No more appointments for a while, time to play…

 Monday turned out to be a great day. I got a kind of early and cruised around with Robby Halti to try instead of the pinch collar but it started to get really warm so I thought I better get home. When I left Otis was taking my pond apart to clean it and by the time I got back he had hooked up the fountain and at the pond all cleaned out, it looked awesome. He wasn't quite done when I went to bed so I can't wait to see what it looks like tomorrow. Heather came over and made some chicken adobo, some Talopia with lemon and capers and I can't remember what else but it smelled wonderful in here. Susan came over and gave me a massage, it felt really good.

 Tuesday was such a beautiful day. 1st thing I did when I got up was go and look at my new fountain/pond, it was as gorgeous as I had imagined… Otis is priceless. I went to pet Smart to get Robby fitted for a halter and he didn't seem to like it at 1st, he kept trying to rub it off his nose, but he got used to it and I really feel like I have more control. After seeing all of the dogs,  but mostly their owners, I just get frustrated all over again. I keep wanting to give up on trying to raise awareness about service dogs and leash laws but something always happens to make me angry enough to want to keep going. I'm going to CCI dog pool party on Sunday so hopefully I will be able to talk to the CCI representative in this area and other service dog owners. We cruise down to the wharf and it was so beautiful, I still can't believe I live in such a gorgeous place. The seals, or as I like to call them “doggie mermaids” were out in full force. They are so cute to watch, even Robby sticks his head in between the boards and watched them for a while. I came back home to get Robby some water and to rest for a bit and my house smelled wonderful. Kelly was cooking another awesome dish for her blog. I sat and watched her for a while and then I watched her photograph the food, she is really an artist. She made shrimp fried rice with fried onions and a fried egg on top, it tasted as wonderful as it smelled. I think I'm really going to like taste testing all of her dishes while she is here. I found some duck eggs at the farmers market so I had to duck egg on mine. The eggs from the farmers market are so unbelievably better than the ones in the store, so fresh. Kelly said that the duck eggs are a little bit harder to crack.

All I Need To Know About Life I Learned From My Dog

"Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joy ride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Thrive on affection and let people touch you - enjoy back rubs and pats on your neck.
When you leave your yard, make it an adventure.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
No matter how often you're scolded, don't pout - run right back and make friends.
Bond with your pack.
On cold nights, curl up in front of a crackling fire.
When you're excited, speak up.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
If you stare at someone long enough, eventually you'll get what you want.
Don't go out without ID.
Leave room in your schedule for a good nap.
Always give people a friendly greeting.
If it's not wet and sloppy, it's not a real kiss." by author unknown

Wednesday was another nice warm day. Robby and I went for a cruise through the lagoon, to the wharf and back and we met Teresa up at Safeway. Robby has already learned how to rub the nose piece off of his halter headgear,  he is such a clever boy. We found out how to fix it so he can do that again, just let him try. I went to see Dr. Hurray, I always love going to see him because he is so sweet and funny. Everything is looking great and I should only have to go see him for a couple more weeks and I will be totally pressure sore free… knocking on wood. Of course we went to Charlie Hong Kong's on the way back and I got pad Thai noodles with garlic tofu.

Thursday after I got up and headed over to Dr. Owens office to get my depo shot. It was starting to get nice, I thought it was going to be cold. I saw Cassidy and one of the guys that I always see from Parks and Recreation cleaning up the park walkway. I asked her if she was going to be there for a while because I was on my way to a doctors appointment and she said yes, it's always so nice to see Cassidy. I stopped back by and talked to her for a while but I didn't want to stay too long because I didn't want to keep her from her work. She still lives across the street but is moving so I hope to see her before she moves to catch up. Robby and I cruised down to the end of the wharf and then down to the boardwalk, when are these kids going back to school? I came back to rest and then went to get Tacos al Pastor with Tom and Kelly, their tacos are always so delicious and is just a couple blocks away. I came back and we were looking at my front yard and people had planted a bunch of vegetables,  I wanted to plant a garden out there because I would love to have the fresh vegetables. The accounting lady came by and we went across the street to show her my aunts garden because she was also a gardener. For breakfast I had shrimp fried rice that Kelly made, wheat berries and greens that Teresa made and chicken adobo that Heather made.

Friday turned out to be a really great day. The new housekeeper came over to look at my house and she agreed to start cleaning on Wednesday, Karen is getting too burnt out and this lady came highly recommended by my wound care visiting nurse. Robby and I cruised through the lagoon, up through the park and down to the bridge overlooking the wharf. Looking down it was so crowded that we didn't dare go down and try to find the people so we cruised through the Depot Park and came back to rest and get some water for Robby. I hung out and talked to Tom for a while but then he went back to work so I took Robby and went back to the lagoon. When we were leaving Phil and Hazel were just arriving, Phil is the one that made the beautiful counter, sink, shelving and pass through on my patio. When I came back from cruising Robby Kelly was making black bean burgers on chabatta bread. While we were barbecuing outside Heather came over and decided to join us. She brought over some HUGE portobello mushrooms so we barbecued and ate those also. After we ate we all went over to the beach boardwalk to watch the concert on the beach. This week was Greg Rollie formerly from Santana and journey, they put on an awesome show and it went by too fast. Kelly and I cruised back here and Teresa put me to bed. My brother Stanley, his daughter Corinne and 3 of her friends came down for the weekend. Rich dropped off Alexia and they all had a little sleep over across the street in the back house.

On Saturday we trained Sonja began,  I think she's really going to work out good. I thought Phil and his daughter were leaving because I saw them taking that step out the front door so I zoomed across the street to say goodbye but they said that they were just putting their stuff in the car. Tom came out and asked if we all wanted to go to Zachary's for breakfast,  Zachary's is one of the best breakfast places around here so heck yeah. We had a really nice breakfast and for a Saturday we didn't have to wait very long. Zachary's is only open until 2 PM and is always crowded with people waiting outside the building. We cruised a couple of the shops and then came back and Phil and Hazel went home. I came home and rested for about 15 min. and then decided to cruise down to Ross, I got to downtown and it was just too cold and sprinkling so I texted Teresa and told her it was cold and I was going home so she could come over whenever she wanted. For breakfast I had poached duck egg and some toast with some jam that Hazel made, it is really good stuff. For lunch I had artichoke frittata, home fried potatoes and molasses honey wheat toast.

Sunday was such an awesome day. CCI is having their annual pool party in Santa Clara and I was so excited when I found out I was going to be able to go, I wanted to go last year but didn't have a way to get there. Teresa came over and got Robby and I and we were really early so we decided to stop at the Los Gatos farmers market. What a great place that is, there will definitely be going back. We got to taste different kinds of hummus, I ended up buying 3 different kinds and some flatbread. We also found the sauerkraut Guy and I bought a couple of kinds of that, I can't wait to get some sausages and try them out.  We also got a samosa, it was my 1st time having one and I just loveded it. We went across the street to the cancer store and looked around for a while and I got a couple of hats. By the time we left Los Gatos it was already really hot and we thought about not even going, I'm so glad we decided to go. We got there and opened the door to the van and there was a really nice breeze. It was so much fun watching all the dogs jumping in and out of the pool and running around having a great time. I think Robby was one of 2 dogs that didn't want to go in the water, Robby went in twice but he was pushed both times and he panicked. Marve and Connie were there with Yara, the 2nd time I have seen them this month… they are so sweet it is always a pleasure to see them. We left and came on home and everybody was happy and exhausted.

