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Archive for August, 2007

And Another Dr Visit

September 1st, 2007 at 05:44 am

Called the DR this AM and yes, wonder of wonders, the faxed referral for mom to see the specialist had actually come through.......

So, off to Seattle we headed to have her nose checked out by the DR that came to the ER this week. She is breathing better now, but we have another routine of stuff to do for her nose, so a stop by the grocery store to restock the kitchen and a quick run through the pharmacy.......not even sure how many dollars that was, but we figure we're set for the week end now.

Came home to find moms twin sitting in our driveway....she was due to come late this evening, but she was here by noon something. She just had eye surgery and has fallen and fractured her wrist.

Getting the idea my weekend is filling up by the minute here?? Smile

Just as we were getting everyone settled, my week end young man was dropped off. Now all 3 rings of the circus are full here! He is pretty taken with the twins, and loves to just look at them. Hopefully they won't get to creeped out as he can get to be a bit much when you're feeling great.....not to mention when these two are feeling a little less than chipper!

We've got 2 weeks now before mom needs to go in for a nose check up......and Tues I'm taking the twins for matching glasses frames. Hopefully I will have time to pick a new pair out for me too. (can't forget one of my goals for 07 was to do things for me!!!) My young man will be back home by then, so it should be easy enough.

I'm tired and getting a touch cranky. If someone asks me what I did on the holiday week end..... I'm not going to be responsible! Smile

Moms Health Insurance: The Saga Continues

August 31st, 2007 at 08:00 am

Day 2 of this new journey into health care madness.

Discovered we truly HAD to go see the primary DR listed on moms card, there was no other way to get the referral to go back to the nose specialist on Friday. What a backwards system to have the more expensive method of accomplishing this be the only way to go....so, off we went today.

I did put my foot down.......or my pen to be specific. They asked us to fill out the reams of paperwork as we were a NEW patient. I put moms name on it, she signed it and I told them we couldn't remember any of the other answers. They left me alone. (I'm presuming I looked ticked from the moment I arrived!)

To the DR's credit, all he did was take moms blood presure & tell us he would fax the referral in prior to our Friday appt. Crossing fingers he does just that! Will call in the AM to be sure.

By the time I got the car, mom was pooped........we headed straight home and she went back to bed. Again, what a dumb system to make her do this for what could have been an OK over the phone, FAX or a letter to the insurance co.

Mom's doing OK, but has spent the day having sneezing bouts. Not good when your nose is packed full of what amounts to a teensy sponge. Hoping she looks OK to the DR tomorrow and they return her nose to normal.

I have 2 more medical appointments to go with mom in this coming week.....me, around doctors and nurses. I've had a life long thing with the medical profession in general. I worked in the health care field for a couple decades, and then had to again deal with so many appointment with all my special needs kids.........very few experiences could be classified as positive. I can almost see my mom hoping I keep my mouth shut when we go into these appointments. Smile I have been appropriate, she didn't have to give me 'the look' that all parents seem to know how to do. But, this week is trying my patience to the max!

Nephew person came over this evening (he is also the realtor for anything we are going to be doing) and we talked beach houses again. Waiting for moms nose situation to be cleared up, as well as the last of the Dr appointments off the calendar........then we're heading to another house on the penninsula.

My son also stopped in today, interesting to see him enjoying an actual job these days. He's getting paid very well it seems, however he has made some very bad choices in his young life and owes some pretty big money before any of this can be considered his money.....

No spending today.....other than the stupid DR appt, it was a quiet day; a little gardening, lots of knitting and plenty of time visiting.

Beyond Frustrating

August 30th, 2007 at 12:22 am

I'm past my tantrum now, but this morning it took all my self control to not scream into the phone!

I was attempting to follow the discharge directions from the ER re; moms fall yesterday. Thought it shouldn't prove to be beyond my capabilities.....HA! Was I ever wrong.

First, called the specialist, whom she needs to get into on Friday. (this being Wed, it didn't seem impossible) Well, not so quick..... We could get an appointment, but it needed to have a referral from her primary care DR.

OK, a quick call to the primary people & speak to the referral dept. (who knew they had an entire dept to deal with just the referrals?) At this point, the logic of any conversation began to seep away fairly quickly....

The insurance co. had made an error on the last membership card, giving mom a brand new primary care DR. We had noticed it last week and called for a new corrected card. (was that ever a mistake...) New card won't be effective until Sept. 1st! (started tearing my hair out about this point)

So, the upshot of the deal is we need to go register as a new patient of the mistakenly listed DR, have an appointment and he will give us the referral.

