Category Archives: swimming

Frugal Friday

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

Overall, my budget is going well. I haven’t really gone out most of this week, so that makes a difference. I’m making headway on my CC bill, so that’s encouraging. X amount of dollars can only go to X amount of places.

Today, I’m heading to the pool, then going to Costco to return the pants I bought online. I’ll pick up coffee and olive oil as well. My grocery budget for August came in a bit higher than I wanted, at $500 approx. Of course, some of this is LTF for the freezer/pantry, so even though it’s high, some things won’t need to be bought for a while. I’m going to try to stick to $400 this month and see how it goes.

I’ve got most of September’s bills in. Almost all are on autopay, but PGE is not, as it is on the balanced pay program, so it averages out over the year and is different each month. Other than that, except for annual bills, all are on autopay. Actually, some of my annual bills are on autopay like my Costco membership.

Finally, our weather is turning and will be much cooler next week. I’m ready to not have coolers going all day.

September brings my dentist appointment, eye doctor appt, Flu and COVID shots. I read that the new COVID shot will be available soon, so I’ll wait to get that.

Next week, I have my oncology appt. My labs came back good. No real big change, so I was very happy about that. My platelets are still a bit low due to Velcade, but nothing alarming- just below low normal. Overall, they were good. I’ll see what he has to say next week.

We’ve been moving all the plants near the house to a different spot. It’s suggested to not have anything within 5 feet of the house. We had 4 different bamboo pots near the house, so my daughter moved them out. I’m pretty sure our California Fair Plan insurance is going to have an increase, which I hope isn’t too dramatic. But I did hear/read that it’s likely going up.

We also scheduled a chimney cleaning for the wood stove. There are just some things Barclay always did that we just don’t want/can’t do now. The same with getting the firewood. He pretty much handled that, and now one of us needs to. sigh:(

Well, I’m off to go swim.

Mid-week Musings

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, sleep apnea, social security, swimming by

Here’s the polenta and chickpea recipe. I used fresh tomatoes from costco because they weren’t tasty enough for sandwiches. I would advise against that and use the can of tomatoes. After I cut up 4 big tomatoes and cooked them down, it didnt add much flavor so opened a can of san Marzano and added about 1/2 a can. also, I didn’t have fennel seeds( who keeps fennel seeds on their spice rack?). Anyway, it was a good way to use chickpeas. I added a few shrimp for protein after it was done.

I love polenta so that was a win. I had leftover polenta for dinner last night!!

I’ve had PGE looking at a tree to take down. But the new supervisor( some kid practically) decided it didn’t need to come down. I was a little pissed as this tree has a serious lean toward the lines. I told him I disagreed with his assessment. Well, there’s not much I can do about it.

My budget ends this week and my last bill coming out is water. After that the coffers are a little low till my SS comes in. Fortunately, I don’t need any groceries and I have enough gas so I’m set. My budget was well set and all the bills paid.

I had a nice coffee and bagel with my son yesterday. He works nearby the cafe I went to so it was nice to catch up. Today, I’m meeting my library friends for a coffee too. It’s been a while since we could all meet.

I finally got the Sleep HQ to upload. It took half a dozen tries and then it was yesterday about 4pm that it finally did it. I haven’t checked it all but there’s a few hypopneas and some Rera’s which are probably when I might be adjusting my mask. Who knows? Overall it looked ok. I didnt look at all the days yet and will today. What’s good about the app is that it tells how your pressure was and when it changed and mask leaks. It helps to see that data.

I had a good swim yesterday although the guy in the lane I shared was kind of a PITA. I hadn’t seen him before and he was a splasher which I really dislike. Also, when I got in to share the lane( he was there first), he looked at me like I was crazy to share. sigh:(

Well, off to do some things before I go out.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in Blood test, budgeting, budgets, California, Gratitude, home stuff, swimming, Uncategorized by

I’m thankful it’s been a good week without any appts apart from my lab appt. I did that early yesterday (7:30), and then went to the pool.

I’m thankful the guy who does my draws is quite good and this time he left NO mark, so that’s a win.

The pool was wonderful and I had a lane to myself the whole time. I’m a little stiff this morning from swimming but that happens if I haven’t been for 6 days. I am very thankful for this pool and how well it is maintained. It’s been 5 years since I started back swimming. I plan to go one more time this week. That may then exclude going to the gym as I do need to be conscious of time and gas $.

