Friday's Field Trip

This morning started out pretty normal, breakfast, read the paper and then the mail, but that is where it stopped being normal. About 0930 I went upstairs to check with Kathleen to see what time she planned on leaving for Alyssa and Dan's as we were going to watch Hayden because Alyssa was going on a field trip with Natalie's class and taking Zander and Dan had a business meeting with a new client in Sandy.

While I waited for her to get dressed and come downstairs, I vacuumed the downstairs carpeting, as it had not been done since Monday and was starting to show little white specks, not like when we had Reggie, but annoying just the same.

Anyway, she came downstairs about 1015 and we did not get out of the house until about 1030 and arrived at Alyssa's about 1100. Dan was talking with his Uncle Bill and left about fifteen minutes after we got there.

We played with Hayden for a while and before we knew it, it was about noon and time to put him down for a nap. Kathleen changed his diaper and put him down. While she was doing that, I swept and mopped her kitchen floor, I think the pool party Wednesday had taken its toll on the floor.

When Kathleen came back down, she worked on clearing the sink from the dishes and I watered a couple of her plants that I think only get watered when I think about it. While I was in the family room, I noticed that the floor could probably use a quick vacuuming, so I started to pick up some of the loose things lying around and started to vacuum.

All of a sudden the vacuum stopped running, I thought that it probably needed to have the bag changed, so I opened up the compartment that houses the bag and I was right. I looked for clean bags, but did not find any, so I decided that I would just empty the old one, not the best practice, but in a pinch it works.

So took it out to the garbage can and then I pulled out the stuff from the bag and put it into a plastic bag and then went back and put the bag back on. Then when I turned the switch on but nothing happened. I checked out the hose and it was plugged up as well, so I dug out the stuff from the hose, but it still would not start.

Next I went down to the circuit breaker box and checked the breakers and they were all okay, so I figured that there was a reset button on the vacuum someplace or it would shut off for a time and then work again.

I did not find a switch, so I just left it sit for a while and then decided to clean up and go outside for a while. I was going to sit out by the pool, which I did for a while, but I saw a lot of things that needed picking up, so I had Kathleen bring out a couple bags and I picked up the trash and tried to get the assorted socks and shoes in close proximity to one another.

Alyssa returned with the two older children about 1430 and Hayden woke up from his nap about the same time. When Alyssa came in a told her about the vacuum and she found the reset button and I was able to finish vacuuming the family room.

It was time for us to get going, so we left about 1500 just as Dan came home. By the time we got back home I was really feeling tired, so I sat down in my easy chair and took a nap. I had not planned to take a nap, but I guess that I was more tired than I thought that I was.

Kathleen was tired as well so when she came downstairs about 1845, I said that I would fix myself a Boca burger if she wanted to finish off her leftovers from her field trip on Tuesday with Linda, Karis and Toni, so she did. She also cooked up a sweet potato and sliced it up.

So I had the Boca burger, a few sweet potato slices and a couple dill pickles for dinner. Probably not the type of meal that most people would consider eating, but I was too tired to think of anything else. Well, I am really worn out tonight, so I think that I will just say good night.

Tremendious Thursday

I had pretty good nights sleep last night, so after breakfast and reading the paper and the mail, I loaded up the dishwasher and turned it on. Then I decided that I would go for a walk, since I had not done that in over a week.

I took a couple of walks while we were at the beach, but nothing very long, so today I decided to try it again. I just started out walking and when I got to a point where I could have turned and gone home, I decided to keep walking.

As it turned out I walked three miles and only had a little problem with my hip joint. My feet were plenty sore as I forgot when I took off that I had on my Birkenstock's and not my walking shoes. The did not feel too bad while I was walking, but about a half hour after I finished up, they let me know that they were not happy!

Kathleen had still not come downstairs yet, and the dishes were done, so I emptied the dishwasher. Kathleen finally came downstairs and we both went outside and sat out in the sun for a while.

I could only sit for a while and then I had to pull some weeds and do some pruning of the roses. When I took the rose trimming out to the yard debris, I noticed some low hanging dead branches on one of the walnut trees, so I cut them as well.

I was getting hungry and it was about 1400, so I decided that I would go inside, clean up and make my self a salad. I have gotten so that I really enjoy having a salad for lunch. It really gives me something to chew on and does a good job of filling me up without a lot of calories.

After eating, I sat down for a while and then went back outside and pulled a few more weeds. It was getting pretty warm again, so I decided that it would be better if I went back inside where it was nice and cool.

About 1830 I called up to Kathleen to find out what was for dinner, and she came down a little while later and made some shrimp stir fry and mixed in the rest of the left-over wild rice. The when that was all done, she cut up a mango to top it off, and boy was that ever good.

Well, that is about it for today, so I will say good night for now.

Whew What a Wednesday

Well, today was in the 90's and it is supposed to stay rather warm the rest of the week. This morning after breakfast and reading the paper, Toni called from work and said that she was not feeling well. So Kathleen took off around 0930 to take her some Gas-X, Pepcid AC Plus and some liquid simethicone to see if it would help with her stomach problems.

While she was gone I decided that I would do a couple loads of laundry, so I wash, dried, folded and put away a load of dark clothes and a load of light clothes.

I was thinking that she would be gone an hour or two, so I did not plan on doing too much, and I needed to stay home as Linda and Karis were stopping by before they went back up to Tacoma to drop some things off.

So I went outside and weeded for a while. They came and I gave Linda an old pair of sunglasses so that she could drive without squinting. Then I went back to weeding. I finally went into the house, not because I was done or overly tired, but just because it was hot out and I did not want to get too hot.

After a while in the house I decided to make myself a strawberry smoothie for lunch. As I was sipping the smoothie, I read a couple magazines and a catalog that had come in the mail. After a while I went back outside and weeded in the shade for a while.

I finally decided that I had better go inside as even in the shade it was hot. It got to be about 1600 and we had told Alyssa that we probably would be coming over to take advantage of her offer to go swimming and have a barbecue. So I called her and after many rings I got the answering machine, so I left a message that we probably would not be coming.

During the message I could here an incoming call, so I quickly hung up and answered the phone, it was Dan, so I gave him the message again that we would probably not make it tonight.

Kathleen finally got home about 1630 and was too tired to think about going. So she sat down on the couch and read her mail and then went upstairs. About 1915, I went upstairs to see when she had planned to do dinner. She came down about fifteen minutes later and heated up some of her left-over meals from yesterday and cooked a skinless chicken breast for me with wild rice and sliced up a mango.

Well, that is abut it from here for today, so I guess a good night is in order.

Temperate Tuesday

Well this morning after breakfast and reading the paper, I went to Becca's pre-school program. Kathleen, Linda and Karis went up to the mountain and I am not sure where else today. I got there a little early as there were some other things that I needed to drop off. The program was about forty-five minutes long and the children did a really good job.

Alexis sat on my lap for a while off and on; she got a little restless as the program went on. Afterwards they served up juice and cookies, but I passed on them. I took off after a while and took some clippers back to Target that I had gotten the other day and broke.

After coming home I changed clothes and mowed the front lawn. Not wanting to wear myself out, I stopped after doing the front lawn and went into the house to rest a while. It was also getting pretty warm out, mid 80's, and I did not want to get too hot.

I also took the time to make myself a salad for lunch, so after letting that digest for a few minutes, I went back outside and mowed the back lawn. After finishing the mowing, I dead-headed some of the roses that were pretty spent.

The hot dry weather does not do much for the life of the flowers after they have been out for a few days they get really wilty. I also pulled a few weeds and then decided to go back in the house and rest some more.

I do not feel too bad tonight, I did not do all that much, but I also tried to pace myself a little better than I had been. I sat down and watched the news and then about 1830, I decided that I would make myself some dinner, as Kathleen had not returned yet.

I made myself a Boca burger and reheated up some of the wild rice that was left-over from the other night. Kathleen called while I was eating, there was so much static that I could not understand what she was saying very well. So Toni called and her call was much clearer, I guess that they were going to get something to eat and wanted to know if I wanted them to bring anything back for me.

Since I was in the middle of eating, I declined. I think that my Boca burger and wild rice was probably a little healthier than just about anything that they could have brought home.

Well, that was my day, dull as it was. Tomorrow it is suppose to be in the 90's, so I probably will not be getting a lot done outside. Alyssa has invited everyone over for a swim tomorrow, but I am not sure what Kathleen has lined up, so I will have to wait until she gets home to find out. I think that I will just call it a day and say good night.

Memorial Day Monday

This morning after breakfast and reading the paper, we went to Winco to pick up some groceries for ourselves and also some hot dogs and hamburgers with their perspective buns and a watermelon and some strawberries and pound cake to take over for the celebration.

Shortly after we got back Kathleen's brother's ex wife and their oldest daughter came by and then after a quick visit we all went to Alyssa and Dan's for Memorial Day where all the grandchildren and their parents were there. Toni and Chucky got there later on as Toni had to work today, but we stayed there until a little after 2200.

The grandchildren all took turns jumping on papa and then asking him to cut them some more water melon. I think it will make for interesting diapers for the little ones and the older ones should not have any problem with constipation for the next couple days.

Tomorrow Kathleen is taking them up to the mountain and I am not sure where else. I am staying home to go to Becca's preschool program and also to take Andrea to Costco. It is supposed to be in the high 80's and low 90's the rest of this week, so it looks like we are getting a little jump on summer.

Well, that is about all for tonight, I am really tired and should have gone to bed about an hour ago, so I will just say good night!

