Friday

Last night I watched a movie on Netflix called “Alien Abduction”. They movie was kind of like a documentary and they “claim” that it was based on a true story. Now I watch all kinds of crime shows, even all the ones on the cable networks that are based on true stories and they don't scare me, but this movie made me feel a little jumpy last night after I watched it. Even caused me to have some strange dreams which the crime shows don't do.
Hiker and I got out of be around 6 am and got ready to go for our Friday dog walk with Jean. Jean is still boarding a little dog named Dodger, so we had an extra fur bay with us this morning.
After breakfast, I refilled my humming bird feeders. Then Jean called and asked if she could come over and look at my sprinkler controller in the garage. We are trying to adjust our watering to the new rules brought on by the drought we are in, so she wanted to see how mine was set. I'm aloud to water Monday, Wednesday and Friday because I have an odd address and her watering days are Sunday Tuesday and Thursday because her address is even. No one is supposed to be watering on Saturdays. I've noticed that most of my neighbors are still watering every day even though they are only supposed to water 3 days a week now, plus they are watering on days that do not go along with the schedule. I don't know if they will be fined or not, but I would prefer not to risk it myself.
Got into the low 90s today. I sure am looking forward to fall getting here.

Didn't Do Much Today

I was lazy this morning and stayed in bed until 8 am. Watched both episodes of “Extant” last night, so didn't get to bed until around 11:30 pm.
After breakfast, Hiker and I went to get the lottery tickets and then we headed over to Bridgeport and walked around the man-made lake there. It was a beautiful morning, but started getting a little warm on the way back to the car. I was sweating like crazy.
Came home and watched some TV and had lunch then I did a little housework while Hiker slept.
Other than that, didn't do too much today.

Hump Day

Hiker and I got out of bed just before 7 am this morning. It was very cloudy outside but that burned away quickly. Had some breakfast and then I headed over to Stater Brothers to do my grocery shopping. After I got home and put everything away, I put Hiker in the car and we headed up to Canyon Country park where we did a 1.3 mile walk. Was sunny, in the low-70s and a bit humid.
Did a little weed pulling in the yard today since it was cooler outside. Got a splinter of some kind in my finger so I had to dig that out.
Did several online surveys and watched TV.
Got up into the mid-80s this afternoon. I had the doors open for most of the day, but the house started getting warm so I had to turn the A/C on for awhile.

Photo I took while on our morning walk

Support Group Tuesday

Went to my support group at the senior center today. We have this new woman who has been there about 3 times. She is starting to irk the regular members. She is loud and very rude. She interrupts others when they are talking and she sits and complains loudly that it is too hot in the room. Whenever she talks it is usually something about “poor me”. At first I thought it was just me, but at lunch the other ladies said that they don't care much for her either.
We've been having smaller groups lately. We are guessing that some of the people are away on trips for the summer.
It was actually somewhat cooler here today and a little cloudy. Was in the mid-80s as compared to the 100's we've had the past few days plus they are saying there could be some thunder storms in some areas.
I love to photograph clouds because they are such good subject matter. I noticed after I uploaded this one that there was an Aussie Cattle Dog at the top of the cloud. Can you see it?

Hot Hot Monday

Up early for our dog walk with Jean. She had an extra dog with her today. She is boarding Dodger for a few days while his mom and dad are away. There were a lot of people out walking this morning. Guess they wanted to get out before it got too hot. It was already 88° by 10 am.
After breakfast I headed out to pick up my lottery tickets and I had to run over to Sam's Club and spend my money. Seems like I never get out of there for less that $75 anymore. This time I only bought a few things, but a couple of them were expensive, like my bag of frozen salmon fillets so it was over $90 this time.
When I got home I was putting my purchases away when I noticed something run across the floor in front of me. It was either a tiny lizard or a tiny salamander. It looked more like a salamander. It scared me and I shrieked. Hiker came running to see what was going on. I know she had not seen it earlier because she would have still been searching the entire house for it if she had of seen it. Anyway, I got my grabber stick and trapped it in the bathroom where I was able to grab it and take it outside.
After lunch I had to drive across the Santa Clarita Valley to pick up my refills for my three medications. Was pretty crowded at the pharmacy but the line moved along really fast. I still do not understand why when I got my Crestor for the first time back in March that it cost me $75 and the last two refills have only cost me $25. I'm not getting a generic because they don't have a generic for Crestor yet. But I'm not complaining.
It was already 100° when I got back home around 1:30 pm. I didn't do my indoor walking today because I decided to do my vacuuming instead. I've read that vacuuming is a form of low aerobics.

Sleepy Sunday

Slept in a little this morning. I still find it amazing how dogs can tell time. Every morning between 5:45 am and 6 am, Hiker starts to stir. She moves around on the bed, getting into different positions and usually ends up on her back with her belly in the air. I pretend to ignore her. She then whines a little and again I pretend to ignore her. Then she get on the pillow right next to my head and starts poking me with her cold, wet nose. I roll over to face away from her so then she starts pawing at me and grunting. I finally have to give in and get up, feed her and let her outside. Once she comes back in, she goes back to bed and stretches out to sleep some more.
My brother Keith got through his colonoscopy with no problem. The results only showed diverticulitis, which he already knew he had, plus they said he has some internal hemorrhoids, which could have been the cause of the blood they found when he did the fecal test. However they still do not know what is causing his minor anemia and his vitamin D deficiency.
After I did some laundry and had lunch, I considered taking Hiker out for a drive since she loves riding in the car, but it was already 99° outside and I just was not in the mood to get out and drive.
Hiker was at the patio door having a fit, so I looked out into the yard and there was a squirrel on the fence, I let her out and she was barking and running around. The squirrel finally leaped from the fence to the tree and climbed to the top. After awhile, Hiker once again saw the squirrel stretched out on the fence. I got a picture of the squirrel when it got back into the tree and I'm afraid that it's going to keep teasing Hiker and the dogs that live behind me because it keeps running back and forth along the top of the fence. I finally closed the blinds on the sliding door, but that didn't stop Hiker from sticking her head between them to look outside.

Saturday

Just before 6 am, I looked at my clock to see if it was time to get up at let Hiker outside and just then my power went out. I looked outside around the neighborhood and it appeared that the entire area was out. It came on about 8 or 10 minutes late. I decided to go back to bed when Hiker came back in and I dozed off. Just before 8 am, I heard my cell phone text message alert. It was my brother Keith. He is going in for a colonoscopy later today and he told me he was dreading drinking that nasty liquid they give you to clean yourself out.
As you all know, it was a colonoscopy that landed Ben in the hospital for emergency surgery due to his colon being twisted during the procedure. I have not had a colonoscopy since that time and I do not intend to ever have one again, and it worries me so much now when anyone I know is getting one.
Had some waffles for breakfast and then did a load of laundry and ran the dishwasher. I only run my dishwasher about every other week. I wash most of my dishes by hand since it's just me here.
Stayed inside all day as it was in the triple digits here today.

