The New Water Cooler
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Last night we went to Omaha for a meal at Caitlin and Christian’s house. It looks like they got a great little place. Cute and good bones. Met their new puppy Teddy. He’s a little poodle mix. Part poodle part King James Cavalier. Even though the last appointment with her neurosurgeon team was the stable answer, she still has a lot of symptoms to deal with (headaches, vision problems etc) and just knowing she has a tumor that will probably get worse. Their life is likely looking different. I know they wanted kids but I wonder if they will now. For me it sure would be hard to go there with the uncertainty. Anyway. One day at a time.
Nothing different with Michele. I guess she just plans on acting like all the weird of the last year didn’t happen. She still doesn’t talk about her work. Won’t have a real conversation with me. I’ll just keep it at her level. It still feels like she’s waiting for me to do something, but I’m still of the opinion I didn’t make it weird. It’s tearing me up not having her to talk to. But I’m not going to beg
Thought Bernie was taking me back to Omaha today for a lunch date but it’s noon and he’s just now showering. Guess not
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The cocktail I had was apple rum, triple sec, Cabernet, cranberry juice and sprite. So good0
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So is Caitlin's tumor inoperable? Is there any treatment for it? What does the doctor say again?
You and your sister seem to be on opposite pages. She thinks you need to break the ice and you feel she is the one with the issue, whatever it is? I hope you can both have a heart to heart at some point.
I went to visit Sarah at the nursing home this morning. She had an accident and peed her pants. It was on the floor too. I found someone to clean her up and the floor too. I don't know how often that happens.
Rory and Hannah adopted an English and French Bulldog mix. He looks like an English and is the size of one. They brought him home this morning. We are waiting to meet him on Face Time but he is anxious and settling in to his new surroundings so we may talk to them tomorrow instead. His name is Hugo and he is about 4 years old.
Quiet weekend here.0 -
Awe Hugo. Bulldogs are great.0
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Hugo is scared and laying in his kennel most of the time with the door open. He has stepped out to eat this morning and has gone out on his leash to pee. He will not poop yet. They think he was abused by males as a young pup. He was found in a Mpls suburb and put in a shelter. Then he went to a foster home and was there 3 weeks until Rory and Hannah adopted him. He is cautious and has to learn to trust them. He got out of his collar and leash and bolted yesterday. Rory chased him and Hannah finally got him to come to her and get a treat.
I rode 12 miles today to work my knee. Russ and I finally set up the irrigation in the garden so we can water when we are gone. It is going to be high 80's and 90's in Mpls when we are there. I don't miss that day to day heat.
I have lots to do this week to get ready for the trip.
How are you doing?0 -
oh, poor baby. It will take a lot of patience to get him to feel safe. I hope they are up to the challenge, he will be great if they can get there.
The way I understood it with Caitlin's tumor/situation. Since it is on/near the pineal gland that is a particularly difficult area to address and since at the moment it is somewhat stable the team has decided to do the watchful waiting. Although it is likely it will grow/change at some point and then options will be revisited.
I thought Bernie was taking me out for a special lunch Saturday. I was mistaken. I just hate getting my hopes up.
Glad fireworks are done.
Bernie said my dad told him that he is getting his knee done. That is going to be such a disaster. He just doesn't get that you have to do a lot of work afterward to make it work. And I bet he'll have to go to a rehab facility, because mom won't be able to take care of him. He'll need help walking, toileting, etc and she doesn't have the strength. Whatever. He thinks surgery will make everything better.0 -
Hugo jumped up on the couch to cuddle with Rory and Hannah yesterday. Progress...
How old is your Dad? I can't imagine having a knee replacement in my 80's but people do it. If he doesn't do the work, it won't be a great outcome but may relieve pain of the bone to bone impact when walking.
I'm sorry you didn't get your lunch out with Bernie. Did he promise and forget?
I hope your niece's prognosis is for a positive outcome.
I did some shopping in our small town today for gifts to take to Mpls. Lots of people and few parking spaces. This time of year it is full of tourists! Good for the local businesses.0 -
Good discussion at book club last night about Orphan Train. Second time I read it in 11 years and enjoyed it so much more this time around.