Insurance co. would be willing to revoke our change of Dr's but that wouldn't help, it would still leave us with the brand new guy. No one seems to know where the difficulty began & I couldn't uncover a trail that led to the switch in the first place.

With almost no patience left, I gave up. I feel so sorry for anyone having to wade through this health care mess. I've just had no experience with this at all until I began working on moms medical with/for her. It is worse than the condition or accident I believe!

We are headed to the brand new Dr. tomorrow morning for a full fledged appointment with someone she has never met and will never see again. Being nice enough just until we get said referral in hand........we're out of there!! Then, we wait til Friday when we have to trek all the way downtown to Seattle (me who doesn't DO Seattle!) for the nose specialist appointment. With luck it will also be a one time deal & she will be on the road to good as new!

Note to self: I will be certain to double check all of the insurance cards coming in.....making sure the DR is the correct one.
Also plan to get all moms meds on a mail order situation, saving as much as possible on each prescription. I just found out there is a 'window' each year, if her total meds go over the line and until they reach the top line, she pays 100% of the costs. This is just so blinking complicated, it is hard for me to follow all the rules, no wonder she had difficulty and was just shoving the paperwork in a closet here!

Hoping for a better day tomorrow!

Lights, Sirens & half day at the ER

August 29th, 2007 at 06:08 am

It's all the chihauhaus' fault. At least that is moms story. She fell today, landing on her nose she says..... all because she picked up the dog and was going to set him on the sheepskin dog bed. (which the dog has so far refused to lay on)

After a couple minutes here, we decided together to call 911 for a professional opinion re; the major nosebleed mom had. Nothing else seemed amis.

Well, 7 hours later, we drove home, via the pharmacy.......after a stay in the ER. Nothing broken, just a small tear on the inside of her nose from smashing it into the floor. (the dogs fine! )

Through all this, both of us were just a tad concerned about the health insurance snafuu ongoing here. We did get it figured out, but while scheduling her regular Dr appointment this AM (before the acrobatics) mom discovered the health ins. card had a different DR listed. We called, and no, she couldn't use that card. Wait to schedule appointments until new card........not more than and hour later we were at the ER. So, the insurance bit is sure to be more complicated than necessary. She does have a supplementary plan, but I'll bet we're working on the paperwork long after her nose has healed up.

I had lots of knitting time, we learned lots about noses.......and after sitting in the ER, were very grateful we weren't dealing with some of the other crisis we saw playing out there.

Since this is moms 2nd fall since I moved in.......I will be watching her closely!

Mom promises not to pick up the dog....ever!

Hair Cut Coupon & Other Stuff

August 28th, 2007 at 06:34 pm

Mom had found a coupon for a local salon....same one I used last month and received a $5.00 gift card for a return visit. Since the coupon expired this week, I stopped off for a routine haircut yesterday. $7.99 instead of $15.00......works for me. The woman cut it almost as short as I've ever had it...almost no hair left! The flip side of cuts this short is I can go almost 2 months without having to return. Then, I'll use my gift card.

Moms raised garden bed is almost finished. The basic box is constructed and attached to the ground. All we're waiting for are the benches now. What a nice addition to the yard this will be. Good thing we wern't planning to use it this season, as it might just get done before the snow flies. Since it's a barter situation, I'm not going to push this gentleman, he has given me more than I was ever thinking of in the first place. We will spend the winter filling it half way with garden trimmings, leaves, and a bag of lime to keep things sweet. I've got a tarp ready to cover the "mix" with for the winter, all we need to do is plan out the spring plantings!

Sold another book from my dads collection. This is getting to be a regular deal here. I've listed a few more books this morning with cases and cases still to go. Anything that isn't worth selling goes to freecycle and the odd books I believe are really worth something are here in my room waiting for me to figure out how to market them.

Talked to downstairs tenant from house #1 yesterday, they too want to be out of the house in approx 6 months. So, it is time to market the place, either for sale or for lease again. At least this time it is in great shape. These people finished things I had been living with for decades. (2nd kitchen installed is the biggie) First thing on the agenda is to get the 6 month lease deal written up and signed all round. Then, will start to figure out what to do with the place.

Did make reservations for the 1031 seminar for next week. I've done one, but certainly don't understand all the details. Hoping to get much smarter after attending this event!