Sanguine Sunday

Well, let me see if I remember how to do this blog thing. I decided to take a few days off while at the beach and then when we got back Friday I was really worn out so I thought that I would forgo doing the blog for another day.

Then yesterday, I worked out in the yard and mowed the whole yard and my neighbor's front lawn and was ready to take a nap when Kathleen came out and said that we were invited to Aaron and Tami's for dinner.

So I cleaned up and off we went. They had just bought a wrought iron gazebo and a round steel and plastic picnic table so I helped them put it together as well as played fetch with Archie for a while.

Tami started to barbecue some chicken, but ran out of propane, so she finished it in the house. By the time we finished dinner, I could hardly keep my head off the table.

When we finally got home I was too tired to even think about doing a blog, so here we are today, and I am still tired, but nothing like what I was like the past two days. It has been a pretty lazy day, but every time I do something, I get this way.

Today Alyssa and Dan had Hayden dedicated at their church so we went and stood on the platform with them along with Dan's parents. Then after the service, one of my friends and her husband came up and talked to us for quite a while.

After we left the church we stopped at Lowe's to look at a picnic table, but it was too light weight for us. So after Kathleen got done looking at the flowers and taking pictures of a humming bird, we finally left for home.

I finished off the couple slices of pizza from Friday night, so we actually had it for three meals, not too bad. Anyway, after a little while we took off for Costco to take advantage of some of their coupons that were expiring today.

We have been putting it off for about a week, because we were just too tired, so today we ran out of tomorrows so we had to go. I probably would have been better off taking a nap, but there were some things that we needed, so off we went.

Then tonight I had some chicken gumbo soup and added some of the left over wild rice from earlier in the week. The extra rice really made it nice and thick, just the way I like it. The best gumbo that I ever had was while I was down south, boy was that ever good.

Well, that is about all I can think of today, I am tired, but it is a good tired. So I think that I will just say good night, and see you tomorrow!

Transitioning Tuesday

Today was kind of a transitional day in a couple of ways. First the weather is transitioning to a little nicer although tomorrow there is a possibility of a few showers. Secondly I am starting to feel a little better again today, although I did have a spell of light headedness again early this afternoon.

Anyway, after breakfast I went into the living room and read the paper, and the mail must have come some time when I was out of the room, because I was getting ready to go outside and mow the lawn but decided to check the mail first and it was there. There was not much there, just a couple catalogs, so I flipped through them quickly and then took them and the rest of the junk mail up front to the recycling bin.

I finished the front lawn and then went into the back yard and did a little edging, and when I got up I felt really light headed, so I went into the house and ate an orange and felt a little better. So I went back outside and mowed the back lawn.

Then I took my scythe and cut the blackberries starts from the field behind our property. By this time I was getting pretty worn out, so I sat for a while and then made myself a salad. I used up all the lettuce, yellow bell pepper, cucumber and used the last of one of our sweet onions. It is a good thing that we are going to Cannon Beach tomorrow, as I am out of most everything that I need to make one of my staples.

Aaron called this afternoon and I answered the phone, so I talked to him for a while. I guess things were a little slow this afternoon, so he decided to give us a call. I think I must have dozed for a little bit later this afternoon because before I knew it was 1700.

Kathleen has gone to a demonstration on some soft-ware at Montivilla Sewing Center tonight so she is gone until late tonight. I think that she is planning to go to Fred Meyer after she is done at Montivilla.

So when dinner time came around I made myself a Boca burger on some multi-grain bread with some dill pickle slices and a nice big slice of onion. Does anyone besides me feel like I am eating a lot of onions? If it were not for the fact that I am not suppose to have more than one slice of bread a day, (I have two every other day) I probably would have had a Limburger cheese and onion sandwich for lunch today, but I had in the back of my mind needing the bread for a Boca burger tonight.

Well, that is all I can think of tonight, so I will just say good night.

More of the Same Monday

I guess that we have gotten a little spoiled with all the nice weather lately, because I have really gotten frustrated with the last couple of rainy days. I do not feel like taking my daily walks and I cannot work outside when it rains, to of my more consistent things for the last several weeks.

Aside from the weather turning I also have not been feeling as well as I had for a while. Last Friday I think I really must have overdone, because Saturday, Sunday and today I have just been exhausted and I no longer have the resiliency that I once had to bounce back.

I got another pretty good night sleep last night, about another ten hours, but when I got up I did not feel really refreshed. I did feel better than I had the last couple days, but after shaking out the kitchen throw rugs, sweeping the floor and then mopping it I was pretty much done for. I did manage to vacuum the downstairs again and do two loads of laundry, but that is about all I accomplished today.

Anyway, after getting up, I had some puffed rice for breakfast and then went into the living room to read the paper. After finishing the paper I took the recycling out to the street and brought the garbage can up as well. The mail truck was down the street when I brought the trash out, so when it got here I opened it up and threw most of it into the recycling.

I did have one magazine and two renewals that came today along with the usual credit card application which I shredded. By this time it was getting close to lunch time, so I went into the kitchen and made myself a salad. Salads have become almost a staple for me, I can get a least a half dozen of my vegetables in that way.

Today I used carrots, celery, yellow bell pepper, onion, sugar peas and several kinds of lettuce. I use just a hint of raspberry vinaigrette to top off the salad and it really adds a lot of flavor to the salad.

I almost took a nap this afternoon but decided to do the laundry instead, so that took up a good portion of my afternoon. After I had the laundry washed, dried, folded and put away, I went downstairs and read the magazine that came today in the mail.

By the time I finished it, I asked Kathleen about her plans for dinner, she thought chicken and rice. I said as long as the rice is either brown or wild that would be fine. There is just something about eating white rice...there is nothing there!

Kathleen stir fried the sugar peas, onion sun dried tomatoes and sesame seeds and then cut up a mango to put on top of the wild rice/brown rice mix. It really tasted good, Kathleen made the comment that she really likes chicken and rice and I said that I do not mind it as long as the rice is not white.

I think she likes the white rice because it is quicker to cook, but I like the brown rice because I feel like I have eaten something when I am done. Well, that was my day, good night.

Showery Sunday

I woke up feeling a lot better than I did yesterday, of course I did not feel all that bad when I woke up yesterday, just really tired, but by the afternoon I could hardly keep my eyes open. I tried taking a nap around 1500 and just as I was dozing off the phone rang and after I answered it I was too wide awake to go back to sleep.

Anyway, I accomplished very little yesterday, and went to bed earlier than I have in a long time and slept for ten hours. So of course when I woke up this morning I felt a lot more rested. I was still not feeling well enough to try to make it to church, so I just took my time and made myself an egg beater veggie omelet.

After eating I put everything into the dishwasher and than went into the living room to read the paper. After reading the paper I watched the Spurs game and then shortly after that the Kreig's came over for a visit and to bring us some beef stew for dinner. They only stayed for a short time and had to take off.

Andrea called shortly after they left and said that they were going to come over after visiting with John's parents. They got here shortly after we finished the stew that Dianne brought over. It was really good with lots of mushrooms, onions, green beans, zucchini and potatoes. I still am not eating potatoes, so I gave most of mine to Kathleen, I ate a few of the smaller pieces, and Kathleen gave me her mushrooms as she does not really like them cooked.

Anyway, I got to hold Brandon for quite a while and he even fell asleep on my shoulder. I think that this was the longest that John has ever stayed at our house. Most of the time it is in and out, so that was kind of nice as well. They finally left about 2100.

Well, about all I got done today was to sort out some of my magazines and cut out the articles that I wanted to keep. I did vacuum the downstairs and emptied the dishwasher this morning, but I only went outside briefly today as it has been raining off and on most of the day. Well, that is all I can think about now, I am really tired so I think that I will just say good night.

Mount Saint Helens Twenty-seven years later

It is hard to believe that it has been twenty-seven years since Mt. Saint Helens erupted. I remember when I went off almost like it was yesterday, all the ash floating around for months. I remember cleaning it out of the gutters and having to change the air filters on the vehicles almost weekly.

Anyway, after getting up and having breakfast I read the paper, and then I went to Aaron ad Tami's to pick up my landscape rake because my neighbor wanted to borrow it to put in some lawn and needed it to level out the compost top soil mix that he had dropped off.

I took Kathleen's SUV because she had parked in the driveway and I would have had to play vehicle shuffle and that would have taken almost time as it did to use her vehicle. I could not stay at their house very long, as I needed to get back so that Kathleen could get to her class.

I did get a chance to say hi to Alexis and Becca for a little bit. I also got to see how their siding project was coming along. They have really done a nice job on their residing. As a side note, Aaron called me later this afternoon and said that they had completed the residing. Now they just need to spray paint it.

The mail still had not come yet so I decided to mow the lawn. Not only did I mow my front lawn, but I mowed the strip along the neighbor's driveway and the other neighbor's whole lawn. I was getting pretty worn out, so I decided to go to the back yard and do a little weeding around the rose tree. I had not done it since last year and the ground was pretty hard.

After finishing what I had planned on doing I decided that I had better mow the back lawn before I completely ran out of gas. By the time I finished I was really tired, so I went into the house and cleaned up. It was about 1400 so I decided that I better make myself some lunch.

I decided that I would have a salad for lunch as we were going out to dinner tonight with Andrea, Toni and Chucky. After lunch, I cleaned up all the dishes and put everything into the dishwasher and started it up. Then I took the arches that I bought yesterday and took them outside.

It took about forty-five minutes to put both of them together and I set them up in the garden, but the wind was blowing them over, so I just left them on their sides. I have some steel posts that I will be wiring them to, but Kathleen has not shared with me where she wants them.

