Category Archives: home stuff

Saturday things

Posted in California, cancer, home stuff, LLS, Myeloma, Walking by

I didn’t get to a post yesterday. I went down to the gym, and by the time I got home, I forgot about it. I walked this morning, so I plan on not going to the pool, plus that’s gas.

I plan on doing some house chores and popping down to Holiday for a few things. I need some cottage cheese, hot dog rolls, and a few other odds and ends. I really don’t feel like going out to Auburn, especially since I’ll go tomorrow.

In the next few days, I need to get the oil changed in the VW and wash it. I may stack that on tomorrow, but I’ll see how it is then.

This coming week is also when my LLS grant officially closes. Of course, the grant $ was gone in May, so once it hits the official date, I can start checking when it opens up for Myeloma. Sometimes it’s a few weeks. It’s a matter of checking multiple times a day, as once it opens, everyone who has been waiting gets on the site. Fingers crossed, since I’ve not had reimbursement on my UHC insurance, which went up $60 to $360. UGH!!!

Here’s a fun picture of the bookcase in the mirror and our Quaker wedding scroll.

A menu for the week, sort of…

Posted in books, budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, home stuff, Uncategorized by

Last night we did do the Kirkland meatballs with Rao’s sauce. I threw a few egg noodles in, too. It was good. NO salad because I didn’t feel like making it. The humidity is awful, and we are not used to humidity here in Northern CA. I think today is about the same. There are some clouds that are keeping the heat in and the humidity high. Ugh…

So, I have some chicken defrosting so one night will be something with that.

I have 1 pack of tofu, so I’ll do something with that, maybe a tofu scramble, so that the veggies get cooked( don’t want the horrible parasite!).

I have some shrimp in the freezer, so maybe a shrimp scampi-type thing.

I might open some home-canned pintos and do a nacho-type thing. I’ll have to check what I have. I know I don’t have any corn chips because we were doing low carb. Maybe I’ll just do bean bowls. I do have some taco meat in the freezer I could pull out.

Past that, I have no idea. I probably should pull out some cookbooks and get some ideas.

I’m mostly home today and need to do a sweep through the house. Plus, I need to mop. Then the plan is to go over to the pet bookstore and maybe the nursery. After that, find some lunch.

I read two of Marcia Muller’s books, which take place in SF. I like her writing. These were not new at all. I think one was from 2006. A quick read and entertaining. Next up are two Stabenow books. All these I picked up at the pet bookstore. They are $2 a piece. Cheap entertainment.

I haven’t had any off days, which I’m pleased with. I’m still only getting 2 bottles down in a day, but that’s way better than before. Also, tracking my 02 has been good. Overall, it’s all in a good range.

This week, I plan to go to the pool and the gym in Roseville. I’ll probably tack on a Trader Joe’s stop as well. I don’t need anything from Costco, so I’ll skip that. Ok then, I’m going to go pick up cat puke!!

Frugal Friday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, cash envelopes, frugalism, home stuff by

The last 2 days have been way better for me. After consulting my new friend, AI, it seemed that not drinking enough water or having enough electrolytes may have been a cause of being so fatigued. So I really doubled down and drank 2 16-ounce bottles of water with a packet of IV hydration. I felt better and will continue to do this since it seemed to make a difference.

So I felt good enough to swim yesterday, and I was so happy to be in the water.

After the pool, I went to WinCo and picked up a few things. The total was @ $ 70. I added some wine, a sauvignon blanc, which we like a lot in summer. So far for this budget month, groceries are about $400, so slightly over what I want, and I still have next week in the budget month. I did buy some bubbly water and Coke Zero, so that will last at least 2-3 weeks.

Since I’m trying to avoid carbs, I didn’t stop on the way home for my favorite bean burrito (I miss them), but made something when I got home.

Some of the monthly bills are already out, but about half are still in the queue. Our garbage bill came in, which is quarterly. It’s on autopay, but somehow I always forget to fill that cash envelope. Actually, since it’s really only me, I’m not doing a lot of cash stuffing. I think if I had more cash to use, I would, but really, the money in the checking account is to cover the bills. There’s not much left to stuff envelopes with.

My son is coming over tonight to spend the night and get up to do some stuff here before it gets too hot. I need to think about dinner since he should be here right about then.

I did get gas at Costco, and gas was back up to $4.99. I think last time it was like $4.79?

