December, 2019 and Looking ahead to 2020

Soon 2019 will be over and we will surge headlong into a new decade, 2020! Wow!
We continue with our routines most days. We have also watched a lot of football this month. I am not sure what we will do now that football season is winding down, hmmm.
We sent out Christmas Cards and signed up for the electric credit at the City of Perry. If you put up  outside lights at Christmas time, you get a $25 credit on your electric bill in February.  That its nice!
We got our hair fixed (color & trim for me, cut for Steve).  That always makes a person feel good.

I decided to return to WW (Weight Watchers) and have lost a few pounds, yea!  It has been really difficult the last few days, with eating out, Christmas and Steve's birthday, but hopefully I have not gained weight.
Steve worked on Kristi's car, putting on new struts and brake pads on the front. I helped him after the weather warmed up. We had some pretty days to do that during the first week of December. Of course after that it needed alignment. When we took it to get aligned - they said it also needed rear hubs, bearings, bushing, etc. Oh boy!
We completed our Christmas shopping without too much pain or drama. Steve and I picked out our presents for each other to buy. Aren't we special?
We got around and went on the Christmas Tour of Homes, Sunday the 8th. That was really fun. I liked the one in the country best.  But all of the homes were decorated great. I also won a $25 gift card. Sometimes I get lucky.

On the 9th of December we were up at 6 AM to head to the OKC VA for Steve's SCI appointment (For his MS). We also went to Express Care so they could check the wound on his finger. This took forever! But they Xrayed it and said there was no gangrene (yea!) and no infection in the bone. We don't know how or when he got this, but it has been a problem for awhile.  
It was a red letter day on Wednesday, the 11th - we were able to return Kristi's car and I got my car back. Woo Hoo!

Sunrise on the way to OKC 9th

Bass Pro's Santa Wonderland

Embroidery Project- completed

On some of the nicer days, we have walked the dogs, either in our neighborhood or down at the square or out at CCC Lake.  The dogs get so excited when they get to go for a ride and a walk. Steve got to pick up his orthotics this month and also returned to Stillwater VA to have them check his finger.
Saturday, the 20th we  went to Enid to have Christmas at Pam's. A couple of JC's sisters came over and Paige & Dave with their families. We had a lovely bunch of food and presents.

Steve & I dressed up!

Monday, the 23rd, Kristi and the kids arrived here and we ate at La Macarena.  We did some final shopping on the 24th, watched the movie "Christmas Vacation" and took it easy. Then Steve & Logan took out the heater blower motor on Krisit's car and went back to Stillwater to get a new one to install.  Later the kids made cookies for Santa ( a tradition) even though they finally realize who Santa is.

On Christmas Day we opened presents and had a traditional Christmas Dinner. Logan played Silent Night and Jingle Bells on the keyboard. We rested and watched TV. The kids joined Steve & I on a walk around the neighborhood with the dogs. It was 70 degrees this afternoon. We watched the Christmas Story (you'll shoot your eye out), for our evening entertainment.  Logan got a dart board and he and Steve played darts a bit. On the day after Christmas, Logan and Kristi helped us replace the step on the RV and it went smooth! Friday, the 27th we went to Red Lobster and spent our gift cards, and picked up presents for Steve's birthday.
One of Steve's birthday presents was a new ceiling fan for the kitchen, so he got up on Saturday and Kristi helped him install it. While the kids were here we played different games, Life, Scattergories, Skipbo, Uno, Pitch (I tried to teach them), and even poker.
We watched both Oklahoma teams get beat in their bowl games. On Sunday the kids went back to El Reno after we had a Birthday lunch for Steve.
Now we are back to our routines, Laundry, Bill Paying, Repairs, etc.

Finishing out November 2019

We continue to watch a lot of football on the weekends. Our new gutters were installed on November 12. I think Steve is pleased with how they turned out! We usually eat out on Tuesday night with Linda and Hazel. We have tried to walk  when the weather is nice! Sometimes we walk in our neighborhood,  CCC Lake or downtown around the square.

Cecelia, Janet and I had talked about a Wheatheart get-together last fall, and finally we made it happen this fall! Jeanne Votaw offered the use of her Red Barn and we all gathered there with covered dishes for a pot luck on th 14th of November. We had a great time visiting and catching up. This was probably my all time favorite job because of the wonderful people who worked for Wheatheart. There were 10 who attended and it was fun! I didn't get pictures of Beulah, Cecelia or me.

