Monday I had a dentist appointment, it’s about a half an hour away but I always leave a little bit early just in case. They really have no way to know when I’m there so I usually sit around the corner in the window until they see me or until somebody leaves. They ended up taking x-rays and the doctor examined me so I didn’t have time to get my teeth cleaned, I was originally what the appointment was for. I had to be back at my house at 12:30 PM in order to get to the Santa Cruz skilled nursing facility by 1 PM. There was an ambulance and a fire engine in front when we got there and it seemed like everybody was in a bad mood. There was a couple of people yelling in the hallways, I think the ambulance probably upset everyone. A friend of mine called and needed a ride home, she hurt her ankle and her wrist and I didn’t want her to try to walk home so we left early. I feel really guilty because I love going there but we won’t go again next week. On the way home we decided to have sushi and it was AWESOME. Mine was kind of like a California roll but it had tempura shrimp on the top, I had had it once before and it was really good. I came home and went to bed and watched a movie called gone baby gone, I realized towards the end that I had already seen it but it was a really good movie.Tuesday I got up and took Robby for a cruise and then went to see Claudia to get a manicure and pedicure. We are having a surprise birthday party for Steve on Sunday and I decided to wear a dark blue skirt so I wanted to get my finger nails done the same color. I decided to cruise down the canal to World Market to get my favorite cookies, I love their gingersnap cookies. As I was leaning back in my chair I heard somebody scream my name and I looked up and there was Susan, my massage therapist, and her twins so I visited with them for a little bit and then went on to get my cookies and back home. Ate dinner and took a long bath before I went to bed. Then it was Robby’s turn to take a bath, he wasn’t as happy to get his as I was to get mine. Wednesday the massage therapist came at 8 AM, I didn’t realize how sore my neck was until she started massaging it. I got up and went for a cruise and when I came back Heather was cooking. She made me some calamari with garlic, butter and capers, quinoa and mixed barbecued vegetables. What a great way to end the day.
Thursday I had an appointment in San Jose with Kevin. My aunt and uncle drove me there. I didn’t think we were going to even get out of the driveway because it took us 25 minutes to figure out what was wrong with the ramp on the van, DEFINITELY time to get a new one. We finally got it opened and were wondering if we were going to get it opened again when we got there but I guess it’s not we were going to the perfect place, they can fix it. The first thing when I got to mobility works I saw the new Honda Odyssey vans, I was in love with them before but when I saw it I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. Kevin reassured me again that I would have no more visibility in the Honda Odyssey and I do in my Chrysler Dodge, I’m just too tall. They had a Mercedes sprinter in the back but had not yet put in the lift so we can only look from the outside. It was really big and that’s what I was afraid of but I would definitely be able to see out. Also I wouldn’t be able to set where the passenger seat is because that’s where the mechanism for the airbags are, under the floor, and they cannot be moved. I would have to sit behind the driver and passenger seat. Kevin called a guy that he had worked with at the Mercedes dealership and of course it was his day off but he assured us that anybody there would help us so we drove over. There was no customers and we can see about four salesmen wandering around and just chatting, nobody came over to talk to us. I did see the smallest sprinter van and I felt much better, it was not a lot bigger than the one I have. I think the only reason a salesman came out of the building and talk to us was because I was toileting my dog on their front lawn and giving him water. The salesman asked if he could help them when we told him what we wanted he said that the guy that handles that was off for the day. We told him we just wanted to look at them and maybe get a brochure, he said he would go back inside and see if he could get a brochure but came back out and said that guy’s door was locked. After we badgered him further about information he said that he would try to find a key and get us a brochure. After another 10 or 15 minutes my aunt went in to find out what was taking so long and the guy was standing in the corner reading some paperwork. My aunt asked him if he was able to find a key and he said “oh, I’ll go see if I can find a manager”. My aunt just told him that we had driven a long way and that we didn’t appreciate being treated like a then we would find another place to buy a van, it didn’t even phase him and he just walked away. We went and had Mexican food and then drove home. I took a nice long hot bath and went to bed.