Once that was home, I went into the house and took a shower in preparation for dinner. Kathleen called a little after 1700 and said that she wanted to stay a little longer and work on her project. Toni called a little after that and said that we would meet at Newport Bay at about 1800.

She called about an hour later and said that they would pick me up as she talked to Kathleen and she did not have time to pick me up, so Andrea and Toni picked me up. We got to the restaurant just as Kathleen drove up, and Chucky was already there.

I had a good salmon, asparagus and rice pilaf that was really good, I was so tired that I could hardly eat it...but I did. I cut it in half and so I will have it for dinner tomorrow. I was the only one to have rice; everyone else had potatoes of some sort or another. I would not normally have rice but a potato for now is something that I am not supposed to have.

This last week I have lost almost twenty-five pounds; I do not feel too badly having cut my calorie count by more than half. I am sure that I will not be able to keep this kind of weight lose up for the next couple of weeks, but even if I can lose ten pounds a week that would really be great.

I eventually would like to get down to about 180 pounds, so I still have quite a few pounds to go. I would be happy if next year at this time I am at that weight. Well, I think I have used all my words up for today, so I will just say good night.

Thursday's Trips

Another good night, I actually woke up semi-refreshed and felt better than I have in a long time. After breakfast, I read the paper and then the mail when it came, although there was not much there.

Kathleen started her class at Montivilla, so she left the house about 0930 and I took my walk just a little while after she left. I took a little longer walk than I had been taking, and felt pretty good when I got back home.

After resting for a little while I decided to run some errands that Kathleen and I just have not seemed to be able to do. First I stopped off at Winco and too the bottles and cans back. While I was there, I picked up some apples, as I was out of them and I try to eat one a day.

I have been eating about a dozen different fruits and vegetables a day and so we go through a lot of them in a week. After finishing at Winco, I took off to go to Organ Craft Warehouse as I wanted to pick up a couple arches for our clematis to climb up on.

I looked at my Wrangler records today and noticed that I have only bought gas two times in this last year, once last August and then again this last December and I still have a half of a tank of that left. So my gas expenses for this last year is under sixty dollars. Before that would have been about what I was using every couple-three weeks.

Once I finished there I headed home, it was about 1400 by the time that I got back and time to start thinking about lunch. A salad was the easiest thing that I could think of so I sliced up some mushrooms, scallions, a couple slices of yellow bell pepper, some sugar peas, a radish and of course a couple kinds of lettuce and some spinach. I topped it off with just a dash of raspberry vignette.

After finishing the salad, I cleaned up the dishes and put things into the dish washer. Then I went outside and worked in the rose garden for a little while. I pulled about a five gallon of weeds, and I could feel myself getting pretty tired, so I cleaned up and went inside.

Kathleen came home about 1830 from her class and was pretty well worn out. So she made herself a baked potato and put some sour cream on it and cheddar cheese. The eating plan that I am trying to follow does not allow me to have any of those, at least not at this time.

In a couple weeks I can start eating some of them, but for now I am limited to what I am suppose to eat. I is a fairly strict diet, but that is one of the reasons that I have been able to loose about twenty pounds in this last week.

Just about all of my favorite "treats" are off limits, so that is another reason for me not eating very much. I can have about four ounces of red meat, chicken, turkey or fish a day and all the rest of it is fruits and vegetables. I can also have about an ounce of nuts, 8 ounces of milk or soy, and 8 ounces of juice a day.

It is a pretty restrictive calorie wise, but there are a lot of things that I am allowed that have that I enjoy, so it is really not that difficult for me. Anyway, I broiled the rest of the sirloin from the other night and mixed the wild rice and brown rice that we had left over from the last couple nights.

Well, I am kind of tired right now, so I think that I will just say good night!

Wednesday's Weather

I am starting to feel better, I can tell it by when I wake up, and I feel like getting up and not just getting up because I cannot breathe. After eating breakfast, I read the paper and since the mail had not come yet, I decided that I would take my wake a little early.

When I got out to the street, I noticed the mail truck about a block away, but I decided that I would go walk anyway. I had a good walk and felt pretty good when I got back, so I got the mail and sorted it out and then took my shower.

Kathleen had an appointment with her sleep doctor and she asked me if I wanted to go with her, but I thought that I would go get my blood drawn. I wanted to do that so that they would have a week to do the testing and then the doctor would have the results when I went to see her next Wednesday.

I thought that Kathleen would be home by the time I finished and then we could do some running around that she wanted to do. On my way home, I stopped at BiMart to pick up some Resinol that Kathleen had ordered for a couple of the grandchildren who are prone to diaper rash.

Well, when I got home Kathleen was still not here, so I made myself some lunch and then decided to sit outside and wait for her to get home. I sat for a little while and then decided to prune the roses of some spent flowers and dead wood, and then pulled some weeds and still no Kathleen.

So about 1500 I decided to go into the house and do a little reading, as I was sure that once I started reading she would show up. Well, she finally got home about 1630, seems that she had done some shopping on the way home and even stopped at Trader Joe's to pick up some items that she had on her to get list.

One of the things that she brought home was some salmon, which she thought would be good for dinner. Then about 1800 she took off for the fabric store to pick up some things that she needed for a class that she is taking the next few days.

So about 1845, I decided to heat up the left-over wild rice and cook the salmon, so I had it for dinner and Kathleen can have hers whenever she gets home tonight. She also needed to pick up either a jacket or a shirt for her class, so there is no telling when she will be home.

Well, that was my day; I think I covered all that I could remember about today, so I will just say good night.

Tuesday's Temperature

I felt pretty good again this morning when I got up, although I was up earlier than I would like to have been. Anyway after getting up and having breakfast, I read the paper and then recycled it up front, as today was our garbage pick-up and recycling day. While I was out putting the paper in the bin the garbage truck was at the corner, so I just waited for it to pick up the trash and than I took the trash can into the back yard.

The mail came a while later, so I opened it and read what looked interesting and set the rest in a pile to take to the recycling bin. After finishing the mail, I decided to take my morning walk; I have been trying to walk at least a half hour every morning. I had meant to take the paper recycling out when I went for my walk, but I forgot.

Anyway, when I got back the recycling truck had not come yet so I took the junk mail up front to the bin then I rested for a little while. After my quick rest, I decided that I would go out and mow the front lawn.

I finished that and then I went into the back yard and trimmed the grass along the backside of the berry patch. I was tired enough that I did not want to mow the back yard...just yet, so I went into the house to rest for a while. As you can see, I do a lot of resting.

Anyhow, after a brief rest, I went upstairs and asked Kathleen if she had filled out her mail in ballot; she had not, so I reminded her that she needed to do that. She also said that she wanted to stop by BiMart, so I said I would go with her when she got dressed.

I also reminded Kathleen that we needed to take her SUV to John's so that he could change the oil in it before we made our trip to the coast. So she called John and he said bring it by anytime. She also called Andrea and they were going to meet up and go to Joann's, so I decided that I would stay home and work in the yard.

It was getting to be about 1330, so I decided to make myself a salad for lunch. It took about fifteen minutes to cut everything up and another fifteen minutes to eat it. Then I waited about twenty minutes and then decided to go out back and mow the back lawn. Well, I just about finished that when she came outside.

After putting the mower into the garage I decided to sit in the sun for a while before I went into the house. I heard that the temperature was 86 degrees today, so that is three days that it has been above 80 degrees. It was about 1500 when I finally made it back into the house and got cleaned up.

I was pretty warn out, so I just sat in my chair for a while and then I read my Golf magazine that came yesterday, but I had not had a chance to read yet. John called about 1800 and said that Kathleen's SUV was ready and asked if I would call her as he could not get a hold of Andrea. So I called Kathleen and told her and then asked if she had planned on being home by 1900 as that is when I have been eating lately.

She asked me to make some rice and that she thought that she would be home a little after 1900. So I put the water and the wild rice into the rice cooker and turned it on. She finally got home a little after 1900 and then she put some steaks into the oven.

I have been trying to cut down on my portion sizes so I have only been eating about 4 ounces of meat or fish at any meal. Besides the steak and rice Kathleen also cut up a tomato and an avocado. I also have been trying to eat slower, so that seems to help me feel full and I do not get stuffed from eating more than I really needed.

Well, Kathleen has gone upstairs and I cannot think of anything else to write about, so I will just say good night for now.

Much More Better Monday

Well, last night I decided that I would try sleeping without the humidifier and I managed to sleep about the same as I had been with it. Anyway after getting up, I made myself some breakfast and then went in and read the paper. The mail came just after I finished the paper so I opened it up.

I did not look at it because I wanted to take a walk before it got too warm outside. I walked for about three miles again and stopped a couple times to talk to people working in their front yards. By the time I got back from my walk, I was ready to sit down and read the mail.

I felt pretty good, so I decided that I would run to the credit union to deposit a bunch of insurance checks that I had but did not feel well enough to go to deposit them. Anyway, while I was out I got some gas for my Honda power mower, it takes better gas than my Wrangler, and of course it uses a lot less. I have been using the power mower for the last couple weeks as I just have not felt all that well and did not have the energy to push the reel mower.

After I got back from running around doing some errands, I made my self some lunch. After I cleaned up my lunch mess, I went outside and finished edging the rest of the front yard that I started last week.

After I finished edging, I decided to go into the house and rest as I am trying not to over extend myself. I finished reading the other book and then read the latest National Graphic magazine. Kathleen had gone to meet with Andrea at the craft store, so when it got to be 1900, I decided to make myself some dinner.

