I Love Pizza

Only slept in until 7 am this morning.
Another beautiful day when I peeked out my sliding glass door. Bright sunshine and blue sky.
Met up with the group ladies for lunch today. They had gone to the grief group earlier. I have quit going to the group, but they still go every now and then.
We had lunch at Topper’s Pizza. None of them had ever been there before, but I have and I love the Quick Lunch…an individual sized pizza, one visit to the salad bar and a drink.
It was another warm day here but not as hot as it has been. Only made it into the mid-80’s but now they are saying we are going to be back into the 90’s this weekend. If this is what we are having now, I am NOT looking forward to summer.

Another "Summer-like" Day

Up early for our Monday dog walk and play date. After Jean left, had breakfast and then I went over to Wal-Mart. Bought two new wood toilet seats. The old ones were still “OK”, but they were getting to where the brackets were coming loose from the wood and the screws would not tighten any. I’ve had the current ones for about 8 or 10 years, so it was time for some new ones.
Came home and put the new toilet seats on and then settled down to watch “Y&R”.
After lunch, Hiker and I went over to Canyon Country Park for a walk.
My brother Keith is coming to spend Easter weekend with me and Hiker. He does not have to work on Good Friday, and he only has a half day on Thursday, so he will be coming up here right after he gets off work.

Restful Sunday

Stayed in bed until 8 am. Wasn’t sleeping, I was watching “CBS Sunday Morning”. Got up and had some waffles for breakfast and did some laundry.
Around 11 am, I took Hiker out for a short walk to the park. It was already 80° so we didn’t walk more than a mile, but I just wanted to get a little exercise and some sunshine. My calf muscles are still sore from climbing up the trail yesterday on our flower walk. I used to be able to hike and not feel any pain the next day.
The rest of the day, I just hung out inside the house with the doors and windows closed because it stays cooler that way. Got up 91° on my patio.
Watched the repeat of “Bates Motel” since I fell asleep watching it the other night.

Fun Morning At The Nature Center

Well today was an interesting and educational day. My friend Jean picked me up around 9 am and we headed over to the Placerita Nature Center here in Santa Clarita, CA for the “Blooms of the Season” wild flower walk. My good friend RuthAnne Murthy is a docent at the center and she was our guide for the morning hike. RuthAnne also volunteers as a docent over at our train station museum in our Santa Clarita, CA Heritage Junction.
RuthAnne took us on the Ecology Loop Trail at the nature center for about a one mile hike exploring the wild flowers that are blooming in the canyon. There were about 15 people in our little party and we had a very enjoyable tour. We also came across some lizards and some huge caterpillars along the trail.
It was sunny and warm, with a beautiful blue sky overhead.
At the end of the tour, my friend Jean and I went in to see the new museum that just opened a few weeks ago at the nature center. There were dioramas with all kinds of exhibits on our local wildlife. There were also some live creatures, i.e. snakes, toads, turtles and birds.
When Jean and I left the nature center, we drove up to New Leash On Life Rescue Shelter as Jean had some items to donate to them. After that, we headed home.
Usually I hang around my house on Saturday mornings to wait for the lawn mowers. I need to be there to let them into my back yard through the garage. I figured they would be done by the time I got home, but there were just doing my front yard when we pulled up, so I was able to let them into the back yard, so that worked out good.
Got up to about 90° here today which was about 5 or 6 degrees cooler than yesterday.

My friend RuthAnne guiding us on the wild flower walk.

What Happened To Spring?

Up early for the Friday dog walk. Was already warm at 7:30 am when we headed out. It’s like we totally skipped Spring here in SoCal. Went straight from Winter right into Summer. YUCK!
After the dog walk and play date, had some breakfast and then had to clean my master bathroom. I had not deep cleaned it since before I got sick with that cold, so I gave it a really good scrubbing.
Had to trick Hiker into going outside on the patio so I could put her flea and tick spray on her. She sees me get it out of the closet, so she knows what’s up and she hides. So I went and cleaned the bathroom first so she’d forget that I got it and she then came out onto the patio with me and I was able to apply the spray. I don’t know why she hates it so much. She knows that it’s not going to hurt her.
By 2 pm it was 96° here. The heat makes me feel tired. The days that it was in the 70’s, I felt like getting outside and walking/hiking with Hiker, but this heat makes me just want to sit and watch TV. Had my fans going. Don’t want to uncover the A/C just yet.
Can’t sleep in too late tomorrow morning because my neighbor Jean and I are going over to the Placerita Nature Center. My friend RuthAnne is a docent there and she does a flower walk every month.

