CLIFFS STUFF

July 4^th   This morning Barbara was busy getting food together for the gathering at Caren and Ron’s place this afternoon. I spent time getting some checks written and balancing the check book. I got it close enough. Paid some bills online, I’m getting to where that becomes much easier than it was when I first began. Sure beats all of the work when mailing a check. I sent Melvin printed out copies of my blog for the past two weeks, missing the 31^st, perhaps I didn’t post anything that day.

Barb, Bill and I went to Ron and Caren’s place for hamburgers and hot dogs this afternoon. The food was great and I took a few pictures of Symen who is now walking everywhere, especially where he should not be. It takes both Ron and Caren to keep him in sight. Tammy arrived about half an hour after we did but she did not stay long after eating because she needed some sleep before reporting for work tonight. The three of us got back to the house at 4PM and Bill discovered he had misplaced his medicine that was due at 4:30. Caren had some extras at her house so she brought them over when she delivered my camera that I had left on the deck. After she arrived Bill found his medicine in his pocket. Poor Bill. He went upstairs and took a short nap then arrived back feeling much better and planted himself in the living room with me to watch NASCAR for the early evening. Barbara joined us but she seemed a bit pooped and was ready for bed at her regular time of 9PM.

          3^rd.

This morning I vacuumed out the car, I didn’t realize it when I drove it yesterday how much dust had collected inside from that paint facility. At least now when I pat the seats I don’t see a cloud of dust swirling around me.

Barbara drove into Longview to get Bill for the weekend. She returned about 6:30 with him and a trunk load of groceries. In the meantime I moved some hay bales around in the barn trying to find room for another small load that is expected to arrive one day next week. I also spent two hours at the river reading a good book. Didn’t catch any fish, needless to say. In the afternoon the sun started to lower in the sky and reflect off the water making the temperature go up so I came home.

Barbara called a few people today to wish them a happy Fourth of July and Bill watched TV. I woke up from a nap about 8:30 PM and got a bite of food before getting on my PJ’s and watching TV until I got sleepy enough to go to bed.

          2^nd I met Terri at noon for lunch then later in the day we looked at another motor home in Canby. It was after 7PM that we left the house of the owner and drove to Outback for dinner. I didn’t get home until

11pm. Barbara was fast asleep and it was not long after that that I was too.

July first

          I poked around the house until about 1:45 when I left for Vancouver to pick up my newly painted car. I was back by 4PM. The car looks good and there is no sign of that damage to the drivers side door. I had the car painted the original color so after the pain cures for a year or two it will be a gook looking older automobile

          Barbara was home from her running around about 5:30 and we spent the evening watching TV in between her phone ringing off the hook for no special reason. She told me Ron took 600 MG of coumadin this evening per doctor orders. Seem like a lot to me but what do I know.

30^TH  Barbara had an appointment with the state auditors at ten am at City Hall. While she was gone I spent some time in the corn patch weeding out between the corn plants. That is good exercise but the bigger job awaits me in the barn. There is an area in the back of the barn that Ron did not fill with hay so I must move the bales from their present location into that area so there will be room for more hay that is to arrive in a few days. I also installed a better sprinkler in the garden so it all gets watered when the faucet is turned on.

Chief Bob stopped by for a short meeting with the Mayor this afternoon. Crazy ChiChi went ballistic, as he usually does when anyone gets near the front door. I broke up some doggie treats for Bob to toss toward the doggie and all became quiet. I went back to my room and continued my reading.

Caren phoned about 5pm to let us know that Ron is still in recovery after his procedure today. It has been determined that by-pass surgery may be in the cards for him one day next week. The doctors are not sure  stints will do the job that is the reason for today’s procedure to be cut short.

Barbara left about 5:30 to attend a pot-luck so ChiChi and I continued our reading and relaxing. She returned about 7:30 with a piece of fried chicken that I was happy to relieve her of. Just before 8:00 Judy and Dave stopped by to see the new carpet in Barbs bedroom. I was in the middle of watching a movie so I stayed with that and went to bed soon after if ended. Dave and Judy left after a long visit with Barbara.  I failed to mention that Tammy had stopped by earlier in the day to pull weeds from the corn patch. It's looking good out there!

29^th  Barbara left before 8AM to get her hair done and was home again by 9:30. She was on the phone immediately arranging her day then checking her email. She left at 10am to keep a HUD appointment regarding Bills living arrangements then at 2:45 it was on to a doctor appointment in Longview. She was back at 4:30 to report that HUD has decided to continue with Bills apartment assistance and the doctor told her she has gout in both feet. She also had the last of the stitches removed from her right knee. She said when she walked in the house that she was not sure she still lived here considering how much she has been gone the last few days.