Gearing up for Mpls trip. Laundry, bake a loaf of bread for niece who is feeding my sourdough starter, errands, and beginning to pack today. Tomorrow, finish packing, go to Traverse City for small cherry gifts for people hosting us, and out to dinner so we don't have to cook and clean up the kitchen. We will leave early Friday morning so we arrive between 2:30 and 3pm MN time.
My perennials I planted a couple of years ago are starting to do well. Russ' wildflower meadow has some annuals blooms. Perennials won't appear until next season.
What is new in NE besides extreme heat? Mpls will be a bear for us since we have had a cool summer so far.0 -
Let’s see… my folks are 82 and overall in below average health. In my opinion.
I’m so glad Hugo joined them on the couch. Great progress. Always will have to keep in mind the bulldogs character of the breed. Very stubborn. But still awesome. Hope it goes well.
Sitting at my hair appointment. Still mourning my thinning spot right at the front of my head
The wood floor is in from the store. Now to get the subcontractor out to get it installed in my room and then I can get my new bed in. I really want my new bed0 -
Rory and Hannah will get some good practice in with a stubborn bulldog. Just like parenting kids except they can't talk back in English.
I baked my bread. Not sure if the inside will be airy or too dense. Abby can throw it away if it is not good. I quickly visited Sarah at the nursing home today. She did most of the talking but none of the content made any sense. When I stood up to leave she said I'll walk out with you. At first I thought she was going to make the wheel chair go with her feet or arms, but then I realized she was going to stand up to walk. I went back in the room and told her she could not get up and walk with me. She asked "why?" I had to tell her she needed assistance from her husband or staff to walk. She got a look of defeat and stayed in her chair. It was a sad visit for me. It's getting harder to visit but I will continue to go because as a life long friend, I will not abandon her.
My laundry is done but I'm not yet motivated to fill my suitcase. I will do it in the morning. I'm such a procrastinator with packing, LOL! Tomorrow is vacuuming, packing, watering plants and garden and moving outside flower pots in the path of the sprinklers. I can't put these things off tomorrow because we will go to Traverse City in the afternoon.
Is your hair line receding or do you actually have round bald spots in the front? My hairline has receded and thinned in the front in the last 5 years.
82 isn't too old but if health is not good that is a factor in functioning. My sister Lynn is 73 but acts like she is 82+ due to her physical ailments. She has become very rigid in her thinking and does not considers other's ideas or suggestions. She is right!!!!0 -
I am packed! My niece picked up my sourdough starter to feed it for me next week. I've soaked my plants, wiped down the kitchen and just need to vacuum. Russ is sanitizing the washer and dishwasher (we do once a month now). I need to cut lettuce from the garden, pack lunches in Bento Boxes, dead head my perennials and put my flower pots in line with the sprinklers that we can turn on with an app to water. We will go to Traverse City for our errands and I will do that when we get home.
I hope you are having a good week. I'm going to pack my computer now so I will check in when we are in Mpls.0 -
Have a safe trip
I do have what I consider a small bald spot (right behind my bangs) and quite a bit of thinning. It started after my first bout of Covid and never fully came back. It’s not as bad as it was, but I miss my hair.
I’m sorry you had a tough visit with Sarah. It means a lot to her and her husband that you are there0 -
We made it here on Friday. Good to see the kids and Hugo is adjusting to his new home. He is a cutie. He really is a couch potato!!
This morning we are going out to brunch and to Hannah's nephew's 2nd bday party this afternoon. The theme is "Red, White and Two" so we are all wearing red, white and blue for the party. It will be 88 to 90 degrees so pretty hot and sweaty.
Russ and I went to a nice Target here yesterday and I found another King comforter like the one we bought in FL. Since Russ sat on ours with dirty jeans and I sprayed it with Shout to wash it (yellow spots appeared after washing), I bought another and also one for the guestroom for summer. They are lightweight cotton/linen and perfect weight for my hot flashes.