Happy Birthday Dad

Got up early this morning because I had errands to run. It was Hiker who didn’t want to get out of bed this morning, but she had to when I started making the bed with her in it.
I headed out and got my Lottery ticket, then went by the bank to the ATM to get some spending cash and then went over to the car wash. My car had not been washed since mid-February and after the trip up to Ventura yesterday, it had a lot of bugs on the windshield.
After leaving the car wash, I stopped by the Dollar Tree just to look around, but they really didn’t have anything interesting today.
Today would have been my dad’s 100th birthday. We lost him due to a heart attack in 1983 at the age of 67. Cannot believe he’s been gone for 32 years. Now I’m almost the age he was when he passed.
Refilled my two hummer feeders out on my patio. Now I have to make more sugar water for the next time.
Had the second half of my fish and chips from Andria’s Restaurant where we ate yesterday in Ventura. It’s almost as good the second time as it is the first.
Got my weekly vacuuming done. Didn’t get as much dog hair since I had my neighbor Jean (Hiker’s groomer) cut Hiker’s hair shorter last week.
The mailman left my package of Loleta Cheese on my porch a while ago. I thought I wasn’t going to get to order any this season. When I went on their website back in December, they did not have any of my favorite Roasted Garlic Jack Cheese. I emailed them and they didn’t say why, but they were out of stock. I kept checking the website every couple of weeks because they only ship from the end of October to the beginning of May. Finally, a couple of days ago, they had the Garlic Jack in stock again, so I ordered four blocks of it along with one block of Smokey Cheddar and one block of Green Chili Jack. I love the Green Chili Jack for quesadillas.
Was very warm here today. Got up to 95° on my patio.

My Dad

Fun Day In Ventura, CA

Got up early this morning to watch Y&R on my computer because I forgot to watch it last night on the POP channel since I was not home yesterday when it was on during the day.
At 9:30 am, I took off to pick-up my neighbor Jean up at the Toyota Dealer where she took her car to be serviced. She and I then went over to meet up with my friend Judy. The three of us then headed up to Ventura for the day.
It was beautiful up there today. Blue sky, bright sunshine and a nice sea breeze. It was clear enough to see the Channel Islands off the coast.
We wandered through the shops in the Ventura Harbor Village and then around 12:30 we went over to Andria’s Restaurant for fish and chips. Delicious! They give you so much food that all of us brought some of it home for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow.
After lunch, we went across the street to the beach. There were not very many people there today. Guess because it was a week-day.
Around 2 pm, we headed back down to Santa Clarita, dropped Judy off at her car and then I took Jean by the dealership to pick up her car.
Hiker was so happy to see me when I got home. She had been home alone for five and a half hours.
Fun day.

Me, my neighbor Jean and my long-time fried Judy

Beautiful Day - Great Lunch

Stayed in bed until almost 8 am. I was not sleeping. I had the morning news on.
Today I met the group girls over at Chili’s for our weekly lunch. I had not been there in a long time. They have changed some things. They now have a little electronic gadget on the table where you can order your meal and you can also pay with a card when you leave, but we all just wanted to have a server. I guess they are trying to do away with servers. Why else would they have that little gadget?
They also now have several lunch specials for less than $10. You get a burger or a half of a sandwich. It comes with fries and you can also have a small salad, bowl of soup or some other sides. The food was really good and it was just the right amount of food.
As usual, we had a great time. Always feeling “young at heart” with I’m with those ladies.
It was a gorgeous day. Bright and sunny with a breeze and in the 70’s.
Tomorrow, my neighbor Jean and my friend Judy (from my Lockheed years) and I are going up to Ventura for the day. We are going to check out the shops at the Harbor and have lunch at Andria’s Seafood Restaurant in the Harbor. Should be fun.

Saw A Rattlesnake Today

Hiker and I got out of bed early this morning because we had our Monday dog walk with Jean and her 3 dogs. We walk 2 miles when we walk the dogs, but I never really count that as exercise because her dogs like to stop and sniff a lot, so we don’t keep up a constant walking pace.
After the dogs played in my back yard and Jean went home, I made some eggs for me and Hiker and then I went out to get my Lottery tickets, put some gas in the car and I had to go to Sam’s Club to pick up some items. I’ve noticed that Sam’s Club is not carrying some of the items I used to buy on a regular basis. I guess if they don’t get it for a good price, they don’t contract with certain brands. They have not had my Tropicana Orange Juice in several months, so I have to buy it over at Wal-Mart.
Came back home and watched Y&R and had lunch, then took Hiker over to Central Park for an afternoon walk. Ever since I’ve been diagnosed with the bone condition, I’m trying to get back to walking more than just 2 times a week. Also want to get out in the sunshine to get those rays of Vitamin D.
We were walking on the trail that runs behind the dog park in Central Park and I was taking some photos of the wild flower with my phone. Up ahead I noticed this couple walking towards us and they sudden stopped and he was pointing at something and she kind of shrieked. When Hiker and I got up to them, they told me to be careful that there was a rattlesnake up ahead and they pointed it out to me. I don’t think Hiker even noticed it. It was about 4 ft. long and it was black which I did not expect. I always thought the Diamond Back Rattlers here in California were brown. It never coiled and it never rattled. It laid in the shade for a few minutes and then it starting crawling up the side of the hill. That’s when the guy and I started to take pictures of it with our phones. In all of my years of hiking, this was the first rattlesnake I’d ever come across. I’ve seen Gopher Snakes, but never rattlers.
Going to meet the group girls for lunch tomorrow.
Was warm today. In the high-70’s. Supposed to be in the 90’s this weekend. No wonder the snakes are out already.

