changing fingers on Oximeter).

I am downloading the first 7 chapters’ final copies of the thesis, with all the edits I have noted over the past couple of weeks, corrected. Her defense is Monday from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. This is my last ever thesis committee! Having been retired since April 2010, it is about time I quit doing professorial work, don’t you think? This is all volunteer time. I no longer have any salary or a phone, or access to previous student / class information from being a full-time faculty member since 1988. However, I do still receive mail at CWU and maintain my old email account there, have a permanent (free) parking sticker, and access to the James Brooks Library (including an excellent Music Library with access to Inter-library loan), so I have a few benefits left. I also continue to get requests for letters of recommendation for former students for jobs for which they are applying. I know few of the students any more, except through my continued work on a Google Groups job announcement list with almost 800 members, NW Geography Jobs. Via it, I actually publish daily job opportunities in many disciplines besides geography (biology, environmental sciences, geology, economics, political, forest service, government jobs (DNR, DFW, DOT) graduate school opportunities, faculty jobs, and techniques such as GIS, mapmaking, geospatial, & engineering.

Regardless of your voting preference, this link is a HOOT!

Donald Trump meets Barack Obama – five awkward photos

Today, I received a phone call from the research group collecting information on my Medicare Complaint Hotline call earlier this week.
They requested my “story” – and here it is below. I plan to submit it via email so they will receive on Monday morning, Nov. 14. This was my letter to the research team examining nationwide Medicare Complaints Hotline. Skip to the next photo if the text doesn’t interest you.

Nancy’s Complaints Regarding Medicare cutbacks proposed for 2016 of 45% in Pap, wheelchairs, oxygen and other healthcare equipment.

I called the Medicare Complaint Hotline at 800-404-8702 on 11/10/16 and had a return call on 11/11/16, Veterans’ Day. Luckily, I was home.

The first call came at 11:26 from an Iowa number: 319-274-7913, with the caller ID, V GM MGMT LTD. I let the answering machine catch it, and then when I realized what it was, I picked up the phone. I imagine we talked 20 minutes. After I told her my story and all the information she wanted (mostly my location and how I am affected by the monetary cuts), I mentioned I was going to search our recent garbage to look for my mask I threw away before realizing this week I could no longer replace it, as I had been doing every 3 months, since September of 2014. This mask was particularly dirty from in-taking dust from our dirty rural house. I SHOULD have kept it and washed it thoroughly–especially now that I know the cost, I will have to pay for a new one that is no longer covered 100% by Medicare reimbursements (and my supplemental Group Health insurance). It seemed worth the effort to search our garbage for the unit, now worth an outlay of $34.99 (reimbursement of $19.00 later) for the headgear straps, and the clincher, the connected Mask/nasal pillow with short tubing for an outlay of $129.99 (reimbursement of $61.02 later), reimbursements to come to the patient sometime in the future. It will be interesting to see the amount of time that elapses. Those figures mean my out of pocket cost for the head mask every three months will be $15.99 + $68.97 = $84.96. This time, I chose not to pay the cost for the head mask and accessories (tubing). I chose not to buy the longer tubing because I have a couple left I can use. And, I can wash them out as well. I did not check their replacement price. The filters cost total for one foam filter and two packs of 2 each of the paper filters which need to be changed every 2 weeks, or possibly more often in a dusty house as ours, are $48.00 total. Medicare used to cover the longer compressed air tubing and all filters, but now they will not. My medical supply provider, Kittitas Medical Supply, has decided to continue “giving” the filters to clients because their loss on them is not as drastic as the loss on the payback for the masks, headgear, and tubing. I am grateful for that perk and support. Therefore, on Tuesday this week, 11/8/16, I only walked away with the filters for replacement, and no money exchanged hands.

We started searching and an hour after the research team called, and she returned a call and asked me if I was willing to write my story for an on-line “article.” When she heard I was, she asked me to take pictures of the search and of my find. I told her I would. Sadly, I had to report that we did not find it. We both find it difficult to believe we missed it, but I know I put it in the garbage and we searched every bag clear back to May. We could not locate it, but I did take some photos of the effort.
I will try to answer the following questions the researcher asked me, on a returned email, and I have marked in bold.

How is medical equipment important to you? 
Of the equipment affected by the cutbacks, I only am hurt by one, the PAP, or the CPAP machine’s supplies for operation nightly. The importance to me personally is not for sleep apnea, but for keeping my SpO2, blood oxygen saturation level above 90%, while I sleep. In my case, it is very necessary because of a heart valve (Mitral) replacement I had in Dec 2009. I bought myself an Oximeter (my cost, sadly not covered by insurance of any type), because it is necessary to measure my SpO2 while sleeping with the CPAP machine running. CPAP machines do NOT measure that parameter, or the actual pulse throughout the night. I have an implanted defibrillator that controls my pulse, if it goes below 50. I wear my oximeter now throughout the night so that it measures and records my pulse and my SpO2. Each morning I can read the data from the CPAP (on an SD card) and from the Oximeter, and merge the values via software, with the ability of displaying graphs of everything coordinated from the CPAP and the Oximeter. I have also kept my oximeter on, after turning off my CPAP machine, and recorded the data without the CPAP operating. I review that each morning, and I have printed graphs to share with my cardiologist and my sleep doctor to display my findings. It definitely makes a difference in the value of the SpO2 figures. One interesting thing (to me anyhow) is that the CPAP does not prevent all decreases below 88% SpO2, and that on occasion there is evidence that continuing the recording off the CPAP does not show a decrease in the SpO2.

I will add two graphs from the CPAP’s SleepyHead software comparing to the Oximetry, and another from the Oximetry’s SpO2 Review software showing the graph overnight of the pulse and SpO2 values, with and without the CPAP. You on the blog have previously seen those graphics, so I won’t include them here.

What do you use? 
I have answered this question above. The only equipment I use is a CPAP machine with its associated needs for a mask, tubing, and filters.

How have Medicare’s funding cuts personally impacted you? 

I have also addressed that above in the first question. I am hopeful that Senate Bill #2312 and House Bill #4185 will be passed in Congress, and the result will be to roll back the rural Medicare cutbacks. I have paid into the system, and I believe others and I should not be limited in our ability to get care and supplies. I realize that some other folks are more financially restricted than I am, but it should be helpful across the board. Yes, I certainly also understand the huge expenses of the medical system and Medicare’s need to adjust, and I am also aware of the large debt our country has incurred.

