It looks like it's supposed to rain most of the week…

 Monday was a really long day. Susan came over to give me my massage and brought her dog Whoopi to play with Robby, they hit it off immediately and had so much fun. When we put them outside the just wanted to lay around in the sun but when we brought them in they wanted to play, just like kids… I guess they wanted an audience. The massage was awesome as it always is and I felt good that Robby got some exercise. Karen made me some chorizo,  egg and cheese tacos… they were awesome. We did some personal care and I had at an almond butter and apricot jam sandwich and some garlic sun chips, kind of a weird combination but it was good. Heather came over and made some chicken adobo, it smells killer in here right now. I don't know why but I just love anything pickled. I relaxed the rest of the night and watched Liz and Dick on lifetime, actually I TiVoed it.

Tuesday it took a little bit longer to get up so I was getting nervous, of course Tuesday was the only day I had an appointment. I guess you just never know? I got up and had to rush over to Sunshine Villa to get my hair dyed and my fingernails done, I got the same color on my fingernails as my new van. Samantha does such a nice job. After that we cruise down to the boardwalk and just sat on the deck and watch the ocean for a while, I can't believe I live so close to such a beautiful place. There was hardly anybody around and everything was closed so we practice a few commands and then cruised down to the end of the wharf and back, it was pretty cold but the sun was starting to come out… this was 3 o'clock in the afternoon but better late than never?  While I was at Sunshine Villa I mentioned to Samantha that I needed a couple of caregivers and it was getting down to the wire and I didn't know what I was going to do, I'm losing one and another one is going on vacation. She said that some of the caregivers that work there have side jobs and a little while later a lady came in and Samantha asked her if she knew anybody that was interested, we told her what the hours were and she said that she was interested in might know somebody else. She was the perfect lady to ask because I think she is in charge of the caregivers there. How cool is that?? I was getting ready to panic and call an agency. I see her come in the salon every once in a while and Samantha says she has worked there for a long time and is a good lady, I am so excited. We made an appointment to have her come over here on Thursday and hopefully she can start shortly after that. Teresa put me to bed and we finished the last of the paperwork for my new van, I had to get a doctor's note. This morning for breakfast I had a chicken, artichoke heart and Fontaine sausage, garlic sauerkraut and edemame and for dinner I had chicken adobo, roasted brussels sprouts and eggplant. It was a great day.

Wednesday was a great day. I got to sleep in until 11:30 AM, I woke up briefly when my mom came down to take Robby out and feed him at 7 AM but then went back to sleep. Susan came to give me a massage, sometimes during the winter when I'm out a lot the cold does weird things to my muscles and I like to get a massage a couple of times a week if I can. Karen came in at 10 AM and made me some chorizo, bacon and cheese burritos… I LOVE those. We did some personal care and then I watched go on, Matthew Perry is so funny and a couple of other shows that I had TiVo… I love to watch them together for a couple of episodes instead of waiting for them each week. Heather came over and cooked a steak, some fish, broccoli, greens, wheat berries… a whole bunch of really killer stuff and my house smells amazing. She said she was going to Trader Joe's and asked me if I needed anything… I have been craving turnovers from Trader Joe's since Alex brought me one a couple of weeks ago. They didn't have the berry ones so she got me lemon, they were still really soft and delicious and now I am in heaven. I was thinking today how really lucky I am that I have Heather was not only a really good friend but also cooks me amazing meals and keeps me healthy, where can you find that anymore?? I have the house of my dreams, I met some great people when I moved here and I'm a mile from the most beautiful ocean, Wharf, Boardwalk and downtown. I just don't think my life could get any better right now. I have an interview tomorrow with Rosa, hopefully she can start right away. I think she knows of more girls that can help me out, I was really starting to panic because of the girl that I'm losing I don't think is going to be back at all or would like to not have to come back on the 20th  I have Karen going on vacation. It seems like everything always works itself out and I am happy again.

Thursday looked like it was going to rain all day but at least it didn't while Robby and I went for a cruise. I got up and did my exercises, I missed last week so it felt really good to get back into it. I bundled up and took Robby out and we cruise down to the lighthouse and I thought about going further but it was just getting to windy so we turned around and cruise down to the end of the wharf and back and down to the end of the boardwalk and back, by then it was just getting too cold so I decided to cruise home. On the way home I ran into Andrew, he is my neighbor and he works for parks and rec department. I told him that I was interviewing people for caregiving position and somebody stuck a sticker over our street name on the sign so he said he would stop by and take care of it, I looked at the sign when I came home and the sticker was gone… Andrew is really a great guy. I think that sticker has probably been on there for 6 months. Karen was still here so she made me a tuna salad and avocado sandwich, it was so good.Rosa came by and we talked to her for a little bit that she's going to start tomorrow, Teresa will train her but she has been doing this for a very long time so she doesn't need a lot of training. She also said that her daughter would be willing to help out on the weekend mornings, that is such a relief. I also got an e-mail today from someone who doesn't really have a lot of experience in caregiving but sounds really eager to learn, I will find out tomorrow what shift Rosa wants and go from there. I wanted to have something built outside to cover my van and the patio furniture at the end of my driveway but I was told that I couldn't do it without a permit and it probably wouldn't get a permit. I was looking through Facebook yesterday and I saw this, apparently a farmer wanted to build something so that his horses could have some shade but whoever is in charge would let him do it or give him a permit so he decided to build some very large furniture… apparently you can build furniture but not shade for your horses.

