Last Day of July

 If there's anything that irks me (and there are plenty of things out there that qualify) it's trying to do something online AND IT WON'T WORK! I messed around for 45 minutes trying to cancel my AppleTV subscription and it repeatedly kept sending me to Itunes and told me I had to download it. Damn it!  Well, I did but I still couldn't find where to go. Finally called Apple on their 800 number and much to my surprise, after I talked to a machine and he couldn't understand my replies (I was pissed by then and instead of saying yes or no, I was saying "I guess so") he hooked me up with a real guy. And he cancelled my subscription at his end. Ahhh....

I also asked him that when I sign up again (and I will this winter) how do I end my subscription. He said since I'm not using my phone but using my laptop, it's easier for me to just call them and have them do it. Okay. I just don't like messing with my phone if I don't have to because I always get confused on where it's taking me and what it's doing. The only reason I'm quitting now is that my favorite show (Trying) is at the point where I can only watch the episodes once a week. I was streaming at least two shows each night but now I'm caught up. The subscription cost of $5 was the only charge on my visa card this month (I seem to all my shopping on my Amazon card) and I couldn't see keeping the channel just for one show. There were a few other shows I probably could have gotten into if I gave them a chance but $5 is $5 and I waste enough money as it is.

Not sure what is going on with my laptop this morning but it keeps doing weird things and my curser jumps to the front of a sentence or elsewhere on the page.  I never used to have this problem with the old system but it doesn't seem like there's anything I can do about it.  Usually I get up and do my various computer stuff first thing but today I was in the mood to finish a jigsaw puzzle and watch The Sunday Show.  Took a picture of the final product, returned the puzzle to the activity room downstairs, and picked up a book in the library. I probably won't read it but who knows. That's one of my worst habits -- starting a book and not finishing it.  The one that caught my eye this morning was 'On the Road' with Charles Kuralt.  I downsized so many books when I moved. Now that I think about it, I've downsized several times over the years as far as books go -- and I still manage to get my collection built up again. Here's my bookcase today and yes, I haven't read them all. It's not really that many books compared to the shelves I used to keep full when I lived in larger places.

Besides the 'On the Road' book, the other ones sitting next to my recliner right now include 'Minding Frankie' by Maeve Binchy, 'The Kennedy Women', and Comparative Religion for Dummies.  I keep working on them all little by little but it often depends on my mood or if I think I can stay awake to finish a chapter.  Often times at night, I settle in to watch a little tv and do my latest cross stitch pattern. My goal, however, is to spend more time with my nose in a book. I've always loved books and I read often as a kid and young adult but as computers came on the scene, my interest in reading dipped a bit.

I've got a large box fan set in my bedroom window right now and it's managing to cool off this room quite nicely. I sure am glad our hot spell is over as my personality goes snarly and onery once I get too hot for too long a time. Another thing I hate about myself but it is what it is.

I took a piece of fish out of the freezer and will have that tonight with a baked potato. My dinner menus have been pretty lame lately but who cares. I'm getting four tv dinners delivered each Thursday and while they're totally boring, it is free and I like that part. I can always fix a salad on the side. The last two weeks they've also given me a small sack of apples but they're pretty much good for nothing except baking so I've made two cobblers and one pie the past three weeks. I deliver to my neighbors so I'm not pigging out on them all myself.

Today I'm probably going to set up another jigsaw, will try to get some reading done, and I'll watch golf. It relaxes me. Tomorrow I'll start to dig through a bin of material and see what I can think of to sew. I set for this batting that is good for pot holders (called insul-brite) as I read you can make other items too that need that kind of batting inside.  I've got a big ole stack of crumb quilt squares to use up in various projects but am hoping I can think of something besides quilts. I did make a wall hanging and hung it outside my door a couple days ago. I like to change the decor out there often.

A cousin in Tacoma sent me three old photos of her mom (my first cousin Ann) taken in Port Townsend in the 1940's. Two of them were on Willow Street where they lived and I "think" one is at my Aunt Velna's house on Clay Street. The Bumgarners lived in a house next door and I drove by it yesterday to look at the shape of the house to see if it was the same. Looks like it to me even though the house has been remodeled. Of course I could be wrong.

This second picture shows the Lincoln Building in the background on the right.

I've been thinking I really need to pull out my genealogy notebooks and get my data in better order. Now that the 1950 census is available, I can dig in and try to find more stuff.  My favorite thing to do is genealogy research and sorting through paperwork.

I've been watching 'Alone' on the Hulu channel. I watched the first season (even though I'd seen it before) and then I started to watch the second season. I'd also seen it before. By the time I started in on Season 3, I realized I had already seen it, as well. I think I'll surf ahead a few seasons and find something I haven't watched. I do enjoy those shows where people are trying to survive in the wilds.

Mary (who has a/c in house in Vancouver) sent me a picture of Jake who had decided he wanted to sleep in the tent in the backyard.  She figured the heat would do him in but he insisted.  Later that night he ended up back in his own room. hee hee

I took my sister out to lunch yesterday for her 76th birthday. She wanted to go to Penny Saver so she could take her dog. I gave her an Ipad I picked up at a yard sale but she'll have to get wifi or else go over to Safeway to learn how to use it. I hope she doesn't give up on it as I know she'll enjoy it.

Tuesday I'll see a hand surgeon about whether or not he thinks I need carpal tunnel surgery. Oddly, the left hand numbness has let up quite a bit as well as the pain I had in the tip of my right middle finger. Weird. It was driving me crazy so I get an appt and then it eases up. I've resigned myself that sooner or later, I'm probably going to have to bite the bullet and get my back surgery done. It's limited my life activities so much and continues to do so. I just dread the thought of trips to Seattle to get it fixed -- not to mention getting another MRI.  I do hate those tubes with a vengeance. 

Not too much on my August calendar yet. Invited to a barbeque on the 6th, to a memorial gathering on the 12th, and I'll probably attempt to walk around the fairgrounds a bit on the 13th or 14th. Do not want to go with my walker so I'm hoping a walking stick will allow me to browse. I'll have to sit down often I suppose but I'm okay with that.

And I guess that is it for today.