Monthly Archives: March 2015

Catching up!

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March is over and April begins. We are having very nice weather but no rain. Things are very dry here in northern california. All around our house is rototilled so now it looks like a dust bowl. Well, I hope we can get something planted soon. The garden area( my daughters realm ) looks good though and we are enjoying lettuce,radishes, fresh herbs. Next should be some snow peas.

Z, my son, is at the Grand Canyon and leaving today. He’ll get as far as Bakersfield @ 8 hours and we bought him a hotel night so tomorrow will be a 5 hour drive home. Hopefully very safely with no tickets. It seems it’s been a good trip with his friends and they’ve been very busy doing stuff. I miss seeing him though.

My daughters official first day of work was yesterday and it’s great she loves the library and everyone is super nice. Yeah for her. I’m so proud of her and this is a big break for her to get in a permenant position.

she loves her new to her Honda so I’m glad. I’m still undecided about the vw, but I’m driving it and it’s fun.

Nothing new with myeloma and I’ll have my blood tests this week and next week doctor visit. I feel ok, nothing new. I have a few days left of revlimid,and then off for the week. It’ll actually be longer since he didn’t call the prescription in till he sees my blood work. I think that’s wise as I don’t want a bottle of $10,000 medicine going to waste.

We went and bought the simply white paint so we’re ready for the next paintathon. I’ll have B start with the ceiling and go from there

After work I’m going to drop a good will load off. It’s not a lot but I want to get it out of my car.

Off to the library today. It’s spring break so I suspect it’ll be slow. Last week I completely forgot about bookclub. I think cause I’m not into it anymore I just didn’t prioritize it. She’s too structured in the group and I’m not enjoying just answering questions from bookclub questions on line. The people are great though.

Well, off for the day!

Another adventure for my son!

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imagewell, he’s off again on another trip starting today. If you remember the last one didn’t work out very well with him totaling his Prius. So this time he’s off to Las Vegas with 2 young ladies. At least he’ll have help driving with one of them. The other doesn’t have her license. Now , these are just friends, not girl friends. He’s going to see Elton John in concert. That part should be cool, but.  This,is a warning … If you so much as get a ticket or? The car will be taken away remember it’s still in our name. Anyway, as long as he’s safe, that’s all that really matters. I’ll keep you updated. He’s then driving to the Grand Canyon ,which is another 5 hours. He actually got a camping spot so that’s good. Then we reserved him a night in Bakersfield as I will not allow him to drive the 15 hours home straight.

I will be worried but hopefully this goes well. He’s a very responsible young man so hopefully it goes well.

im still not feeling great, this whole bladder infection has thrown me for a loop. I’m going to drop off a urine sample today but I still feel off. Not sure what that’s about. I such a worry wart, but then again I have cancer so I guess I’m not worrying for nothing. 😟

I was going to go get the paint today but not sure if I feel like it. But I’d like to have so we can do some painting this weekend. I might go to the bookstore( used). Then I thought maybe I’d pick up a take and bake pizza for my daughter and me since it’ll be just the 2 of us.

I did most of my tidying yesterday and laundry, so pretty caught up

Here’s my new shelves and catherine holm display…

Spring!!!

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imagehere’s a picture of a radish my daughter grew. Plus we are getting lettuce daily for salads. It’s so wonderful and fresh to eat your own so fresh food. 

I think there will be snow peas soon too.

The rototilling went well and now we just have to wait to order the top soil. Maybe next paycheck.

We are actually suppose to get some rain tonight so that’ll help things a lot.

It’s a dex Sunday so I’m going to do the bedroom zone and vacuum. Then B is going to put up my shelves and paint a little. I think we’re going out to starbucks to just sit and chat. It’s nice to have some us time. We won’t be able to go anywhere for a while as he’s busy and my schedule is Tuesday, Friday, Saturday.do I have to plan one of those days off to get in 2 nights. Maybe after I see the doctor in April.

i need to plan menus for the week, but today I’m making roast chicken and baked potatoes and a big salad.

I’ll make some beans in the crock pot tomorrow and have bean rice bowls. I have avacodos to use.

We have lovely cilantro in the garden too. So nice, I just wish it would dry or freeze well, which it doesn’t.

well, off for Sunday adventures!

Saturday stuff

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B is going to rent a rototiller and do the garden and front lawn. Then we’ll have to buy a few yards of top soil. Since we’re in such a drought in california we’re not sure if we should plant more garden or some lawn. Our water bill is always high in the summer so I’m not sure.
I want to paint one more wall in the kitchen. This will be a first coat and then I think we’ll need to buy more paint. I really love the white. I didn’t think I would but I do . It’s serene and I like how it brightens everything up.

I’m off to work. I’ll be there alone today and I know I have at least 3 bins of transit. I may not get to shelving all that. It’s a little unusual to get that much so I’m thinking not a lot showed up the other day.