I had wild rice and a Boca burger, I am trying to watch what I am eating and I have lost about fifteen pounds in the last week. That is from eating less, walking and doing some strength training.

I have needed to loose some weight for several years, but I just have not done it. My doctor has told me for the last couple of years that I need to loose weight, so I hope that next month when I see him again for my physical I will have lost the weight and kept it off. I have found a pretty good plan, at least it has been working well for me so far and I hope that I can stick with it.

Well, Kathleen still is not home, and I think that I have said all I can think of for now, so good night.

Happy Mother's Day!

I was up a couple of times last night due to cramps in my legs, I am not sure why, unless it was from the walking I did last night. Anyway Kathleen's alarm went off at 0700 and I could not get back to sleep, so I finally got up.

I have been coughing a lot and over-all did not feel very well, so I decided not to even try to go to church or Sunday School. So I made myself breakfast, actually I did not make it as much as open a container of yogurt and a sliced up apple.

After eating I emptied the dishwasher and when I got done in the kitchen, I called my sister so that I could wish my Mother a Happy Mother's Day. There was not answer so I left a message.

Then I went into the living room to read the paper. First I looked at the comics and the ads and when I got finished with them I decided that I would try to take a walk.

Walking usually helps make me feel better, so I though I would see if it would help me to feel better. I did fell better for a while after I finished my walk, but about 1300 I started to really warn out, and I had not done anything.

Anyway, after my walk, I finished reading the paper. Kathleen had gone to church and Sunday School and called about 1135 to let me know that she would be leaving shortly and stopping at Winco on her way home to buy some groceries.

Finally about 1300, I decided that I needed to make myself something for lunch, so I took out a cod fillet and put it in the micro wave and use the convection feature to bake it. While that was cooking I got out some mixed vegetables to have with the cod.

Kathleen came home about a half hour after I finished eating so I helped her bring the groceries into the house. We talked for a while and then Kathleen went upstairs and I was going to take a shower and get ready go to Alyssa and Dan's for a Mother's Day and Birthday dinner for Kathleen.

I started to feel light headed and my stomach was kind of upset feeling, so I sat down for a while. It did not help so I told Kathleen that I did not think that I could make it to the party. As it turned out, it was a good thing I did not go. Just as Kathleen was pulling out of the driveway, I had to rush to the bathroom and just made it.

I had to do the same thing about a half hour later only this time it was a lot worse. I am really really tired of not feeling well. I tried calling my sister again, this time the phone just kept ringing, so I never did get through to Mom.

I just finished eating the salad that I made myself for dinner; some of the things that Kathleen got from the grocery store were salad making items. Well, it is pretty quiet around here tonight, and I cannot think of anything else to say, so I will just say good night and Happy Mother's Day again!

Saatisfying Saturday

Well today was better than it started out. I was awakened three times last night because my alarm kept going off. I finally decided to get up the third time it went off about 0600. I went out to see what was going on and it was just the battery getting too low. So I hooked it up to the charger and charged it.

Then I made myself an egg for breakfast. After finishing breakfast and washing the dishes, I went into the living room to read the paper and then the mail when it got here. I was feeling better than I had for a couple days so I decided to take a walk, I have been told that the route that I took is three miles, so if that is true, I had a really good fast paced walk.

Kathleen was concerned that I was breathing too heavily, but I told her that is how I sound when I have worked up a sweat. I was really tired when I got back home, but it kind of felt good. I toot a short rest and then made myself some lunch.

After resting for a little while, I went outside to pull a few weeds in the garden. I stopped because I could feel myself getting really tired and it looked like it was going to start raining.

I had planned on taking a nap but while I was in the kitchen and Kathleen had started to take a few things out of the refrigerator, so I suggested that we clean out the refrigerator.

We spent the next hour and a half emptying the shelves one at a time and cleaning off each shelf as I went. I asked Kathleen to decide what she really wanted to keep and what could we either give away or throw away. We wound up dumping twenty five bottles of all kind of things, two cans, and a couple other things.

We can even see what is on all the shelves now. Once we finished that Kathleen wanted to clean off the shelves that are next to the refrigerator, so she started pulling things off and we threw more stuff away. She even arranged things so that we can see where everything is.

I had to take the garbage out once and we half filled it up again. She even cleared all of her stuff off the kitchen table, so that there is enough room to eat comfortably.

About 1700, I got so tired that I could hardly stand up, so I went into the living room for a while and did a little reading. I read two books already this week and have just about finished a third. When I do not have energy to do anything else I usually read unless I am too tired to keep my eyes open.

We finally ate dinner about 1915; I had some left-over wild rice and some baby corn. Kathleen made herself a grilled cheese sandwich and a talking rain. Well, I am tired tonight, but it is a good tired from doing things, so I think that I will just say good night.

Friday's Follies

When I got up this morning Kathleen told me that I did not look very rested, so I responded and asked her when the last time I did look rested when I got up...she could not answer that. So I guess that I look about the same as I normally do, only now it seems like it takes me an hour or so of being up before I actually look like I should be up.

After breakfast and reading the paper, I was going to take my six foot ladder over to Aaron and Tami's for them to use while siding, but I felt so poorly that when I told Kathleen what I was going to do, she wanted to know if she could go along as well. So I said if I load the ladder into the SUV she could just take it over there herself as I really did not feel all that well.

She took off about 0900 and did not return until about 1630... of course she did a lot of shopping along the way. She visited with the grandchildren for quite a while, but she also spent a lot of time looking for more clothes.

Anyway, while she was gone I worked out in the yard most of the time. I edged the front of the front of the front lawn and along the driveway. Then I mowed the front lawn, the neighbor’s driveway strip on the other side of the driveway and the neighbor’s front lawn.

Then I took a short rest and had the rest of my blueberry smoothie, and then went back outside to edge along the back sidewalk. After doing about two thirds of it, I could feel myself getting really tired, so I decided to stop and mow the back yard.

By the time I finished the back yard I was really tired and hungry, so I sautéed a couple zucchini and a couple slices of onion. I decided to use the zucchini as they were starting to get a little soft and I knew that they would not last much longer. It tasted really good, and while the zucchini and onion were cooking, I noshed on a couple celery stalks.

Shortly after I finished eating, Andrea and Brandon came over on their way to the grocery store. We visited for quite a while and then Kathleen came home from her shopping spree. They left to finish their shopping about 1830, so they were here for quite a while.

Tonight for dinner I heated up the salmon and rice pilaf and Kathleen had the rest of her salad. My salmon and rice were almost as good as they were last night, but I am afraid the Kathleen's salad was just not the same.

Well, I am really tired tonight, so I think that I will just say good night.

Thursday's Thirty-eight

Well, today is our thirty-eighth anniversary; it somehow does not seem possible. Anyway this morning was pretty much a normal morning, I really did not get a thing done. One reason for this is that since we did not get to go to the beach this week, I thought that we would go out to eat. So I did not want to get started on something and then get too tired to go.

Anyway we left the house about 1500 and stopped by Aaron and Tami's house to see how they were doing on their siding project. They had the North side about half way done and also had the new window installed and the old slider door removed and plywood put over the hole. I felt bad that I could not help, but I think that I would have been more in the way than any help.

After we left their house we went to Francis Xavier's for an early dinner, I had a salmon fillet with rice pilaf; Kathleen had a grilled shrimp salad and a piece of chocolate cake for dessert.

I purposely divided the salmon and rice pilaf into two sections and ate one half and took the other half home. Kathleen did the same with her salad and cake, so we can enjoy it again, maybe tomorrow for dinner.

After eating we stopped at the Troutdale Outlet Mall, as Kathleen wanted to see if she could find some new clothes. She has lost so much weight that nothing fits her anymore, so a couple weeks ago we got her some slacks and a jacket and today she bought a few more tops, some slacks and probably some other things as well. Needless to say, by the time we were done, I was really worn out.

Well, that is about all I did today, so I will just say good night.

Happy Anniversary

Wednesday's Ways

Again I had a good nights sleep last night, by that I mean I slept okay. When I got up I virtually had just enough energy to go downstairs and make myself breakfast. It was Wednesday, so being the creature of habit that I am, I made myself an egg sandwich. To go along with it I micro waved a couple soy sausages and toasted a couple pieces of English muffin bread.

After cleaning up the pan and putting the dishes in the dishwasher, I went into the living room to read the paper. When I finished the paper, I went out and watered the "new" grass and picked up some fir branches and cones. The mail cane shortly after I finished watering, so I went into the house with it and opened it up.

I got my bank statement and portfolio statement, so I reconciled the bank accounts and added the progress of all my funds into the data base that I keep for them. I have been very fortunate in that they all have been showing positive returns, although that is not so surprising right now as the market in general is doing well.

My portfolio has shown growth over the last several years with the exception of a couple months, so that is really good. Even after taking out all my living expenses, taxes and fees, I still managed to make a good profit. My corporate property investments have done exceptionally well. So even after living off the earnings for the last year, I still have more than I had last year, so I cannot complain at all.

Well, after seeing what my investments were doing, I decided that I would plant a plant that Kathleen bought a couple weeks ago, so I got Kathleen to show me where she wanted it. While I was doing that I transplanted a couple other plants that had grown in places where I did not want them.

After doing all the transplanting, I noticed that I never finished weeding the berry patch, so I finished up that and by this time I was really worn out. So I cleaned up my tools and put them away; I was going to go into the house and rest, but I figured that I would just sit in my Adirondack chair for a while.

