Say it isn't so Joe

Yesterday was a sad day in the Marth household.

After nearly 3 years of daily faithful service our best friend Mr. Keurig went to the great appliance heaven in the sky. I tried to perform CPR. John tried his hand at surgery but alas, it wasn't to be. Appropriate services were held with each family member saying heartfelt words over the remains.

There we sat on a Saturday morning without coffee. There sat a drawerfull of K-cups and nowhere to brew them. It was then that we realized we didn't own a tea kettle or have any regular coffee grounds in the house.

So we did what every normal household would do...we boiled water in the microwave, opened a K-cup, dumped the contents into our old single-serve drip cup and made coffee the old fashioned way.

Man, we miss our Keurig. Talk about being spoiled by easy, instant gratification!

Pretty Painted Toes

Aunt Jody wanted to look pretty when she arrived back in the desert on Wednesday so off we went to a local nail salon. Not a salon worth visiting again...but at least our toes got some color.

Who's Who?

Moving Dirt

John, Lenny, Dakota and I went to the beach the first weekend in August. We moved yards, upon yards, upon yards of dirt. And by we, I mean he.

Funny-men James and Ben delegated moving all the dirt from behind the little cabin to Glenna and me. We (this we is she and me) planned to do it.

Wise-man John said that wasn't a job for two old ladies. I watched him labor through this job; he was correct. Moving heavy loads of dry, dusty dirt was made doubly difficult by temps in the high 90's all weekend. For once I was glad to be an old lady :/

Lenny really wanted to play ball - even though he would have to sit down and take a break after only a couple of throws! And poor Dakota just couldn't resist barking at the waves.

We were rewarded with a beautiful moon over Vashon followed by a calm tranquil morning to enjoy a cup of joe before heading back to the tasks at hand.

The foot that keeps on giving

This. Foot. Is. A. Pain.

How can such a small portion of my body be so significant in my well-being? In an attempt to get the swelling down (which I'm told is the main cause of my burning and aching discomfort) my friendly and fun physical therapist Laura is trying a new method.

The special tape pictured below is supposed to help wick the fluid away from my foot. I've been told that when fluid is being wicked it likes to go to the closest large muscle. Who knew? Apparently Laura. 

So the theory is - start the tape at the point of swelling, ground the other end of it to the closest large muscle, in this case my calf, and leave it on for 72 hours. Repeat as necessary. This is my second go-round with the magical tape. Not really sure it's helping but it's not making it worse so I'll give it a try :/

Note to self: get a pedicure ASAP.

Hair

The last time I posted about my hair I stated that it was a very lame post - or maybe I said boring. Either adjective would be correct. But here I am once again creating a lame and boring post!

My defense? I told Shannon I would show her how the color turned out :)

Today I went to my all-time favorite hairdresser Kacy for a cut and color. I've had sort of a funky fall so a snazzy pick-me-up was in order. I should have taken a photo of Kacy. Next time.

Kacy is amazing and inspirational; I could write a book about her life and you would fall in love with her. She is a quirky mix of a modern day stylist and a stylist straight out of Small Town, USA. She dishes up chit chat, camaraderie, styling expertise and genuine interest in your life; all in equal measure.

This is my 'before picture' with shaggy boring hair.

This is my 'in the middle' picture while my hair is processing. 

I stood to take a snapshot of my foil-covered head and another client with a foil-covered head slipped into the chair quickly to get into the picture. It is always one big happy family in this place!

This is the 'end result'. Pretty, huh?

Not sure the colors in this photo are totally accurate but it's close. I like it!

Zoom Zoom to Cali

It looks like John and I are road tripping again with Morris in the Zoom Zoom to Palm Desert. I can hardly wait; last year was a blast. No. Really. It was! 

I suspect John will squeeze in a round or two (or three) of golf and we will visit our California relatives. I know I want to see Shannon's new place of employment too. 

Good times are sure to be had!

Last Weekend in July

John and I went to the beach this weekend to...
Complete the foundation for a new roof on the fishing cabin; make a dent in the project to bring water to the toilet at the big cabin; and sweep the roofs of both cabins.

Project #1)
I'm happy to report the fishing cabin roof is ready for professional roofers to apply shingles! All rotten, stinky termite infested wood has been removed and any surface mold has been bleached. It only took 3 trips to the lumber yard, 3 times more plywood than anticipated and 3 weekends...in the construction business, that sounds about normal :)

We completely covered the roof with blue, brown and green tarps then tied them down tight - it looks kinda cool - wish I had taken a pic of the finished project.

Project #2)
The new water line from the pump to the big cabin is in place. Plumbing connections to the big cabin will get done next visit because today is Sunday...and what doesn't John do on Sunday? All together now, "John doesn't do plumbing on Sunday!"