Is it really July??

Monday I got up and took Robby for a short cruise before my appointment with Dr. Hurray. I was practically on pins and needles wanting to find out how my pressure sore is doing, he has been keeping it covered for a week. Both Teresa and Dr. Hurray had a very surprised, happy look on their face when they unveiled it. That was all I needed to see, it's just a matter of time now. After my appointment we went to Gail's bakery in Capitola, I have been here twice now  and each time the food was AWESOME. This time I had the vegetable polenta  casserole and garlic bread. After lunch Teresa and I cruised around the little shopping center, the stores were really small but everybody was really nice and accommodating… I personally think it's because I have such an adorable dog that everybody wants to talk to. Robby gets so animated when people talk to him. Teresa had a facial appointment so I cruised down to Capitola Village and Capitola beach. They have the cutest shops there but just like the little shopping center they were really small and some of them had steps to get in. The sidewalks were really thin and the streets were really narrow so I couldn't go in the streets like they do in Santa Cruz. Capitola is not a very wheelchair friendly place but it sure is beautiful and they have some really cool stuff, I will definitely go back. After Teresa's appointment I met her at the end of the beach walkway and she showed me the E. Cliff Dr., that's what I'm going to be cruising around next time.

Tuesday I had an appointment to get a manicure and my hair trimmed but my morning care took way too long so I rescheduled for Wednesday. Teresa came over and waxed my face and gave me a nice long hot bath, it felt so good and I slept great.

Wednesday I took Robby for a cruise and then went to sunshine Villa to get a manicure and to get my hair trimmed. It's always really nice visiting with Claudia, she is such a sweet lady. Robby and I cruised around the boardwalk and to the end of the wharf and back, I was surprised how crowded everything was but it is summer. I came back and Teresa and I met with an accountant to help me pay my bills, I have been wanting to find one for a long time.  She was looking around at my painted windows, I have my windows painted for all of the holidays, and she said how beautiful they looked and asked who did them. I told her I saw a lady painting the windows at Trader Joe's and she said Melissa? Apparently she also is an accountant for Melissa… it really is a small world. I met this lady while I was having my hair colored at Claudio salon in sunshine Villa. For breakfast I had some watermelon and for dinner I had some mustard chicken, some spinach and some zucchini.

Thursday turned out to be a great day. The weather was beautiful and Robby and I got to cruise around a lot not only on our regular cruise but down to my favorite nursery to identify a find that I had. They not only identified It but had some in their other store so I will be able to get it on Thursday, I'm so excited. After that I had an appointment with the dermatologist to see if I am in any danger from all these weird moles, skin tags and barnacles all over my face and body. He froze a bunch of stuff off and punched out one questionable one in my shoulder and said everything else looked great. We stopped by Charlie Hong Kong's then I got my usual pad Thai noodles with garlic tofu, I can never get enough that stuff. I was looking forward to taking a nice long hot bath  but everything that he froze off started burning really bad on the way home  so I thought I had better wait. For breakfast I had some watermelon, mustard chicken, spinach and quinoa.

Friday was a long personal care day and my shoulders were still burning from where they froze all of those barnacles off so I didn't really want to wear any more clothing than I had to so I just stayed in bed. I ate the rest of my pad Thai noodles with garlic tofu entries as steamed vegetables I decided I wanted a burger for dinner so we called this place up the street that has the most amazing and the weirdest burgers ever because they deliver, apparently they don't deliver on Friday so Tom went up and got them. I have an Ahi burger  and onion rings and it was AWESOME. I usually try to take a picture to share it but I eat most of it by the time I remembered. Teresa gave Robby a bath, it's always funny to hear those 2 in their when she gives him a bath because she is trying to stay dry and he is trying to get her wet.

Saturday turned out to be a really great day. I thought it was going to be really warm outside but it was perfect. Robby and I cruise through the lagoon and over to the wharf when I ran into Connie and Yara, Marvs wife and service animal. I was going to stop and watch everybody at the day on the beach but when I saw that Marv was there I decided to go and say hello. Day on the beach was founded by a guy named Foster Anderson, I met him a couple of times and what a great guy he is. He does adventures and outings for families with disabled people in them, they are always doing something. Once a year they have a day on the beach and I have missed everyone so far because of our support groups but this year I went. There is always so many people there, so much food and drinks and live bands. I am really glad I went because I do not only got to talk to Marv and Connie but a guy that used to go to the support groups many years ago named Greg, I haven't seen him for years and he said that he has a little girl now and he looked really great. I also ran into a guy that I met while cruising along the levee named Bob, I didn't recognize him because he wasn't on his and cycle bike. Everybody was having such a great time and was such a awesome event but it started getting really warm and I needed to get home. I got home just as Teresa was getting here so she put me to bed and somehow in the process lost an earring, she looked around but couldn't find it… she said she had just gotten them today.

  Sunday morning I took a nice long hot bath and got up around noon to take Robby for a cruise. It was way too cold and way too crowded so we cruised around for only about 2 hours and decided to come back and call it a day, really hate being outside when it's really cold and especially when the day before was so nice and warm.

Monday I got up and took Robby for a cruise before my appointment up at Stanford. We ended up being about a half an hour late because one lane of Highway 17 was closed from about Summit Road to Los Gatos because they were changing a couple of links in the fence by Los Gatos it looked like, we couldn't believe it. They should be doing all of this on weekends? We got there and found Lisa and they did a bunch of that routine research stuff that I remember from years ago. Lisa is going to send me home with an exercise program but my pinch grip wasn't strong enough  so we need to find some exercises to strengthen my pinch grip, I will ask Andrei when I see him tomorrow for my wheelchair evaluation… he is an OT and will know exactly what will help. On the way home Teresa happened to look down at the gas gauge and it was flashing 0, I don't think that's a good sign? I have found with this new  van that is really hard to find a place that sells diesel gas. The 1st 4 or 5 places that we hit didn't and we were getting really nervous, we were thinking about just parking it and calling AAA. We looked it up on the telephone and Internet and finally found a place and made it just in time. We didn't leave Stanford until 6 PM, Susan was supposed to be at my house at 6 PM to give me a massage. I called her and told her and she said that she had already found childcare for the evening so she would just cruise around and meet us there when we got there, I love how flexible she is. We finally made it home about 7:30 PM and Robby was starving, we forgot to bring his food and he was supposed to eat at 4 PM. The massage felt really good but by the time Teresa was able to leave she was exhausted and it was 10:30 PM.