Jeanne

Johnece & DeLauna

DeLauna & DeAnna

Janet & Vonda

Patty

Steve got fitted for new orthotics on Nov. 18. On Wednesday, Nov 20 we got around and drove to Carthage, MO and picked up a new (used) step for the RV. We left about 8:30 or 9:00 and got there a little after noon. Steve also asked about an awning for the driver side ( a window awning, shorter than the one on the driver's side). They said they would check on it. So we hung out for awhile and pretty soon they said - yes, they have one! We headed home with our two purchases. But the wind was blowing really hard so we stopped at Walmart for a better rope and a red flag.  The awning was long (long enough to cover the living and dining room window) so we needed a flag on it. I drove on the way home and we had to stop another time to tied the flag on and secure the topper. The weather was not pleasant today and it started raining on us when we got to Tulsa. I turned the driving back over to Steve at the McDonald's near Pawnee. We were glad to get home!

Passing through Tulsa

We did some extra cleaning before Thanksgiving, shampooed the carpet and Steve did the floors. I also hemmed a piece of denim to put on the couch, so it doesn't get stains on it. A girl came by and we changed our Direct TV and got new boxes. This is like signing up as a new customer and it was a pain.

 We saw these two deer about 2 block from our house on Nov 22, 2019

On Monday Nov 25 Steve and I went to Enid to see Pam & JC. We went to lunch at Chili's without JC because he was busy. When we got finished, Steve & JC went to pick up some of their Christmas decorations. Then we went to Lowe's (my least favorite place) and Hobby Lobby and back home.
Kristi and the kids arrived on Tuesday (26th) and they joined us at La Mac for supper with Linda and Hazel.

These turkey were near the same place as the deer on the 26th of November!

On Wednesday Steve, Kristi and I went shopping at Stillwater. She was a great help on what to get the kids for Christmas. The kids stayed home and put up the Christmas tree. We also played Yahtzee!
Thursday we had Thanksgiving and watched Dallas get beat. On Friday, the adults wrapped presents while the kids decorated the Christmas tree. Later we played Monopoly and Kristi beat us all! Saturday, we finished putting up our inside Christmas decorations and also the outside lights! So glad we had help to complete the decorating! Then we watched OSU get beat by OU in bedlam and that finished out November!

The perfect Christmas gift!

            

 

      My Christmas Dachshund

Oct 29 - November 9, 2019 Life at Home

Oct. 29 - Tuesday
Today I returned to Ponca City for my Bone Density test. This is an easy test. You lay on a table fully dressed and they scan (?) the hips and pelvic area. Sure reminded me of Bones on Star Trek. When it was over, Steve and I met Cecelia at The Perk for lunch.  Before that we checked out Brace Books. They have so many nifty things in there. Besides books, they have a wide assortment of cooking gadgets, children's toys, clothes, purses, scarves, candles and other sundry items.  The weather today was yucky and so Linda and Hazel didn't want to go out to eat. We ate at home and watched a weird movie on Amazon- The Poison Rose - I don't recommend it.

Oct 30 - Wednesday
Steve and I figured out that we had missed his sister's birthday (Oct 28) by a few days. So we picked up a gift card and mailed it to her. She lives in Arkansas, so hopefully she gets it soon.  When I was getting some cheese out of the refrigerator today, I tweaked my back - a muscle   I think. So I put the heat pad on it and took it easy. It snowed very lightly this afternoon.

Very light snow!

Oct 31 - Thursday
Happy Halloween! Today was a very mundane day for us. We did some bill paying and bookkeeping. Later we did a few errands: picked up the mail, got the oil changed on the pickup and went to the Dollar Store. I exchanged some texts with Kristi about bringing the car up Saturday so we can take care of it's oil change. We didn't have trick or treaters because for the last few years, no one showed. Here in Perry, most of the kids go around the square and then don't hit up the neighborhoods. So a few years back, we quit trying to hand out any candy and don't turn on our porch light. Poof! No trick or treaters.

November 1 -9
When we are here at home, daily posts are somewhat  boring. So I was just going to start trying to hit the highlights.
We (mainly Steve) cleaned the house a little and have checked on Kristi's car - still not ready.  The oil was changed on my car and we ate at Pizza Hut. OSU (OK State) beat TCU. We have turned our clocks back and completed the new Jack Ryan season on Prime. I love that show - it is exciting!
We watched football on Sunday, the teams we were rooting for won - Steelers and Broncos.
We did  a project: we made quilted dash mat for the RV.  Some of the materials, I had on hand, others we had to make trips to Stillwater to obtain.

Dash Mat

We watch a lot of football on weekends and sometimes Monday and Thursday night too.

For people interested in RVing, Full Time Freedom Week started during this time, so we have been watching their videos. I bought an annual pass - so we have a year to watch them.  I bought a pass last year also. Even though we have RV'd for several years - we still pick up tips and learn new things!
One of our Tuesday night suppers with Linda & Hazel we decide to go to Morrison and eat steak fingers at the cafe there. They were great!
Steve got new shoes, which is somewhat of an ordeal for him, because his feet are long and narrow. Finding a good fit is difficult.
On the nice afternoons we have been going to CCC Lake and walking, or walking in the neighborhood. On Saturday the 9th - we drove down to Lake McMurtry and explored. It costs $6 for a day pass and there are a ton of wasps at the pay station (iron ranger). It was nice to check it out, but probably won't return unless we are camping. These are pictures taken at Lake McMurtry on the West side (Perry Side).

