The End of June

Last Sunday several of us drove out to visit Mom's grave since not all of them had seen the sight since the stone had been placed.

Rebecca and her girls have been good motivation for me to get up and run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Not as fast nor as far as I would like, but I let my body tell me what it is capable each day. I do ignore the "it hurts and you need to stop" thoughts in the first half mile though.

Monday Miranda and family left for Bella Vista. It is amazing how quiet the house is without the squawking of the bird - and how much we missed it! Rebecca and I did a walk through of one of her rent houses; she had not seen the interior work I had done last fall. Nice tenant.

Tuesday I was supposed to have a zoom call with my grief support group, but the administrator forgot to set the call up. A ward member, who is also a nurse at the hospital, set up a blood drive at the church that afternoon and I had signed up to donate. Rebecca, had never donated before; but she came along and they took her blood too. We swung by Dominoes for dinner.

Wednesday Delaney and I headed off to Springdale. I drove the truck with the trailer; it was loaded with an entertainment stand, 4 bikes and rack and some other odds and ends. I dropped Delaney off at Deborah's, traded her for Samantha, and drove up the road to Miranda's house. Their house is not easy to find; a GPS is almost mandatory to find it. I made one wrong turn and then had trouble turning truck and trailer around with the narrow and windy roads. They have a great house. Currently the garage is half full of full boxes which they are gradually finding new homes for inside. While the house has some nice features, I have to question the wisdom of 10 foot ceilings (both floors) when the laundry room is so small that the door leading from the garage into that room impacts the clothes dryer.

Samantha was happy to play with her cousins and kept herself entertained.

By 730 Thursday morning, Miranda and I were on the way to their storage shed to pick up the last of their items from that facility. The grands were most helpful hauling the smaller items in the house. After a quick shower, Samantha and I headed off to Hollister to purchase additional decking from Menard's. The shortest route there is only on two lane roads. Two hours later, we arrived. I had previously called to verify they had the decking in stock; they did, and they showed I had a credit for the 23 I bought last month, but they did not have in stock at that time. It took about 25 minutes for the sales rep to get my transaction for a total of 50 resolved (he was new). However, once in the warehouse, the worker there confirmed they only at 21 in stock. He did help be load them and I have perfected the technique of strapping them down without worrying of losing any on the way home.

This time though, I went back to the service desk to ask for a refund and to inquire why the sales reps sell things they don't have in stock. They had to bring in the boss lady to get my refund and she suggested asking for the 'front desk' next time I call; they can accurately tell me if my decking is available. I drive 3 1/2 hours and come away with less than half of what I wanted. I was not a happy camper; so I bought some Reese's peanut butter cups to make me feel better. And Samantha was happy to share.

We stopped in Harrison to shop at Aldi's. Bought more strawberries which became jam on Friday. We did not get home until 5 pm. Samantha was a trooper and did not complain about the long ride.

Friday, after running, we tackled the strawberries and made two more batches.

The plants in the garden are gaining ground as the weeds are slowly being removed and burned. Probably 90% clean at this moment (that figure is subject to change rapidly!) Callie is my best helper there. The corn is now as high as an elephant's eye, but no visible corn. The broccoli has blessed our table with delicious goodness.

Saturday we all went to a local restaurant for breakfast. Not too many customers, plenty of distancing and masks were required - when not eating.

I went to the church building to help sanitize it in preparation for today's meetings. I returned in time to see Rebecca's family depart with the ultimate goal of arriving at Jonathan's; Dan flies into Springfield this weekend. She took Samantha with her, met Deborah and family in Harrison and traded Samantha for her own Delaney and Sarah.

I was able to weed whip the fence line and then spray with weed killer; will see how efficient that is. Also got the lawn mowed this week. We have been busy getting ready for next Saturday's Pie Day Celebration, getting several pies made and frozen, lining up canopies, ice chests and such.