What medical equipment were you looking for in the trash bags?
I was looking for this part of my nightly garb attached to my machine’s main tubing (not shown) and using filters embodied in the CPAP machine. The ruler is in for scale.
CPAP Mask Head Gear (Nasal Pillow)

How we could have missed this is beyond me. However, we searched for an hour and a half.

We live 12 miles from the transfer station (dump), we compost as much garbage as possible, recycle newspaper, plastic, and glass, and we only drive a truckload in every several months. We started with the most recent garbage bags, sorted through and repacked mostly into new black bags, but we also used some dog food bags. We had 15 repackaged and checked when we stopped. We do not have any more bags in the house, garage, shed, or barn.
Here is Nancy, in yard clothes, frowning, standing in front of the searched and repackaged 15 garbage bags.

Here is another:
I have on my Washington Old Time Fiddlers hat which goes with my normal activities about town, playing Old Time Music with a group, visiting assisted living and retirement homes providing sing-along entertainment, with a mostly string band.

Just last Friday, in honor of Veterans’ Day, the Ellensburg Adult Activity Center (Senior Center) provided lunch and activities for 100 people. Our group provided a 1/2 hour of patriotic music.

That’s me on the right with my photo from a previous year there:This year (above), we began with a color guard with two of our local veterans in military dress, the pledge of allegiance, then the patriotic songs, and we closed with the National Anthem, acapella, always a moving experience. After that, all the veterans present were brought to the front according to their branch of military service. Two of our players were honored.

I have the names and numbers of our WA senators and our representatives to share with everyone I can to request them to pass these two bills. I am trying to spread the news via email and by Facebook.

I will also give them your Medicare Complaint Hotline number so they can do what I did. Thank you for your service.

Sincerely,
Nancy Hultquist
Ellensburg, WA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This above was in response to the following email:

Hello Nancy, 
 
Thank you for sharing your story! If you could send me some photos of you looking for your equipment from the garbage (with you in it) that’d be good. 
 
If you could email me back with the following information
 
How is medical equipment important to you? 
What do you use? 
How have Medicare’s funding cuts personally impacted you? 
What medical equipment were you looking for in the trash bags?
 
Thank you!
 
Lalaina Rabary
Digital Content Strategist
VGM Marketing
Lalaina.rabary@vgm.com
866-544-7913
My mission: To make the internet a better place one word at a time

Saturday, Nov 12

For Nov 11 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.30. Events: 6 H, 8 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 38 min with (max = 13 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one (maybe spurious) blip to 82 , 25 < 88 with avg., 91.2%. Oximetry continued to 8 hours.

I spent the day doing a serious computer backup after problems last night and this morning with computer not restoring properly from an update/shutdown. Now we have to get to work again researching a new computer for me to replace this old worn-out laptop.

Details of my Seagate backup drive. Has 997 gig used and available, 865 Gb as of 11-12-16.

Intermingled was working on the thesis review comments and going around our rural block for a long overdue haircut.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Oct 31 Happy Halloween!

For Oct 30 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.71. Events: 1 CSR, 4 H, 9 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 37 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 two blips to low 85, 9 < 88 with avg., 91.0%.


Yesterday, we posted our weekly blog in the evening.

I am planning on staying home another two days to recuperate. Yesterday, I began a new cold symptom I have not had for the past 19 days – runny nose and sneezing. I am ready to be done with this. I will skip Jazzercise tomorrow, again, but pickup with SAIL exercise at the AAC on Wednesday afternoon.

I thought I had only 5 pages to go in the final chapter of the thesis review when I went to bed last night. Found out this morning, I have 31 more pages I missed from part 6 of Chapter 8. Today, I finished the last chapter and have reviewing the part I missed. I hope to finish it today!

We put in a call to Spokane today for Culligan to service and replace our under-kitchen-sink water filters next Monday. Service is coming from Yakima. We will hear the timing this Friday via telephone to plan arrival for Monday. It will be between 10:00 a.m. and noon.

I stopped for a not completely nutritious lunch, but I am continuing my fluid intake. I drank a can of apple juice that has been waiting for me for months in the fridge, and continued with the yogurt and Ensure. Also threw in a couple Almond Roca pieces.

I went to the car to check on some things, enjoying the sun – first time in several days. I’m happy for all the night’s trick or treaters not to have to deal with rain as we have been having. No one comes to our house; it’s dark and spooky. It is better to go to town to all the planned (or unplanned) events. I learned of a few good places to share with my friend and her 3.5 yr. old daughter.

I have been alternately working on music for this week, and on the last pages of the thesis review. Finally, I finished just before 6:00 p.m. Things have been mixed in with calling the bank, dealing with music for the group this week, and now just fed all cats for the night. Also, I managed to wash one filter and replace the paper filter on a machine next to my bed – long overdue.

Today was a special Brittany day. We got a report from Jeri Conklin, my co-owner of our young Brittany, Cedaridge Kip’s Camelot Shay Tre’ JH (call name, Daisy) about her run in a CA field trial over the weekend, in an Open Gun Dog event. Jeri handled her. She had a nice forward run and a point, but unfortunately, it was a non-productive. Jeri searched and searched the bushes and could not locate the bird.
Daisy wants those birds – here in that trial, with ears flying and all four feet off the ground.

Then the point and search:
On the same day, another Brittany occurrence happened to take us back to the past, with our ownership of FC Simons Ruff-Shod O’Dee. He was the dog we bred to our DC/AFC/CC Sirius Sashay, the best cross we ever did, that resulted in several dual champions, and many single champions.

I received an unexpected phone call from the original owner of that dog we didn’t bring home to live with us in Idaho, until he was 9 years old. We had been breeding to him and running him for Dan Richmond in Amateur events. I tried diligently to find the owner, but never succeeded. (That was likely 30 years ago.) The phone call came from Texas, from David A. Simons, who found our Cedaridge Kennel on line with the email and phone number since we have been in WA. He was looking for a dog descended from that dog for a hunting buddy in Arizona. We talked for almost 45 minutes. He was a youngster when he bought Ruff for his hunting dog at 8 weeks. We are enjoying reminiscing on line about a great dog, sharing stories from his early life with David and his later life with us. Ruff/Ruffy had a long life for a Brittany – 16.5 years.
David with Ruff, getting his Derby points, (a dog cannot be over 2 years to run derby stakes). Right, Dan Richmond and me with Ruffy, 1984, when he won the Open All Age at the Washington Brittany club field trial. (Right photo taken by Jeff Sandman, given to the owner in the plaque with the placement engraved at the bottom of the frame.) The trophy was revolving and had to be returned to the club for the next year’s use, and we had to engrave his name on the trophy.

