Thursday, October 30, 2008

Dinner with Johnnie and Jeannie

Well, tonight was our dinner out with Johnnie and his wife of 61 years (in a few weeks). Johnnie is the one that Don helped get his driver's license. He came here from Spain when he was just a year old, and the lady at the DMV was telling him he needed a green card. We missed that part cause that had happened on a previous visit. He not only enlisted in the Army during WWII and had his papers, but he also had his naturalization papers. Both were too old to satisfy the current establishment.

After they were married a while, he took Jeannie back to her grandmother and told her that he was bringing her back because he didn't want her any more. The grandmother said, "sorry, but you married her and you have to keep her." Anyhow, they had 6 kids and will soon have 61 years together. Is that a great story or what! Unfortunately only 2 of their kids are still living, so that's sad. But we enjoyed getting to know them better. He worked for the railroad all those years. Was an engineer in the early days, learned all about steam engines, and eventually was in charge of the all the engineers. Lived all of their life out here and in Nevada.

Well, that was the highlight of our day today!!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Esther

We got a call from Esther who received an invitation in the mail today to participate in the International Scholar Laureate Program from the Delegation on Nursing. You can go to this website
http://www.scholarlaureate.org/index.cfm and click on "Nursing" to see where she would go. Ross, who shares a house with Esther and Nick is already planning fund raisers for her. The invitation came as a result of her National Honor Society status, I don't think she knows who nominated her, but they're pretty excited about it.

Monday, October 27, 2008

It's Monday

Basically an uneventful weekend until Sunday evening when we went to the Music Department's talent show/fund raiser. It was a combination of the Gong show and American Idol. The judges comments were funny, and only two (maybe 3) people got gonged. There were a couple of "plants" for the benefit of the gong. It wasn't just academy kids, but people from the community and elementary school. Ted Atwood, former Heritage Singers bass or baritone? was the MC. He was very good, and he also performed, singing well while making us laugh. Then he and his wife came on as Sonny and Cher...costume, wigs, and all. They sang "I got you, Babe" in a silly yet musically "good". I think they ended up winning first prize. Anyhow, it was a fun night.

Then tonight Don and I attended our Monday night Dave Ramsey Financial Peace seminar. We missed one or two when Don was in the hospital, but we've been going quite faithfully. It is fun and we are learning a few things. We have all the CD's for the "lectures" that are entertaining yet full of advice. (They come with the class) I just wish they were DVD's. Esther is coming for Christmas, so I think we'll borrow some of the DVD's from the church so she can benefit from them while she's here. (I know she can hardly wait!!)

On a sadder note, we got the word this morning that Jere Patzer died Sunday night. I first got acquainted with Jere and Sue when Jere was in the seminary at Andrews and I was teaching at the academy there. They helped Carolyn, our Bible teacher, and me hold a Bible camp for junior high kids over a weekend. Then when we went to Upper Columbia Academy, he was the president of that conference...we were there 8 years and enjoyed knowing them and working with them there. We are so sorry for this great loss and consider ourselves fortunate that his life touched ours. Also, their son, Darin, was the accountant at BCA when Don was principal there.
If you'd like to read their journal of Jere's battle with lymphoma, you can go to: http://www.npuc.org/article.php?id=337

Friday, October 24, 2008

Something to read.

Good morning (or afternoon for most of you)! I was being lazy this morning even tho I was lying in bed arguing with myself that "it's Friday and you have lots to do to be ready for Sabbath"! Oh, well, I had most of the day left...until I suddenly remembered I had a 9:00 physical therapy appointment. I rolled over and looked to see how much time I had and at first was thinking I had only 20 minutes to be there...but really had 40 minutes. Unfortunately it takes me 20 minutes to get there...maybe 15 to park in the p-lot. I was glad, cause at least I had time to "wash up". So I got ready, then couldn't find my car keys. Remembering that I had brought in groceries the last time I was out, I went to look in the car. There they were in the ignition. (not a good thing) More unfortunately...the key was turned on! I still haven't tried to figure out why since I'm not in the habit of leaving the key on when I park.

Needless to say, I called and cancelled my appointment that they promise to reschedule. The PT is REALLY helping my shoulder. They do ultrasound and massage (but no massage last time) and then various exercises and he stretches by gently pulling the humerus away from the clavicle etc. I was getting a burning/searing sensation upon reaching/stretching up high or forward. Couldn't sleep on the right side. I've had trouble with that arm for quite a while, so my new doc referred me to the PT. I am very happy with the results. Might work on my lower back next...maybe.