The sun felt good, but I knew that I needed to go inside and make myself some lunch. By the time I got inside it was after 1400, so I made myself a Boca burger and put it on a couple heels of the English muffin toast. I added a slice of Velveeta to the burger and melted it, then added a couple kosher dill slices. I had not had a Boca burger for quite some time and here I have had one two days in a row.

I was feeling pretty worn out so I went into the living room and sat in my chair and dozed for a while. I am not quite sure why, but I have been really worn out for the last week or so. I could understand it when I had the flu, but I just have not gotten any energy back yet. Not like me at all.

When I woke up, I decided to go out and water the "new" grass again, and after finishing that I decided to change the Betta's water. I had put the water out yesterday morning, and added the anti-0chlorine drops to it and let it sit, but was too tired to change it yesterday. I did not have any more energy today, but I needed to get the water containers off the counter and the Betta really needed his water changed.

Kathleen asked me what I wanted for dinner, she suggested hash for me and lentil soup for her, I felt more like chili, so she opened up a can and heated it up. I thought that we would need more so I heated up another can and it is a good thing I did because we just about finished up the second bowl of chili.

Well, I am just about brain dead, so I think that I will just say good night.

Tremendous but Tiring Tuesday

I had another good nights sleep, so after getting up and going downstairs, eating breakfast and reading the paper, I took the recycling to the street. Then I unloaded the dishwasher from last night. Just as I was finishing that the mail came so I brought it in. Not much of anything today.

So I went outside and mowed the front yard, then I sprayed it with Weed be Gone to try to get rid of some of the weeds are invading the lawn. While I was at it I also sprayed part of my neighbor’s lawns on both sides. It is hard to keep a weed free lawn when there are lots of weed, just inches away on the other side of the property line.

Anyway, after finishing the front yard, I mowed the back yard. By this time I was getting pretty tired, so I went into the house and rested for a while. After a quick rest, I made myself some lunch.

I had not had a Boca Burger for a while, so I decided to have one on toasted multi-grain bread heels. While the bread was toasting I melted some Velveeta on one of the heels. Once they were toasted, I added a couple kosher dill pickle slices and some ketchup. Yummy!

I was still pretty tired, so I decided to sit and rest for a while, but since it was so nice outside I decided to go outside and sit in the sun for a while...well, I think I have been down this road often enough that I probably do not need to tell anyone what happened.

The sitting in the sun only lasted a short time; before I knew it I was transplanting some plants, trimming some Italian prune sprouts on the other side of the fence. These were some that had started a couple years ago, but since there was someone living there, I did not feel like I could trim them. Now that there is no one there, I thought that it I would do it while I had the chance.

Well, after doing that, I was really tired, so I went inside and cleaned up. Then I sat down in my chair and dozed for a bit. Kathleen came downstairs and said that she did not think she would be feeling well enough to go to the beach tomorrow, (we had planned on spending a few days there to celebrate our anniversary) so she called the place where I made the reservations and chanced the date to two weeks from now.

Kathleen made some rice and shrimp stir-fried for dinner, it was good, but I was really so tired that I could not really enjoy it. I had been trying to get so much work done before we took off for the coast and I had not really recovered from being sick myself. Oh well, maybe I will be able to rest up over the next couple weeks.

I had been following the weather forecast for the coast for the next few days and it looks like it was suppose to be pretty nice, I just hope that it is nice in two weeks. Well, I cannot think of anything else to say, so I will just say good night.

Making Monday Marvelous

I had a good nights sleep last night and after eating breakfast and reading the paper, I went out and watered the new grass. Yes it is no longer just grass seed, but this morning I actually noticed some grass that had sprouted some time in the last couple days. I have been so out of it that I had not noticed it until this morning.

After finishing the watering, I took myself for a walk, instead of just going ten blocks or so, today I went about thirty-four blocks. It took me about a half hour, as I tried to do it at a pretty good clip. I got my heart rate up quite a bit and even worked up a sweat.

Shortly after I got home the mail came, so I opened it up and read it, then rested for a while. I could not stay inside any longer, so I went outside and sat in my Adirondack chair and soaked up some rays.

Well, I just could not sit there, so I got my gardening tools out and started to do some weeding in the rose garden. Even though I had the garden looking pretty good a month or so ago, the weeds are really growing like weeds!

It was pretty warm today, almost eighty degrees, so I could not stay out too long, as the garden is pretty much in the sun all afternoon. So I gathered up my tools and put them back into the garage and then cleaned up.

After resting for a few minutes, I made myself a couple grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, of course by this time it was about 1430, but I had not thought about eating until I got back into the house. After eating I sat in my chair in the living room for about an hour, dozing off and on.

When I finally awoke, I decided that a shower might help, so I went upstairs to get some clean clothes. While I was up there I decided to try on some short as the ones I had been wearing were getting pretty loose. To my surprise I was able to drop down two sizes, which made me feel better.

Shortly after my shower, Kathleen asked me to come into the kitchen to help decide what to have for dinner. We decided to use the rest of the pot roast and potatoes and have a roast beef stew. So after a bit, it was done, and it made about three cups, large cups at that, of stew.

The pot roast was used for at least six meals, so it was well worth the price. Now we will have to really think about what to have for the next couple of days. After dinner, I gathered up all the dishes, pots and pans and loaded them into the dishwasher and started it up.

I must say that I am really tired tonight, but at least I know why, and it is not just from being sick. That is about everything I can think to write about so good night.

Still Sick Sunday

Well, I slept a little better last night, I still needed to get up a few times, but I was able to go back to sleep rather quickly again. Kathleen on the other hand is getting worse. She probably slept okay, although it is hard for me to tell as she goes to bed so late and I am usually downstairs when she gets up and I never know when she actually gets up.

After getting up, I made myself an egg sandwich using the egg whites from Kathleen's egg yokes from a couple days ago and added some cheddar to look like yoke. I toasted some multi-grain bread and it made a really nice sandwich.

I just started making egg sandwiches again, when I was much younger, I use to have them every morning for breakfast. Anyway after breakfast, I read the paper and then took a walk around the country block.

Kathleen made it downstairs shortly after I got back from my walk and I asked her about lunch, and she said that she did not feel like eating. I was getting hungry, so I made myself a roast beef sandwich from the left-over pot roast from the other night.

It must have inspired Kathleen as she decided to have some pot roast and potatoes. She out did me as she added some onions to the potatoes and then some mayonnaise to make a potato salad. I wish that I had thought to do that, but I did not, but my sandwich was good none the less.

After resting for a little while I decided to take another walk. I added a couple more blocks to this trip, and I still felt pretty good when I got back home. I did a little reading and then Kathleen came back downstairs about 1900 and asked what I had for dinner. I had not eaten yet, so she said that she had not planned on anything, so I heated up some more of the pot roast, potatoes and carrots, I added some of the gravy and then topped it off with some cheddar.

Well, other than taking two walks I did not really accomplish anything. I did not go to church or Sunday School this morning, as I still do not feel really great and I did not want to pass on what ever it is that I have and I also do not want to pick up anything else.

I cannot think of anything else that I did today, so I am just going to say good night.

Sore Saturday

I thought that I might be sore this morning, but I was expecting either my back, legs or maybe both to be sore. Instead it was my chest and stomach, from all the coughing that I have been doing the last couple of days.

Anyway after breakfast, I read the paper and then emptied the dishwasher. After a while the mail came, so I sorted it out and looked at the mail, putting the magazines aside for later.

When Kathleen got up she had a sore throat as well, so we decided not to go out to the restaurant and then clothes shopping for her, so I went back downstairs.

I started reading my "Golf Digest" magazine when Chucky came over to pick up a couple gift cards that they were buying from us, so we visited with him for a while. When he left I went back to finish my magazine, and than went out and mowed the front yard.

It was probably not the smartest thing that I have ever done, but the weather has been ideal for good grass growth. So I have to mow the front yard at least twice a week now. The back yard I usually only do once a week, for some reason it does not seem to grow as fast.

When I came in from mowing, I made myself a couple shredded beef burritos from the pot roast from last night, and then I went and read the other magazine. After finishing it, I swept and mopped the kitchen floor and then vacuumed the downstairs.

I could feel myself getting really tired, so I went upstairs and took a couple hour nap. When I got up I started coughing pretty hard, something that I had not done much of most of the earlier part of the day. I guess it is a good thing as I am getting a lot of phlegm up, I just wish that I could get it all up at one time.

Tonight Kathleen reheated the pot roast, potatoes and carrots form last night for dinner, it still tasted good and there is plenty left for a few more meals.

Well, another unproductive day, at this rate I will be so far behind on getting things done that I will never get caught up. Well, since I did not get much done today, I do not have a lot to write about so I will just say good night.

Feel Better Friday

I slept pretty well last night and did not get up until about 0800. I was not congested as I had been much of this week, which was really nice. So after eating breakfast and reading the paper I took myself for a walk around the block. It was a little drizzly as I started off, but once I got going I did not feel any more drops.

I looked at the grass seed and it still looked damp from the rain last night/early this morning, so I did not bother watering it this morning. Shortly after I got back from my walk and sat down and then the mail came, so I read it.

The grass was high enough that if I felt better I might have tried to mow it, but given that fact and the fact that it was still pretty damp; I easily talked myself out of doing that. I did a little sorting in the upstairs bathroom closet and tried to neaten everything up a little...but I was not really very successful at achieving much progress.

