Thursday, July 29, 2010

One more day....

Tomorrow we fly to our big vacation! I'm just about all set. I packed yesterday and have taken some time thinking about what I packed, so I can unpack and pack lighter.

I have all my supplies ready...I have to tote so much medication, potions and lotions, I almost need a bag just for them!

Sandy is limiting me to lifting only 40 lbs and my big bag already weighs 42! Something's got to give.

Tuesday I had to go to Putnam for Mrs. Saucier's wake. I saw JP and Paula and later, Betsy and Chris came in. I haven't seen them in years. I got everyone's phone number (I lost Paula's and Betsy's when I moved) and I will not lose them again!

I hope they can come down to the house sometime. That would be such fun. I will put together a "slide show" of Swedish pics when I come back....maybe they can come and see them.

Chris said she and Larry read this blog...so I give a shout out to them! Hey guys!

I miss that gang...we had so much fun and did so much together, back in the day. I really wish we could all get together more often than at funerals!

After the wake I went up to see Bob and Wini. We had a nice visit,sitting out under the tree...even though a squirrel or some other critter was sitting way up above us, eating seeds out of a pine cone and dropping the leavings on our heads! It was so funny.
When I got home that afternoon I had a few minutes to recoup and then the door bell rang...it was Terry Coney, visiting from Arizona. She came up for her grand-daughter's birthday party--which we missed on Sunday, due to Sandy being under the weather and me trying to avoid the heat. It was great seeing Terry and catching up with her, then Carol came over and then Sandy came home....the party was on!

I had to leave after awhile and head to NL for another gathering of old friends. The "ladies' group" was gathering at Cpt Scott's for dinner. We had a great turnout--I think there were 13 of us, including Joanie Dunbar, who's husband just passed away not too long ago.

I didn't like the food. I paid good money for a hot lobster roll...it was not toasted well, very little butter on it and the lobster was tough. I ate the lobster meat out of the bun and called it a day for Cpt Scott's.

After dinner we went over to Michael's for ice cream. It was beautiful out...we sat at the picnic tables and chatted, under the full moon...a fantastic moon!

It was a great day.

Yesterday after I finished packing, Dori came over, bearing the gift of a cordless weed whacker. It needs a new battery and Brad wants to get a different whacker...so they are giving this one to me! I ordered the new battery last night.

Dori stayed and we caught up on life...Dori enjoyed watching Bubbles groom Lily...her daily routine--cleaning Lily's ears, sticking her head in Lil's mouth (Dori really couldn't believe that) to clean her back teeth...licking Lil's eyes--which is where I put my foot down. I don't want her giving Lil an eye infection, I know where Bubbie's mouth has been! Eating poop....

So, tomorrow we head to the airport for a 9:30pm flight. We'll arrive in Copenhagen on Saturday at noon or thereabouts. Birgitta and Mats will pick us up...we head over the Oresund (spelling?) bridge...the world's longest suspension bridge and soon we will be in Sweden!

Oh, and Birgitta says that they sell G2 in Sweden...she's stocking up on it for me. Problem solved.

Later!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Excitement's over folks...nuthin' to see here!

As the weekend turns....Sandy's turn to almost pass out--at BJs! We were running errands and she said she didn't feel well. She didn't look good either. I told her I would drive and got in to cool the car off. She went back in to BJs to get a pretzel...which, as everyone knows, is what everyone needs to fend off unconsciousness.

I sat out in the car, trying to not worry, checking my watch every five seconds. After six minutes I shut the car down and got out to go check on her. Here she comes strolling down the sidewalk, with her pretzel medicine and a Coke to wash it down.

We went to her mother's to pick up Lily and to let Sandy sit in air conditioning with her feet up for awhile. This helped a whole lot and we headed home.

Today I let her sleep as long as she needed to...which was around 11:30. I got up at 6 am and let the dogs out to pee and poop and then begged them to let me sleep until 9. I had gotten up 11 times last night for you-know-what and wanted a chance to sleep a little longer. No soap, Bubbles got me up at 8.

