It's going to be another great week!

 Monday July 20 2026

Monday

Liberty came in and fed the angry mongrels, got me 2 cups of coffee, and my usual breakfast. We did some personal care, then she got me dressed and up in my chair.

I went out to the kitchen and visited with the family for a while, then Brooklynn came in to take me to my appointment at the Gastro doctor. Everything went really well, and he gave me some meds to hopefully help with my personal care.

We got home, and Brooklynn left, and I came into my room to hang out with the pack. Liberty came back in; she does a split shift on Wednesdays. She fed the dogs, put me to bed, and got me a chicken salad sandwich. I love sandwiches! I worked a little bit on my cookbook, deleted and wanted emails, and did a couple of rotation nuzzles before I fell asleep.

Tuesday

Amy came in and gave me a nice relaxing massage. She left in Liberty and called in sick. I asked Haylee if she could come in, but she was at her other job, so I put a post on Dream Team, but no one got back to me. I texted Brooklynn, and she said she would come and get me up before my appointment.

My appointment was at Numotion to get my wheelchair fixed. We went all the way over there so they could put me up in their Hoyer lift and make me hang around the showroom while they went back there, then brought my chair out and said there's nothing we can do. The toast straps on my chair that I didn't like were the only kind they had; the ankle straps on my chair were also the only ones they carry, so all that just so he could tell me sorry. As I was literally hanging in the showroom, I looked across the way, and there was an accessible van showroom. We decided to go across the street and talk to them. I have a Honda Odyssey that I love, but unfortunately the lift comes out from under the van, so there's a big metal box under the van that houses the ramp that scrapes on everything! I wanted to fold down the ramp, but the salesperson told me it would be really hard to find. She had a Sienna hybrid vehicle with rear entry; the ramp was so wide, and the vehicle was beautiful! I fell in love with it instantly! It has four jump seats that fold away when you don't need them. She said they had one that was like the one she described a couple of weeks ago, and she was going to give me the information. I'm pretty sure I found my new van! I kept checking my email, but I didn't see one, so I looked one up online, and they come in green and brown. I can't decide whether I want brown or green, but those are the two choices I was looking forward to making. Brooklynn loved it too, and well, she would have to do most of the driving, so it was a win-win!

We came home, and my nephew David was here; he has gone with me a couple of times to see if we could find a van that would be good for me and my needs. He was so excited, and she said they are great cars and he loves them! Another win! All of the family ended up showing up; it was Mackenzie's and Janet's birthdays. David smoked a brisket, which turned out amazing! Stanley made some corn on the cob with Tajin, my favorite new favorite seasoning! Stanley also made baked potatoes and sliced up some French bread; it was such an awesome meal! For dessert, Janet made some brownies, and Lois made some homemade ice cream. Everything was heavenly! It's been a while since we've had a family get-together, and everybody was there; most of the time somebody is working and can't make it, so it was extra special!.

Mya came in and fed the dogs, then organized some more of my bedroom; I love this girl! She came out to eat and have dessert. Brooklynn brought her son, and we all had such a great time just visiting and overheating. I had to keep coming in the house to cool down, then going back outside and overheating, and so on and so on…I feel like I always have to go to bed early. I miss out on a lot of hanging out with my family, and my caregivers need to go home at a certain time because they have families of their own. Mya put me to bed and went home, and I looked up more about the Sienna and fell in love with it even more!

I caught up on my blog and deleted some unwanted emails before I fell asleep.

Wednesday

Haylee came in and fed the dogs, got me a cup of coffee, then got me dressed and up in my chair. We washed my hair so I don't have to go to bed tonight with wet hair. I decided to have my 2nd cup of coffee and breakfast in the kitchen so I could say good morning to everyone. I took Kona for a 2-mile cruise, and it was so muggy and yucky outside that I decided that was enough of the outside for the day.

I went to Costco with Mackenzie and Nori; it wasn't too crowded, and it was nice to get out and pick up some items for lunch and snacks.

We came home, and Haylee was already here feeding the dogs and getting my bed ready. We did some personal care and a nice relaxing hot bath before she put me back to bed for the evening! She left, and I couldn't wait to get into bed and start planning my Santa Cruz trip in June 2027. I need to find out when school is over and try to get all of the family members to go. My plan is to go there on a Friday and spend the week cruising around to my old spots and reconnecting with people I haven't seen since 2022. I am so excited about this trip! ChatGPT is helping me with some of the details and the itinerary. It's almost a year away, but I'm sure the days will go fast, and it will be here in no time.

I deleted some emails and watched Law & Crime on YouTube before I fell asleep.

Thursday

Thursday was a little rough; for some reason, I'm having a really hard time waking up. If I could only wake up enough to get dressed and get in my chair, then I can go back to sleep. Haylee fed the dogs; let me snooze just a little bit longer- not long enough, but…I need to get up! I want to get up! I'm going to get up!

I had one more cup of coffee and breakfast before Haylee took off, then Mackenzie, Nori, and I went to Costco. I love looking around Costco at all the cool stuff that they have, OK OK, and the samples, but if you eat little samples like that, you won't get fat?? It's like spacing out your meals…🐿️ 🐿️I couldn't believe they had all of their Halloween stuff up already! They have some really cool stuff this year!

We loaded everything up and drove home, and when we got here, everybody was down for a nap, so it was really quiet. Even I know that after quiet comes crying, the screaming, the cranky faces. I'm gonna go take a nap. I fell asleep for a while, but it got cold, so I went to take a little nap on the porch outside, and I got sunburned. I think I'll just stay inside and play on the computer.

Mya came in and fed the dogs, put me on my side on the bed, I ate dinner, and we did some personal care and, of course, a nice hot, relaxing bath. Then it's back to bed for a nice restful sleep. I started watching a movie, but I was already out.

Friday

Liberty came in, fed the dogs, and got me a cup of coffee. I love my morning coffee! I got a message from the credit union that's helping me consolidate my credit cards; they figured out a way for me to sign without having to write out my name and have every signature look the same. They're going to let me sign part of it on DocuSign, and all I have to do is make a couple little squiggly marks on the paperwork that the notary is bringing. She got me dressed and up in my chair, and then I had another cup of coffee and some breakfast. I found another writing implement so it will be easier for me to make my squiggly lines. I hope it works and the underwriters accept it. I can't wait to pay off my credit cards and get rid of them all. I'm already adding up how much money I will save! I learned a great lesson with this; I have to be honest…it's really hard to decide you're going to rein yourself back after frivolously spending money all these years. I went from having no money to barely getting by to ending up with a huge settlement that basically let me get whatever I wanted/needed.

I wanted to take the dogs out for their regular 2-mile cruises, but I was afraid I was gonna miss a phone call or a DocuSign. We hung out in my room all day. I practiced writing with my new implement, but I didn't want to do too much because I don't want tomorrow to get here and I have a big cramp in my hand.

Haylee messaged me and asked what time I wanted her to come in. Since we need to do some personal care and a bath, I asked her if she would come in at 2 PM. That way we can get done early, and I can work on my Santa Cruz trip next June, my cookbook, or my homepage. I remember when I spent almost every day in bed, and I always thought of a project but never anything like the projects I have now, and I want to work on them every second that I can. It's not the most comfortable, but I'm even trying to get used to doing all this up in my chair during the day.

Haylee came in, and I was on the phone talking to Salem Gastro. I had an appointment last Monday, and the doctor ordered me some medication that's supposed to help me, but when we got to the pharmacy, we found out it was $567…what?!? They said they were trying to find me something less expensive. She put me to bed and on my side, got me something to eat, and we did personal care. After that, a really nice, long, hot bath, and then back to bed. I forgot to take my melatonin gummies or my cannabis gummies, so hopefully I won't have any trouble sleeping tonight.

My niece texted me and added, Michael Franti is coming to Salem, Oregon, October 23, 2026, and I am so excited! I have been following this guy since the first time I saw him at Mountain Sol in Felton, California. Whenever he came anywhere near me, I got tickets and was there; I would always find somebody to go with me, and we always had such a great time!! You can bet I will be on the phone at 9 AM tomorrow morning to find some tickets.

I deleted some emails and worked on my homepage until I fell asleep.

Saturday

Brooklynn came in and fed the dogs, microwaved a rice bag for me, and got me some coffee. Neither one of us felt like doing anything, but I had to get up to sign the papers for my loan. We procrastinated as long as we could, and then it was time to just do it; unfortunately, my wheelchair had other ideas. When she drove it over to my bed, she said, "Oh no! Your chair didn't get charged last night". Come to think about it, the last couple of nights I haven't heard that fan blowing when I charge my chair; it wasn't charged yesterday either. There were no green bars on the battery indicator on my chair; there should be four green bars, three yellow bars, and three red bars. Then, when she went to put my phone on the chair, my phone was dead; that was operator error. My caregiver did not plug it in last night. I should've just stayed in bed, but I need to get up and sign papers. 

We found a writing implement in my desk last night and tried it on, and it's going to work perfectly. They decided to make the signing a lot easier for me by having me do a lot of it on DocuSign, and the other part of it they told me I could just do my initials and scribble like everyone else does. The only difference is I had to try it two or three times before they gave me special privileges; that doesn't make sense at all. Adrian showed up, and everything went so smoothly. The writing implement worked perfectly. I signed the DocuSign documents with Adrian right here to make sure I didn't make a mistake, and he left. We were both happy.