To make the repair John had to find the water line to the big cabin. Unfortunately it was no longer above ground because the hillside has sluffed too much debris behind the little cabin and we have not kept it cleared out. Digging trenches and digging alongside the house is hard sweaty work! 

The new water line will run along the turn-around bulkhead for now. There was no point in burying it in front of the bulkhead as planned because sadly the turn-around bulkhead is in need of attention sooner than later. The water line can be burried properly after that.

This is the last leg of the journey from the pump to the big cabin.

Project #3)
The roof on the big cabin is swept and beautiful. It didn't get done last year and that made the job way harder than this old lady anticipated. The debris was deep and stuck to the shingles in many places - I even needed John's muscle in some spots! I had planned to do the little cabin too but I had no umph left...hahaha...next time!

You couldn't see the roofing material on the wood shed but now you can.
Next job is to remove the gutters. They don't do what gutters are supposed to do but they do hold in moisture and bugs to rot the roof - like the fishing cabin - and we'd rather not repeat that experience again!

The roof was in fairly good shape overall but it does have a couple of issues we will let a professional roofer look at and assess. There is a hole all the way to the plywood (that John temporarily covered); there is a soft spot that is reeeeeealy soft by the chimney; the chimney flashing needs some love and attention; and there are loose shingles throughout.

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Since we were there without 4-legged friends...
I started another one of the many projects that needs attention: The Wood-Bug-Control Project. Just like sweeping the roof, cleaning out behind the cabins and cutting ivy, this needs to be on our annual to-do list. We have so much wood construction on the property (basically everything!) that it is a smorgasbord of tasty treats for all the wood-eating bugs in the area!

This handy dandy self-contained spray bottle should do the trick in and outside of all buildings. I started with the inside of the little cabin.

The sinking floor (that is sinking not stinking) made it easy to follow the directions and saturate the area where the wall meets the floorboards!

All the black squiggly lines we've been seeing in the floor boards are signs of wood bugs...be gone with you bugs, be gone!

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Before the roof shingles get put on the fishing cabin...
The walls and floors of the fishing cabin need attention. We know where this job needs to start (!) but the scary thing is where will it stop?!

Could we be so lucky that the northeast corner under the fishing table is the ONLY floor and wall that needs replaced?

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Don't tell anyone...
But I'm getting pretty good at lighting the coals and cooking on a charcoal grill! These veggies and potatoes were tantalisingly tasty and the steaks that went alongside them for the final 10 minutes were delish!!

Grilled onion, pepper, broccoli and red potatoes mmmmmm good!

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Final Thought for the day...
I absolutely cherish the time we spend as a family at the beach. Weekends like Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor day are epic...and weave the fabric of family fun!

As it turns out, a weekend at the beach alone was a lot of fun too. I highly recommend everyone give it a try now and again!

Circa 2010

Busy week

I must stay focused. Busy week with lots going on and I'm looking forward to every day. Monday Bud. Tuesday Margie. Wednesday Glenna. Thursday haircut. Friday Salish Lodge (complete with candlelight dinners, country breakfast and massages). Somewhere in there I have to take more walks and work on Shannon's condo.

And to think this time last year I was suffering daily panic attacks as the auction drew near and my plate overflowed with tasks and worry. Ahhhh, to be where I am today is a glorious gift.

As an interesting aside...the old boss called the other day. Apparently his auction chairperson just quit. Today is her last day. It is a repeat performance of last year. Had I stayed I would be living through that hellish world of overwhelming panic once again.

I repeat...ahhhh, to be where I am today is a glorious gift!

Kathleen, where have you been?

It has been 21 days since my last posting. Let me rephrase that. It has been 21 days since my last posting on Blogger.

I have been experimenting with a blog at Word Press. I like some things better at Word Press; such as posting photos and the links bar. I like some things better at Blogger; such as the clean presentation and a picture of Fragaria as my background. I have not decided where to land for good but I am far behind on chronicling the past two weeks so I decided to come to a place that I can get caught up quickly without a learning curve slowing me down.

This post will be poorly supported with "real" pictures because this absent-minded shutterbug kept forgetting to grab the camera at the apropos moment. That completely annoys me.

Me annoyed at me.

Since my last posting...
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I had my blood drawn.

It had been 3 months since my last blood draw that was...ahem, less than wonderful. My doctor was pleased with the direction my triglycerides are heading (that direction would be down, down, down). She says I need to focus on a lot more walking and a bit less fat and white (white flour, white sugar, white bread, etc.). Vitamin D and B12 were about the same so she ordered another round of mega-dosing. I get to go back and get the blood sucked out of me again in 3 months. I can live with that. That is after all the point of this, to live :)

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I might move to Vermont.

Not very likely-but hey, you never know! I entered a contest to win a snow chalet in Vermont. Why you ask? Because John saw it on TV and thought it would be perfect for us. Really? The prize package does come with a 2011 Denali and $500K - now those 2 prizes I can get excited about. The winner will be announced March 19 so if you don't hear from me after that date, look me up in Vermont!