Well, as I mentioned, it's Friday, so gotta run. I'm enjoying reading the blogs of others, hope you will check them out, too, by scrolling to the bottom to link to them. I'm sure it's more fun if you know them, at least in some cases, but you never know until you try it, right?

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Warming up!

Well, it's 68 degrees at 9:37 this morning, so no heat required the past couple of days. Guess I'd better keep this short cause I want to do a little outside work while it's warm.

Don is the administrator in charge this week, and he has a meeting tonight so will be home later. Guess I'd better get lots done while there's no one here to feed and the TV is off. Don watches all his sports programs when he gets home. There's only one that annoys me except when they all hash over the same stories and don't say anything different. Mike and Mike in the Morning has always been my favorite cause they don't yell at each other...and they're funny. But that is very early in the morning, and he doesn't watch it much that since we moved to CA. I like Around the Horn ok, too. It's PTI that annoys me; mostly when they argue. Oh, and I don't like Jim Rome is Burning when he gets on his high horse. A lot of the time I like his program ok, but a lot of the time don't. But I like Hogan's Heroes best! LOL We got fed up with CSI and those programs and started recording H/H. I know, we're officially old foggies. Oh, well, it happens. TV is such a waste of time anyhow.

Well, that's it for today. At least you know we're alive and kickin'. We think of you and hope you'll come see us some time.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Are You Keepin' Up?

I thought sure someone would have something to say about the DMV story! Well, this morning I had to cave in and turn on the heat. It was 58 degrees when I finally got up at 7:30 this morning. Of course, Don was already gone and left before 6:00...not sure of exact time. Guess it was too cold to watch his favorite sports program. It has been "unseasonably" cold here...naturally, we're here!

They say it is going to warm up, so as soon as the sun hits my big windows, I'm sure I'll have the heat turned off by then. I've been just layer-ing up, but just couldn't get going this morning.

Some friends from Arkansas were here yesterday...Charlie Barber's father died (the funeral we attended) and they stopped by to see us before they went home. Anyhow, Macherie (spelling not guaranteed) told me that the bay tree in the front has many uses other than cooking. One being keeping bugs out of your house. She told of a bad infestation of fleas that wouldn't give up with extermination, and throwing a lot of those leaves around took care of a swarm of fleas...and the fleas did flee.

She puts them in her pantry and never has bugs in her food (and she did previously). She even scatters a few under beds and in closets. They have a really nice scent, too (verified). But as it turns out, I'm pretty sure the tree is actually in my neighbor's yard. It was dark when I went out with her to look. So I plan to talk with my neighbor and ask if I can pick a few branches, and the seeds are on them now. I read online that the berries can be planted and will produce another tree...and you do that in the fall. They are also very good for planter growing. You just keep it trimmed.

The latest on Jairo (if you haven't heard) is that the court recently dismissed the robbery charges against him. The police tried to charge him with an armed robbery that happened near where he lived. They had some circumstantial evidence that didn't "add up" but went ahead with it anyhow. He is now finishing up "time" for probation violation (contact with police and use of drugs). He thinks he'll be out in November and wants to come "home" since his wife took off with his son and is living with a man she met on the internet. She is living in the Los Angeles area. These past 6 months (not sure of exact time) in jail with a 20-life charge hanging over his head has given Jairo "pause", and he could clearly see where his life was headed if he didn't do some serious changing. Not being able to see his son during the past several months (since Natalie left) has hit him between the eyes, too...not to mention Junior's having to see him through a window.
He is quite relieved that he doesn't have to go through a trial, because he guaranteed them that he was not going to plead guilty to something he didn't do no matter what kind of plea bargain they offered him. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Friday, October 10, 2008

DMV

We're gradually getting auto paperwork we needed, and so yesterday I went to the DMV to finish up things to get the new plates for the Mitsubishi. Don had everything done except they had to check the vehicle number to be sure it matched. While I was doing that, Don went to get some new screws for the plate cause the old ones were stripped.

Maybe I looked like a suspicious character, cause the guy who waited on me was taking a long time looking over all the paperwork to be sure it was in order. I guess he wasn't the one who waited on Don, so it was all new to him. We had to have a letter from Vanessa and copies of her ID as the name Haugen and Bradley since she signed her Bradley name to the title that was in her Haugen name.