Well, it’s another hot one today, so I need to close all the windows.

Midweek Musings

Posted in budgeting, California, home stuff, meal planning, sleep apnea, Uncategorized by

I had a really awful night last night. I was restless, and my mind wouldn’t stop. I finally took an Ativan (which I haven’t but maybe one other time since starting CPAP). I slept ok, maybe for an hour, and then woke up to go to the bathroom and promptly threw up the Ativan with stomach acid. Something has changed with my use of the CPAP and taking the Ativan. Someone on the Facebook group said it relaxes your jaw and tongue too much. All I know is it was weird. I’ll consider whether I want to drive down to Roseville. I’m not feeling quite with it this morning. But it’s early yet, so I still have time.

I did get a lot done yesterday. I did the kitchen zone and the bathroom zone. I didnt get to using the Dyson though so I’ll do that today.

We had steak bits last night for dinner with asparagus. I thought the asparagus was subpar from Costco. I still have half a pack left, so I’ll check whether they still look good. Anything like that I could bring back to Costco for a refund, but sometimes it’s just too much trouble.

Tonight I have some ground turkey to use, and I think I’ll do turkey burgers. I’ll have mine on a romaine lettuce leaf. Sort of like In an Out’s protein style burger. I am also planning some chicken teriyaki with the chicken I defrosted. The rest of the week, I don’t have a plan yet. We don’t usually eat leftovers for dinner, Lunch, yes, but not dinner.

I’m not reading anything right now, so a trip to the library is calling. I just need some authors to check out. I’m waiting for the Calamity Club, which I have on hold. I might check out buying the ebook. Has anyone read it?

Today is our last day in the 80’s, and then starting tomorrow we’re back in the 90’s. We’ve been trying to conserve watering, and since we don’t have a garden this year, it’s just a little bit of lawn we have, and the plants like lavender.

Update: I’m going to stay home or at least not go to the pool. I may go out to the bookstore if I feel better.

Simple Sunday

Posted in budgeting, California, cooking, home stuff, Uncategorized by

It’s still very hot here, but I think today is the last day of it. I went for a walk this morning, but even then it was warm out.

After checking my SD card for the Airsense data, I asked AI about the data. It does seem that my oxygen drops relate to when the pressure ramps up. Also, there is more leakage at that point too. For now, I’ll continue as usual. I may need to do that in lab titration because it pinpoints when it happens, and then they adjust it. I feel my next step is to lose some weight and then see how the oxygen is. Medicare has a bridge program for Zepbound ( which is used if there is a diagnosis of sleep apnea). I don’t know how it works, but I will find out. My Part D drug insurance doesn’t cover it, so if I can, it’ll be helpful, I think.

I’m still stressed about it all, but will plod on.

I did go into the gym as I wanted to do my weights and hit the thrift store. I didn’t find too much. Sunday is nice in there as it’s fairly quiet.

Not too much cooking going on with this heat. I might just make up one of the salad packs with some sort of protein. I’ll make a tentative list of meals for the week tomorrow. I know I have some pulled pork to use and beans, so that’s one or two meals. I also have some feta to use, so I was thinking a Greek pasta salad. Otherwise, who knows? A pizza?

This is an open week for me, which is great. I’d like to do a few house projects, like painting the front door. Plus at least one swim and one Roseville gym/library.

Some pictures of our crimson Hollyhocks. They were my sister Heidi’s favorite.

Menu Monday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, camping, home stuff, meal planning, sleep apnea by

We had burgers on the grill last night with potato salad. I plan on grilling something tonight as well.

I think I’ll do chicken and more potato salad.

I have some tofu I need to use, so maybe tofu burgers. (There’s a theme going on here, which is easy dinners.

I’d like to make a big chopped salad with romaine, cucumbers, radishes, cherry tomatoes, cheese, and some kind of protein.

I have a piece of steak in the freezer, maybe steak fajitas? I think I have a pepper that needs to be used and some street tacos(flour).

I have lots of eggs right now, so a frittata of some sort. I have some gruyere cheese to use. Maybe I’ll pick up some mushrooms.

TBD.

Jasmine rice maybe with tofu?

I have a ramen pack I picked up from Winco, so I will use that somehow.

Today, I need to go down to the market and get a case of water. It’s on sale at a good price. I might get two. Plus, I forgot pickles the other day, so I’ll add them in too.

