Category Archives: camping

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, camping, home improvement, home stuff, Myeloma, travel, Walking by

Finally a walk in the park at 5:30. Very nice and cool. All the Canada Geese babies have grown up except one family and they were the last ones born. They grow up so quick. We did 1.5 miles so I felt good about that.

Today we’re going to Costco so that will add more steps to the day. We don’t need a whole lot but it adds up, Toilet paper is 20, coffee 15, etc. Adds up pretty quickly. We also need to gas up the Chevy and get cash from the teller.

Once we’re back home my son will help B put up the shower curtain holder on the ceiling. The one contractor we had come check it out said his bathroom was just as small and he put in the hotel-type rod on the ceiling. So it’s a band that then has the hooks attached. Think of the hospital-type curtains in the ER or in a room. I ordered the extra long curtain so it should go all the way to the shower pan.

Here’s my well-loved claw foot tub. It took 3 people to move it out. I’m still very sad to not have it in there anymore but I know it’s for the best. I just wish there had been a way to keep the bathroom the way it was and add a shower somewhere else. But alas, that was not to be. Our future selves will thank us, I guess.

It’s been a rough week with norovirus and the handyman doing the bathroom, part one. As with most things, there were some snafus and it took a whole day longer. The grout has to now dry for a few days. We will still need him to install grab bars(they will need to be installed with a special drill because of the tile) and we’re not sure if he’ll do the flooring or B and my son will tackle it. The floor should be an easy project but we can’t do anything till we’re back. We still need to look at painting in there too. I think I have some of the original color left but not sure how much. I think I’d like to go to a very light grey as the grout between the white subway tiles is gray.

Since we’re gone all next week we can think about it. My daughter has some appts next week but otherwise, she’ll be here most of the time. She’s been working on cleaning up the chicken yard. Of course, Big Brownie is still using the coop but doesn’t go very far. Like I said, chickens are flock animals and I’m guessing she’ll go in a few months or less. We’re in for another few days of excessive heat next week, and that might do her in. Chickens don’t do well in the heat.

So yesterday, I drove to Roseville to pick up my holds so I’d have them for Tahoe. I’m excited about the new Longmire book. I didn’t go to the gym even though I wanted to. I still don’t feel quite up to working out. I stopped at Noah’s for bagels to bring with us and for here.

Things are still chaos in the living room that is now housing all the bathroom things. I really hate disorder so it’s been challenging. I guess I just need to get over it for now. I haven’t even done Flylady this week partly because I was sick and the contractor kid here( Well, he’s not a contractor per se, just a licensed handyman). It’s ok, it’ll all still be here to get done.

We’re back home from going to the new Costco in Rocklin. Wow, it’s really nice. It’ll be such an easy on, easy off from the freeway. I can see going more frequently and doing smaller shops.

Last night we had a BBQ and it was nice enough outside to sit outside. The temperature had dropped quite a bit to the mid-80s. I’m not sure what’s on the menu for tonight but probably I’ll BBQ some burgers and tofu.

Friday Things

Posted in Blood test, books, California, camping, cancer, home improvement, Myeloma, travel by

I’m feeling almost back to normal. Still slightly off but definitely better and I ate something yesterday. My daughter thinks I may have picked it up at In and Out Burger but she( a science nerd) says it can really be on any surface. So probably we’ll never know.

So today I was lucky to get a lab appt at 9am. A little later than I like with fasting but I’ll make it. I’m really anxious to know what my numbers are doing. Even if there has been an increase, I’ll go another month without Dex just to see. Sometimes, living with cancer is very tiring. With Myeloma, it just doesn’t go away or get ‘cured’, well I think if you have an allo it does. Oh well, I’ve made it this far.

The positive news is we’ve had a young man working on the bathroom. He’s only 30( my son’s age) but seems to know what he’s doing and is doing a great job so far. We need the shower at least functioning for my daughter next week because we’ll be in Tahoe. If it’s not, then I’m not sure what the alternative is. Hotel? outside shower? We’ve been using Rubi for bathroom stuff and B bought a new shower head which is divine. The one the trailer came with was pretty lame so this is a nice improvement.

We’re not going to have it all done before we leave as I don’t think the flooring will get done so B won’t be able to put in the Ikea vanity but that’s ok it’s mostly the shower. I’m not sure what we’ll do if there are leaks while we’re gone. I guess call and have him come over when my daughter is here? Well, it is progress and on such a small budget I think we’ve done ok. If we had lots of money I guess it would be a no brainer to have someone come in and redo the whole thing and build a second bathroom but alas that isn’t our destiny.