Friday for some reason I was up by 9 AM, that almost never happens. I took Robby for a really long cruise, we were headed towards the lighthouse when I noticed he looked like he was limping so I tried to watch and then we turned around. By the time I got down to the wharf he looked like he was doing okay so we cruised the boardwalk, down the canal, went to Ross and then back home through downtown. It was supposed to be 85° so I really wasn’t going to go out again and my brother from Georgia arrived. We went to Best Buy and came back and you’ll never guess who was cooking in my kitchen? Heather made the most awesome salmon I think I have ever had with lemon and capers, yellow squash with mushrooms and rice pilaf. It was really a great day. Saturday Dave and I went to Best Buy to get a small monitor for my home automation system, so we can just look at the computer and tell why a home automation system is not working, what shutdown and when. We ended up also getting a case for my new iPhone so I can adapt it to use on my chair. Everybody there was so nice and so helpful, we told them what we needed and we had a bunch of really good suggestions. We came back and after a while Stanley, Robert, David and Corinne showed up. I was afraid that they would not make it because Stanley got a bit by a spider and wasn’t feeling good. Then Tom and Kelly showed up, they are going to stay here until the end of the month. It was so nice to have everyone here. Uncle Dick made some killer hamburgers and aunt Kathy made pasta with asparagus.
Sunday was a big day, Steve’s surprise birthday party. We all got up and Stanley made it KILLER breakfast, I love breakfast but the only time I eat it is when Stanley is here. Everybody got busy setting up for the surprise party, we had no idea who or how many people were going show up. We just told everyone who knew Steve to invite everybody who know Steve. I was really sure that he knew about it but he was really surprised. By morning caregiver, Karen, agreed to stay and take pictures and I cannot wait to see them. Of course there was a ton of food and a bunch of really nice people. Kelly made a couple of lasagnas, one vegetable and one meat. They have the best garlic bread at Cosco but when my aunt went to get it they said that they weren’t making it anymore but gave her the recipe, needless to say it was even better. Jim, a good friend and fishing buddy of Steve’s, brought and cooked some abalone that he had just caught, of course it was awesome. It was really obvious that everybody had a great time and of course there is lot of food left. I took a bath and went to bed, I was exhausted.
Monday Teresa came in to get me up because Karen is on vacation, I told her she is never allowed to go on vacation again. I really miss her in the mornings. On my way downtown to meet Cassy for sushi I ran into Scott, the puppy raiser from CCI. He and his wife were walking the puppy so we stopped and chatted for a while, I had never met his wife before. After sushi we went to Santa Cruz skilled nursing and visited for a while, I am really liking going there and getting to know everyone. The place that got me involved in going there, IU adventures, had a barbecue on Friday and I was really sad that I did not get to go. I’m just having all kinds of problems with my van.Tuesday I ended up staying in bed because of a mixup with the schedule. I have been really busy and exhausted all week so I guess it’s okay, I just feel bad because Robby doesn’t get to get out and get some exercise. I have been looking for a new van and the guy who I met at Ocean Cove gave me the name and number of a guy that his sister bought a van from so I gave him a call to see if he had any vans that I could look at and he said he did but he was coming to Watsonville on Thursday and he would stop by and talk to me. His voice sounded very familiar so when I asked him his name and he said it was Kevin I knew instantly who he was. He used to run a place called Southbay mobility, I used to take my van there all the time to get fixed and I knew him pretty well. I told him my name and he remembered me, it will be really good to see him on Thursday and catch up and hopefully get a new van from him. I really like the looks of the Honda Odyssey.
Wednesday was all about Robby Day, the first time in I can’t remember when I didn’t have any plans. We went for a really long cruise through the lagoon, along the Levy all the way down to Cost Plus World Market... okay World Market was all about me and my ginger snap cookies. We came back home and Ann called and said she was finished with a hat that she was making for me so we met her downtown at the post office. Robby slept like a baby.