We were looking forward to going to Terry Coney's granddaughter's first birthday party at Devil's Hopyard today. I had to send Terry a message that because of Sandy being sick (she thinks it's allergies) and because of my fainting bit in the heat the other day we had to beg off today. I don't trust being out in the heat for very long right now. When Sandy is sick she has a nasty habit of passing out...so she has to be watched. So suffice it to say we stayed home.

I fed everyone and had my cereal and then got to work. I debated going back to bed, but decided that I have too much to do before I leave on vacation Friday, so I don't have any time to waste. I cleaned the pond pumps and filtration system. This involves hauling these plastic pieces that are covered with green gunk out of the filter canister, rinsing them off with the hose, spraying green gunk all over me and the driveway, putting them back in the canister and starting up the pumps again. Oh, and I removed the old ultraviolet light system and installed a new one. All of this will help clear up the yucky, green water in the garden pond.

The fish appreciate it. By tonight, the water was way clearer than it was this morning. I can see that we have LOTS of fish in there...I could even see lots of black fish, which you couldn't see before when the water was yucky. They are all very lively...flipping around, diving and coming to the surface for food when they see me.he

After that job was done I worked on doing laundry, washing the new clothes I got for the trip yesterday. Jean had given me a gift certificate to Kohl's so I could buy shorts for the trip. Well, they didn't have shorts for me...so I got some cargo pants in three different colors...they look good on me...not all bulges and misshapen like other brands. I got some nice blouses too....very feminine, frilly things...that look good with the cargo pants, if you can picture it. They soften up the look a bit. The combo is interesting and looks great.

I also got a hooded black soft sweatshirt. I'll wear that on the plane, which gets cold, especially when we are flying into and out of Iceland and over the northern part of Norway.

Anyway, I washed all the clothes and then set about cleaning the house. I changed the sheets, dusted and cleaned the bathrooms upstairs. Then I threw Sandy out of the living room so I could clean downstairs. I did the whole thing, dusting, vacuuming and washing the floors. I know it won't get done again until I come back in mid August! Sandy doesn't like to vacuum. Maybe she'll surprise me.

Tomorrow is a busy day. I have to go for my annual dermatology check-up...something I started doing when I turned 50. I go every year to get naked and get checked from head to toe by a professional. Once they found a pre-cancerous patch in my eyebrow. They treated it with liquid nitrogen (or something like that). That's when I learned that I should have been putting sunscreen in my eyebrows all along. We forget to protect our eyebrows.

Anyway I don't want to get cancer (HA HA!!) so I go every year, faithfully. Now I have Sandy doing it too.

After that I'm going to get my blood work done, go over to the tv studio and help out the Baton Boys and talk to Ellen about my tv show; run up to Stott's to get the Relay $$ to Dede; and something else I'm supposed to do...but chemo brain keeps me from remembering it right now. Good thing I have a list written down. Oh...I have to go to Agway to get bird food. They are eating me out of house and home!

I have to make another batch of hummingbird food before I leave, so Sandy is all set to fill the feeders when I'm gone.

The trip is only five days away. We printed out the plane tickets today and it is feeling more real. I'm going over in my head what I'm going to bring with me and am pledging to pack light this time. I want to leave room in my bag to bring stuff home with me. Last time I bought very little in Sweden. This time I hope to pick up some things to bring home.

I was going to have my hair trimmed up before I went to Sweden, but I decided I'm going to have my cousin Sandra trim it for me. She did graduate from hairdressing school in Sweden after all!

My eyebrows are coming back, although it's hard to see them. My eyelashes are slow to return. I'm going to have to shave my armpits and legs soon enough. What a bummer! HA HA!!! I should complain...

Sandy seems to have benefitted from resting today. I'm feeling rejuvenated and happy I was able to do all the work around here today without feeling exhausted. Oh, I even trimmed big branches off the tree by the driveway and hauled the branches out back. And, hauled the garbage can to the curb...all by myself. It's the little things in life....and I'm enjoying it all.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that my niece Virginia made it through the tornado in Bristol, safe and sound. She was smart enough to get in the basement. Big branches came down in the driveway, right next to the house, but she was safe. She's a smart woman.

Nighty night!