B has been going in and out to Home Depot and all over getting little bits of things and has been very busy. It helps he is organized that way.

The Oregon sparrows are migrating and are flocking in the bamboo. They are fun to watch. We turn the sprinklers on the bamboo and they love to drink the droplets. Often they hang upside down and are cute. We call them popcorn birds because they pop so quickly around.

The heat has been oppressive. I think today we’re about 10 degrees cooler so that should help some. We’re back to watering daily and the water bill just went over $100 and will definitely go higher. B filled the pool and that takes 10,000 gallons I think. This will be the last year of the pool. We’ve gotten our money’s worth that’s for sure but I can’t see investing in another pool next year. This is probably year 7 and think we paid around $1000 for it so I’m sure it is way more than that now. Plus there’s all the maintenance to take care of it and that cost. B is the only one that uses it daily. I go in once in a while to float and that’s about it.

I’ve been hanging out in the trailer all day and it’s been nice. I turned the AC on and it worked fine one day and the second day it blew the fuse so when it gets too hot I go out to the studio( my son’s room) and hang out there. He’s got a cooler and I’ve had that on. His studio is almost cleared out and sometime this summer we’ll paint in there. He’ll still come up to work in the barn and sleep over so I want to keep a bed out there. Also, he built a beautiful desk and bookcase out of birch plywood so that will stay too. His move has gone well and I’m happy for him. It’s very nice area very near the American River trail and lots of green space.

This week is a total wash with swimming or the gym but tomorrow I plan on going to the library as my holds are in. That’ll give me something to read in Tahoe.

On a sad note, our big black lady chicken, big mama, died yesterday. She was quite old for a chicken, maybe 10, and the heat was too much for her. So now there’s only big Brownie and I’m guessing she’ll be gone too soon. they were from the same batch and have lived an extraordinarily long lives. Maybe’s it’s the water? this is the end of an era of over 25 years of having chickens and with these gone, that’s it. The coup will come down and the area cleaned up. Rhonda over at Down to Earth talked about how she finally gave up chickens when her husband was ill and dying. She talked about how important it is to really check in where you are in life and what you’re capable of. We could keep having chickens as my daughter does live here but then it’s just one more thing to have to deal with, buying food, checking water, etc. So I’ll buy farm eggs when I can. There are tons of people around here who raise chickens.

On that note, she also talked about physical limitations as we age. She has a non malignant brain tumor which affects her balance so she doesn’t bend over. Because of that, she bought a steam mop so she could mop standing instead of with a bucket on the floor. Because of my macular pucker in my right eye, my balance is off sometimes so I just bought a very cheap steam mop for $59. I’ll try it out for a while if I really like it I’ll buy a more expensive model. This one just steams and there’s no on /off so I’ll give it few months

Thankful Thursday and Frugal Friday wrapped up together.

Posted in Blood test, budgeting, California, camping, cooking, frugalism, Gratitude, Political things, travel by

I’m thankful we had an uneventful drive to Tahoe. Eastbound traffic for Memorial Day was horrendous. The only real traffic was through Incline and Sand Harbor which had the roads line with stupid people people trying to get to SandHarbor because the parking lot was full.

I’m thankful the camp hosts were so friendly and we were able to check in early at 1pm. Our spot was so nice.

I’m thankful the drive home was safe too and very little traffic.

We walked every day and and I averaged 2 miles but my knee did start to hurt yesterday so I will back off for a few days. We don’t have bikes anymore and I started thinking maybe we should get some again. There are lots of trails in Tahoe and bike paths.

Frugal-wise camping fees were half because we have the lifetime senior pass. Our only expenses were gas to Tahoe and some camp groceries. So overall, it was a pretty cheap getaway. And we’re back the week after this on the 10th.

Today is Friday and I have my labs, but won’t swim partly because I want to do some home stuff and partly because the pool has been closed all week so it’s going to be busy, I’m sure.

We kept camp food basic and didn’t do any Lodge meals or anything fancy. Tonight, I plan on using the Webber and cooking some chicken. I will make a macaroni salad or Greek pasta salad to go with it. I have some veggie burgers for B.

