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| January 2010 |
January 25 - 31, 2010
Monday, January 25. The task for today was to get propane and that meant getting the motorhome secured and ready to go down the road, as there are no suppliers that deliver around here. It is always a good thing to do that, just to make sure everything is in good working order and the good old Bravo came through with flying colors. All systems go. It was a pretty painless operation, except the cost of $58 - everything is expensive around here.
Once we got settled back in, I headed to the grocery store and I opted to go to Mollie Stone's instead of Trader Joe's because they would have everything on my list. Big mistake, just about everything I put in my basket was at least $5. Oh well, live and learn the hard way seems to be my motto.
Tuesday, January 26. I was expecting to see clearer weather this morning, but that didn't come about until after noon. I spent the morning preparing food for lunch with Ben and Jill. I made a chopped salad with grilled chicken, bacon bits, asparagus, avocado, mango, red onion, cherry tomato, and kalamata olives that turned out to be yummy! A recipe from the Costco cookbook.
We had a nice time together, then they left to go spend a few days at the coast. Hopefully, they will have some sunshine to help cheer them up and get ready to start getting back to a normal routine. Ruby will stay with us. After they left, we took the dogs for a walk. Starting out, we had sunshine but then a gray cloud came over us and it got cold again. That certainly didn't bother the dogs at all, but Mike and I are total weather wimps these days.
We're starting to look forward to getting back to our house in Mesa, getting settled in, having our stuff shipped from Florida, and having a home again that isn't on wheels.
Wednesday, January 27. It was so nice sleeping last night without hearing the rain on the roof all night long. If it weren't for having 2 dogs hogging the space in our bed for most of the night, it might have been perfect.
When I took the dogs out this morning, I was thankful that the skies are clearing and it looks like we might be seeing the sun shine for most of the day. The times for high tides really fluctuates around here, the marshland was much like a lake this morning, lots of various types of ducks and shorebirds feeding on the rich vegetation, insects and other sea life.
It's a big day! I applied for Social Security benefits this morning and other than having to provide a copy of my birth certificate, I'm all ready to have my 1st check deposited into my account at the end of June. Yeah!!
We had some errands to run today, so decided to stop at the Social Security office to provide a copy of my birth certificate. I found that was not necessary, but it did give me the opportunity to make sure that all was in order. I was very disturbed about what I saw at that office. It was quite evident that the majority of visitors to that office today were not seniors dealing with Social Security benefits, but much younger, able-bodied people dealing with disability benefits. It appeared to be a social meeting place, everyone greeting each other, talking about getting together because they are home alone every day, sister talking about not getting child support from ex-husbands, neighbors talking about their homes and apartments paid for through that administration. I have always been a firm believer in helping those in need, and helping people get their feet on the ground, but these people all seemed to be there for a handout. Granted, I don't know the full story of each of those individuals but in the hour I was there, perhaps only 6 of 30 people were seniors. When we left there, Mike and I both felt the same, upset and discouraged. Once again, we felt that we have been honest, hard-working people that paid every debt we've ever owed, contributed to this benefit we will get in our old age, but there are so many others that skate through life the easy way, taking what isn't deserved, and not contributing to any of it. Disgusted! You bet.
It's a good thing it was a beautiful sunny day, because after that and after the events of the last 2 weeks, and after being cooped up in the rain, we needed to get out for some fresh air. We packed Ruby and Frisco into the car and headed to a place where we could access the Pacific Trail for a nice, hour-long walk that lifted our spirits and definitely cheered up the dogs.
It probably wasn't a good night to watch President Obama's State of the Union address. We just see more and more of our $$$ going into the pit.
Friday, January 29. Yesterday was a bright sunny day and we were able to get the dogs out for a nice walk this afternoon, Ruby got to chase the ball for quite a while, and Frisco snooped around. The windows were opened up to let the fresh air in. How sweet it is!
We learned that we have to be cautious about Frisco's toys, as he is way too possessive and jealous, he started a fight with Ruby. Every time she pulled something out of the box, he took it away from her. The fight started when we tried throwing balls for them to catch. They were nose to nose, growing, biting, and shoving each other, and when I tried to stop them, the space heater fell on my leg. Ever since, we have had to keep the toy box put away. What a brat he is.