Tuesday was another busy day. I took Robby for a cruise and then Teresa came by and to me into my wheelchair of valuation appointment with Andrei and Eric at Dominican rehab. I'm really excited about the chair that I'm getting because it is fully loaded, headlights and tail lights… even turn signals, tiedowns already installed in the chair, the feet lift up independently in the back lays down independently, and also has the tilt and they're going to put in a 12 V plug so I can plug in my electric throw. I remember when I got the chair that I  have now it took me about 6 months to get in it because I was so used to my other chair it just seemed weird. I don't think this one is going to be as hard to get used to, except learning all the controls all over again. Teresa brought me home and I rested for a bit and then I had a dentist appointment, just a cleaning. I was really excited because the last time I was there she told me about this water/air flossing machine and I got it and I have been using it, it just makes your mouth feels so clean afterward. She said there was definitely a difference and to keep using it and next time there will be a bigger difference, I think she just wanted to make sure I kept using it. It was always really hard to get my caregivers to floss my teeth because they were afraid it would hurt me or cut my gums. I came home and Heather cooked me this awesome meal, scallops, shrimp, oyster mushrooms and arugula with red quinoa and roasted brussels sprouts.  It tasted so good, I haven't had a great meal like that in a long time.

 Wednesday I thought it was going to be really cold so I wore a thin thermal shirt underneath my shirt, it turned out to be a really nice day.  I cruised Robby around the lagoon and then came back and Teresa brought me over to see Dr. Hurray, he is so funny and always in such a great mood. He said everything looks really great and my wound will be totally healed within a month. We went to Charlie Hong Kong's and I decided to try something different,  pad Thai noodles with prawns… although it was really good I missed my garlic tofu. The last couple of times we've gotten some mixed steamed vegetables to go with it is just the perfect touch. The day before yesterday Lauren called me from CCI to tell me that another service dog got attacked by an off leash dog, it sounds like the dog is in pretty bad shape. She wanted to find out where I was with my progress and I had to tell her that I just kind of game up. I wrote the mayor, Congressman… everyone I can think of and although everybody was outraged it just kind of died over and everything went back to normal except for Robby and I. Robby seems to be okay except for loud noises every once in a while makes him nervous but I am constantly looking down at people's feet to see if they have a dog and if they do I turn Robby around so my chair is in between him and the other dog or I just turned around and going away. I told Lauren I would love to get in touch with this other person and maybe together we can get something done about it, I just feel so defeated.

Thursday was a really long and painful personal-care day, by the time I finally got up I still felt really sick… I will never wait 4 days again to do personal care. I  had an appointment in San Mateo this afternoon to see a plastic surgeon, the same one that in my flap surgery. It was really nice to see him and I'm surprised that he recognized me, or seem to, but he couldn't really help me this time. I've been trying to think of everything so I finally decided to see about getting fat injections in my butt. I have lost so much weight that my butt is just down to skin and bones. He said that he had not only not heard of that  but he hasn't heard of anything that will really help, I was really excited to see him because I thought for sure he would be able to help. By the time we got back home I still really did feel good so I didn't eat anything, now of course I'm starving but I will be okay until morning. We came home and the tree that I have next to my porch had split down the middle and part of it was laying in the driveway, Teresa moved it over to the side so he could park and my mom could get in the garage. For breakfast I had some chicken with artichokes hearts, corn and asparagus.

Friday turned out to be a good day, a little cold but it warmed up.  I cruise Robby around for a while but even on Friday is starting to get really crowded around here. I ran into our friend Donna, she is a security officer on the boardwalk and only schedule the water. I ran into her a lot and I saw her when we went on the roaring Camp Railroad trip. When I got back Kelly took us  to Costco, I haven't been there for a long time and I need a lot of stuff… okay and there's some stuff I didn't need. We decided to stop in the Costco cafeteria to get something to eat, I heard it's better to shop on a full stomach but that doesn't work for me. Kelly had a turkey and provolone sandwich on chibatta bread and it looked really good. I love their chicken bakes so I couldn't help myself.

Saturday for some reason I was just really tired, I would've loved to have stayed in bed but we are training a new girl. She went to nursing school with Teresa and I hope she works out because I really like her. Lee and Claudia, my uncle and aunt and my mom and I played cribbage. Claudia was my partner and we won $5.

Sunday I was just so tired so even though we were training I decided to not get up. I found a bunch of movies on pay-per-view but I haven't watched them yet.

Eagerly awaiting Tom, Kelly and Bailey…

 Monday I got up and took Robbie for a nice long cruise before my appointment with Dr. Hurray. This is going to be my last derma graft because the lady's insurance only allows for 8, I am fortunate enough to get what's left over from her derma graft. Apparently it cost about $15,000 for 8. The good news is that everything looks great. We're still trying to figure out how to get the incident from the surveillance camera on a disk, Karen figured out how to find it and she e-mailed me a copy that is really hard to see who the guy is  that knocked over the light on my fence. You can see in the video that he hit it pretty hard and straight on with his fist so you know he is hurting. The guy that installed the system e-mail me the manual today and I will figure it out. We went to Charlie Hong Kong's, I love that place. It is pretty much a ritual now after we see Dr. Hurray. We came home and met my hopefully new caregiver Chris Ma Lyn, not sure yet how to spell it but she got the name because she was born on Christmas. I think she's going to work out great, she was not at all shy and wanted to try everything herself with no hope… that is a good sign. I hear she's also really good at cooking Filipino food, a definite plus. We got a room all cleaned up and ready for Tom, Kelly and Bailey… they will be here on Wednesday evening. It seems like such a long wait and it is finally here, we are going to have so much fun this summer. For breakfast I had a poached egg, English muffin mentioned in Castroville and for dinner I had pad Thai noodles with garlic tofu.

Tuesday was a beautiful day, nice and warm. Robbie and I took a really long cruise before it was time to go to Dr. Hurray's. I got the last of my derma graft's and everything looks like it's healing really well so I am excited, it has been a long time coming. After we left the doctors office Teresa and I both needed to have some blood drawn so we went to the lab and got that over with. Then we went up to the burger.and got Kobe sliders and tater tots, they were awesome. We came back home and Teresa put me to bed and then finished cleaning up the room and getting it all freshened up for Tom and Kelly. My uncle brought the neighbor lady over to see the video of the kid punching my lamppost, she manages the apartment complex that they were visiting. For breakfast I had the rest of my pad Thai noodles with garlic tofu with a poached egg on top and for dinner I had Kobe sliders and tater tots.

 Wednesday I got up and took Robbie for a really long cruise, the weather was really beautiful. I cruised around pretty much all day and then went to bed.  Tom, Kelly and Bailey got here at about 10 PM and it was so great to see them. My uncle made hamburgers for everyone, he makes the best hamburgers ever… even ones or eating at 10 PM at night. We visited for a long time but we were also exhausted and especially Tom and Kelly. For breakfast I had  a poached egg and English muffin for dinner I had chicken adobo and corn… and of course half of a late-night hamburger.

