Sunday, July 24, 2011

REDECORATING OUT OF NECESSITY

Sunday, July 24, 2011

I put my back out big-time and my knees are killing me too. We pulled everything away from the west end of our bedroom and vacuumed and used the Bissell carpet cleaner on the floor. Later, we pulled everything to the other half of the room and did it.
Judy and Jim; from a hint from Niki, bought some cheap one by molding and Jim used him pneumatic nail gun and nailed them all around the room about two inches above the old molding, so from the floor up, there is on traditional molding, a couple inches of wall then the new one by molding.
Judy taped the wall above the new molding and painted everything below, white.
It gives the appearance of fancy molding going up six or seven inches from the floor.
We had water come in through the basement walkout door next to “Jim’s” bedroom. He ended up pulling up all the linoleum in front of the door and several feet of carpet beyond that. We are going to have to replace that area with some new flooring.
We have a problem with the drain at the bottom of the basement stairwell that I need to find an answer to.

Following are a couple of pictures of out messy bedroom.

Bedroom in transition



Squash from our neighborhood garden

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

PAINT JOB and A GOOD TIME at THE POOL

Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Last Wednesday Austin and Molly came to stay with us. The details are a little sketchy. Molly just called on Tuesday; I think it was and asked if we could pick them up the next day and bring them out to our house. We of course said yes and not much more was said about it.
Yesterday, I asked Molly when they were going home and she said Wednesday. I ask her where her mom and Bob were and she said “In St. George; Bob has a military conference there.” I’m not sure that conference was the right word.

A week ago last Saturday, Judy and Corey and I pulled everything in our bedroom out into the middle of the room and prepped to Paint.
Judy picked out a blue green color she liked and at Niki’s suggestion we had Home Depot tone it down a quarter.
Greg was good enough to offer to paint and did the two walls we wanted done first which turned out really well.
We decided to paint the other two walls a lighter shade so we took the almost-full gallon, of the left over original back to Home Depot and had “Dennis” mix it with a gallon of pure white making it half the intensity of the original.
The difference is subtle.
Judy and I prepped and painted it and again it turned out really nice.
I must note that ten year old Bailey helped me paint one wall and did a good “ten year old job.” She helped me paint the bathroom not too long ago too.
I didn’t have to ask her to help me. She volunteered both times.

Molly helped us with the last two walls. She always good to help.
Yesterday I had Bailey and Jayden from 12:30 on. Stacey, their mother worked 1:00 to close; 9:00. After Bailey and I finished painting the one wall she asked if we could go swimming. We were there from 3:22 until 5:45 and I kept moving the whole time. In fact my legs got a little physically sore which surprised me.
Bailey had trouble fitting in with anyone at the pool. I suggested Maddie Tolman but she didn’t seem too interested and neither did Maddie. Maddie and her sister McKenna were doing their own thing.
Finally I saw Nick (Nicolas) Stott who is also age ten throwing a small ball back and forth between him and another boy. I said to Bailey, “Why don’t you go play with Nick?”
She said, “I don’t know the words!” (a surprise to me,) so I took her over to where they were and by happenstance the ball went over the one boys head and landed by us. I grabbed it and told Bailey to throw it to Nick which she did and BAM! she was in.
They played for well over an hours.

Lisa Stott, Nick's mother, was sitting with a friend on the side of the pool in a lawn chair watching. She seemed to get a kick out of the whole thing.

Judy met us at Won Won Wok on her way home from work. Austin who had just taken a pill stayed home. Loss of appetite is a side affect of his medication.
Corey drove Jayden, Bailey, Molly and me there and I road back home with Judy.
Stacy was, of course, still at work but Corey took leftovers home for her.
I didn't order anything for myself but I had plenty nibbling off what everyone else ordered.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

BARNACLE BILL the SAILOR

A song my father taught me.

Who’s that knocking at my door?
Who’s that knocking at my door?
Who’s that knocking at my door?
It’s Barnacle Bill the sailor.

