Memorial day weekend

 No plans for us this holiday weekend, to speak of.  Just one possibility for tomorrow.

My pain issues have been getting better after 2 weeks off of the hormone blocker.  

Yesterday, I was completely pain free for most of the day.  That was the first day of no pain since something like February, so that's encouraging. 

Today, I am also doing really well.

I got my labs drawn Friday, and will see my doc on Tuesday, and I guess we will discuss which one to switch to until it gets unbearable.  I will also ask for a referral to a pain management doctor, for future reference.

I hate this.

Anyway, so far, it's been mostly quiet next door, except for the middle of the night on Thursday, when Teacher must have been having an end of school year party or something.  Of course, they had to all stand around in the driveway talking and slamming car doors.

There was a lot of coming and going yesterday, with more loud voices in the driveway, but all during daylight hours.  The dogs were out wandering the neighborhood when no one was home.

It was quiet last night, because no one was there, and there has only been one visit today by the Teacher, probably to let the dogs out to pee.  Those poor dogs.  In the house all day with no one around, day after day.

I completed two weeks of working extra hours, and will get those overtime hours on the next check, which is also supposed to have our raises.

We were promised individual emails from h/r with the description of our salary adjustments, but none have come yet. We will probably get the pay checks before we get the emails, and then we can determine for ourselves what the percentage of the increase is.

We did errands and chores yesterday.  I got out and mowed the back yard this morning, because it's really hot, and then co - facilitated an international zoom with my spiritual community.

Then, lunch, and a nap.  Staying in this afternoon because I have a heat head ache. 

Dave is cleaning up in the kitchen, and then will head out to continue to cut the overgrowth from the north east corner of the house.  

Tomorrow, we hope to go to the Paseo Arts Festival.  It's supposed to be a little cooler and less windy tomorrow, which will help, and if my pain level is manageable, too, it will be REALLY nice.

We've got our annual package of Ball Park hot dogs ready for tomorrow.  

Whatever you do, enjoy your weekend and holiday. 

Witnessing

It's been very cool this weekend.  A nice change, but sort of a shock to the system as well!

Saturday, we went to my company open house and got a free lunch.  I took Dave around to see the new buildings.  We had hoped there would be an ambulance on display, where someone might explain what stuff was for family members, and even staff who were interested.

We had hoped there would be a tour of the facility...but nope.  It was still good to go, though.

Then, Dave did the front yard mowing, and I did some laundry.  

I had a lot of pain yesterday, though (possibly made worse by the drastic weather change), so mostly, I sat on the couch, watching the Cubs, in the afternoon.

Feeling better this morning, and have plans to get the back yard mowed, and Dave has some stuff he's been putting off that he wants to get done as well.

There's also the smell of another dead animal in the back yard, that we need to get sorted out.  Yuck. We REALLY hope it's not our beloved Silver, who we have not seen for weeks.

We attributed her disappearance to the mean cat who the noisy new neighbors leave outside....but..... they also have two big dogs that they let roam. Anything could have happened to our Silver.

Someone also took two of my little solar path lights and stomped on them and left them on the ground.  I think I know who!

Anyway, this afternoon, we are meeting our friends from Switzerland for lunch.  

It is supposed to be a bit warmer today, but still not even up to 70, and then it's supposed to rain much of the week.  We really need this stuff to get done today.

I was able to work some overtime last week, and will do so again this week.  

We also got great news that the salary review process is finally complete, and our department will be the first to see adjustments.  Some people will get substantial raises!  I am trying not to get my hopes up too high, but I do suspect that my raise will be more than 3%, given what the bosses said about the review process in the meeting last week.

I will bid you all a good week here, because I am having some issues with Blogger this morning.  

At the end of this post, there is something that happened on Friday that was very frightening.  I can't get Blogger to let me type anything below the pasted content that I brought over from my face book page, though, so I will say it here.

After I got home, it hit me that I was very, very fortunate.  Not only did I not witness a murder, or a horrific beating, or anything other than screaming, but I also got home safely, without being chased down, and assaulted, or worse, for them to get my phone.

Once that all hit me, I had a bit of a melt down, and was really tired the rest of the day. 

This kind of an event has been unheard of in our peaceful, quiet, diverse neighborhood.  Hate and racism is becoming more and more openly rampant in the wake of Tronald Dump's occupation of the White House.  It's terrifying. 