Finally a sunny day here. We had rain and storms yesterday but a sunny driving day on Friday.
My hair loss is finally slowing down. Having the short haircut helps since it is not long strands. Yours may come back but difficult to know what Covid's lasting effects are.
Off to brunch.0 -
The party was nice and we met more of Hannah's siblings and extended family. Her sister and husband live in the house he grew up in on the edge of his family's farm property. They have a beautiful view of corn fields, meadows, a small lake that is a bird sanctuary, and lots of big trees for shade. We all needed showers when we got home due to the humidity and heat.
This morning I am meeting a friend at Panera for coffee. I haven't seen her since we left MN and we use to work closely together for many years. We were on the evaluation team and were testing partners, work wives, and good friends. In the last few years before she retired we were doing different jobs within the program and drifted apart. It will be interesting to see how our visit goes. Other than Christmas and birthday cards and an occasional zoom once per year, we haven't talked.
I am hoping to see a couple other friends later today and then the luncheon my friend is having at her house is tomorrow. I will see quite a few friends there.
How is the heat in NE? What have you been up to besides work?
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glad you made it safely.
Give a big bulldog hug to Hugo for me. I don't think I want any more doggos full-time - but I will always have a soft spot for the bullies. Especially rescues.
This weekend was a lot of work clearing out my bedroom and tearing up the carpet so the wood floor can get laid today. Hopefully the sub-contractor is there (Bernie took the off to 'be around') and it is going in smooth. Fingers cross this goes well and we can start using some outside help and getting some projects done. It's still a ton of work just getting it ready.
The heat is pretty horrible. Our power went out for awhile overnight Friday and that made me extra anxious Saturday. But thankfully it stayed on. We still have at least another day of excessive heat warnings temps. Rough on folks and animals.
I threw caution to the wind (and my own statements I wouldn't do it again) and upgraded phones last week since I could get four new iphone 15's for free - hopefully it works out and I don't regret it. They arrived today - now we'll have to get with Caleb to retrieve his 'old' phone so we can put it with ours for the return. (and they get accepted back by Verizon without hassle and all the credits get applied - ha!
I'm sure something will go wonky.) He claimed he wanted the carpet out of my bedroom anyway so Bernie would have to take that to him.
Stay cool.0 -
How do you like your new floor? Is it wood or LVP?
I saw 3 friends yesterday and the retiree luncheon is today. I'm guessing about 7-8 of us? I talked on the phone with a couple of friends last night and I will see one of them Thursday. The other is still working and I don't have evenings to spare.
It isn't as hot here as we thought it would be. Today is the high 70's to 80 so I can live with that. The mosquitoes are thick due to all the rain they have had since spring.
Good deal on the new phones! I hope all goes smoothly.
Hugo is adjusting and doing pretty well. He is learning his routine and is adjusting to Rory. He attached to Hannah fast. What a couch potato!!
I hope you can hire out more projects too. In later years when you are still working, it is less stressful and quicker to hire out the work. It gets done fast and your home is livable. Also a marriage saver!
Have a great day!0 -
The luncheon was very nice. Dianne set up a salad bar with lots of toppings, dressings, different breads and these wonderful cookies for dessert. There were 10 of us and we ate and visited on the deck in the sun. The temps here are 70's and 80's so we got very lucky this week. Relief...
I went to happy hour after the luncheon and saw 6 more friends. We had a nice visit, appetizers and drinks but sat inside since the patio was total late afternoon sun.
Russ is going out to lunch with a friend and I am doing laundry and relaxing. Hannah's parents will come for dinner tonight and both the kids are working today.
I will see one more friend tomorrow and we head north to our friends' place Friday morning.
Hope you are having a good week.0 -
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Floor turned out very nice. I didn’t get enough pictures but it matches up to the wood in the main area nearly perfect. Bernie seemed good with the guy who did the work. I think I was more nitpicking than he was. Hopefully bodes well for getting more work done.
Still a ton of work for us though. Moving the furniture was a lot. We were 10 years younger the last time.