I went out into the kitchen and said hello to everybody, and then came back into my room. I sat in front of the computer most of the day and just played around. I texted Brooklynn and told her that I was done with everything and if she wanted to come back early that would be great, but she didn't see my message; that was at 10 AM. I made some nuzzles from some of the pictures I took in Santa Cruz.

It started getting a little cold in here. I wonder if that's why my shoulders and my neck are really hurting every time I turn my neck, and every once in a while I feel a twinge, and it really hurts! I don't wanna get old anymore. I moved the chair that was blocking the door with my wheelchair; that's why my knees are scuffed up, and I have bruises on my shins. To get around, I need to do that from time to time. As soon as I got outside, the sun went away, and the clouds covered the sky. Did I say I should've just stayed in bed?

Brooklynn came in, fed the dogs, put me to bed, then decided to order pupusas from an El Salvador restaurant on DoorDash. Brooklynn had her first pupusa a couple of weeks ago, and she's talked about nothing else since. She let me taste it, and I understand why. So we ordered not only Pupusas but also a prawn quesadilla with guacamole and sour cream; both of them were absolutely delicious! I kept resting and checking my blood sugar to make sure I don't end up in a coma. I really didn't want to stop eating, but I had to.We decided to do Papu's tonight instead of Black Bear Diner in the morning- good choice! Now we have dinner and enough for breakfast in the morning!

After Brooklynn went home, I almost fell asleep a couple of times. I always do that as soon as my caregiver goes home and the room is quiet; I fall asleep for just a couple of minutes, and then I'm wide awake.

I ordered some stuff I needed on Amazon and went a little overboard; it's been so long since I couldn't stop myself. I signed all those papers, and I got my monthly deposit in the bank today; I needed to celebrate! Every time before, when I felt like I wanted to celebrate, I always did it with alcohol, so at least I didn't do that? I looked at some fixings to make some really pretty succulent plants; those are the only ones I can't kill. Not that I tried to kill the other ones, but I do. I love it at 8 o'clock when Alexa says, "Tammie, write in your blog," and I already did! I can feel my eyes getting heavy, so I'm going to say good night…good night!

Sunday

Brooklynn came in, toileted, fed the dogs, and got me some coffee; my 2nd cup of coffee came with breakfast, spinach and cheese pupusa, and half of a prawn quesadilla. Leftovers from last night, and it was awesome! My chair wasn't charged; my charger is definitely not working, so I guess I'll stay in bed today. Brooklynn put me on my side and went home.

Robert, Mackenzie, Nori, and Jude went camping, and they will be back on Tuesday.

I really didn't feel like doing anything productive, so I pretty much listened to music and did some nuzzles on Reddit. I was feeling so lazy that I did the kind where you just rotate one piece in the same place until it fits, then move on to the next one. I wasn't really looking for those particular puzzles, but that's what my next puzzle was, and I just didn't feel like changing it. The last couple of days we couldn't figure out if my chair wasn't plugged into the charger or if the charger wasn't working. We found out this morning the charger wasn't working. Brooklynn found another one in the closet, so we charged it, so I'll be ready to go for tomorrow!

About 11:30 AM, Brooklynn texted me to see if I wanted to go to the fairgrounds to the big, huge yard sale. We were there for a couple of hours and found some pretty good stuff. I found this really cool metal guitar, and it had a clock in the bottom of it. I had to get it for my living room. I think my nephew is going to love it, and it will be a really nice surprise when he comes home from camping on Tuesday. I like to wait till the end cause then you can get some pretty cool stuff for free or half price. I saw a bicycle that I really liked, and I was going to get it, but the guy only took cash and wanted $50 for it, and I only had $42, so we slowly walked away hoping he would call us back and take $42 for it. We were gonna go back by there to see if maybe we could have one more chance at it, but we didn't; everybody was tired and hot.

We came home and broke out the chicken salad, roast beef, salami, a couple kinds of cheese, and some crackers and had a nice little charcuterie board in the front yard by the pond/waterfall. It was so nice and peaceful! The dogs joined us because they had been cooped up in my room with access to their dog jog, but the last couple of days they haven't been able to go on their 2-mile cruise because the battery charger on my chair broke. Zaden fed the dogs while Brooklynn put me to bed, and TJ cleaned off the guitar and hung it up in the living room; it looks really good!

I was really sleepy at first, but I didn't really go to sleep. I caught up on my blog and deleted unwanted email. That's all I remember.

There's a lot going on this week…

March 13 2026

Monday

Monday was pretty typical. Liberty came in and fed the dogs, got me a couple of cups of coffee, and then some breakfast. I don't know if it's the antibiotics or if I'm just dealing with some kind of flu or stomach bug. It makes me nervous because there's a recall right now for bagged lettuce or salads. I might just be paranoid! She got me dressed and up in my chair, she hooked up Kona before she left, and we went for our 2-mile cruise. It was so beautiful out, and it's been great getting up every day to enjoy this beautiful weather. I thought it was going to be too hot for me here, but you just have to learn to get up early and get everything you need done, then plan to relax for the rest of the day. I took Dude out for his 2-mile cruise, then we hung out the rest of the day in the front yard with my brother and the kids, in my room to take a little nap and play on the computer, and outside on the back porch. When we get back from our little cruise, it's always so warm, so I come into my room and hang out for a while, and then I actually get cold while it's 80 or 90° outside. I know it's crazy, but my body's thermostat is messed up. I have to go outside for 5 or 10 minutes, and then I feel better when I come back inside.

Haylee came in, fed the dogs, put me to bed and on my side, did some personal care, and of course, a nice long hot bath. How could anybody not relax and feel better after that? She went home. I watched a really good movie, but I can't think of what it was. One of the actors in the movie was Jeannie Garth, and I kept thinking the guy who played her husband looked so familiar. I thought maybe it was her real-life husband because I'm nosy and I read about all that stuff. Then it dawned on me that she looks just like a girl that I used to work with at Xicor, and the actor that portrayed her husband looks just like her husband, so I sent the picture to them next to a picture that I had of them. People don't seem to get as excited about that as I do; maybe it's an insult to them?

Tuesday

Amy came in super early because she had an appointment, and she gave me a really nice massage. Liberty came in, fed and toileted the dogs. She got me a couple of cups of coffee and some breakfast, then dressed me and helped me up in my chair.

Today was Naomi's day to exercise and work with the dogs. She is so amazing, and I love her methods for teaching the dogs. You can really tell she cares about them, and I love that; it's so nice not to have to worry about whether you picked the right person. Haylee took them over to Naomi's, and Stanley was going to pick them up.

I can't remember the last time I was this healthy and felt this great. I have had major health problems since I moved here in 2022, and it's so great to have that all behind me. I came into my room and read and deleted some of my emails I need to catch up on. 

Before I knew it, it was 2:30, time to leave for my appointment at Cascade Infusion. My brother drove me there to get a PICC line and my first of three infusions before Friday. I had such a problem giving them a urine sample because first there was an accident in the lab, then I forgot to refrigerate it, so I had to do it a third time. My procedure was supposed to be today, and my doctor at Cascade infusion told me to just go ahead and do it and get my antibiotic infusions after, so I went on over. Just as we pulled into the parking lot, my urologist called and said they couldn't go ahead with the bladder scope until after my three antibiotic infusions. We went over to Cascade Infusion, where they inserted a PICC line into my hand and gave me my first infusion. I remember going there when I had my stage four pressure sore, and my brother took my mom there almost every day to do her infusions for her bone marrow blood disease. Back then, my niece Corrine worked there.

We got back home, and Mya was here feeding the dogs and getting my bed ready for a great night's sleep. I didn't do much on the computer because I was more wiped out than I thought, so I went right to sleep.

Wednesday

Haylee came in. I took care of the dogs. She got me a couple of cups of coffee and some breakfast. She got me dressed and up in my chair, and I took my dogs out for their 2-mile cruise, Kona first and then Dude. We hung out in the kitchen with my brother Stanley, sister-in-law Janet, McKenzie, Nori, Aria, Shilo, and Jude. The older they get, the more fun the kids are to be around. Some of the stuff that they say and the things that they do are so hilarious!

2:30 PM again, and Brooklyn came to take me to my infusion. They tell me their infusions are half an hour, but it seems like the time goes by really fast, so glad I have my so I can play games.

We came back home, and Haylee was here. She had already fed the dogs and got my bed ready. She put me to bed and on my side. We did some personal care and a nice hot bath. She put me back to bed and left for the evening.

I caught up on my blog before I forgot what happened the last couple of days, what's a police video cab shows on YouTube, deleted unwanted emails before I fell asleep.