Warm Friday

Didn't really do very much today. Did our Friday dog walk with Jean and her dogs. Basically just sat on the sofa all day either watching TV or messing around on the computer.
I'm really starting to get bombarded with all of the Medicare junk mail in my mailbox these days. I still have about 5 months until I turn 65 and I already know who I am going with. A lot of the stuff I get doesn't even have a provider's name on it. All it has is my name and wants me to answer a few questions and return it to a P.O. Box, but of course, I'm not falling for that. Have not gotten my Medicare Card for the government yet, but I figure that will be coming in the next couple of months.
Got up to about 97° here today. At least it is cool in the morning and also cools down in the evening.
Since it was too warm for an afternoon walk outside, I did a 1 1/2 mile walk indoors.

Hiker was hiding under the sofa pillows again.

Lunch With Friends

Boy was I tired last night. I had done a 3 mile 45 minute indoor walk with my Leslie Sansone DVDs. I had to struggle to stay awake during “Extant” and even then, I think I may have dozed off a couple of time.
Got up at 7 am and immediately took Hiker out for a 2 mile walk. Wanted to get out early before it got too hot.
Met several of the Lockheed Retired Girls for lunch at the new Round Table Pizza Parlor here in Canyon Country. For those of you who know the ladies, I was with Judy Holdt, Sandi Owens, Lynn Toler, Marce Smith and Gail Plessner. Good food and good friends. What else can you ask for?
Got up into the mid-90s here today. Actually there was a nice breeze so it almost didn't feel like it was that warm.

Hiker got some new toys from her "Aunt" Judy today.

Wednesday

Up around 7 am and then off to go shopping at Wal-Mart. I like getting there early when the store is almost empty except for the fact that they have about 20 or 30 checkout registers and only have one open until later in the day. There were about 15 people in line so I went over to the self checkout registers and checked myself out.
Hiker and I sure have not been going outside much due to the hot weather. We do go for a dog walk twice a week with Jean and her dogs. We cannot wait until Fall gets here and the weather cools down so we can start getting out for our afternoon walks again.
I'm at least getting some exercise doing my indoor walking sessions with my Leslie Sansone DVDs. Hiker gets exercise playing in the back yard and by me chasing her around the house.
I know that we could get out early for walks while it is still cool outside, but that's when I like to go and do my grocery shopping, Wal-Mart runs, etc. Plus when we get up even at 7 am, it is usually already 70° to 75° outside.
Got up to 94° on my patio today.
Time to get off my butt and do my indoor walking.

Typical Tuesday

Would have loved to stay in bed this morning. Didn't get to sleep last night until almost 1 pm. I stayed up watching “Under The Dome” and then was wide awake. Tried watching TV in bed because that usually puts me to sleep, but didn't work this time.
Beautiful morning here today. It was almost 70° at 6 am, but there were some clouds in the sky and it just looked so pretty. Even though it's in the 90's during the day here, at least our mornings and nights are cool. We've only had a few days over 100° this summer whereas last summer we had weeks of those high temperatures.
Went to my grief support group today. Had a very small group of people today. A new woman joined us. She has been widowed for a little over a year. Four of us ladies and Paul went to lunch at Cathy's Deli and this time Paul did not pay for all of us, which we were all glad about. We all agree that it is nice of him to want to treat us, but we all feel uncomfortable that he does it all of the time.
I had a patty melt and when I got home, I felt like I was going to explode. It really filled me up.
Got up to 99° here today, so it was a little hotter than it has been.

Usual Monday

Up at 6 am to go for our dog walk with Jean. She was early this morning. After our walk she had to take her car to have it smogged, so there was no play date for the dogs this morning.
Hiker and I came home and had breakfast and then I washed my sheets and towels since I didn't do it yesterday due to the guy being here cleaning my carpets.
I drove over to get my lottery tickets this morning and I saw the Chem Dry guy. He saw me and gave me a big wave. Nice guy.
Got a call from Jean. She was still at the car dealer. They found an oil leak in her 14 year old Rav4 so she has to leave her car. I thought she was calling for me to come and pick her up, but she said a friend from her card group is coming to get her and take her to their game, but she wanted to know if I could drive her back over to pick her car up tomorrow after 12 noon. I had to tell her no because I have my support group tomorrow and then I go out to lunch with the ladies of the group and do not get home until after 2 pm. I told her if she wanted to wait, I could come by and get her around 2 pm and take her to get her car, but she said she would call the dealer shuttle car. I felt kind of bad about it because she is always so good about driving me to my eye doctor appointments.
After lunch, I decided to clean my guest bathroom. I noticed while I was cleaning that it was getting cloudy outside. Went out on the porch to look and it was really humid.
As soon as I get this sent out, I need to do some indoor walking.

Super Moon when we got up this morning

Busy Sunday

Got up at 6 am so I could have the smaller furniture moved out of the way for the Chem Dry Carpet Cleaning man. My appointment was at 9 am however Brooks showed up just after 8:30 am which was fine with me. He was really nice. He told me that he had seen me walking Hiker around town when he was driving to or from a job.
He gave me the 10% senior discount on the carpet cleaning, plus because he had to change our appointment from last Thursday to today, he also gave me 50% off a ScotchGard treatment on the carpet. Thought that was really nice of him.
Hiker was having a fit when Brooks first came in. I had put her out on the patio just before he arrived. After she settled down some, I let her come and meet him so that she knew it was OK for him to be in the house. He told me that he has a very gentle pit bull.
While he was cleaning, I went out to the patio with Hiker so that we would be out of his way. Took him about an hour and a half to clean the entire house. He told me that he pulled a lot of deep down dirt out of the carpet. I must say that it looks almost as good as when it was brand new. Smells good too.
Problem is now, Hiker is chasing flies all over the house. They got in while Brooks had the front door open. They have to keep it open because their hose for the cleaner comes out of the back of their van and through the door.
Finally got all of the small furniture back into place around 1 pm. I decided to put the big ottoman that came with my couch in my bedroom so that Hiker could use it for a bed. Since I got the smaller mattress, she leaves if I start moving around. The ottoman is big so she can stretch out on it as much as she wants and stay in the room with me.
Had some lunch and then after lunch I went out and adjust some of my sprinkler heads in the back yard. I noticed this morning when they came on around 4:15 am that one of them was hitting my bedroom sliding door, so I need to fix that.
Had a scare with my big Dell laptop. I was working on it when all of a sudden I lost my network on it. I didn't even give me any choices to pick from. My network was fine on my smaller Toshiba laptop. I just kept messing around with it and I don't know what I did, but somehow, I got my network back on it. Then I had to reset my home group so I could share things between the two laptops and my printer.
Below are some photos of some bad spots in my carpet before and after the cleaning. The left side is before showing the spots, the right side shows how good it looks now.