Sounds like a great trip so far.
Hugo hugs 🥰0 -
New drapes
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I think I wish they only went navy to gray, no white- but I think they’re not bad0
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Ugh glitched. All my stuff gone0
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I had a post about my new furniture arriving. It looks good and I like it. I will try to recreate it
Hopefully your trip is continuing to be great!0 -
Floor and drapes look good! Are you pleased? Home projects are so time consuming.
We just arrived home in the last hour. We had a good time in Mpls and saw lots of friends. It was great to see Rory and Hannah and meet Hugo. Our trip to our friends up north was fun too. We went on a pontoon ride, had a bonfire, talked, had a fish fry (Al fishes), and enjoyed catching up. We took two days to drive home through the U.P. of MI. We stayed the night in Marquette last night. Our hotel was right next to Lake Superior so we had a beautiful view from our room. We went out for dinner and then walked on the piers by the water. Pretty drive home today but two near misses with other cars driving carelessly and Russ going too fast. We stopped in Traverse at the grocery to pick up some things. It is hot and dry here. I watered my pots and garden every other day with the irrigation system from my app. The pots all died anyway. The garden is salvageable. I need to water and then pick sugar snap peas tomorrow. My lettuce grew back fast! I cut it before we left and took it to MN. It is at least 6" high again. I need to check the carrots too. I will do it tomorrow. Tired today and it is late afternoon.
Well time to relax. Frozen pizza for dinner and back on track this week. Too much wine and sweets on vacation.0 -
Our new water softener was put in today. We can adjust the level of softness so we will figure that over time. Raining today so I haven't harvested the garden or dealt with my dead flower pots. Tomorrow! I did make both queen beds and cleaned up some stuff in the bunk room down stairs. Tomorrow I will dust and Russ will vacuum. We will be ready for our two guests Thursday eve. They are staying one night.
I got my sourdough starter back from my niece today. I fed it and it is doing its thing.
Not much else is new. What about you?0 -
Glad you made it back safely and had a good time!
I am trying to get used to my new bed. I am enjoying playing with the adjustable mattress and sitting on it is comfortable, but I am struggling a bit with the sleeping. It’s firmer than I thought it would be. Hopefully it will ease up.
The heat is ramping up again this week. Yuck0 -
I went and bought more annuals at 50% off for my dead flower pots. Not as pretty as the first round but at least they look better than no pots. I harvested lettuce again today. I wonder if it will grow back a third time?
I just talked to a former coworker and friend who now lives in AZ. She had knee replacement a week ago. It is so interesting how different Ortho docs have different procedures and medicine preferences afterwards. Her meds are different than mine were post surgery. She is only taking Tylenol one week post surgery but had a nerve block and a pain pump for the first 3 days afterwards.
We are ready for tomorrow's company. They are only here for one night. Becky and Lynn come for dinner tomorrow night to visit with them. We grew up with them in Indiana when we were young. Our parents were good friends and our Dad's were fraternity brothers in college.
I need to start reading the book club book for our August meeting.0 -
Friday eve
Glad to get another week over0 -
I rode 15 miles on my bike yesterday to get my knee stronger and bending. Today I rode into Suttons Bay on the trail to visit Sarah at the nursing home. 4-5 miles round trip. She had a bruised face from falling and landing on her face. I think she was trying to get out of her wheel chair to get something and fell. She can't tell me because everything she says is a story that is not based on current reality.
I picked a lot of sugar snap peas from the garden. Some were on the vine too long so I left them. They tasted fiberous and tough. The cherry tomatoes are gradually ripening and taste really good. The tomatilloes are huge plants but won't be ready until mid to late August. Russ' wild flower meadow is beautiful!
I saw a long garter snake on our street today and I almost ran over him. Yuk!! I hate snakes.
Our visit with our life long friends from Indiana was nice. My sisters came over for a fajita dinner (Russ cooked) and we caught up and had a nice time. They spent the night and left Friday morning after breakfast.
What have you been doing this summer besides work? I am hoping to get to the beach this week for some views and relaxation.0