Tuesday, Nov 1

For Oct 31 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.25. Events: 1 H, 6 RERA. Time on 3 hrs 37 min with (max = 13 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 88, NONE below 88 with avg., 92.0%. Short, but sweet.

I set up Thursday and Friday’s music play dates. Nine came to play Thursday and nine different ones made it on Friday.

Three deer came in the front gate for Mt. Ash berry dinner, then went out, and lay down next to John’s car. We guess they are staying away from the hunters in the hills.
Yes, a couple of the does have learned to step up on things near the base of the tree to gain height to reach the berries. The lower branches they can reach by standing on their back legs. Last year, they used a blue plastic bin.
With tummies full (?), the deer lay down to rest, just outside the fence.

I continued working on cleaning the den for the furnace (heat pump) maintenance person to come tomorrow morning.

Tonight to Cle Elum and dinner at the Cottage Cafe. We are meeting friends from Ellensburg on their way back from their cabin on South Cle Elum Ridge. The Cafe sends gift-letters for our birthdays and wedding anniversary. Instead of costing us $20 per meal, it’s $10. We bring enough home for the next day. While waiting, I saw a BB World Series grand slam.

Wednesday, Nov 2

For Nov 1 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 3 RERA. Time on 2 hrs 7 min with (max = 12 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 several spurious blips from moving off finger, only 7 hits below 85 with overall avg. 91.0% (surely affected by the spurious ones).

Darren Allen arrived from Brad & Burke (B&B) about 9:30. He has worked on Trane heat pump units for 20 years, or at least for B&B, who is a Lennox dealer. He really seemed to know what he was doing, and we both felt comfortable with him.

He inserted a new (additional) 24″ x20″ filter and left a back-up, because of the serious dust problem we have in our house. We need to check each month, and maybe more often at first to see how it responds. The slot has been there all along but no one ever mentioned it nor provided a filter. We’ll check on line to get a price for a box of filters.

I left just after he did to pick up my friend Gloria to attend music and lunch at the food bank, get gasoline in my car, and go to SAIL exercise at the AAC afterwards.

Thursday, Nov 3

For Nov 2 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.26. Events: 1 H, 7 RERA. Time on 3 hrs 52 min with (max = 8 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2, 2 dips to 88 on CPAP, only a few to 89 off CPAP for 2.5 hrs, with overall avg., 92.1% (a spurious low of 84).

I went to the hospital for an INR before music, and had a very strange occurrence. I have written it up and tomorrow will submit a “care and service report” to the quality assurance folks at the local hospital. The phlebotomist (new one to me) performed the wrong type of draw and had to repeat it to get it right. I was not happy, and realized she was doing it wrongly. I asked her to redo it as it always is done and to send the results to my lab in Cle Elum. On my way out the building, I stopped at the front desk to speak with the front desk receptionist, a person who knows me by name and has since 2009, when I became a regular in the hospital, going to the lab and to the outpatient services, in addition to being a patient. She listened intently and gave me the appropriate form to complete and return. I was grateful. I have written the report, and will deliver it to the front desk tomorrow, on my way back from playing patriotic music.

My INR was low again (1.8) and in the afternoon I talked to my Coumadin Clinic advisory nurse, so we could adjusted the dosage. I will have it retested in Cle Elum, when we go up for our annual physicals mid November – nurse and lab first, then a week later we see the doctor. He’s retiring at the end of the year. John has had visits with a Nurse Practitioner and a Physician’s Assistant, but we do not have a new M.D. – yet.

I went to play music at the Rehab at 1:45, where we had a full house, but we did well.

I came home to work on the Star Spangled Banner to have the front row (fiddlers, accordion, and flute) lead off the group Acapella tomorrow at the AAC on the National Anthem. We are scheduled to have 90 participants there. I have to take audience copies of the lyrics as well. Photos will appear later, when the photographer who was there publishes them.

Friday, Nov 4

For Nov 3 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.22. Events: 1 H, 7 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 34 min with (max = 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 89, all above 88 with overall avg., 92.6%.

Today was Veterans’ Day music at the AAC, offered by the Kittitas Valley Fiddlers & Friends group. We had 9 players and played 12 songs (patriotic and USA songs), plus the National Anthem without instruments at the end. We played for 1/2 hour, following the honor guard and the audience pledge to allegiance. I dressed in my sequined flag vest, and the group had various combinations of red, white, and blue clothing.

The Senior Center personnel fed us at our own table after we played, and continued with the program for the veterans present, honoring them and bringing each branch of the military forward to receive an honor and to tell the audience what their job was and where they served. Two of our music players are veterans, and one of those served in 2 branches. Our lunch was excellent. We had meat loaf with sides of various casseroles (our table had servings of a rice casserole, a SW cornbread one with a sauce of beans, corn, & tomatoes, and a serving of peas and carrots. We were presented with a soup bowl of mixed green salad and a platter of several different dessert choices. I had a little piece of 3 different ones.

I took my paperwork to the hospital on my way home, as planned.

I was not home long before we changed clothes and got into my car to make the drive to Seattle. We left at 2:30 and got there with traffic slowdowns starting near the 405 cut off on I-90. John was my navigator and I was the driver both ways. It took just over 2 hours. The thinking about driving in Seattle was worse than the doing but we only had to travel several blocks non-interstate.

We were attending the WTA Volunteer Appreciation Event in Seattle at REI, …
… which was set to begin at 6:00 p.m. with nice appetizers, fruit drinks, beer, and wine. Fortunately, we had our parking sticker validated, and saved the $15.00 fee. We visited with a few folks, grabbed our name tags, walked around REI some, and then went back for a seat on the front row to watch the slide show and see the program (which was full of reports and awards) – John didn’t win any this year, except a pass through November 2017 to a National Park. We already have one for all National Parks, that I bought for $10 at Mt. Rainier, years ago. We were offered free WTA “trail crew” T-Shirts. I got a couple for my exercise classes (red & gray). They are men’s size. I hope the red XL fits me; also, I got a L (gray). The prettiest colors (chartreuse and blue were women’s sizes but way too small for me). John doesn’t wear short-sleeved shirts except under long-sleeved shirts. These are made of plastic and so don’t get and stay wet. Hikers like them. See this:
From those that do long trail hikes in sections

Food provided was spicy-seasoned shrimp, 2 to a skewer, grilled (John said pickled) veggies, mushrooms, 2 different dips, crackers, twice-baked potato bits (little red ones), Swedish meat balls, and I thought chicken but John thought fried pork pieces (cold). I didn’t like that offering. The rest of the presentation food was warm. Wine and beer was from local folks, although the wine grapes were from east of the Cascades – like us.