Meanwhile...and this is the story...there was an elderly gentleman beside me who was having difficulty getting his driver's license because his name and birthdate didn't match on the paperwork he had. As it turned out, he was born in 1919...same year as Don's dad. I could tell by the conversation that he was in a fix...both not understanding and trying to convince the lady that the documents he had should take care of things. And her trying to convince him that there wasn't anything she could do because his ID didn't match the computer. I was hoping Don would come before I finished, cause I was sure he could help the man get the proper documents. It appeared he was going to have to go to immigration to get those documents.

Well, Don finally got there, and I motioned him to come over. I told him to listen to the conversation, and eventually he began to intercede for the man. In short, he asked a few questions and discovered the guy had immigrated many years ago, and his name was misspelled and his birthdate inaccurate on several documents. The one document that had his name right didn't indicate when he was born. Then he said he had an expired passport but didn't know if he could find it. They would take that. So Don told him to go home and see if he could find it, and if not Don told him he would take him to Sacramento to immigration to get the proper documents.

Later on, I got a call from "Johnnie" and he had found his passport. So Don called him and made arrangements to pick him up this morning and take him to DMV. As it turned out, he still had to go to Social Security to get that changed so the computer would accept his info. So Don took him down to Chico and got that cared for. Don and I had a funeral to attend at 11:00, so Don took Johnnie home and then picked him up after the funeral and went back to DMV. We are happy to report that Johnnie now has his driver's license and is happy as a lark. Of course he wanted to pay Don, and of course Don refused but agreed to let him and his wife of 60 years to take us out to eat on their wedding anniversary that's coming up in a while.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

California Highway Patrol

A couple of weeks ago I was killing time and exploring Chico while Noylen was taking a G.E.D. test. I thought I knew how to get to Costco, but I never knew which exit it was and had taken the wrong one previously. Once again I took the wrong one, but this time I knew how to get back on the freeway...hate those one-way streets.

Anyhow I saw a cop following me but knew I wasn't speeding, so I wasn't worried. However as soon as I signalled that I was going on the freeway he put on his lights. I still figured he had just got a call and pulled over. He pulled in behind me and told me that my license was expired...the plates. So here's the story:

Don went in to get the van registered because they were expiring in August. However, when we got the van in Florida, they wouldn't let us buy it unless his mom's name was on with him. We registered the car in Indiana, and then in Arkansas with no problem. However, California wouldn't register it without Alta Mae's signature. Don told them that that was going to be difficult to get since she was buried in North Carolina. They didn't seem sympathetic at all. So Don called the Chrysler Financial where the loan is and was told that they needed his power of attorney and her death certificate.

Well, Don couldn't find the power of attorney, I guess. So he had a friend in Arkansas go to the DMV and renew the Arkansas registration...which he did. Unfortunately that's when Don got sick and when the new registration and sticker came, he didn't get it put on the van. This was the next day after he came home from the hospital. Don always takes care of such things, and I was not aware the van was "illegal". I hadn't been driving the car cause I knew that one had expired while we were waiting for Vanessa to verify her name change cause she had signed that car over to us using her Bradley name.

Did you know you have 10 days to register your car in California after you move? How unrealistic is that? Obviously they've never unpacked MY house. Anyhow, the cop told me that it wasn't a "ticket" and that all I had to do was get it remedied and go to an officer to get a signature. However this week, I got a citation in the mail to appear Oct. 30. If I show up I have to pay $10 with a $200 bail if I don't! Guess I'll show up, meanwhile Don called Chrysler financial again and was told that all they needed was the death certificate and they'd take her name off. So that's what we're doing and hope that it comes before Oct. 30 so everything is taken care of.

On a happier note, we got a call from Esther all excited because now she can go on for her B.S.N. (N=Nursing) right there in Petoskey, and at a lower tuition rate, too...and her work will pay some of it. She's taking a couple of general ed requirements now, one being a Spanish class.

Also heard from Tandita who is doing clinicals now and really enjoying it. She's considering doing her last one this year out here. That would be nice, and I think she'd like working at this hospital. She's doing her P.T.A. (A=Assistant)

Don is back to work pretty much full time, but weary at the end of the day. He's trying to be careful not to overdo, but it's hard for a work-a-holic!