A Very Hot Saturday

It's supposed to get to 100 degrees today! And with our humidity, that is a lot of heat! Bob and I will go to breakfast and then maybe just stay in. We had talked about driving down to Owasso and eating lunch at the Olive Garden there but it may just be too hot to do that. We will see.

I just called him. It's nearly 6:00 and I didn't see any light over there. He was in the bathroom shaving and had his music on but no lights yet. We check on one another if we don't see lights in our apartments by 6:00. Both he and I are early risers.

We ate lunch out yesterday. By the time the cable man left I didn't have time to fix lunch. We went to Eggbert's and had their small chicken fried steak. Mine was good though Bob's had some gristle. But that meant we had eaten out Tuesday (at Big Cheese) and yesterday at Eggbert's and we will be eating out with the church group tomorrow noon after church.  That's a lot of meals out for our budgets. So we may just stay home. Bob is planning to fix a large salad for our lunch today.

I am finding other things to do with my free time besides watch TV. I have found some games on my desktop computer and I have also been back to reading my Kindle more.  I also got some laundry done yesterday. The cable guy yesterday took a lot of time.  And, of yes, I spent an entire morning yesterday changing all three of my accounts to the new checking account. Prudential and Blue Cross/Blue Shield were pretty easy but Social Security was a pain.  After spending 25 minutes on hold waiting for service, the guy I finally got told me there was a new regulation and in order to change to a new account number, I had to tell them the old account number. Of course, I had taken the old checks and everything connected to that account including the debit card to the bank to have them shredded. So I had to hang up and call the bank for that information.Then I had to place the call again. This time I just left a "call back" for them. After about 27 minutes, they called me back and the new guy was very helpful. What a mess!

More later...

Bob brought over a large salad and bread sticks for lunch. I had made some banana pudding for dessert. It was all good and in summer with 100 degrees, a salad is good.

A Bad Day Friday

My TV went out yesterday morning while I was sweeping off the carport.  I thought it was the cable but it turned out to be the TV.  When I called Cox, I also told them about Bob's remote which he had been having problems with. Cox then sent me a new remote for Bob, whose remote is actually wearing out. Then I got the confirmation for the package they had sent and after that I got an e-mail for information on an update on my account information.

This has been a horrible day. Late last night I realized I had been scammed and had accidentally given up too much information to a site I thought was my Cox Communication.  So I called them back this morning (after not sleeping much last night) and discovered it was not Cox that contacted me for information. Then I went to the bank and cancelled my account and opened a new one.

Then I spent the morning calling Social Security, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Prudential to give them the new account information. Then I contacted the credit rating services and turned a hoax alert.  

Then the cable man came to try to find out why my cable was not working. He discovered the TV coaxial input was out on my TV.  I had discovered yesterday that I could bundle my internet and cable services and save money. The cable guy said the cable box would work as the coaxial input I had lost on the TV set. I will just have to use the Video 2 setting on the TV instead of antenna/cable. I have my DVD set up on Video 1 to watch DVDs and movies.  If that works, that's what I will do instead of buying a new TV.  This TV was bought in 1991 so it has lots of mileage on it and it isn't high definition but if it will work with the cable box, I will save the money. Bob came over after the cable guy left and we went to lunch.

More later...

For a change, I went over to Bob's apartment to watch TV and stayed until 9:00. We also had our wine over there. Then I came home and took my bath and played computer games until 9:30.

Thursday Decision Day

I will have to make a decision today about the job. Aime and  I have heard nothing from the college and so far, I have heard nothing from Safehouse. I may have to take the museum job. ...strange hours or not.

We had a good time at the dinner theater yesterday. We sat with Bobby's brother and sister-in-law and had  a nice visit with them.

When we got back home we found the city had had a big thunderstorm with lots of wind.  The yard was a mess. I raked and bagged the leaves and debris off the center lawn and blew off the drive with my blower and came in utterly exhausted. But the center yard looks much better. I will try to get my east back yard raked and bagged today.  What a mess! We had left the windows cracked on Bob's car and the floor mat on his side was wet. He has it drying out on his yard chair now. He has needed to clean the floor mats anyhow and now he will have to get that done.