Relaxing Sunday

Was lying in bed around 7 am this morning watching TV when Jean called me. There has been a bird in her tree every morning, warbling up a storm, so she wanted me to see if I could get a photo of it and try to find out what kind of bird it was. I didn’t find anything on the Internet, so I put the photo on Facebook and one of my friends may have figured out what kind of bird it was. Facebook can come in really handy at times.
Washed my sheets and paid a bill online. Once I put the sheets in the dryer, I took Hiker out for a walk down by Discovery Park. Was a nice morning, a little hazy but the sun was out and it was warm.
There was another “Ghost Whisperer” marathon today. Actually it was a continuation of the one that was on yesterday. Spent most of the afternoon watching it.
Spent some time on the patio trying to get a shot of that colorful hummer, but it keeps eluding me. I hear it chirping and clicking and then I see it at the feeder, but the minute I try to snap a photo, it takes off. Smart little bird.

Shot this photo of some Wild Rhubarb while out walking Hiker at Discovery park.

Another Nice Day For A Flower Hike

Hiker and I lazed in bed until around 8 am this morning. Got up and made some pancakes for breakfast then turned on the “Ghost Whisperer” marathon.
I wanted to take Hiker out for a hike today since I was told I need to get more exercise and more Vitamin D from the sun because I have Osteopenia. We had to wait until after the mowers came by so I could let them in the back yard.
Before they came, I was trying to take a photo of a new hummer that has been hanging out in my back yard. It is so pretty. Has about 3 or 4 colors, but every time it came to the feeder, it either got spooked by Hiker or another hummer came by and they took off together. I’m going to eventually get a photo of it.
After the mowers left, Hiker and I drove over to Pico Canyon. I thought maybe I could get some photos of wild flowers there. There were a few, but not as many as there was about 5 or 6 years ago. A small Gopher Snake slithered across the road in front of us. Hiker didn’t even see it and it got away before I could get a picture of it. It was about 16” long and about as big around as my little finger.
They allow mountain bikers in Pico Canyon. Most of them are very polite, but some of them come around the blind corners way too fast and Hiker and I had to dodge them. Hiker is already afraid of bicycles, and them almost hitting us doesn’t help. They should at least have a horn or a bell to let you know they are coming around the corner, or at least slow down when they can’t see what’s ahead.
When we got home, I picked up the mail. I thought I had gotten my check returned from the Franchise Tax Board, but it was just a letter from them telling me that I should be getting it in about a week or two. Instead of sending the letter, they could have just sent the check.
It was about 85° here today.

Hiker's Grooming Day

Up early for our Friday morning dog walk with Jean. Hiker and Schnorkie were chasing each other all of my yard after the walk. I’m so glad they have bonded.
Made a couple of poached eggs for breakfast…one for me on an English Muffin and one for Hiker in her dog dish. She loves eggs, but then she will eat just about anything I put in front of her.
After breakfast, we headed over to Jean’s house so Jean could give Hiker and bath and I decided to have her shave Hiker a little since Hiker is shedding so badly. I didn’t have Jean shave Hiker “bald” like I do in the hot summer months. I think Hiker was glad to get some of that hair off of her body because she looked very happy after it was all done.
Didn’t do much else the rest of the day except catch up on my email and Facebook peeps.
Got my results back from my Bone Density test. Says I have a condition called Osteopenia or low bone mass. It’s not Osteoporosis, but I guess it can lead to it as I age. My doctor already has me on extra Calcium and Vitamin D3, but I emailed him to see if there is anything else I should do at this time.
It was strange, right after I got the results in the mail, I got a call from Kaiser. I didn’t recognize the number, so I did not answer, so they left a voicemail. I checked my voicemail and I could not understand the person very well, but she left a number for me to call and told me to ask for Connie. She said she had some questions for me. I called the number back and got transferred and there was a person named Connie there, but she said she had not contacted me and they had no record of me ever visiting their department. So I guess I will just wait and see if they call back.
Was warm here again. Got up to 88° on my patio.