We dressed in shirts (Nancy in black and John in Orange – for his orange hardhat assistant crew leader color), with patches honoring the 50th anniversary of WTA. We got many comments from folks there. A friend, Evonne, (a blue hat crew leader) took our photo on her camera, and will get it to us in a month, probably. She is busy still working and studying sustainability as a graduate student at an Oregon University. Perhaps if it comes out all right, we’ll put in the blog then. I did not take my camera to the party.

John made a small picture of the two shirt pockets with their patches:
John had ironed the patches on the shirts earlier in the week. We are protecting them to wear only on special occasions, so they don’t have to go through the washing machine and chance losing the patch, or messing it up.

Saturday, Nov 5

For Nov 4 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 17 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 54 min with (max = 18 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 80 (off CPAP), quite a few below 88 (off CPAP) with an overall avg., 92.1%.

John worked outside some but it began to sprinkle. So he came in and worked on lunch. I worked on in-house chores after sleeping in to recover from yesterday’s activities.

Tomorrow we are going on a neat geology field trip, hosted by Nick Zentner, CWU Geology, for the IAF’s local chapter. Here are the specs: 10:00 am – 5:30 pm (Daylight Savings Time clock change!). Carpool from CWU’s Hebeler Hall.

Old Columbia River Field Trip

Did the Columbia River really used to flow through Sunnyside?
How do we know that?  What’s the field evidence?
Why did the Columbia River keep changing its course through time?


Prior to 17 million years ago the main drainage came south from the Spokane area (green color). After many lava flows, the river was pushed up against the mountains toward the west (red color).
Basalt province of NW USA

Major flows are subdivided into “members” as discussed in the link given and shown in the maps (incomplete) below. Ellensburg is off the upper-left corner and the details for the area are not shown.
For the trip, the weather is supposed to be sunny and a bit cool, unlike today’s rain.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

… Still not 100% but heading there
… Fall has come
… the rain won’t stop
… fill in your own feels like

Monday, Oct 24

For Oct 23 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.68. Events: 3 CSR, 6H, 10 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 47 min with (max= 19 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 86, only 10 below 88 with avg., 90.9% (lower than should be because Oximeter recorded a spurious low of 61 that doesn’t show on the graphs. Must have been when moving off the system. No clue.

Yesterday, we posted our weekly blog late afternoon.

Today, I’m staying home one more day before I hit the ground running.

I am still working on reviewing the thesis.

Got a call in for Brad & Burke to service our Trane Heat Pump. (they will schedule us in, in the next few days). Kelly will call today. She called about noon and we set up 10:00 a.m. next Wed. Now we have to clean a path to the air-handler in our den. It’s the first room after the entryway, and where we drop everything that gets carried in, or the resting place for things that need carried out.

John fixed a nice breakfast (sausage, hash browns, egg, and toast).
I spent too much time on too many projects the rest of the afternoon and until 11:30 tonight. We took time to have lunch leftovers from yesterday.

Tuesday, Oct 25

For Oct 24 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 1.27. Events: 1 CSR, 7 H, 4 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 31 min with (max= 16 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 blip to low 82, with avg., 90.5%. Lowering on CPAP, but more so off CPAP.

Wow..it’s been 10 days since I left the house and drove to town.

We left today at 12:30 and didn’t get home until 4:00 p.m. Too long a day for not feeling well, even though I’m better than I have been. First stop was to a CWU acquaintance for 3 boxes of his red delicious apples. We had a longer visit than originally intended, but we enjoyed it. Barney’s solution to exercise cramps is a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of cold water, as soon as the pain happens. John sometimes gets cramps after being in the car for 2 hours after being on a day-long work trip in the mountains. I’ll have to be ready when John drives in the driveway, and he’ll need to warn me from down the road he’s nearing. [John says: This, and other suggestions, has very little credibility from medical, chemical, or mental research and may unbalance one’s electrolytes. There are many such suggestions and sometimes the explanation for the effect varies. What’s yours?]

From there we went to the hospital just two blocks from his house for my blood draw. I had to wait longer than normal for them to locate the standing order in the paper filing system (for my INR to check my blood for planning the dosage)… ??? why the delay ??? It’s been there for the entire year, is renewed annually, and I have gone there now for six years. Personally, John and I think it should be in the medical records on their computer able to be brought up immediately. What a horrid way to do medical business, in a hospital, no less.

Trip included Bi-Mart for Fisherman’s Friend and Ricola cough drops, Anne’s for mail pickup plus taking sorted mail to her sofa, and watering plants. Someone else is doing the cat chores this year.

They did finally take my blood draw, and we left for the Adult Activity Center. It was just to deliver two boxes of apples: one of Galas and Honeycrisp and one of Red Delicious we’d just gotten. We’ll keep the rest for our use, likely for making applesauce (nice red colored). I did not stay for Jazzercise at the recommendation of my teacher. We did ask if they could use a large pumpkin with cutting and decoration materials packet, and they would love it. We returned to Anne’s house to take an offering off her front porch to donate to the AAC for their Halloween Party on Friday. It had been put on her porch by a local realtor, Coldwell Banker, as a Happy Halloween gift and request for considering using or recommending their realtor business help in the future. I should have photographed it. It was probably at least a 20# pumpkin. I first contacted the two lady donators (the Clerfs) and asked them to come retrieve it for someone else, but when they said they might not have time, I asked if I could donate it to the senior center.

We stopped at Hospice Friends to pick up pads for a friend (I get them every other month for 2 people) and a few Ensure drinks for me to mix with yogurt, when I’m not up to eating a meal. It’s a nice community offering and well worth my occasional monetary donations (not required). If anyone needs a medical equipment, they can borrow it or have it. For example, when I had a large-wheeled walker, I donated it back to them for them to loan out. They also provide transportation as far as Yakima for people in need of doctor visits.

We stopped by Safeway for my Telemisartan med, where I can pay cash, not use my insurance, and get it for 1/3 the cost it would be from my own pharmacy (after insurance). However, I was supposed to get 90, but for some reason they were only sent one bottle (30). They reordered and said I could get them tomorrow at 1:00. Wrong. They weren’t in until the weekend!

Have I mentioned my displeasure with the medical care system and costs? We just found out our monthly cost for Group Health (supplemental to Medicare) is going up in 2017 by $90/month.