Thursday

Haylee came in, fed the pack, and she was about to get me up, and there was a knock at the door. It was the housekeepers wanting to come in and do my room, so when they finished, Haylee got me 2 cups of coffee, the 2nd cup with some breakfast, and I couldn't be dressed up in my chair. She washed my hair before she left, and of course, I took the dogs out for their daily cruise. I wish I could find another route. There are a lot of streets around, and I would love to take them around a block or two instead of up and down the same street. I remember when I moved here, I joined the next-door neighborhood. Somebody had said that there is a family that doesn't close their back gate and lets their dog get out to attack and injure other dogs and people, a pit bull. I was stuck in bed one day at Liberty, took the dogs out for a cruise, and she said she ran into a dog that wanted to come after Dude. She got away and came home, and nobody got hurt. I decided a long time ago that if a dog ever came up to attack my dog, I would just have to write over him or her with my chair. It weighs about 700 pounds. I will do anything I can to protect my dogs, and if I get hurt, maybe something will be done about it. It's a misdemeanor to attack a service dog, but the police will not come out and take a report unless I get hurt. Animal control takes forever to get out. One of these days, I will feel brave and venture around a block or two. There is a school about a block away, Candalaria Elementary. I should probably just go up there and cruise around their track. I hate to go there on weekdays because if somebody chases us out, I won't want to go back because I've already been told that I can't be there.

After our cruises, we came back and hung out in the bedroom, and I watched a movie. Usually, I have a hard time sitting and watching a movie unless I can really get into it or I just wanna relax, tilt back in my chair.

Before I knew it, it was 2:30 PM again, and time to leave for my last infusion, and they are going to take out my PICC line. I am so excited about this because with my hand bandaged, I couldn't use my typing implement at night, so it was hard to use my computer and turn on my Dyson; I overheat at night. Brooklynn showed up with her husband, TJ, and her daughter, Kamaiyah. TJ was going to stay there and pressure-wash the walkway so it would be all nice and clean when we have a baby shower here on Saturday, but my brother had taken the pressure washer to our old house we're trying to sell to clean it up for an open house. They dropped me off at my doctor's appointment because I was going to be there for a while. I had first an appointment with my doctor, who was going to draw some blood for labs, then my last infusion, and then they took out the PICC line. When my appointment was over, I went outside, and they were waiting in the parking lot.

We came home, and Mya was here taking care of the dogs for the evening. TJ power washed while Kamaiyah played with the little girls. One of my great-nephews has a little crush on Kamaiyah and follows her around wherever he goes; it is so adorable!

Brooklynn put me to bed while Mya took everything out of the cupboard and the drawers behind the door and organized it. This girl has such talent and loves to organize things; she even tries to get me to throw away a bunch of stuff, which makes her cousin, Brooklynn, very happy, but I don't usually throw away much, to their chagrin. Brooklynn and her family went home, and Mya stayed there and finished. It looked amazing, and there was so much more room now! I'm going to be sad when she goes back to college in September.

After Mya left, I couldn't stop looking at the before-and-after pictures. It looks so awesome, and I'm hoping everybody keeps them like that. I deleted some emails and did some nuzzles on Reddit before I fell asleep.

Friday

Liberty came in, fed the dogs, and went to get me some coffee. I panicked; my procedure with the urologist is not until 3 PM, and I forgot to ask if I could eat or drink before it. Unfortunately, I looked on the website, and they don't open until 8 AM. What? I have to sit here for another whole hour after my caregiver comes in with no coffee; that's outrageous! I made it through the hour and called them, and they told me to go ahead and eat and drink! She tried to help me get my printer up and running again, but for some reason, it only prints from Windows 11.

When Liberty left, I took Kona and Dude out for their 2-mile cruise. I started a little late, so it was already getting too hot outside for me. I got back, and McKenzie and Brooklynn were putting on the top of the barrel storage. Brooklynn took it off because she wanted to decorate with pour paint, sand, and handsome seashells that she got. It looks amazing!! We hung out in the living room with Stanley and Janet instantly, and I tried to fix the ADT alarm because it kept beeping. I messaged GPT, but there are too many steps, so we will finish it one of these days

It was 2:30. Brooklyn came in, then loaded me up for my appointment with the urologist. I thought we were going to do a bladder scope and Botox injections, yes, in my bladder, because it stops it from leaking.I was a little worried because last time I had Botox in my bladder, they had to admit me to the hospital and put me out. The doctor said that it was just because it was my first time and they didn't know how I would tolerate it. They're going to call me with an appointment for the Botox.

We came back, and Haylee was here feeding the dogs. Brooklynn went home, and Haylee put me to bed on my side, and we did some personal care, then a bath. She put me to bed and then went home. I had forgotten to write in my blog for a couple of days, so I caught up. I wanted to watch a movie or play some games online, but I kept falling asleep, so I gave up and fell right asleep.

Saturday

Brooklynn came in the knucklehead, had my 1st cup of coffee, then got me my 2nd cup of coffee with breakfast that consisted of breakfast casserole, half an avocado, and fruit. I have a notary coming in this morning to sign the paperwork for my loan to consolidate my credit card debt. Every other time I had a notary come out, I didn't have to sign my full name; I only signed my initials, but this guy was a stickler for having me sign my full name. Halfway through, he said that he had to leave because he had another client. They neglected to tell him that I was a paraplegic and paralyzed from the chest down, so we tried to sign the papers while I was in bed, but it wasn't working out at all. All of the signatures were supposed to look the same, and they didn't. He went to his other appointment and came back. I tried to sign one, but it wasn't going to work, so we decided to have my brother sign as my power of attorney so he could sign for me. Adrian left and was going to get back to me to let me know what I needed to do to sign my brother, and Mackenzie signed up to sign for me.

My niece was having a baby shower here. Everything looks so beautiful, and there were a lot of ladies here, and they all seemed to be laughing, and they all had a great time! Brooklynn texted me to ask if I wanted to go on an adventure with her family and all the dogs. It was a new place that I hadn't been to, so I was really anxious to go! It was a really nice park with a playground, a baseball field, and, of course, a creek. We started walking on a trail, and all of a sudden, Kona found the creek, rushed over, and jumped in. That girl loves water! The whole time, she carried her ball in her mouth, and TJ was throwing it for her. Well, somewhere in our travels, we found some Beggar's lice burrs. Kona was absolutely covered in that, and she was bringing it back, rubbing up against everyone else, and giving it to them. Luckily, she has really short hair, so by the time we got home, they were gone all over my backseat in the van and Zaden, who was riding in the backseat with her.TJ had them in his socks and shoelaces; I had some on the bottom of my pants. Dude, it had a few, and I think Brooklyn got out of there with none. I asked ChatGPT, and I was told to just wander down some conditioner or spread some coconut oil on them and wait a couple of minutes, then brush them out gently.

When we got back, Brooklynn put me to bed, got me something to eat, and snuck some cheesecake from the baby shower, and then she and her family went home. I wrote in my blog and deleted some emails, and that was pretty much it for me; I fell asleep.

Sunday

Sunday was a great day! Brooklyn came in and brought us breakfast from Black Bear Diner, my favorite breakfast from there: sausage patties, egg over easy, English muffin, and home fries. I eat half and save the other half for the following morning if I remember. This is the only day that the dogs have to wait and let us eat first while it's still warm. I had 2 cups of coffee, and she got me dressed and up in my chair. I went out to the kitchen to wish Mackenzie a happy birthday!

Blair and Shilo were here, and we were going to a church barbecue on the lake. David, Melissa, and their three boys are going to be there also! A member of the church has some really awesome property, which includes a lake. There is a dock that moves around; they had all kinds of vessels to cruise around on the water with a big announcement that everybody who got near the water needed to have on a safety vest, and they had a bunch of them there. They had a sermon and two baptisms, and it was really cool because I knew the family that got baptized. The father and some of her kids remodeled my place downstairs when I moved to Oregon, and one of the girls worked for me for a while until I moved. There are eight children in the family, and it sounds like all of them got baptized in that lake, so it was really special. They barbecue hamburgers and hot dogs, have all kinds of salads, my brother makes the best baked beans ever, and beautiful desserts! It was such a great time!

We came home, and Brooklyn messaged me to see if the dogs and I wanted to go on another adventure. She came in and showed me a picture on her phone; it was a positive pregnancy test! She's been trying to have a baby and was getting so impatient, but it happened pretty quick! We went to a different park, and although there was a lot of sun, it was fun. Kona chased the ball like crazy, and we cruised through the park down to a launching area, and Kona ran and jumped in the water. Dude went into the water, but he always has to be coaxed a little bit. I definitely need to get some kind of pool or little pond for the backyard.

We came home, Brooklyn fed the dogs, and put me to bed. I really wanted to eat something, but I ate so much at the barbecue I was afraid to have anything too much, so I had half of a chicken salad sandwich and some Chia pudding. I don't remember anything after they left so I must've fallen asleep.

It sounds like this is going to be a great week…

 July 6 2026

Monday

We're still not quite at 100% on the work schedule, but we're narrowing it down. Liberty texted me and said she hasn't been cleared to return to work and will keep me posted.

Brooklynn came in, fed the dogs and me, then got me dressed and up in my chair. I always have the girls set up my computer a certain way, so when I come back at any time during the day, I can be on it right away. I also leave the back door open a little so that the dogs can go in and out at any time, and so can I.

I took Kona out for about 3 miles, and by the time we were finished, it was way too hot to take Dude out, so we just played ball in the yard after I cooled down. The dogs love being out in front because there's plenty of room to run around and bark at everything that goes by. I like it too, not only because I can sit outside and listen to the waterfall, but also because I can watch the Koi fish, and I don't have to worry about them getting out of the yard and going up to the road. When it got too hot out there, I love that there is a lot of shade but it still gets hot.

We came back in and just hung out till Brooklynn and Haylee came in. Haylee was going to shadow Brooklynn to learn personal care so she could take on more evening shifts. I'm excited because she's very reliable, never rushes, and is willing to stay longer if I need her to. It went really well, and I am confident that Haylee will do a great job.