More later...

I got the east back yard cleaned up this morning and it looks much better.  I also went to the market and spent $82.00 on groceries. Food has really become expensive. I didn't buy any meat and look what I spent!

I fixed hamburgers and homemade french fries for lunch today. They were good. I didn't make a dessert.

I have looked everywhere for a chicken casserole that had salsa in it. I fixed it once and Bob really liked it.  Now I cannot find it again. I suppose it could be in my recipe box. I'll look.

More later....

Aime wants me to wait until Monday to make a decision about the job. Safehouse has to check with Pittsburg about what they need someone to do for them. I don't intend to put myself between an angry abusive husband and his hidden away wife for minimum wage...that's for sure. I called Wendy at the museum and explained that to her. I may have to take the museum job even if the hours are whacky.

Wednesday Bus Trip

Today is our trip to Kansas City to the dinner theater to see Smokey Joe and it should be a scorcher of a day.  Here in Coffeyville we are still under a heat advisory and have been for three days. The temperature has been in the upper 90's and it's very humid heat which makes it even worse.

I watched PBS last night. I had read the book "Capone" and last night there was a special about him.  There was also one on the disappearance of that labor leader (whose name will not come to me right now) who disappeared mysteriously some years back. He was connected to the mob.

I slept well last night. I awoke about 4:15 but managed to get back to sleep until quarter till five.

I am waiting today for a call from Safehouse about a job interview. I never did hear from the college and neither did Aime.  Their new HR person is not on the ball at all. She neither answers her e-mails nor her voice mails. Aime tried both twice. I am not enthusiastic about the Safehouse job. I don't know what it is yet but I do know I don't want to get between an angry spouse and his wife in this violent society. I should hear from them today for an appointment. I will take the Dalton Defender's Museum job only as a last resort. The hours are not very convenient for me.

More later...

This is a photo  of my eldest son, Keith, and his wife, Esther.  I talked to him at length yesterday. He is always concerned about his brother, who is still searching for the "right woman".  Keith found his in church.  I am hoping Scott will look there too when he locates in Savannah.

Cake Tuesday Again

We've had a hiatus of three weeks since we've needed to take cakes to Independence. The cooks took a break for a vacation. Now I have four cakes to take up.  Bob and I will leave in about 30 minutes.

He's going to go with me because we want to look at the Independence Wal Mart store for their $3.99  back packs for the school supplies we will buy for the kids whose parents cannot afford all that expense. This year our congregation wants to provide 30 for our back pack party. Last year we did 24.  Bob and will eat at Big Cheese and then I will go over to Juanita's to help her balance her checkbook.  While I do that, Bob will take my car and go see his sister, Betty, who lives up there.

I am still waiting for a call from the college for an appointment for an interview.  They have a receptionist job I am interested in interviewing for. I interviewed at the Dalton Defenders Museum yesterday and they want me. The hours are strange though. They are Monday 10:00-4:00, Tuesday 10:00-1:00, Wednesday 10:00-1:00 and Thursday 10:00-4:00. I cannot leave at 1:00 or 4:00 if there are people in the museum. I would have to stay over until they leave. I cook lunch at noon every day and really would rather not eat my big meal after 4:00.  I don't sleep well with a lot of food in my stomach.  So I am still interested in the receptionist job at the college too.  It may be mornings only five days a week or afternoons only five days a week.

Tomorrow we will be in Kansas City for the dinner theater.  We leave at 7:15 and don't get back until evening.  It will be a big day.

A Busy Monday

This will be a busy day. In about 45 minutes we will leave for exercises. Bob comes by to pick me up.  I took Missy out on the carport this morning and he saw me out there and came over and sat with me awhile.  Finally he went home to shave and I came in and took Missy's litter box out and dumped the litter, washed the box and put fresh litter in it. Then I watered all my flowers. It's supposed to be up in the 90s today and we are on a heat alert here..