For lunch I heated up a couple of the left-over apricot/banana pancakes from the other morning, and use up two bottles of syrup, one maple and the other blueberry. Speaking of blueberries, I have some green berries on my bushes. I also noticed some green strawberries and raspberries, so it will not be much longer before I can start grazing on berries in the mornings.

So many of our flowers are in bloom, several of the roses, the primroses, the columbine, violas and several others. The bulbs are pretty much history now, so I will need to cut the dead stalks off them one of these days.

Anyway, after lunch, I went outside and picked up a five gallon bucket of fir cones, so I am sure that my leg and back muscles will be sore in the morning. I did notice that my throat started to bother me this afternoon, and my nose started to run pretty good as well. I have been sneezing a lot the last few days and today was not exception, but it got a little worse this afternoon.

The grass seed had gotten a little dry, so I went out to water it and just as I did it started to drizzle again, I just kept watering, and the people driving by probably thought that I was a little nuts, but it stopped raining before I finished watering.

A short time after I got back into the house it started to get pretty dark looking, and when I looked out of the kitchen window the street was white...from hail. It got pretty heavy for a while, but after the initial barrage it must have warmed up, because there was none that stuck.

Kathleen made a pot roast for dinner tonight along with potatoes, carrots and onions. There were lots left-over so I am sure that we will be having it for a few more meals. Well, I did not take a nap this afternoon, and I still do not feel too tired, but then I did not do very much of anything today. That is all I can think to write about so I will just say good night for now.

Thursday's Therapies

I woke up at 0400 this morning and was really having a hard time breathing, A continuation from yesterday when I woke up with a really sore throat and a stuffed up head. I have been stuffed up for most of this week, at first I thought it was just allergies, but yesterday morning I realized that it was more of a cold.

I was pretty much immobile yesterday, about all I managed to do was wash, dry, fold and put away a load of towels. I went to bed about 1100 and slept until almost 1500 and just about had not voice.

I awoke several times last night and not being able to breath, so I would walk around for a few minutes and let my head clear. Then I could sleep for a little while longer, but I was up three or four times and finally decided to get up at 0500.

After breakfast, I read the paper and then when Kathleen got up, I stripped the bed and washed, dried and remade the bed. I had kind of planned on taking a shower and then a nap, but by the time I finished making up the bed, I needed to rest before taking a shower.

I noticed that the sun was out, so I took the vegetable scraps out to the compost tumbler, and then worked on my walking stick for a little while. I cut it to size and then sanded the stubs where the limbs had been.

It was still pretty nice outside, so I thought that I would put on my walking shoes and walk around the block, since I was too worn out to do it yesterday, I did not want to get out of the habit. So I went inside and told Kathleen that I was going to go for a walk, and then took off.

When I got back, I was pretty hungry, so I made myself a can of vegetable soup. Kathleen had gone while I was out for my walk, so I read for a while and than watched Fox news. When Kathleen came home she had bought a humidifier since I had mentioned that I had given our old one away last summer. I hooked it up and have been sitting next to it ever since, except for the time I was at the dinner table.

That is one nice thing about having a lap top, I can use it where I need to be rather having to go some place to use it. Kathleen made some ravioli for dinner, she was going to make it with Alfredo sauce, but I said that I thought that the tomato sauce would be better for me, so she made it with tomato sauce.

After finishing eating I cleared off the table and put the dishes into the dishwasher. Kathleen has taken off for Andrea/Brandon's shower at church tonight, so I do not know what time she will be coming home from that. So I will just say good night.

Tired Tuesday

I got up a little early because I have been trying to take walks early in the morning to get a little exercise in before I start the day and get too tired. After my walk, I had breakfast and then went in to read the paper and the mail.

When I finished doing that I went outside and mowed the front lawn and then watered the grass seed. After walking around a little to rest, I went and mowed the back yard, the west side of the front yard, the other side of the fence on the west side and then the front of the neighbors yard.

By the time I finished all that mowing, I was getting pretty worn out, so I went inside and made myself some lunch. After eating and cleaning up my mess, I went upstairs and took a couple hour nap.

I was going to take another walk, but I just could not work up the energy, and slowly but surely I am learning not to push myself too much. After getting up, I took the laundry downstairs and did a could loads of laundry. When the finished drying, I took them upstairs, folded and put them away.

I was going to do a load of towels, but just ran out of steam. Kathleen made some halibut, wild rice and asparagus for dinner, I finished all of mine, but Kathleen only ate about half of hers. I figure that fish, asparagus and rice are on the healthy side of the food spectrum so it was not a bad thing to finish it all.

Well, I got a few things done today, not a lot, but enough to make me feel like I did accomplish some things. That is all I can think to write about, so I think I will just call it a day and say good night.

Moderate Monday

I got up a little earlier than I had planned to this morning as my head was full of mucus and I was having trouble breathing. I took a couple Sudafed when I got up and it helped to clear it up a little. After breakfast, I read the paper and then went out front to pull some weeds in the area on the east side of the driveway.

There are so many bulbs there that it was hard to get to the base of the weeds, so I just kind of pulled from as far down as I could get. While I was doing that the mail came so I went inside and read the mail.

By this time it was getting close to the time for lunch so I made a couple burritos out of the hamburger, rice and tomato mix from the other night. After resting for a little bit I went outside and watered the grass seeds that I planted the other day and then went to pull some weeds at the back of the house.

The weeds and the Italian prune seedlings were really getting a hold on the back side of the rose garden. The seedlings are from last years prunes, but this should be the last year that I have this problem as the tree is now gone.

After weeding for a couple hours, I got really tired, so I put all my tools away, cleaned up and went upstairs to take a nap. I slept until a little after 1700; Kathleen was just getting ready to go to the library to return some books and pick up some she had on hold. I was still too groggy to get ready to go in time, so she took off.

While she was out, she also stopped by the grocery store where she meet up with Andrea, Brandon and Toni. Kathleen finally came home a little after 1900 and since it was so late she just opened up a couple cans of soup for dinner.

Well, the weather is about to change to more moisture, today was the last of the nice weather for a couple days, so I wanted to get as much done outside as I could. Unfortunately I just do not have the energy to do what needs to get done. I would have liked to mow the front yard, before the rain, but ran out of energy.

Maybe if the rain holds off until late morning or early afternoon, I will be able to do it then. I would like to use the reel mower rather than the Honda, because I will not disturb the grass seed as much.

Well, I can not think of anything else to write about, so I will just say good night.

Sunday's Serenities

Well, this morning I got up early so that I could get ready for church and Sunday School. When I went upstairs to get dressed Kathleen was starting to get ready herself, but she looked like she needed to get some more sleep, so I told her that. So I went by myself and Kathleen stayed home, but did not go back to bed to get some more rest.

As soon as the pastor finished his sermon, I had to get up and leave the sanctuary, as my bottom was so sore I could not sit any longer. Then I left Sunday School early for the same reason. When I got home Kathleen was still on her computer and in about the same condition as when I left.

I changed my clothes and went downstairs to read the paper. After finishing the paper, I made a couple burritos out of the hamburger, rice and tomato dish from last night and a couple whole wheat tortillas adding some hot salsa and some sour cream. They were pretty good and rather filling.

Then I emptied the dishwasher, and loaded up the dishes from breakfast and lunch, and did some of the hand washing that was sitting around the kitchen.

Then after resting for a little, I went outside to water the grass seed that I did the other day. I also pulled a few weeds and then went into the house to rest. I probably should have taken a nap, but since I had not really done anything, I decided that I did not need to take a nap.

Well, Kathleen came downstairs about 1700 and asked if it would be alright if we had the left over dinner from last night, I did not mind so that is what we had plus a tomato and an avocado.

Well, I did not do very much today, but I am tired and cannot think of anything else to write about, so I will just say good night.

Slow Starting Saturday

I had another decent night sleep last night, but still woke up with not a lot of energy. After eating breakfast, reading the paper and the mail I went outside and mowed the back yard. I was going to try to over seed the back yard, but there are so many cherry and apple pedals on the lawn and more to fall that I thought I would wait another week or so until they all fall.

Usually we have a little more rain than we have had this week and they fall quicker, but I would rather keep the trees in bloom and not have the rain every day. So when I finished mowing, I just put the lawn mower away and went into the house.

I took a few things downstairs to the basement and then replaced the shower hose in the downstairs bath. It had been spraying water for a couple months, not seriously, just enough to be annoying.

I could not stand that it was so nice outside, so I went out and dug up some of the area on the east side of the house, I am removing the lawn( and I use that term very loosely), and am planning on putting on some low growing ground cover plants.

It was now about 1400, so I made myself a couple whole wheat burritos, and then I went upstairs to take a nap. I slept until about 1645, I asked Kathleen what she had planned for dinner and she said that she was thawing out some hamburger, so I went downstairs.

Kathleen started dinner, but than remembered that she had not picked up one of her prescriptions the other day, so she took off to Fred Meyer's and picked them up. I turned off dinner when the timer went off and Kathleen returned about fifteen minutes later.

She had made a hamburger, rice and tomato dish, that we added sour cream to and had a tomato and avocado on the side. There was quite a lot left so I will probably put some on some tortillas and have a burrito for lunch one of these days.

Well, I am tired and I cannot think of anything else to write about, so I will just say good night.

Fun Friday

I got another pretty good night sleep last night, I only needed to get up once about 0530, so that was nice. After breakfast I read the paper and the mail, and then I went outside and mowed the front lawn.