SO... here is the story:

Dave took Friday off, and he was home, but busy, when I went out for my morning break walk.

I was having some pain, but thought a walk would do me good.  

Below is a cross post from my face book page:

I was walking down Miller toward 10th,  there was a brown person in the block ahead of me, equal to about 2 blocks away, walking my way.  I couldn't tell how brown he was, Mexican, or African...but he was definitely brown skinned.

A northbound red pick up truck comes to the southbound side of the esplanade, still facing north, and pulls up to brown person. 

Someone is yelling.

I was already crossing to the esplanade, to go to the other side of the street, because I was having pain, and was cutting my walk short.

Then, a silver SUV comes from the northbound lane, turning into the southbound lane (pointing the right way-southbound) and stops, nose to nose with the pickup.

I think another brown person got out of the SUV... but I didn't really look at him until I was turning to get my ass out of there.... When he got out of the SUV, I was distracted at that point, because I was scared, and trying to find cover.  

I mean, there could have been guns involved, and the yelling was getting louder.

Old shirtless white guy, and a younger white guy, exit red pick up and continue yelling at brown guy (who had been walking).

I watched from cover, and thought I was getting cell phone video, but it didn't work.

No violence - just screaming and swearing.  Old white guy was gesturing wildly.

Old white guy appeared to spot me, and screamed “get the fuck out of here!”

Could have been saying that to brown guy, though.  I was pretty sure they had not noticed me, but then I started to doubt that.

Thinking I'd possibly been spotted, but not 100% sure, I lowered my phone and came home, keeping out of sight as best I could, by walking close to houses (keeping trees and shrubs between me and them), until I turned the corner.

This incident was in the block between 13th and 14th streets.

The truck and SUV had to go southbound to get out of that block, IF they cared about going the right direction, but no one came around looking for me, and I think  the walking brown guy either went to someone's door, or even to his own home, because I kept checking behind me, and didn't see that he was continuing north, as I headed back east on my street.

Silver SUV driver may have been there to de-escalate.  He may have given the walking guy a ride....I missed what happened after I thought old white guy screamed at me.....and, I was really more focused on the white guys, and what they might do to the man who was walking.

Sunrise sauntering

 We got up early, had our coffee, and went to Bluff Creek Park for a walk in the woods.

It was lovely, but started to get too hot by the time we were leaving.  I needed it, none the less.  It had been weeks since I was out in nature of any kind, and that was when we were in Kentucky.

Saw lots of deer tracks, but no deer. I was hoping for a moment of connection with one.

Tomorrow looks to be the most reasonable day all week, with a high of only 80.  The whole rest of the coming week will be awful, like it has been.

Just way too hot way too soon.

Anyway, Dave made breakfast when we got back from our walk. Used left over sweet potatoes, browned in a skillet, as a base for fried eggs.  It was delicious and filling.

It was my idea, but his work.  He's really enjoying cooking breakfasts these days!

My back and hip pain has gotten so bad lately that I got permission to take another break from the hormone blocker.  I've been taking Aleve every 12 hours, and that's REALLY been helping.

I went to dance class last week, but was afraid to really move because the pain was too much.  It was very frustrating.  That was what led me to ask doc if I could take another break.

Should be better this week.

Things next door have been quiet for a full week!  Oh, except for one screaming fight in the middle of Wednesday night again.  This time, it was Teacher and Party Girl... no one else was there.

Anyway, I guess someone got the message across.  Party Girl hasn't been here much, but when she has been, she's either been alone (no 5 carloads of friends anymore), or Teacher has been here, which always meant a quiet night before.

Party Girl was there overnight, alone, last night.  There was nary a sound!!

SO I am very relieved that chapter is closed.  It was very stressful for us all, human and cat.

Yesterday, I hosted and led an international zoom meeting of my spiritual community.  Our usual leader/mentor was traveling the week before, and asked me to do this season's gathering.

It was truly an honor, and it went very well.  I am very proud of this accomplishment!

Also, it was good experience, if I ever manage to get any kind of a business going again with my spiritual work.

My dentist visit was just fine.  The cleaning went easily, and there were no issues that required treatment of any kind.

Not much else to say at the moment.  Dave hopes to get a few things done outside today, before it gets into the  90s.  I am going to go through my closet and put more cool weather stuff away.

Hoping to do some deep relaxation yoga while my pain is at a minimum, to try to regain some of my flexibility and ease of movement while I can.