Sleepy Saturday

I must have been exhausted...I had let Hiker outside at 6 am and she came back in, then I went back to bed and feel asleep and only woke up at 8 am because Hiker woke me up. I felt like I could have slept even longer.
My neighbor Jean called me not long after I got out of bed to tell me that she called Time Warner and that they were not being very helpful. We have been having problems with the sound while watching our TV shows. Jean was also upset because she uses Tivo to record her shows and Time Warner has just gone totally digital and so now her Tivo is not working. She called them to find out why and they told her she needed to get a converter for her Tivo even though she has a digital box connected to it. I keep telling her to just watch the shows she records on the TW On Demand. I don't record anything anymore myself.
Got a call from Chem Dry to remind me of my appointment with them tomorrow at 9 am and got a call from my brother Keith. He likes to call me while he is out on his daily walks.
It was too warm to do anything outside, plus I decided I did 4 days of exercising this week so figured I could relax over the week.
Watched a few more episodes of “Twin Peaks” which I started watching on Netflix last weekend.
I'll have to get up early tomorrow morning to move out some of the smaller furniture for when the carpet cleaner guy arrives.

Friday!

Up early for our regular Friday dog walk with Jean and her three dogs. The weather was nice and cool and not humid this morning which was nice because it meant we were not being eaten up by the bugs.
Didn't do too much today. After lunch Hiker and I went over to Central Park and walked around for a little over a mile (20 minutes). It started getting hot and I started sweating which caused the bugs to start attacking me, so we headed home.
Around 3 pm, I did another 1 mile indoor walking with my Leslie Sansone DVDs.
I heard back from the woman that I bought that HipKlip pouch from at the fair. She told me that she will replace the pouch free of charge. She had offered to send me free tickets to get back into the fair, but she said I would have to pay for the parking which is $10, or she could mail another pouch to me. I told her to just mail it because it would cost me $15 in gas to drive back up to the fair, plus the parking for $10. That would cost me as much as buying a new pouch. It's nice to deal with people who stand behind their products.

Smelling Smoke???

The bed felt so good this morning that right after Hiker came back in a little after 6 am, we went back to bed and I fell asleep and slept until a few minutes after 8 am. I decided since the carpet cleaning people are now not coming until Sunday that I didn't have to get up early.
Had breakfast and then headed up to Stater Brothers to do my grocery shopping. Had an embarrassing moment while I was there. I didn't take my purse with me, instead I took the little Hip Klip pouch that I had bought at the Ventura County Fair. Had my cell phone in the back slot and put my driver's license and money in one of the zippered slots. Well when I went to check out, the stupid zipper on the slot got stuck. I had noticed it sticking a little the other day, but I was able to get it open, but today it would not budge. Even the clerk could not get it open, so as the line of shoppers waiting behind me to check out began to grow, I asked the clerk if she had a pair of pliers, which she did not, so I asked for a pair of scissors, which she did have and I cut the damn thing open. Made me mad that I had to do that since I paid $25 for the pouch, but I had to do something. I can still use it to carry my iPhone. I sent an email to them on their website, plus I put a post on their Facebook page, but I doubt I'll hear back from them.
So anyone who was thinking about buying one, think twice. The zipper sticking can be a fluke, but you don't want to have to be embarrassed and have to cut it open like I did.
Since it was only in the mid-80s again, Hiker and I went out to sit on the patio this afternoon. Had to come in after about 20 minutes because even though I don't see any smoke anywhere and I have not heard of a fire burning nearby, there was a strong smell of smoke and my eyes started to burn.

Hiker "hiding" under the sofa pillows.

Pretty Good Day

Up at 7 am and had breakfast.
I needed to fill the car with gas since I drove up to Ventura and back yesterday, so I put Hiker in the car and we headed out. I also wanted to go to PetSmart, but it was only 8:15 am and they don't open until 9 am, so we stopped at the park and did a short walk...just under a mile. Then we headed up to Sam's Club to their gas station and then over to PetSmart.
The reason we went to PetSmart was because Hiker destroyed her favorite toy yesterday. It was a rubber squirrel with a blue bushy tail. My friend Judy Holdt (Hiker's “Aunt Judy”) had bought it for her a couple of months ago and it was the only toy Hiker played with since that time. Well yesterday, she chewed off “Squirrely's” rubber foot and she kept chewing on the rubber and she was swallowing it, so I didn't want her to get sick or injured from eating the rubber. Had to toss “Squirrely” into the trash. Thought maybe I could find her another one at PetSmart, but they didn't have anything just like it, so instead she picked out a fuzzy fox with a bushy tail. We call him “Foxy” and Hiker already knows his name.
As always, Hiker headed straight for the check out register when we entered PetSmart to look for the cookies they always have there, but there was not a person at the register right then, so she had to wait until we got done shopping and checked out.
After lunch, it was still in the mid to high 80s outside, so Hiker and I went out and sat on the patio for awhile. There was a nice breeze out there.
Tomorrow, I have Chem Dry coming to clean my carpet, so I need to get up early and move out the small furniture before they get here. Not planning on moving or having them move any of the big furniture (bed, sofa, etc.) since when I shampoo my carpet myself, I never move any of the big stuff out of the way. Since I don't walk on the carpet that is under the big furniture, it can't be very dirty anyway.
Hope it's not too hot outside tomorrow because I'll have to put Hiker outside while the carpet cleaner is here. I may even have to put myself outside for awhile to keep out of the way too.

A Day At The Fair

Didn't go to my support group today. Instead, my neighbor Jean and I went to the Ventura County Fair.
We left around 9:15 am to go to the fair and got there around 10:30 am. There were already a lot of people there. We went through the exhibit buildings and then walked down to see the livestock. By the time we started walking back, it was already 12:30 and there were so many people there you could hardly walk without running into someone.
While there, I bought this cool little “pouch” called a HipKlip that clips on your pants and had a slot for an iPhone and two zippered slots for caring money, credit cards, ID, etc. A couple named Allan and Julie Enriquez came up with the idea for them and let me tell you, they were selling like hotcakes.
We left the fairgrounds around 12:45 and drove over to the Ventura Harbor Village to have lunch at Andria's Fish Market and Restaurant. They have the best fish in the world. I always get the deep fried cod, but they have grilled fish and just about any kind of fish or shell fish you can think of. Some people think their prices are a little high, but they give you a lot of food. I always end up bringing half of it home for dinner that night or lunch the next day.
We stopped off at a farmer's market in Fillmore, CA on our way home.
Got home just after 3 pm. Big difference in the temperature in Canyon Country and Ventura. The fairgrounds is right on the beach in Ventura and it was about 75° up there while it was 93° at my house.