Thursday I got up and Tom, Kelly and I went to one of our favorite breakfast places called the roadhouse in. Kelly and I had wheat berries with braised greens and poached eggs and Tom had an omelette with taters and toast,  we have never been unhappy when we have eaten there. After that we cruised over and parked at the Depot Park, Tom saw a guy with a T-shirt that had just a tire bolted to a bike rack and it said “welcome to Santa Cruz”. He wanted to get one for his friend and the guy told him where he got them but they were all out so we cruise down the wharf and stopped at a couple of the stores down there. We came back home and hung out for a while. My aunt came over looking for Tom Kelly because she hadn't seen them yet so when they got back they went and hung out with her for a while. Seth came over to hang out and then my uncle brought over a big pepperoni pizza. Heather had left some spinach here so Kelly cooked spinach and put it on the pizza so of course I had to try it, it was pretty good. Everybody was still pretty tired so we all went to bed pretty early. I was trying not to sleep because I had to do an FMRI for the tendon transfer surgery that I had done, they're still doing the research at Stanford that I am all too happy to participate the next day and I wanted to be tired because I am pretty claustrophobic.

Friday Kelly got up early and took Robbie for a long cruise  because it sounded like we were going to be at Stanford pretty much all day. It's a new building but we didn't have a lot of trouble finding it just a lot of trouble trying to find a place to park. They had to transfer me to this table and then they had to put this block and a bunch of pillows all around my head so I couldn't move while I was moving my arm. They were trying to see how the brain works  with the arm movements and the pinch grip. Luckily they gave me a couple of lorazepam  or else I think I would have totally freaked out with that square thing on my head plus being in the MRI machine. We got it done and they said I didn't exactly how they wanted but I was pretty much useful for the rest of the day so I came home and went to bed, I will be glad when this feeling is over. There isn't much to eat over there centuries of brought us a couple of sandwiches from Safeway, they were really good, and some chips. I came home and went to bed and pretty much slept the rest of the night away. I'm glad that part of it is over but I'll probably have to do it again after the exercise program.

Saturday was a really long day So I just ended up staying in bed. My brother, Corinne and a friend of hers came down the night before to spend the night and the day. My brother always cooks breakfast in the morning and usually dinner that night, he is such a great cook. For breakfast he made scrambled eggs, bacon and toast and for dinner he made pot roast, red potatoes, mushrooms and baby carrots. Teresa and I stopped at a little fruit and vegetable stand in Palo Alto on the way back from Stanford yesterday and among other things bought some fresh strawberries, they were so good we couldn't stop eating them in the parking lot so we went back and got more. Kelly made some homemade biscuits for strawberry shortcake, it was so yummy.

Sunday I got up and visited with everyone for a little while and then Tom and I  took Robbie out for cruise. I didn't realize how nervous I still was about seeing a dog off leash until we saw one on the path on Bay Street. I kind of froze and Tom stepped in front of us in a guy on a bicycle said “don't worry he won't hurt you” Tom said “we heard that before, right before our dog got attacked” the guy said in an annoyed voice “I know my dog” and Tom said “well we don't”, I love how he thinks of things to say so quickly… usually I think of the right thing to say about 10 min. later.  I keep seeing these really beautiful vines with these gorgeous flowers on them and I was always curious what they were so I had Tom grabbed a couple selected ask around. Teresa gave me a bath and just as we were getting out  of the bathtub the sling slip down to my knee so we decided to just put me back to bed and wash my hair in the bed. That's when the lift decided to break, the guy had already been out twice to the tune of $300 and it's not fixed yet??  Needless to say we are both very upset. Unfortunately it broke on the bathroom side so now we have to figure out how to get me into bed on the bedroom side. We laid me down on the floor and straightened out the sling and then move the bed into the bathroom, thank God the hallway is wide enough for the bed to go through it, and put me in the bed and drove the bed back out into the bedroom. I immediately called the guy and told him that I had an appointment that next morning and I had no way to get out of bed into my chair. After all the weight  was out of the lift it worked fine and we were able to put the left back on the bedroom side so I don't have to worry about how to get up tomorrow. After I was back in my bed in my room it all seemed to be so funny and we couldn't stop laughing and making jokes about it, sometimes you just got a laugh? For breakfast I had poached eggs, wheat toast, chicken adobo and bacon. I thought my brother had left already so Teresa made me breakfast  but I couldn't pass up the bacon. For dinner I had some wheat pasta with artichoke hearts, chicken and pesto that Teresa made the night before… it was so good   I had two helpings. I also has some chicken adobo, spinach and pistachio bark.

The concerts have started the weather is beautiful…

 Monday was a pretty good day. My uncle, Claudia and I were supposed to go to Los Gatos and go shopping by my uncle is still not feeling very well  so we decided to do it another day. Robby and I went for our regular long cruise and over at the Depot Park we ran into Seth. He said that his sisters were inside at their tumbling class so I peeked in the door to say hello and they all came running over, I didn't mean to disturb the class. I said hello to them and then told them I better go so they can get back to their tumbling. I ran into Samantha, she does my hair and nails, over by the arcade at the Boardwalk and I got to meet her kids. I ran into Donna again, the security officer at the Boardwalk, but we didn't get to talk very much because she was on her radio. My left broke last night after I got out of the bathtub, thank goodness it wasn't before I took a bath… it always happens on a Sunday evening. I left Bill a message and he called me back and said he would be over. It took him a really long time to figure out what was wrong but he finally did, it's amazing how much you miss something like that when it doesn't work. Heather came over and cook some vegetables for me. Otis was here so I talked to him for a little bit. He brought 4 of his dogs, he fosters a lot of dogs, so I thought that would be great if Robby could play with them for a while but none of them really play.  One of them is a cattle dog and just wants to heard Robby around the yard, the Australian Shepherd is only interested in the tennis ball, the little one is too little to play and the chocolate lab just kept trying to mount Robby so Robby just ended up crawling underneath the van and not having a good time so I just put him back in the house. Susan came over to give me a massage, it has been over a month since I have had one. She usually does it on Friday mornings but I thought the evenings would be better so will try that for a while.

 Tuesday was a pretty great day. Angie was bringing her mom, Terri, her son Parker and the twins piper and Phoebe over the hill to have sushi for Terry's birthday. They asked me if I could join them but I have an appointment to get my hair dyed back to it's original color, no more blonde. It would've really been nice to join them because it's been a while since I've really been able to sit down and talk to them, what a busy life they have. They finished eating just as I got done with my hair appointment so I met them back here and we did get to visit for a while. We're going to see them again on Sunday,  the twins turned a year old… time really goes by so fast and they have been through so much in just a year. Heather came by and cooked a bunch of stuff and of course smelled wonderful in here. Teresa came to put me to bed but we had an interview for a new caregiver 1st, she never showed up. I was kind of sad because her resume looked pretty good. Teresa put me to bed and in the cribbage game came over, Lee was my partner and we lost $6… but we had fun. I didn't have breakfast because my hair appointment was early, for lunch I had some mustard chicken and yellow beets and for dinner I had chicken adobo, kale and beets.