I also have a meditation to do later for the full moon. Looking forward to it.

It should be a pretty easy day today, then back to the office tomorrow.

Have a good week!

Spring is over

 I hate Oklahoma weather.  Have I mentioned that before?

We had a very cold, damp "spring" that was mostly like late winter here.  There were even nights with frost, or threatening frost, as recently as last week.

Today, it will be 96.  All this coming week will be in the 90s.

We had very few lovely days, and now it's over until September, most likely.

Yuck.

But you never know.... last May was wet and cold, and so was July.... nothing is "normal" anymore.

Dave FINALLY got the front yard cleaned up yesterday, after over 2 months of it being a terrible mess from having the bamboo cut down, and a winter's worth of willow fronds, and leaves from neighboring trees.

He finished raking it up, and gave it a mow.  Today, he will cut the dead photinia branches off, take out some unwanted mulberry trees, and and cut the dead crepe myrtle branches as well.  

The photinia and crepe myrtle both succumbed to the arctic cold in February of 2021.

This past week brought more adventures with our troublesome neighbors renting the house next door.

This crap has been going on since late night on Easter Sunday.

On Wednesday night/ Thursday morning, there were 5 cars that all arrived at just after 2 am. Lots of coming and going, with slamming doors, and talking loudly in the driveway...and then, at 3, the one we call Party Girl, who actually lives there,  was out in the driveway having a screaming fight with one of her "guests."

All of this shit happens when the woman whose name is on the lease is not home...and she is not home a lot, lately.  Every weekend, and some weeknights.  She must have a new love, or else she can't stand her room mate!   (We call her Teacher, because the one time I met her outside, she introduced herself as being a school teacher... odd)

 I reported this late night insanity to the friends who moved away last fall, and rented the house out. This is how I know that the one woman is the one on the lease, and that the trouble maker is her room mate. 

I feel really bad about bothering the owners with this, but this is some HOT bullshit...and it can't be allowed to continue.

Everyone in the neighborhood probably heard that screaming match.  I was so upset by it, that I only got about 2 hours' sleep that night.

Anyway, the local property manager has been contacted, and this weekend has been blissfully quiet.  Party girl has not been here at night, so she must be taking her party somewhere else.

In other news, I will go back to my full day in the office tomorrow.  

I DID go last Tuesday to pick up/ drop off work, but between my oncology appointment, and torrential rains and flooding, last Monday did not happen.

This coming week, I have my bi-annual dental cleaning, and have my antibiotics on hand for that.  I never had to do that before, but now it's necessary.

My lower back and hip pain has shifted to something new, in the same area.  I am so weary of this.... Hoping that it lets up soon.  It's been going on since March.

I want to go back to dance class this week, damn it!

Okay, Dave wants to go out for breakfast, so I need to be getting ready.

Have a good week. Oh, and if you celebrate mother's day, may you enjoy it!

Aaaaand we're back....

 Our whirlwind trip to Kentucky was great!

We spent 4 days driving, and 2 days there, but it was so much fun, and such a joy to be with loved ones on my big day.

Our Air BnB was really nice, and suited us perfectly.  Even though we could see the highway from the deck, it was almost dead silent at night.

We did manage to get into a distillery tour, and it was free, so that was a bonus! It was so interesting!!  I want to go back and do another tour some day.  Maybe one that goes into the still rooms, too! 

The bourbon history boat tour was also really cool, but it was cold and windy on the water, which made it a little bit physically uncomfortable.

During our stay, we also visited the capitol building, saw the grave of Daniel and Rebecca Boone, explored a civil war site that is all taken over by nature (so I got my time in the woods on my birthday), drank some local craft beer, and a very fine cocktail or two.

My birthday dinner was fresh (literally, direct from the farm) steaks, potatoes, salad, wine, and Mags got a gorgeous cake at a local bakery.

Brought home some bourbon, of course- one gifted, one purchased- and a few lovely gifts.

There were some terrifying moments on the highway, with semi trucks being driven erratically... it was much worse on this trip than it's ever been, and we quite nearly died on the first leg of the trip back.  I am not exaggerating, though people will think that I am.

I have a fine crop of cold sores this morning from the stressful travel.

Our hotels at either end were quiet, though, and we did get to rest at the half way point both ways.

Unloaded and unpacked last evening, put the laundry in, ordered door dash dinner, and sat in the hot tub for a good long time. 