Thursday Kevin came by to talk to me about getting a van, he was supposed to bring his van so I could check it out. He forgot that drove his motorcycle and I’m so glad that he did, it was the coolest thing I have ever seen. It is a wheelchair accessible BMW motorcycle. We did get to talk about the van and I kind of know what I want but were going to San Jose on Thursday so I can look at what he has. I’m so excited, my van hasn’t been running very well for a while now and we never really know from day to day if the battery is going to die. Because of the ramp they had to lower the floor and it hits every bump and slightly raised driveway, the side doors don’t even close all the way anymore.Friday my aunt took me to the 40th anniversary barbecue at Valley medical center. I saw a lot of people that I haven’t seen for a long time, someone took some pictures and asked me to do an interview about Valley medical. I always get so nervous when I have to do stuff like that. After the barbecue we went to the Apple store in Los Gatos and I got a new iPhone four, I hope it works better for me than my old one. We came home and played cribbage with a group of friends, we skunked our opponents twice... we played for a dollar each game but if you get skunked you have to pay an extra dollar.Saturday was our fourth support group meeting at Dominican rehab. There were six people today in chairs plus Terryn and the family of one of our young guys in a chair. Rogers showed us a website that he has been working on to put our support groups information online, it looked awesome. We talked about networking our support group with other support groups in the area, it all sounds so exciting. We took a couple of pictures to put them on the website to get everything started. We decided to have a Halloween party here at my place on the 17th, the day after the support group. I am already going to have this place decorated and it’s really going to be a lot of fun. I LOVE Halloween and I can’t wait. After the support group Cassy and I went to the Santa Cruz County fair. The first thing that we did was watch the pig races, they are so adorable. Of course we got something to eat, wandered around for a while, got some funnel cake and then left. Neither one of us are really big on crowds but we wanted to check it out. When I got back home and checked face book a guy that I used to work with wrote that he heard me on the radio talking about Valley medical, they did an interview with me yesterday at the 40th anniversary barbecue and took some pictures. He said it was on KCBS radio station but I couldn’t find it on the website.Sunday turned out to be a really good day to stay in bed, I am exhausted from last week and this week is going to be another busy week. I slept most of the day which really felt great and watched movies when I could stay awake.
Monday I did not get to go to sushi or Santa Cruz skilled nursing. I’m training a new girl to take over for my morning girl, Karen, was going on vacation for two weeks. Karen has been working mornings seven days a week and it’s really hard to get used to somebody else, it’s always really hard with new people.Tuesday I had an appointment, THOUGHT I had an appointment, at Dominican rehab with Terran. I ran into her as I was walking in the building and she looked surprised, apparently they scheduled my appointment for NEXT Tuesday but she says that they always do that. It was really nice to see her, she comes to all of the support groups and is so fun to be around. Steve came over and brought me the most beautiful glass dolphins, he is such a sweet man and I’m so glad that he’s here.Wednesday I ended up staying in bed. I thought it would be nice to just lay around all day and watch movies but I got really bored and anxious really quick, maybe it was all a coffee? I always feel bad for Robby because he doesn’t get to get any exercise, maybe Cassy will throw the ball to him a little bit when she gets here. For some reason I was extremely anxious all day, I could not decide if I wanted to watch TV, listen to music, listen to a book on the computer or sleep... I couldn’t stand doing any of those for longer than 10 minutes. I always think it’s owing to be really relaxing staying in bed but then I feel stranded and wish that I could go outside.Thursday I took Robby for a long cruise and then I went to lunch and then to the movies with my aunt. We were going to go see Going the distance, the new Drew Barrymore movie but my van would not start so we had to choose something local. we went to lunch at an Italian restaurant downtown and I ran into Scott and his new puppy. I met him a couple of times on Westcliff Drive, he is a puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence. We went to see The kids are alright. Heather and I had talked about going to see it but we never did, it was a really good movie.Friday I had a really nice massage and got up late, I usually get up at 2 PM on Fridays because of the concerts but they are over now. I didn’t really know what to do and am really going to miss the concerts on the beach. I took Robby for a cruise and we had a really nice time.Saturday Teresa Jess and I, and of course Robby, went to the Capitola Art and wine Festival. The weather was really great and the place was packed. We had a great time looking at everything but it was all very expensive. I had a huge, awesome quesadilla and got a couple of wine glasses. I came home and Heather made me a killer calamari dinner with brussels sprouts and orange quinoa. While we were at the Art and wine Festival I met yet another owner of the Canine Companion for independence dog. The lady said that her son had a skilled companion dog. We talked for a while and I told her about the puppy play date on Sundays so hopefully she will show up one day, I turned around after we spoke to give her my phone number but she was gone. She lives in Watsonville, her name will be easy to remember because it’s Tamara.Sunday I took a nice long bath and got up just in time for the puppy play date. Of course the puppies had a really good time, met a couple of new friends and wore each other out.