Could this be my new home? Tune in after March 19 to find out.

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Glenna and I went to the beach.

Brrrrrrrrr Thu, Feb 10 was a cold but beautiful day. We took the 4-Runner just in case the road was too mushy but it was in very good shape all the way to the turn-around. Don had obviously done some grading and raking on our lower road. On the upper and lower road trees have come down and there were signs of a couple of slides. No big surprise with the windy and wet winter we have had. Everything has been neatly cleared off to the side making the road easy to traverse. Thank you GTRA-nice job!


I may have forgotten to get pictures of our beach trip
but Google Earth is looking out for us...or checking in on us :)

Rodent infestation was a bit of a problem in and around the little cabin. Mole hills surround the place in massive numbers. Pat ex-laxed and gummed them (you'll have to ask him). I suspect the moles were heartily chuckling as they popped their little heads up out of their holes to wave goodbye to him as he drove up the hill and out of sight.

I was first into the cabin. As I stepped into the living room something heavier than a mouse (or maybe it was a very fat mouse?) scurried into the corner by the phone. Throughout our stay we heard intermittent rustling under the futon and behind the fireplace but a few stomps of the feet immediately silenced the 4-legged creature. The crooks of all cushions in the living room were neatly chewed and in the place of the missing stuffing we found rodent droppings. Lots of little piles of rodent droppings.

There was a hole in the ceiling directly above the step into the bedroom. It took us a few moments to realize a rat had gnawed the hole-a rat or two ewwwww! We covered it with screening material and duct tape. The screening is a bit too fine but it was all we could find. At best we slowed the suckers down a bit. The running back and forth across the kitchen and living room ceiling started to get a bit unnerving; especially as we sat at the table eating lunch. Was it outside on the roof or inside the rafters? When the running, scurrying and scratching moved into the interior walls we figured it was safe to assume the rodent making all the noise was not outside. Did I mention ewwwwww? All our poison trays were empty so we refilled them using what poison we could find. Die rodents, die. Mwaahaahaa (that was a cruel and heartless laugh). As soon as we've tackled the rodent problem I'll be a bit less evil. Promise.


Yes this big old roof rat resembles Digger and Dozer and I have a small twinge of guilt over wanting evil things to happen to him...and if he wants to live peacefully in a cage we can forge a truce.
Until then, it's war.

Water, water, water. The bane of our beach existence. Let's take a moment to explore what Google Answer has to say about that phrase. "To say that something or someone is 'the bane of my existence' means that the person or thing is a constant irritant or source of misery."

Boy does Google know what they are talking about! No water to drink, wash or cook with is a constant source of misery. The inability to drill a new well is salt in the wound. But looking on the bright side, the current well supplies enough poopy water to flush toilets and put out campfires. We all cherish those two most excellent and convenient activities so you can imagine our concern when the toilet wouldn't flush. A bit of detective work fixed the problem and once again the sleuthing super sisters shunned disaster.

About the time we were feeling rather proud of ourselves we discovered a pipe under Aunt Dorothy's sink was leaking and water had covered the floor all the way to the bedroom. Most of it had evaporated or leaked through the floorboards. There wasn't anything we could do but shut off the valve leading from the pump to Aunt Dorothy's. It will be an urgent plumbing project for the spring and there is no way this job will be pretty when it gets tackled. Plumbing ugg. Plumbing at the beach double ugg.

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Glenna and I were taking Margie to lunch just 'cuz.

Unfortunately, Glenna had to cancel at the last minute; Randy ended up at Highline hospital again so she had her hands full for the day.

Margie still needed a get-away and I still needed to eat lunch so I picked her up at Pacific Regent (Bud's rehab facility) Fri, Feb 11. In the spirit of full disclosure if eating and a restaurant are involved you can always count me in :)

Margie decided to turn the tables and treat me using a gift card she had to Seastar Restaurant and Raw Bar in Bellevue. Oh my goodness the food was deliciously fresh and decadently rich. I most certainly used up my allotted calories for the next few days in that one scrumptious meal; totally worth it.

After lunch we visited Bud. It was easy to see that Margie enjoyed the day. Simple successes are so satisfying.


Seastar restaurant in Bellevue

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Bud finally gets to call Aiges of Bellevue home!

Thursday, February 17 at 1:00 p.m. Margie calls and asks if I'm available to help move Bud...he's being discharged from Pacific Regent at 2:00 p.m. She was so ecstatic about Bud moving to his Aiges apartment that she didn't care she only had an hours notice. The move went smoothly; absolutely no bumps. For Bud and Margie that was such a pleasant change from the last couple of weeks.