Off to work on moms income tax stuff again. Small celebration in order here.......we're almost done gathering details for the 2005 taxes here! Huge promise to self: 2007 will be totally different~ Smile

Back From a Quick Trip

August 26th, 2007 at 09:02 pm

Made an impromptu trip to the Olympic Penninsula this past week, getting home late yesterday. What a beautiful state this is....and we had glorious weather too.

Several reasons for the trip; first was a visit & check in with my moms twin. She had a fall last week and has a teensy fracture in her wrist, so we wanted to see how she was doing. She is the one dealing with her long time SO being terminally ill with lung cancer. Gave her a couple days of some different things to do, see & talk about to take her mind off all the changes that will be upcoming in her life.

Mom had a beach house to go see over there too, so we all went (2 different days) to see this place. What a place! The road to get to it is a bit of a trial.....reminded me of a road I drove in Hawaii once. Getting down to the water level is not always easy. But, once there, this was the view and mom absolutely loved it.



The house is pretty good, we could make it work. We would have to do some real work to get it to a 3BR if my aunt is going to throw her hat in with us.



After reading the paper this AM however, mom is really backing off the idea, as the headlines are all about no jumbo loan monies, etc. We wouldn't have difficulty IF we could each manage to find a buyer for something we would be selling. That would be the question. I also think we could get the property in question down quite a bit, it is overpriced according to the area comps and she hasn't had a nibble according to the realtor.

Returned to find another book of dads ordered........so it's packed & ready to go to the post office in the AM. Mom is getting a kick out of turning his collection into cash I think, as she is planning on joining me here at the PC to enter the next 5 cases of books I have sitting on the floor.

Off to play catch up around here....gardening to do, weeding, deadheading and harvesting. Much of my to do list requires waiting til tomorrow morning when offices are open. Also received an email from tenants, one couple wants to move, leaving one couple only wanting to pay their share, which doesn't cover the mortgage. If I won't go for that, they both will need to move after 6 months. Need to contact couple #2 to see if that is truly their wishes, not just hear say.

Maybe it truly is time to put that big place on the market, hope for the best and move to the beach?

Three Book Sale Day

August 22nd, 2007 at 12:13 am

We sold 3 of dads books in one day! I've never done that before, however I've never had this many listed at once either. Apparently there are others who are interested in obscure history as well as math books from the 40's.

The freecycle birdhouses are a hit. I picked them up today and already have one in a tree here.

Did spend some money on the way home.......the local craft store had all their yarn on sale. Prices lower than I could get on line, so I picked up enough for a new afghan for moms living room here......and enough extra to use for my knitting/crochet classes this fall. So, truly, I'll get reimbursed for the yarn and the afghan will be free I believe.

Did get my address changed & the mail forwarded. Left a message for tenant with the post dated check. Working with former room mate person to get her name on the utilities from the old house.....that is harder than it needs to be. We both need to go in person with ID to get this accomplished. Gads.

Not feeling like I'm making much progress on this paperwork issue.

Did get a baby step in on moms tax stuff. Called the tax man....got some more specifics as to what he needed & then left another voice mail with the woman who holds the magic answers re; some property mom sold last year. (she just sold it, didn't file taxes, so all the capitol gains haven't been paid)

Called the electrician who is supposed to be working on the rental. He promises to get the job done by this coming week end. Scheduled him to come disconnect a heater in moms house......it won't turn off. (baseboard) Just runs on hot all the time. Guess which room?? My bathroom! Hotter than it needs to be in there, to say nothing of using power all the time.

Picked 6 cucumbers from the garden this AM, they are so good when they are this fresh. Hoping mom gets into cooking mode pretty soon with a couple of them. She makes a molded cucumber salad that I absolutely love.....slivered almonds in it....& cottage cheese. Very savory type salad and for some reason I've never made it myself. I laid all the cucumbers on the counter this AM....if she doesn't get the hint I'll have to dig out the recipe & add it to the pile!

Off to list more books!




Beach houses & Bird Houses

August 21st, 2007 at 05:27 am

Figure out that title will you?? Smile

We spent the day looking at beach houses, on an island near us here in WA. Yukky rainy day, so it wasn't terrific, but we got to see the homes in normal condition! Did lunch out, and roamed around the little island. Very fun. I can see myself living there (one of the houses is almost perfect), no problem. Mom, I don't think so. She is just too tied to this house she is in. So, I'm not thinking a move is in the future. Hopefully, I'm dead wrong.