Then I put the Scott's seed starter soil and the grass seed and put them into my cart along with a rake and a potato fork and took them to the front lawn where I roughed up the surface, then sprinkled grass seed in the bare spots, scooped some soil onto the seed and then raked and tamped the soil to help embed the seed.

Then I went over to the walnut tree and finished taking the ivy off it. I finally got it all off and it makes a lot of difference in how the tree looks. As I was finishing this up Aaron came over with the girls.

The girls went into the house and Aaron and I talked outside for a while. Since I still had the ivy leaves to get picked up I went over there and raked up the leaves and Aaron pushed them into the yard debris recycling can. When I took the can to the other side of the driveway, I noticed a couple spots that still needed some reseeding, so I did that while I still had all the stuff there.

Then we put the tools and the cart into the garage. Aaron noticed my new chipper/shredder, so I took him into the back yard to show him my new compost tumbler. Then we went into the house, as I needed to rest for a while.

About the time I sat down, Alexis jumped up on my lap and wanted me to read to her, I told her that I needed to rest for a while, so she went back to her coloring. She came back a couple times and Aaron and I were talking so we asked her to come back later. Finally she brought a couple, (five), for me to read, I had rested up enough by then that I went a head and read them to her, Becca came over and listened to the stories as well. When I finished the first stack of books she got down and brought over another stack for me to read.

After finishing them she went off for a while and did some other things, like played catch with me. The Becca played catch with me with some plastic flowers that she got from Kathleen. After awhile Becca brought over a book for me to read, so I read that to her. Shortly after I finished the book, Kathleen came out with her bubble machine, so she and the girls went outside and made bubbles.

Then Aaron and I went out to the garage so that I could show Aaron a brass hammer that I made many years ago, he needed one for his guitars. While we were outside Tami had called and said that it was safe to bring the girls home, she was making a wedding cake for a wedding tomorrow.

By the time everyone left I was really hungry, as I had not had time to have lunch, and I was also tired as I did not have time for a nap again today (third day in a row). Kathleen heated up a can of corn beef hash for me and she reheated the left over steak from Wednesday night. By the time I finished eating I could hardly keep my head up, I finally worked up enough energy to stand up and put the dishes into the dishwasher and here I am.

Well, as I said earlier this is the third day in a row that I have not had a nap and I am really tired, I think that I need to sit down in the living room and just vegetate for a while, so I will just say good night.

Tired Thursday

Well I only had to get up once last night, so that was very nice, although I did wake up and got up about 0630 and felt pretty good. So after breakfast and reading the paper and mail, I went outside and decided to move some more gravel into the front of the driveway.

I did about for cart loads of it plus raked it out and then decided that I needed to stop and rest, so I put the tools and the cart away and went inside. It was about 1330, so I decided to make myself some lunch. I found a few Tatar tots in the refrigerator and that was about it, so I got a couple slices of bread, some Limburger cheese, sliced and onion and made a sandwich.

I also found a cottage cheese container that had about four mouthfuls of cottage cheese left in it so I finished that and also a jar with about a half dozen pepperoncini in it so I finished that as well. We still have three jars of pepperoncini and another container of cottage cheese, but at least there is a little more room in the refrigerator.

As I was finishing up my lunch, Kathleen came down and said that she had a doctor's appointment for 1420 and asked if I was planning on doing anything, so I said that I had planned on going back outside and work in the yard for a while. So she said that she would like it if I went with her to the doctor's, so I did.

When we finished up there, I stopped by the credit union to deposit an insurance refund check, then we stopped by Fred Meyer to pick up a couple prescriptions for her. By the time we finished there it was about 1800, so I suggested that we stop by Papa Murphy's to pick up a DeLight pizza for dinner, she said okay as she did not have anything else planned.

We just and had some pizza left, it was not that long ago that just one pizza would not be enough, so that shows that we, or at least I am eating less. Well, I did not get nearly as much done today as I had anticipated, but at least I got something done and I do not feel too bad and I am not overly tired.

That is about it for today, so I will just say good night.

Wednesday???

Not much to write about today. After breakfast, I emptied the dishwasher and then read the paper and mail. I played around in the garage for a while, but did not accomplish much, so I went back inside. Kathleen made some salmon spread for lunch; I also finished off the deli salads and then put all the dirty dishes and utensils into the dishwasher.

Andrea and Brandon came over for a while after her doctor's appointment, it was nice to see and visit with them for a little while.

After they left, Kathleen and I took off for Tigard to get her ring cleaned and inspected. She gets that done about every six months. While we were over in that part of town, we stopped by Bridgeport village. We spent most of our time there in Crate and Barrel, Kathleen also went into a paper store and then we went into Coldwater Creek.

By the time we got done there it was time to meet our financial advisors for a dinner at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant (M&S Grill). I had crab and shrimp stuffed salmon and Kathleen had a steak, but they had Jake's clam chowder and lots of good appetizers before the main meal came out. Then for dessert they had three little custard cups on a large plate, one had a hot black berry and blue berry tart with ice cream on top, another had Crème Brûlée and the third had a chocolate moose with whipped cream on top.

Needless to say, I was quite stuffed by the time we were done. After the meal we both had a cappuccino and that took whatever room I had left in my stomach. We finally got home about 2145, so we were gone a little over six hours, which by far has been my longest outing since I started the radiation therapy.

Well, it is late and I am tired so I am just going to say, good night!

A Tenious Tuesday

Looking back I probably should not have made the chili yesterday. Not only was I up a good portion of last night it continued on through today, and while it has slowed down a little, I still am not back to "normal".

Anyway, after getting up this morning I had breakfast and emptied the dishwasher before going into the living room to read the paper and the mail. I went out to bring the garbage can back from the front after the pickup and then again to gather up the recycling box after the recycling truck picked up our plastic, metal and plastic recycling.

I did wander outside a coupe other times, but the weather kept threatening to rain although most of the day it was just a drizzle, not even enough to get the driveway wet. It was just nasty enough that I did not feel like doing anything outside so I vacuumed the downstairs.

Beside the weather, I just did not feel very good, so I sat around most of the day. Around 1300 I made myself some lunch consisting of some roast beef slices Limburger cheese, some dill pickle slices and some horse radish and made a sandwich out of some harvest bread.

I took a nap again today about 1330 until about 1530, I did feel a little better, but the chili was still playing with me. Kathleen heated up some Tatar tots and we had the left over salmon and salads from the deli. There still is enough salmon and salads left over for another meal, maybe tomorrow's lunch.

Well, today has been a rather unproductive day, I think I will just say good night and officially call it a day.

A Marvelous Monday

I did get a pretty decent night sleep last night, and I was not nearly as tired as I had been the last couple of days. I took the towels downstairs with me when I went and picked up the towels from the downstairs bathroom and kitchen and then loaded them all into the washing machine. After breakfast, I put the towels into the dryer and then went into the living room to read the paper and mail.

By the time I got done with the paper the towels were dry so I took them out and folded them and put them away. Then I took the paper and junk mail and put them into the paper recycling bag and took it out to the front pouch so that I could take it out to the curb, (we do not really have a curb, but it sounds impressive) for pick up tomorrow. I use to put it out the night before, but I have had the papers gone through and even the whole bag taken so I do not do it until it is day light on the day of the pick-up.

Then I went outside and mowed the front, back, sides, neighbor’s front lawn and the driveway strip on the neighbors to the west of ours. I rested before doing the back yard, I still get really tired quickly and I am trying not to over due.

After finishing the back yard, I got the spreader out and the Scott's turf builder plus moss control and put it on the whole lawn. I had tried killing the moss earlier this spring, but it did not do a total job, so I thought that I would give it another try.


After putting the spreader and the remaining fertilizer back into the garage, I went into the house and got cleaned up. It was about 1330 so I thought that I would make myself something to eat, so I started to boil some water and put some dry chili mix into it. It had a cook time of almost a half hour, so I got out some dark rye, some roast beef slices, the Limburger cheese, and some horse radish and made a sandwich.

To top it off I also had a kosher dill pickle and by the time I finished the sandwich, the chili was ready. I had about half of it and then decided to go upstairs to take a nap. I slept until just about 1700, so that shows that I still need to nap everyday.

When I do not take time to nap, I usually feel it in the next day or two, so I am learning to stop and take a nap. It really breaks up my day, but right now it is just something that I have to do.

Tonight Kathleen made some wild sockeye salmon, orzo and peas, it was really good. I really like salmon, but I really, really like fresh wild salmon. We ate about of the salmon, so we will have it again some other day.

Well, that is all I can think about tonight, I am not as tired as I have been this time of the evening, but I know that I do not have a lot of energy. Some how I need to figure out a way to build up my energy level and have some kind of reserve energy for when I need it. I guess that is all for tonight, good night!

Surprisingly Sunny Sunday

I woke up this morning and felt pretty good, not really overly rested, but better than I had Saturday morning. So I got ready to go to Sunday School this morning, Kathleen went as well, and it was the first time that we had been there since the middle of January.

As we were leaving, Kathleen asked me if I felt like going grocery shopping, I was starting to feel tired, so I said not really. We had not brought our shopping list or coupons so that was another good reason for not going.

I sorted the clothes out and then did a load of light colored clothes. Kathleen heated up some clam chowder for lunch and afterwards I finished reading the paper. When I got done with the paper I took the light clothes out of the dryer, took them upstairs, folded and put them away. Before I took the light clothes upstairs I put the dark clothes into the dryer. After the dark clothes finished I took them upstairs, folded them and put them away.

