Saturday afternoon at home

I thought I might get more accomplished today but one thing or another kind of sidetracked me along the way. I don't really care, though.  Chores are chores and they'll be there tomorrow... or  even the day after.  I did make a quick run to Walgreen's to pick up a couple photo reprints and thought about driving through Jack in the Box which is right next door but there were about three cars ahead of me and when I drove through yesterday on my way to the doctor, their service was as bad as I've ever seen it.  Meaning slow.  And once you're boxed into that car lane, their ain't no getting out again!  Just irritates me no end that they can keep you hostage like that. Their waiting period improved recently but now they seem to be going backwards again. I won't give them my business for a while. If you're gonna' call yourself "fast food" you'd better be fast!  McDonalds has them beat all to hell.

I'm thinking I might make an attempt to pull a few weeds off the back steps tomorrow.  I figured if I limited myself to 10 or 15 minutes, surely I could make a dent in that dreadful mess out there.  My low back and hips usually give me grief if I get it in my head that I want to do yard work and sadly, both shoulders have also gotten into the act and are limiting what I can do.  Am a little worried about the shoulders.  I went to physical therapy for the left one a few months back and it did help.  I've been doing the exercises and most of the time, I can manage okay. What has me uneasy, however, is the right shoulder.  It was replaced in 2014 with something called a total reverse or some such thing.  It was in such poor shape, the surgery was more complicated than a simple replacement.

For the last three years (at least) it's been freezing up when I least expect it. Sometimes when I'm just sitting in my recliner and sometimes when I'm getting dressed or when I reach for something.  It's becoming such a frequent discomfort (and I do mean discomfort!) that I decided I'd better get it over with and go see the surgeon.  I don't know if replacements can wear out or not. I do know that something is not right when I'm moaning with pain that register "10"!  Problem is I can go for days when I'm fine and dandy and then whammo! The pain hits me when I least expect it. Needless to say, I'm getting mighty weary of the fight. And I'm praying he doesn't say another surgery is needed. My hope is that physical therapy will be prescribed. I do hate physical therapy but I hate surgery more!
Sure does get harder to stay healthy as your body ages.  My insides are all beat to hell too but I won't bore you with my bowel issues, or how the kidneys are reminding me that they're getting old too.

I've had golf on for three days now. The crowds sure do roar  every time Tiger swings his club. I've got my own favorite (and second favorite) but I doubt either of them is gonna win the Pebble Beach Open this year.  I'm continuing to watch Dexter on Netflix at night. I think I'm up to season 6.  Last night I tuned in the latest Bob Dylan documentary on Netflix.  I was getting tired so I only watched a half hour and will finish it off tonight.

Dinner is gonna be a salad and mashed cauliflower with Parmesan cheese and whipping cream. I hope it tastes better than that eggplant casserole I tried recently. That stuff was yucky!  I've started to fast one day a week and that helps me behave myself better the rest of the week. Have managed to drop a few pounds but my enthusiasm for the whole process goes up and down.

I may tootle on into the sewing room tomorrow as I need to put the backing on the Sunbonnet Sue squares.  I put so much effort into cleaning up the room and all my material in there and in the back room, that I almost hate to mess it up again. But I will.  I went to the library yesterday to pick up a book I had on reserve. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields. She got the Pulitzer in 1995.

I'm also reading short stories of John Updike. This book is called 'My father's tears'.

Mary Gaboury arrived on Wed to spend a couple days. We mostly just sat around and yakked. Watched tv and we did hit Elwha River Casino for a couple hours.  We were watching 'The Kominsky Method' with Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin on Netflix. Our conversation got around to our plans for burial. We both have Neptune and I became curious about the box out on the top shelf of the garage that holds the wood box to be given to Neptune when you die so they can put your ashes in it. We decided to open the box and take a look.  Required a step stool to get up there and then a tiny screwdriver to take off the bottom of the box.  We giggled through the whole thing.

Mary and I have been friends since grade school but didn't really run around together until junior high. We have a lot in common but at the same time, we have very little in common. We certainly don't agree on a number of subjects.  She feels, for example, that online banking is one of the worst things in the world. I told her she's full of beans and it's one of the best things in the world.  We do agree that we both hate Trump, though.

I moved my laptop back to the corner of the kitchen as the set up I had in the bedroom just wasn't suiting me.  Which doesn't surprise me as rearranging the house is my hobby.

The mouse kept falling off the edge of the table so I wanted a larger area to work at.  And it's handy for my jigsaw puzzle working which is on the regular kitchen table.  I took my old laptop and put it in the bedroom so I can play card games in there.  Mary wants me to scan several old photos for her and even offered to buy me a scanner that will work with my new laptop. I think I'm going to tell her, though, that I'll just use my old scanner for now. That means I have to set up my really old computer with monitor and keyboard because it's the only one that will operate with my old scanner. A nuisance to set up but after looking online to see what kind of new scanner to buy, I got so confused and discouraged I didn't want to mess with buying a new one. If I found one with a price that was reasonable, the reviews would be lousy.  I would like a newer one but I hate the thought of the learning process to figure out how it works.  Sometimes older is better. There's certainly nothing wrong (so far) with the copied photos I'm getting from it.

Nothing on my calendar this week except a lunch on Wednesday at the casino. Think I'll take my camera so I can get a picture of me and the girls. Haven't done that in a while. Here's a picture of daughter, Mary, out to dinner with friends as they celebrated her birthday last week.

And here's a mud run that Jake participated in for the second time.

My cousin Cindy in Gig Harbor became a grandmother this week. She has twin grandkids so this is #3.  I don't know her name yet.

Daughter Sue started a new job at the deli of Country Aire downtown. A health food store that is pretty popular.  She really likes it. Granddaughter Maddie is home from college for the summer and is interviewing next week to work part time at FedX for the summer. (where her dad works) She'll work afternoon/evenings at Traylor's Restaurant.

Well, I guess I'm rambled on enough for now. Maybe I'll go out in the back and see how if I can manage getting some of those weeds pulled. Wish me luck.