After they left, I relaxed, logged into my blog, and gave some nuzzles before I fell asleep.

Tuesday

Tuesday was one of those wonderfully productive days that leave you feeling like you squeezed every last drop out of the day!

Haylee came over first thing, fed the dogs, got me dressed, and helped me into my chair before we headed out for the first appointment on the schedule. Our first stop was Cascade Infusion for another urine test to determine whether I'll need another round of antibiotics before my upcoming bladder scope and Botox procedure with my urologist.

Now, can someone please explain why my insurance happily pays for Botox in my bladder but not on my face? Who exactly is admiring my bladder? I'll never understand the mysteries of modern medicine!

What I thought would be a quick appointment turned into an all-day adventure because they needed a clean urine sample. In between, we made it to my cardiology appointment, where, thankfully, everything looked pretty normal. That's always good news, even though my blood pressure continues to do its own thing. This morning it was so low it wouldn't even register, yet for the last several days it's been running unusually high. One of the many "joys" of living with a spinal cord injury—I never quite know what it's going to do next.

After the cardiologist, we headed home so Haylee could change my suprapubic (SP) tube and collect a sterile urine sample. Then it was back to the hospital, where I discovered I was also scheduled for lab work and an EKG. What started at 8:00 that morning didn't wrap up until nearly 2:00 in the afternoon.

It was a long day, but honestly, I loved every minute of it. There's something incredibly satisfying about checking off a whole list of appointments and knowing you've done everything you can to take care of yourself. Those are the days that leave me tired—but in the very best way.

When I got home, there was a message from Naomi saying we could bring the dogs over at 4 PM and pick them up at 8 PM. We weren't able to bring them over this morning because I didn't have anybody to drive them, which made my day! Everything is checked off my list for today!

When I got home, my brother and Robert were outside with the kids, so I went outside to hang out with them for a while. The kids love riding around in my wheelchair. The youngest one always gets upset because everybody sits in my lap, and he has to sit on the footrests. He can't or doesn't really know how to hang on tight, sitting on my lap, so I would rather have him closer to the ground.

Mya came in and fed the dogs just in time for Stanley to take them to Naomi's. They always get so excited when Stanley reaches for the leashes. We straightened up my room a lot, she put me to bed, and got me something to eat. This week's menu is amazing: chicken and spinach in some kind of delicious sauce, shrimp fajitas, roasted vegetables, spaghetti squash, strawberry-and-banana Chia pudding, coffee cake loaf, and a zucchini chocolate chip loaf. I am in heaven!!

I straightened up and organized the bathroom closet. She told me that if I ever want anything straightened out and organized, she is my girl because she loves doing that! Music to my ears! Unfortunately, she goes back to college in September. I shouldn't say "unfortunately" because I am super proud of her, and I always want the best for her! She is a gem!

I tried to write in my blog before Stanley comes in to put my CPAP machine on, my words aren't very audible with that thing sucking on my face. I started watching the sheep detectives earlier in the day but kept getting interrupted, so I thought I would wait. I turned it back on and made myself stay awake until it was over. I loved it! It was hilarious and touching!

Wednesday

Haylee came in, fed the dogs, got me a couple of cups of coffee and some breakfast, and, of course, I procrastinated a little before getting dressed up in my chair. I kept saying I'm going to quit procrastinating and just have a cup of coffee, get up from my chair, eat breakfast, and have another cup of coffee, which would've been a really good idea today. 8 o'clock came around. The quantum fiber guy showed up to put a modem in my room. He came to offer us quantum fiber a couple of weeks ago, and we signed up. When they showed up, they said they needed a boom truck and had to reschedule. Instead of rescheduling, they just decided to show up this morning. It better be worth it, I hear good things about it, and right now we have Verizon and Xfinity because we can't get it at both ends of the house. The quantum fiber guy said we could get it at both ends of the house with one extender. I'd like to cancel two Internet services and pay for one.

A couple of months ago, we had solar installed on our roof, and they came by today to inspect it to make sure it's working. I've always heard good things about solar and have been wanting to try it, but there wasn't enough sun at the old house. Here at the new house, we have plenty of roof in the sun.

Brooklyn came in to take me to my ENT appointment and brought her husband, her son, and her daughter. They were going to stay here and hang out while she took me to my appointment, which is right pretty much across the street from here. I think they wish they had stayed here because I had to get a hearing test and then a regular appointment with my ENT doctor, with my doctor, Brooklyn, and her family came back here to grab Dude and Kona so we could take them to Mento Brown Park for a little hike and a swim. We did about a 2-mile hike and ended up at the water, and there went Kona. She loves the water but doesn't quite get the hang of swimming yet. She gets in the water and kind of panics, but she'll learn. After all, shoes and lab!

We came back here, and everything had quieted down, so they went home. The pack and I came into our room, and it was so nice and cool!

Earlier, Chris texted me and said that he was going to go over to 55th and grab my other tractor tire, the bridge for my backyard, an acute sculpture for the backyard, a disc swing for the front yard, and a big storage bin we used for packages.

They were here, and they were in better shape than I thought they would be! I was so excited! I wanna plant some roses in the tractor tire, and I can't wait to see how my yard looks with all this cool stuff from the other place!

I got a phone call from Cascade Infusion. All they said was that there was an accident in the lab and that I needed to take another sample of your sample and bring it in. I'm supposed to go to the County fair with Stanley and some of the people from his church tomorrow. I asked Haley to come in tomorrow morning at 6 AM so we could do another clean catch, and she said she would.

Thursday

Haylee came in, fed the dogs, put me to bed, got me something to eat, did some personal care, and then a nice hot bath! I wrote in my blog, " What's the rest of the Sheep Detective movie? What a great ending to a perfect day!

Hayle came in, fed the dogs, got me dressed, and put me in my chair, and Stanley drove me over to drop off my hair and sample. After checking in and waiting in the waiting room, I went in, and they asked what time I would collect the sample; immediately, my mind went, "Uh oh."We took the sample at 7 AM, and it was 9 AM. We didn't refrigerate it, so it was in the bathroom. They said it wouldn't be acceptable and that we needed to do it again. They gave me a specimen cup because I used my last one yesterday, and I brought it home. We got another sample, immediately drove it over to the hospital, then met the people in the church and went to the fair… finally, that is finished!

My arms had some nerve pain, so I took a gabapentin, forgetting that it makes my head a little fuzzy, and that's why I usually take it at night. My blood sugar and my blood pressure has been a little bit high. At first, I thought it was stressed from running around all that morning. I took my pills, but I didn't eat because I wanted to be able to eat something at the fair. 

We met up at the church, and there were about 10 people there. Most of the people piled into the church van. I'm Stanley, and I took one lady with us. We got there, and everybody immediately rushed to the air-conditioned building. The 4-H arts-and-crafts was building. When I was growing up, we had 4-H, and it was so much fun! All the classes learning about different things, and then when school was out, the start of summer was 4-H camp. Awesome memories! My eyes were getting blurry, and I was feeling a little lightheaded, so I kept tilting back in my chair, but it wasn't helping.

I tried to cruise around and talk to people, but I just wasn't feeling very good. Not today! I finally told Stanley that I needed to eat something, so we got everybody together and went towards the smell of the food. Unfortunately, my mind was more on getting something in my stomach than on looking around to find what I really wanted. I ended up with teriyaki chicken noodles, and then people started showing up around me with awesome-looking hamburgers, Gyros, and something that took this lady both hands to carry to her table and looked delicious! I found out later that it was called an elephant's ear. It looked about as big as one. While we were eating, Robert, Mckenzie, Nori, and Jude showed up; it was a surprise. I remember thinking that I see them a lot around the house, but I don't really see them out and about.

I hope that changes this summer because I'm hoping to go do a lot of fun stuff around here with the family! As I was tilted back, a family came up to me, and the lady was talking to me. Her face, voice, and gestures were so familiar, and then it dawned on me. It was Heather! Heather was a caregiver before I moved to the place where I live now. She had to step down because she got cancer, and she has an infant and two other kids to take care of. This can't be happening! My mind was flying all over the place as I was talking to them. I got to meet her husband and the kids, such a sweet family. It turns out she and her husband went to school with Mckenzie The pastor and the junior pastor, Nathan and Josh, came around and said that they also recognized them from school. Heather looked awesome, and it was so great to see her! After lunch, we got ice cream, and they checked out the sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs. It sparks memories of us sitting down, eating this delicious dinner, and fighting over whether it was rabbit or my friend's rabbit. I used to hold it and play with this little bunny. I was so sad for a long time. It didn't help that my brother kept asking me why bunnies were so awesome… four drumsticks. We went back to meet up with everyone else because I was getting hot and everybody was getting tired. We waited right near the stage where a bluegrass band was playing. My brother and I both love music so much!

We headed home, and just in time, I think, my phone died, and my body was overheating. I was just starting to feel better, so I didn't want to feel bad again. The dogs were gone at first. I panicked, then I remembered Naomi was going to come and get them at 3 PM and take them for some exercise. I tilted it back in my chair and enjoyed the air conditioning.