While she was gone today I trimmed the evergreen bush near the front windows and cut back on that ‘bushy’ thing she has growing at the corner of the garage. I tossed the cuttings over the fence thinking the cows might be interested but I never saw any response from them.

Barbara got a phone call this evening warning her that a load of hay might be on the way so I went to the barn to make sure the path was clear to the ‘stacking’ area. The ground floor is OK but there is too much junk in the upper loft to store hay. I imagine the barn will be stuffed full. My hope is that whoever stacks it leaves a path toward the manger so I can get the hay to the animals. They appear to be ready for hay because when they saw me heading that direction they came running looking for a free meal.

28^th I was on my way to Portland by 11 AM. Barbara had left for church around 10:00.  During the day she took Bill home and when I returned at 7PM she was mowing Mel’s front yard with the lawn tractor. We talked for a minute and decided to put off out Sunday evening popcorn and movie until 8PM. She got back in the house just in time. Right after she arrived Caren stopped by with Ashton for a few minutes and after they left we popped the corn and watched ‘Dennis The Menace’ We were about an hour behind schedule so we got to bed a bit late.

27^TH   Ron stopped by before noon to cut ½ half inch off the bottom of the doors in Barbara’s bedroom. Now they all close properly. It was a big job because of those accordion doors on the closet. It took a while for us to get them properly lined up.  I used up enough energy to have called the whole experience exercise time for the entire day. After he left Barbara took Bill to a local hamburger drive-in for hamburgers. They were gone long enough to have gone inside and eaten but when they did return they had the food with them. Barbara said they sat in line most of the afternoon waiting for their food.

Earlier in the day I had fed a few more mole hills in the back yard and sprayed more dandelion plants in the lawn. The water tanks for the cows are now full again. That will last a couple of days then I will return to do it again. I also took a long  nap this afternoon. I have been doing a lot of that lately, talk about lazy summer days.

About 6PM Barbara got a phone call telling her about a group who was getting together for the heck of it so she decided to join them and left soon after. Billy and I watched Seattle Baseball on TV.

26^th              Barbara had new carpet installed in her bedroom today. She noticed that the light blue color did not match the color of the light green walls but it did not seem to upset her too much. Now both the closet doors and the bedroom door to the hallway are too short and must be cut back a half inch or so. I drove my car to Vancouver for new paint and to have that dent in the door repaired. About 1:30 I went to my room to read for a while and woke up a few minutes before 4:00.

 Ron has an appointment for a stint implant next Tuesday. I consider that a good thing, I wish that had happened to me rather than the 5-way bypass surgery.

 Barbara drove in to Longview to pick up Bill and deliver him here for the weekend. She left at 4PM and returned about an hour later. She had prepared a large pot of chicken and noodles earlier in the day and Bill was happy to dive into that shortly after he arrived. This evening Seattle Baseball came on TV at 7:00 so we joined the rest of the viewers in the Great Northwest and watched the game.

25^th              I left the house at 8:30 for my protime check and then drove to Portland to meet Terri for lunch and to take in a movie. After the movie we went to our favorite Borders Bar for a drink then I drove home. I got back about 7PM. Barbara had done some running around today too and this evening Judy came over to finish going through stuff out of that closet Barbara wanted cleaned out. She was gone when I arrived and Barbara was relaxing in front of a Portland Baseball game on TV.

24^th Barbara puttered around the house until 11am then drove to City Hall to see what was going on there. ChiChi and I spent some time on the computer and calculator attempting to find out what it might cost for Terri and I to take a drive to Alaska and back.

          After Barbara returned Chief Bob arrived with one of his officers for a talk with the Mayor. Barbara then left again about 3PM to have lunch/dinner with her regular Wednesday afternoon group. She also stopped by the hospital to leave another deposit of blood for analyzing. The doctor had phoned her yesterday asking her to do that. Something about her thyroid she said. She got home about 5:30 and got caught up with her waiting phone messages before settling down to watch Seattle Baseball until bed time. I had washed the car earlier in the day because I heard there was a 20% chance of rain tomorrow and I am going to Portland after my Pro-time test in the morning. Terri and I are going to talk about that Alaska trip.

23^rd              Terri and I drove to Astoria today for lunch. I got home at 8PM. Barbara had gone into town to a doctor appointment and forgot to take her walker or a cane so she picked up Bill and had him push her around the hospital in a wheel chair. He seemed to enjoy doing that for his mom. Barbara has promised herself to put an extra cane in the car for any future emergencies like that. She and Bill also went grocery shopping and she did fine because she had the shopping cart to lean on. She has strength in her legs but hanging on to something seems to help her balance.