The weather is hot, that’s all I can say and it looks like this is hot and next week is hotter. Not my favorite at all. I did a little outside watering yesterday and will do some this morning. We’re not trying to keep any grass green, just watering lavender bushes etc.

I’m thankful my daughter did the Costco trip for water. We do use plastic bottles, mostly I do at night when I wake up and need a drink and also I use bottles to track how much H2O I drink. Not ideal with the plastic, but it is what it is and I have to choose my battles.

After the pool , I went across the street to Winco and got a few things. Mostly, I wanted some veggies and although not organic, they do have wonderful produce. They do have organic veggies though. I bought a cabbage for coleslaw, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, and romaine lettuce. I picked up some corn tortillas to make enchiladas. I also picked up a pre seasoned tri tip so I might make that tonight. I don’t usually buy meat at Winco, just Costco so I’ll see how the quality is.

Today, I plan on decluttering some in the bedroom and clean out the fridge some. I think I’ll put a pot of beans on too. Later, I’m going to pop out to Ikeda’s for more tomatoes. I kinda feel like going to the bookstore but that’s on the other side of town. We’ll see, maybe my daughter will want to go.

I am thankful to have started recycling again. It’s kind of a pain to do but I’m keeping it manageable. It’s in a convenient location so I like that. I only had 3 bags, so I got back $8. Not bad. I think next time I’ll wait to have a bit more.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, decluttering, Gratitude, swimming by

I am very glad the cooler temperatures are going to return. not cool, cool, but better. Today is 93, and tomorrow back in the 80’s. I really dislike the heat, so it’ll be better.

The tree trimmers from PGE were here yesterday to take 2 small oaks. I went out there with them and wasn’t too pleased at them having to take them, but they were under the power line. I didn’t go back out to see how it looked, but I will this morning as I need to water the bamboo out there.

The pool was busy, but I’m grateful to have gotten a lane mostly by myself, and then later someone came in with me. Someone was talking about the day before at the pool and said it was so busy she finally gave up waiting for a lane. I’ve only had that happen I think twice in all the time I’ve been swimming, so I’m grateful that usually it works out.

I’m grateful for the AC units in our windows. We have 5, but only use the 4, in the LR, entry way, bedroom 1, and bedroom 2. It makes a big difference. Of course, that means our electric bill will go up:(

Today, I plan on staying home ( at least as of now). I need to do some tidying and put things away. I also need to take out the recycling. I did think about going down to the gym and doing my weights, but I think I’ll wait. It’s early yet, so I may change my mind.

I’m thankful my CPAP is mostly working well. It is controlling the sleep apnea, and my 02 is better at night. Going by the RingConn, I drop to 90 a few times, but then the line goes up to 95 or even 97, which means the pressure ramps up. I tried using some mouth tape that was recommended on the Facebook group, but that night my 02 was at 89 for more than I want ( like 30 minutes). So I went back to the chin strap. It’s ok, it bothers my face a bit, but I need it to keep my mouth from opening. It still does open some, but this controls most of it. I ordered a different one from Amazon, so maybe that one will work better. This was not a problem until the doctor increased the pressure settings on the ResMed. Before that, I didn’t have a problem because the pressure was much lower. Oh well, it’s working.

I’m working my way through the chest freezer, and it’s going great. Yesterday, I took out 2 bags of apples( from a friend’s tree) that I had cut up last fall. I put them in the crockpot, and it cooked down to a lovely applesauce. We had it with dinner. I’m not planning on canning any, just plan to eat it. I also pulled out a turkey and cooked that. Mostly, after it was cooked, I took all the meat off and froze it. In the future, I only plan on doing the Diestel turkey breast. Much easier and better quality. So that really freed up some space. I think I’ll keep the chest freezer as the refrigerator one is too small to hold much, but I want it to be less packed. I’ll go out there today and see what else I can use up. BTW, the chest freezer is out in the laundry room, which is at the back of the house. Barclay built it there, as there was no room in the house for a washer and dryer.

Thankful Thursday

Posted in Blood test, budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, Gratitude, ikea, swimming by

I’m thankful for a nice swim yesterday and that the pool was so nice too. It was a little busy when I got there, but then it emptied out some. Waiting to go just a smidge later is the key. The pool closes for lap swimming at 9:25. They are pretty strict, as the pool is used for a big water aerobics class. So even if I’m there at 8:45, I’d still get my 30 minutes in.

I’m thankful for the AC unit in the window my daughter put in last week, knowing it was going to get warm this week. I held out until about 4pm and then it was too stuffy and warm in the front room, so I turned it on for a while. Today is also a warmer day, so I’ll probably turn it on for a while.