Came home to a voice mail from a freecycle pal......he has 2 bird houses in answer to my Wanted post yesterday. I have been trying to add things to moms backyard, since it was pretty much a blank slate. These bird houses sound oh, so frugal. Made from wood and recycled coffee cans! Can't wait to see them, they sound just funky enough to fit right in here!

So, it was houses of a grand sort.......down to a house made from an old can.

Did get an email from foster dtr today....finally getting some info re; their finance difficulties. I had heard from a friend that there was trouble & I so hoped it was not true. I guess it is. My gal is trying hard to pull them out of the situation she says her husband got them into...... Working several jobs, doing all sorts of things to earn extra......hopefully, it will be enough. Not sure what is worse, wondering if what I heard was true, or finding out they really are having a tough time?

Since I've decided this move to moms is a permanent situation, I began working on the paperwork that needs to be changed or transferred. Thought the auto insurance would be an easy beginning. Not so. Thought I could just add a vehicle onto moms policy, can't do that with State Farm they said. Plus, this would make my insurance almost 4X the cost it is now. Yikes. Tomorrow, I'll call my company & see about doing just a change of address, dropping room mate person from policy and only having a single vehicle. Will be interesting to see the comparison then. Showed mom how much she is paying for insurance, she isn't interested in making a change, they have been with the same company since 36 I think she said. Gads.

Received a rent check from a tenant (who was behind in rent anyway) and it is dated for October! Hopefully, it was a mistake, as the date was right, just the month and date were transposed on the check. But, need to call & get one reissued. Bother. I'm failing at Landlord 101......over & over.

The First Tomato

August 19th, 2007 at 03:05 am

We harvested the first tomato and had it on a salad for dinner this evening.
Is there anything that tastes as different fresh than its' counterpart from a grocery store??

What is it exactly? Most likely the time from picking to plate. Let's see......about 5 minutes here! With lettuce & cucumbers from the garden, topped with this almost sun warmed tomato.....and drizzled with homemade blue cheese dressing. A taste treat for sure.

Watered the flower/veggie beds even tho there are reports of rain. (I don't believe them!) Watering is important even if it is raining; as the summer rains often aren't enough to get to the roots of the plants.

Have a kettle of fresh applesauce simmering on the stove too......from the tree at the edge of the patio. Applesauce always signals fall to me; although I haven't noticed other signs of the season changing.

Gave all the container gardens a shot of fish fertilizer....hoping for another month of flowers; especially from the begonias.

Used the new hedge trimmer again, but now I've got a different problem. No where to put the trimmings. Our yard waste container is full (with 2 piles in waiting too) and pick up isn't until Wed. Can't believe we only get pick up for this 2X a month.

I've decided this waste bit is one of my biggest difficulties in getting used to city gardening. Where to put it all?? On the positive side, I'm really enjoying having a finite space to work with. Having acreage for a yard, I never knew where & when to quit. This way, I've got some pretty definate limits as to where I can garden!

No Money Fun Sort of Day

August 18th, 2007 at 05:28 am

Over the years, with all the kids at my group home........we were used to finding No Money Fun activities. New kids expected to have a budget (or worse, no budget limits) & it was a bit of a shock to them how we spent our spare time. They soon learned we weren't a household that spent without thinking and planning......and then the No Money Fun sorts of events often won out.

Much research went on all the time, with all the kids adding possibilities to the No Money Fun list.

Tonight we did one of the favorites of all time.....just headed to the beach. This is a shot looking west from the little town I grew up in.



The sun was going down, there are ferries to watch, trains coming by regularly and lots of divers at the underwater park. My young man actually seemed like he was having fun.

Mom & I loved the evening. Great weather, no time limit; it was perfect.

Gardened a bit early this AM. I'm keeping up with the watering and the deadheading. No weeds yet to speak of, thanks to the heavy layers of compost all over the place. Gave the lawn a feeding, as it is struggling to grow in all sand. Can't wait for the compost load next spring, I'm going to figure out a way to sift a layer of compost over the entire lawn. No way I'm going to spend time on it again next year like I've had to do this summer.

A great day........

Are You a Mustard Lover??

August 16th, 2007 at 11:24 pm

Some people are into mustards, some aren't. I can tell the older I get, the more I enjoy mustards. Must have something to do with taste buds. I've never been into ketchup, maybe due to all the kids and seeing it used as a food group sometimes!

I'm going to be in mustard heaven since my box of 3 new mustards from Grey Poupon arrived today. Can't wait to start experimenting with them in some of my recipes.