Margie brought along Bud's new cell phone. He went through his phone book to locate people he wanted to add to his contact list and I loaded them in. After a couple hours of getting the apartment ship-shape the three of us went to the dining room for another delicious Aiges meal.

As Margie and I prepared to leave I know Bud felt some anxiousness at being alone in an unfamiliar place with unknown aides. What if he hits his call button and no one comes? What if no one wheels him to breakfast in the morning? What if...I suspect the list of 'what if's' went on. Being confined to a wheelchair without the strength to get in and out on your own must be humbling, aggravating and a bit scary. He had achieved a comfort level at Pacific Regent; he knew his routines, what to expect out of each day and the names and faces of his caregivers. Even less than desirable routines or less than helpful aides probably seemed better than the unknown of Aiges. I had total confidence his anxiousness would quickly disappear!


Bud in his new apartment at Aiges. I am putting contacts into his new cell phone.



Bud and Margie at the end of moving day.
Bud wears the call necklace at all times and his aid responds within minutes. Sweet. 

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I went assisted-living shopping with Glenna in Redmond.

Randy will be discharged from Cascade Vista soon and she needs to have a place lined up as his forever home. She needs to find a place that he can learn to love, fits his needs today, tomorrow and at the end. That is a tall order made even more difficult by Randy's unique needs. I was thrilled she asked me to accompany her on this challenging mission on Fri, Feb 18 and honored that my opinion and vision might help her. Plus we got to spend the whole day together and nothing is better than that!

Both places we went to were great but I must admit to leaning toward Aiges of Redmond as being the best fit...at least from what I remember of Randy and what  I hear about him today. I wonder what she and David will decide? Whatever they choose it will have been done carefully, with extreme forethought and blanketed in love. Randy is one lucky man to have my sister in his life!

Model bedroom in a one bedroom unit.

Of course I didn't remember to take a picture of my sister in the model unit. But here is a sample of the living area in the one bedroom. The whole unit was clean, comfortable and should be roomy enough.

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It is an established fact that a house of cards will always come crashing down.

Case in point, Margie. She has spent months care-taking Bud while he has been shuffled back and forth between Overlake Hospital and Pacific Regent rehab facility. I think the last time he was in his home was early November 2010. Accompanying this stressful time is the inevitable mountain of paperwork, phone calls and bills. Adding to the stress is the fact that Margie has her own health issues and is without any family in the area to assist her. Margie might have been able to balance all the cards dealt to her these last few months if she had taken the time to eat right, drink plenty of fluids, take her medicine and get plenty of rest. But as is the way of most care-takers she did none of that. Consequently, the day after she knew Bud was settled and well cared for everything came crashing down and she collapsed. A friend came to be with her but after a few hours it was apparent to both of them that Margie was dangerously ill and they called 911.

The diagnosis was severe gastroenteritis with life-threatening dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. She spent 2 nights in the hospital getting hydrated and her system back in balance. I took her home Monday the 21st and stayed the night. She did need the extra hands; I'm glad I stayed. She was genuinely grateful for the company and I was truly pleased to provide the helping hands.

Fast forward to today...I've been to visit a couple of times and I've also checked in on Bud because without Margie he doesn't have any visitors. Each day someone needs to check on Margie and help her with everyday tasks. She has a physical therapist and a nurse coming in to help her as well as an extra housekeeper (her regular housekeeper has been sick and/or unavailable-don't get me started on that situation).

Bud is doing well, Margie not so much so. John and I went to see her Saturday on our way to the Home Show. Even as captivating a conversationalist as I am, I figured a new face would be a welcome treat :) As it turned out John and Margie had such a good time chatting while I did laundry and a few other tasks that we never made it to the Home Show (which worked out okay for me since I didn't really want to go and he took me to the Whistle Stop Ale and Grill-our favorite burger joint-on the way home).

I take Margie to her regular doctor Tuesday morning. I'm hoping he has a plan to bring about a more speedy recovery. She is still unable to eat more than two bites of soft food without tremendous intestinal pain and she has little to no strength; of course who would when you haven't eaten diddly squat in over a week?

Tomorrow I'm visiting Bud and taking him a tray table Margie ordered for him and some other odds and ends she asked me to deliver.

Note to self: be good to your body; it sucks when it fails you so young. Note to self addendum: align your legal, medical and structural world before it needs to be aligned.

Bud and Margie's less than user friendly house tucked in the woods on top of a steep driveway.
But the view is breathtaking and it's been home for 30+ years. Hard decisions.
PS-thank you Google Earth for providing pics for this post.

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Last but not least...

James is on home PT for about a month. We see his surgeon in a couple of weeks at which time we will find out if there is more surgery in his immediate future or if PT is all he needs to get as far as possible - and maybe we'll get a guesstimate of how far possible is. That would be nice. Very nice indeed.

We have been trying to get Shannon's condo ready to rent. Big job. I'll save the details for another post.