Mya came in, put me to bed, and we checked my blood sugar, but it wasn't happy, so it was vegetables and celery for me for dinner tonight. I was so sleepy, and Mya said that if I fell asleep, she'd just work around and organize stuff. This girl is so good at organizing, and she loves it! I did some nuzzles. I watched a couple of not-very-bright people get arrested while everything was being recorded. After Mya left, I hurried to write everything down in my blog before I forgot.

Friday

Liberty is still unable to come to work, so Brooklyn came in to cover her shift. She went to the beach with her family yesterday, and her legs were tired from walking in the sand. She fed the dogs, got me some coffee, dressed me, and put me in my chair. Mackenzie, Nori, Shiloh, and Jude came in for a while. They had fun lying on my bed and watching funny animal videos, but that didn't last long, and they were running around, ready for breakfast. Mackenzie took them to the kitchen. Nori's favorite thing to eat in the morning is eggy bagel, you have to hear her say it because it's so cute!

Before Brooklyn left, she hooked up Kona, and I took her for her 2-mile cruise. I've been practicing opening and closing the front gate outside, and I'm doing pretty well with opening it from inside or out and closing it from the inside. The gate opens in or out, so I just need to work out in my mind how to open the gate out so I can close it. I was trying to pull it closed outside the gate, but I got my hand caught. I don't know whether it was caught on the gate or on my chair, but I couldn't pick it up or move it. I texted Mackenzie, but she had three kids and probably didn't have her phone with her. Pretty soon, Stanley came out of the house and helped me get my arm unstuck. What am I gonna do when I live here by myself? Hopefully, the old house will sell soon, and Stanley and Janet will buy their own house and move out, and Robert and Mackenzie will move out and build their own place on the property.

After I took the dogs for a cruise, we came back and hung out in my room watching the sheep detectives again. I love that movie! Until Haley came in. She came in early, and I didn't want to feed the dogs an hour early, so she put me to bed first, then fed the dogs. We did personal care. I got to take a nice hot bath and went back to bed. I did a couple of nuzzles, wrote on my blog, and watched the movie until I fell asleep.

Saturday

Brooklyn came in, fed the dogs, got me some coffee, and got me dressed and up in my chair. We were thinking about something to do, so Brooklyn looked up some yard sales on Craigslist and found this big, massive one. The guy was raising tuition for his kid, and he went and made bids on storage units that people had forgotten or just didn't want. I remember watching a series called Storage Wars, and I loved watching everybody go through their storage units to see what they got. I would have so much fun doing that because I love going through stuff. It was definitely a massive sale! They had everything you could think of there. We went around and gathered what we wanted, and out of the corner of my eye, I kept looking at this really cute little Hello Kitty drum set. For a long time, I've been wanting to get Jude a little guitar set because I think he would love it! I decided I would just ask the guy what he wanted for the drum set. We had a lot of stuff, and I'm still on a budget, so I was hoping it wouldn't be over 100 bucks. The guy was practically giving this stuff away. I asked him for everything that we had in our pile, including clothes, Nike tennis shoes, a mini guitar, a princess backpack, a little Fisher-Price interactive toy, and some other stuff that I can't remember. $40?? Are you kidding me?? What a great deal! So I asked him, "Just out of curiosity, how much for the little drum set?"He said everything for $45. I got a little drum set for five bucks. It came with a little stool, a foot pedal to pound the big drum, two smaller drums, and a cymbal! I wanted to go back through everything and get a lot more stuff, but I think I did a pretty good job of staying within my budget. Brooklynn texted Mackenzie, and she said they were close and would go by to check it out. Well, they came home with a big haul and had fun, and so did we. Now for the fun part, we get to go through, and here is your reminder to send, see, and show each other what we got. We were just looking for toys for the kids. I just want everybody to love coming over here and having a good time while they're here. So basically, it's for all seven of the little great-aunt's kids. Brooklyn put the clothes in the washer because everything kind of smelled old and a little bit like urine. Brooklyn had to go pick up her husband from work, so she took off. When I heard the kids come home, I texted and asked Mackenzie if they went, and she said yes, they were looking at her hall in the living room, so I went out to the living room. The AT&T guy came to talk to her, so I stayed in the living room with Robert and Jude and watched soccer. After the AT&T guy left, I asked my brother, my nephew, my great-niece, and my great-nephew to come in and see what we got them! I was so excited about seeing the reaction to the drum set! The next thing I heard was my other niece and her boys coming to visit, and my other nephew and his two girls. Brooklyn texted me and asked if I wanted to take the dogs to Mento Brown Park. I really wanted to stay and visit with all of my nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews, but I really wanted to take the dogs to the park. I left them here cooped up all day while we went yard sailing, and I felt guilty. It was so nice to get out to the park, and the weather was perfect! We let Kona go for a little swim, and then we picked one of the trails and hiked around. By the time we got back, everybody was in the kitchen eating, so we came right back here to my room. TJ and Kamaya went outside for a little bit while Brooklynn put me to bed. All the little kids came marching into the room. It was so cute to see them, and they were looking around to say hi, and I'm trying to see their expression when they see the drum set. Luckily, Stanley was videoing it because I was already in bed and I wouldn't have been able to see. Of course, I didn't think to turn my overhead camera on until just now, when I said that. They were all having so much fun, and it was awesome!

After everybody left, I was just ready to knock out. I've been really sleepy all day, and when they asked me to go to the park, I almost said no, but then I thought, what am I crazy? I'm not going to pass up an opportunity for the pups and me to go to the park! Of course, now that the excitement of the day is over, I'm not really that tired. I'm pretty sure the pups and I are going to get some really good sleep tonight.

Sunday

Sunday was a great day! Brooklyn came in and fed the mongrels, got me some coffee, dressed me, and put me in my chair. She told me that the yard sale we went to yesterday was having another yard sale, only this time everything was a dollar. We cruised by the bank and got some money, and headed over to the yard sale. We cursed through it really fast, and it just didn't seem to be as exciting as the day before. We got a few things, but nothing to get excited about. We got one truck for the boys, but of course, they're boys, and they wanted to fight over it. We found another one to take to the other boy, and they were thrilled to each get their own. When we got back, I wanted to take the pack for the regular 2-mile cruise, but I ended up sitting back in my chair and napping.

They were having a baby shower for my niece, her second little boy. It was over at her mother's house. Her mother, at one point, cooked for me, and she is so good with plants! And cooking and baking… this lady can do anything. Everything in her yard in front, both sides, and back was big, beautiful, and perfect! Nothing like the plant boneyard in my yard, but I keep trying. The thing was Winnie the Pooh, and everything looked so adorable, from the decorations to the food. It was a little warm, but I stayed under the awning, and there was a nice breeze. It was nice seeing everybody. Before we knew it, everyone was saying goodbye, so we decided to hit the road as well. We came home, and Brooklynn got here shortly after and put me to bed. I didn't get to catch up on my blog because, before I knew it, Stanley was here, putting the CPAP machine on my face. It's really hard to enunciate words on Dragon dictation and impossible to type everything, so I decided to wait and do it when my face isn't obstructed. I was really tired anyway; it was a really long week, and it wasn't too long before I was out.

Birthdays are over and I'm feeling old…

Monday June 29 2026

Monday

Since Liberty is still out, Brooklynn agreed to work her morning shift, so we scheduled a technical support appointment for 7:30 AM. It was a very short call. He said I didn't opt for the extra electro box, so we basically have everything we need!! I rolled up to my exercise cycle. She strapped me in that way, but he got to my right leg; something was missing. It was the strap for the bar that goes around my calf so that my foot rests smoothly in the cradle. So close yet so far again. OK, this is just a small thing, and it's probably in the same drawer as the electrons, so we'll just find it. I also need to look for my gloves. They keep my fingers wrapped around the bar. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to look for them, but I'm pretty sure that's where they are. 

Brooklyn had to go, so I spent the rest of the day hanging out in the yard, on the front porch, in my room, and on the back deck with my pack.

Cruz came in, fed the dogs and me, and then put me to bed. We did some personal care and a nice hot bath, then went back to bed, all nice and relaxed. My blood pressure was high, so I took a lorazepam. It was high in the morning as well, and I forgot that I took lorazepam in the morning, so it really knocked me out.

Tuesday

I barely remember Amy coming in to give me a massage, how embarrassing! Haylee came in, fed the dogs, and brought me some coffee. That's when I started waking up. After another cup of coffee and some breakfast, I started feeling more awake. She got me dressed, put me in my chair, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and I was ready for the day! I was still a little groggy, but I got up in my chair anyway and just kind of lounged around all day hanging out with the pack and taking little naps.

TJ and Brooklyn came over to shovel some of the wood chips out of the dog run. Mya came in, fed the dogs, put me to bed, got me something to eat, did some laundry, organized the bathroom closet, and took off for the evening. TJ, Brooklyn, and I discussed what we were going to do for the Fourth of July. They invited me over to Brooklyn's mom's for a barbecue and to watch fireworks. Her mom lives right across the street from the fairgrounds, so the fireworks should be pretty amazing!

I remember when the realtor was showing us this place, she said From my bedroom window, you have a great view of the fireworks! I love fireworks! I guess I'll find out next year if I really do.