Monday Kelly Cassady and I went for sushi at Mobos, always a great experience. After sushi Cassidy drove Robby and I over to Santa Cruz skilled nursing for a visit. The more I go over there the better I get to know some of the people, I love visiting with them and the time just seems to go by really fast. After we came back Heather made the most awesome calamari steak I have had in a long time, she also made brown rice and a really good salad. A great day for a Monday. Tuesday I went to see Claudia to get my haircut. I know exactly how I want my haircut but I can’t seem to explain it. I found a couple of pictures of hairstyles that I want but I can get a picture of the back, I looked all over the Internet. I took Robby for a cruise a couple of times and came back and Heather made me a calamari steak with her homemade eggplant marinara sauce and some brown rice, it was so awesome. Wednesday Kelly and I went to the movies to see Eat Prey Love, I really liked it and thought it was hilarious. I heard some reviews that said it was too long and not very good but I guess everybody’s taste is different, we both enjoyed it very much. We came back and Heather was cooking up a storm. A friend of my aunts brought over a bunch of corn on the cob, zucchini and squash and we were wondering what to do with it... I should have known Heather would find something awesome. she cut up the zucchini and added spinach, artichoke hearts, spinach and Fontaine cheese sausages, Rocotta cheese and mixed it with her killer eggplant marinara sauce. I can smell it right now because she just took it out of the oven and I cannot wait to try it, the smell is out of this world. Thursday Kelly and I decided to take a road trip to Ocean Cove in Jenner California, my uncle and aunt were camping there with some friends. Luckily right before we left we heard there was an overturned beer truck blocking both lanes of Highway 17 so we decided to take Highway 1 all the way there. I think that was the most beautiful ride I have ever been on. It took us about five hours but it didn’t seem that long, we had so much fun talking and catching up. We got there and the abalone diver decided that he would go out to try to get some abalone for dinner. Since we got there so late we couldn’t stay for dinner so he told us to bring it home and we can have it when my uncle and aunt get back. I have never seen a live abalone and it was so cool. It looked like a large black tongue reaching out and feeling around for something to grab onto. I cannot wait to try that. The ride back was really nice except that on the way back I was way too close to the ocean, it was right over the cliff. Friday Kelly and I decided to head over to Home Depot to get a stand for my moms topsy-turvy tomato plants, they were hanging over the deck and kept getting squished on the driveway below. Friday was the last concert on the beach and I am so sad, it went by way too fast. I did go to all the concerts except one. We decided to go to the later shown because I have never been, I always go to the 6:30 PM show. I thought it would be better but I think next year I will stick to the earlier show. By 8:30 PM there are a lot of intoxicated people getting out of hand on the boardwalk, kind of scary. I liked the lights and the tubes put on a really great show but they only sang one song that I knew, they did not sing she’s a beauty or what you want from life. Saturday We finally got to eat the abalone we brought home on Thursday, I have been so excited waiting for it. It was everything I had hoped it would be, it was so tender and it just tasted AWESOME. We also had some breaded pork chops, roasted red potatoes and roasted asparagus, I ate way too much. Sunday was puppy play date and not only Robby but Bella was ready to play. There ended up being about six dogs, all about the same size, and they all got along really well and had so much fun. I need to work on recall with Robby because he doesn’t always listen to me once he starts playing. Dr. Owens suggested that we go to the great Mall in Milpitas next Saturday, SHOPPING... I’m so excited.