I guess last night we had some thunder and lightning, but I had all of the blinds and drapes drawn and the TV on, so I never noticed. I knew that when I let Hiker outside just before we went to bed that it was raining and I know while we were in bed with the TV on for a little while, I could hear the rain. My neighbor Jean called me to ask if Hiker was OK during the thunder and I told her that I didn’t hear it and Hiker must not have either because she didn’t act like she normally does when she hears it.
We slept in AGAIN this morning. It’s getting to be an everyday thing with us, except on the days we have a dog walk with Jean or I have an early appointment. Last night I had a dream that I was working (why do I always dream I’m working?). It was at Lockheed, but as usual, it looked nothing like the Lockheed I worked at and once again it was night time, which I always find strange because I never worked at night. So I parked my car in the lot and headed into the building. Had trouble finding where my office was and finally found it and saw my friend Suzi Blagg in the office. Then for some reason, I left and went back out into the lot but could not remember where I had parked my car. Then I woke up and it was time to get up.
For all of you who have been sitting on needles and pins waiting to hear if I ever got any of my housework done (well maybe ALL of you are not sitting on needles and pins), but for those of you who are, you will be so happy to hear that I actually accomplished getting some of it done today. So get your butts up off of those pointy things!

I sure with CBS would get it through their heads that no one cares about March Madness! Every year, they show stupid basketball instead of all the shows I watch on that network. Makes me so MAD!
Around 11:30 am, Hiker and I went to get my lottery ticket and then we drove over to Placerita Nature Center to walk around some. I took a few photos of some of the wild flowers that are blooming there. We didn’t walk far because the grass is so high that I’m afraid Hiker might get ticks or that the baby rattlers are out and a bite from them is worse than from an adult rattler.

Saw this rose in my neighbor's yard:

Where Did The Day Go?

I was feeling a little light headed last evening, so I took a motion sickness pill. They always help me when I feel light headed but they make me very sleepy. I stayed up and watched “Rizzoli & Isles” and fell asleep almost as soon as Hiker and I went to bed.
I was having a dream last night that I was at some big Hollywood awards show, only all of the people were movie stars from the 1940s and 1950s. I remember sitting in the audience with them, then I woke up. Went back to sleep and was dreaming again, this time I was working at some company as a security consultant (HUH?). Hiker was at work with me and we were wandering around the building in the evening after everyone else had left, but we found someone snooping around. Then I heard Hiker whimpering and I woke up and looked at the clock and it was 6:25 am. No wonder she was whimpering, it was 25 minutes past her normal time to go outside. After she came back in, we went back to bed and I fell asleep and didn’t wake up again until 8:30 am. Those motion sickness pills wipe me out!
Got up and had some breakfast, then I ran the scans on my computers. Also paid my mortgage payment online and then put some Easter decorations out on the garage door and in the front yard.
By now it was time to watch “Y&R”. Where did the morning go? I had planned to clean the guest bathroom, but never got around to it, so I’ll have to do it tomorrow.
After lunch, I put Hiker in the car to check out a couple of new open spaces for my brother Keith and me to check out when he comes for his next visit. Found one of them. Actually found both of them, but one is not quite complete. There are still “no trespassing” signs on the big metal gate.
Was cloudy here all day and they kept saying we had a chance for some rain, but never saw any. Was in the mid-70s.

Nice Lunch With The Group Girls

Slept in until 8 am this morning. Actually wasn’t sleeping. I was watching the Investigative Discovery channel and rubbing Hiker’s belly.
After breakfast, I took Hiker out for a mile and a half walk. First “real” walk since before I came down with that cold. I am so out of shape, I may never be in shape again. I was so tired by the time we got back home. We didn’t even walk fast. But then I don’t walk fast like I used too before Ben died. Back then, you could see smoke when I walked. Now I “stroll”. But as long as I do it for at least 30 minutes, that’s what matters.
I met some of the support group girls over at The Lazy Dog Café. Ruth, Linda, Jane and Carol, and Carol bright a friend of hers along. DeDee didn’t make it because she had to put her cat down and she was just not in the mood, which we all totally understood.
The Lazy Dog Café is all dog oriented. The have pictures of dogs and dog figurines all over the place and there are paw prints on the tables. They were one of the first restaurants that started letting people bring their dogs with them if they dine on the patio.
Hiker now gets mad when I leave to go somewhere without her. When I go to kiss her good bye, she snarls, growls and curls her lip up at me. I guess it is her way to tell me that she is NOT happy that I am leaving her home alone. Silly girl. But then she is very happy when I get home gain.
Was overcast again today. The same high, thin, clouds and in the mid 80’s.