Below are links to the websites for the HipKlip and for Andria's.

HipKlips

Andria's Fish Market and Restaurant

Monday Again

Up at 6 am to go on our regular Monday dog walk with Jean. The humidity was 83% while we were out walking, but the sky is clear.
After the walk, I made some breakfast and then headed out to get my lottery tickets and also went to Sam's Club. I was running out of some of my vitamin supplements. When I came out of Sam's I noticed that the wind was starting to pick up. They are saying we are going to have some pretty gusty winds later today.
After I got home, I called Kaiser to make my mammogram appointment. I'm not really due until October, but I kept getting phone calls, letters and emails from them telling me that I was overdue as of July 11th. I don't know where they came up with the idea that I was overdue because I always keep really good track of when I'm due for appointments, lab work, etc.
I also called and made an appointment to get my carpet cleaned professionally. I've always cleaned my carpet myself but it really needs a good deep cleaning, so I decided to call Chem Dry to come out and do it. They will be here on Thursday, sometime between 10 am and 1 pm. They told me that the products they use are 100% pet safe.
I only got a little bit of drizzly rain here last evening and last night, but out in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, they had downpours up to 3 1/2” per hour with a lot of flash flooding and mud flows.
Tomorrow, my neighbor Jean and I are going to the Ventura County Fair, so I won't be going to my support group this week. It is “senior day” at the fair so we get in for free, but we still have to pay for parking.

Cloudy & Humid

When I got up to let Hiker outside at 6 am, it smelled “wet” when I opened the door. I am wondering if it drizzled last night. It was totally overcast, already 74° and extremely humid. Felt more like I lived in the gulf states instead in “dry” southern California.
Way to warm and humid to go outside for a walk or anything else. The damp air just sucks the air out of your lungs.
Decided to stay inside all day again and watch more episodes of “Twin Peaks”. Watched 3 episodes. I wish Netflix had episodes of “Northern Exposure” and “Picket Fences”. I think Hulu.com has “Picket Fences”.
Stayed totally overcast here all day. The humidity went down a lot from this morning. It was 73% at 6 am but down to 33% by 2 pm. Temperature stayed below 90° on my patio. Hiker and I went out into the yard for awhile and we were getting hit by those huge rain drops that if you move around, they don't even hit you.
Just after 3 pm I received a flash flood warning on both my iPhone and across my TV screen. I think it's mostly for the mountain areas.
I didn't do any exercise yesterday or today. I figure if I do it 4 to 5 days during the middle of the week, I can relax on the weekends.

Just Hangin' Out With Hiker

Decided to be lazy this morning. After I let Hiker outside to potty at 6 am, she and I went back to bed. I tried to go back to sleep and I did doze off a little, but just before 8 am, Hiker decided she didn't want me to sleep anymore. First she got on the pillow right next to my head as close as she could get. I ignored her. Then she started making “moaning” sounds, which I also tried to ignore. After awhile, she started putting her nose on me and licking my ear. I pretended to ignore that, which was hard to do. I decided to put the sheet up over my head so she then started pulling the sheet off of me with her front feet. I finally gave in and got out of bed.
Decided to start watching “Twin Peaks”. Don't know why I never watched it when it was on TV back in the early 90s. It appears to be the kind of TV series I would have loved to watch.
Was overcast most of the day here. Thermometer said it was 90° but when Hiker and I walked up to the mailbox, it didn't feel that warm. It was also getting pretty windy. They are saying we have a chance of thunder storms late tonight.

Happy August!

Really not much to report in today's email blog.
Last night my stomach was bothering me for some reason. I was watching some documentaries on Netflix and kept dozing off, so finally went to bed around 8:45 pm and fell asleep around 9:15 pm which is early for me.
We got up at 6 am and then went on a dog walk with Jean and her dogs. It was already hot and muggy outside at 7 am. “Muggy” used to never be a word in my vocabulary. It was something that described the summer weather in the mid-west, not in southern California.
Filled my humming bird feeders, swept the cobwebs off the patio. After that, Hiker and I stayed inside with the A/C.
Got angry when the president cut into my soap opera about 15 minutes after it started. I'll have to try and watch it on TVGN later this evening.
At 2:30 pm I checked the thermometer on my patio and it was 104° so I'll have to do my exercising indoors today. I've noticed that since I've been using the DVDs to exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes with that I seem to have a little more energy lately.
Hiker went out and laid in the sun on the patio this afternoon. I told her she was crazy!

Waiting For Autumn

Up at 7 am, had breakfast then headed out to pick up my lottery tickets for the weekend. Came home and pulled a few weeds in the front yard and then mopped my floors. Was all 93° on my patio by 10:45 am.
Once again stayed inside most of the day as it was over 100° most of the day. Watched some TV and paid some bills.
After lunch I headed over to Bed, Bath & Beyond to buy a fitted mattress pad. I now have a zippered one and I hate it. It does not fit the mattress well and causes the sheet to slip and slide all over the place.
I will do my indoor exercising later. I've been trying to do them at least 4 or 5 days a week. I actually lost 3 lbs. since last weekend. I've been trying to watch my food portions a little better.
Cannot believe that tomorrow is the first of August. Where has the year gone?

Didn't Do Much Today

Not much to report today. Wanted to get up and get over to Wal-Mart early this morning so Hiker and I were up at 7 am. Made a couple of poached eggs for breakfast and then headed out.
The “floaters” seem to be clearing up more with each day. Guess the medication is making its way around in the back of my eye and hopefully it is doing what it is supposed to do.
By the time I got back from Wal-Mart (around 9:30 am) it was already getting warm outside. By noon it was already 98°. By 2 pm it was 103° on my patio.
Too hot to go out for a walk today or to do much of anything else outside. I will do 30 minutes of indoor exercising a little later this afternoon.

Group Tuesday

The “floaters” in my eye are absorbing more and more each day. I'll be happy to wake up one morning and see that most of them are gone. I really doubt they will completely go away because floaters are a part of aging. However the main floater I have right now may go completely away because it was caused by the medication the injected into my eye.
I was able to drive over to the senior center for my support group today. Things are blurry when I drive, but I feel I can see well enough to drive around locally.
After group, we went to lunch at Cathy's Deli. Paul went with us again and we all told him that we did not want him to pay for all of our lunches, but once again he insisted that the waitress give the check to him. I decided to have breakfast for lunch (ham, eggs and hash browns) and when I got home, I felt a little sick.
Got up to about 102° here today. Wish it would cool down some again.

