Abby – Spot – Heidi

Allison “inspired” me to find some little friends and place them around the office.  You remember, I posted this to Facebook, “Kaiser reminds us to make play a part of every day. The day we stop playing is the day we start aging. How do you make play part of your day?” last Thursday. 

Allison Voigt Hamaker commented “At my last job we had a styrofoam rocket on a rubber band that we used to shoot across the office at each other. We also had a little bear that we would hide and leave ransom notes. It was fun when the person discovered where it was hidden and moved it to a new place.”

I took Friday off – the lack of pressing work at the office contrasted with the amount of pressing work at home had me sick and anxious.  Andrew, Benjamin and I went to DI – the guys needed clothes. 

I found some little playmates. Back at work Monday, I made them little books.  

Hi!

My name is Heidi

 Now that you have found me,

please sign & date my book.

 Then “hide” me somewhere in

rm 1040 for someone else to find.

                 Thanks,  Heidi

Heidi is a little light brown bear. She is still sitting amongst some manila envelopes where I placed her Monday afternoon. Spot the Dalmation remains on a window ledge.  Abby the red crab who was left sitting on a red box in the supply area is gone.  I hope someone found her and is playing the game and NOT that someone found her and confiscated her and stopped the game.

I thought I bought a moose  I called Hunter, but he disappeared before I got to work.  

I am so professional!

This is not an off the road vehicle

My children, the older ones especially, probably remember that phrase.  Something I learned the hard way with our Chevy van when I drove the kids down to the river and got stuck in the rocks.   Something we would repeat often when one of our motoring adventures looked like it might be getting too adventuresome.  Apparently, something I need to remember about my bicycle. 

I probably should avoid riding on cobblestone streets, boardwalks, and rough railroad tracks.  Also, be wary of near-collisions which send me staggering to the side of the path.  After the near collision yesterday – coming out of Old Sacramento, I swerved around some pedestrians, not realizing until too late that another bicycler was passing me.  We actually did body bump and my bike and I kind of bounced to the side.  We both apologized; he looked to see that I was still upright, and rode on –

Anyway, after the near collision, I noticed that my front brake was acting a bit funny.   Going home, it was rubbing against my wheel.  I couldn’t figure out how to stop that, so I rode home with it disengaged.  Joseph looked at my bike last night.  It appears that a spring or two is lost or broken. 

This morning I noticed that my back brake is also rubbing sometimes.  And my back wheel is a little wobbly.  Not good. But I rode in – even though  I really wanted a mental health day. 

I was going to do a lunch time ride, anyway, but when I pulled Sylvia out of her locker, she just seemed too gimpy.  I hope we do ok going home this evening.

I am feeling gimpy, too.  A couple of joints making me a bit too aware of them.

I am trying to figure out the logistics of taking her in to the bike shop for a day.  That mental health day just might be in the works tomorrow.  I need to watch that.  I so often find myself wishing I could have many more days at home. 

Yesterday, my supervisor asked me a couple of times if I was ok, which I was.  I rather wish she would ask me today.  I could honestly answer  that I am functional but not feeling top form. Which would set me up for calling in tomorrow.   The work has been slow enough lately missing a day now and then doesn’t cause any stress.  Just wish I didn’t have to burn leave time.

On my bike or on the computer,  lunch break flies by.

Busy Days as usual

As Andrew is going about the business of life biking around town alone and because I worry, I did a little (admittedly very little) on-line research, then stopped by Target on the way home last Friday and got him a Trac phone. I don’t see going to the expense of getting him a Verizon phone right now as Benjamin will be leaving on his mission in a few months and Andrew can take custody of the “boy phone” then.  

In part of his biking around town - Andrew went to his Dad’s to help out Friday – after taking care of our freezer  exchange.  Emptying out the old freezer, dealing with the delivery people, and filling the new freezer.   I am not totally thrilled with the freezer, but it will be very nice to have frost free.  The ancient one we were using was one I got for something like $25 from a neighbor.  Before that I had a chest freezer which I liked, but had had for decades and it got to where  we had been duct-taping the lid for quite some time.  It’s day was over.  I find that, unlike most of my friends, I prefer chest, but they take up a lot of floor space and I don’t think they come frost free.  So I got this upright.  It is a bit smaller than the old one, but I figure not having ice formations taking up space will counter that.  Actually, I hope to figure out how to afford space and money to get a small chest freezer as well.  Sometime in the future – All you upright lovers, tell me how you get a decent amount of food in there without having an avalanche when you open the door?

Andrew went over to his dad’s from about 11-5 Friday, wonderful young man that he is (Andrew, not Glen).  Fortunately, a neighbor suggested they bolt the ramp down so Glen is no longer so concerned that the ramp might be stolen so Andrew doesn’t have to get it out and put it away every time Glen wants to go anywhere. When that looked like it was going to be the case, Andrew had a complex chart drawn up to try to accommodate school, quorum responsibilities, meetings, and Glen.  He was even going to miss half on one class’s meetings.   As it was, Andrew helped Glen with some chores and shopping.  He thinks that he can just go over and help once a week instead of the complicated and demanding, weird hours, daily schedule Andrew was looking at when he was on ramp duty.  Since that happy thought however, I had to discuss a bit of business with Glen who said that he wanted someone to be there whenever he goes in or out because he is unsteady on the ramp. He is working his State job from home and taking a few more days off from his security job which is why he thinks Andrew doesn’t have to come every day this week.   He has not asked Andrew yet.  Andrew cannot stay even if he wanted to.  He has obligations and responsibilities.  Oh, if it were really necessary he could make arrangements. Andrew may be the only one of his children willing to help so much.  David and Teresa have helped with driving chores, but I think there was no thought of asking David to help with the odd hour schedule which included middle of the night.  Hopefully, Glen can get better used to the ramp and learn to handle it on his own very quickly.  I know there are a couple of ideas to make it safer – tennis balls on the legs of his walker and going down the ramp backwards so he is not pitching forward downhill.  Glen should have a prostheses and be walking pretty normally by the end of October.   Anyway, Andrew is pretty awesome.