Today was real church. We met in three different locations in the building so as not to violate the over 50 rule; no one touched a sacrament tray except the passer and the meetings were over in about 40 minutes. No singing, just organ or piano playing the hymns; only the conductor (member of the bishopric) spoke. We were encouraged to exit quickly after the meetings and not linger in the building. Once outside, off came the masks and the visiting began. It was refreshing to meet, even under these austere conditions. The O'Briens invited me for dinner, so I went and had an enjoyable meal. Then stopped on the way home to check on a couple of families.

It appears the hot/humid season is upon us.

Chaos Reigns

I was motivated to run Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Callie, Marian, Rebecca and I start out about 630 in the morning, and each runs their own distance. One day we even had Alex and Ethan join us, although one was on a bike.

Last December the lab results of my annual physical indicated a higher than normal PSA count, which is why the doctor had me return last week for follow up lab work. Unfortunately, what ever upset my insides last week (diverticulitis, stomach inflammation??) also affected the blood test results. When I visited the doctor on Tuesday, he could only say the test was inconclusive and wanted me to return in a month. The count was a little lower though. Scheduling a follow up lab was interesting; the scheduler was adamant that I could not come in any earlier than 30 days for the insurance to cover the costs; 30 days put it about the time I planned to leave for the reunion. Then she went to schedule my next appointment for six months; again, it couldn't be any earlier that six months and that put it right before Christmas. I don't know that I will be home then I told her; but that is when she had to schedule it! Isn't there any flexibility? She finally asked another administrator and we discovered there is a 30 day window, so my physical is scheduled for early January. Why do we make life so difficult??

Wednesday I had my monthly visit with the chiropractor. A once a month visit keeps me 'maintained'. Thursday I had a minor repair to do at a rental and took Callie with me to assist. Interesting story here. The tenant is 65+ and lives with his single son. Recently his wife passed away in California. Since he thought he was divorced, he only planned to send the son; but not so. Evidently the divorce papers were never officially signed and recorded, so he while he lived the past 10 years thinking he was divorced, he really wasn't. Consequently, he was required to go out as well to sign all the paperwork related to her affairs. 

Three weeks ago I listed a duplex purchased in 2009, with my favorite realtor. On Thursday it was shown for the first time to two different potential buyers; and both viewers submitted offers. And both were for the same price! This property would only appeal to an investor, and I had anticipated it being on the market for several months. I am pleasantly surprised and excited. Friday morning I was at the realtors office countering one offer and accepting the other. Hope to close before the reunion.

Miranda had hoped to close on their house Tuesday morning, but the bank did not get the paperwork to the title company until late in the afternoon Unfortunately, the movers were set to deliver their household goods that morning; the truck was loaded and had to be turned around and unloaded. While they have a house, where Dan has been living a temporary austere lifestyle, their goods will be delivered next Tuesday.  So homeless Miranda and children returned Tuesday evening to spend another week with us. The cousins do get along well.

Friday Andy's family joined us for the week end. We managed to cram all 19 of us in the house because no one wants to miss the action by staying at a motel. And this is what the downstairs looks like:

Saturday, Dan, Andy and seven grands joined me for a tree cutting down project. A dead tree was leaning over at one of the rentals and I took advantage of the help. Turns out the chain was dull and it took longer for Dan to cut; a fellow church member lived around the corned, so I was able to borrow his saw to finish the job. The grands did a fantastic job of cleaning up the debris which all went on the burn pile which was later burned so they could make semores. 

I had to leave before the job was done because I had an eye appointment with the Walmart Vision Center. My new glasses were in and needed to be fitted. They are a welcome replacement to my old ones!

During the week I was able to finish replacing the planking on the back steps. Unfortunately, I am short two pieces to have that section complete. I need to make another trip to Menard's to get more material. The steps were more involved as I modified them slightly and had to figure out how to do it as I went along.

Saturday evening we played the obligatory  game of  5 Crowns. Rebecca made a Father's Day cake and everyone stayed up late visiting and doing some reunion planning.

Cake in the making:

The final product looks much better!

Ethan's coneur has provide much entertainment for us with his bird like antics. 