Spent A Lot Of The Day On The Phone

We were up at 6 am this morning so we could go for our dog walk with Jean and her dogs and the three dogs she is taking care of. We didn’t walk to the park today because Ebony, one of the dogs Jean is taking care of, does not like to walk very far. She is old so we just walk her around the block instead and she’s perfectly fine with that. We then let all of the dogs play in my back yard for a while. Hiker is obsessed with Lexie, another one of the dogs that Jean is taking care of. Hiker won’t leave her alone for some reason.
After Jean went home, I went and did my grocery shopping. When I got home, I decided that maybe I should still get in touch with the Franchise Tax Board about the money I sent to them that went to the wrong tax year, even though online it says that they are refunding that money to me.
I first tried their live chat, but was told that I really should call their customer service and talk with them because live chat cannot ask for confidential information like SS number, etc. So I tried to call customer service, expecting it to be hard to get through since this is tax season. I kept getting a recording telling me that they are experiencing more calls than usual because it is tax season and that all of their reps were helping other callers and for me to call back later.
I called back again after having lunch and watching “Y&R” and this time I got a recording telling me that the reps were still busy, but that I could leave my name and phone number and they would call me back in 1 to 2 hours. At least they make you sit on hold for 1 to 2 hours, but they could have told me that when I tried to call this morning instead of telling me to call back later.
So another day that Hiker did not get to go for a car ride and a walk around the park.
The Franchise Tax Board called me back at 1:45 pm and I explained about the mix up and the man I spoke with said that they are sending me the refund but it will probably be in a check and not a direct deposit (darn). He said I could go ahead and log back into their website and try to pay my 2014 tax bill online again, but I think I will just wait a couple of weeks since I have until April 15th and make sure I get the refund and then I will MAIL them a check like I did last year.
Another thing taken care of is my Kaiser Health Insurance. I just got my acceptance letter from them today saying that I am covered by them as of June 1st when Lockheed drops our group insurance.
Was hot and humid here again today. Another day of high, then clouds and 89°.

Craft Fair Today

Slept in until 8 am this morning. It was hot in the house when we went to bed last night, so it took me awhile to fall asleep. I even had the sliding door in my bedroom open a little bit.
I’m still tired from that trip up to the poppy fields. Don’t know if it’s because that cold I had weakened me or if I’m just getting old. Probably the getting old (LOL). I forget that I’m not 18 years old anymore and my body can’t do things it used to do.
Jean came by at 9:30 am and picked me up. We went over to Granada Hills to the Crafty Ladies Craft Fair. They have them twice a year, spring and fall. I bought a dog decoration that I now have hanging on my patio and I also bought a wind chime with a hummingbird on it.
On the way home we stopped at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Jean bought a few things, but I didn’t get anything there. I did look at their comforter sets that were on clearance, but didn’t see anything I liked in the size I need.
Had lunch with Hiker when I got home and since I had put my sheets and towels in the dryer just before Jean picked me up, I got them out of the dryer and made the bed. Was 88° here today and muggy. There was a high, thin layer of clouds which made it partly sunny.
If you recall yesterday I mentioned that the Franchise Tax Board in California had put my payment on the tax year 2013 instead of the tax year 2014, and that I was not able to access my account on their website during the day. Well last night I was able to get back into my account and now it shows that they are refunding my payment to me that they had put on tax year 2013. They authorized the refund as of March 14, 2015 and it says that it should be direct deposited into my account in 7 to 10 working days. At least I’ll have enough time to pay the bill again before April 15th. Hopefully it will be posted for the correct tax year this time. So I won’t have to call them unless I don’t see the refund deposit in the next 2 weeks.

Hot Saturday

I was so tired from my trip up to Lancaster and around the Poppy Reserve. I went to bed before 9 pm. Woke up around 4:30 am then went back to sleep until 6 am when Hiker wanted to go outside. We went back to bed and slept until 8 am and then got up and had some breakfast.
I finally got around to doing the vacuuming I had not done in the past 3 weeks. I was right about all of the dog hair. I have a Dyson and the hair completely filled the canister on the first run and then it was about a third full on the second run. I could have totally covered a hairless Chihuahua with the hair and some glue (LOL).
Did a load of laundry and sorted my medications and supplements for next week in my huge pill holder.
Was mad at myself last night. I had gone online to pay my state income tax the other day. I could have sworn when I put the tax year date I put 2014, but when I went into the state website to check the status on it, I saw that they had received my payment from my bank, but the tax year date showed 2013. Don’t know if I made the mistake or if they made it when posting my payment. Now I have to try to contact the Franchise Tax Board to get the error corrected so I don’t get dinged for not paying my 2014 state income tax. Hopefully it won’t be much trouble, but knowing the government, it will.
Got up to 92° here today.