Wednesday was the 4th July. I knew it was going to be extremely crowded around here and it was overcast and foggy. Karen, my morning caregiver showed up in shorts and said that it was already really hot in San Jose and everybody was on their way over here where it was cooler.  I decided to stay in bed, relax and watch movies. Heather came over and cook a few things and brought me some beautiful flowers, they look just like fireworks, that she got at the farmers market… I can't even imagine how crowded the Farmer's market was. I had a lot of company in and out all day so I didn't miss too much. I was invited to a barbecue and I'm sorry that I missed it but we will definitely make sure there are others.  Even though we are not supposed to have fireworks here in Santa Cruz I hear them going off, and got Robby is not freaked out at them. For breakfast I had a chorizo, egg and cheese burrito and for dinner I had fish, I can't remember the name of it but it was awesome, spinach and yellow beets.

 Thursday was another really long day spent in bed,  luckily the weather was yucky and cold outside. I slept on and off throughout the day. I have a couple of things that I ordered that needed to be returned from Amazon so I was glad to get those set off, just in time too. I had to let one of my caregivers go today, I was really sad because she is so very sweet. I hired her assuming that she have a lot of experience because her brother is a quadriplegic, it sounds like she doesn't do much care and help him a lot. My body is getting old and I think I need somebody with a lot of nursing experience in case something goes wrong. For breakfast I had a poached egg and English muffin, for dinner I had Ono, I think my new favorite kind of fish, spinach and yellow beets.

Friday I got to sleep in, I love sleeping in. I got my personal care done and got up just in time to take Robbie for cruise for a couple of hours before bringing him back here so I could go to the concert, I don't like to take him to the concerts because it is so crowded and there are a lot of intoxicated and just very careful people. The concert was the tubes, they always put on a really good concert. I found the perfect seat but then as it got closer to the concert the sun went down and it was getting colder so I went out to the front of the building to sit in the sun, that felt really good for a while but then I got to warm so I went back to the boardwalk to find a place to listen to the concert but then it got too cold so I went back out to the front of the building, I can still hear the music and was a great concert. I came home and went to bed and then got something to eat, I wish I could figure out a way to eat before but I haven't yet. Next week Tom and Kelly will be here and it's a concert that they want to go to I won't have that problem.

Saturday I'm still not feeling really good so I decided to stay in bed again, it got really bad this afternoon and now I'm feeling a little better so hopefully just one more day of relaxing and staying in bed and I will feel better. I'm supposed to go to a little kids birthday party tomorrow and I never know if I should just tell them I don't feel good and stay home or go and be miserable, they have always been really good friends and I hate to let anybody down. I guess I will just see how I feel in the morning. It's always such a big deal about how I'm going to get there anyway. Nobody wants to drive this big huge event that I have.  My aunt won't drive it, my uncle will drive it but doesn't like to and because he doesn't like to he always tries to talk my mom into driving it and she WON'T drive it. Teresa is just about the only one that will drive it without any complaining. Tom and Kelly will drive it so it's nice to be able to go anywhere between July and October. Apparently some drunk guy walked by out front and smacked the light post right off the top of my fence. Luckily there was a lady and some kids out there that knew where he lived, he smacked it right off the top and then drove off. I have surveillance cameras all around my house  that loop just in case something like this happens but of course I never figured out how to work them, I guess I do that 1st thing tomorrow. It happened around 7:30 PM and the police got here about 9:45 PM, I'm sure that the guy is long gone by now. I only hope we can get the cameras working to see if we haven't on film. I'm really tired of these people around here trying to trash my fence, this is the 2nd time somebody hit that light. For breakfast I had scrambled eggs with garlic sausage and cheese and an English muffin, for lunch I had smoothly and for dinner I had chicken adobo and Kale.

  Sunday I was supposed to go to a family friends birthday party for their little girl twins, they just turned a year old and they have already been through so much in you would just never know it… they are always so happy and giggling. My uncle came over and he sounded awful, said he wasn't feeling very well and neither was his wife so they were going to go. I ended up just staying in bed and resting and watching the 3 ice age movies, I just love those movies. Heather came by and brought me some tacos from the little place down the street, their food is really good. She got herself to L Pastore tacos and me two  pulled pork tacos, she accidentally gave me one of hers and they were both awesome. Teresa brought Robbie back all based in smelling fresh, she took him for the day so they could run around on the beach and then get a bath. For breakfast I had a poached egg, English muffin and Ono fish, I have a fruit smoothie for lunch and tacos for dinner.

Another great week…

 Monday was such a great day. I took Robby for cruise through the lagoon and we were on our way to the wharf when Heather texted me to meet her for lunch and a movie, she wanted to take me for my birthday. We decided on a restaurant downtown, I think it's kind of Indian/Persian. They put pomegranate seeds on everything. Teresa and I had groupons so we had been there before and it was awesome. They didn't let us down this time either. Heather had mentioned that it was my birthday so they brought this really awesome dessert and the guy put a candle in it and lit it and wished me a happy birthday, I thought that was so sweet. After lunch we went over to the nickelodeon theater, they have a lot of independent films there and I love that place. We saw a movie called moonrise kingdom, it was an odd movie but very good… we both enjoyed it a lot. I took Robby for a cruise down to the wharf and back then it was time to go to bed and just reflect on such a great day. For  breakfast I had a poached egg and English muffin, for lunch I had Pomegranate eggplant, saffron basmati rice, chard, caramelized onions, qurut yogurt and for dinner I had sockeye salmon, chard and grilled eggplant.

 Tuesday was a little warmer than yesterday and not as windy, it's supposed to get warmer as the week goes on. Robby and I went for a cruise through the lagoon and then down to the wharf and into my appointment to get my manicure/pedicure, it's right up the hill from the wharf. I got Lavender put on this, it looks kind of iridescent. After that we cruise down through the boardwalk, back down to the wharf and then home. We rested for a bit and then practice some commands and then I went to bed. The 4th season of breaking bad is finally on so I'm enjoying that before season 5 starts July 15th, I really love that show. Heather came over and cook some more wonderful food, it smelled so good in here. For breakfast I had a poached egg, English muffin and hash browns. For lunch I had a smoothly and for dinner I had a stuffed chicken breasts in green beans.

Wednesday was kind of a bummer of a day, it finally got to be over 70° outside and I was stuck in bed. We did get a lot done and I watched a couple of really good movies, Chronicle which I didn't really know why I started watching but it turned out to be a really good movie and I'm glad I did. I also woke up about 2 o'clock in the morning and couldn't sleep so I decided to watch we bought a zoo, what a really cute movie. If I watch horror movies this month I get $10 back  although I can't remember if this is 3 or 4. I actually like watching movies on pay-per-view but I really want to learn to be more relaxed going to the movies by myself. Heather came over and I'm unsure what she was cooking but it smelled awesome. For breakfast I had a poached egg and hash brown and for dinner I had sockeye salmon, roasted brussels sprouts and spinach. I didn't have brussels sprouts for a while and I really missed them so I'm glad they are back.