We had 19 in attendance at church today. I have come to really feel the Spirit in our home meetings and it is great to have so many family members with whom to share that experience.

Enjoying some 7-layer dip after church.

I am not pregnant!

Monday started off with a run in the cool of the morning. Then Miranda and I made two batches of strawberry jam. Three hours of work, 6 pounds of strawberries, and I won't mention the amount of sugar, and we had 10 pints of delicious sweet tasting jam.

Tuesday was a wonderfully cool day! Temperatures stayed in the 60s. It was a good day to work on two sections of unfinished handrails and the steps off the back door. The stringers were still in good condition, so only the steps and toe kicks needed to be replaced. The tricky part is getting the outside corners to match. I won't tell you how good of a job I did - you will have to come and check it out yourselves. Between work calls, Dan was able to assist; it goes much faster with two. Miranda was also helpful when not caring for her children.

Wednesday did not turn out as planned. There was no morning run, no driving to Jonathan and Kristy's for Isabelle's baccalaureate ceremony. I was up early due to abdominal pain; by 7:30 I realized my symptoms reminded me of former kidney stone episodes, so I assumed that was my problem and sent Ethan downstairs to wake up his mother. She was able to get me a 10 am doctor's appointment. And then she drove me there and waited for me. At the doctor's office, they checked my temperature, asked a few questions and then let me in the door - with my mask on. A few minutes later I met with the nurse who checked vitals and then another nurse took me for an ultrasound (a first for me). She confirmed I am not pregnant and there was no evidence of kidney stones. The doctor checked the data and suggested I may be suffering from diverticulitis and proscribed antibiotics. In the afternoon Alex helped me make a  double batch of cookies.

Thursday should have been a big day; Rebecca was due to fly into Springfield that evening. Isabelle was due to graduate about the same time. I wondered if it was possible that Rebecca would be slightly delayed so that I could attend the graduation; but she was more than just delayed. Her flight out of Seattle was delayed two hours, so there was no way to catch the connecting flight in Dallas. She opted to fly into Dallas and spend the night. American Airlines was able to reschedule her flight into Fayetteville for Friday night. That meant she had two nights in hotels and an opportunity to acclimate before getting here.

Friday morning I got in a short run with Dan and then met with my tax accountant; 2019 cost me twice any previous year, but for the first time in 10 years, I am getting a refund! Then home to prep to drive to Fayetteville to pick up Rebecca's family. I stopped by Deborah's for a quick visit, and then drove to the airport. Deborah's family joined me there to greet the returning cousins.

 Since there is an Andy's Frozen Custard nearby, we had to stop there before continuing home.

We were home by 10 pm.

Saturday was slow day for all of us. Vela did invite us to enjoy her pool and everyone had a great time. And we celebrated (late) Callie's birthday.

We had more attendees at home church today than ever before: 12. There is something very special about these at home experiences that will make it difficult to return to church again. And our stake has been authorized to start holding limited meetings starting 28 June.

It is fun to have the two families here; the older girls enjoy playing with the young boys.  And Rachel is enjoyed by everyone.

This picture does not show off the new steps well. And they are all the same color.

Home again

Last Sunday the Spencers came for home church; Adam gave the lesson; I am impressed how much the older of the young grand children know of the Book of Mormon. Lunch followed and we enjoyed a quiet afternoon. In the evening, most of us took a seven minute walk to another ward member who is also a dentist - his office is less than a mile from Adam's office. In fact, on his road, over a two mile stretch, there are at least 7-8 dentist offices. Evidently there are about 80 dentists in the Medford area. We had a delicious dinner of smoked ribs; an enjoyable time was had by all.

Monday I was able to get out and run again, without any negative effects. Most of the day was spent working on the list of chores. By now, Savannah has been able to reduce the list from two pages to one.

Tuesday I had an appointment with the dentist to have a crown removed and replaced. It is nice not to have to have a temporary crown installed and wait two weeks for the crown to be made somewhere else and then installed. Adam has the fancy (i.e., expensive) machine that makes them in the office in less than an hour. During the wait, he removed an old filling that had lost its effectiveness and replaced it. And the new crown fits great.