22^nd              I drove to Bud Clary Body shop this morning to see about getting my door fixed. That ladies insurance company is going to have to come up with $1300 for repair. Body work is out of this world in price! The man assured me he will be able to match the paint but he can’t start on it until next Monday and wants 4 days to do the work. I also asked him how much he would charge to paint the entire car and he said $2500. They sure do not want to do many paint jobs. It appears I will also get a rental car free of charge for the four days, that is nice if I have any running around I wish to do.

                    Barbara visited city hall this morning to see what mischief she could get into. She left about noon. After she returned she loaded Bills stuff into her car and delivered him home. I left shortly after 3PM to check out another repair shop for my car door. When I returned at 4:30 I found Barbara at Mels place mowing the lawn. I have no idea what that was all about, Tammy does a good job keeping things up around there. I guess Barbara was just trying to let the world know she is alive and feeling good.

Wearing herself out is the way I see it.

                    Bonny and her Grandson stopped by shortly before 7PM but they did not stay long because Barb had to leave to attend a meeting at City Hall. ChiChi and I watched TV until ten o’clock and went to bed. I don’t know what time Barb arrived.

21^st   Barbara cooked up some chicken wings today, she did a good job on them. I think Billy ate three full plates full of everything and had a Pepsi afterward. He can really put away the food. I held back in anticipation of our Sunday night popcorn and movie but still ate too much. The movie was sort of fluffy but fun. The popcorn did not turn out as well as I would have liked, that happens once in a while.

20^TH  I attempted to contact the insurance company of the lady who ‘kissed’ the drivers side door of my car yesterday but the offices are closed to non-members so I will wait till Monday and try again. The damage was slight [the paint was not even cracked] but the footprint of an SUV’s rear bumper is large so I want to get it pulled out. In the meantime I have more pictures taken at the cemetery yesterday to incorporate into the video I am making for Terri. I discovered yesterday that Art Huntington’s ashes are a few row’s from Terri’s parents.

          I phoned Ron and told him that the drill motor he loaned me the other day doesn’t work. He said he’d come and get it and take it home. I forgot to tell him it doesn’t work because I dropped it five feet onto a concrete floor. I sure feel bad about that. Ron has an appointment at ST. Vincent’s next Friday for a treadmill test that he failed a few days ago. Lucky guy, I wish I had failed mine a couple of months before my heart attack in 2003.

          Judy arrived late this afternoon to continue her closet cleaning work. Barbara was right there with her and they spent over two hours deciding what should be taken out of the house and what Barbara might wish to hang on to for several more years. Just before they gave up for the day Tammy arrived after a two day visit to Yakima to visit with Mel. She had stopped at a fruit stand in Yakima and picked up a bunch of things that she was sharing with us. She looked worn out and ready for a long night of rest. Actually she got home only a short time before she had to report for work tonight. Sadie was very happy to see her and left when she did.

          Judy left shortly after 7pm and Barbara was happy to collapse in front of the TV for a while before going to bed at about her regular time.

19^th   I left around 9:30 and got home about 7:30. I had gone to Portland to visit with Terri for the day. Our plan was to drive to the beach but she saw a 22 toot motor home at the side of the road with a for sale sign on it and by the time we found the owner and took a test drive we only had time for lunch and a drive back to Portland.

          Billy was here when I arrived so I know Barb had gone into Longview to bring him out for the weekend. She went to bed about 8:30 and I was in bed by 9PM.

18^th                        Barbara cooked up a great stew in the crock-pot this morning and I spent a length of time in the yard getting my daily exercise. This evening about 6PM she hopped back on the mower and finished mowing the yard. I thought she had completed that job yesterday but apparently not. While she was doing that I vacuumed out the inside of her car, l that had not been done for at least 5 years so you can imagine what an improvement I made. Barbara also drove into Castle Rock to check in at City Hall. She told me after she got back that she had signed the final papers so that the city can now start building the new boat launch north of town. That will please Mel. I expect it to bring more business to the city too.

Wednesday 17^th  Barbara was going strong today, she mowed the lawn and then came in for a shower. That lawn mower is a lot of fun according to her but it does take some effort. The place looks pretty good though, she did a good job. After she showered she jumped in  the car and headed to the Rose Tree Restaurant to meet her Wednesday afternoon gang for lunch/dinner.

Judy arrived about 5:20 to continue working on the closet cleaning job Barbara gave her. Barbara arrived five minutes later and joined in the festivities. I went in the computer room with the barking doggie and we played on the puter. Judy left after two hours of working. She hauled the stuff out to her car with plans to use what she can and to take the rest to Goodwill. Barbara looked pretty pooped out but said she was feeling good.