Thursday I got up and took Robby for a really long cruise. As we were cruising towards the lagoon we ran into Alex and Jack, it was really nice to see them… I haven't seen them for a really long time. When we were cruising through the Depot Park we ran into Andrew, he works for the parks and recreation department and is my neighbor… they live in a purple house around the corner that we use for a marker to tell everyone where to turn left at our street. When we got back Teresa took us to see Dr. Hurray, he gave me a derma graft on my pressure sore and we had to keep it wrapped up for a week so I couldn't see if it was getting better or worse… I like it better when I can look at it every day and see the progress or lack thereof. It looked really great, it's amazing how much better it can look after just a week. He did another derma graft and he is going to do another one week from Monday, he is on vacation next week.  We came home and Seth came over to roll the bottle full of pennies I had in my garage, he decided that was going to take too long so he had his grandpa take them up to Safeway to put them in the counting machine. I just realized that I was saving those pennies to put on a round piece of glass I have outside for a table I saw it on Pinterest and wanted to try it… I guess I will start saving them again. He is such a neat kid. For breakfast I had a poached egg and hash brown, for lunch I had a smoothie and for dinner I had pad Thai noodles with garlic tofu.

I LOVE having company, I love having people come and visit me and feel comfortable and at home but for some reason I always get really nervous. I don’t know if it’s because I think that I have to entertain them and they are not going to have a good time or what. I was explaining this to my brother in a private message and it just dawned on me that I am nervous when I have company and I never even realized it. I’m the same way about leaving my house. I love cruising around Santa Cruz and having something to do but for some reason my mind is always on getting back home, I don’t know why that is either. It’s getting easier and I’m starting to enjoy it more and more. When my cousin and her husband came here last year I wanted to do a lot of things with them and we did do a lot of fun stuff, I don’t know why we didn’t do more because we can. This year I have a list of everything that I want to do and I’m really excited about getting out there and doing it. I can’t believe I am finally growing up, I think it’s because I always had somebody to tell me what to do so left on my own I don’t know what to do. Now that I realize it I can really work on it. I had a couple of childhood friends come to visit me, one stayed here for a couple of nights and the other one stayed with her family close by. I really had such a good time with them and I didn’t want it to end.

 Friday was such a nice day. I always love  being able to sleep in on Fridays but I think that's going to end at least for the summer while Tom and Kelly are here. The massage therapist is going to start coming on Monday evenings instead of Friday mornings, I think that's going to work out much better.  Seth texted me as I was getting into my chair to see if I wanted to go to the park, I told him I would text him after I got  ready and see if you still at the park and he was. I cruised down there and hung out with him for a while until it was time to come home and feed Robby, my aunt was here so she fed Robby and then I left him here. Seth and I went up to Safeway to get me some salami, for some reason when I ordered my groceries I ordered nonfat or low-fat salami and it was really gross. We came back and dropped off the salami and headed over to the concert, tonight was Blue Oyster Cult. I don't like to bring Robby to the concerts because they're always really crowded and I don't want him or anybody else to get hurt. The concert was really good, this is the 3rd concert this summer and the 1st one that I got to go to. We left the concert a little early and came back to the park for a little bit and then came home. After I went to bed Seth came over and watched Storage Wars with me. Again I was really sleepy while going to bed but wide awake a couple hours later. For breakfast I had a poached egg in between English muffin. For a snack I had really really awful salami and braided, marinated mozzarella cheese and for dinner  I had tilapia, chard  and the tamale.

 I was looking back over my blog and I either didn't see or missed the post about James Durbin sending me an autographed CD, I was so excited when I got it I can't believe I didn't post it… maybe I just missed it somehow so I am going to do it again. Robby's sisters team, Christy Rozelle, called Rozi's best friend is James Durbin's cousin. When she found out that he was from Santa Cruz Christy asked me if I knew him and if I would like to have an autographed CD, are you kidding me?? She really pulled through and I got one, I am so proud of it and I want everyone to see. He is such an awesome guy and you can't help but love him.

 Saturday was such an awesome day. Robby and I went on our regular long cruise… twice! Every once in a while I run into this guy named Christoph and we chat for a while. He's always on his bike and he lives in the apartments by the lagoon, I love to hear his stories. He told me today that he is going to turn 80 soon, he looks really young. Probably because he's always out riding his bike.  The first time was around 10 AM and I was thinking how lucky we were because there wasn't a lot of people around, I even ran into a couple of people who said the same thing. We went on another cruise around 2 PM and you could not even see the sand on the beach, it was almost solid umbrellas. We decided not to go back down to the wharf's so we went to that Lagoon Park and crews to round up on top for a while looking for yard sales. When I got to the parking lot I was going too fast and didn't see the little snake in front of me, I just didn't have time to stop or swerve. I turned around to see if I did any damage to it and I did, I felt so bad. All I could do was just sit there and stare, I didn't know what to do… do I try to run it over again and kill it… was it suffering? I don't know anything about snakes. A couple of little boys came by on their bike so I told them about it, one of them knew the type of snake just by looking at it so I figured they would be the best to handle it so I went on my way but I couldn't stop thinking about it. I just hate to harm anything. While we were at the lagoon we practiced shaking hands and rolling, I swear I have such a smart and talented dog… thank you James and CCI. For breakfast I had a poached egg and English muffin, for lunch a smoothie and for dinner I had tilapia, mustard chicken, brussels sprouts and spinach.

Sunday turned out to be a really long day for personal care but I did get a nice LONG hot bath. That's about it.

It's going to start getting busy around here, I love it…

 Monday I wanted to make sure that I got everything done because on Tuesday Sherry, whom I have known since 5th grade, is going to stay here for a couple of days and I am so excited. Marica is going to come by on Wednesday and we're all going to go to breakfast, I think Marica I have known for a little bit longer. I met them both when I lived in the Santa Cruz mountains, Marica was one of my neighbors when I lived on Loma Prieta Ave. It is going to be great  to catch up with them, we keep in touch on Facebook but it's not the same. Heather came by and took Robby for a cruise so he doesn't get so wound up. Today is my birthday, I can't believe I am 51 years old. I remember when I thought 30 was old… that must make me ancient.  Lisa called me today from Stanford, she is the one who's doing the research and exercise program after the tendon transfer surgery. It has taken her a while to get another grant for some more research but she finally got one and called me to see if I wanted to participate, of course I do. It starts in July. For breakfast I had scrambled eggs and chorizo. I had some tea and a carrot cake cupcake for lunch.