I returned again on Wednesday to have another tooth capped with a crown. Again, the crown fits and I have had no adverse response to all this tooth work. My mouth may still be stretched out of shape, though. I am amazed that the boy that couldn't sit still (he still can't) as a youth, has the concentration to focus on the delicate work of dentistry in the small confines of people's mouths. And it is obvious that he enjoys his work. He has an impressive staff too.

I was able to run again on Thursday morning and survived. Still too many hills, but the weather was great.

Reasons for obtaining  a home warranty when purchasing a used home: The air conditioning was not functioning properly; the technician came out, found some problems and resolved them. I believe the entire cost was covered by the warranty. The house has a 75 gallon vented gas water heater; it had not been providing sufficient hot water, so again a plumber came out to investigate. Short story, it is into its 14 year of a 12-16 year life expectancy and needs some parts replaced. But as the plumber stated, he would probably be back in a few months to resolve additional issues caused by the age of the heater. He succeeded in convincing the insurance company to pay for the installation of a new water heater. They are not cheap, either. And did I mention that the dishwasher also leaks?

In the process of working around their house, I discovered that water runs up hill in Oregon. It must; why else would the contractor installed a four inch drain line running up hill? The 30 foot rain gutter on the back side of the house drained into a two foot section of drain line with a 5 inch incline before going into the sewer line. It didn't make sense to me; so it now slopes down.

Where I spent the previous two weeks:

Thursday evening was a sad time, saying good bye to all the children since I was leaving early in the morning. I enjoyed reading stories to the 5 and 6 year old girls - I now know why you don't put hot sauce on the dragon's tacos and that Goldilocks really visited the home of dinosaurs and not bears, among other great truths. Denali and I had fun fixing cinnamon cake for breakfast and going to Lowe's for supplies. Lisa was so cute; during the time I was there, she learned to come grab you by a finger and lead you where she wanted you to get her something. If it was to the frig, she wanted her milk bottle. Below are Lisa and Miley.

You may notice an addition to me; I started a Q-19 growth, which, if I can stand it, will continue until the St Louis Temple reopens. It has been 50 years since I had a beard!

Adam doesn't work on Friday's, but he was up at 5 am to transport me the 15 minutes to the airport. 15 minutes after arrival, I was at the gate waiting for my 7 am flight. The Denver terminal was a little more crowded, but still not a mass of humanity. Neither flight was more than 80 percent full and were uneventful. I find it interesting that they insist on distancing while in the terminal and boarding and deplaning, but once you are on the plane, you are elbow to elbow to others.

Kristy arrived about the time I was ready to be picked up in Springfield. Spent a quiet evening with their family. Katie and Aaron drove up in time for Isabelle and Katie to attend a junior prom (Izzie is a senior).

I left Saturday morning to return home; but first a stop at Menard's to purchase additional decking material. The boards come in 12 foot lengths, and with the tail gate down, only about two foot hung over. I used multiple straps to hold the boards together and then strap them to the truck. There was some shifting, but they all made it to the house. Dan helped me unload them.

On the way home, Miranda called to inform me that it was 85 degrees upstairs at the house and the AC wasn't working. I was able to call the AC company I use; Laban called back - he had several other calls ahead of me, but gave me a helpful suggestion:  check the condensation pump to ensure the reservoir isn't full, if so, it will kick off the unit. Turned out that Miranda's boys had unplugged the pump to use the outlet for other purposes. A simple fix. 10 days ago Miranda had started mowing the lawn, only to have the mower quit. In trouble shooting, I discovered there was water in the gas tank. After draining off about 1/2 cup water, it ran fine and Dan mowed the lawn (Yeah!).

Miranda's family is officially homeless; they closed on their previous house on Friday and will spend the week here until they close on their new one in eight days. Rebecca has tickets to arrive in town Thursday night and will hang out here initially.