I’m thankful for a fun trip to IKEA with my daughter. We had fun looking at kitchen stuff and couches. The couch I had planned on getting down the road wasn’t as comfortable as I thought it would be, but the upgraded Ektorp was, so I’ll probably go with that down the road. We didn’t stop for lunch, as neither of us felt like anything.

I’m thankful that my new settings on my CPAP machine are helping keep my SP02 higher at night. I’m still seeing a dip into the high 80’s, but I’m not going to stress about it. Last night it said my score sleeping was 87 -93. But I was only down for a short period, and if I’m rolling over or moving, it can give a lower reading. Overall, I think the pressure change has made a difference. I did have an awful night sleeping, though, on Monday night. Not sure what was up. My Airsense score was still high, 98, but it was not a good night, and I think I’m guessing that it was still DEX doing its thing. I’m also guessing that if I really wanted to get supplemental oxygen, I’d do the in-lab test. I think since I will see him in 6 months again, I’ll leave it as is for now and revisit the whole thing then.

Today is a home day unless we decide to go over to the pet bookstore.

Friday things

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, frugalism, swimming by

It’s been a nice week without any appointments, which is always nice. Next week is busy with the sleep doctor and Velcade, then Dex. So most of the week is gone, plus Monday is Memorial Day. In the past, B and I never planned to do anything on major holidays. Too busy, too many people.

I was able to download an app called Sleep HQ, which is for sleep apnea. I took the SD card out of the Airsense and used an adapter to plug it into my Mac. My overall scores were excellent. 100%. It doesn’t track SP02, though, which is my main concern, but you can see where, during my REM sleep, there is a drop, and that’s probably where the 02 is dropping. I can buy an 02 ring and that will track the oxygen, but it’s not cheap, so I think I’ll wait to see what he says. The graphs were interesting and showed me in .01 %, so that was good. I’m really dreading going to this appt, but will do it. I don’t really have a choice. I do have a choice in what test I’m to do and the in lab is still off the table.

Today is open, and I might go down to the pool. I have to weigh how busy I-80 will be with traffic, as it is Friday, and that I want to swim. If I go, it’s not till 7:45, so I have time to decide.

I washed the new sheets yesterday, so I’ll put them on today. The old bottom sheet, which now has too many holes, I can use for rags, but the top sheet I may be able to use for something else, maybe a curtain?

Frugal-wise, not much is going on. My new budget starts next week. I’ve done up my preliminary one, and it looks ok. Not much wriggle room, but ok. It looks like groceries for May are going to come in around $500. I think that’s too high, so next month, I’ll scale back, especially buying stuff for the freezer. I’ve done a good job of emptying the refrigerator freezer, and it’s not packed. Sticking with meal planning is helping. Tonight we might have a pizza. It depends on what we feel like. If not, I could do some BLT’s again or even grilled cheese.

Well, I’d better get a move on if I’m going to the pool.

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Friday Things

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, swimming by

A good furgal week overall.

I got gas at Costco, which was $5.65 a gallon, so it ended up at $40.( I usually fill up at half a tank).

On Monday, we took a fun day trip to Empire State Mine to walk the grounds. I wanted to use my Poppy Pass, but since it is a historical mine, they didn’t take that. So it was $5 for each of us to get in, and worth it. We stopped at Taco Tree for lunch, and that ended up $18. It wasn’t very good this time. Taco Tree is definitely a hit or miss.

Tuesday, I went down to Holiday Market here for romaine as I planned a grilled chicken Caesar salad. I also got some ham for sandwiches and sliced cheese. I spent $36, I think. I also went to the pet bookstore as I had books to donate. Then I found some books and a Poirot(DVD) set unopened. Total was $23.

I went down to the pool on Wednesday and then straight home.

Yesterday was a no spend/no drive day.

Today, I’m undecided if I’ll go to the pool. It’s only 6:30 right now, so I’ll think about it.

So, I’m pleased with the low spend week overall.

These are some pictures from the Empire Mine. This is the mansion; the mine area is in a different area. There is the shaft opening you can see, and the equipment. It’s amazing to see it and think men went down there to work. A bit of a dichotomy between the mansion life and where the miners were working.

The rose campion is in our yard.

Simple Sunday

Posted in bread, budgeting, budgets, California, cooking, decluttering, swimming by

I woke up with a headache. I think it was because I had some ice cream last evening. I rarely eat anything after dinner, so I think it threw my metabolism off. Anyway, I took some Advil, and it’s better.