I’m still thinking about getting a monthly cleaner in but haven’t expored the cost. Maybe today I’ll go online and check. I think it would help me manage more easily. It seems even in the last 6 months I can’t do as much as I was, and I seem to not focus as well. Perhaps it’s the revlimid (chemo ) finally doing its thing. Also, I just seem to be having more physical issues. Oh well, I’m sure part of it is getting older and part dealing with the cancer side effects.

I have to plan dinners for the week, and budget money till next payday. But, I got gas and except for milk and a few things we have plenty of groceries.
I have a coupon for free smart chicken( the only chicken I’ll eat), at our Holiday market, so I’m going to get that after work and milk.

Budgeting or ( how I blew the budget)

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Just a reminder, March is myeloma awareness month. I hope some of you learn about this cancer and can help if someone you know is diagnosed. Tom Brokaw has certainly added exposure to it being he’s a celebrity. But, all of us who live and eventually die from this need more public awareness and financial support for research. A cure is out there. Maybe not for me, but I believe they will have a cure of sorts, in ten years time.

So, budgeting for March. Food is still about $600, household is running more since its spring. I should stay out of target, but that’s where I get over run with… Spending money. Well, I did get a new patio umbrella( on sale), the cutest bunnies for spring decorating(not on sale), oh, I bought some new non stick pans, ( not on sale). Should I keep going. You get the idea. Well, I’ll factor in spring madness.
Went and paid property taxes. There went a cool almost thousand. Well, at least for once in our lives I had in the bank to use.

We also helped our daughter with her new car, ( but she’ll have to pay back most of it. And if we sell the vw then that’ll put back $3000.
We’re still not sure we will sell. I’m going to use it off and on to see what I think. Because it sits low, it’s hard for me to get in and out. So we’ll see.

I’m off to the library today. Friday’s are always pretty slow.

Library day

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Well, off to work today. I’m always happy to go the best little job I’ve ever had. I’ll be sad when they let me go for the clerk who will take my place. I’m hoping at least fall before this happens. With the closure of two branches, it could go either way, 1. Oh look we have ,only to hire part time clerks , or 2. Oh,no! We can’t be hypocritical and say now we have money after saying we didn’t have money to keep the branches open. I don’t know.
I’d like to work at least another year if my health stays good.

Speaking of which, all of a sudden my right leg is bothering me. Is that one of the lytic lesions the radiologist saw. I’m not sure. My doctor said it looked ok. But I’m going to go back and read it again.
Plus, I’ll track it. Sometimes, it’s due to bending down or walking or who knows what.

Other than that, I drove in the new to us Honda CRV and it’s quite nice.
I’m taking the vw to work, it’s only a 3 mile drive. Still not sure I want to keep it, but for now I will drive it and alternate with my van.

It’s sunny today and warm. It’s suppose to be around 70 or so. Spring has sprung!!

St. Patrick’s day

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I forgot to mention that st Patrick’s day is the day in 2006, I left the hospital after my ASCT. I was in for almost 3 weeks. It was very difficult for me, emotionally, and of course physically. I was very weak, could hardly walk a few hundred feet, food was still a problem and nausea. But hey , I got 4 wonderful years of no drugs except Aredia every 3 months. I was very lucky.
I still feel fortunate that my myeloma is being managed, even with my high kappa light chains.

I’ve meet so many great internet myeloma buddies. I’ve learned a lot from them. I miss the ones who have gone on that even though I didn’t know them physically,knew them by spirit of our mutual disease.

Monday musings

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It’s warm but still cloudy here in Northern California. No rain, just cloudy.
All the leaves are popping out and things are growing. We’re still losing some ponderosa pines to bark beetles down in our woods and ost likely this is due to lack of water. Not sure what we’re going to do yet as it’ll probably be expensive. Since they’re not threaten ting the house, I think taking the big ones near the house( not infected, just too close) makes better sense.

Oh, good news! My daughter finally found the perfect car to commute into the sierras. A Honda crv 2007 with 85,000 miles. It’s very nice and with the awd, if she gets into snow she’ll be fine. Of course, now we’re moving out of snow season, but in a normal year Truckee, ca can see snow in June. Not happening probably this year. Then sometime down the road she can start looking for a roommate situation so she can stay up there 2 nights. But for now BCD will be her new best friend.

My 12 mg of dex, is tolerable, but I still had red face for a few hours and hyped out cleaning. Oh, well, that’s par for the course.
We’ve been eating out on the patio, and last night had a nice Cobb salad. Even my son, who’s never home it seems, ate with us. And tonight he said he’d be home as he has midterms soon. So I think ill just grill some burgers. I need some rolls. Or, I make make crockpot meatballs and make sammies. I have the meatballs in the freezer.