We have quite a few loads of laundry to do but since it’s so warm out I’ll hang dry them and then do an air fluff in the dryer.

The BIGGEST THANKFUL THING IS OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM WORKS AND TRUMP WAS FOUND GUILTY!!

Simple Sunday

Posted in books, California, camping, cancer, cooking, Uncategorized by

A nice walk this morning and no one was there but us. Sweet! This last week we had some new people show up which is fine, it’s very nice walking early.

Yesterday I did some errands in town. I had my knives sharpened at the grocery store and while I was there, I picked a few things I needed like a red onion. Based on the few things I bought and the prices, I wonder how long Bel Air will stay in business, especially with the new Costco 15 minutes away.

From there I went down to the pet bookstore and was looking for more Craig Johnson but no luck. I might peruse eBay and see if I can get a few there. I picked up a few Sue Grafton, which I’ve read about 100 times but still like them. I found a fun cookbook from a restaurant in Brooklyn called Spuntino.

It’s a fun book to look through and I might make their basic marinara sauce. I checked on Amazon and they have the canned tomatoes they use called Valla from Italy. After we’re back from Tahoe I’ll order some. They also recommend using white pepper which I thought very interesting so I’ll do Amazon for that too. They had a good recipe for gnocchi which didn’t look too hard so I may try my hand at that.

Today I’m going to Anytime gym and that’s it. When I get home I need to mop the floors and tidy the house so it’s ok for when we’re gone. No cooking today and I don’t have a plan for dinner yet. Maybe an omelet with some greens.

I dried another batch of oregano so I think I’m done with drying herbs. BTW, the cilantro did come out smelling like cilantro. I don’t know how it’ll be in cooking but it did dry ok.

Friday things

Posted in budgeting, California, camping, cancer, frugalism, home stuff, Lake tahoe, library, swimming, travel, Uncategorized by

Frugal-wise all pretty good. After infusion yesterday, I went to the nearby Noah’s Bagels and bought 6 plus a schmear. Most mornings we like a bagel but it’s usually Costco’s or Trader Joe’s. This was a nice treat.

I went to Trader Joe’s and spent close to $200. There was a case of wine in there and the rest was food. That’s a lot of meals. Since we’ll be gone next week there won’t be any shopping except at the Safeway in Tahoe in case we need something. I do need to buy coffee at Starbucks because I’m not going to go in to Costco before Memorial Day. Our new Costco just opened yesterday and I’m sure it was a mad house. We will be going to this new one from now on as it is closer to us so that’ll be nice.

My daughter asked for a Nutribullet for her birthday and Costo had the Ultra one on sale. She likes to do smoothies and this one does ice and veggies. We have a Vitamix but sometimes it’s just too bulky to get out. I don’t keep things like that on our counter so it’s in one of my Heywoods. On our counters I only keep the toaster oven, my kitchen aid mixer and, the Brita water pitcher. Maybe I’ll see if my son wants it for his new apartment.

I was planning on swimming this morning as it’s my first time off Dex(whoo hoo) after Velcade, but since I’ve been out 3 days in a row, I think I’ll skip it. That does mean no swimming till after we’re back so that’ll end up over a week. Sometimes, you just have to call it. I did go to the gym and library after Velcade so that took some time. I only did a 20 minute weight workout but that was good enough.

In Tahoe, we’ll go to the gym once and do at least that workout plus we walk a lot when we’re there.

Last night I BBQed that trip tip and it was good. We’re not big meat eaters but this was a nice small piece and the flavor was good. B had roasted veggies, beans, tofu and, coleslaw. Tonight is a pizza night, no take out just a Trader Joe’s dough and I’ll do some toppings.

Overall, not a spendy week and next week will also be low spend in Tahoe.

So far this morning I feel good and my blood pressure is good too. I just hope being off dex doesn’t negatively impact my numbers but for now, hurray for not feeling crazy this morning. Since I’m home this morning, I will do some tidying up and I need to dust. The pine pollen is everywhere! I’m not planning on any bread making or batch cooking. Just using up what we’ve got.

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, camping, cooking, Lake tahoe, Myeloma, simple foods, Uncategorized by

I guess my daughter brought home a cold from work this week and now I have sniffles and a runny nose. It’s not terrible but still, my head feels like it has cotton in it. I’m not sure I’ll go to the Auburn gym then. I did walk this morning so at least I got some exercise in. This is probably the first time I’ve had a minor cold in maybe 3 years. I do get seasonal allergies which is what we all thought my daughter had but then by the next day you could tell it was more like a cold.

