Worthless republicans, all of them.

Marks Happenings

So what is happening down here in Yuma Az.

Well weather wise we have started the climb back up out of the coolness of winter as our day time temps are now in the mid to high 70s during the day and now only down to the mid 50s vs the mid to low 40s at night. (This also means we are soon to loose our cold water....LOL)

I have switched back to wearing shorts in the afternoons which is a common dress code in Yuma meaning spring is coming. The farmers are all busy in the fields with roughly half the produce crop season over with. And as you drive by the mountainous stacks of cardboard at the cooling facilities you see they are at about half mast and the parking lots full of trucks full time now loading and hauling out in all points north, east and west of Yuma. They have had an excellent season with very few disruptions.

I have almost completed the re-work on our rear deck with mainly trim and painting projects left to accomplish. Then we will move into phase two which entails painting the house and trim. It will be painted the same colors as the deck, satin white and dark high speed gray. (I put the names in here so I can look them up when I forget them). We have it almost filled up as I built in some shelving, a roof and side walls to enclose it. So we now use it for storage of items we had stashed throughout the house. Something we were not able to do until the rework. I also put in an enclosed broom closet for Cindy’s ironing board, vacuum, and mops. Needless to say she is very happy to have these items out of the AZ room. 😍

We have run into a bit of a snag with the previous owners of the park model. Seems they did not pay the last half of the property tax in 2018 (we did not move in till the 1st of April 2019) and after contacting them and their assuring us they would take care of it, they no longer will answer our calls or calls from the assessors office so the liability has been transferred to us.😡

I guess lesson learned as I trusted them when the previous owner told me he was a contractor and had built the Arizona Room addition, deck, hard wood floors etc. All had been done but more to a, do it yourself standard, than to an actual building code. But slowly we are correcting that. And as it turns out our issues are, quite frankly, less than some of the other people that had him do work. So I guess we really need to look at it as us being lucky.

Ok so enough for today, I believe I am going to go out and throw some lead down range as I replaced the scope on one of my guns with one I forgot I had in storage and so now need to sight it in.

It is Always an Adventure!

Sad

This weekend we put my Helix up for sale. I love my bike but I just can't handle it safely with my arms and hands anymore. My heart broke when I put the for sale sign on the front of the windshield. But we don't need two bikes anymore and it will save on insurance and give us the money to get Marks motorcycle running correctly.

On a happier note, today after church and lunch we went for a short ride and headed down a road that we had never been on before. It led us to an area where there were several baseball fields, a community fishing pond, picnic area, and a large grassy area for dogs to enjoy. The dogs do have to be on a leash but for them to have grass to walk on and not rocks and gravel, has to feel like heaven to their feet. The pond is stocked by the fish and game of Arizona. You can catch carp, catfish, trout, large mouth bass and sunfish. Although we never saw anyone land a fish of any kind.

After spotting that nice area we headed home to change clothes and get Lola. We just knew she would enjoy a nice area to snoop. And boy did she have fun. There were no other dogs or people in that ares so after awhile we let her off the leash after a bit. She didn't venture far from us and did come back when called. That is odd for her, but she knew that Mark had her favorite treats in his pocket. There were at least a dozen people, adults and children fishing. The pond was a bit away from the dog area so Lola was not distracted when we had her off leash.

Lola got thirsty and tuckered out so we headed to the bathrooms and water fountains. There was an empty cup that we rinsed out well and put some water in it for her. She loves to try out new stuff like that, just like a kid. If she had drunk anymore water she would've floated away. hehehe It was a slow tired walk back to the car, Lola really wore herself out. It was a little difficult for us to walk in the grass as well. The grass was very thick and lush, very well kept. So you knew they watered it very well. It's a nice area that we plan on visiting again.

Porch and curtains

The broom closet is set in it’s place on the back porch and the vacuum, mops and ironing board are in there. He still is going to paint that door. We have totes for things on the porch, stuff that is really no value but we do use it from time to time so we need to keep it. The porch turned out very nice and built strong too. It should last longer than we do. Down the road Mark plans on putting a door and lock on the porch. But first he wants to paint the house.