Then I went out on the patio and swept the grass off, uncovered my lawn chairs and washed the arms off. I had kept the chairs covered since fall since I usually sit out on the carport. I am going to give my metal birdbath another coat of paint soon. But I can't do it today. I have that doctor's appointment at 11:15. My ankles are still swelling in the afternoon and evening but seem to be fine in the mornings.  He won't be able to tell me anything from my blood work. As is obvious, I don't have a lot of confidence in doctors any more. I had Dr. Smithson for 48 years and I haven't had much confidence in a doctor since.

Why?

I had both my bunions done by a specialist and one of them failed so it looks terrible and still hurts from time to time. Bob wasn't diagnosed with cancer until one week before he died. My erysipelis a year ago last February was misdiagnosed in the emergency room and it took me two months and three different antibiotics and a trip to the dermatologist in Bartlesville to get it cured. The antibiotic my doctor prescribed for that caused the aching in my arms that I suffered from for months. The specialist that did Leslie's back surgery was just sure it was osteoporosis even though I told him I had had a bone scan and had learned I had not even a sign of it. ( I had worked seven years in a dental office and taken hundreds of x-rays without proper protection and did not want any more x-rays or bone scans). That Dr was just sure I didn't know what I was talking about and ordered a bone scan, a bone density scan and a CT scan. As I had said, I did not have a sign of it. He was baffled. It was months before I saw a program on TV that put me on the track.  I checked with the pharmacy about the three antibiotics I had taken and sure enough, the second one had muscle and tendon aches as a side effect. Exercise was the only treatment for it so even though it hurt, I went to the exercise classes for months before the arm pain finally cleared up.

Now my ankles are swelling and at camp they were terrible. Melissa said I was not drinking enough water so I increased my water intake. That may have helped some but they still swell every afternoon and evening...especially the left one. The NP I saw last week had me get my blood work done and get an appointment with my doctor but I seriously doubt he can tell me anything.  I know....gripe, gripe, gripe.


Well, we had our exercise class. Now I have about an hour before I go to the doctor.

More later....

The doctor said it was just a combination of the heat, the being on my feet so much and my blood pressure pill. He suggested I continue to elevate my feet at night.

After lunch I went to the Dalton Defenders Museum for a job interview. They want me to work there but I want to see if the college will also call me. They have a receptionist job open. Aime has not been able to get the HR person to get back with her.

By the way, my son told me to reboot this computer and then try again to download the picture. So I tried that and what do you know...it worked.

This is a recent photo of Missy in her favorite chair..

Another Sunday

Here it is Sunday again.  The weeks just roll by.

Yesterday afternoon I had Marilyn on my mind and so I went by to visit with her briefly.  She lost Jack last Saturday. He had been in the nursing home for several months and she had gone every day to eat lunch with him.  It was a blessing that he went. He could no longer even hold his head up. What a pity. He had been a lawyer, a Brigadier General in the Air Force Reserves, a pilot,  a judge, and finally, a senior judge. He was also a member of our Sunday evening study group until he got too bad to even navigate. He will be sorely missed.

I plan to have the Living the Questions group next Sunday evening at 7:00. Marilyn says she will come. Mona wanted to get back to it too. She has been in Egypt for a  couple of weeks...perhaps even a month. Karan will be gone to visit Gretchen but she wanted us to go ahead and have it. Bobby will be here by himself. Joyce and Keith will come and Becky may come too. So there would be eight of us if Mona and Richard bring their son.  We have five Methodists, three Community of Christ members, a Presbyterian, an agnostic and a Muslim. That's plenty for a small group.

Today I will go to church and afterward to lunch with the church group. After that I will come home and do my letters. Otherwise I have no plans for Sunday.

Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment for my swollen left ankle.

Tuesday I will need to take cakes to Independence to the First Christian Church there for their dinner Tuesday evening.  On Wednesday Bob and I will go to Kansas City on a bus trip to the dinner theater. Sometime next week someone will call me for a job interview. Aime e-mailed me last evening that I have been accepted back into the SER program.  Otherwise next week is clear.