Tonights meal is homemade pot stickers & rice, so mustard probably isn't going to make an appearance til tomorrow. My favorite recipe comes from one of my first kids. Round steak slathered with mustard, then lay in a spear of dill pickle.....roll up and wrap with a strip of bacon. Brown, then simmer for 3 hours. Tastes oh so good!

Since moms kitchen didn't have any mustards, these are a welcome addition!

Another Craigs' List Connection Comes Through

August 15th, 2007 at 03:39 am

As I write, there are sounds of drills, saws and lumber being manipulated into the greatest raised garden bed I could have ever imagined. (my version was sort of stacking the largest timbers out back, and hoping I could pound something into the ground on the outside to keep them from coming apart)

My latest Craigs list friend has designed the planter and is starting the assembly of it this evening. In exchange, he is taking lumber from the many stacks out back to construct a small tool shed at his place, just 10 minutes away.

I have had so many more success stories from Craigs list connections, in fact....I can't really think of any negatives. What a great resource!

The frosting on the cake this evening is when this young man began telling my mom about a tradition/ceremony.....not sure what the word was he used, but it was about this week, in Japan. Spirits of ancestors visit I think?? He is difficult for me to understand, because my Japanese is ZERO. Anyway, I think the deal is he is thrilled to be using my dads wood, especially this week.....and to be making something for my mom with dads supplies. Apparently very good for family he says. I don't get the details, but I'm not questioning it! Smile

I do know it feels great to be using some of what my dad spent decades salvaging. The alternative would be to just junk everything if/when the property is sold. That would make me way too sad.......so we're going to continue with my new friend Shin and see how much of this lumber he can use.

On other fronts here.......I did get my walk in today; around Greenlake. What a great day to be outdoors! Stopped on the way home to get gas (using moms car for most of my errands these days, so gas is a different deal for a mazda compared to my van!), and picked up a spreader for the lawn here. I've not done city type lawn care for years; leaving the lawn to the chickens, goat and the occasional equine escapee. There are sacks and sacks of product in the garage for the lawn, but no spreader.......so now I'm in business. Going to discourage some bugs first, then see if I can make a trade and get the moss out and let some real grass grow.

Each task here is connected to a couple others.......if I get the lawn stuff out of the garage, there will be room to move the freezer up from the basement so mom can get to it herself. It will be easier to unload from the car too. If I can get the freezer out of the basement, I will be a bit closer to clearing out a space to start painting the walls and getting a sheetrock ceiling installed. Way too many jobs to think about. Will go back to just tackling one at a time!

Gardening Updates

August 13th, 2007 at 09:54 pm

I've got to take a break from the constant gardening chores here. Not much weeding to be done due to the heavy layer of compost spread everywhere.

Deadheading takes a few minutes in each garden bed; picking off the old spent blooms keeps the plant in top shape and it will usually kick out more blossoms this way.

Regular watering.......but not as much as mom has been used to. Again, because of the heavy layer of compost; holds the moisture longer.

Then there is the harvesting bit. Broccoli; more than we can use by ourselves. Need to come up with someone who would like a bunch & soon! Apples from 5 trees. Zuchinni coming at the rate of one a day right now. (so far keeping up with them) And, the first cucumber picked and ready to use for tonights dinner. The rhubarb is up to date; just chopped it and tossed it in the freezer for later use. So much all at the same time....wouldn't it be great for this to last longer??

And, lastly.........I took out the new hedge trimmer again and attacked the front of another 40 year old shrub by the house. Gutsy enough to do one right out in the open where people can see I don't know what I'm doing yet! So far, not too bad. Have no idea how to trim the back side of it, as it is right next to a window well into the basement. Just an accident waiting for me I fear! Smile The ground is only sand so there isn't much in the way of solid ground either. The sand has been sifting out through the rockery for 40 years, leaving some areas that look like ground, but are just full of empty spaces underground. Yep, another accident just waiting for me.

So, the shrub by the house has a bit of a reprieve while I dream up how to balance myself in exactly no space & trim this guy back to what could be called 'shrub size'.

Our 99 cent Dinner

August 13th, 2007 at 05:42 am

Yes, we did manage to go out to dinner for 99 cents. Sort of. Of course, it meant I had to go inside a casino! Totally out of my comfort zone here....

Took mom & her twin to a tribal casino for a late lunch/early dinner & we all used the 99 cent menu. Totally yummy was the review all round! I had salmon fish & chips and a strawberry shortcake for dessert; had to be the best one I've had .....ever.