Ben and Jill got back this afternoon and after driving for a while, just felt like hanging out. On their way home today, they stopped at Point Reyes Station at the Cowgirl Creamery and brought back some cheese and bread to share with us. We had a beer and sampled the prize winning Red Hawk and Mt. Tam varieties, both soft cheeses that had rich buttery flavors. In addition, a small wedge of Marisa, a specialty cheese from the Carr Valley Cheese in LaValle, WI. We had a very nice time with them, then they headed home with Ruby.
While visiting with Ben and Jill, we learned that my niece, Amber, had a baby boy this evening. Lincoln Robert is an 8 pound, 21" long health baby and we were so happy to hear their news. Welcome to world, little Lincoln!
Saturday, January 30. We woke to sunshine this morning, not a bit of fog our cloud could be seen in the sky, and what a pleasant way to get up. I really enjoyed my walk with Frisco this morning, we were the only ones out on the marsh and it felt warm and smelled crisp and clean.
I gave Mike a haircut, then gave the house a thorough vacuuming - after having 2 dogs in the house for the last few days, there was a protective coating of dog hair on all surfaces. Seeing the sunshine gave me a burst of energy and being able to have the windows open helped too.
This afternoon, Mike and I walked over to Trader Joe's, World Market, and Bev Mo. We needed to pick up a few things, but didn't want to carry a lot back with us. Wouldn't you know, it started to rain on the way back but we made it to the motorhome before it really started to come down. It was short lived, and the sun came back out, so Frisco got another nice walk in today too.
Sunday, January 31. It will be nice to move on to a new month. January has not been good for us. Our terrible loss was the worst for us but we have also heard news of knee surgery, blocked arteries, cancer surgery and chemotherapy, the return of lymphoma, and a suspected heart attack. There was some good news in there too; the birth of Amber & Joel's son Lincoln, Marty's recovery from cancer treatment and ability to get back to work and a more normal life. So we're hopeful that things will improve.
I put a batch of pulled pork tenderloin in the slow cooker this morning, made some cole slaw, and took it to Ben and Jill's for dinner this evening. On the way there, while on the Golden Gate bridge, we spotted a cruise ship heading west through the channel. It was all lit up, casting a bright glow on the water. Our route takes us all along the coast through the Presidio, so we pulled over and tried to get a photo but I don't think any of them turned out. It was moving fast, was quite a distance from us, and we couldn't hold the camera steady enough. A beautiful sight to see. We planned to watch the movie, Slum Dog Millionaire, after dinner but never got to it - guess we had so much to talk about.
As we were leaving their house, I spotted a large raccoon coming down the steps of their neighbor's house. I pointed it out to Mike as he was loading the car and as he went to look at it, he tripped over Frisco and went tumbling on the pavement, landing on his knees and the palms of his hands. He was badly shaken up, but ok. When we got back home and checked him out, he has road rash on the knees, elbows, palms and shoulder. He feels like a clutz, but we're glad he didn't have more serious injuries.
So much for January, 2010.
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January 18 - 24, 2010
Monday, January 18. We were both thinking that we have to get out of the house today, cooped up feelings are getting to us. But Mike woke up with cold symptoms and a headache, so he won't be going anywhere. It's rainy, but I was able to get a brief walk in this morning with Frisco. He has his favorite spots.
I wanted to say goodbye to Lois today, so Frisco and I drove to Ben and Jill's to hang out for a couple of hours. We didn't stay long, as I wanted to get home before the rush hour traffic started.
Tuesday, January 19. Rain, Rain, Rain. I was having a difficult night, struggling with an active brain and unable to get back to sleep after waking around midnight. Then at 3:45, a loud boom and flash of light woke us both up. The rain was falling in torrents, hope we have no leaks and we're not flooded, as we are less than 1/2 mile from the bay. It has continued off and on for hours and it doesn't appear that it will stop soon.
I've been hearing this drip, drip, drip whenever it rains and have been concerned that we might have a leak since having the roof sealed last month. This morning, I pulled open drawers and checked the areas where the walls and floors meet - I found nothing, so I think the dripping sound must be from outdoors.
There was a break in the rain this afternoon, the skies even cleared and we saw some sunshine for a little while, long enough to take Frisco for a walk anyway. I did leave the house to do some shopping for a little while, anything to get me away from this computer. Back home, I made some cabbage salsa to have with our burritos tonight, a recipe I got from my friend, Sharon. It turned out yummy.