Another Kaiser Day

Didn’t get to sleep in as long today. I had to be down at Kaiser in Panorama City by 10:30 am and I wanted to have some breakfast and since I don’t like driving the freeways, I take the surface streets, so it takes me a little longer to get there.
As it was, I still got there 15 minutes before my check-in time. There were several people ahead of me, but the wait wasn’t bad because I sat and spoke with several of the other women that were waiting for their x-rays to be done. One lady who went in just before me was a little upset when she came out because the technician noticed something about her hip and he told her to wait in the lobby for a doctor to come and speak with her. She was still sitting there when I came out from my x-ray.
I enjoyed the ride home because it was a beautiful day outside and as I said, I take the surface streets and Woodley zig-zags through a very lovely neighborhood. There was hardly any traffic on the way home.
Hiker was so glad to see me when I got home. She was all over me with kisses. I was hungry when I got home so I fixed some lunch and then I took Hiker with me to get gas in my car and we took the long way home since Hiker loves her car rides. We also stopped at Central park for about 20 minutes so she could sniff around.
I still have not gotten out for a real walk with her since before I got sick. We have a dog walk with Jean in the morning.
I also still have not gotten around to doing that housework I need to do. I’m afraid when I finally vacuum that there will be enough Hiker hair for me to knit another dog (LOL).

Hiker at the park.

Cloudy Day

Hiker didn’t wake me until almost 6:30 am to go outside this morning. I was really sleepy so we went back to bed.
When we got up at 8 am, it was very cloudy and gloomy outside and it stayed that way all day. My brother Ron emailed that he was having some drizzle up in Northern California.
After breakfast, I headed up to the 97¢ Store. I had noticed the other day when Jean and I were there that they had some things I needed, but I didn’t feel well that day, so I didn’t buy anything at that time. After leaving the store, I went up to the post office to mail my “specimen” to Kaiser’s lab to complete my physical.
I had planned to do some housework today, but when it’s dark and cloudy outside, it is too dark inside to really see what you are doing, even with the lights on. So instead, I paid a bill online and then went into the California Tax page and paid the money I owed on my state tax returns. I noticed that my refund from the feds was in my bank account as of this morning.
Ran my weekly scans on my computers and then noticed that I was having problems opening a certain Excel file that I had so I had to take time to figure that out. Then I got an email from PayPal telling me that they noticed some unusual activity on my account, so I had to check that out. I didn’t see anything unusual myself, but I went ahead and changed my password and security questions like they asked me to do. I’ve never added a bank account number to my PayPal account. I just use them to make charity donations from one of my credit card.
Was going to do housework tomorrow but got a call from Kaiser to come to Panorama City for my bone density test at 10:45 am tomorrow.

Physical Exam Day

So last night was one of those nights where I was still wide awake after midnight. I think I finally fell asleep around 12:30 am. Slept in until 8 am this morning.
Beautiful morning when Hiker and I got out of bed. Would have been a great day for a hike but since I had a doctor’s appointment later today, and the fact that I still have a slight cough, I didn’t want to get out and overdo. Hopefully I will be back out walking and hiking later this week.
Because of my doctor’s appointment, I also had to miss out on another lunch with the group girls. I really miss seeing them, so hopefully I’ll get to join them next week.
So my annual physical exam went well. I had no idea that Medicare pays for a free physical each year, so I did not have to pay any co-pay. My doctor said I seem to be doing well. My heart sounded good and my lungs are clear. He changed my Crestor to Lipitor since Medicare won’t pay for Crestor. He put a referral in for me to have a bone density test in Panorama City, so they will be calling me soon. I had my first of the two Pneumococcal Pneumonia vaccinations. I will have the second one next year during my physical exam. Since I refuse to do the colonoscopy, they always give me the fecal testing kit to take home. Naturally my B/P was up from my white-coat syndrome. All in all, he said I appear to be very healthy.
It was up in the high 80’s here again. Started getting a few high, thin clouds in the late afternoon.

Busy Today

Slept in this morning since we did not have a planned dog walk. Jean had an appointment with her tax person this morning, so we did not meet up with her and her dogs.
After breakfast, I headed over to Wal-Mart to pick up some things I needed. It’s nice to be well enough to go out and run errands when I need too. I’m still not 100% back, but I’m getting close. I still feel weak since the cold I had took a lot out of me.
Don’t know about anyone else, but when we have a time change, it takes me awhile to get used to eating at the new time. They should just put us on standard daylight time and just leave us there year round. Arizona has the right idea never switching their time.
After watching Y&R and having lunch I drove over to Best Buy. I had a $5 certificate from then than I had to use this week, plus I had a laser ink cartridge that I needed to recycle. While there, I picked up some printer ink for my all-in-one printer.
When I got home, I picked up my mail and I had received the new hummingbird feeder I ordered from Amazon. One of my old feeders was leaking so I got a new one to replace it.
Was hotter here today than it was yesterday. Got up to 89° on my patio.