I wasn’t going to walk, but then I powered through and did it. I really need to up my walking, too. Right now, I do about a mile, so I think I’ll try for 1.25 and see how that is. I haven’t decided on the gym yet, but I will soon. I went to the pool yesterday, so I got that workout in. If I’m going to Mahany gym this coming week, that’ll get my weights in.

Update: I decided not to go to the gym today and have a home reset day. 🙂

After the pool, I dropped off my Goodwill donations. That felt good as it’s been in the back of the car a while now. Besides misc stuff, I gave away 2 space heaters we weren’t using. It always feels good to declutter stuff.

We’re supposed to get rain tomorrow and Tuesday. My son was going to come up and weed-eat, but that won’t happen if it’s raining. He might just come up and work out in the barn. He’s done a good job organizing his stuff out there and getting rid of a lot too.

My starter is quite active now, and this was a kalamata garlic loaf. It came out really nice. Today, I’m going to make a cranberry-pecan one. I’ve been using my Krups slicer to slice the bread, then freezing about 6 pieces in a zip-lock bag. I plan on giving some to my son. The slicer is one of my better thrift store finds.

Sort of Frugal Friday

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, frugalism, home stuff, swimming by

That’s mostly due to the cost of having the trust redone in my name. It’s actually reasonable at $300 plus county recorder fees. It should be done late next week. I’m not sure it was all that necessary but I feel better knowing it’s done.

We had incredible thunder and lightning last night and a huge amount of rain. It’s over for now, and only a sprinkle is happening.

Update: it’s pouring down rain.!!!

I decided to go to the pool and not the gym. I really would like to up my swimming. I popped over to Winco and spent $60, but $10 was on wine. I’m not sure where my grocery total is, but I think it’s low. I just did a rough tally, and I’m at $300 with another week or so to go. Some of that was Costco and long-term food items, so that evens out the costs.

I was able to throw a few extra dollars on the cc, so that felt good. Probably by the time I catch up, the next round of annual bills will show up. sigh:( Oh well, such is life at this point.

I’ve been using the new Rubbermaid containers, and I really like them. I can see what is inside each one. I did a bunch of food prep yesterday and used them. What I haven’t been using is the Chef Preserve that I bought. It’s like a hand-held vacuum sealer. I’ll probably see if I can sell it on Marketplace. The idea is great, but the usage is not so much. That’s ok, I’m all about trying new things when it seems like it will help. It wasn’t expensive, costing about $60. still …

That’s about it on the frugal side of things. How is your frugal life going? Where do you save money?

Simple Sunday and almost the end of March!

Posted in budgeting, budgets, California, cancer, cooking, decluttering, home stuff, Myeloma, swimming by

The park was nice this morning. I was the only one. I’ve been getting there at 6:30, so it’s not dark at all, but light enough to walk without a flashlight. Sunrise is 6:51 am, so very light.

Yesterday was a busy day. My daughter took down the shelf in the closet( our only closet) and repositioned it, and raised up my clothes bar.

It’s much more accessible now, and there’s plenty of room under my clothes for some banker’s boxes. The other side still needs some reorganizing. I keep my canning jars there, Christmas stuff, and 4 baskets that hold my clothes( undies, socks, workout pants. I’d like to get all the Ball jars together and put them on my Ikea shelves, which serve as my pantry, but I’d have to rearrange to make that happen.

I’ll spend some time today organizing that. I’m planning on giving away another case of quart ball jars. I might get out the paint( Benjamin Moore Simple White) and touch up the walls.

I also took down one of the velvet curtains and put up the summery ones. I had to iron them first and only got one pair done, so today I’ll iron the other one.

I made up a cabbage salad from Ella Mills new cookbook. We didn’t have it last night, but we will tonight. She’s a vegan but her recipes are quite good and I got some good ideas from it.

I’ll take some after photos if I remember.

I plan on going to the Auburn gym this morning and then dropping off a load at Goodwill. These days, I don’t have huge amounts, as most of my decluttering is done. But there’s always something.

This coming week is my Velcade and, of course, back on Dex. I guess we’ll see if it drops my kappa number, and then we’ll know that dex is important in my treatment plan. I’ll just have to relax with the dex and not go anywhere. 🙁

I think I’ll try to at least get a swim in. After Velcade, I could go to the gym to do weights, but I’ll wait and see how I feel. Other than that, it’s a normal week.