I was surprised by the fact that I received exactly ZERO birthday cards in the mail this year.  

I mean, I know that most people wish happy birthday to their friends via text, or on Facebook, these days, but still.... I try to send cards (when I remember to, HAHA! I am not good at remembering...).  OH well....

Today, there will be menu planning and grocery shopping, and HOPEFULLY some yard work. 

I will not be spending the day at the office tomorrow, as I have my monthly oncology appointment, and I do not want to have to drive an hour to get there.

I'll just go and pick up / drop off work.

Happy May Day.... wishing you a tiny basket of violets hung on your door.  

Aaaand... we're off!

 Tomorrow morning, we leave for a destination birthday celebration!

I will be 60 years old on Thursday, and it's a momentous occasion, since, statistically, I am an anomaly of stage 4 cancer survival. 

We will arrive in Frankfort, Kentucky on Tuesday afternoon, where we will meet my bestie, let's call her Mags, from Michigan, and some of my family from Chicagoland!

Mags arranged this whole thing, and is paying for my part of our lodging, and a cool river boat history tour.

My sister, brother in law, their son, and his girlfriend are coming. The four of them will ride share.

Their daughter had a vacation last month for HER birthday, and was not able to get off work again.

My brother couldn't justify the expense, as he felt that he would have to drive alone, and lodge alone, because he smokes.  

His son never said why he and his wife weren't coming. They just said no.

SO, I am very happy that some decided to come. Very happy indeed.

Mags got an Air BnB for the 5 of us "old" people, and then the "kids" got their own place.  We will be together for most activities, including cooking dinners together all three nights we are there.

I can't wait!!  The area is so beautiful, too, with hiking trails and gorgeous parks.  

We hope to do a distillery tour or two, but they are very expensive to do anymore.  Tours used to be free, and then you get to the end where there is a tasting room, and a store, and THAT's how they get your money!

Some have not re-opened to tours since closing for covid, too, which was disappointing.

So, we will play the distillery tours by ear.

Dave and I will have to pay for lodging on the way, and on the way back, because it's a two day drive, longer than to Chicago.

Yesterday, Dave and I started the week of celebrating by getting our mani/pedis, mentioned last week, and I started to pack, and make lists.  

I got the back yard mowed, too, but Dave still needs to do that stupid raking project in the front, and has now put it off for over a month, and has to do it today.

Anyway, the house we are staying in is supposedly fully equipped, but I am bringing my immersion blender, and some spices I will want to have on hand, and Dave is bringing the SodaStream, and some bottles for it.

REALLY looking forward to getting away, and to seeing loved ones, and  new sights!!  I have not been to Kentucky in probably 25 years.

I just hope my pain levels don't prevent me from enjoying things.  I started back on the hormone blocker a while back, so the pain is ramped up again.

In other news, the past week has been just awful with noise from the new neighbors (who moved in back in December), starting last Sunday night, Easter, when it sounded like they were having a drunken, full-volume karaoke party --with all the windows open!

They were not singing, they were yelling.

Now, mind you, I appreciate singing that sounds like yelling... and... this was NOT that!!!  

Even the neighbors across the street, who can be pretty loud themselves, were out on their front porch to see what was going on.

We ultimately called the police around midnight, and things finally stopped around 1 am, but I was so stressed out by it that I could not sleep until some time after 4.  

My alarm goes off at 6 for work.   Last Monday was really rough because of that.  My eyes are dry from my meds, and being up all night made it worse, and the heat was on at the office....it was torture.  I actually left early, it was so bad.

Then, almost every night this past week, there have been multiple incidents, mostly starting around 2 am, when the bars close.  

Every night, around 2:15 am, there have been several people showing up, with loud voices in the driveway, car doors slamming, car alarms being set, coughing, dogs barking...it's been absolutely terrible. 

And it wasn't ending there.... as the hours passed, they'd  come back out to their cars, to get stuff or whatever, slamming the doors again. Sometimes in groups, with more talking, coughing, etc.

Mind you this is about 6 feet from our bedroom windows, which are from 1927, and have no sound insulation. (More on the window situation later in the blog.)

Of course, Dave has slept through it all, except for last Sunday night, when I woke him up to call the cops.

I messaged the owner of the house, since we are friends, and she said she would have the property manager issue a warning, but I only told her about Sunday night.  She doesn't yet know about what's happened since then. 