I want to swim tomorrow so I guess I’ll just have to wait and see how I feel then. I have Velcade Thursday so I don’t want to push it.

Yesterday I started drying oregano in the dehydrator, which still needs at least another day. I plan on doing a few batches as I use quite a bit of oregano in cooking. Then I’ll move on to thyme. I wish there was a way to keep cilantro but it doesn’t dry with any flavor, I’m not sure why exactly. I just looked up drying cilantro and it says you can and it will keep its flavor so I think since we have so much I’ll do ie batch to test it out. I recall I dried it in the oven and not the dehydrator so maybe that was the problem.

I decided not to go to the gym since I don’t want to be blowing my nose and then using weights:( I really dislike seeing people do this so I don’t want to be one of those people.:)

Yesterday I made a pot of minestrone for dinner it was quite good except the reason I was making it was to use up the zucchini we had and of course, I forgot to put in the zucchini. So maybe I’ll make a zucchini bread. My son brought up a dozen Noah’s bagels and they are delicious. He lives right near one so that will be fun for him. ( and us).

Our cooler weather is moving in and today looks like temperatures in the 70’s so we won’t need to use coolers. I think it’s supposed to be like this for the next week or so. Tahoe may end up cooler than we thought but we’ll be fine. We have the heater in Rubi. This is a shorter trip than we’re used to, only 3 nights but it’s a start. Then in June, we’re there for a week.

Frugal Friday

Posted in budgets, California, camping, cash envelopes, frugalism, home stuff, travel by

Overall, a frugal week with just the basics being bought. I didn’t go to the store after shopping last Sunday at Holiday Market. I think I spent $80 including wine, lunch stuff and to use the 2 coupons for free stuff for April. The coupons were for a salad pack and olive oil. B went to Safeway the other day for milk and cream.

Today after the gym, I was going to go to Taco Tree but decided to just come home and have leftover lasagna.

All our meals were used and tonight is homemade pizza ( I think). I’ll get it ready( defrosting the pizza dough) but I might change the plan to something lighter.

I’ve got May’s budget almost done. I just need to tweak a few things. Rubi’s insurance is due in May so I need to put that in. I didn’t have that figured into my cash envelopes so I’ll add one for that for next year.

In May we only have 1 camping trip to Tahoe and that’s at the end of the month. We’re still planning on going ahead with the bathroom so that will have to be accounted for. We’re starting with a new window and then we’ll go to the one wall that needs to be opened up for a plumber to do piping. Of course, that means the claw foot tub will need to come out. When that happens, we’ll have to be using the RV shower. I imagine the whole thing is going to take longer than we think especially since B will be doing most of it.

This weekend is open and I won’t go to the pool tomorrow. I’d like to go to the nursery if anything, to get some plants.

The cherry tree has really exploded into bloom!! the bees are loving it and the whole thing is humming.

Simple Sunday

Posted in Blood test, books, California, camping, cooking, Flylady, library, meal planning, Myeloma, simple foods, travel, Uncategorized by

Our drive home yesterday was rainy part of the way. Traffic was not too bad and we made it home by 2pm. Everything was good at home and the house was tidy. Of course, it was mostly only my daughter home because my son was off camping with his partner. He got home Wednesday.

We woke at ‘camp time’. Err, later than normal. I woke at 6am which is normally our walk time. I just figured,’ Oh well’, tomorrow is another day. I planned on doing the kitchen zone, bathroom zone, and bedroom zone. They are all done now.

I also did not plan to go to the Auburn gym as I wanted to do the zone cleaning.

I planned some meals for the week. Spaghetti with sauce, turkey chili with home canned beans, a soup night, a pizza night, a fish night, and a taco/burrito night. I’m keeping my menu plans that I write out and will write a monthly one soon. The monthly one is really for reference only as I pretty much plan many of the same meals over and over. Occasionally, I like to do a new recipe but most of them don’t make the cut for regular rotations.

This week is a mellow week with no appts. I plan on the gym, library, and swimming. Next week I have Velcade/Dex, so not looking forward to the Dex again. BUT, GREAT NEWS!!! My numbers came back in the normal range even with a tiny drop. Kappa light chains at 18.6. I’m over the moon and will continue to persevere. If my numbers stay in range by fall, I might ask about going completely off Velcade, but for now, it is what it is.