After our meal, the twins spent time (and money) playing games while I sat & waited. (should have brought my knitting) A fun day & budget minded at least on my part. Never have been a gambler & today was the first time my mom hasn't actually shoved a ticket at me and told me to Spend It!.

We tried like everything to watch a DVD from the retirement community we are all pondering. Can't get the machine to go. Not sure what the problem is, I'm used to my set up with the DVD in the TV and it's just a one button deal. This one is a bit older & no matter what combo I tried, nothing. Because of moms moves lately, no book could be located either.......and by then, we didn't care if we saw the advertising blurb. We're just going to go & see it for ourselves.

I've been babying my knee, somehow I've tweaked it about a week ago & it has HURT. Tonight is the first night I think I'll be able to sleep without it waking me up. Just in time for a walk around Greenlake this week. Meeting a friend for a visit & a walk & was hoping I didn't have to limp all the way around! Will give it a go tomorrow & take a practice walk!

How Can I Be This Busy & Be Retired??

August 8th, 2007 at 01:22 am

I don't seem to have any true spare time these days. Moving to moms has saved the driving time between places (except for once every 2 weeks when I head to the old house)........but the rest of life seems to have gone into overdrive.

Maybe it's summer that makes it feel like that to me? Trying to keep up with the harvest from 2 veggie gardens perhaps?

Maybe it's how far behind moms place had fallen........Everything needs work here.

A battery powered hedge trimmer arrived yesterday & I got a pretty good workout today while taming the evergreen shrubs in the front yard. Very helpful tool; saved lots of time and for the first time out, the bushes look WAY better than before. I was worried I might butcher them, but I'm ready to take on the row of bushes along the driveway now.

Forced myself to the sewing room and finished another of the tops for my barter customer. Hoping to get to the last couple items tomorrow and arrange a fitting on Thurs. It will feel great to have this commitment completed.

Completed a Pinecone survey today, first one in a long time for me. It sounded like it was a product testing event too, so perhaps there will be some fun mail soon.

And, a book of my dads sold today. A pristine condition math book of all things. Hopefully, the rest will start moving soon & I'll be making a path to the post office! I didn't list anything that wasn't going to be worth the time & gas, so most sales will be over $25.00 and there are a couple that are in the 80-100 dollar range. Who knew dads books were more than just 'dads books'?? Because of his addiction to books, I can hardly buy a book. I need to really, really need it before I'll buy it to keep. Would much rather get it on loan from the library.

And, finally..........the Tax Update. We have got moms 2004 taxes done, both for the trust and for her. I've rounded up most of the paperwork for 2005 now, just waiting for a few things to come in the mail & we'll be ready to turn all that in. 2006 is close to being ready and heck, we'll even be in time since she has had an extension on this year for some reason. In the process of looking for all the right papers & numbers I've been re vamping her filing system. 2007 taxes should be a walk in the park come January. (no extensions either!!)

Checking In

August 3rd, 2007 at 04:38 am

Can't even say I've been crazy busy here at moms........not sure what the deal is. Perhaps it is the slower pace, with very little of interest going on??

Spending time reading up on the 2 health care plans for mom, we need to make a decision asap, as she has meds to buy and wants to get her eyeglasses updated. I know which way I'd go, but still operating in the mode that lets her choose.

We are now eating veggies & salads out of the garden here at moms. I still bring produce from the garden at the old place, so often times dinner consists of 3 veggies and a salad. Love dinners like that!

Mom just had to run through Costco again today (think this is twice in 7 days), can't even remember why she had to go. It's her money, so all I do is drive and unload groceries. I am drawing the line at her purchasing things I can make better from scratch. Have no idea when she got so lazy! This weeks addition is homemade salad dressings from now on. Just couldn't see putting bottled dressings on a salad we picked!

Listed a couple hundred books of my dads onto Amazon.com. Gave away at least that many on freecycle this week too. The progress on the book situation is such that you can't even notice any difference. Very depressing.
Now, I'm just hoping there are people out there wanting some of these obscure books of dads. I just wish I was interested in some of them, but most are horrid accounts of wars of some kind. Not my kind of read.

It's been too hot to walk here.....hoping the cool down this evening holds out and I can get back outside tomorrow morning & get to moving. Miss my walking & am still searching for a local walking partner. I do so much better with someone to meet. My current person can only walk 20-30 minutes & I'm needing an hour at least. Will keep searching and walking alone when I can muster the enthusiasm.

After months of not hearing from a Bzz campaign, I got accepted for one today. Details after I get my kit in the mail.