A False Start ....

The rig was packed and I was ready this morning to head to Sacramento ... until I noticed that pain in my side hadn't gone away.  In fact, it had kept me awake most of the night.  GRRRRR ....

I figured a quick trip back to the Urgent Care would result in a fast "okay" to go, but it was not to be. The nagging ache in the kidney area actually resulted in a more thorough exam than I've had in 25 years.  Exciting, right??  

Wrong ... after six hours of EKG and sonograms, draining me of three vials of blood for tests and a couple more thrown in for good measure, the final result was .... wait for it ........................ we can't find anything wrong and don't know why your back hurts where your kidneys are.

Okay then ..... I'll be leaving TOMORROW morning, slightly behind schedule!!  I was hoping for something more dramatic so I would have fodder for the blog, but I guess I'm pretty happy they didn't find anything!!

Here's hoping tomorrow morning goes a little better!!!

I Think I'm Going To Live ..... Maybe!!

Not sure I'm out of the woods yet, but this morning I feel like I might just survive to RV another day.  Yesterday, day six, was the worst ever!!  I wonder if I suffer more due my age or if the cold/flu bug is more virulent than ever??  I sneezed at least twice every ten minutes the entire day, giving me a nice black eye and pulled muscles in my back.  I thought I was in pretty good shape physically, but this stuff is kicking my butt!!

Thanks so much to my readers who gave me suggestions this last week ... I very much appreciate your input, and am taking every idea to heart!  I'm getting a bottle of original Listerine to gargle with at the first sign of a sore throat, and picking up a Z-Pack next time I'm near the border!!

I'm pretty sure I sneezed all my brains out, because I couldn't think clear enough to heat up another awful tasting NutriSystem meal.  Instead in a rash moment of insanity, I made macaroni and cheese!!   I divided it up into 6 little containers, 3 of which I have already eaten!!  Not that I could taste anything ... but at least I didn't feel quite so deprived!!  I hope those brain cells grow back because this could mean the death of my diet!!

Two more days on the couch and I should be good to go to the Quilt show in Sacramento.  I only need to wash the windshield on the rig, throw in some food and fill the water tank.  Oh ... and check the tire pressures, wash the jeep, check the jeep tires, get fuel, check the batteries, gather my camera gear and some clothes, check the dog food situation ....... I guess it's a pretty long list.  I better get busy!!

Reason #67

On my long list of reasons to move out of California, #67 has to do with Health Care.  Basically, there is none where I live.  This town has 88,000 people and is so short of Doctors, it's a crying shame.  Who can blame them for not wanting to live in the armpit of California?  Certainly not me ... but that results in lots of problems for those that DO live here and need even minimal health care.

I woke up to gorgeous skies yesterday morning, but my throat was so sore I barely noticed.  I'm not talking your normal sore throat ... it felt like I swallowed one of those beautiful cactus plants I came home with, and it burned like I ate a ghost chili pepper WHOLE!!  Nothing helped, not even the tablespoon of ice cream I tried to swallow!!

Almost in tears, I called my primary Doctor.  "We can get you in to see the Doctor in two months.  Maybe you should go to the ER".  Really??  I should go to the Hospital Emergency Room for my sore throat / flu or whatever it is?  In this town, that's like a death penalty ... those that enter, never return.  No thank you!!

I headed to the local Urgent Care Facility instead, arriving at 8:25 am.  The waiting room was packed to the brim, with people sitting on the floor.  The receptionist was very nice, and apologetically stated that the wait was two hours.  The screaming kids in the corner helped me make the decision to pass.  I asked if there were any other Urgent Care Facilities in the area, whereupon she gave me directions to the only other one in town.

I arrived at the second facility at 8:35 and was thrilled to see only two people in the waiting room.  YES!!  Finally health care in hopefully, less than 30 minutes.  Alas, I was sadly mistaken!!  After filling out 6 pages of medical history and providing three forms of I.D., I took a seat and waited.

And waited ...

And waited some more while the two before me were called in, along with three more that entered AFTER me.  I'm sick ... I'm grumpy ... but you would be proud, I held my tongue!!  Finally .... over TWO HOURS LATER, I was called in.  Once stuck in a room, I had another long wait while I listened to the staff laugh and have a great time in the hallway.  I also heard the Doctor apologize to the nurse because he went to the wrong room when he SHOULD have been seeing ME!!