Wednesday

Haylee came in, took care of the dogs, and got me some coffee. After another cup of coffee, she got me some breakfast, dressed, and put me in my chair. Since Haylee was going to be here for a little while, I decided to take Dude out first for our 2-mile cruise. If I take Dude out while nobody is here, Kona goes berserk and tears something up. While I was out on the cruise with Dude, I remembered that Kona hurt her paw, and she's not supposed to go out; she's supposed to be taking it easy, which she did not like at all. Nobody was around, so I took the dogs out front, and we lounged around like we didn't have a care in the world because we didn't! Everybody was happy! When it got too hot outside, we came in and watched some of my new series off campus, and I got so comfortable that I took a nap.

Wednesday

Haylee came in and got me some coffee after she fed the dogs and let them outside. She got me up in my chair and washed my hair. I love to take a nice, long, hot bath at night, but not to wash my hair. If I go to bed with wet hair, I'm cold all night long, so I just tilt my chair back over the bathtub and rewash it.

It seems like it's been a long time since I last had a doctor's appointment. For a while, it seemed like I had one almost every day, and it was getting really annoying, but great to have everything taken care of.

I still don't want to take Kona out because of her paw, so she's getting pretty restless. TJ and Brooklyn came over and took them to the school to run around a little bit on the soft grass; they were both very thankful.

McKenzie had a friend who was giving away two recliners. I had a couple in here before, but they were so huge that there wasn't much room for anything else. Those are now in the living room, and these ones are much smaller and fit in here perfectly. Of course, within the first five minutes, Kona had already decided which one she wanted. I ordered chair covers for them that evening!

Cruz came in with some bad news. We just got her on payroll, and then she found out, but if she's on the books, she will be making too much money and lose insurance for her daughter. We have both waited so long to get her on the books, and now this. I spoke with McKenzie, and there's no getting around it, so I won't be able to keep Cruz on regularly. She said she would work Wednesday and finish the week out on Friday, but then that will be it. Hopefully, she will still come to visit me and hang out. She fed the dogs, put me to bed, fed me, and then we did some personal care and a nice hot bath! I can't wait until I get my spa tub because we have to basically bend me in half to fit in this tub, it's just not long enough! She went home, and I watched my new series, played Nuzzel on Reddit, and drifted off to sleep.

Thursday

Haylee came in, took care of the dogs, got me a cup of coffee, and dressed me and put me up in my chair. I don't know why I got up so early, but luckily I did because the housekeepers came in. They always do my room first, I guess, because it's on the far end of the house. I always want her around to look because of the way it looks when they leave. I remember back in my 20s, I cleaned houses, and I always loved the way it looked when you walked in because all the carpet was vacuumed the same way, and it smelled great!

I put the dogs in the dog jog. I went out front to hang out with my brother and the kids for a while. I always feel guilty leaving my pups here alone while I'm just out in the yard, but it's just like watching two more kids. I watched Kona run a route so she doesn't find a way out. I'd try to keep Dude from eating the strawberries and the blackberries.

I came back in to make a couple of phone calls, and they just kicked back and watched TV for a while. Kona seems to be better, so Naomi is going to take both of them over to Mento Brown Park tomorrow for a nice run. Of course, they came back exhausted but happy!

Mya came in and fed the dogs, put me to bed, and I went around straightening everything up. I love this girl's energy! I'm really going to miss her again when she goes back to college in September, but I'm glad to have her around while I can. She went home, and I got caught up on my blog. I fell asleep watching my series.

Friday

I was supposed to let Haylee know whether I would need her on Friday, and I totally forgot to let her know that I did. Brooklyn came in. I took care of the dogs, got myself some coffee and breakfast, dressed, and was up in my chair. All day, it was heavy on my heart that I wasn't going to see cruise as often anymore. I just kind of stayed to myself all day. McKenzie came in for a little while with some bills and to have a little meeting, and then she left. It looked like the kids were here. Everybody was outside and I really wanted to go out but I'm just not in a very good mood, sometimes when I get like that people could be talking to me and I don't even hear them.

Cruz came in, I took care of the dogs, and then got myself something to eat. We did some personal care, but I didn't take a bath. The whole family was here eating, so I can pretty much guess there won't be any hot water. I'll just take a bath in the morning!

She kind of wanted to leave early because it was her boyfriend's birthday and they were going to party, and she didn't want to stay out too late. Usually around 8 PM, I watch the sunset. I love how low the windows in my room are, so I can see everything. Tonight, not only did I get to see the sunset, but I also got to hear the fireworks at 9 PM. I will never forget driving down the street and seeing a big, huge tent filled from top to bottom with fireworks! I could believe my eyes! In Santa Cruz, it's illegal to buy or possess fireworks; they are strictly prohibited! I don't remember what I did last Fourth of July, but I had just barely moved into my house, so I think my mind was somewhere else. This year I hope to get the full effect, barbecue, fireworks, at something that's not on my diet! I drifted off to sleep with the visions of fireworks dancing around my head!

Saturday

Brooklyn came in, toileted, and fed the dogs. Change of plans again for the Fourth of July. I have a high turnover of caregivers, and I forgot to check the air in my Rojo, and it was flat. Who knows how long I've been riding around with a flat cushion on my chair, and what kind of damage it's going to do to my butt. After Brooklyn fed me, she put me on my side. I was going to go with Brooklyn and her family to her mother's house. The fireworks are going to be right across the street! As the day went on, I had the door to my porch open, and I was getting warmer and warmer, so after a long discussion with myself, I decided I'd better stay home. I started remembering every other time that I went out in this weather, it was supposed to be 85°, and I ended up overheating and sitting in front of the fan for two hours trying to cool down. I usually make myself do it just so that people won't think that I'm a flake or lazy. I finally texted Brooklyn and told her I wasn't going to take a chance, and she said it was really hot! Nowhere can I get into an air-conditioned building if I need to. I was bummed, but I know it was the right decision. At about 8 PM, Brooklyn texted me and said it had cooled down quite a bit and that, if I wanted, she would come and get me dressed and up in my chair so I could watch the fireworks. I understand this may be inconvenient, but I wanted to see them, so I said yes. Before I knew it, she, her son, and her son's girlfriend came to get me up, and the traffic wasn't bad. A lot of Brooklyn's family was there, and it was really nice to meet them. I met some of them, but it was nice to meet some more. The fireworks were amazing! After they were over, Brooklyn drove me home and put me to bed. I was so glad I ended up going! I fell right to sleep. I didn't wake up until the morning.

Sunday

Cruz won't be able to help me anymore, so I need to adjust the schedule and decide whether I need to hire someone else. Liberty's ankle is still swollen and hurting, and she will probably be out for another week or so. I rearranged the schedule, but we always have to end up tweaking it a couple of times to make everybody happy!

 Brooklyn came in and brought our Black Bear Diner breakfast. I had to get an extra order of sausage patties, so maybe Ashlyn can taste them. Tell me the ingredients. After we ate breakfast, she took out the dogs and fed them. She got me dressed and up in my chair, and I took Kona for a 3-mile cruise up and down the street. It started getting really hot, so I hung out with the pack in the front yard and in my room.

Brooklyn came back in and fed the dogs, put me to bed, and fed me. She left to have pizza with her family, and I just relaxed and did whatever I wanted! My favorite kind of evenings! I made a couple of my own puzzles with Nuzzle on Reddit, then fell asleep watching a movie on Amazon Prime.

My birthday week is over and we are now back to our regular schedule…

Monday June 22 2026

Monday

I woke up at 4 AM, and I was freezing! I had my door open practically all day yesterday, and it was 90° outside. I didn't really notice because it was so cold in here. I called my brother three or four times, called my sister-in-law, and then texted my brother twice, but no answer. All that was left was to wait until Haylee, my caregiver, came in at 8:30 AM. I tried to watch TV, play music, or do anything I could to pass the time.

Haylee came in, took care of the dogs, and got me some coffee! Oh, that coffee tastes so good! Stanley sent me a text saying he was sorry; he had just woken up, had put his phone on silent at church, and had forgotten to take it off. I had another cup along with some breakfast casserole and fruit. Liberty came in, and since Haylee was here, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for her to shadow Liberty and learn personal care. Haylee agreed, so she watched Liberty and picked it up pretty quick!

I am obsessed with this new game I found on Reddit called Nuzzle. To see the picture, you have to put the pieces in the right order. They go from super super easy to almost impossible. I lay back to get some pressure release and took a nap for a little while. I woke up cold, so back out into the sunlight again. I love having that option right outside my bedroom door!

Robert, McKenzie, Nori, and Jude went on a camping trip. They're going to be back on Wednesday.

Cruz came in, fed the dogs, undressed me, and put me in bed. We did some personal care and a nice, relaxing hot bath. My new forever home is turning out to be an amazing place! I wish we could just sell that other house so I won't have to pay the mortgage anymore. She put me back to bed, got me something to eat, brushed my hair, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and then went home for the evening. I was so nice and relaxed, I watched a couple of movies and drifted off to sleep.

Tuesday

Amy came in to give me a nice, relaxing massage. She brought me a strawberry rhubarb pie. I've never had those before, and I'm excited to try them! Haylee got me dressed and up in my chair, and we took the dogs over to  Mento Brown Park. She threw the ball for Kona while Dude and I cruised around the trails with Dude. The weather was beautiful, and we made it home before it got too hot. She went home, and I hung out with my pups in my room. I sit in my room for a little while, and then I get cold, so I go out on the deck and fight Kona for our favorite place in the sun, and they sit there until I get too warm and then come back in. For my birthday, Brooklyn got me a hummingbird feeder. While I was sitting out there, I could hear this drive-by humming sound, and I looked up, and a hummingbird was buzzing around looking for that sweet nectar. I was afraid he was going to come and try to get some nectar out of my ear, and he did get pretty close. It was actually awesome! I can't wait to get my yard out there finished so I can have all kinds of beautiful little birds and insects. When I first moved in, there was nothing around but a bunch of crows. They are very smart, but loud and annoying!