Wednesday, January 20. Another rainy day in paradise. Computer woes again. The hard drive that Mike got me isn't working and we have both spent hours trying to figure out the problem. All of the data can be seen when I connect it to Mike's computer, but when I connect it to my little Mac, several of the folders are empty. Is it because the Mac is recognizing folders that were created on Microsoft XP or Vista? Who knows. Ben thought it might be because the Mac doesn't have enough power to run the drive. I'm thinking the little Mac G4 iBook might not be around for long. For most purposes, it works great for me, but there are a couple of programs that I'm used to using that aren't compatible. And now this -- another dilemma.
This afternoon, we went to hang out with Ben and Jill for a while and the 4 of us went to Park Chou, one of their favorites that is located on the east side of Golden Gate Park. The large fireplace always makes for such a cozy, warm experience. We had a nice time until clutzy Rose spilled her water glass all over Jill's lap and then managed to dump the remainder of the cream pitcher all over the table. What a mess!
We didn't stick around, as they had an appointment with a support group for grieving parents this evening. We sure hope that it helps them to get through their anguish.
Friday, January 22. Well, I did it. I blew the "lets stay put and not spend any money" plan and bought a new PC today. So now the fun of getting everything transfered and setup starts. Already, it seems like I have spent way too much time on it, but what else is there to do on a rainy day. Yes, that is still going on and we have a 1" puddle at our door. Guess it could be worse.
The weather cleared up this afternoon and we actually saw some sunshine, so I did manage to pull myself away from the computer and get a nice walk in.
Mike found a new recipe for port tenderloin and fixed it for dinner - turned out to be very tasty.
Saturday, January 23. We actually saw the sun shine for a while today, although several times it was also raining. I didn't see a rainbow but I'm sure they were out there. The temps aren't bad either so we did get a couple of walks in.
Computing, computing, computing. Thanks to Mike, I didn't have to agonize over every little thing that needed to be installed and updated. I'm never going over to the Mac side again, as it is too hard on this brain. It was much easier to change from a PC to a Mac than it was from a Mac to a PC. I just couldn't justify the additional expense, though.
This afternoon we watched the documentary "Food, Inc." If that information doesn't make me completely anti-government and anti-corporation, I don't know what will. While watching, it made me feel like buying an acre of land and growing my own food and getting completely off the grid. They are definitely out to get us and there isn't much good that comes from either. A must see for everyone.
Sunday, January 24. Another rainy day and what to do? I installed a couple of my favorite programs on the new PC today, Printmaster and Family Tree, so I messed around with them for a while. Ben and Jill invited us for dinner this evening, so I thought I would make a batch of oatmeal cookies. Knowing that we were starting to get low on propane, I checked first and was surprised to see we were almost empty. No cookies today and it's a good thing that we've already had our showers (hot water) and I don't have to cook dinner tonight.
Getting together with them was definitely the highlight of the day. They're doing well, we had a nice talk, a great dinner, and the dogs were happy to get to play together. They're such good friends, that they are nose to nose most of the time they are together. After dinner, we watched the new Sherlock Holmes movie and had a *bleep*tail. We all agreed that the movie was quite good but a little bit too long.
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January 11 - 17, 2010
Thursday, January 14. I am finally feeling like writing and sharing my thoughts again, sometimes I think it is therapeutic. The days are getting a little easier to bear, as it has been so helpful to have family around us. It doesn't stop us from remembering and having some dark periods in our days, but we are also having many joyful periods too. Jill is healing physically and she and Ben are determined to deal with their grief and to keep their relationship healthy and strong. For 9 months, they prepared themselves for parenthood; staying healthy, reading, and learning all that they could and were ready to love that little guy endlessly. We are all hopeful that they won't give up and can all experience the joys of having a child in our lives again.
We spent some time with Pat and Tracey the last 2 mornings so Jill and Ben could have some alone time. We were able to show Tracey as much of San Francisco as we could pack into about 3 hours, as she had never been here before. Afternoons and evenings have been spent at Jill and Ben's apartment, just being together and trying to help them deal with things as they came up. Ruby and Frisco have been great to have around, as they just have a way of cheering us all up. Walks with them have been a nice diversion.
Pat and Tracey's flight left this morning at 6 am and we took them to the airport, driving through dense fog as we approached the Golden Gate Bridge, then clearing as we got closer to Ocean Beach. We arrived at the airport on time, said goodbye, and drove back home and tried to go back to sleep. They had good flights and made it back home safely.