Either they never got the warning, OR the people who come and go do not care.  

My guess is that the one adult (40-ish) person who we think is on the lease cares, because the one night she was here this past week, it was quiet....but she doesn't always stay in the house anymore. 

The one time I met her, she introduced herself, and said she teaches school.  The person we think is her daughter (20-ish) was with her, so we met briefly as well.  We think these two are the only permanent residents.

But who knows?  With as often as different people have been coming and going and staying overnight, there's no telling.

The cast of characters changes pretty often.  

Sometimes there are 5 or 6 cars in the driveway, and in the street, including one time when our driveway was partially blocked.  Sometimes, there's a little boy here, and sometimes not.

Anyway, Dave has asked me to get him up from now on, so he can witness the noise in the middle of the night, too, but we are leaving town tomorrow, so it will be really nice to get the hell away from this chaos.

Thursday this past week was unusual, as there was noise and activity all day.  The icing on the cake that day was the car alarm actually going off, for at least 2 minutes (which felt like an eternity), while I was trying to work. It was directly outside of my office. 

Dave was at his office that day, so he missed the day time chaos of that day, too. 

I will message the owner again, and ask if the warning has been given yet, and maybe update her on the shenanigans since I messaged her the first time.  Maybe ask her who is actually supposed to be living there.

If the terms of the lease have been broken, she may have recourse to evict.

Sigh. The noise and disruption has been very stressful this week, even for our cats.  

I mean.... I understand that people work nights, or that they work at bars, or hang out at bars, until closing.  I understand that most of the people coming and going at this house are much younger than us. 

However, this is a quiet neighborhood, not a dorm or youth hostel.  This kind of activity, in what is LITERALLY the middle of the night, almost every night, is unacceptable. 

SO--yes, it will be very nice to get away.

Oh, and on the window fiasco... no word. Nothing. Nada.  They acknowledged Dave's complaint, and started a new work order. There have been no further updates.

Apparently, it actually WILL take 3 more months to get the one they didn't make for us.

Unbelievable.

On that note, I am off to get some breakfast, and to figure out what needs to be done today, and what can be packed. 

Have a good week, and we will be home before next blogging day!  

4 day weekend

 We've had a lovely long weekend, so far, despite new window issues, and the unpleasant weather yesterday.

Took Thursday off to meet up with friends travelling through Oklahoma on their way home from Texas to Ohio.

Got the office/guest room prepared for the new windows to be installed on Friday morning.

Then, the window guys came on Friday, but were only able to install one window.  

We ordered them in January, the installer came to DOUBLE CHECK the measurements in February.

But, when he finally came to install our pair of windows, only one window was the right size. 

The installer was quite upset about this, and could not get anyone to answer the phone, so he left, and said he would either be back with the correct window, OR call and let us know.

Needless to say, he did not come back, and said that our window was nowhere to be found in the warehouse.

We wondered if maybe whoever loaded up the trucks for the crews mixed orders up, and maybe our window went to the wrong house, and we had someone else's window.... but we never got an answer on that.

Dave called the original guy at Lowe's who quoted the job, and he told Dave to call someone else to open a work order to correct the situation, but no one ever called back.

So. It could be three MORE months before we have the window we paid for in JANUARY.

MAYBE, just maybe, someone will call tomorrow with an explanation, or to say that our window was found on another truck.

We got all of our errands done Friday afternoon, and enjoyed the hot tub on Friday evening.

It was 86 degrees on Friday, and 56 yesterday, with a wicked, cold wind.

Because of the biting wind, there was no woods walk yesterday, and probably won't be today, either.  This disappoints me, but we have had a good time off anyway.

Our friend Jules came over yesterday to refresh her memory on house sitting stuff for our vacation the last week of April.

Later today, I am getting my first hair cut in almost a year, and then I have a lecture I want to watch live on Facebook.

I'm hoping the hair cut will make the most of my waves, so that my hair looks less thin.  

Next weekend, before we leave on our trip, we're going to treat ourselves to mani-pedis!

Dave continues to put off his job of raking up the front yard, that has been a mess for a full month, since the bamboo was cut back. He said he might try to get to it today.

I'd like to mow the back yard again, but we'll see.  It for sure needs to be done before we leave town.

On that note, I am off to eat breakfast (Dave has started cooking breakfast again on the weekends!).

If you're celebrating Easter today, enjoy!