As he often does, wonderful young man that he is, Benjamin made dinner Friday night– pizza – Friday is often pizza night.  I think once Esther told Benjamin that Friday is pizza night at their house.

I spent much of the evening observing Joseph and Andrew figuring out the new phone and talking on (another) phone to one of my daughters.  Benjamin felt a bit neglected.  He didn’t pout much.  He came up with a plan.  Forced Family Fun Friday.  He baked cookies, put on a movie, and gathered us round to learn to play Chapter and Verse.  http://chapterandversegame.blogspot.com/   We just played simple basic because some of us were tired  and hadn’t seen it before. 

Saturday was a busy day. 

I dropped Andrew and Benjamin and their bicycles off at Elk Grove Park where they helped work on maintaining a dirt bike park.  They planned to bike home, I would have picked them up had they called, but another Institute person gave them a lift home.  

Joseph, Anna and I went to the Great American River Clean-Up.  Not sure whether it was because there was less litter or because there were so many volunteers, but we only picked up a small amount of trash in the hour or so we worked.  

Then we did chores – took my bike to the bike shop expecting to leave it and hoping to pick it up later in the afternoon, but they worked on it while we waited, went to Costco for much needed gas in the car and a quick, light shopping trip – over $200.  Oops. 

Saturday evening we went to movie night at Okie Park and saw Gnomeo and Juliet.  That was fun.  We enjoyed  it.  However, it is not going on my must buy list.  

Sunday was a busy day, too.  

Our Home Teacher visited us before church Sunday.  I took Sophie (my laptop) to church for the first time.   I thought that I would either nap or write letters  on Sophie while Andrew and Benjamin were in choir.  Sophie, had her own ideas – installing updates.   I socialized.  I did take notes on Sophie during Sacrament Meeting.  Not great notes, but it helped me resist the too-often tendency to drift off.  While the last speaker was talking, I got a text from Liz R.  She wasn’t feeling well, had just awakened, could I teach her Primary class.  I got the text telling me which lesson when we were about to sing the closing song.  Fortunately, the kids are very cooperative and the lesson was based on a scripture event I had recently read.

We had my birthday dinner with Hinds, Miriam, and Debi Sunday evening.  French dip and fruit salad.  Delicious!  And dessert!  Homemade chocolate cookie cup filled with homemade chocolate ice cream, topped with homemade whipped cream and decorated with homemade chocolate – I don’t know what you call it – filigree – hearts, flowers, and I love you.  A treat for the eyes and the palate. 

 Busy and pleasant weekend. Over too soon, as usual.

Lock 'er Up!

Thursday afternoon the gal who handles our transit discount vouchers  and the bike lockers for Parks came to my office with 3 keys in her hand.  She had done some shake downs and found lockers that were not being used.  Shhh!  Don’t tell anyone, but I think she moved me up the line a little.  I used to email a couple of times a year asking where I was on the list.  I also submitted  ideas for more bike lockers.  It is well know that I bike daily year round. In other words, I showed  sincere interest.  She not only gave me a little boost, she let me choose which of the 3 lockers I wanted.  We went down together and she opened each one. The one I got was slightly easier to open, NOT full of cobwebs and on an end which I like.  Sweet 16! Nice happy birthday to me!  (16 is the locker.  I am *cough* multiples of 16)

I put my bike in the locker right away.  Slight problem, either the locker door is a little too low, or my bike handlebar  a bit too high, but it took some wrestling and tilting to get the bike in.  Saturday, Joseph and I went to the bike shop.  He had gotten me a new front basket for my bicycle, but we couldn’t install it because of my quick release wheel.  We exchanged the basket.  I also had them lower my handlebars and rotate them.  I had been riding with my arms fully extended forward.  Now they are pretty nearly fully extended but a little more down.  The bike slides right in!  Joseph also got me a quick release extension bar for people without enough room on their bars.  We put my headlights on that (one to flash and a brighter steady one).  I take the extension bar off the handlebar to put the bike in the locker, but that is easy and fits  better than the lights directly on the handlebar.

Now that I have a bike locker, my bike is safer from thieves,  won’t be out in the winter weather all day, AND I can go out on a lunch time ride and have a place to park when I get back!  

 Friday, I rode over to California Parks Foundation Park(ing) Day.  A temporary mini park set up in a couple of parking spaces.  They had a fire ring and camp chairs, little trees, and a petition and postcard for the Governor asking him to save our parks.  A futile effort, I fear, but we must try.

Yesterday,  I rode south out past the Sacramento Marina to the end of Miller Park on the river then back north through Old Sacramento (cobblestone streets and wooden board walks are BUMPY!) to the Sacramento History Museum.

Today I rode to the Old City Cemetery where the Native Plant Society has some areas planted with (would you guess) native California plants.  I am thinking about planting some native plants in my yard.

 

It is quite nice to get a mini get-away!

When I got back today, my supervisor said she doesn’t like me having a bike locker because she cannot come talk to me at my desk during lunch now.  Another plus.  : )