Thursday the curtains arrived and I got them ironed and hung. I love the color but at first I wasn’t so sure about the length of the valances. But it’s starting to grow on me. I think once they are on good curtain rods and not the junk that was here, it all will look much better. Right now it looks like a curtain in the theater, all one piece. Mark will help put up the new curtain rods and rehang the accent lights too. My arms can only be up for so long and then they hurt and have less strength. So I’m grateful for the help. 

The days have been getting warmer with a high of 74º yesterday and 76º for today. “The nights are still cool in the mid 40’s to 50º. Such is winter in the desert. Just a little over two months and the snowbirds will be leaving and the heat will roll into the desert. Mark hopes to get the house painted before that time.

I got into contact with a gentleman that has a male canary and wants a female. He lives in Phoenix and is willing to trade. As soon as he is sure the bird is a singing male, he will contact me again and we will commence with the trade.  The canary he has is a Spanish Timbrado and is a strong singer and a pretty bird. He hand tames his birds so I’m hoping that the new bird won’t think it’s an eagle and be a big meanie like CarlAnn. But then CarlAnn is partial to men. hehehe She likes Mark better than me, but then he isn’t the one that catches her to clean the cage either. But I am the one that feeds her. The phrase “never bite the hands that feed you”, has no meaning to her. She is a very pretty bird though.

Curtains

It took quite some time but I did manage to find curtains for the windows and patio door in the dining room/AZ room. The curtains for the patio door are about 6 inches short but the bottom will never be seen because it is behind my desk and freezer. And those items will never be moved other than for deep cleaning times. The windows will have a 36 inch valance instead of a full curtain. I don't want the windows covered since it makes the room look smaller and we have so much furniture in here we don't need to make it look any more full than it is. I asked friends for advice on what color and I had colors from oranges to blues suggested. Amazon.com had a color I liked in the sizes I needed so I ordered them. If I took out their credit card I could save $50 on my order. Well that was a no brainer. My credit was approved so I sent off the order on the new card. I'll pay for the curtains right away and doubt I will ever use the card again. I've played a game like this before and love the savings. 😍

A picture of the curtains from Amazon on line..... I won't get them for about a week or so.

Getting older sucks.

When I went in for an MRI on my glands, not only did they find stones in the glands but also some degeneration of the C7- T1 vertebra in my neck. I guess I got a two for one that day.

For sometime now I knew there was something not right with my neck and shoulders. Then as time went on my muscles in my upper arms started causing pain too. In fact some days the pain radiated all the way down to my little finger on my left arm. The right arm is not as bad, but still at times somewhat troublesome. 

So after reading the MRI results I headed to Google for some answers. What I found was rather worrisome.What I found was, that there is no cure for the degeneration of the vertebra, but there is a possibility that a steroid shot or surgery can help. The surgery is not an option, since it consists of fusing the troubled vertebra, making my neck immobile. That is also the last option doctors take. 

As time goes on the muscles in my arms will become weaker and my neck more painful. Gee whiz, I hardly get any sleep now. At night the pain is worse. Since  overuse of Nsaid’s is bad for the kidneys,  it’s a good idea NOT to take them too often. So even now I limit my usage. The dose I take is anywhere from 550 mg to 600mg, depending on the discomfort. Most days I just put up with the pain and discomfort. That is an amount that my MN doctor gave me for my arthritis in my back. That now is the least of my concerns, although still an issue and on both sides now.

Yesterday I saw my GP doctor and he told me just what I had found when I  researched. So I was a step ahead of him. He sent in a referral to a spine specialist. As soon as I can get in I’ll see what he has to say. I hope this specialist is better than the ENT doctor I saw for my glands. All the ENT wanted to do was surgery because he didn’t like the other options. Anyway, for now I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and thank God that I have Mark to help me with the things that I now have trouble doing. This is not a job I ever wanted Mark to have to do. When I go to the specialist Mark will be going in with me. It affects him too  so we need to be on the same page that the doctor puts on me. We both need to know what to expect and not expect. Sometimes we don’t always hear all of what is being said. And sometimes we don’t want to hear it so we ignore what is being said. Mark is good at that. But we both need to know irregardless.

