Oregon Living 2017 – Blog #93 – Shopping and a Bazaar

Friday, December 1st, 2017…...  I left early this morning and headed to my sister’s.  She needed some help getting down her Christmas decorations. That done, we headed off to Albany while Lydia stayed home and rested. I took her to a favorite stop of mine, Muchas Gracias, and bought us both breakfast burritos.  Next stop was Harbor Freight, then Big Lots, then Costco.  We headed back home and unloaded stuff (she bought a new recliner) and then I headed home.  I had received a call saying my trailer was done and I could come get it.  I stopped by and looked at it and brought it home. They didn’t take credit/debit cards so I went back and gave them a check.  They put on a new axle and new fenders so it is now road ready.  I still want to replace some floor boards and replace the wiring but that will be done when I get time. Lydia fixed a chicken casserole for dinner (and enough for leftovers, yes!) and we settled in to tv and bed.          

Saturday, December 2nd, 2017…...  Penny texted me this morning, asking if both of us or Lydia wanted to go to a Christmas Fair/Bazaar. I passed and chose to work on putting up the rest of the garland and doing a few other projects around the house, stopping to watch college football now and then. They spent most of the day shopping and having lunch and got back early afternoon. Lydia sat for a few hours to rest her sore legs from walking all day. Later, we worked on Christmas cards for awhile and had leftovers from last night plus the garlic knots and salad Lydia brought back from their lunch this afternoon.  We each watched some of our taped shows before calling it a night.  

Oregon Living 2017 – Blog #92 – Shopping & a Movie

 

Wednesday, November 29th, 2017…...  Plans today included getting the rest of the Christmas stuff done and the boxes put back into the shop.  That took several hours but we’re done.  Almost. We went to Lowes and Home Depot looking for a few more things.  It’s funny – we had a place for each and every decoration at the old place – like garland that went around each interior door.  This house has taller doors so we need to regroup and rethink.  We ended up finding what we needed but they were out of stock for some of it.  I will go back on Friday. But we got the rest of what we wanted and got it all installed.  So now except for the garland for the doors, we’re done! We drove back through Corvallis to go to Bed Bath and Beyond looking for a replacement for Lydia’s credit card holder thingy.  No luck.  I’ll look online when we get home.    

Thursday, November 30th, 2017…...  This morning we decided to go to Eugene for breakfast, shopping, and a movie, not necessarily in that order. We stopped at the Kozy Kitchen for breakfast. We’d been there for dinner and it was good for breakfast as well. We then caught the matinee showing of Daddy’s Home 2 at our favorite theater (the one with the reclining chairs).  It was only $5.25 ea. Then we stopped at Kohl’s, Cabela’s, & Sears and got a few things.  Then we drove over to Jerry’s Hardware.  I wanted to show Lydia their Christmas section which was awesome!  Didn’t buy anything, but she found ideas for next year!  We had skipped lunch so we were hungry.  We stopped at home just long enough to get our card for Pizza Schmizza, which is in town.  We hadn’t been before but got the card at Beerfest so we decided to try it.  They have about 45 specialty beers and good pizza, reasonably priced.  It was all very good and will go on our return-to list. We came back home and turned on all the lights.  With battery switches on some of her angels and snowmen, plus the Christmas village, and the lighted window snowflakes, we have 19 lights to turn off and on.  Only the tree is on a timer. Guess I need to find the rest of my timers! We watched tv and headed off to bed after a long day.

Oregon Living 2017 – Blog #91 – Visitors Again & Getting Ready for Christmas

 

Monday, November 27th, 2017…...  This morning we got going early. I was tired but got up and moving and felt fine after a bit.  We left for breakfast at Kevin’s and then headed to the Sam Fit fitness center to check it out.  Part of our insurance package allows us to use any/all of the participating fitness centers here in town.  Lydia had seen Sam Fit in the same building as Good Samaritan Urgent Care. This place is NICE! Even though they use a key card to get in, we managed entry and met their staff leader, who gave us a quick tour.  We had seen the other fitness centers in town and this was by far the best so we will be back this week to sign up.  I sure miss going to the Boeing Fitness Center back in SoCal so I’ll be glad to get into this place. We left there and went over to Penny’s so I could put in her new control box for her garage door opener. I also installed some tie backs for her bath curtains.  Bill & Debbie came back by on their way home to stay the night with Penny.  We visited and then left for home.  Once there, I started getting down all of our Christmas decorations.  We have to decide what to use and what else we need to buy.  Walt left us three lighted snowflakes he used in the upper windows in the entryway.  I tested them and two worked fine.  One has half the bulbs out.  We put up the new (to us) Christmas tree.  Penny was getting rid of it and it’s pre-lit so we thought we’d sell ours and buy hers.  It was a smart move – no lights to hang and easier to put up!  Lydia went to work and got the tree decorated 

and then it was time for dinner. The rest can wait until tomorrow.  We fixed tacos and then cleaned up and went to Walmart.  Lydia says I’m not allowed up on this roof to put up lights.  I did not argue!  So, we bought a couple of the star showers advertised on tv. When we got home I set one of them up, and we found we were not at all happy with the projected look we were getting.  Tomorrow we will return them and look for something else.  We did find new lighted snowflakes that will go up tomorrow as well.     