Mya came in, fed and toileted the dogs, put me to bed, got me something to eat, and then organized my closet in the bathroom. This girl loves to organize, and I love that she loves it! I watched a couple of cop shows on YouTube and played Nuzzle on Reddit.

Wednesday

Haylee came in and took care of the dogs and got me some coffee, my favorite part of the morning! I haven't had much of an appetite in the morning these days, but I usually force myself to eat something. She got me dressed, got me up in my chair, and washed my hair! I love taking a bath at night, but not washing my hair, as it makes me too cold throughout the night. Also, I like to wear my hair down when it's warm, so I don't have a permanent ponytail mark if I wash my hair in the morning. I took Kona out for a couple of miles up and down the street. It was supposed to rain, but it turned out to be a really nice day! We came back, and I took Dude out for a couple of miles. He's getting pretty old, and I can hear his back feet scraping on the ground, but I'm glad that he lost all that weight and that he's able and loving to still go out and cruise around.

We came back and hung out in front for a while. I love that the yard is fenced off so I don't have to worry about the dogs or the kids getting out and getting hit.

Cruz came in, took care of the dogs, put me to bed, got me something to eat, and then we did some personal care and a nice, long, hot, relaxing bath. I'm always cold when she puts me back to bed, but it's so nice to snuggle my heating pad and my burrito-head blanket and get warmed up. She went home, and I watched a movie and then fell asleep.

Thursday

Haylee came in and fed the dogs; she got me dressed and up in my chair. I took Kona out for a nice little 3-mile cruise, and they took Dude out for a 2-mile cruise. Brooklyn texted me just as I got to the top of my driveway to see if I wanted to take the dogs to Mento Brown Park to go for a hike. Of course, we were already on our way! Brooklyn was in a really good mood. She quit smoking a couple of weeks ago. She hasn't even wanted to pick one up since, well, she said sometimes after she eats and when she first wakes up in the morning, but she hasn't. I am surprised that it was that easy for her because she smoked like crazy, she even jogged for a little while, and said that her lungs didn't hurt. I was really impressed!! I told her, anytime you want to go for a bike ride or a jog at Mento Park, just come and get the dogs and me, and I will be glad to go with you! She and her family are always doing something, and I love the fact that they include me!

We came back home as she fed the dogs and put me to bed. What an awesome day, and I know that the dogs and I are going to sleep really well tonight! I fell right to sleep!

Friday

Brooklyn came in because Liberty is still not feeling well; her leg is just swollen, and it hurts when she walks on it. She got me dressed up in my chair after she fed the dogs. She went home, and I took Kona out for her to my cruise. Not too far into the cruise, I noticed she was limping, and it got worse in her right front leg, so we came back. McKenzie tried to get a picture, but Kona was not having it. She was able to get a little video, so I sent it to Naomi to see what she thought it was, but she wasn't sure. I told her that a couple of times, Kona jumped into the yucky water, and Naomi said she probably scuffed it on a rock when she jumped in. So Naomi said, just take it easy for a couple of days. Kona is not going to be happy. For the rest of the day, we just hung out in my room, on the front porch, and on the back porch.

Brooklynn came back a little bit later, got me something to eat, fed the dogs, and then put me to bed. I did some puzzles on Reddit until I fell asleep.

Saturday

Brooklynn came in, got me dressed, and got me up in my chair. We were supposed to go to Costco to get some sandwich fixings and snacks for the kite festival in Lake City, but it's supposed to rain a lot all weekend, so we decided to go to OMSI to see the Titanic exhibit. It was so cool! They give you a boarding pass, and you can read and see all about life on the Titanic and the crash. At the end, you scan your boarding pass to see what your name is and if you lived or died on the ship. Luckily, Brooklynn was there, and she likes to read, so she read everything to me. If I try to read it myself, it takes forever, and then I lose everybody. We came back and ordered pizza for everybody and a cheesecake for Brooklynn, which ended up being a strawberry cake. Of course, I ordered way too much, but at least we had enough!

Brooklynn put me to bed, and I fell right asleep!

Sunday

Brooklyn came in but didn't bring breakfast. We decided that, because we ate all that pizza and strawberry cake and there was so much left over, we would just have pizza, which, of course, started the big debate on whether you heat your pizza up in the morning or eat it cold… pizza should never, ever be cold!

My family went to church, and I just hung out with the pups. I invited my friends Jan and Ellen to come over and play cribbage, and then I remembered it was Father's Day, so it was probably the whole family was going to be here to celebrate my brother, so I called to get a rain check. I guess they celebrated Father's Day at church, but it was a nice, quiet afternoon hanging out outside.

Brooklynn came back, fed the dogs, and put myself to bed. We had been talking about getting my exercise bike back up and running. The night before, we were looking around and couldn't find either the electrical box or the lead wires. I have always been so meticulous about putting all of that together because it's very expensive to replace everything. I was devastated! But as it always happens, Brooklyn came in, opened up a drawer behind my door, and there they were, the lead wires. We decided to schedule a call to tech support to find out if I even need two electro boxes. I don't remember having two, but we thought we might as well find out for sure! Since Brooklyn was going to work for Liberty in the morning, we decided to schedule tech support for my exercise cycle at 7:30 AM tomorrow. I played games and watched TV until I fell asleep.

It's my birthday week!

 June 15 2026

Monday was a great day. Over the weekend, Liberty sprained her ankle and probably won't be able to come in the whole week. It seems like every time that girl tries to go do something fun, something ends up sprained or sore. Haylee came in, took care of the dogs, and then got me some nice hot amazing coffee, nectar of the gods…AM! I don't really care about anything for breakfast at this time, just please give me coffee. After a couple of cups of coffee, I know it's time to think about something for breakfast. Luckily, I have this amazing breakfast casserole that I love, along with some fruit and half an avocado. Haley got me dressed and up in my chair. It is such a beautiful day! I am looking forward to cruising up and down the street with my pups. I wish I had enough guts to take them both at once, but if something happens, it's gonna be bad, so I'll wait and practice at the park.

I took Kona for a nice, long cruise, then took Dude for a shorter cruise. It's a little challenging to remember to go so slow with Dude after going so fast with Kona. I can hear Dudes back feet drag a little bit, so I'm kind of concerned. After all, he's about to turn 10 tomorrow!! I remember bringing him home as a three-year-old pup. He had so much energy and was so playful, and he drove Robby nuts, and now three-year-old Kona is driving dude nuts. Coma is a lot meaner than dude was. She bites his ears and his nose whenever Dude gets some attention and is very jealous; she definitely wants all the attention.

I always come home from taking them for a walk almost overheated. After about half an hour in my room, I get cold, so I have to go out on the porch to warm up in the sun. Seriously, I wish my body would make up its mind.

I sat on the porch with the dogs and hung out with my family in the kitchen and on the front porch for a while. I know I say it a lot, but just hearing the kids outside my door makes me feel so happy! Nora seems to be getting more comfortable with me, and that is an amazing feeling! Now Jude comes running down the hallway, saying, "Mimi Mimi," that's what he calls me! And I never really understood it before, but now I get it. Kids are amazing, and they just make my heart happy! Unfortunately, when I was younger, I never really wanted to get married or have kids, thinking about it now, I think it had more to do with me being an alcoholic and wanting nobody to notice me more than kids. My nephew asked me one time if I was ever affectionate, hugged, or picked them up. I had to say no, and I was totally embarrassed! I didn't say that it had anything to do with alcohol, but I assume my whole family knew. I've just never been an affectionate, huggy person; being that close to someone makes me nervous! 

Cruz came in, and we did some personal care and a nice, long, hot bath. It always feels so good to go to bed clean in a clean bed. It's really nice to see Cruz a couple of times a week. She's one of those friends that we don't really keep in touch like every day or every other day, but when we do get together, it's like we've never been apart. Sometimes I feel bad if I haven't talked to her for a long time, and all of a sudden, I don't have caregivers anymore. I can text her, and she will pretty much drop everything and come. If she has her daughter's birthday, Christmas, or anything coming up where she needs extra money, she will call me, and of course, there's always something to do. You know? A real friend! After she left, I deleted my email and got caught up on my blog. If I do that before I even play a game, listen to music, or watch a movie, I don't feel so guilty. Why do I have so much guilt??

Cruz went home, and Ashlyn came in to plan meals for the rest of the week. I always have the same thing in the morning: breakfast casserole, and lunch is basically chicken salad, or celery and peanut butter, always chia pudding, roasted vegetables, spinach, and mushrooms. For dinner, I'm trying more different things because who wants to be predictable? I'm already predictable enough! So this time she made shrimp fajitas and a pork loin roast. She's trying to tweak the lemon blueberry and banana nut bread recipes to make them moister and less dense. I truly believe that if anybody can do it, Ashlyn can

Tuesday

Amy came in and gave me an awesome massage! Since I've been getting up every day, my neck is so sore. I got a harness instead of a chest strap, and I feel so much more secure and like I don't flop around in the chair. Why didn't I think of this before??