More waiting ... then the nurse came in and said "Okay Nancy, you're all set" ... and opens the door for me to leave.  WAIT!!!  I haven't even seen the Doctor yet!!!  Oh she says, and closes the door.  Another fifteen minutes and the Doctor finally came in, gave me the once over and in less than three minutes was gone like a flash!!

Almost exactly THREE hours after I entered the building, I had my antibiotic prescription in hand.  I'm thinking I probably could have gotten in and out of the other facility faster.  Lets face it ... there's just NO good health care here.  Those doctors that DO exist aren't taking any new patients, so people have no choice but to go to the Emergency Room, where I hear the wait is between 5 and 7 hours.

Reason #67 alone is enough to make me want to leave this area.  Thank goodness I'm usually healthy because if I really had something bad, I think I would be out of luck!!  Sniff, cough, cough  ........ (big sigh) ......... SNEEZE!!!

Week At A Glance .....

Day 1   Tuesday   Scratchy throat (probably from Bingo players the week before).

Day 2   Wednesday   Sore throat, heavy feeling in chest.  Didn't sleep much.  Spent the morning on the couch.  It's hard not to eat when you sit and watch TV all day.  Diet suffering!

Day 3   Thursday   SORE throat ... heavier feeling in chest ...  NO VOICE!!!  This is going nowhere fast!!  Nightmares about being on a bus trip with Bingo People!!!  Will probably have to cancel weekend plans to attend Back Country Horsemen Trail Riding Festival in Angels Camp.  RATS!!!

Day 4   Friday  .............. to be continued!!

WHAT??? Not Again!!

UGH ... I woke up with a bad sore throat and that (not normal) heavy feeling in my chest!!  Surely I can't be sick AGAIN???  I think it's going to be a couch day!!

I know where it came from ... those Bingo people will drag themselves to play, come hell or high water!!  I try my best to turn away when I hear coughing, as they actually stand in line and brag about how sick they are.  No matter how many times I wash my hands during the night, it doesn't clean the bugs out of the air.

Isn't this pretty??  They are the dobbers we sell to mark the Bingo cards, most of which we sold last night!!  I'm telling you, Bingo is SERIOUS business!!!  

My co-hort Ann ran the cash register this time as I counted the packs.  You have to be on your toes as 152 people come through the line, many trying to get a couple extra cards free!  They have something called Hot Ball, which everyone pays a dollar for, getting a stamp on their hand.  Then they pick a "winning" number.  The first person to win a Bingo with that number, wins the Hot Ball pot.  Last night it was over $1,000, which is why so many people showed up ... and no one won.  It rolls over to next week, which means we will be blasted again ... that is if I recover enough to cashier by then!!

The other interesting news is that due to the water shortage, our local Irrigation District is out of water.  For years, they've been selling it elsewhere and charging the local farmers a ton for what little is left.  With the drought the last few years, they finally stopped selling it "out of town", mostly because they have none to sell.  The notice went out to farmers that no water will be available this year.  With THAT little nugget of information, you can expect very little, if any, fruits and vegetables from central California.  I imagine the Mexican markets will be thriving!!

To make it even worse ... no new wells will be allowed in the Valley.  With the water shortage, people have been drilling irrigation wells on their property and completely draining the water tables.  Guess who the biggest culprit is!!!  OUR Irrigation District!!  They put in lots of wells and have been draining the water table for years, selling what is essentially free water to the farmers.  There are TWO of these wells on our ranch property, where our water table used to be at 3-5 feet ... now it's below 100.  The Irrigation District's newest solution is to not allow any well permits (you can't drill without a permit).  California's water problems are getting worse and worse!!

Not that it helps, but I woke up to the nice sound of rain on my roof this morning.  It's going to be a long dry summer, with eggs at $5 a dozen and vegetables non-existent.  I hear Arizona calling my name again ........

Put Your Sunglasses On!!!

It's going to be another gorgeous sunny day in California, in spite of how much we all want it to rain. I watched this sunrise on my front porch this morning.  With all the palm trees, it makes me think I'm in Hawaii!!  I can always tell when it's picture time ... the colors come through my white plantation shutters, giving the walls a nice pink glow!!  That's when I grab my camera and head outside to watch the show!!