We had a nice encounter at Grocery outlet on our way home, meeting an EMT teacher at CWU in the waiting line (J E Pierce). He and John visited and exchanged information about John’s wish for better medical training than one gets in the Red Cross First Aid class. We need to follow-up on that opportunity. Found out he knows and worked with our friend, Jeff Sandman, in the Fire Department on the west side.

On our way home, we stopped for a free donation of a bag of English-type walnuts from an acquaintance. John has dried them (a large cookie sheet full) and we will have some to add to our cooking with the ones we got from our own trees this year.

Came home to a report from the Coumadin Clinic Nurse in Cle Elum that my INR was exceptionally high, 4.6. That’s the highest I have had in 6 years. We went through all sorts of questions. I knew that alcohol would increase it, and I have not had a drop. We later found out that diarrhea increases an INR reading, and that has been associated with the bug that invaded my system. So anytime the reading is high or low there is an adjustment in dosage needed and then another test. If the INR is in the correct range, then the tests are less frequent and my arm/vein has time to heal.

Wednesday, Oct 26

For Oct 25 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.35. Events: 1 CSR, 2 H, 2 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 46 min with (max= 8 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 only 2 blips below 88, but removing oximeter caused a spurious low of 62 that messed up the avg., 91.3%.

John roasted a pork tenderloin to take to a 5:00 p.m. Kittitas potluck/practice session of our music group. He also cooked a pan full of red delicious apples halved with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in the middle along with two pecan halves. Boy, they were scrumptious with the pork roast. Others brought food, and it was all good.

I finished the notes about the upcoming Thursday night meeting on the Manastash Trails and sent to Alan (WTA) and Bill (a WTA volunteer, here in EBRG). Alan and John went to the meeting, but Bill had a conflict. John and I have a conflict with the next meeting, planned for December 1.

We enjoyed the Wednesday night at Evie’s house in Kittitas. John and I took separate cars so I could stay for 2 hours for the music practice session. We made good progress on fixing timing problems, some notes, and I actually was able to change the key on one problematic song with tough chords for the guitars.

Amy brought a bunch of cut up Nanaimo Bars she made. Oh how rich and wonderful.

Nanaimo_bar

Nanaimo, a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, claims this treat originated in Nanaimo. Where else? However, the cocoa, almonds, and coconut in the list of ingredients could lead one to think the residents are too full of themselves.
I only had one small piece but I could/should have eaten more. I halved one of John’s already halved apples to share with John, had a slight bit of Crockpot ham & beans, slaw, passed on the melon, had some rice and chicken casserole, and a fantastic Artichoke dip with long chips.

Tonight, we learned of a cougar sighting on Thomas Rd ½-mile from us (closer through the woods). It was posted on Facebook, and someone who knows where I live tagged me. I called or notified as many as I knew, including Frank Bacon (whose family, parents, and brother Andy live by the Leather/saddle Shop). They had not been notified.

This was the message: “Angela saw a cougar on Thomas Rd near Don’s Leather this evening. Share if you know people in the area.” The person writing (her husband) and she live at the west end of the road, which is near Wilson Cr. road. At the luncheon I attended this Friday, someone told me about another sighting on Wilson Cr. Road. All know, or should know, that the Cougars are in this area. Reported sightings are not common. They see more of us than we of them.

Thursday, Oct 27

For Oct 26 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.43. Events: 1 CSR, 2 H, 1 PP, 1 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 38 min with (max= 9 L/min). Continued resting for 4 more hours without recorders. Oximetry for: SpO2 to low 87, 5 times, avg., 91.9%.

Today, I ran off copies of the new key for “In My Merry Oldsmobile” music and took with me to the five people who were able to be there today. We had a nice time with the folks there. I’m sorry I didn’t have my camera. Our little mascot, 3.5 yr old Haley, was there all dressed up as an evil witch, but she handed out candy from a black bucket. They love her. Amy was kind enough to send me a photo of her in her costume near their house. I cropped it to share here.
Haley with her pot of goodies. Looks like a sweet witch, not an evil queen.

Friday, Oct 28

For Oct 27 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 2 RERA. Time on 2 hrs 32 min with (max= 10 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 blip to low 83 (spurious at end), several below 88 even on CPAP with avg., 90.2%.

I went first for an INR, following up on the very high one recorded on Tuesday. Today it was back down, to 2.1, but I have to return next Thursday for a retest. Then I was off for a scholarship luncheon – chili, cornbread, salad, and apple pie. From there I went in my pumpkin garb to an Oktoberfest Spooktacular party at the AAC. I missed the lunch there, but heard mine at school was better. I got there late for games, but I managed to win enough play $$s to be able to bid for gifts donated by the community businesses. I succeeded in getting a couple of things we really don’t need.

Here are some photos from the afternoon.
I guess I should have held the sign on my other side, and higher!
Left, my first win of the day, camouflage gloves in a Knudson Lumber coffee mug. Right, the last win of the day at 2:00 p.m., a matching coffee mug with candy. I’m sitting in front of Frank, who back in 2010 had a stroke, and we were together in physical therapy at the local Rehabilitation Center (acute care home).

Saturday, October 29

For Oct 28 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 2.17. Events: 9 H, 5 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 9 min with (max=13 L/min). I was miserable and the machine was causing me to cough. I removed it and slept for 4 more hrs. Oximetry: SpO2 spurious blip to 62 throwing off avgs., with overall avg., 92.1%, and overall looks good with only 2 below 88, low of 87.

I went to Ada Perry’s 90th birthday celebration at Briarwood, taking Gloria Swanson along with me. We also ran errands.
Both out of focus because people don’t push the button half way down to focus before taking, and I did not have the flash turned on, which really helps in low light. Left photo: Ada, Nancy, and Gloria (Gloria will be 91 on Veterans’ Day). Right: Michael Buchanan, Ada’s son, who was my student in two classes in 1993. He invited me to the party, and is always complimentary about my being the best teacher he had. He went on to be a successful urban planner and now is a software developer / engineer. Gloria and I knew Ada from our SAIL exercise class at the AAC. He and Norma came over to Briarwood to visit a year or so ago on a 3rd Saturday of the month, when our music group goes there to entertain. Imagine my surprise, when I saw him in the audience. I said something such as, “I know you!” I never knew until then that Ada was his mom. Small world.