That pretty much wraps up the highlights.
I am trying to catch up  the blog and decide whether to do it weekly or twice a month.  I'll probably just do it once or twice a month while we are at home. Then if we do something exciting, I can blog more frequently.

October 22 - 29, 2019 Routine Days with Minimal Excitement!

Oct 22 - Tuesday
Today was my 6 month checkup with the doctor at Ponca City. Then we went to Auto Intentions Where they installed the Cargo Glide in the back of the pickup. It is really neat and it only took them about an hour. Yesterday we removed the old bed liner so the new Cargo Glide would fit in the pickup bed. I forgot to take a picture of the Cargo Glide - so will add that later.
Since we finished before noon, we had lunch at Enrique's (at the Ponca City Airport). It is one of my favorite places to eat Mexican food. Love it! Then we returned home. Supper tonight with Linda and Hazel was at The Boomerang in Perry. It's ok, but really nothing to write home about.

Old Bed Liner

Oct 23 - Wednesday
Today was a nice day and we mowed the front and back yard! Then I played some spider solitaire. In the afternoon, I looked through some old pictures while Steve power washed the fence in the back yard. Later it was supper and TV.

Old picture from 1999

This picture was taken at a surprise housewarming party when I moved into my house at Perry - a short while after Glenn died (early summer, 1999).  My family and friends surprised me. In the picture - top row:  L - R: Pam Baggett, Cecelia Scheiber, Lea Ebro, Alexandria Miller. Bottom Row L - R Me, Kellie Bryant. These were all my dietitian friends and Lea Ebro was also my professor and thesis advisor for my Master's Degree.

Oct 24 - Thursday
I worked on the blog some today. We straightened up some stuff in the RV and the house. I took some pictures   to Linda's shop that I thought she and Hazel would like to have. We also checked the mail, went to the grocery store. For lunch I made chili. It rained and was chilly- so we didn't do much outside. We watched the Vikings beat the Washington Redskins.

Oct 25 - Friday
This was a morning we both got up early because neither of us could sleep. I went back to sleep on the couch though. Steve went to O'Reilly's to look for a push button switch for the pickup topper. No luck. He ordered another switch to try from Amazon. The weather is dreary, rainy and cool - so we didn't do much.

Oct 26 - Saturday
After getting around today - we watched OU football. When it was over we headed to Enid and stopped by Pam and JC's house. There we finished watching OSU beat Iowa State! Go Pokes! We were going to go to the car races, but found out that they had been cancelled due to rain. We changed our minds and decided to go to the movies. We watched Will Smith in Gemini Man. It was good - I would recommend it. We got home about 10::00 PM - Late for us!

A squirrel eating a walnut at Pam & JC's house

Oct 27 - Sunday
After getting around it was a lazy day. We watched football. But we did take a nice walk after lunch around our neighborhood with the dogs! Later in the day -we winterized the RV.  We can easily undo that if we decide to go somewhere - This RV is easy to winterize. Braum's was our choice for supper.

Oct 28 - Monday
Today was laundry and errands. We checked on Kristi's car - no news. I ordered contacts for  6 months, got the mail and paid the insurance on our vehicles. When my medicines got ready at Walmart - we went to pick them up and get groceries. Then I fixed us pizza for supper and we watched Monday Night Football.
Some days we don't do much that is exciting. That is OK at this time.

This is a house in our neighborhood that went all out decorating for Halloween!

October 15 - 21, 2019 Fun with Football, Healthcare, and Projects

Buster guarding the premises!

Oct 15 - Tuesday
Up at 7:00 AM, left for OKC about 8:00 AM. I had a poor night's sleep thanks to  Zoey. She kept me up and down during the night. Not sure what was going on- but she kept whining and wanting off the bed, so I obliged. Steve had an appointment at the VA with urology. The said he doesn't have to have a surgery - the stone was not a problem. We were back home by lunch. I called about the air conditioner - not blowing very good and also to see about when the gutters would be installed. I received calls back. Steve worked on the RV mirror. Later we rested. Then we joined Linda and Hazel for supper at La Macarena.

Oct 16 - Wednesday
After getting around, we went outside and got rid of all the extra boxes in the big shed. Steve had a toothache - he lost a 40 year old crown. So he called the dentist and got an appointment for this afternoon. I upgraded our security program on the computer and finished a software update on the MacBook Air. Steve went to the dentist at 3:00 PM and had his bad tooth pulled. We ate a light supper and watched TV.