Put on your sunglasses to look at this image!!  Like an eclipse, this will blind you if you look at it too long!!  I finally installed my "quilt design" wall.  One package of batting, a hammer and some nails and voila!!!  I'm sure there's chemistry behind it ... all I know is that when you place the quilt squares on the batting, they stick!!  Then you can stand back and decide how you want them to look before stitching them together.  Yes, there are special devices to hold the batting on the wall, but for an old cowgirl, a hammer and nails always work!!

I had to take a couple hours off and actually do some work for a change.  I do accounting for a local Realty Broker, who just switched to a newer software version.  I thought it would take no time at all to set it up and update the first three months records.  NOT!!!  It took 30 minutes just for the newer version to decide it LIKED the old records enough to upload them ... on EACH account, of which there are many!!!  I really earned my pay yesterday!!

Another day of NutriSystem is down the hatch.  Honestly, I don't think I can last a month on this awful tummy-grumbling junk they call food.  How can they advertise on TV about how "Good it Tastes"??  I'm seriously thinking I might throw the dinners away and substitute something a little more nutritious and less chemically treated.  Yesterday I ate a piece of chicken breast that had not been refrigerated or frozen for who knows how long.  THAT's scary!!!  I can deal with "add water and microwave", but those other gooey gluey concoctions are pretty hard to stomach!!

In the afternoon, I sewed the orange quilt together and started placing these small squares on the wall.  Once I'm through messing with them, these will be sewn together, as another one bites the dust!!  You can tell I'm pretty bored by the number of quilts I'm putting out!!! 

I now have a huge stack of "stuff" to go back in the rig, as I get ready for a short trip next weekend.   It's time to reorganize the belly of the beast, redistribute the canned goods and reorganize the big kitchen cabinets.  They are so tall, I really need to figure out a way to add a shelf mid level, which will double my storage space.  Maybe another trip to Home Depot will spark my thinking cap to come up with an idea.  In the meantime,  I'll be spending another exciting, fun-filled, take-your-life-in-your-hands time at Elks Bingo tonight.  

I'm Not The Only One and DIETING!!

Google apparently doesn't like the time change either!!  It has taken me over an hour to get online!!  I was up at 6:00 ... really it was 5:00, but who's counting!!  Nothing would load, no matter how many times I hit that button ... which was a lot, because you KNOW if you hit it one more time, IT WILL WORK!!!   Maybe it's all those Escapees down at Escapade in Tucson that are using up the bandwidth!!  Good for them ... it means they're having a GREAT time!!

In the meantime, here in Central California, I'm passing the time cruising the internet and Facebook.  You never know what you might find ... like this cutesy cake.  Make his ears white and he'll look like my Cooper!!  I may just have to try this one ... I know ... but I'm desperate for things to keep me busy!!

To point out the fact that I'm desperate ... I'm doing a test trial on NutriSystem, looking for a little weight loss, 25 pounds to be exact.  So much for the above cake!!  After five days, I can safely say I've lost 3 pounds, mostly because the food is horrible!!  I suppose if you paid for the premium version with frozen food (like Marie Osmond), it might be better, but I chose the $249 a month pick-your-own-food plan.  It all comes in one big box that does NOT need refrigeration.  That should have been a BIG red flag!!  Actually the breakfasts have been edible and lunch (mostly add water and microwave soups, etc.) I can choke down with no problem.  

Here's what I've learned so far.  I eat entirely TOO MUCH!  Here is a "breakfast" .. check out the size of the muffin.  Those Costco muffins?  Those are FOUR servings!!  You do get to add to this, either a shake or yogurt.  A shake made with Almond Milk, 1/3 banana and a couple of strawberries goes a long way to keeping you satisfied.  At 10:00 I eat a piece of string cheese and for lunch, a minimum of two cups of vegetables along with the soup/entree cup.  Not bad .. I'm not hungry at all.  I AM about to float away from all the water I'm drinking however!!