Cloudy/Humid Day

Up early this morning for a dog walk with Jean and her dogs. It was totally cloudy outside and I heard on the news that they had some lightening strikes down at the beach.
The floaters in my right eye are diminishing more each day. Some people have asked what is causing the floaters. They injected a steroid medication into my eye. This medication is somewhat “thick” and floats around in the inner eye for about a week or two as it spreads itself throughout the eye so that it can do what it needs to do. It is very normal. Also people have asked why I am having these injections. The blood vessels in the back of my eye have developed cysts and are swelling, which causes seepage into the back of my eye, which in turn obstructs my vision. If we do not do something about this now, I could lose most of the sight in my eye down the line.
I felt that even though I still have the floaters that they had deteriorated enough for me to drive, so I went over to Sam's Club to pick up some things I needed.
Did a little bit of house work in the afternoon and now I'm going to do some indoor exercising.
Stayed cloudy all day and was humid. Got up to 95° on my patio.

Another Day Inside

It was very cloudy when I got up at 6 am to let Hiker outside. We went back to bed and I fell asleep. Didn't wake up until just before 8 am. The sun was shining when we got up, but by 10 am, it was all cloudy again and the sun was behind those clouds.
Got up and made some scrambled eggs for breakfast. Thought about driving over to buy my lottery tickets, but then decided not to as the floaters in my right eye, caused by the injection I received on Friday, is still obstructing my vision quite a bit. It appears to be breaking up some, but is still very noticeable.
So once again I decided to just stay inside and watch TV. I'm a little afraid to do my indoor exercises because I'm worried I might lose my balance since I cannot see as well as normal. I've already noticed that I have a headache due to trying to see through the floaters.
I started to watch two different movies in the afternoon, but after about 20 minutes into each one of them, I was finding them not to be the kind of movies I like so I gave up on them. The first was called “Adore” and the second was “A River Runs Through It”. Decided to try later to watch a different movie.
Stayed mostly cloudy all day long. Only got up to around 88° today.

Resting My Eye

Decided to sleep in a little this morning to “rest” my eye. Got up around 8 am and made some waffles for breakfast and then put the laundry into the machine.
Pretty much decided I won't be doing much this weekend due to the fact that I don't think I should drive or even go for long walks while I have these “inky” floaters in my eye, caused by the steroid injection. I've noticed that they throw my balance off a little so I would not want to risk falling while out on a walk.
I'll probably just watch some movies on Netflix most of the weekend. At least I can see well enough to do that.
Watched a movie called “Zodiac” based on the serial killer from the 60s and 70s. Long movie...a little over 2 ½ hours. What's scary is that they never caught the guy. He just stopped killing.
Got up to 98° on my patio this afternoon.

Some strange clouds in the sky late this morning

Eye Injection Day

Out of bed at 6 am for an early morning dog walk with my neighbor Jean, then at 9:45 am, Jean picked me up to drive me over to the Kaiser facility in Panorama City for my appointment with my retinal specialist. I received my first eye injection of the Kenalog steroids today. Now it looks like I'm peering through a black veil and I have these big “ink blots” floating around inside my right eye. Doctor said these “floaters” will be there for anywhere from 2 to 10 days.
On the way home, we stopped at Del Taco for lunch and then we stopped by Sam's Club. Got home just a little before 2 pm.
They didn't dilate my eyes today, so I like that but I don't know how I'm going to do with the dark, inky floaters. Hope I'll be able to watch a movie on Netflix tonight.
It was about 10° cooler today than it was yesterday. Got up to around 97 °. Got some big thunderhead clouds this afternoon.

HOT!!!

Did not get much sleep last night. First I could not fall asleep even though I had taken a sleep aid, then I could not get comfortable no matter which way I would try to stretch out on the bed. Hiker got fed up with me moving around so much and she kept getting off the bed and leaving for an hour or so then she'd come back. She lever 3 or 4 times.
I let Hiker outside at 6 am and when she came back in, we went back to bed and I dozed off some. Got up at 8 am. Had some breakfast then I headed out to get my lottery tickets and also took my aluminum cans up to the recycle center.
It was already 85° when I got back home at 9:30 am. I told Hiker she was crazy for going out into the back yard and lying in the hot sun. She loves going out every morning to explore the yard and then she lays in the sun or in the shade on the patio.
Since Hiker and I didn't do any outside walks today, I decided to exercise with my Richard Simmons “Sweatin' To The Oldies” DVD. Since I don't know their dance routines (and they do dance to a routine), I just did the walking, kicks, knee touches, etc. that I know from my Leslie Sansone DVDs. Did 30 minutes.
Tomorrow I start my next series of eye injections since the first ones didn't do what they were supposed to do. Jean will be driving me over to Panorama City Kaiser and then she and I will go to lunch on our way home.

Not Much To Tell Today

Slept in a little bit today. Got up, had breakfast and then headed out around 9 am to do my grocery shopping. It was already 80° at that time. By 11:30 it was already 90°.
Not much to talk about today. After I got home from shopping, it was just too damn hot to go anywhere else or do anything outside. Stayed inside and watched TV or was on computer. By 1:45 pm it was 102° on my patio.
Hiker and I went up to the mailbox and on the way back, she started running for our house. Don't know if it was because the cement was hot on her paw or what. I checked them when we got back home and they looked OK. Maybe she just didn't like being out in the heat.
After I get today's email blog sent out, I will do some indoor walking with my Leslie Sansone DVDs.

Another Tuesday/Another Group Day

Went to my grief support group today. Had a new woman who was very talkative. She is not a widow so she was there for the “general support group” which is the first hour of our session. She left when the grief support group started because she had an appointment. I don't think she understood though that there are two separate groups. Had a small group today, mostly the regulars.
After group, DeDee, Jane and I went to lunch at Jimmy Dean's Grill.
When I got home, I found 3 messages on my house phone. I wish businesses would keep their records straight. I have a whole house water filter system. I've had it for about 7 years. It has to be carbon flushed every 2 ½ to 3 years and I had it done in February of 2013. They guy who did it told me that it would have to be serviced again in February 2016 and that they would call me to remind me. Well 2 of my messages were from this company. They said that my filter system needed to be serviced. I knew this was wrong so I called them and they showed in their records that they had serviced my whole house system last year but that my drinking water filter in the house was due for service. I DON'T HAVE A FILTER IN THE HOUSE! I only have the whole house filter and why would you need a separate one for drinking water when the big one filters everything that comes into the house? The first girl I spoke with acted like she didn't understand what I was telling her, so she got her supervisor on the phone and after about 20 minutes, we finally got it all straightened out that I only have one filter and that it is not due for service until 2016.
Hiker was happy to see me when I got home and she “helped” me put the trash bin out by the curb and then she walked me up to the mailbox to get my mail. She walks me to the mailbox every day.
Getting warmer here again. Was 95° on my patio when I got home. I was enjoying that cooler weather we were having but they say we will be in the triple digits this weekend.