I found some time this morning to watch a movie that Casey gave us. It is about some of the people and patients of M.D. Anderson. Casey filmed parts of his life in Minneapolis, and is featured in the movie with his experiences with cancer and treatment. Jill shares some of her experiences in dealing with Casey's cancer and so are Mike and I (a brief scene when we visited Mankato this summer). The movie is The Art of the Possible, made by Casey and Courtney Hayward. When I know how to get copies, I will share that information, so others can watch it too. It sure made an impression on me.
This evening, Lois, Dennis, Mike and I decided to do something together, as Jill was thinking she might be feeling good enough to go out for Sushi with Ben and Casey. That is one thing that she had given up through the pregnancy and what she was most looking forward to eating after having the baby. It turned out that they brought food into the apartment as she still wasn't quite up to going out. The 4 of us went to the Embarcadero Center and saw Jeff Bridges' latest movie, Crazy Heart. The scenes with a cute little 4 year old were a lttle hard to to take, but I would give the movie 5 stars.
When we left the theater, we took a wrong turn and ended up on the heavy traffic of the Bay Bridge, heading toward Oakland. We took the exit to Treasure Island and decided that it was just meant to be. The view of the bridge and the city lights was just gorgeous, a clear starry evening, with the lights reflecting on the water. Lois and Dennis knew of a place on Fillmore Street near Jill's salon where we could get a good burger, so we went to Harry's Bar and were lucky to find a parking spot right in front of the place (parking is always a challenge in this city). Good burgers, a beer, and the company of such wonderful people made for a pleasant evening.
Saturday, January 16. So now, a week has passed and I am reliving the sequence of events of last week - probably something that will continue for a long, long time. If it is still so painful for me, it has to be multiplied many times over for Ben and Jill.
We did not go into the city yesterday but took care of a few things at home. I had my annual physical and all is well with that - I'm in excellent health - and I'm so thankful for that. Like my brother, Rick says, "we're tough old birds". I look forward to establishing a long-term relationship with a doctor in Mesa, one of the problems of living a nomadic lifestyle is going to different doctors and dentists all of the time.
We're having to dig deep to find clean clothing, so I headed to the laundromat when I got back home. There just hasn't been time to take care of those domestic duties. Mike did the housecleaning while I did that and we are now back in shape. It felt good to stay home.
I also paid the rent for another month, we want to be here for Ben and Jill in case they need us.
Ben and Ruby came over for a while this afternoon, leaving Jill at home to have some one on one time with her Mom. We had a nice visit, ate a snack, and messed with the computers.
Sunday, January 17. It was a rainy, rainy day today, although I did manage to get a little walk in with Frisco this morning. I was supposed to meet up with a gal and her little dog, Rizzo at 8:00, but I didn't remember that until 8:30, so that didn't happen.
Mike bought me a portable hard drive to store my photos, so I spent the afternoon transferring them from CDs and DVDs to that little box. Last year I purchased space on Sugarsync.com for this purpose, but that never seemed to work out. With the WD Passport Elite, I get 320 gb of storage - probably more than enough for a lifetime of photos and any other stuff I choose to keep around. Maybe I will take the time in the future to scan all those old photo albums I have.
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January 4 - 10, 2009
Monday, January 4. Our grandson is due today but according to Jill, there are no signs that he is ready to meet us. She even invited us to dinner this evening.
We took a drive to Novato, about 20 miles north of here, to find the Costco store. Once again, it was time to stock up on paper products but you can be sure that isn't all that we bought. It's too bad that we didn't hold off on filling up the gas tank on the Jeep, as it was priced about 15 cents less than what we paid yesterday.
At 5:45, we headed to the city to pick Ben up at work and got to see his new place of employment located in the South of Market district of the city. The GPS appeared to lead us astray but we ended up in the right place anyway. Jill had a delicious Chicken Tetrazini Casserole complimented with a tossed salad for dinner - yum! yum!
Tuesday, January 5. I fixed us a nice breakfast and got a pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup in the slow cooker this morning. Then I headed to San Rafael to get a much needed haircut. Jill had planned to fit me in last week but because she was not feeling good it never worked out. Angelica had a very modest little shop that got good reviews on Yelp, and at least my initial feeling was positive. I'll know better in the morning when I style it myself.
We installed a new Culligan water filter system on the motor home when I got back home. Let's hope that it does a better job and lasts longer than the in-line filters that we have been using. We never did have good experiences with those things and in the long run, we have probably spent more $$$ in that poor quality technology.
The soup was yummy!