At 3:00, another NutriSystem chocolate shake ... I just put lots of ice in it and slurp it down so as not to taste it too much!!  Then comes the disgusting part ... dinner.  Another two cups of salad or vegetables followed by their entree, a gummy, nasty glue-like substance that tastes like Elmers Paste.  You can't tell the difference between the pasta and the sauce.  It's so bad, I've never finished one in five days.  According to the calorie count, I'm sure Lean-Cuisine would be a suitable replacement.  After about an hour of gurgling grumbling stomach, I get to have a dessert.  I picked mostly cookies, which was a good thing.  There are lots of nice tasting crunchy pieces to satisfy my sweet tooth, at probably the same calorie count as Famous Amos cookies.

I promised myself I would stay on the diet for at least one month, since it's cheaper than my normal food bill ... that is if I can continue to stomach the food.  The good news is that I have learned how much to eat and WHAT to eat, so hopefully when this torture is over, I can continue the program on my own.  By the way, there is NO ice cream on the menu, but yesterday I had to include it just once.  The chicken chili was so Jalapeño HOT, it burned all the way down and for another 20 minutes in my stomach.  My nurse friend Patty said to eat some ice cream to put out the fire ... a couple tablespoons worked just fine.  

I'll let you know how it goes ... keep your fingers crossed I can stay the course!!!

Another Time Change .....

Another reason to move to Arizona!!!  They don't have this silly time change that makes everyone feel like they've got a huge hangover for several days, trying to adjust.  Funny, it doesn't seem to matter which way the time goes, I always feel drug out and tired!!!  Honestly, I don't even know WHAT time it is.  Hopefully my phone will automatically catch up and let me know later today!!

For anyone that's at the Escapees Escapade in Tucson Arizona at the Pima County Fairgrounds, run on over to the Gypsy Journal Booth as fast as you can and pick up Miss Terry's Cookbook.  She has the best EVER, easy to make pizza recipe, not to mention all the other goodies in her book.  Terry will even sign it for you if you act fast!  You know how RV's are, there's never enough room to store everything, so they are limited on the number of books available!!  By the way, I stole this image from Nick's blog site ... just so you know!!  They also have Nick's Big Lake books available.  Every one just gets better and better with more twists and turns than the highway to Yosemite!!  Once you start reading, you won't be able to put it down!!

I started two more quilt projects yesterday, hoping to find one I could finish.  It wasn't to be!!  Every time I finished reading all the instructions and cut out half the material, I realized I didn't have ENOUGH material to complete the project.  I now have four stacks on my kitchen counter, ready to take to the Quilt store so I can pick up the necessary border pieces to complete them.  It's a hard lesson I've learned ... buy EVERYTHING you need for that quilt while you are at the store, instead of thinking "I'll get that piece later"!!  It nags at my brain knowing that I can't finish even one for lack of "parts"!!!

In an effort not to stay home-bound for too long, I found a huge quilt show in Sacramento to attend this month.  I made reservations at one of the local RV parks and will meet up with a girlfriend from Dixon.  Since Old Sacramento and the Railroad Museum aren't far away, I'll probably revisit those also!!

My back door is now a disaster area with all the bags of trash ready to go out.  I'd show you a picture, but it's pretty disgusting!!  Just to be sure I didn't miss Monday morning pickup again, I hauled the bin to the roadside THIS morning.  With the time change, who knows when they will drive by and empty it, at which time I will fill it back up to the brim!!!  As most of you know, it takes some time to adjust to a new "home" schedule .... which happens just about the time we leave on another trip!!!

Have fun at the Escapade everyone!!!!

Finally ... Something To Hold On To!!

No, it's not a MAN (big sigh) ...  It's drawer pulls!!    A year ago while in Quartzsite, I had some work done on my rig.  There was absolutely no use for TWO couches, even though both could be made into beds.  One was barely big enough for an 8-year old, so I had it removed and replaced with cabinets.  Davis Cabinets out of Oregon did an amazing job, matching even the countertops perfectly.  The problem however, was they did not have the hardware in stock.  I've been using these lovely wire pulls for hardware ever since!!  Terribly upscale, don't you think??

Somewhere along the line the ball got dropped, even though I called several times.  By the time they said the drawer pulls were available, I was leaving again on an extended trip, so I asked they hold off on shipment since I was sure they wouldn't stay on my front porch for long.  That was a mistake on my part, because I never heard from anyone again.  THIS year while in Quartzsite I accosted them in the Big Tent and got immediate action ... but no drawer pulls, since by now they were again out of stock.  Finally a small box was delivered yesterday, and my drawer pulls are here!!!  Aren't they pretty???