Michael’s wife, Norma, made a huge frosted carrot cake (the yummiest I have ever had), and brought it over from Moses Lake to the Open House at Briarwood (went from 1:00 to 4:00), with all the large family coming in for the celebration from as far away as Texas.
Here is the cake & raspberry punchbowl. On the right is Norma. I guess I should have used a flash, because I took these photos and cannot blame anyone else for their being out of focus.

Finally, while there, I sat and visited with Katie Patterson, one of the Briarwood residents, who always is at our music Saturday there. She was admiring my shirt, and went out to her car and brought me back a ceramic pumpkin for my neck and gave it to me. It was meant to be part of a wind chime. She teaches ceramics at Briarwood. Here is a collage of the gift. I will enjoy it next year when I get all dolled up for my Halloween gigs.
On the bar stool seat, left, it lacks scale. On a standard sized paper napkin, right, its size is better shown.

Sunday, Oct 30

For Oct 29 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.16. Events: 1 H, 11 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 12 min with (max= 20 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 spurious report low 54, but I don’t see it on the graph produced. Low avg. < 88% is 86.5%, but I see only 2 blips to 85, with avg., 91.3%. I have no clue about the report. I took off both machines at 6:00 a.m. and slept another couple hours.

John has been winterizing and trying to complete a few lingering projects, but came in for a snack for lunch. It was probably not the most nutritious, but it hit the spot. We each had two oatmeal/chocolate chip granola bars. We both agreed we like Snickers bars better. One cat got fed early, and Sue just appeared for a late breakfast. We haven’t seen Woody yet. Now we’ve had Woody come back and Sue is here too at 4:20 p.m.

I have continued with dishes and working on the blog, and will switch to reviewing the last chapter of the thesis soon; well, I may file first and thereby clean up a mess or two before the heat pump repairman on Wednesday.

Today, after 2 weeks of cold symptoms not including a runny nose, it started today, early morning and has bothered me all day, with sneezing.

Finally, some 2016 Halloween Humor for tomorrow’s special day.

Left comes to me from my cousin who lives on Sullivan’s Island, SC of a lawn display there this year. Right comes from our friend, Tanya Myers, on the other side of our valley, of Zombie Fingers she made for son Michael to eat. Recipe is from the food.com network, but she added red coloring to the almond fingernails and fingers. She says they are quite tasty.

Supper was good: chicken, coconut shrimp, and baked apples. Last night we had butternut squash as a side.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan

Monday, Oct 17

For Oct 16 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.86. Events: 0 CSR, 7 H, 16 PP, 2 RERA. Time on 8 hrs 3 min with (max= 12 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 several blips to low 84, with avg. 90.1%.

Yesterday, we posted our weekly blog.

Today, I am staying home to try getting well.
I canceled going to the Rehab tomorrow night for music.

Today John was outside digging holes, moving rocks, hay, and short sections of recently cut Poplars. Frequent job changes help to not overuse a single muscle group – or he has a short attention span. He came in for lunch and to respond to a few emails.

I spent the day resting, but also scanning a copy of an exercise book so I can return it tomorrow. I also washed dishes and worked on bills, email, and scheduling.

We received a medication compound preparation via FedEx from Trinity, TX early morning. Late afternoon in the mail, our new horse water tank heater and stainless steel cleaning pads arrived via USPS. The box was too large for the mailbox, so the carrier drove it in. Glad we were home and John was outside.

I worked on reviewing the thesis.

I’m sorry to report I’m not feeling well tonight.

But, there was a beautiful sunset to cheer me up, visible out our back patio door.
When the leaves are all gone and the sky is clear the top of Mt Rainier can be seen in the low-center of that view. Mornings work best because the Sun is to the East and shining on the snow covered top.

Tuesday, Oct 18

For Oct 17 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.17. Events: 0 CSR, 1 H, 1 PP, 1 RERA. Time on 6 hrs 1 min with (max= 8 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 86, with avg. 90.2%

Staying home today to recuperate. I was certainly not wishing to go to Jazzercise, and the other person likely to be there was also sickly feeling. Katrina was happy to have us keep our germs away from sharing. A couple of people there at the Senior Center on Tuesdays have comprised immune systems, so it is a good idea to stay away. I have been busy with all sorts of things inside.

I received an email from my friend Elise in NJ and followed it to a big surprise about two characters we knew in our past from Troy, Idaho. We left that house in 1989.

I know bones in the Smithsonian

This morning, I commented on line to the article. Here is the content of my message:

My husband and I knew Grover and his Irish Wolfhound well. We lived in Troy, ID from 1974-1989 and ran a Dog Boarding Kennel out of our house. I can assure you Clyde preceded him in death, and being the research Anthropologist he was, Grover would have been able to preserve the remains of Clyde’s bones properly. In fact, he had the bones of all three of his dogs, Clyde, Icky, and Yahoo. Icky was the one we got to know best at our home. I don’t think we boarded Clyde before he died, but Icky’s name we remember for sure.

I think this Smithsonian presentation is awesome and while I understand space is a problem in museums, I hope they will put it on display again in the future, perhaps with the bones of a Sasquatch (Bigfoot). We also followed his research with interest.

Look him up at
Link wiki Grover Krantz
I suspect they will put the human bones and the dog’s in storage, after all the work of merging them into one. The only other possibility would be they will be returned to WSU for Forensic studies and education.

Thanks to the commenter, Angela, who provided the link to the story in the Washington post, 2009, when Grover’s wife went back for a visit, and they told more of the entire rebuilding story.
To my post on the life-with-dogs site, I added my last comment because of another’s comment on line wondering what they did with the human remains after no longer displaying at the Smithsonian.

Link to that:
WoPo article
Be sure to follow the NEXT on the photo in the Washington Post article to see other photographs.

I managed to get an announcement out to our music group for receiving a count of how many are attending, so I can call in for the number of armless chairs. We are limited to 12. A few people can play in a chair with arms.

I also washed a load of clothes. Dishes are a more common occurrence. Gosh, we dirty a lot, and add to those daily 2 large saucer dishes x 4 for the cats.

John broke from outside chores and came in with the mail (which was useless), and fixed a casserole for dinner (chicken, peas, cashews, celery soup, with crispy dried onions on top). The chicken is a neat ingredient we buy at Costco, cut off the bone, of their roasted whole chickens they roast and sell there. I don’t know what they do with the dark meat, as all we ever see is packed white meat. John says they package thighs and legs separately. This is deboned, so makes it a bit pricy but convenient because we don’t have to deal with any other part of the carcass. We gather stuff over weeks/months and then run all the garbage to the transfer-station (aka dump).