 

 Tuesday was such a great day. After I got up I went into the bagelry with my  aunt and her 2 little granddaughters, they are so cute. We decided to cruise over to see what movies were playing and as I was crossing the street a lady smiled at me and said “hi Tammie” I said hello and nice to see you because she looked familiar but I didn't know from where. And then she said “Marica” and I looked at the other side of the street and there she was, my friend and neighbor that I grew up with. What an awesome surprise and what a small world. I knew she was going to be in town and we were supposed to have breakfast with her the next day. We went on downtown towards the theater and I heard somebody else say “hi Tammie” today must've been my lucky day. It was Michael, I haven't seen Michael for a long time. We didn't get a chance to stop and talk but it was great to see him. We checked out the movie theater and then came on home, the girls were cranky and needed A nap and so did I. Robby and I rested for a bit and then went for a cruise through the lagoon and back. We sat outside in the sun for a while and my friend Sheri came, she was going to stay with me for a couple of days. I met Sherry in 5th grade and we were fast friends through and after high school, we went to college together for a while and then I moved away and we lost touch for a while but thanks to Facebook we are in touch again. Teresa came by and took us to this awesome Thai food place. We came back and Teresa put me to bed at Sherry and I visited for a while. For breakfast  I had chicken Castroville and chard, for dinner I had pad Thai noodles with everything.

 Wednesday was a really great day. I got up and got dressed and left Robby here to take a bath while Sheri and I cruised down to Zachary's to meet Marica for breakfast. The food was really good but the company was awesome. We reminisced and looked at some pictures for a very long time, it brought back so many great memories. We were so lucky to be able to grow up in the Santa Cruz mountains. Marica had to get back to her family and it was really sad to see her go. Sheri and I cruised back to get Robby and then cruised through the lagoon, I was a little nervous but I drove my chair over the water part of the boardwalk because I wanted Sheri to see how gorgeous it was. We went down to the end of the wharf and back but then had to get home because Teresa was sick so Karen had to put me back to bed, Karen got me up this morning so I'm sure she was pretty tired.  I have been telling Sheri about the creepy puppet guy in Santa Cruz and she finally got to see him on the way home, she agreed that he was appropriately named.  Sheri and I watched a movie that was supposed to be funny, it wasn't funny. As usual people were coming in and out all day so  Sheri got to see a lot of familiar faces she used to say when we were growing up. For breakfast I had artichoke frittata, home fried potatoes and homemade bread… I don't know why we don't go there more often because I was always awesome. After I went to bed Heather came over and cooked Sheri and I a killer dinner of  barbecued pork ribs that practically fell off the bone, quinoa and a eggplant.

Thursday was a good day but it was said to see Sheri go,  we connected just as we did back in 5th through grade through high school grade like nothing had really changed. We have a lot of fun, laughed a lot and did a lot of reminiscing… it's amazing how great that can make you feel. Robby and I cruised around the lagoon and then down to the end of the boardwalk and back and then it was time to go see Dr. Hurray, he is such a nice man and he always makes you laugh even with a big hole in your leg. There was a gentleman there getting  derma graft so he asked if we could be there at the same time because they only send way too big of a piece. Apparently it's about $20,000 and I'm sure my insurance doesn't pay for it so I am so lucky to have this opportunity. We figured out that maybe the heel lift boots are not such a good idea because they are tight and her constant pressure so back to the drawing board. Teresa remembered that I had some donut shaped foam pads in the garage so we're trying those, they seem like they will be a really good idea but time will tell. He put the derma graft on my leg and we don't get to see what it looks like until next Wednesday, I am so excited to see how it's doing. We stopped at Charlie Hong Kong's, like we usually do on Thursdays, and not our fix of noodles. Came home and ate them and then went to bed. For breakfast I had a fruit smoothie, for dinner I had pad Thai noodles with garlic tofu.

Friday I got no massage again, Susan is still on vacation and probably having the time of her life… she deserves it. Personal care took a long time so I just wanted to take a nice long hot bath and go back to bed so I did.  I have been so tired and it was so nice to just lay in bed and watch TV and play on Facebook and Pinterest, I thought for a while that I had reached my maximum pin because I got a flight that said I did but I just tried it again and it worked. I have gotten so many really good ideas from that place in space. For breakfast I had a poached egg and garlic tofu over Pak Thai noodles and for dinner I had potstickers, eggplant and mustard chicken. Heather you are a genius.

Saturday the weather was really nice. Robby and I went for cruise through the lagoon, through the park and up the hill to the bridge overlooking the boardwalk, I like to do that so I can look down and see how crowded the wharf and boardwalk are. They were extremely crowded today so we just cruised around looking for yard sales. I saw a couple of them but I've always too embarrassed to go over and look, I don't know why. I'm looking for old picture frames to make a vertical succulent plant holder. I was outside talking to Otis and a guy drove up and walked up the driveway and asked me if I was Tammie, he had the most beautiful flowers I have seen. I forget what they're called but there Hawaiian and these were really big. It was a thank you from my friend Sheri. I have to say again how great it was to see her and we will definitely do it more often. For breakfast I had poached eggs, English muffin and avocado… my favorite breakfast. For dinner I had some tilapia, mustard chicken, mushrooms, egg plant, zucchini and carrots. I know it sounds like a lot but I use a small plate, one of those coffee cup plates.

Sunday was cold and windy outside so I opted to stay in bed and relax. I did get a nice hot bath and that always makes me feel better. Next week is going to be very busy so I just wanted a day to rest, catch up on my TiVo and I did watch a movie called Gone… it was pretty good. My mom came down looking really sad and said that she lost another one of her birds,  I think it's a pretty young one so it's hard to say what happened. It's always sad to lose an animal, they are just like family. The one shared a cage with him was really quiet for a long time and now he is singing like crazy, I think the other one chased him when he whistled. Queso, The one who passed… I called him “the cheese bird” was in the cage with Chip. Somebody found Chip and knew that we had birds and asked if we would take him. We had him for a couple of days and all of a sudden he started belting out these tunes… Addams family theme, leave it to beaver  theme, the halls of Montezuma and a couple others I can't remember. He is upstairs with selling like crazy now. Right after we got Chip he started pulling out all of his feathers, the vet  said because he missed his owner or a mate that was with him. For breakfast I had a fruit smoothie and for dinner I had sockeye salmon, mustard chicken, chard and quinoa.

  People born in June

This is Sue and Elaine, I worked with them for 10 years in Milpitas. Elaine was my boss, the best boss you could imagine… that's why I was there for 10 years I only left because I was in an automobile accident and had to.

Let the summer begin…

 Monday turned out to be a really good day. I got up early and it seemed like it was supposed to be really hot outside but the breeze made it nice. Seth came over and wanted to go for a cruise so we cruised around the lagoon and went over to the Depot Park where the BMX course was so Seth could cruise around for a while because nobody was there. He had a really tall cool scooter that almost looks like a bike but no helmet, that made me really nervous and I told him next time we will definitely bring one. He wanted to give his grandma's cat a bath so we cruised back. Bobby and I rested for a while and then my uncle took us to the County building where I'm supposed to bring up the subject of off leash dogs around Santa Cruz. I got there late and I didn't get to meet a woman that invited me there. She and her husband and another gentleman were there to support me and Robby because of what happened to Robby. I wasn't even sure that I was in the right place so I didn't say anything and I wish I would have, I have never been to one of those meetings so I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. I felt really bad but I did get to talk to them after the meeting. I came home and Elaine and Sue were here, I worked with them about 17 years ago for 10 years… Elaine was my boss. It was so great to see them. I have my caregiver put me to bed so he could visit and play cards. My mom made some killer lasagna, Claudia made an awesome salad and Vernetta made some great garlic bread. Besides Elaine and Sue Bill and Vernetta, Lee and Claudia, my uncle and my mom were here. After we ate we played some cribbage, had fun and reminisced. For breakfast I had chorizo, egg and cheese burrito-I had some veggie chips that were really good and for dinner we had salad, lasagna and garlic bread. Elaine and Sue brought a birthday cake for everyone who has a birthday this month. My uncle, Claudia, Sue and I are all Geminis all born within about a week.