Someone was stalking my lunch.

Another Very Warm Day

Before daylight saving time, it was light here at 6 am when I would let Hiker outside, but now it is dark at that time again, so I went back to bed after Hiker came back in. Fell back to sleep until around 8 am. Got up and made some waffles for breakfast and then drove over to the Kaiser Pharmacy to pick up my 2 blood pressure prescriptions.
While I was there I asked them what it would cost me to pay for my Crestor “out-of-pocket” since Medicare informed my doctor that they don’t cover it. They told me that they could not give me an exact price until the prescription was processed, but she told me that when other members got it and paid for it themselves, it was a couple of hundred dollars for a one month supply.
My doctor had suggested that he switch me to Lipitor but he’d have to double the dosage since Lipitor is only half as strong as Crestor. I need to discuss with him about the fact that Lipitor can cause diabetes in women. I see him on Tuesday for my annual check-up.
While washing my sheets and towels, I decided to wash my blankets too so that took me awhile. Also gave myself a haircut.
Watched “Murder She Wrote” all day on Hallmark.
It was so pretty outside. I wish I was completely well so Hiker and I could go out for a walk or a hike, but I don’t want to overdo like I did on Friday. Hiker and I did go out on the patio this afternoon. It was 88° again today. Someone in the neighborhood was bar-b-quing something and the aroma was amazing.

Took It Easy Today

I think I did too much yesterday after my doctor’s appointment. I was so tired last night. I kept falling asleep on the sofa while watching TV. Went to bed early and watched a little more TV then fell asleep. When I woke up this morning, I didn’t feel as well as I have been feeling. Headache and sore muscles. I’m still much better than I was, but I still am not completely over the cold. So today I am going to rest again. Just stay home and watch movies or TV.
Was very warm here today for this time of year. Hit 88° on my patio and was breezy once again. Hiker and I just stayed on the sofa all day relaxing. I did do a load of laundry this morning.

Some Good News

It was 39° on my patio this morning when Hiker and I got out of bed at 6 am. There was ice on the neighborhood roofs. I know for my friends on the east coast that 39° would be a blessing.
Jean picked me up at 8:15 am and we headed down to Kaiser for my appointment with my retina specialist. He was so pleased. The last injection did its job because the seepage in my eye has stopped and the swelling in the blood vessel was completely gone. He said my eye looks perfectly normal, except for the Macular Pucker that I still have. The only thing that can fix that is surgery and it’s the kind of surgery that they avoid unless it is absolutely necessary. So the cloudiness in my right eye is gone even though I still see everything “distorted” from that eye.
After we left Kaiser, we headed to our local Kaiser Pharmacy to see if my prescriptions for my B/P meds were ready for pickup, but they weren’t, so we then went to Kohl’s, then to the Dollar Tree, then to the 97 Cent store and then we went to eat a brand new burger place called Phat Burgers. The burgers were delicious!
After we got back home, we took the dogs out for a walk because they had not been out together since I got sick. We let them play in my yard for about an hour and they had so much fun chasing each other.
It was 80° here today, sunny and very windy.

Warm And Sunny

Slept in a little this morning. The bed felt so good. It is really nice to be among the “living” again. I’m still not 100%, but feeling better each day. I don’t remember being that sick in a long time. It was one of those illnesses where you lay in bed thinking “just let me die now”. Not that you really want to die, but you just want to feel better.
After breakfast, I went out and did my grocery shopping and spent $95 of the $100 I took with me. Cannot believe how much more I spend each time, but then I did purchase a few things this time that I don’t normally buy.
Won’t be able to sleep in tomorrow as I have an eye doctor appointment at Kaiser in Panorama City early in the morning. Jean will be driving me as they will be dilating my eyes.
Was warm and sunny here today, but very breezy. It was so beautiful outside that I took Hiker up to the park just to get out in the sun. I didn’t go there to walk. As I said, I’m still not 100% well and I don’t want to overdo. So we just sat in the park and enjoyed the scenery and the sunshine.