I also am not in good enough shape to go to tomorrow’s activities, so I canceled those as well, and canceled picking my 90 year-old friend (almost 91) whom I usually take with me on Wednesdays to the Food Bank (music – she sings with us – and they feed us). From there, we go on to SAIL exercise and run other errands before I take her home.

Wednesday, Oct 19

For Oct 18 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.00. Events: 0 H, 0 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 24 min with (max= 11 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 blips to low 86 with avg. 90.0%. Definitely shows the impact of having a CPAP machine on to keep the SpO2 higher through the night, although it still went to 87 even on the CPAP.

Stayed home to recuperate and am canceling going tomorrow too.

I wrote an email to our neighbor Allen. Called him this afternoon, to tell him we had apples and no Internet, so if he contacted me I wouldn’t see it. He was in town and hadn’t seen the email, so he dropped by on his way home. John had dropped a box of smallish ones off at the senior center, with any ones with “issues” taken out. Our Grocery Outlet store uses an out of the way space to place wine boxes. We always get one or two at each visit, especially if we get anything frozen. They hold about 20 pounds of apples.

Called Sandy Morris (new Activities Director at the newly named Pacifica Senior Living at Ellensburg, and talked to Laura who left her my phone number and she will give it to her again to have her call me today. It worked this time.

I was working on things this morning, and both of us were standing away from our computers, when we had a 3 second power outage and then the back-on power surge. Sadly, it zapped our modem. John could not get it working. So: We called tech support. Then John had to start our old WinXP system. That’s always a pain because it is only on 2 or 3 times a year now and services that can, want to update, and those that are no longer supported send warnings. So after a bit of fuss, the computer could deal with the DSL line via an Ethernet Cable. We spent an hour on the phone with a guy in South Carolina, only to find out we could not reset the password connection on the modem, and someone would have to come to our house to troubleshoot it. They put a high priority ranking, but the maintenance person did not call until 4:07. John had gone out to the barn, but I got his attention because the person asked if we could bring the unit to town. So, off he went with only the modem and the power cord. I surely hope that is the problem and they will just replace it, nicely at no cost, but I think they are now charging for modem replacements.

He had gone an hour ago for 3 stops for me because I couldn’t go today or tomorrow. At one stop, he dropped off music at a guitarist’s house who shares with another guitarist in our group, and also left him a box of apples. I usually carry it along with me for them, but I’m not playing tomorrow. Also, John took him and his wife a box of Honeycrisp and Gala apples. On to Bi-Mart to get me some Ricola cough drops. Always reminds John and me of the old singing commercial in the Alps.

Link

That link points to the 2011-2013 version, but we don’t remember the dancing with the stars version as this is, but see at the very end the footage of the fellow in the Alps. Looks as if we are in Leavenworth, WA.

John left there for the Adult Activity Center to return the exercise book I borrowed to scan and to leave another box of apples for the center folks. They love the apples.

It’s a good thing the maintenance person did not call during the 50 minutes he was in town. He did call (as mentioned above), and John drove the modem in, and the fellow (Jake) was able to fix it.

We were thrilled to have our Internet back after being off (about Noon until 6). Maybe the power surge was what we needed to prompt fixing it. I wonder if that modem has been the cause all along of our spotty Internet connection availability. In a month or two of good connection, we’ll celebrate.

Thursday, Oct 20

For Oct 19 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.55. Events: 1 CSR, 5 H, 4 RERA. Time on 9 hrs 3 min with (max= x L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 blip to low 86, ~12 at 88 or below, with avg. 90.9%.

I stayed home today to recuperate, and missed the music gig. I was told seven members of the group provided music to an appreciative crowd.

We received an email early from John’s sister in Ohio. At 11:15 last night, she had gone with a friend (Chris) to the airport to welcome the Cleveland Indians back from Toronto, where her team won the American League Championship Series (ALCS). Growing up, she and John rooted for the Pirates when, in 1960, the team won one of the most storied World Series ever.

Roster: 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates

John remembers many of those names and can’t name a current player on any team.

Peggy sent us detailed instructions of how to get to the photos to see her and a photo of Ryan Merritt.

“The plane landed at midnight. Not a big crowd. But fun. Crowd cheered plane when it landed near the International Exposition (I-X) Center, adjacent to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Then it drove right into a big hanger and all the players came out, got in their cars, and drove off.

They really went so fast and it was dark so was hard to identify them, but we did recognize several.
Someone called for the players to come over so we could take their pictures. Finally, the rookie pitcher who started the game, Ryan Merritt, came over and everyone was taking pictures and selfies with him. I couldn’t get too close and the TV camera light was shining at me so my pictures were not very good. I was behind the man in glasses and suit at left top (of the second picture) so didn’t get a good picture.

If you can go to Fox8.com and see the pictures of the players coming off the plane, there are a few others. In the one of the crowd, I am right in front of the pole with blue jeans and a yellow blouse. My neighbor Chris is beside me wearing an Indians’ t-shirt.”
————————
Nancy back:
I tried but could not find them until Peggy sent us (at my request), explicit directions, which John used to find and download the two best. Peggy also sent the one with her and Chris in it by the telephone pole (left below).
Left-Peggy Hultquist, in yellow blouse and jeans by the light pole, and on the right photo, she is standing behind the guy in a suit on the left – close to the action. She couldn’t get a good picture, but this shows Ryan Merritt well.

Friday, Oct 21

For Oct 20 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.19. Events: 1 H, 0 RERA. Time on 5 hrs 8 min with (max= 15 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 80 (off CPAP), with avg. 90.3%.

I talked with my doctor’s nurse and decided to wait until next Tuesday to get my INR, and we discussed my progress on getting better. It’s looking good.

John has been looking for some time for his “lost” cell phone. This morning he found it under the driver’s seat of my car. Last time he drove that was when we found his car battery dead and had to take mine for him to let me off for music. He previously had looked in my car, but under the passenger’s seat, where he normally sits. What a relief. He found it in time to have it with him on the road to a WTA work party near North Bend, WA tomorrow. Now he has just tied a hunter’s orange-colored tape to the side of the container. Maybe he will be able to keep better track of it.

Well, I went to take my pills, and realized I need to refill for the whole week my little weekly box, starting today. That took awhile and I had to call in refills for two major costly ones.