Oct 17 - Thursday
The people from Air Control called and said they would be here to change the blower motor.  They arrived pretty quickly and completed it in about an hour. Next, we picked up heart worm meds at the vet and our mail. Then we drove to Stillwater to Lowe's and met up with Pam & JC at Best Buy. We all went to lunch at Red Lobster for a late birthday celebration. After lunch we shopped at Belk because Pam insisted she need to buy me a birthday present. I had mailed hers from Montana. Steve and I made a quick run to Walmart, got gas and returned home. After resting we watched Denver get beat by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Oct 18 - Friday
After our usual morning routine we worked on Steve's pickup bed slide. He is trying to re-do it and make it slide better.  We took a break for lunch then worked until about 3:00. After that we rested and watched TV. We took the dogs for a walk at CCC Lake. They were so happy. It was nice to see a few fall colors. When we got back home, we did a little more work and then had supper.

Sunflower

Oct 19 - Saturday
After breakfast Steve tried another idea on his sliding board for the pickup bed. It is very difficult to find a suitable solution and so we looked at the ones to buy online. Auto Intentions at Ponca City sells bed slides. He may just buy one and get it installed. It certainly would be easier, but more expensive. We watched OU beat West Virginian and OSU got beat by Baylor - boo! We took the dogs around the town square two times and went home.

Grill Guard for sale-fits Ford Ranger 

Bedliner for sale - fits 2012 GMC Pickup

Oct 20 - Sunday
Steve was up early with Zoey. the we got dressed and ate breakfast. Steve put away his tools. Then I worked on my blog some. We have a home made Pizza for lunch.  The afternoon was spent watching Football - Green Bay Packers beat the Raiders, then the Saints beat the Bears. We walked about the neighborhood. After supper we watched Dallas beat Philadelphia. Man, we've had a football weekend!

Oct 21 - Monday
After breakfast we got around and went to Ponca. I was supposed to get a bone density test- but it got cancelled because you can't have Tums, or multivitamins or Vitamin D. The next stop was at Auto Intentions to order the Cargo Slide for the Pickup. Lunch was at Schlotzky's.  After that, I had a mammogram and we went to Hobby Lobby and Walmart before we started home.

October 8 - 14, 2019 More Fun with Repairs and Appointments!

Oct 8 - Tuesday
This morning we left the house at 9:00 AM and arrived at Stillwater Medical Center at 9:45. Steve is getting back injections today!. We registered then went to the surgery waiting room then on to the outpatient surgery room.  The nurse set him up and checked his vitals etc. She also started an IV. When they took him down to get the back shots, I went and visited with Angela and Jan, former co-workers. He was back in the room by Noon and we left about 12:30. We ate a salad at Braums' and came home. He rested his back and later we went to supper with Linda and Hazel at La Macarena.

Oct 9 - Wednesday
I got up a little later today, but Steve was up at 5:00 AM because his hip hurt. We did laundry and looked into the fuse box part for Kristi's SUV. We called Wilson's at Stillwater, went out to Vance here in Perry and called other places - no luck. I finally found the part online from a salvage yard in Phoenix. The guy will send pictures of it when he gets it off the vehicle. Next a trip to Stillwater - stopped at Lowe's to get info about new gutters for our house. We picked up a part for the dryer - because the buzzer on it wasn't working! Then we went to Walmart.  After  getting home  and putting things away - we relaxed.

Oct 10 - Thursday
This morning we got our accounting caught up - now we are up to date. The guy in Phoenix replied about the fuse box and sent us a bill through PayPal - $90. He will mail the part today. I went and got my hair colored and  did a few other errands. Steve stayed home and met the guy from Lowe's who came to give us an estimate on the cost of the gutters. The rest of the day was pretty routine.

Oct 11 - Friday
Back to the VA for a CT scan at 11:15, then another appointment at 1:00. We left the house at 9:15 and got to the VA early - the CT got done pretty quick and we went to Toby Keith's Bar and Grill for lunch. After the second appointment due drove home and took it easy.

Oct 12 - Saturday
Steve got up before me, as he does quite often and while he was watching TV - it went black! So we decided to go to Walmart and get anew TV. We got a 65" Samsung. It was not heavy but it was a little bulky to get unloaded and set up. But we got it done! It worked. We watched OU beat Texas. After that Steve installed the fuse box in Kristi's car.

Oct 13 - Sunday
We worked on Kristi's car on and off part of the day. We also watched Dallas get beat by the New York Jets (who had no wins so far this season)! No other excitement.





Oct 14 - Monday
After we got around, laundry was on the agenda. We tried a few things on Kristi's SUV.  It was working somewhat better - then it wasn't. We went to Sam's Auto and they said they could pick it up and bring it to the shop.  It was about 7:00 PM before they got to it. They are busy.  Steve tried to work on the mirror on the Driver's side of the RV - not much luck. We couldn't even find a You Tube videoe on how to fix it.  After supper we took a short walk around the neighborhood with the dogs.