My sinuses are going crazy this morning, so it must be a high pollen day. I think my brother is stopping by to say hi, and my son is planning to come over too.

In other news around here:

I’ve charged the Jackery battery, and now I just need to try it for a night with my ResMed AirSense. I want to do a trial run before my one-night camping in Tahoe. I figure if I can make it one night, I might try for two at a later time.

I’ve compiled all my notes for the sleep doctor and have an approach, but I’ll let him take the lead, and then I’ll add my data and what I’d like to see happen. I know something has to be added since I am still getting SP02 drops. The question is, is it just a few minutes or is it longer? My Apple Watch doesn’t give a specific time, just a range. Downloading the Sleep HQ has been very insightful, though. And it does show how the pressure is fluctuating and breathing. So it’s interesting. I’m at the point of surrendering to whatever it needs to be. The Airsense has done an incredible job basically curing the sleep apnea, but as always with me, nothing is easy, and the SP02 is an issue. sigh:( At least, I have a pretty good understanding of what’s going on and hope we can get some resolution. As I’ve mentioned, this doctor and I did not hit it off, and this is only the 3rd time in a whole year I’ve seen him.

What’s on your menu for the week?

Does anyone use the Airsense? Had trouble with SP02 drops?

Simple Sunday

Posted in budgets, California, home stuff, Walking by

A nice walk this morning. It’s Memorial Day weekend, so the town is quiet. I saw so many RV’s on the road coming home from the pool yesterday. Camping season has begun for sure.

Speaking of Memorial Day, a pause to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. My brother, Philip, was killed in action on January 7th 1968. He was only 21. Sadly, my mother never overcame her grief and died 10 years later.

Today, I plan on going to the Auburn gym and doing my weights. I probably will do some treadmill too. Then once home work on the menu ideas for the week. Last night we had tilapia and brown rice with the roasted vegetables from Costco. The veggies were subpar, so they may get tossed.

It’s back to watering the yard, and things are drying up quickly. My daughter wants to keep watering to a minimum this year. We also are not planning a garden. Times change, and there’s so much outside stuff to do that it’s hardly expected to do one. I think the only thing I’ll get is some parsley, basil, chives, and maybe a cherry tomato, and I’ll put them all in a barrel so it’s easy for me to water.

OOps!!Some Gus this is Chester, not Gus, portraits and cactus flowers. He must have been a cute kitten.

What plans do you have for Memorial Day?

My son is going to come over and spend the night so he can go into the office on Tuesday. That saves a trip for him and gas. I might do a BBQ with some chicken and make some potato salad.

Midweek Musings

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, decluttering, home stuff, library, minimalism, Uncategorized by

Another shout-out to a supporter who made a donation. I am truly humbled by the kindness shown here. Thank you!

Well, yesterday I went down to the Roseville gym and did weights and the treadmill. I was going to walk the trail, but by the time I was done, it was already warm, and I didn’t have my hat. After that, I went to the library, which is next door to the gym, and got my 2 holds.

I got up to Costco around 10 and got the dishwasher pods( on sale), my vitamins, and protein bars that my daughter likes to take to work, also on sale, and AAA batteries I needed. I didn’t linger too long. I paid with some cash and put the small balance on the Costco CC.

I’ve been checking my SP02 every day, and the oximeter needed batteries. The daytime readings are fine for the most part, but there’s still a dip at night. Of course, that will be the primary discussion at my appointment, I’m sure. And that I will not do an in-lab titration test. My anxiety and my semi-claustrophobia would be too much for me. When I was first diagnosed, it was with a home test, but apparently, this test can fine-tune the CPAP machine. But as GEmini AI has pointed out, the SD card is giving him titration info every night. So???

Anyway, today is a home day, and I need to finish up some things. I want to get the recycling bags ready to go, put the thrift store stuff in the car, and tidy up some papers that are lying around.

I was playing around with Chat GPT with pictures of B’s office. And it came up with some nice minimalist images. I find taking pictures of areas that need some attention is a great visual aid. I’m a very visual person, so that worked, and I immediately removed a few things and rearranged some others. My printer is on the desk, and that’s one thing I’d like to find a different place for. But for now, that’s where it lives.