Then I decided that I was tired enough that I needed a nap, so I took a nap and Kathleen took off to pick up her prescriptions and do a little grocery shopping. She got home about 1800 and I had been up for a while, but at least I did get a little rest. Before she got home I emptied the dishwasher that Kathleen had run last night.

Kathleen had stopped at the deli and picked up a few salads, so that is what we had for dinner. Well, I did not do a lot today, I hope that with a good night sleep tonight, I will feel a little more energetic tomorrow as it is suppose to be a relatively nice day.

Well, I cannot think of anything else to write home about so good night.

I knew that I was tired last night, but when I slept until 0830 this morning I really knew it. I was still tired, when one considers that I had slept for about nine hours, and wound up taking a three hour nap this afternoon.

Once I got up, I made myself an egg and soy sausage sandwich, the made myself some coffee and headed to the living room to read the paper and mail. There was a fair amount of mail, and not all of it was junk mail, so it took a while to get through it there was even a magazine for me to read.

It had started to rain again, so going outside to do anything was kind of out of the question, so I sat in my chair and rested for a while longer. The faucet in the downstairs bath tub had bee dripping most of the week, so I shut off the hot water to it and proceeded to change it. Then I cleaned up one of the draws in the vanity that seems to always collect junk.

Kathleen was in the kitchen making some oatmeal, raisin and dried cherry cookies and when I looked at the clock, I noticed that it was after 1300, so I went into the kitchen to see what I could find to have for lunch; I wound up making some broccoli cheddar soup.

It was a dry mix, that we must have had forever, but I am always willing to try things, so I mixed it up and heated it up, it did not taste all that great, but it was not bad either. I added a little Tabasco sauce to spice it up a little, and that helped a lot. I did not finish it so into the refrigerator it went.

Doing lunch must have worn me out because I got so tired that I headed upstairs to take a nap. I had not had one in a couple days, mostly because it was so nice outside that I just did not take the time to do it. In my condition now, I think that I really need the nap time. I hate to say that but I really notice the difference when I do not get one.

I think that is one of the reasons that I was so tired today. Anyway, I got up about 1900 and asked Kathleen if she thought of anything for dinner, she suggested soup, so she heated up a can of soup and then I finished the broccoli cheddar from lunch.

Well, I did not get much of anything constructive done today, but I feel better than I did earlier in the day. Since I cannot think of anything else to write about, I will just say good night.

Fabulous Friday

I am way too tired to be writing this, but I thought that I would give it a try anyway. Today was another really nice spring day, so after breakfast, reading the paper and the mail, I decided to go out side and do some work around the yard.

I mowed the back yard, it was not nearly as long as I expected it to be, but it still needed mowing. After that I decided that since I edged the front yard earlier in the week, I should at least start doing the back yard.

I spent a couple hours and did the back rose garden and then got about half way around the berry garden, and then I tackled the little rose garden. By the time I finished that I was getting tired, so I got one of the Adirondack chairs out and sat down for a few minutes to rest.

I could not sit there very long, as I kept thinking of all the things I needed to get done, so I drug the chipper out and started chipping branches, I am in the process of taking out the Mugo pine, so I cut up several of those branches and then did some branches that have been leaning up against the apple tree for several years.

I am sure that I had saved them for something, but I could not remember what it was not, so I thought that it could not have been that important, so into the chipper they went.

Kathleen had come out and told me that I was going to Aaron and Tami's for dinner tonight, so I finished the stack that I had and then put the chipper away. By the time I got into the house it was almost 1800, and I was suppose to be at their house by 1830, so I washed my hands, arms and face and called it good.

Aaron barbecued some hamburgers and a Boca burger for me and Tami made a lemon cake for dessert. Everything tasted so good, but I was so tired that I could hardly enjoy, it but I did. Becca and Alexis sat on my lap while we waited for dinner to get finished, and were trying to get me to play games with them, but I could hardly move, so we went outside and tossed the ball to Archie.

Well, I just got home and now I am more tired than I have been for a while, but it sure was nice to spend the whole day outside. I got so busy that I did not even get lunch today, but I can afford to miss a few meals every now and again.

That is all I can think of for today, so good night for today, tomorrow the rain is suppose to return again.

Turn-about Thursday

Wow, what a difference a day makes! As nasty as the last couple of day have been today was completely on the other side of the weather spectrum. After eating and reading the paper and mail I spent most of the rest of the day outside.

When I first went outside, I pulled some ivy from under the fir trees, than after the grass dried I mowed the front lawn. I was going to work out in the back yard pulling weeds, but I realized that the front lawn had not had any edging done to it other than the driveway, that I did the other day.

So I weeded and edged the garden and then the eastern border and than around the walnut tree. After I did that I decided to that I needed to cut and pull the ivy off the one walnut tree where it had really taken over.

It took probably an hour or so, but I cut and pulled down all the ivy from about five feet and up. My next project will be to finish pulling it off and work on the west side of the driveway to rid it of the ivy that has pretty taken over that area.

I did transplant a rhododendron that I started by placing dirt on one of the lower branches and it rooted itself. I also transplanted a couple bachelor button plants to the west side of the driveway.

By the time I got done it was 1545 so I had been out there about five hours, I did not feel overly tired, but I definitely knew that I was rapidly running out of energy. So I cleaned up and sat down in my chair where I dozed for a little bit.

Kathleen heated up the halibut fish and chips from the restaurant yesterday. She heated it up in our convection oven so the fries did not get soggy and the halibut stayed nice and crisp as well.

Well, I think that I have pretty much covered my day today. Over-all I do feel much better; I just do not have a lot of energy or residual endurance to get a lot done. With that said, I will just say good night.

A Wild Wednesday

This is day two of our wild weather, yesterday it was nice one minute and then raining the next. Anyway, I slept in until 0830 this morning and was still tired, but I knew that I would not be getting back to sleep.

This morning after finishing reading the paper, I went outside and pulled some ivy up and was going to move some more gravel, but it started to get rather dark out, so I went back into the house and just after I did, it started to rain. It did not last too long, just long enough that it got everything wet again.

About noon I decided to go outside and try to get the front lawn mowed, and just as I was about to go out the door it started to rain again, so much for mowing.

Kathleen and I had planned to go out for lunch today, so about 1315 we took off, it was the first time we had been anyplace to eat outside of a quick burger since I started the radiation treatments. We both had halibut fish and chips, it was really good, but we both left two chunks of fish, so that means, I will have it someday for lunch.

Just after we left the restaurant it started to rain really hard and it was even a little slushy. So I knew that even if we got home I would not be able to mow, as everything was just too soaked.

Afterwards we stopped at Costco to pick up some items for the coupon book that was just about expired. I was doing pretty well, but by the time we were done I was ready for a nap. Once home, I emptied the SUV and that is about all I could handle. If it had been earlier, I probably would have tried to take a nap, but I knew that if I did go to sleep, I would be up too late tonight.

I did however sit down in my chair and doze for a while and felt a little better when I got up. Kathleen asked me what I wanted heated up so I suggested the pasta from last night. It was kind of like a casserole, and tasted better the next day, there was not a lot there, so I also had a bowl of cottage cheese to top it off, now I am ready to take another nap.

I did not get anything done today, but I am really tired tonight, I think that I must have been running on fumes lately. Well, I think I will just sign of and say good night.

Tumultious Tuesday

I got up about 0730, not quite rested, but I knew that I would not be getting any more sleep and would just become more tired by staying in bed. I tried oatmeal again this morning, oatmeal was what I had for breakfast last Wednesday, and so I was not too sure how my system would respond to it. So far it has been okay.

After breakfast, I emptied the dishwasher and put them away, and then I put the dishes from last night into it as well as the dishes from my breakfast. Then I went in and read the paper and the mail. When I went into the mud room to recycle the paper and mail, I realized that I had not taken the towels out of the dryer yesterday, so I unloaded the dryer and folded and put away the towels.

Then I went outside and turned the composter a couple times. It is gear driven so it turns rather easily and does a good job of mixing the compost to promote good composting. Then I went inside and made myself some lunch, I heated up a can of chicken gumbo soup and added the left-over rice and chicken from the other night to give the soup some more body. Yummy, I really enjoy gumbo.

After resting for a while, while it rained, I decided to go out and move some gravel to some of the low spots in the front of the driveway. So I got out my garden-way cart and a shovel and rake and moved about four carts full of gravel and smoothed out most of it. I was getting tired and the sky was getting threatening looking, so I packed everything up and put them back into the garage and headed into the house.

After cleaning up, I decided to go upstairs and take a nap, I wound up sleeping for about an hour and a half, and I did feel much better afterwards. Once back downstairs, I decided to change the beta's water, I had already filled a couple pitchers of water and added the anti-chlorine drops to it so I brought the beta's vase into the kitchen and scooped him out.

Then I proceeded to scrub the inside of the vase to get the algae out, and then I washed off the bamboo plants that I keep in the vase to get any algae off it as well. Next I added the water and then the beta. Once it is over with I think he enjoys having clean water, he is not wild about the initial process though.

After taking the vase back to the living room, I feed the beta, and he swam around in appreciation. It was raining again so even if I had the energy I could not have gone outside, so I went into the living room and rested some more.

After it stopped raining again, I went back outside and turned on the composter again, I had not done it yesterday, so I thought that it probably would not hurt to do it twice today. Kathleen came downstairs shortly after I got back inside and started to make some spaghetti for dinner tonight.

She used noodles and added some grapes to the sauce and it really gave it a good taste. Well, I have put the dishes into the dishwasher and now I am getting ready to settle in for tonight. I am too tired to do much of anything else, so I think that I will just say good night.