Haylee came in again because Liberty wasn't feeling any better. She took care of the dogs, took care of me, and then got me dressed and up in my chair. I took Kona out for a 5-mile cruise and then took Dude out for his 2-mile cruise. We came back and hung out outside in front until it got too warm, and then we hung out in the row so I could play on the computer, a.k.a. take a nap.

Brooklyn came in and fed the hungry hounds. Now we can just leave the door open and let them run in and out as much as they want! Every once in a while, Dude will still stand there and wait for us like he wants out, even though the door is wide open. I wonder if he forgot or if he just wants a personal invitation?

Her husband, TJ, came over to help Robert with the hillside in front of the house. They dug it down so we can flatten it out and put some turf there. I don't know what I would do without these two, but hopefully I will never have to find out! Another description of a perfect friend and somebody fun to hang out with! They went home to jump in the lake.

Brooklyn came back and fed the tire dogs, got me something to eat on my new front porch! And then put me to bed. I played on the computer selfishly until Stanley came in to let the dogs out one more time and pick up their water. Then I watched movies until I fell asleep!

Wednesday

Haylee came in to feed and toilet the dogs. We left the door open while I had a couple of cups of coffee, then breakfast, but I decided to stay in bed. I was gonna get up, but I just talked myself out of it, to be honest. It was nice to have a day to stay in bed. I've gotten older, I could just be like here watching a movie or reading something, and all of a sudden I start myself awake, what just happened?? I used to never be able to take a nap or understand why people had naps, but now I love them so much!

I miss hanging out with the great-nieces and great-nephews, but I could hear them having so much fun!

Cruz came in, and we did some personal care without result and no bath. I wish I could just find a secret that would give me results every time we do personal care. It was nice to hang out with Cruz; she really gets a lot done!

Thursday

Today is my birthday! Liberty still wasn't feeling good enough to come to work, so Haylee came in to pick up her shift. So what do I do on my birthday today? I have an OB/GYN appointment. I guess I wasn't really thinking when I made the appointment for that day. Haylee fed the dogs, and we left the door open so they could come in and out as they wanted. I really love that we can do that! I know that, of course, we couldn't take them both with us, and they will be upset that I'm leaving without them. Dude is my service dog, and I take him with me a lot, but I need to take him with me all the time; that's his job. Kona just needs to find a way to deal with it! I wish you didn't feel so threatened when we lock her in her kennel; otherwise, she tears up something in my room.

I have an OB/GYN appointment, but I've been a little constipated, so I'm kind of nervous. OB/GYN doctors get very close, and I just don't want any mishaps, so I clinched the whole time I was there, and I was so relieved when it was over without incident.

McKenzie's mom and dad came to visit and help. I always know when they come to visit, great things happen! I heard them discussing what they're going to do in the front yard, and it sounds amazing! They are even including my due dog jog cover that was gravel in front of the house. They moved it all to the backyard, put a railroad tie into the ground, and now it looks so awesome! They're going to do another level with dirt, gravel, turf, or all of the above.

On the way out the door, Stanley texted me to say there was a farmers' market right where we were, and we should go check it out, so we did. I ran to Josh from church, for the life of me, I could not remember his name at the time, and I wanted to introduce him to my new caregiver. He was there with his wife, kids, and a booth for Kingwood Church, with what's up games around it for people to play! We got some cherries to bring back home to the crew! On the way out, I ran into two other people from the church. I couldn't remember their name either. I recognize faces but don't remember names.

TJ and Brooklyn went back over and brought their sons, Dominique and Zaden, and their daughter, whom I hear about all the time but could never remember her name. McKenzie ordered Indian food, and it was amazing! It's only the third time that I've had it, and I love it. I always hated the smell of curry, but now it's not so bad, and I wanna try it. I had shrimp, it's something else. So you put rice on your plate, then put the dish on it, and then pick it up with the naan bread and eat it with your fingers.

After dinner, I thanked everybody and decided I'd better go to bed. I've been up a lot, and I just don't wanna overdo it and end up with a pressure sore. After she put me to bed, I was having a really hard time keeping my eyes open. I love that feeling! As soon as she left, I was out, and Stanley had to wake me up when he came in to let the dogs out, take up their water, and put on my CPAP mask. Thank goodness I went right back to sleep and slept through the night!

Friday

Haylee came in, fed the dogs, and then got me some coffee. I ate some breakfast with my 2nd cup of coffee, it was delicious! My normal breakfast is breakfast casserole, half of an avocado, some fruit, and if my blood sugar is low, half a bagel or some low-carb toast. She got me dressed and up in my chair, I took the dogs out for their morning cruise, and got back before the sun started beating down. I spent some time outside with the family, and it turned out to be a really beautiful, relaxing day. I came back here to hang out with the dogs and, of course, play games, listen to music, and watch TV. It's so nice to have a breeze coming through my room, I have a lot of windows in my room but none of them open, isn't that strange? The upside is I don't have a lot of bugs, but the downside is that when I came back to bed, I noticed a big, huge spider on my wall!! Uninvited guests, luckily, TJ is tall, so he took it down and put it outside…it was huge!! Of course, that makes me stare at the ceiling all night long because I know that there's a spider in here plotting to descend on me, what's the spec, snarling teeth and eight eyes.

Nobody was around, so I spent most of the day in my room and out on my porch hanging out with the dogs. It was really hot outside, but luckily, my door is always shaded. If I stay in my room too long, I get too cold because I have the air conditioner set at 68°, so I just go back out, sit in the sun for a while to get my vitamin D, and then, when it gets too hot, I just come back in.

Cruz came in and fed the dogs, put me to bed, and we did some personal care and a bath. I didn't really get a long hot bath this time because someone was using the dishwasher, and I forgot to tell them I needed the hot water for a bath. She put me back to bed and then went home. I always feel bad that she travels so much to come here for just four hours, but she said she doesn't mind doing it. I watched TV I did stuff on the computer until I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

Saturday

I woke up Saturday already feeling really nervous. Today is my birthday party, and I love attending parties for other people, but I just get so nervous when it's for me.

Brooklyn came in, took care of the dogs, and got me dressed and up in my chair. I had 2 cups of coffee, but I didn't eat anything because my brother invited me to a barbecue at their church! I always know the food is going to be amazing because my brother shops and cooks! They had ribs, chicken, and baked beans that my brother makes, and they are so delicious! They also had potato salad, and inside, there was a silent auction. They had so many big, beautiful quilts, I am a sucker for quilts!! They had lots of really cool stuff, but I'm supposed to be saving my money. It was so hard, but I did it! They had a bake sale as well, a lot of delicious donuts, cookies, cupcakes, rolls…everything looks so delicious! Brooklyn said she was going to some yard sales. I LOVE yard sales! Lately, I've been pretty good about going to yard sales and not spending a lot of money, but in the end, when I pay off all my credit cards, I will be in heaven!

We came back, and I hung out in my room for a while while McKenzie, Brooklyn, and her family, aunt Janet, set up for my birthday party. After a while, I forgot all about the party, and I went to go outside, and someone told me not to look, I didn't look. Vicky had the patio so beautifully set up, and everything outside looked awesome! I talked to Vicki for a while, then she had to go because she was having a party of her own. I needed to get ready for that. I love talking to Vicky!

Before I knew it, it was 3:00 PM, and I went to check out the decorations. It was all tie-dye, and it looked so cool! There weren't a lot of people invited, mostly family and caregivers, Cruz and her daughter, Becca and her boyfriend Lucian, and Brooklyn and her family. Robert and McKenzie, David and Melissa, Stanley and Janet, Nathan, and of course all seven nieces and nephews! I love watching the kids play and just having my family, immediate and caregiving family, there was all I needed! I told everybody not to bring gifts, but if they really had to get me some plants and garden stuff for my new back deck! I was babbling a lot because that's what I do when I'm nervous and surrounded by people, I just end up making myself more uncomfortable, and if I had just kept my mouth quiet.

Brooklyn put me to bed, and I was exhausted! One of my friends at the party left me a little 10 of tangerine edible, so I ate one and went right to sleep! It was so relaxing! Usually, my favorite thing to do after my birthday is over is to go online and read all my birthday wishes on Facebook. I was online playing a game and didn't see very many, then I realized I was on Robby's profile. I have a profile for each of my dogs so that whenever I run out of lives in my games, I can switch to another name and play for a while. It makes me feel so good to see all the birthday wishes!

Sunday

Brooklyn came in and brought breakfast from Black Bear Diner. This is the only day when nobody eats until after Brooklyn and me, and it was so delicious! She got me dressed and up in my chair and then left for the day. I realized everyone had gone to church, so I stayed here and hung out with the pups. Most of the day, we hung out on the porch. Jan of Ellen, we're coming over today to play some cribbage. I completely forgot it was Father's Day, and the more I thought about it, the more I wished I had picked another day, so I texted them to ask if we could get a rain check. I didn't know how many from the family would come over, and I thought it would be better if I went and hung out with my brother, but I didn't end up doing that anyway. I texted Brooklyn and told her the cribbage game was canceled, so she came over with TJ. Dominique came over, too. TJ replanted some of the plants from my tractor tire that were getting enough sun, and Dominique shuffled and moved dirt while she put me to bed. They went home, and I had a nice, relaxing evening.