Tuesday, November 28th, 2017…...  First thing this morning I took the star showers back to Walmart. Later, we went over to get Penny, Debbie, and Bill to go to Elmer’s in Albany for breakfast.  They had never had German pancakes so we couldn’t resist taking them there. We had a nice time visiting with them before they headed back south to home.  They are now thinking seriously about moving up here. On the way home, we stopped at Costco for a few things.  I found they had new laser star showers for the yard so I bought those.  We returned home and continued getting our Christmas stuff put together.  I had found a third star shower we used for our motorhome so I set out all three and that worked well.  We worked on the rest of the house throughout the day/night but still didn’t get it all done.  We ate a Costco roasted chicken which we made quesadillas out of.  Yummy.  Lydia had been on her feet too long today so we rested and later called it a night.   

Oregon Living 2017 – Blog #90 – More Stuff For the Shop & a Lazy Sunday

 

Saturday, November 25th, 2017…...  I got up early today. I had plans.  I walked Quincy and showered and left for town.  I stopped and got coffee and drove over to Habitat for Humanity.  I wanted to be there early to try to buy the island I was looking at a few days ago. Today cabinets are 50% off, and it was still there, so I bought it and only had to pay $32.50.  It was super heavy, made from plywood, and I had to have help loading it, but hey, I got it!  I stopped on the way home and had a breakfast burrito from a local taqueria in Albany.  Once back home, I managed to get to the drawers and doors and get them removed, making it a lot lighter to unload.  Penny feels better today and came outside with Lydia and together we all got it slid off the truck.  Right now it’s sitting upright on a big dolly on the cement slab in the front shop. I think I’m going to build up the bottom so it sits higher for me and now’s the time to do that.  Just not today.  That done, I moved the truck and came in to rest and watch tv for a while. The girls sat around and planned their day.  I don’t think they plan on doing a lot but I don’t know.  Penny felt better this afternoon and went out and walked Quincy and then, after a bit, they went home.  We spent the rest of the day just lounging around.  We each fixed a late lunch so we really didn’t feel like dinner.  We finished the night with a bit of tv and went to bed.  

Sunday, November 26th, 2017…...  It was raining this morning so we stayed in.  Lydia made sausage and scrambled eggs and we sat around the house and ate and watched the skies. Good thing we stayed in because later in the morning it REALLY came down!  The wind was blowing so hard the rain was sideways!  Good thing was that it only lasted about six minutes.  Then it stopped completely and the winds died down too.  The rest of the day was just light drizzles.  It is supposed to be clear tomorrow.  Again, we ate lunch later in the afternoon so neither of us wanted a heavy dinner.  So we fixed what each of us wanted.  Lydia made herself nachos and I had cheese and crackers. I spent the day watching football games and fell asleep.  Those who know me well enough know I don’t usually take naps during the day.  Sure enough, when it came time for bed, I couldn’t sleep.  I got up and watched tv until midnight before trying it again. It still took some time to fall asleep.  Bet I’m tired tomorrow!

Oregon Living 2017 – Blog #89 – Turkey Day! And Black Friday

 

Thursday, November 23rd, 2017…...  Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! I got up early and found the weather was pretty nice.  The last couple of days we had rain showers off and on but it was actually warmer than normal.  This morning it was 54º at 6:30am! I gave Quincy a nice walk and then wiped her feet and brought her in and fed her her breakfast. Lydia had taken out the (really small chicken size) turkey she had bought and it was thawed out already.  We were not scheduling dinner until we heard how Penny was doing.  But she got all of it ready to go into the oven when we knew.  No worries. She was doing well and came over early and we spent the day watching parades and football. I got Quincy walking duties and it was drizzling every time I took her out! Dinner was turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie.  The girls even cleaned up.  Except dog duty, it was a lazy day for me!    

Black Friday, November 24th, 2017…...  Neither one of us is a black Friday shopper so we kind of hung around the house today.  Penny spent the night so I got up and walked Quincy and then came in and took a shower and had breakfast. The girls hung around the house and Penny hung around the bathroom.  She is still not feeling quite right.  The medicine has left her queasy, but not sick. Everything is passing right on through! She did eat some solid food so we’ll see what happens.  She went back home to get her mail and pick up a few things.  She will stay here at least another night.  I worked on some stuff in my shop.  I have decided to cover most of the west and north walls with pegboard so I worked on one of the panels and got it installed.  That was in between rest breaks watching some of the college football games.  It’s rival week across the country so each team is playing their rival and has something to prove.  The big thing up here right now is the Civil War game.  That’s the BIG game between Oregon and Oregon State.  University of Oregon campus is in Eugene and Oregon State is in Corvallis, about 30 miles away so folks up here pick their team and are adamant supporters of that team. You’re either a Ducks fan or a Beavers fan!  Neither team is going to a bowl game but Oregon has a way better team most years.  But OSU comes to play each time so we’ll see. They play tomorrow afternoon.