 It’s all in God’s hands.

Closer all the time

Mark has been working hard to get the porch done and done well. He only does things well and if he isn't satisfied he takes things apart and does them over. There have been times he wanted to do just that but found a way to make it right. He is adding a little broom closet where we can put the mops, vacuum and ironing board instead of in the AZ room. Which is what he is working on now. That will be so nice to have too. It won't be long now and the back porch will be completed. His next project is to paint the house before it gets too hot to be outside.

Break

Yesterday Mark hit a wall and just couldn't get his head wrapped around his porch project so he headed to the range with a friend for a few hours. While he was gone I got the laundry off of the lines and did the ironing. It was such a nice day to hang clothes outside. This time of year everything smells so fresh and clean when line dried.

After deciding not to sell my card making supplies I had to find a place to keep it all and still have it easily accessible. For awhile it looked like a craft store threw up in the AZ room. But I got it all done and am pleased with it all fitting in the three drawers of the dresser. Mark was really the reason that I decided not not sell any of it, he just thinks I make pretty cards and should do it at least for the enjoyment of doing.

My next project is to take down the curtains in the AZ room and come up with a way to make this room more inviting and more us. It's so drab in here, not to mention crowded at times. I've no idea of what to do right now, but am hoping an idea will hit me soon.  I've kind of lost my creativity somewhere.

In and ready

The new range is here!!!! The delivery guys set it all up and leveled . They even set the clock! Quite a difference than the delivery people that came with the fridge from Home Depot.

I love the looks of the stove and can hardly wait to use it. It's a glass top, convection or conventional oven, and self cleaning which I will never use. ( don't like all the smoke it emits) The drawer has a handle on it so it is easy for this ole lady to open and close.

New stove

No more burnt foods. We got a new stove at Lowes today. I just can not cook properly with only one large burner. Our old stove has 3 small and only one large burner. I always need two large. I have never ever seen such a thing before. So when I have to use a small one to accommodate a large pan only half the food cooks and I have to keep rotating the pan and the food which results in some or all of the food getting too done or partially burned. Or the other burner getting neglected. Today was the last straw. So off we went to Lowes. As I’ve said before, Mark loves to shop for kitchen stuff so he was in his glory. I used some more of my money from mom. She must have known I would need it here. I now have all new kitchen appliances. The microwave that was in here died two days after we were here. I hope I live long enough to get good use out of all of them. 

What I first found was a white one, smooth top and I liked it until I tried to open the bottom drawer. I don’t grip so well anymore so I couldn’t open it and the drawer was empty. Mark walked down further from where I was looking and found one that had an actual handle on the bottom drawer. I was almost like the one we got for the apartment, but this one is stainless and it can either be a convection or a conventional oven. I was sold. It was $100 more but more to what I wanted and needed. I got so excited that I don’t even remember what brand it was. hehehe It was $300 off, free delivery and only $30 to take my old stove. Looking at the receipt I think it’s a Frigidaire like my new fridge. Can you believe this, they will deliver on Sunday!!! So I will have it tomorrow!!!!! I hope we don't have to miss church. They will call tonight with a window of time for delivery and then again tomorrow with a two hour window. Yes, I am so excited. No more burnt eggs or anything else!!!  😍

From Lowes we went to the $ Tree for some solar lights that Mark wanted. Of course we left with way more than that. hehehe Now we were hungry so we stopped at McDonalds for a late lunch. We got the best looking burgers, hot and tasty, that we have ever had. I asked for the manager and all the help turned with fear in their eyes. I told the manager how great our food was, how pleased we were and to pass it on to everyone. That brought smiles to all the faces in the whole place. I love to give compliments when they are due. There are so many negatives in our world now that it's nice to hear of some good things.