Nice Afternoon For A Drive

I was so sleepy this morning when we got up at 6 am to get ready for our dog walk with Jean. For some reason, I could not fall asleep last night. I think I nodded off around 12:30 but I tossed and turned all night long.
After breakfast, did some housework. Just as I finished, my older brother Ron called. He wanted to tell me that he bought a new sofa. Younger brother Keith and I are trying to work in a trip to northern California to visit with Ron in the fall.
Watched Y&R and then had some lunch. I had heard that a new Round Table Pizza had opened near where I live, so I put Hiker in the car and we headed out to check out where it was. It's in the same shopping center as the old pizza parlor. They remodeled the entire center last year and the Vons Supermarket took over the area where the old pizza parlor was so they built a new one on the other side of the market.
We took the scenic route home, driving through Placerita Canyon. Got up to around 88° here today.
I'm going to do my “indoor walking exercises” in a little while.

Another Nice Summer Day

After doing 30 minutes of walking/aerobic exercises with my Leslie Sansone DVDs for 2 days, I am so sore. I can hardly move. Every muscle in my body hurts. You use muscles with these DVDs that you don't use when walking around the neighborhood. Proves how out of shape I am. Even after making myself walk outside more, these more strenuous workouts are really showing how I have let my body break down. But I need to keep going. I remember when I first got back to walking and hiking about 9 years ago, I was so sore at first. You cannot stop. You have to let your body get used to it.
Got up just before 8 am, had breakfast and washed my sheets. Took Hiker with me when I drove over to buy my lottery tickets, then I came back and finished the little bit of yard work that I didn't get done yesterday.
It was 16 years ago today the my mom passed away. I can't believe it has been that long. I remember every detail of that evening.
Weather was so nice this afternoon that Hiker and I went out and played ball for awhile in the yard. About 80° with a nice breeze blowing.
Since we didn't do a walk outside this morning, I did a one mile walk with the DVD. It actually made my muscles feel better while I was exercising, but I'll bet I'll be sore in the morning again.

Hiker looking for the dog next door

Cloudy And Humid

Didn't get out of bed until 8 am this morning, but what the heck...it was Saturday and I didn't have anything planned for today.
Had some breakfast, did the laundry and then watched a little TV.
In the afternoon, Hiker and I went for a one and a half mile walk and then I did a little bit of yard work.
Settled down to have some lunch and watched more TV then did some indoor walking with my Leslie Sansone DVD, with counting the mile I did with her and the walk Hiker and I did this morning, I actually did two and a half miles today.
I'm trying to get myself disciplined to do at least an outside walk or a walk with the DVDs, or even do both walks like I did today. I've got to get my weight down, get some strength back and get healthy again.
This morning the sky was partly cloudy but as the day went on, the sun went away and it stayed cloudy all day. Was a little warmer today than it has been for the past 4 days and it was more humid today also.

Hiker's Grooming Day

Up at 6 am and out by 7 am for our dog walk with Jean. We stopped by our neighbor Chris's house to pick up her dog Patches so Patches could come over to my house and play with the dogs for awhile and then we headed over to Jean's house so both Hiker and Patches could get groomed.
Could not believe how much Hiker's hair had grown in the past 2 months. It seemed longer and thicker than it was back then when Jean groomed Hiker. Now she looks like a totally different dog and she is all full of spit and vinegar, running around like a crazy dog.
Started out as another cool day. No clouds this morning like we've had the past 2 or 3 mornings.
Hiker and I spent the afternoon on the patio. Got up to around 82°.

On the grooming table

Not a happy doggy 

All done 

What A Beautiful Day!

Hiker woke me up around 6 am to let her outside this morning, but since I didn't fall asleep last night until midnight, I went back to bed. I must have really needed the sleep because I didn't wake up again until 8:15 am. I had planned a morning walk with Hiker and thank goodness we had another cool morning so she and I could still get out that late and it wasn't too hot.
We went over to Valencia Heritage Park for our walk. It was overcast. There were quite a few people at the park enjoying the cooler weather we've had the past few days. I hope the cool weather continues, but it probably won't.
After lunch Hiker and I went over to Sam's Club so I could fill the car up with gas. The weather was so perfect! Felt more like a warm spring day instead of a hot summer day. I would love to bottle up this nice weather and keep it for the rest of the summer.

Nice Day

Got up around 7 am. It was overcast outside. Hiker and I headed out for a 2 and a quarter mile walk. Even thought it was overcast, it was very humid, so I was drenched by the time we got back home.
Made some breakfast and then paid some bills and did a little housework. Settled down to watch “The Young & The Restless”.
I decided to buy an exercise DVD for the days when it is too hot to go outside. I bought “Older Adults Walk & Firm with Leslie Sansone”. I used to have the Fitness Channel on my Time Warner and I would watch Leslie Sansone and do the indoor walking exercises. After Ben passed away, I could never find the Fitness Channel on TWC so I gave up on them.
It was a beautiful day here once the clouds burned off. Got into the mid 80's. I didn't even turn my A/C on, just opened up the doors. May have to turn it on a little later though so the house will be cool when I go to bed. My bedroom is on the west side of the house so it gets pretty warm.

Nice Tuesday

Went to my grief support group this morning. Strange how for awhile there we were getting so many people that we had to find extra chairs so everyone could sit, but lately we've had only a small group.
We ladies decided to get a Starbucks gift card for Paul, the guy who has been insisting on buying all of our lunches for the past 5 weeks or so. He really appreciated the gesture, but then he turns around and insists on buying our lunches again today. We cannot talk him out of it. Makes all of us feel a little awkward but he seems to really want to do it, so what can we do?
It was cloudy again when Hiker and I got out of bed today, but it didn't seem as thick as it did yesterday. Yesterday the sun did not come out all day, but it was out around 9 am this morning. It did get into the mid 90s this afternoon.
Hiker helped me put the trash bins out by the curb and go up and get the mail when I got home. She just loves being helpful.