I worked mostly today proofing Chapter III of the Master’s thesis I’m reviewing. I did one chapter, but sadly, it was only 30 pages, but lots of detailed reading, and critiquing. Unfortunately, too late to take a nap I started feeling worse, with eye and aches, and even my upper teeth left side (above the surgery place) were hurting. John says it’s probably ’cause I’m getting better. That’s after a recent morning comment, “I wonder if you have pneumonia.” Well, I guess I didn’t have a clue, but no fever is a good thing, and not gasping for breath. Tonight it is too early to go to bed, so I’ll keep at it. BP is ok. Took my last pill of 14 today. I’m sure you all do not need a play by play of my sickness, but part of this blog is to answer the questions I’m asked in the future by my doctors. I have an annual physical coming up, and I have been in contact over this recent “cold symptoms” route with my family physician’s nurse, who also is one of the leaders of the Coumadin advice team for INR (regarding dosage and frequency required).

I was ready to go to bed quite early for me, but I stayed up and actually got a little better. I convinced myself I did not have the signs and symptoms of pneumonia that the Mayo Clinic reports may include the following:

Chest pain when you breathe or cough
Confusion or changes in mental awareness (in adults age 65 and older)
Cough, which may produce phlegm
Fatigue
Fever, sweating and shaking chills
Lower than normal body temperature (in adults older than age 65 and people with weak immune systems)
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Shortness of breath

I had the cough that started my episode, but the production of phlegm was from the Musinex DM tablets I started 10/14 every 12 hours.

Saturday, October 22

For Oct 20 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.90. Events: 4 H, 1 RERA. Time on 4 hrs 26 min with (max= 10 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 79 (off CPAP), several below 88 (85s on CPAP), with avg. 89.9%. The oximeter I kept on after awaking in the middle of the night, so it recorded the lower sessions of SpO2 during two 20-minute segments.

John pulled out of here at 6:00 a.m. with temperature 37° to be at the trailhead by 8:00 a.m. They are supposed to have a break in the weather and have a nice workday. I surely hope so. It is a crosscut saw training day – all are sawyers with various amounts of experience, training, and certifications. Except John hasn’t been able to get to a “certification” day and his is expired. On I-90, he passed by an accident (lots of flashing lights) but could not see what was going on – still dark and dozens of red, blue, and white lights.

I stayed in bed and slept until 9:30 a.m.! I am sure I needed it.

Worked on thesis critiquing, feeding cats, and cleaning the kitchen. Thankfully, I’m feeling better than last night.

For lunch, I felt like making a tuna fish salad with cheddar and hard-boiled eggs. Now, that should give me energy to work on the blog before John returns home from the Pratt River Trail work. Also, will continue with other chores, wishing the two female cats would appear for a late lunch.

Here’s a follow-up to the Lori Rome’s contribution last week. After looking at this link below, I commented on her send:
NICE – thanks, Lori Rome, again very much for sharing. I just followed this link, and it makes me want to see what they did for the Mississippi River also applied to all the rivers that empty into the Columbia. I like the flow orientation maps as well. I’ll add this link to my blog this week as a follow-up to the story on you last week.

Flow to this Link

Finally, near the end of my day, is one of our resident deer enjoying apples with bad spots. Later the two little ones (twin fawns) appeared, too late for a photo. Mama has a dark patch on the left side of her face. That’s her in the picture below.
John made it at dusk, in time to feed the horses with available light.

Supposedly, he has some good photos forthcoming from a person on the trip, so we await morning in hope they will make it to us. It is a video of how cutting an uprooted tree can allow it to return to standing, on the base of the old root ball. You WILL get to see that below, along with comments of John’s day on the trail.

Let’s start with Joe Hofbeck’s note to the crew that came this morning (actually at 12:45 a.m.). Joe was the blue hat (crew leader) today:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“So… is single bucking the way that God intended logs to be bucked? I suppose we still don’t have a consensus on that one. But ya gotta admit, single bucking sure gives you feed back on your sawing technique.

It was a great day and I think everybody learned something. I was reflecting on the huge root wad that JB’s crew cut. A few years ago, we would have never attempted something like that. Surprising how far training and practice has raised our skill levels.

So now, you my acolytes can go forward and stamp out butt sitting / arm sawing.

Thanks for being out there and being safe. Joe”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Go here for pics and JB Robinson’s video of the grand root wad tip up:

Joe’s Dropbox page

=====================================
If you go to the link above, you will find many trips Joe Hofbeck has been to in recent years. (I don’t know the timing, but today’s trip is listed under PrattC.) You can get to JB’s video below, or via Joe. The second photo is from the past, not taken today. The next to the last is a beautiful shot of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River on their hike out on the Pratt River Connector trail. This is about 30 miles east of Seattle.

Please follow the link to the video (or check below for an update to one under my control). You will not be disappointed. It is very much worth a watch for 43 seconds of educational entertainment few people get to experience.

Since I wrote this, JB Robinson sent me the video with permission to publish it here, and there is a link below you don’t have to go through all the dropbox things…but that is the public version (above in dropbox) to see many wonderful photos of work in the woods:

Saw Sings -Hemlock Stands up

Now I can share the photo before and after of the videoed tree:
Steve, the cross-cut sawyer, before left, & after the fall returns the stump up to standing with the root ball below.

I’m going to let John react to a few photos below, starting with the first clearing shot of the day and ending with a photo of the entire crew.
Two trees and 2 teams of 3 each. At the start, the crews had to clear brush to get access to the trees and to make the work site safe. They remove limbs so afterward the cut pieces can be rolled, and there won’t be anything to snag an arm or leg. Two other teams are not seen here.

Next is just a cool picture I wanted to include:
John is on the tree, Rick beside him and their leader is Claire, 2nd from right. The other three are the crew in the background of the first photo. When the sawing is done, the handle(s) are removed and a protective guard is put over the sharp parts.

Finally, a parting shot of the entire crosscut sawyer team (+1) who worked the trail today:
On the left with the red shirt is the +1, next to Claire. That is Bud Silliman, our saw sharpener and handles guy. The weather was nice so he came out to see if the teams were handling the saws with proper respect. If he doesn’t do his sharpening well, the sawyers struggle, and the saws don’t sing.

Sunday, Oct 23

For Oct 22 CPAP. Reported figures. AHI= 0.13. Events: 1 H, 1 PP, 2 RERA. Time on 7 hrs 46 min with (max= 13 L/min). Oximetry: SpO2 one blip to low 84, a few below 88 with avg. 90.5 %, all night on CPAP.

This morning marks the arrival of the photos of John’s trip yesterday to complete this week’s blog.

Neat for lunch John made a tuna melt sandwich for each of us with the remainder of the salad I made yesterday.

Hope your week was fine.

Nancy and John
Still on the Naneum Fan