I'm Barnacle Bill from over the hill.
I'm Barnacle Bill the sailor.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

GREEK SOULAVKI

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Yesterday I had Jayden and Bailey from 12:00ish until 6:00ish. Stacey dropped them off at our house on her way to work.
They weren’t here long when we decided to go to the pool.
Since they were camping at Pineview Reservoir a week ago Friday through Mon/Tue (?), their swimwear was at their house instead of being left at Judy’s and mine.  We have the community pool. 
I drove them back home in my van via Simply Ice cream to get their suits then back here again.
It seems that every time I have them, Jayden has to have a two or three scoop chocolate/peanut butter ice cream cone and Bailey gets a one scooper of whatever looks good. I will usually get a scoop of something too. This time it was pralines and cream.
At the pool we wrestled and chased each other for an hour and a half and got pretty well worn out. In fact, later I had the worse headache I have had in a long time.
At the pool there was a cute little girl; maybe age 10 with a blue swimsuit and a purple streak in her brown hair that kept eyeing Jayden and later, when he was turned the other way, she came up behind him and, with two hands, splashed him and quickly turned around and ran the other way.
Her brother (I assume) kept looking at Bailey.
Merlin Smith (age 75) came on at 3:00 to keep his eye on things and to make sure no one is doing anything they shouldn’t. He and I are good buddies and of course had a short chat. Jayden had a pretty long conversation with him. He and Bailey are not shy to talk to people they don’t know and do it regularly.

Today I had an hour and a half hot rocks massage at Massage Envy in American Fork then went to lunch with Corey at Greek Soulvaki on 106th, west of I-15.

Monday, July 11, 2011

PAINT JOB

Monday, July 11, 2011

We are getting a new bed frame, headboard with drawers, drawers under the bed etc.
We pulled out the bed, tore out the old headboard set and saw that the wall behind looked terrible. We went to Home Depot and bought two gallons of a bluish green pain-toned down a 4th from a chip Judy liked. It was Niki’s idea to tone it down. For those two, everything has to match. Me, I prefer contrast. Oh well!!!
The guy in the paint department said we would need to do two coats so we got two gallons. Wrong!
Greg graciously volunteered to do to painting.
Judy and I washed down the walls. Put on painter’s tape except in the highest corner and Greg came over Saturday and knocked it out in nothing flat.
It looked great but at Greg’s suggestion, especially seeing we still had a gallon and a third of paint left over we decided to do the long wall; the bathroom/closet is on the other side.
Judy and I prepped it and Greg and Niki and the kids came over last evening.
Alexa and I went swimming while Greg knocked that one out. The cutting in the edges took the longest in fact the whole time we were at the pool. But, when we got back the rest went quickly too.
It really looks nice.
As a side note the swimming thing was Alexa demanding and getting her own way. It was rainy and cold but, Oh well!
Alexa is quite the fraidicat and screamed every time we say a snail and there were a bunch of them in the rain both on the way and on the cement around the pool. She is also afraid to let go of the side of the pool but at the end had she was racing back and forth (running) from one side of the shallow area to the other.

Friday, July 08, 2011

WHAT is A MOTHER to DO?