Cloudy And Humid

I set my alarm for 6 am this morning so Hiker and I could do our dog walk with Jean and her dogs. When my alarm went off, I opened my eyes and it was dark in my bedroom. I was wondering why did my alarm went off too early then I looked at the clock and saw that it was 6 am. I looked outside and saw that the sky was totally cloudy. Checked the temperature at 6 am and it was 70° with 73% humidity. The morning news said that we are having monsoonal moisture and we have a chance of thunder storms.
Did our walk with Jean. It was very warm and sticky and the bugs were eating me alive. These little gnats kept attacking my ears.
After the walk, we let the dogs play for awhile in the yard and then after Jean went home, I had some breakfast and then headed over to Sam's Club.
It was still cloudy, hot and sticky when I got back home. I noticed that one of my sprinkler heads had gotten eaten up by my gardener's mower so I spent about 30 minutes finding a sprinkler head that worked and adjusting it so it didn't spray all over the house.
Stayed cloudy all day. Had a few sprinkles now and then, but nothing much.
I did a little housework after lunch. Have more to do later in the week. I used to do all of my housework in one day but since I've gotten older, I don't do that anymore.
The thermometer on my patio showed 82° so Hiker and I went out there to sit for while, but the bugs started eating me up again. I do not ever remember humidity like this here or the bugs attacking me so much.

100+ Degrees Today

So my plan for this morning was to get up at 6 am and head out for a nice morning walk with Hiker. Originally I thought about doing a hike over at Placerita, but then remembered that they have had a lot of rattle snakes due to the heat, so changed my mind about that. I woke up around 5:30 and I was so tired. I didn't sleep well last night. Did not fall asleep until after 1 am and then tossed and turned all night. We did get up at 6:45 am and by 7:15 we were on our way over to Bridgeport Lake in Valencia to walk around the neighborhood that is around the man-made lake. Hiker always wants to chase the ducks and geese. They always quack or honk at her before the run for the water. There were a lot of people out walking with their dogs this morning.
On the way back home, I stopped to get my lottery tickets and when we got home I had some breakfast, washed the sheets and towels and ran the dishwasher.
Got up to 102° around 2 pm. Went out on the patio with Hiker and turned around and came right back in. It was way too hot to be outside. 104° 3:15 pm.

On our morning walk

On my patio

Lazy Summer Day

I have been watching so many movies on Netflix lately. Last night I watched one called “Heaven's Door”. It was another one that I had never heard of. It might have been a TV movie at one time.
Didn't get out of bed until 8 am this morning. I did get up at 6 am and let Hiker go outside to potty, but we went back to bed and I feel back to sleep. Figured I didn't have anything to do today so there was no harm in sleeping in.
I do get mad at myself though because I find it so easy to not get up and go for early morning walks when I know I should be doing that. I used to really enjoy my morning walks when I first retired. I looked forward to them. I think it was because after working 37+ years, it was so nice to be able to do what I wanted to do, when I wanted to do it. What makes me so mad is that during the summer, I know that if I don't get out in the morning for some exercise that I won't get out in the afternoon because it is usually too hot. I'm going to set my alarm to get up at 6 am tomorrow so Hiker and I can go for a morning walk before it gets too hot outside.
Did a load of laundry today, but not much else.
My brother Ron called me and we chatted for about 30 minutes then I had some lunch. Now I'm going to settle down (as if I haven't been resting all day LOL) and watch a movie on Netflix.

Here is a photo of Hiker trying to peek through the fence at my neighbor's dog Cayenne.

This Week Flew By

Watched a really cute movie on Netflix last night that I had never heard of. It was called “Heart And Souls” and it starred Robert Downey Jr., Kyra Sedgwick, Alfre Woodard and Charles Grodin.
We went to bed a little early because Hiker was still not feeling up to par. She was back to normal this morning. However, when Jean came over to our house for a play date with her 3 dogs and 4 dogs that she is taking care of for a few neighbors, Hiker became very intimidated. Instead of playing with the dogs, Hiker hid in the corner of the patio or on my lap. Now Hiker is NOT a lap dog. She NEVER sits on my lap. Once in awhile she will put her front feet on my lap and then pull herself up, but she never stays there for more than 10 seconds. Jean took a photo of Hiker on my lap with my iPhone because she was shocked that Hiker was on my lap.
After lunch, Hiker and I headed over to Todd Longshore Park to walk. Trouble is, that park doesn't have many trees and the ones that are there are not big enough to make much shade. So after doing about half a mile there, we got back into the car and headed up to Canyon Country Park where there are a lot of trees and shade, so we did another half mile or so. Not long walk at either park, but at least we got out.
Was a little cooler here today than it has been. Stayed under 90°.

Poor Hiker

Watched the premier of “Extant” last night and thought it was pretty good. Will be interesting to see where they go with the story.
I woke up at 5:05 am and went to the bathroom thinking I'd be able to lie down for another hour or so before I had to get up and let Hiker outside. Suddenly, I opened my eyes and looked at the clock and it was 6:06 am. That sure was a fast hour.
Went back to lie down some more but this time I turned on the TV and watched the morning news.
Got up at 7 am and had breakfast. Around 8:40 am, I put Hiker in the car and we headed out the door. Went by the liquor store and picked up my lottery tickets and then headed down to Tags Veterinary Clinic to get Hiker her 3 vaccines that were due. Her rabies shot is not due until next year.
As usual, she was a very good girl while at the vet. She got a couple of cookies from the tech who gives the injections and she got a pat on the head from the vet. Had a couple of people tell me how pretty her markings are, but we already knew that (LOL). I like the fact that Tags always opens about 5 or 10 minutes early, so I'm usually one of the first people in there.
After we left Tags, on our way home, we stopped by Central Park and did a morning walk before it got too hot. We did a about a mile and a half and by the time we got back to the car, I was drenched in sweat even though it was only in the 70's.
Later in the day, I think Hiker's muscle in her hip, where they did the injections, started to hurt her because she started acting “strange”. She didn't want any of my potato chips at lunch (which is really strange) and she acted like she didn't want me to touch her. She crawled into her potable kennel. I researched it online and I see that a lot of dogs will react that way after they have their shots. The vaccinations make them tired and sometimes make them feel a little sick. She has not reacted like this before after her shots, but I gave her some chewable aspirin and let her sleep. If she is not acting better in a day or two, I will take her back to the vet, but I think she will be fine.
Hiker did get up later in the afternoon to walk up to the mailbox with me and then she went out and slept on the patio, so I think she was feeling a little better. She was still favoring her right hip which is where they stuck her with the needle.