I was so excited to get them installed, I grabbed a screwdriver and made a beeline for the rig.  The wind went out of my sails pretty quickly when I discovered all the included screws were a half inch too short!!  The only ONE I could install was this lonely door pull.  Today I'll run to Home Depot and find some longer screws!!

I also received EIGHT cans of my coffee in the mail!!!  It's a good thing, because I was almost out, and after last night's Next Door Neighbor Party, I need a couple cups.  Their garage faces my bedroom like a bullhorn, amplifying every conversation above the loud music.  I've no idea what was going on ... I thought it was beer pong, but the same guy kept throwing the ball over and over.  How do I know that??  Because I was up at midnight trying to decide whether to call the cops!!  

Trying to be a nice neighbor, I slept on the couch ... sort of.  It's not easy with two dogs growling at each other because of the lack of space.  At least with a quilt over my head it was a little quieter.  When the tire screeching began outside my front door, I jumped up with a vengeance!!  I have to give the neighbor kid credit ... he immediately ran out and told them to knock it off, in no uncertain terms!!  The problem is, I think all the ADULTS were gone ...  evidenced by the number of beer cups spread all over the neighborhood this morning!!  I'm trying to be a good neighbor, but think I'll have a talk with DAD!!  This seems to be happening on a regular weekend basis and it's interesting to note they are NOT allowed inside the house ... only the garage.

The puppy Doctor visit went good yesterday ... although stressed to the limit, both got glowing reports from my favorite Doc.  He says I'm doing something right, since again they both weigh less than a pound different from last year!!  With all their shots up to date, we're good to go for another year!!  Too bad I can't find a doctor for me as good as my Vet!!

I'm off to Home Depot ... soon as I have another cup of coffee!!

Up Early ..... Yawn!!

No, this isn't the stack of garbage outside my back door, the result of forgetting to put the bin out to the curb.  THIS is a stack of clothes I haven't worn in probably 4 years.  They say if you haven't put it on in TWO years, it's time to get rid of it.  Since I'm always on a cleaning mission when I'm home, I decided the closets would be this week's target.  The good news is that I always get a receipt so it can be deducted from my taxes!!

I was up extra early this morning ... 5 am!!  For a retired person, that's like 0-Dark-Thirty!!  Finally, after four days of waiting, the clean-up contractor returned my call.  I'm hoping his bid isn't too high, since there's no one else around here to do the job!!  There is a huge eucalyptus grove of trees at the ranch that rains down tons of debris, including limbs big and small.  They call these trees widow-makers ... in the summer when it's hot, all the sap goes to the top of the tree to keep it cool and alive.  That makes them so top heavy, they will lose big limbs and even the entire tree when you least expect it!!  If we're going to get this place sold, we need to do a major cleanup job!!

Then it's (shhhh .. don't say it out loud) VET day for the puppies.  They both need Parvo shots, kennel cough meds and heart worm tests, not to mention the heart worm medicine.  Yoweeee this is going to be an expensive trip!!  It is of course their least favorite place in the world to go!!

I think a nap will be in order when we get home, since tonight is a major charity event that the Elks participates in every year.  It's called LOVE INC, Love In The Name Of Christ.  They are probably the biggest association of churches in this area, all working to help those in need with blankets, beds, food, even education so they can find employment.  One of the first things they teach is creating a budget and how to handle a bank account so they don't get themselves into this fix again.  It's amazing how many people don't even know what a budget is!!!  At any rate, it's a good cause that I like to participate in.  The church ladies make cakes and goodies for the dessert auction and many great items are donated to the silent auction ... like two weeks at a condo in Monterey, tri-tip dinners cooked at your house for 50 people ... on top of which, it's a fun time!!

I'm off to meet the contractor ... ugh ... at 7:00 when I'm usually enjoying my coffee and snuggling with the puppies!!  Tomorrow I'll have to give Cooper and Jessie EXTRA snuggle time!!

A Crazy Night Of Bingo!!

But FIRST ... I nice reader sent a message that my coffee was still at Amazon.com.  I checked that out before, but the prices were crazy, from $9.00 a can up to $18.00.  That's a little too pricey, even if I do love the stuff.  He found four cans for $4.60 each, and I got free shipping.  It would only let me buy four, but that's okay.  I'll do the same again tomorrow!!!  YAY ... another month of coffee!!