Of course, I don’t have a bookcase like that, but I do have the Billy shelves, and the desk is the Heywood Wakefield. The picture on the left is before I tidied it up. It’s a small area, but that’s where Barclay worked from home all those years. His desk was different, and the chair was an office chair. Well, it’s fun to do, and it gave me some good ideas.

Stuff

Posted in California, decluttering, home stuff, minimalism, Myeloma by

First, I want to thank a blog reader who made a donation on Buy me a coffee. It’s always such a pleasant surprise to have that happen. So thank you for that. Writing my blog since 2012, so 14 years have been good for me. It keeps me focused, and I can look back at when things did happen. When I started, my main focus was offering information that I found useful concerning Multiple Myeloma. Since I still have Myeloma and am in active treatment, that is still a focus, but not the only one.

Minimalism has played a huge part of my journey and now that “I’m older than that now, ” I can see how much it supports me. I still use Flylady as my weekly focus but really, each zone only takes a small amount of time. Even the kitchen, which is my biggest time factor, I can get through in 30 minutes. I’m still decluttering, and I know I’m close to that sweet spot of having only what is beautiful or useful in the house.

Here’s a good example: I have had the same linen sheets for about 4 years. They are on my bed 7 days a week. When I wash them once a week, they go right back on because I only have the one set. But I also have a linen comforter cover I bought for Rubi, the trailer. But it’s been stuffed in a drawer since I cleaned out the trailer. I kept thinking oh, I can use this for something but really it’s bulky, and I’m not the kind of person to wrestle putting on a cover on a queen-size quilt. So it’s now it’s way to the Goodwill. I don’t want stuff just in case!!

I also write about living a simple life and my love of cooking and reading. Those are so much a part of me. With the biggest part of me, my husband, now gone, I’m still working on living a simple life, but alone. So much of my life, really my whole life since I was married at 18 and left home, has been with him. Now at 73, here I am. I’m slower, and my body is stiffer, that’s for sure, but I still do those things I love. I imagine a time will come when I won’t drive to Roseville to swim, or go to the big gym, or even go much down the hill unless someone is taking me. But that is not this day, and I am very grateful for that.

This week is the bedroom zone, and once again, it’s my nemesis, the closet, that I will straighten out. Otherwise, this zone really takes care of itself since there’s not a lot in there. I think I’ll pull out the steam mop and do the floors. I need to put up the blackout curtains as the sun is now coming directly into that room in the afternoon. It does make a difference.

Well, I’ve rambled on enough. I’m still stressed about my upcoming sleep doctor appointment, but I guess, like everything, I’ll take one day at a time.

Menu Monday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, home stuff by

Part of a bouquet of flowers my son got for me. I separated it into 3 vases.

I hope all you moms of either humans or fur babies had a great day. My day was very nice. I went to the gym and did weights and some treadmill. Then popped over to Goodwill and actually found some stuff. Three dot notebooks,2 picture frames, a Starbucks mug, and a sweatshirt for my daughter. When I got home, my daughter made up a brunch for us, and we sat outside on the patio.

For dinner last night, I tried a new recipe for ramen. First, you blend up the veggies (carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and 1/2 apple in the food processor. Stir fry that till it’s soft and then start adding miso, broth, ginger, tofu, and some water. It was quite good, but it seemed to be a lot of work for ramen. I added 1/2 pack of ramen noodles, and we had some white rice on the side. There’s some left over, so I may have that for dinner again.

The rest of the week in no particular order:

I have some hot dogs from Costco I want to use. I’ll do them on the BBQ and have beans and sauerkraut too.

I think I’ll do a BLT night. We’ll see how that goes. I bought some nice tomatoes from Costco that are slicers, hence the BLT.

One night, I think I’ll BBQ some chicken. I used up all the salad stuff I have, so I’ll need to get something. I’ll get some romaine, so I’m thinking a chicken Caesar salad.

We had pizza last week, so I won’t do pizza again, I don’t think. I’m sure something will pop up.

Today is home reset day. So no gym and no pool. I like to take Monday to completely go through the house and make sure it all looks good, and check if any areas need attention. I know I need to water the sunroom plants. I’ll probably dust too. With the windows open now, the pollen is coming in.

I need to look at the week and decide which day to go to the pool and the gym. I don’t have any appointments, which is so nice, so I can just pick when I want to go. With gas prices, I’m intending to go down to Roseville only twice this week.