Our morning walk

Hot Hump Day

Felt really tired yesterday. Went to bed around 10 pm and fell asleep pretty quickly. I seem to be sleeping a little better than I was.
Decided to stay in bed a little later this morning. Hiker kept wanting me to get up because she wanted her poached egg.
Went to do my grocery shopping at Stater Brothers after breakfast. Groceries prices must be on the rise again. This is the first time since Ben passed away that I have paid $100 on a grocery trip. I usually pay around $75 or so.
After putting my groceries away, I took down my outdoor July 4th decorations. Was getting really hot already. I was all sweaty by the time I got done.
Looking forward to watching the new TV show “Extant” tonight. Hope it's as good as the teasers show it to be.

Back To Normal

Watched “Major Crimes” and “Under The Dome” last night. Was really sleepy when I went to bed and I actually fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow at 11 pm. Got up around 7 am this morning to get ready to go over to the senior center for my support group. Usual people were there. They young woman who has not spoken did not show up today. Edwin would not stop talking today. We all wanted to gag him.
Went to lunch with DeDee, Jane, Linda and Paul, and once again, Paul insisted on buying our lunches. We keep telling him that we do NOT expect him to do that. That he is not obligated to do so. We ate at Dario's Mexican Restaurant.
Was in the mid 90s today but was not as humid. There was actually stiff breeze that almost felt “cool”, as if it was coming in off the ocean.
Hiker was happy when I got home. I noticed she was in her “soft” kennel and when she saw me, she came running as fast as she could and started kissing me.

Keith Went Home

We watched a really good movie on Netflix last night called “The Philadelphia Project”. Yes it was an old movie, but as I've said before, Ben and I never went to the theater, so all of these movies are “new” to me.
Went to bed earlier that we normally do when Keith is visiting because we had gotten up early on Sunday morning for our hike and we were getting up early this morning to go on a dog walk with Jean.
Had some breakfast after the walk and then Keith and I went up to Lowe's and Target.
I took Keith to Backwoods Inn today for lunch because his birthday is this Thursday and he won't be here then, so took him out today. Ben and I used to love Backwoods Inn but I will say that the last few times I have been there, I have been a little unhappy with the quality of the food. I'm wondering if they are getting their meats from a new distributor.
Keith headed home around 1 pm. He thought there might be a lot of traffic due to people coming back from their long weekend.

My brother Keith at lunch

Hike In The Morning/Movie In The Afternnon

We watched “The Music Man” last night. Keith had never seen the entire movie and wanted to see it.
I noticed last evening that the fill valve in my toilet was leaking. Luckily I had two of them on hand and was able to replace the bad one, however, I woke up to a “drip, drip, drip” this morning around 4:30 am. It was not leaking from the bottom of the tank. The valve was not shutting off and the tank had filled with water up to where the flush handle was located and there was a small stream of water leaking out of the hole that the flush handle goes through and that water was running down the side of the tank into the bowl I had sitting under the toilet tank just in case there was a leak.
Since that valve would not shut of I was exchanging it with the other one I had at 4:30 am. At least the second one shuts off. So now I will have to go to Lowe's and buy a couple of spares for “just in case”.
Went back to bed around 5 am and then got up at 6 am so we could go for our hike before it got too hot outside. Drove over to Pico Canyon but when we got there, the gate was locked. The signs say they are open from sunrise to sunset. It was 6:45 am and past sunrise, but found out from my friend RuthAnne that they really don't unlock the gate until 7 am. We didn't know that, so we drove over to Towsley Canyon and hiked a little over 2 miles there.
I sure cannot hike as far as I used to when I was younger. A few years back I could do 4 or 5 miles. Now I'm lucky to get 2 miles in. The older I get, the more my feet give me problems. They hurt and I get blisters and I end up feeling like I'm walking with cement blocks at the end of my legs.
We headed back home and had some waffles for breakfast. After breakfast, Keith and I headed out do run a few errands then around noon we went over to Wienerschnitzel for lunch.
Came back home and watched “The Great Race” on Amazon Prime Instant Videos.

Me and Hiker

Hot, Hot Day

We stayed outside on my patio last night until around 10 pm. It was still hot and humid at that time of night. People were shooting off fireworks all around us even though they are illegal. Hiker hid in the house in the corner of the bedroom.
I was surprised that Keith was up a little after 7 am. Heard him rummaging around in the kitchen. I know he slept in the living room for awhile last night because there was a party across the street and he said he could not sleep in the bedroom until it quieted down.
We sat around the house all morning as I was waiting for my gardener to show up to mow my lawn. It is the week that I pay him, so we couldn't go anywhere until he showed up, By noon he had not shown up so I assumed that he took the holiday weekend off and Keith and I headed out for lunch at Del Taco then went by Sam's Club on the way home.
It was so hot and humid outside that it was hardly bearable. Don't know if we will sit outside tonight because last night the bugs were eating us up. Never had that problem in SoCal until we started getting the humidity.
We came back by the house to check on Hiker and then Keith wanted to go over to Big Lots, the came back home to settle into the cool A/C.
Getting up early tomorrow morning (6 am) to head over to Pico Canyon for a hike before it gets too hot.
I'm going to make us some salmon fillets and rice pilaf for dinner tonight.

July 4th

Got up early this morning and met Jean for our regular Friday dog walk. Today she had two extra dogs that she is dog sitting. Roxy was a little tiny dog and Max was a huge Golden Retriever that Hiker was afraid of. Hiker kept hiding behind me while he was in our backyard playing with the other dogs.
Was a beautiful morning while we were walking however it was only 7 am and it was already 70° with 78% humidity. I've said it many times before...we are NOT used to this kind of humidity. We NEVER had it until the global warning came about.
Did a load of laundry before Keith arrived. He got here around 10:45 am. Keith took me to lunch at Topper's Pizza and then we went to Big Lots and Bed, Bath & Beyond. By noon it was 96° and still humid.
We will be hanging out on the patio tonight watching fireworks. Hope Hiker doesn't get to freaked out.

Hanging Out At Home

Had no Internet service when I got up this morning. Called Time Warner and they claimed on their recording that there was no outage in my area. I got dressed, had a small breakfast and headed over to the car wash. Good thing I got there early because there was already about 6 to 8 cars ahead of me and while they were drying my car, about another 12 to 15 cars came in.
I noticed that they had no Internet service at the car wash either, so their network must be Time Warner. I usually connect to the free Internet there.
By the time I got back home, my Internet was back up. I hate it when I don't know if it's me or if it's Time Warner who is having the problem.
Spent the afternoon scanning old photos for my “Throw Back Thursday” posts on Facebook, plus my friend Karren Meggitt called me from Idaho. She and her husband Wally are looking to buy a house up that way.
Got up to 100° here today.

Hiker is excited that her Uncle Keith is coming for a visit this weekend and tomorrow is her birthday.