Since it was the first Bingo of the month last night, we were bombarded with people who had just gotten their retirement/welfare/subsidy checks, along with their paychecks!!  That makes it pretty crazy at the cash register.  For a solid two hours we checked people in and sold Bingo cards.  With over 150 people, they were sitting on the floors waiting for the action to begin.

The average player buys $50 worth of games with a chance to win $250 for each one, 22 games in all.  We only use the best callers with a crowd like this because they can get REALLY rowdy if you make a mistake!!  Believe me, there's nothing like an angry Bingo player!!!

I work Bingo with a very nice gentleman who sits and talks to me late in the games.  He wants to get an RV and hit the road.  Says all his best memories are of traveling with the family in a travel trailer.  I have to admit some of my fondest memories were of us all piling into the car with an old Army canvas tent in the trunk.  We would drive up to Yosemite, find a wide spot in the valley next to the river and set up camp.  It was always fun to touch the tent roof in the rain.  Everywhere you touched your finger, water would start to drip down over "someone's" bed.  That was when I sliced my finger open with my new pocket knife while fishing.  Okay, maybe ALL the memories aren't so good!!

Anyway, we talked about different types of RV's.  His wife doesn't even want to camp out in their mansion up at Bass Lake, so I doubt the idea is going to fly.  Apparently when he brought the subject up, she said "You don't have a place to park it!!"  So he promptly called a contractor to build him a 50 x 100 foot building.  DARN!!!  All the good ones are married!!!

I have lots of appointments the rest of the week, from haircut to dentist to lunches and one big charity dinner on Friday.  I'll have to break out my checkbook for that one.  On one side is the dessert auction, on the other is donated items ... always really nice things, like a week in a condo on the coast.  The Elks buy tickets for a couple of tables, along with a dessert or two.  There's nothing like eating a piece of $200 chocolate cake!!

I'm on a cleaning/donating binge ... trying to get rid of all the junk in case I decide to move ... and I hear things calling my name.  Time to clean out some more trash, hopefully someone ELSE'S treasures!!

Disaster Strikes!!!

Did you ever find a product that you absolutely loved and couldn't live without??  My achilles heel is Maxwell House International Cafe - Orange.  I've been drinking this wonderful stuff since 1984.    Regular coffee doesn't set well with me AT ALL, so when an old boyfriend introduced me to this wonderful elixir, I was hooked!!  

I used to buy it by the case at Save Mart for $4.00 a can.  Then I found it at Target one day for a measly $3.00.  Low and behold while cruising the internet, I found it at Walmart Online for $2.89 with free shipping.  Then it happened!!!  DISASTER!!  I heard a nasty rumor that it was going to be discontinued.  NOOOOOOOO!!  Even so, I was still able to find it here and there until yesterday.  My coffee of choice for over 31 years is gone.  How could this be??  I alone must be keeping the market going, although I admit I only have one cup a day.  I even reduced my consumption to half a cup in order for my hoarded stash to last a little longer.  I have SIX cans left.

When the final cup goes down my throat, I'm going to cry!!  Oh I've tried the other versions that they are still producing, but they are WAY too sweet.  This is the only one that tastes something like regular coffee.  I wish there was some way to keep it going or reproduce it myself ... like copycat recipes ... but alas (big sigh) I'm destined to drink hot water for breakfast!!

In other news, being home is so different from RV'ing.  I forgot to put the overflowing garbage can out to the curb for pickup, so bags are now stacking up at my back door.  I finished this quilt top, admitting that I didn't do a very good job of it.  There are 12 blocks of heavy, thick chenille that were a big pain in the patootie ... making sewing a disaster, which took the fun right out of it!!

I'm NOT cooking today ... I can't take another disaster, so I'm going to sit in the sun and read Nick Russell's book "Big Lake Burning".  He's half way through his next big thriller, and I have to keep up!!  They are wonderful mystery books you can download from Amazon.com.

Oh ... and it's still DISASTER for Central California ... that rain yesterday at my house lasted for about 30 minutes.  The sun came out washing away all chances of rain in the next two weeks!!  They did get some snow in the Sierras, but nowhere near enough.  Maybe people will finally started conserving a little, like I did with my coffee, to make it last a little longer!!