Couch cover

This morning is starting out good. The couch cover that I ordered a week ago is finally here and it fits perfectly. In fact it looks better than I thought it would. Thankfully it covers almost the whole couch. I'm so sick of beige, brown and tan that I could scream. So I'm trying to add color in here where there was none. Yes, I know that beiges and browns are a color, but not the color I want. I want things to pop, not just sit there. AZ is lax of color so I want to bring color to the world around me, which is our home. 😄 The spot on the back of the couch is from the sunlight through the blind, not a defect in the cover.

The living room is accented in blue, kitchen in red, bathroom purple of course, the bedroom is maroon, and the AZ room is yet undecided. But I'm thinking blue for the AZ room too, maybe in more of a pastel. We don't like green or yellow so that is not an option.

Back deck/porch

The refrigerator is really nice. Forgot what a full size unit looks like after all this time with the rv style ones we have gotten use to.

The rear deck is coming along what I consider nicely. As Cindy mentioned cutting the 4x4's was just to much for my little 4" skill saw and so I first upgraded to the cheapest 7 1/4 I could find. Got it home and it broke before I got to cut a single board. So I now have a low end priced 7 1/4" Skill Saw that was on after Christmas sale that actually is as nice as the Bosch I had before we hit the road.

Well the 5 main postes are in but for the two tieing the deck fence to the house. I have to finish setting up rafters and the beams connecting the deck to the house are also supports for the joist needed. Sounds a lot more complicated that it is but as I am working on replacing previous struction it takes extra time and planning to perform the task.

Fridge and Bird

Yesterday the tech came to look at what was making the noise in our new fridge. He found what I thought it was, a broken fan. In ten days the new part should be here and installed. The tech was very nice, a lot nicer than the guys that delivered the fridge,. Anyway, it's really nice having 18 cu. ft vs 14 cu ft for our food. 😀 And no handles to get in the way of my very small counter space.

PetSmart in Yuma called regarding the complaint I had about the canary. They will only give me a store credit for the return. Since they are too expensive I never shop there so the credit is not an option. I'll just keep CarlAnn and hope I can get her out of whatever funk she is in and then sell her when she is better. In the spring I'll get a male that is a guaranteed singer. Then at least the mess I clean up is for a bird that I wanted in the first place. Birds are messy and cleaning up for one that doesn't sing is no fun for me. It's like all the work for nothing.

Mark worked on the back porch and has the post holders installed. But he needs something to cut the posts to the right size. His little saw that he has just won't make it, it's just too small for cutting a 4 x 4 piece of wood. He is going to put up a wooden fence so it will be more private, no one can see what we have there. And will put in a small enclosure for my mops and vacuum. It will be nice not having them here in the AZ room.

Sometime this week I will sort and pack up my craft items to be sold. It will be so hard to do, but it has to be done. I don't send but two or three cards a year and no one to sell to anymore. So I really don't need drawers and drawers of supplies. If I do enough purging of my table runners too we could sell one of the dressers and have some room in the AZ room. But storage is storage and nice to have but it also make a place for items that we really don't need. I just know I'll cry as I get rid of my craft stuff. But I also don't have the finger dexterity anymore either.

Another sad fact to face is that I have to sell my Honda Helix. My vertebra in my neck has an issue that is making my upper arm muscles and shoulder joints painful. I don't want to cause or be an accident waiting to happen on the bike. So time to face the sad facts that I'm having older age issues and I need to make some lifestyle changes.

My doctor's appointment isn't until the 18th so I really don't know much other than what I've read about my arm and neck problems. I hope he can at least explain it to me without having to see a specialist. It seems that GP doctors only make appointments with specialists anymore. Grrrrrrrrrrrr 😡 At least that is what is done around here.

Change

Our old blog will no longer be used. It will be for our reference only. My entry will now be logged here.