Barbara had an appointment with her doctor in Portland at noon today. She was to have her carotid artery examined. The doctor told her she would be in a twilight sleep. I dropped her off at the doctors office and then went to meet Terri at Borders. As it turns out she had what is called a T.E.E.. After the procedure she was told that her heart does not seem to be much worse for wears than it was when the baseline exam was made five years ago. That cheered her up but she still wonders why she needs her walker on a daily basis. She is definitely not steady on her feet. We were home by 5:30 and not long after that she left to visit Ron and Caren for dinner. After she returned she sat in front of the TV for a while until the phone rang and after about ten minutes with that she felt tired enough to go to bed. It was 8:30, a little earlier than usual, but it was a trying day for her.

15^th                        Barb left right after breakfast to get her hair done. After she returned she started bagging things up for Goodwill then left at 10 am to deliver Bill to his place before delivering the bags. She had some more running around to do after that. I stayed inside working on the puter. When she returned she had some groceries in the trunk of the car. I brought them in for her and put away those things that I knew where to put. At 3PM Chief Bob stopped by for a visit. Barbara left at 7PM to attend a city meeting; while she was gone I replaced the hinge on the gate between this place and the field in back, I think I put it on upside down because the gate only opens half way. That’s good enough until someone complains then I will tell them to fix it their way.

Barbara returned from her meeting at 8:00 and immediate received a phone call. She was still on the phone when I went to bed at 9PM.

14^th Barbara went to church this morning, I played on the computer most of the day. This afternoon Ron came by to till the corn and Barbara rode around on the lawn mower. Billy followed her and emptied the cuttings container as they got full. Later in the day I went out and sprayed a lot of dandelion plants in the lawn. There are not too many of them in the front yard these days but they are coming up pretty well everywhere else. One of these days the entire yard will be as clean as the front. It has taken about two years to get them out of the front yard, perhaps two more will get the entire yard cleaned up. This afternoon we watched a movie then the basketball game came on so we gathered around the TV for that. LA won so we turned on a movie that ran until 9pm. That was after we had had our popcorn and cheese. At 9:00 both Barb and Bill ran off to bed. I stayed up to clean up the mess I had made making the popcorn and to type this out for all of my readers.

13^th    I accomplished nothing today. I spent the whole day on the puter putting the video together that I recorded yesterday. It is a slow process. Barbara had an easy day of it too except she and Billy went to the market then this afternoon she cooked up a whale of a meal for us. She just insists on doing what she has always done. This afternoon and evening she was able to relax with the TV for several hours though. I think she is beginning to feel it is time to take it easy, those 73 years are telling on her. I went to bed early, Barbara was still watching the ball game.

12^th                        Barbara and I both had things to do today, She left the house about 9:30 to get stitches removed from her knee injury and I left shortly after that to attend the Memorial Service for Terri’s parents. The radar picture showed no rain for miles around the area. I was hoping that would not change as I drove out of the driveway.

Actually, the day turned out to be warm and mostly sunny. I took lots of video and still pictures. Tomorrow I will start editing the mess and try to make something presentable out of it. Barbara had her doctor tell her that her stitches had best wait for a few more days. There is a little infection and he wants to treat that first.  She then drove by Billy’s place and picked him up to stay out here for the weekend. I returned home about 7:15 and watched Seattle baseball with Barb and Billy. Seattle lost and we were all tired enough to call it a day. At one point during the day Barbara and Caren also picked out new carpet for Barb’s bedroom, it is to be installed in a couple of weeks or so.

            11^th Dave came by again today. He had some city business papers that Barbara had to sign. They had phoned earlier asking her about them and she requested they bring them to her. She also had some running around to do in Longview and that was a big part of her being so tired and just wanting to take things easy. Judy had told her she was coming by around 1pm to clean out her closets and take things to the church but she did not arrive until 5PM, way too late for Barbara because she was so tired but Barbara never said a word. They worked cleaning out Barb’s bedroom closet and boxing up the stuff. Judy left about 7:45 with the back of her suv full of boxes. Barbara ended up doing a lot more today than she should have. Tomorrow she has an appointment with the doctor to get the stitches removed from her knee so that is going to keep her busy too.

            All I accomplished today was filling the cows water tank and washing my car. I’m going to Portland tomorrow to take pictures at Terri’s Parents Memorial service and I wanted to make sure the car was clean. Rain is expected but I am going to be an optimist one more time.

10^th.  Dave, the City Engineer stopped by this morning to bring Barb up to date on some city stuff. He was here about 30 minutes. ChiChi was upset at first but he settled down shortly and caused no  problems for the rest of the stay. Barbara left about 1:30 today to attend her Wednesday afternoon luncheon with her gang. She left a bit earlier than usual though: she had an appointment for her blood thinner test.

            Judy stopped by for a while this evening and visited with Barb. By 7:30 Barb was out riding the mower around getting more of the lawn cut. I was surprised because there was a Seattle Baseball game on TV. She came in before the game ended and after watching for a while went to bed. She usually turns the game on in her bedroom and falls asleep.