Feeling Much Better Today

Got up at 6 am to get ready for my doctor appointment later in the morning, but got a call around 7:30 am telling me that my doctor had something personal come up and that he would not be in the office all day, so they had to reschedule me for next Tuesday, which mean I’ll miss having lunch with the group girls again.
I was planning on going by Sam’s Club on my way home from my appointment, so I decided to just go ahead and go up to Sam’s Club and pick up the items I needed. It was nice to be out in the world again after being stuck inside for so long.
Came back home and ran the scans on my computer and watched TV. Didn’t want to get into any housework or anything like that yet. Want to wait until I’m 100% back to normal.
Hiker was a happy girl because she and “Mama” played ball in the back yard this afternoon. It was beautiful outside. Bright and sunny and in the 70’s. We are supposed to be up into the 80’s by the end of this week.

Feeling Better Each Day

Don’t know if it was the ice cream I had for lunch yesterday or the mac and cheese that I made for dinner last night, but I felt much better last night and I’m about 60% to 70% better this morning than I have in the past 10+ days.
Had considered going to lunch with the group girls today, but then thought about it better and thought it would be better for me to get completely well before I start socializing again.
The rain was gone this morning, but it was very chilly outside.
I actually put Hiker in the car this morning and we drove to the liquor store to buy my lottery tickets. Figured I’d do a test run for driving to my doctor appointment tomorrow morning. Hiker was so excited about getting to go in the car that she didn’t want to get out when we got back home.
The sun was bright most of the day. Partly cloudy but still a beautiful day.
I ate a pretty good sized lunch today. In the late afternoon, I started to feel some tightness or congestion in my chest and started coughing a little, but eventually it went away.
My friend Sandi told me that she had gone online today to sign up for Kaiser Medicare since Lockheed is dropping us in June. I had been putting it off because I didn’t know if it was too early, but a couple of other retirees told me that they had also signed up already, so I went online and signed up. Got to thinking that the longer I wait, the more retirees with Kaiser will be trying to enroll and it might take longer than normal to get approved.

Still Sick - Still Raining.

Went to bed feeling a little better, but woke up this morning feeling totally crappy again. Probably won’t be able to make it to the lunch with the group girls tomorrow, but that’s OK, we’ll have other lunches.
Have my annual check-up with my regular doctor Wednesday morning. He is the one who said this is a “common cold” that I am suffering with. Maybe he will re-diagnose it and be able to give me something to help me get better. Just hope I’ll feel well enough to drive to the appointment.
Rained all night here. I have one of those old fashioned rain gages that has the little vial that collects rain, and if it is right, we got about 1 ½” total.
Thought after Y&R was over I’d come out and sit on my patio and get some fresh are for a little while. The sun was shining through the clouds earlier, but once I got out to the patio, it started to get dark and cloudy again. It got too cold, so I had to come back inside put a log in the fireplace. I was looking forward to getting some Vitamin D from the sun, but it started raining again.
Couldn’t figure out what I wanted for lunch, so I had a bowl of ice cream. Think I’ll have some mac and cheese for dinner. Comfort food

Hiker Was a BAD Dog

OK….I am totally ready for this cold to be OVER!
It has really done a number on my poor body. No vomiting, no fever, but I feel so weak. I don’t ever remember a cold getting me down like this one has. My head is still stuffy and I feel so tired all of the time.
I have never been sick for more than 3 or 4 days. Sooner or later, I’m going to have to go get some groceries and go to the pharmacy for me B/P meds, so I need to get better. I do NOT like having to rely on others to help me do things and I hate asking for help. I’m supposed to meet the group girls for lunch on Tuesday, but don’t know if I will be able to make it. I have my annual check-up with my doctor on Wednesday, plus I have an appointment with my retinal specialist on Friday, which was a reschedule for missing my appointment with him last week.
Around 10 am, my neighbor Sally called me and said she was heading over to the store and asked if I needed anything. Told her I did need some orange juice. I thought it was so sweet of here to call and ask.
I’m not used to not being able to just get out of bed and do things. Today I had to change the sheets on my bed because I’ve been sleeping on those sheets while I’ve been sick all week and I’m sure they were full of all kinds of germs.
I really feel sorry for Hiker. This is the first time since I got her that I’ve been sick and she totally does not understand why we are not doing the things we normally do. She just sits and stares at me. But right now I am so mad at her. Here I am sick and feeling like crap. Hiker saw a cat in the front yard and went crazy and she totally destroyed the mini-blinds on the front window. Just ripped them apart, just like you see the photos on the Internet where dogs have done that. I’m thinking she has cabin fever from us not playing outside, going for walks and car rides, etc. Dogs do things that they would not normally do when they get bored, and I’m sure she is bored from my being sick for over a week. Now I’ll have to get another blind to put in there, but I cannot do it until I’m completely well, and who knows when the heck that will be. She’s lucky I’m not the type of person who beats their dog because I am so mad at her.