Thursday, January 7. I had a test of my reflexes this morning at 6:45 when my phone rang. Naturally, I thought it was Ben calling with news of the baby, so I jumped out of bed and made it to the phone (sitting on the dinette) by the start of the 3rd ring. It was Rita calling, and she had forgotten about the time difference. Anyway, I know that I can still react quickly and move fast. We're ready for Ben's call any day now and wake up thinking that today just might be the day.
All the news this morning is about the chill that is hitting this country, from the Dakotas to Florida. It is colder in KC (6 degrees) than it is in Madison (20 degrees), winds are blowing and snow is falling. Every time I hear of this, I'm thankful that I'm not there and I'm feeling bad for them.
Yesterday, we got more projects done around this house. It may be small but there is always something that needs to be done. I got the last day/night shade cleaned and went from there to all of the light covers and vents. While removing the vents, I noticed little strands of dust on the ceiling and am now wondering what to do about that - vacuum? The ceiling is a textured fabric, kind of like carpet. I'll have to do some research to see how others are doing it.
Sunday, January 10. I don't believe that I have ever felt so down-hearted and grief stricken in my life. Friday evening, we got the call from Ben telling us that they lost their baby. A little earlier that afternoon, Jill noticed that she wasn't feeling any movement and she drove to the hospital. Ben met her there and they learned that he wasn't breathing, the ultrasound confirmed it. That news wasn't all �?? she was going to have to deliver him. Devastated, we headed up there after picking up some items they would need from their apartment. After being with them for a while, we went back to their apartment because we all needed to try to rest because the next day was going to be a bad one.
By the time we got to the hospital the next morning, they were inducing labor and she delivered him at about 9:30. Owen Quinn Bridge weighed 8 pounds, 2 ounces and was 21 ½ inches long. He was a perfectly formed, beautiful little boy with dark black hair, long fingers and feet. We had to say goodbye without ever getting to say hello.
After a few hours at the hospital and getting a little bit of rest, Jill and Ben came home empty handed to a home that was cheerfully prepared for their baby. It breaks our hearts to see them suffer so much. Why �?? when they did all the right things to ensure a healthy mom and baby �?? does something as disastrous as this happen. We may never know for sure, although they think it may have been caused by the placenta erupting and causing suffocation.
Jill's parents, Dennis and Lois and brother Casey, arrived this afternoon. Pat and Tracey will fly in tomorrow and we will all try to comfort each other as much as we can. A memorial service is planned some time in the future.
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January 1 -3, 2010
Friday, January 1. A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL! We plan to be stationary for most of this year, although we expect it to be quite eventful, especially with the arrival of our grandson any day now. Sure are getting excited to meet him and to have a little one in our lives again.
What a nice and relaxing day we had and a great way to start off the new year. Mike helped Ben to straighten up and organize the multitude of cables that connect his TV, cable, router, stereo, computer, and who knows what other electronic components that are in that cabinet. After reconnecting everything, they found that the router wasn't working and they ended up going to Best Buy to get a new one. Finally, after several hours, the project was finished.
Jill and I made up the baby's crib, went through some clothes that had been donated by friends, and got them washed and folded and put away. I don't think there is much that remains to be done before his arrival. Jill is finally feeling a little bit better from her recent cold, so we took the dogs for a nice walk.
We heated up the leftover pizza for a late afternoon snack, then Mike and I packed up and headed back home.
Saturday, January 2. Today was booooring! We didn't feel like leaving the house much, as it is so busy around here on the weekends with heavy traffic, crowded shops, and busy parks, so we choose to stay away from those places on the weekends. It was also a pretty gloomy day, so not bad for staying in the house.
We did attempt to go for a walk through the wetlands this afternoon but our timing wasn't good. The tide wasn't considered and we found that the path was flooded and we couldn't cross without getting our shoes wet and muddy. So we chose to just do a couple of laps through the park.
So we spent the day reading, crocheting, computing, and napping.
Sunday, January 3. It was a beautiful, sunny day today and it sure did a good job of warming up the motorhome. I got ambitious this morning and baked a loaf of cranberry nut bread, a result of finding a bag of cranberries in the freezer last week when I was on an organizing streak.
We took a nice long walk this afternoon with Frisco. Although the day was bright and sunny, the air sure had a bite to it. We are thankful that it isn't like Wisconsin, where it was -4 degrees this morning. Seems like either the cold or snow is keeping the folks in the midwest cooped up inside. I remember those days well.
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Created on 12/29/2009 10:54 AM by bridge
Updated on 02/01/2010 10:51 AM by bridge
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