Right now it’s still cloudy but the rest of the week looks sunny and beautiful. All the trees are leafed out and I’m sure more will be out this week with 70-degree weather. the wisteria is ready to burst into bloom. All the daffodils are done. But other things are starting to bloom, rosemary, apple trees, redbuds, and the cherry tree.

I’m off to make some banana bread and then look at what books I have left from the library to read.

Thankful Thursday and Frugal Friday

Posted in budgets, California, camping, Gratitude, home stuff, swimming, travel, Uncategorized, Walking by

I’m certainly thankful we had an uneventful and safe trip down here to Capitola. Overall traffic wasn’t too bad even through San Jose. We arrived to find traffic though completely backed up going into Capitola. So from Santa Cruz to New Brighton, it took forever to go 2 miles due to construction.

We made it still a little after one only to be told the new regulations were no checking in before 2pm. I told the guy( park worker) that we had always been able to check in early. His response was so rude, he turned to get our plate # and said” Why are people always lying to me”. I was pretty shocked. So we drove down to the beach parking and waited till 2pm. Then we, along with 6 other RVs, checked in and then we still had to wait for RVs to back into spots. Terrible system and not efficient.

Regardless, I’m thankful it was a beautiful day and we got set up and relaxed.

We love our little ‘Rubi’. And I’m so grateful trailering has gone easy and we have a bathroom.

We headed out on Tuesday to go to Gayle’s for a croissant and coffee. I also bought a loaf of their Jewish rye bread which is one of my favorite. Then we went to the local Anytime gym for a workout. I’m grateful it is free to us and gives us a chance to strengthen our muscles. From there we headed to Trader Joe’s in Capitola, not Santa Cruz. We were surprised there was one on this side of Santa Cruz and boy, was it nice. A really beautiful store, big and well laid out as most Trader Joe’s are. We loaded up on food, a plant for outside Rubi, and some candles I’ve been wanting. Not too frugal but not much more than a regular weekly shop. Overall, a fun morning. Then we came back to camp and just relaxed.

Wednesday we discovered the Simpkins Swim Center. Oh my, it was wonderful. I was really ecstatic to swim. It’s a huge outdoor pool heated. What a find. I’m so grateful for cities that provide these amazing places. We paid $5.00 to swim.

Overall, we have been frugal where we can. We decided to do a day trip up to Half Moon Bay which is about an hour from here. We’ve actually never seen that part of Hwy 1. It’s quite beautiful with loads of State Beaches along the way. We had a nice lunch at the very well-known fish place, Sam’s. It was good but not as good as Fishetarian in Bodega Bay. From there we just took our time getting back to Capitola and once again hit the traffic snarl in Capitola.

We’ve kept our meals simple. Last night we had scrambled Mexican tofu on tortillas with salad. I’m not sure what we’ll do tonight but I’d like to get a pizza night in.

Sadly, on the home front, we had raccoons get 2 chickens because no one was home. They were in their yard but it wasn’t closed so there it is. Raccoons are always looking for opportunities and there it was. I feel really bad for the girls because we have been so careful and here it is just one night and this happens. My daughter who was working late just missed getting them in. She got home right after and I’m sure felt awful. Well, we know we don’t want chickens again but still it makes me sad.

This is Half Moon Bay. You can see that rock barrier if you look carefully. There were numerous ones on each side of the Bay.

Today, we’re going to walk and then go over to Gayles for a bit. The weather has been picture perfect. Today though, we’re in for a 20 degree drop in temperature and some rain overnight.

I don’t think we’ll go back to the pool as we’re both a little tired, so a day to rest sounds good.

Simple Sunday

Posted in California, camping, swimming, travel by

I went to the pool yesterday and was surprised that it was not crazy busy. Saturdays are definitely hit or miss with being busy. I didn’t do anything afterward, just came home.

This morning I went to the Auburn gym and it was somewhat busy but I just did my thing and left. Then I went to Safeway to get wine, deli sandwich stuff, bread, and some snacks to leave at home. I don’t have anything I need to do around the house so I will get my clothes ready for tomorrow and organize the food a little more.

Capitola is a good 4 1/2 hours trailering so we’ll probably leave around 9am. We also stop at the 2-hour mark for gas and to stretch.

The week ahead looks just great weather-wise. Temperatures are in the 70’s and sunny!! Spring has sprung!!