Friday was kind of a miserable day but it did get to do my exercises and that always makes me feel good. I have a heating blanket that Kimberly sewed buttons on so I can put it around my neck to keep my neck and arms warm, it plugs into the cigarette lighter attachment I have on my chair… it's awesome. The rain stopped for a little bit today so I decided to make a break for it and cruise with Robby over to the lagoon. I got about halfway there and it started sprinkling so I thought I had better turn around, I didn't put my rain poncho over the heating blanket, as soon as I turned around it started just pouring buckets so I rushed home to dry off. Teresa came by at 4 PM and Rosa showed up to be trained. She kind of indicated yesterday that she was doing Claudia and Samantha a favor by helping me out because I'm losing my caregivers, we just came out and asked her if she just wanted to work until I found someone else and she said no she wanted to work. She's done this since she was like 18 and she really knows what she's doing, we hardly needed to show her anything… she is AWESOME and I hope we can keep her here working. After they put me to bed I looked up at the surveillance cameras because I heard the doorbell and there was a lady looking in my Windows  so I mentioned it to Teresa and Rosa and they went to check it out, it was Rosa's daughter coming to pick her up. I'm glad I got the chance to meet her because I think she wants to work the morning weekend shift, they are both so nice and I hope it works out. The rest of the night I was just thinking about how lucky I really am, I was so panicked about not having a caregiver next month and then these 2 angels dropped into my lap and I also got an e-mail from another lady who wants to work, I hope maybe she would want to help out when Karen goes on vacation next month and then we can see how she works.

Saturday turned out to be a really good day. The sun started to come out so after I did my exercises I wanted to take Robby for a really long cruise.  Vicente Showed up to see if I have anything for him to do,  he is going to come back on Tuesday, boy did I find a bunch of stuff for him to do. I swear that man can do anything, he is so awesome. He even comes up with his own suggestions and they are always a great idea. We cruised through the lagoon but only on the dry part of the boardwalk because it was really muddy and I just know I would've gotten stuck. We were cruising through Depot Park, the soccer field, and I noticed the doors to the recreation room were open and something was going on inside, I wanted to go in and look but I was too embarrassed so I thought I would check it out on the way back. I did see a sign but they had it over the parking lot so I turned around and said Christmas play or something like that. The sun was really coming out so we cruised up to the lighthouse Museum and down to the dog park until it started to get a little foggy and the waves were actually hitting the path in some places on W. Cliff Dr So we decided it's best to turn around and cruise down for the wharf. We passed a lot of dogs and Robby and I are getting a little bit more comfortable but every once in a while Robby will just jump up and bark at the dog, I don't know how he picks them out. I'm trying to take in more places where there are dogs so I could discourage him from paying attention to them. I came on to rest for a while and Alexia and Seth came by to say hello, I haven't seen them for a long time and they're getting so big. When Tracy came she brought me some turkey leftover soup, it was really good. Rosa showed up for her 2nd day of training and I think she has it down really good so her and I are on our own tomorrow, Teresa has a paper that really needs to get done… maybe 2. I got a nice long hot bath and went to bed, that is the best feeling ever.

 Sunday was another good day, it's so nice to have enough caregivers to get up every day if I want. I got up and did my exercises and looked outside and noticed the sun was trying to come out. Robby and I cruised through the lagoon, past the lighthouse and to the end of the work and the boardwalk and back. Every once in a while I just have to play back and watch the ocean, especially with the sun trying to come out the waves are just beautiful. I forgot for a while but it was Sunday because there was hardly anybody out and about. We practice our commands on the boardwalk and then headed home. Heather came over and hung out for a while, that was nice because she has been able to do that for a while because she's been so busy. Rosa came to put me to bed, this was her 1st time doing it by herself and I think she was a little nervous but she did a great job… I am so lucky to have found her. For the last couple of nights I have been really cold so I just wrapped my electric throw around my shoulders and my head and it warmed me up pretty good, that is such a great feeling. For breakfast I have the rest of the Thanksgiving Day leftover soup that Teresa made, it was really good. For dinner I had a steak with mushrooms and some eggplant and cauliflower with feta cheese, also very good. I found out that Rosa's friend works with Heather, she is the pastry chef and I have tasted many of her creations… AWESOME.