I have work tomorrow and then Wednesday I’ll have my daughter drive me too Winco in her new to her car.
We didn’t trade in her vw( too low of a trade in) and it works fine. So I may drive it for a while and then decide if we’ll keep it or sell. We could get maybe $3000 for it. So we’ll see. We’re going to pay her the $3000 to help her with the down payment and then if we sell we’ll keep that money.
My van that I love is 16 years old with 145000 miles. Still runs great but does need work so. Her VW is 15 years old, has had work done( new timing belt, tires brake stuff) but only has 84,000 miles. So we’ll see.

I did most of my fly lady zone ( the bathroom ) already and yesterday I finished the kitchen zone because last week on Monday I had the bladder infection, so nothing got done.
B has my shelves ready to go up on the one white wall and it’s going to make my vintage catherine holm really pop. We need to buy more pait for the rest of the kitchen . Probably 2 gallons as we’re going over a green.
But, I figure one wall at a time is all I can do.
I’m loving the idea of the white space as in the future touch ups re painting will be very easy.
Well, off to do something.

Friday stuff, doctor update!

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It’s been kinda a weird week. Last weekend I noticed having pain after i urinated.. Hummmm, so Monday off I go to my GP. Sure enough I have a bladder infection. Hummm, how. Well, it’s not pleasant but if you have a lot of diarehea, well, I guess you can put 2 and 2 together. So, today’s my last antibiotic. I don’t think , that I can remember , ever having a bladder infection. Well, live and learn.
So, since I had a low grade fever I didn’t work Tuesday, which means I lose 4 hours. Oh, well, it’s also a hard day as the other branch’s extra person was gone on vacation. It’s always something.

So, we looked at some more cars for my daughter on Wednesday. We eliminated the Impresa subaru. I’d love for her to find an outback, but they are way too expensive and used ones are really hard to find without a million miles on them.
So, I think we’ve narrowed it down to a Honda CRV. It’s a nice small size suv. And it has AWD. We looked at a 2007. I’d like to see if we can find one just a little newer. But , they are hard to find too.

So, doctor visit update. My kappa light chains are the same @ 780, lamda @16 , ratio @ 48. Still high but all other indicators are normal . Well my mprotein went up a bit to .5
He thinks one, I had the infection, two, we reduced my dex dosage and that will certainly have an effect.
I’m okay with it all. He says he does think the revlimid is still working so, I just started the next cycle. Also, I am IgG kappa myeloma. I actually never knew that. Or maybe he never told me. I don’t remember? Any Maybe so.

Anyway, like I said I’m ok with it right now, we’re monitoring every month and any sudden changes would be known pretty quick.
I’m off to the library in a bit. I missed it this week and am anxious to hear what’s new.
It’s cloudy but warm here @ 65-70 no rain.
I may drive my daughters VW to check whether I want to keep it as my car. I so love my van but I also love vws so… I buy it from her and then she’d use that money as part of her down payment.it has had some problems in the past but it has low miles and she just bought tires and did the timing belt which was. $700″bill.
Unless they gave us a great trade in ( unlikely) I’d maybe want to keep it or sell it privately.
Well, that’s it. The JKWP is at 653 continuous days of walking.

Simply white

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My sweet husband went and bought the white paint I wanted from Benjamin Moore the other day. It’s called Simply White. We don’t have one locally so since he was in Roseville getting his oil changed on the Santa Fe, I asked him to go get it. Then he surprised me by starting the kitchen wall. I really like it and I’m thinking of switching out other rooms to.
It’s mostly about wanting a clean space with very little clutter and white walls helps with that. The kitchen looks bigger already. I’m planning to put my vintage catherine holm on shelves there and it should look great against the white. Plus, as I get older I can’t paint like I used to( I did all the painting at one time)!!!
So, I did a second coat this morning and may work around toward the little area in front of the bathroom. Remember this house was built in 1949 and the layout is so awful but it is what it is.

An ok week so far. B is at Disneyland hotel ,well he’s staying there but it for the Expo natural foods expo. I wanted to go but he’s at the convention center all day and I’m not one to just hang out.

We are still looking at cars for my daughter. No luck finding the right SUV. Everything is so expensive. But we’re going to check out a Toyota Rav 4 awd. It’s at the top of her price range( of course)..
Well, very nice weather here and this week end is daylight savings. So that’ll be weird.

Next week is my doctor visit so we will have a new game plan after that. It’s also our FOAL meeting, so I can’t be there. I’d like to be at this meeting to hear what is going on with the two branch closures. Then how long before I’m “let go”???
Well, it’s been the best job I’ve ever had and it’s very unfortunate, I couldn’t go
Permenant. Now it’s too late. Well, that’s the story of my life with work.

Well, onward and upward to better things ….I still love reading and the library!