 Tuesday the sun was out but it was a little cold. Our plan was to have breakfast with my uncle and aunt and the kids across the street and then go see a movie. Most of the movies around here start fairly late during the week. We had bagels and cream cheese and fruit. It was really nice sitting over there visiting with everybody. After breakfast Sue, Seth and I went for cruise downtown to do some shopping. We walked around for a while and then decided to cruise through the Lagoon on the way back, Sue had never been there before.  I think I have decided that Seth is pretty cool to hang out with. We came back and Teresa came to putting to bed. Lee and Claudia came over and everybody started playing cards in the living room, I was glad because I wasn't feeling well and I kind of wanted them to play without me. They played cards until really late, it's nice to sit here and hear them out there having so much fun. For breakfast I had a bagel and cream cheese and some pineapple, for dinner I had some more lasagna, the garlic bread was gone but the lasagna was still killer.

Wednesday I really thought I was going to end up staying in bed. I thought it was going to be a really long personal-care day but it wasn't. Elaine and Sue left at 8 in the morning, we have such a nice visit but it's never long enough. After I got up Seth and I cruised over to the BMX bike cages and he played around there for a while and then we cruised over to the end of the wharf, I got a couple of things that I have been looking at in one of the shops and then we came back home. My uncle had his Porsche out in the driveway ready to go for a ride so I immediately lost Seth, he wanted to go for a ride in the Porsche. Robby and I cruised home and rested for a while and then went to meet Teresa at Digs nursery. They have a bunch of really cool new ideas for succulent hanging and wall mounts. We also got some more air plants,  we seem to be doing really well with those now that we found out what we were doing wrong. We rearranged some stuff on the porch and hung up the bird beak plants above the garage. Teresa put me to bed and then went home, we were both exhausted. I got myself a Vita mix blender for my birthday so we tried it out this morning and made smoothies, of course they were awesome. I had a peanut butter cookie before I left that my mom got for me and for dinner I had some killer chicken, I forgot what kind it was but when I came home it smelled so good. I also had some eggplant and chard. This is the 2nd night in a row that I cannot stop sweating after I went to bed, I don't know what that is but it's very frustrating. I'm cold and hot at the same time, I hope I'm not getting sick.

Thursday I thought it was going to be cold but it turned out to be a really nice day. Robby and I cruised through the lagoon and headed toward the wharf when we saw a bunch of sticks with moss on them and I couldn't resist, I probably have more than I know what to do with but I just can't help it. I have Robby pick them up and put them in my lap but he hates the way the  Moss feels in his mouth so he tries to chew it off before he gives me the stick, I have to make sure he moves fast. We brought the sticks back home and then decided to head through downtown to the nursery, I'm looking for a water fountain to go in the middle of my pond. You can no longer see the pond because everything has grown up really tall around it but I love it. I went to a yarn store where used to get my shawls made, I haven't been there for over a year, and I think she was making one for me when I had to go in the hospital for flap surgery. I heard that she had moved but she was in the same place so I decided to go up to the door and see if she was there but a little dog jumped on the window and started barking so I thought it wasn't a good idea. I went to cost plus and cruised around there for a while to see what was new and then cruised over to Ross to see what they had. It was starting to get a little warm so we cruised back home to rest and get Robby some water, some of the businesses usually have water in a dog bowl outside their door but nobody did. My uncle was here and wanted to know if we were playing cards tomorrow. Tomorrow starts the concerts on the beach and if I can help it I usually never missed them. We decided to play cards tonight since I will be here tomorrow. We heated up a pan of lasagna and some enchiladas and my aunt brought over a salad and some fruit, what a great dinner. My mom was my partner and I think we won a dollar,  I usually start out with $5 out on the table so I can tell by the end of the games how much I won or lost. For breakfast I had a poached egg, a lamb patty and avocado. For lunch I had a fruit smoothie and of course for dinner I had lasagna, enchilada, a regular salad and some fruit.

Friday was kind of a bittersweet day. On Thursday night when Teresa looked at the  pressure sore in my calf  she said I needed to call and get an appointment right away. Karen had to go home early because she had plans, Teresa had school and my aunt and uncle had a doctors appointment in the peninsula so this meant I either take the bus or call a cab, the Ended up costing me $52 round-trip. The doctor put me back on antibiotics and told me if it didn't start looking better he was going to send me to wound care clinic, I really don't want that. After I came home and got into bed Stanley, Janet and Corinne came to visit. They came down to fix dinner for my uncle and I for our birthdays, pretty nice I think? We played cribbage for a while but then everybody was tired so we called it a night. For breakfast I had some blueberry breakfast crackers and coffee. For dinner I had tilapia, barbecued ribs and egg plant. I was able to stay away from the cupcakes but it was really hard. I got Robby's recertification card in the mail…Yay, 3 more years.

Saturday I wasn't feeling very good. I don't know if it's the infection in my leg are my just starting to have hot flashes? I had to keep a blow dryer by my bed and have someone every once in a while blow dry my shirt. Needless to say I didn't get up and I felt really bad. Stanley cooked and awesome dinner  of oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes and kale, carrots and zucchini and rolls… it was so good I had to helpings of everything. My aunt and uncle came over for dinner, yesterday was my uncle's birthday, and then we played cribbage until I just couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. For breakfast I had poached eggs on sprouted wheat English muffin and of course for dinner I had fried chicken and the works.

Sunday was a great Father's Day. I  had a really miserable night  so I seriously thought about staying in bed and resting but I saw Robby looking at me with those adorable eyes and adjusted my had to take him out. Plus my cousin was bringing his gang over to my uncles for a barbecue, whenever possible I never miss a barbecue. Robby and I went for cruise to the end of the wharf and back and to the end of the boardwalk and back, it was so crowded and cold we decided to come back. On the way back I stopped at the ideal restaurant to make reservations for this Thursday. The 3rd Thursday of every month they give you a free primer dinner if your birthday Is in that month. There was going to be 10 of us going, 4 of us with the birthday this month. I came back home and rested for a bit and then went over to my uncles and visited for a while before dinner. I overheard them talking about going somewhere on Thursday so I asked if they would be back by dinner Thursday night and they said no, they have forgotten all about it. A friend is coming to town so we will just do something another night, I called and canceled the reservation. We had a really awesome dinner and it was so nice to get together with family, it has been a family weekend and we haven't done this for a long time. For breakfast I had poached eggs on English muffin with avocado and for dinner we had barbecued steaks, asparagus, green beans out of my aunts garden, a salad out of my aunts garden and potato salad.