Dinner tonight was turkey tetrazzini.  Lydia keeps some turkey for sandwiches but cuts up some for this dish.  I know I’m weird but I actually like it more than the original Thanksgiving dinner!  Yesterday we had pumpkin pie, today she made an apple pie. Later, after another walk with Quincy, we rested and watched our taped shows.            

Oregon Living 2017 – Blog #88 – Some Assembly Required and a Doctor’s Appointment

 

Tuesday, November 21st, 2017…...  We both slept in this morning (7:30am). Didn’t go over to Penny’s.  Bill and Debbie are staying with my sister so she didn’t need too much from me today.  After Bill walked Quincy they went out to breakfast and toured the city a bit.  The plan was to go over there at 3:00pm and take them to Sweet Home and a tour of that area before going to Skyline for dinner. So, while Lydia went in to get her nails done, I ate a quick lunch then went in to finished up the assembly of the fireplace cabinet. It went together pretty easily and looks good. 

Next up is a bigger tv for that room. I watched tv for a while then it was time to go get them.  We took off and showed them the sights in Sweet Home, including Foster Lake.  I crossed the dam and found a patrol car sitting in the lot at the T in the road.  I made a u-turn and went all the way around him!  I think he thought I was crazy but he didn’t follow me so that was good! We went over to Skyline and Penny treated us all to dinner. Thanks Sis! We drove back home and visited with them for a while and then went home and waited to watch the finale of DWTS. I had made my predictions for the last six dancers and I only missed on Drew and Victoria, who I had reversed.  Otherwise, I got them all in order. We were happy to see Jordan win the mirror ball.  Also glad to see Lindsay get her first win as well.     

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017…...  Today I was busy.  So was Lydia, who had to go to her new dermatologist for some spots to be frozen off.  No worries, they said only one was of any concern and if it doesn’t clear up, they will test it. She has a follow up appointment but not until 2018.  Meanwhile, I took off and made the rounds at the Habitat for Humanity stores in Corvallis and Albany.  I found a couple of table saws I was interested in but didn’t ask about prices.  I did find a workbench out in their yard on my way out.  It’s nothing fancy, but I have plenty of space and it was only $13.25 so I bought it!

I went to Lowe’s and bought a few items for the house and headed home. Later, Penny called and asked if I wanted to come over and walk Quincy or bring her back for a walk at our place then a sleepover. That way, she could sleep in tomorrow and then come over and the dog would be there already. I went and got Quincy and by the time I got home, Lydia had spaghetti and meatballs and hot bread just about ready.  The perfect meal for the long day! Quincy got a few bites of the meatballs (minus the sauce) and then I cleaned up the kitchen and went in to work on my bills (yuck!).  We watched tv and then called it a night.    

Oregon Living 2017 – Blog #87 – Dinner Guests for Us and Visitors for Penny

Sunday, November 19th, 2017…...  First thing this morning I got a text from my sister asking if I could come over and walk Quincy.  She wasn’t up to it as the drugs were working out of her system.   I met up with her and Quincy near the Santiam River, just around the corner from her house.  

She took my car home and me and the Quincydog finished up the walk.  I made sure they were doing ok and then headed home.  We had planned to go to Albany and get that entertainment center today but we got lazy and postponed it till tomorrow and decided to stick around the rest of the day.  I watched the last Nascar race of the season. I was rooting for Truex Jr to win the championship and he did! We spent the rest of the day just hanging and also picking up the house a bit before our guests arrived.  Penny called and said she was going to pass on coming over so she could rest some more. Lydia did go out to the store to get beans for dinner. Aimee and Jason came over around four and after a tour of our home, we sat and talked a bit and then had dinner.  It was a really good meal and a fun evening. After they left, we cleaned up and put leftovers away to get to Penny tomorrow. We watched tv until we got sleepy and then headed off to bed.    

Monday, November 20th, 2017…...   This morning we took off to Albany and first went to Home Depot and bought and loaded up the fireplace/entertainment center in the car. Then we headed over to Elmer’s for breakfast (german pancakes). Then we went to Costco but since they don’t open until 10:00am we went down the street to Kohl’s where Lydia bought a new purse. We finished up at Costco and then went home.  Penny was doing a little better but still not back to normal.  She said she was going shopping but Lydia wanted her to wait for her just in case she needed any help.  So, after we got home and unloaded the car, Lydia got all of our yesterday bbq leftovers together and took them to Penny.  Actually, they met up at Safeway.  Penny’s childhood friend, Debbie, and her husband Bill, were coming today to visit and stay a few days on their way to Vancouver for Thanksgiving with their family.  They made it to her house and rested while Lydia came home.  After a bit, Penny brought them they by our place for a visit.  Then after a tour they went back and then rested and then heated up the ribs and mac and cheese and bread for their meal.  Tomorrow was left up in the air, but, depending on how Penny is feeling, I think we will go get them tomorrow and give them the 25ȼ tour around the area here.