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Alexa has gotten to be quite mischievous.
When I was at their house last week, Alexa and Gavin naturally dragged me to the playroom upstairs.
After we were there not too long, Alexa climbed up on the table in front of the window and opened it up about half way. (It was already up a little ways because the upstairs air-conditioning isn’t working.)
I told Alexa she should shut it back down because she could fall and hurt or even kill herself. Gavin was watching and getting ideas too.
Outside the window there was about an eighteen inch-wide roof sloping down to the second story-floor level then a drop-off to the ground below.
Alexa insisted she wouldn’t get hurt and left it open with her head out.
Finally I went into the hall heading for her mother, yelling “Niki, Alexa is…”
Alexa came running out yelling, “I closed it Mom!” then ran back in and opened it again.
Again I went into the hall and yelled to Niki wherein Alexa again yelled the same thing to Niki.
I hate to be a tattletale but I sure would feel guilty if something were to happen to one of grandchildren.
Monday was similar wherein at our house Alexa insisted on getting her own way.
She wanted to go swimming but Niki didn’t want too and said no. Alexa turned to me and asked, “Grandpa, do you know where my swimsuit is?”
I said I didn’t and reminded her that her mother said, “No.”
She said, “I want to go swimming, do you know where my swimming suit is?”
I told her that it might be in one of the two boxes in the laundry room.
She looked and came back again asking if we knew where her swimming suit was. Finally Judy went to help her find it (in a box under the bed in the little bedroom), as Niki looked on helplessly. I think to a degree at least, especially being pregnant, she has given up.
Chris, who had just walked in, saw her standing there in her swimsuit and offered to take her which he did.
Neither Niki, nor any one else said anything and Alexa got her way.

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

No NURSING HOME FOR me

From Cousin Sherilyn
No nursing home for us. We're checking into a Holiday Inn!
With the average cost for a nursing home care costing $188.00 per day, there is a better way when we get old and too feeble.
I've already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn.
For a combined long term stay discount and senior discount, it's $59.23 per night.
Breakfast is included, and some have happy hours in the afternoon.
That leaves $128.77 a day for lunch and dinner in any restaurant we want, or room service, laundry, gratuities and special TV movies.
Plus, they provide a spa, swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge and washer-dryer, etc.
Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap.
$5 worth of tips a day you'll have the entire staff scrambling to help you.
They treat you like a customer, not a patient.
There's a city bus stop out front, and seniors ride free.
The handicap bus will also pick you up (if you fake a decent limp).
To meet other nice people, call a church bus on Sundays.
For a change of scenery, take the airport shuttle bus and eat at one of the nice restaurants there.
While you're at the airport, fly somewhere. Otherwise, the cash keeps building up.
It takes months to get into decent nursing homes. Holiday Inn will take your reservation today.
And you're not stuck in one place forever -- you can move from Inn to Inn, or even from city to city.
Want to see Hawaii ? They have Holiday Inn there too.
TV broken? Light bulbs need changing? Need a mattress replaced? No problem.. They fix everything, and apologize for the inconvenience.
The Inn has a night security person and daily room service. The maid checks to see if you are ok. If not, they'll call an ambulance . . . or the undertaker.
If you fall and break a hip, Medicare will pay for the hip, and Holiday Inn will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.
And no worries about visits from family. They will always be glad to find you, and probably check in for a few days mini-vacation.
The grandkids can use the pool.
What more could I ask for?
So, when I reach that golden age, I'll face it with a grin.

Monday, July 04, 2011

FORGETTER Be FORGOTTEN

From Cousin Jenny in Newquay, Cornwall, England
My forgetter's getting better,
But my rememberer is broke
To you that may seem funny
But, to me, that is no joke


For when I'm 'here' I'm wondering
If I really should be 'there'
And, when I try to think it through,
I haven't got a prayer!


Oft times I walk into a room,
Say 'what am I here for?'
I wrack my brain, but all in vain!
A zero, is my score.


At times I put something away
Where it is safe, but, Gee!
The person it is safest from
Is, generally, me!


When shopping I may see someone,
Say 'Hi' and have a chat,
Then, when the person walks away
I ask myself, 'who the hell was that?'


Yes, my forgetter's getting better
While my rememberer is broke,
And it's driving me plumb crazy
And that isn't any joke.




Saturday, July 02, 2011

ENTERTAINMENT on top of ENTERTAINMENT

Saturday, July 02, 2011
Last night around 11:00, Niki called and asked if we wanted to go to the Hale Centre Theatre in WVC today at 12:30. Her neighbor friend asked her if she wanted them since she couldn’t go. There were four of them. Judy called Judy Pavia and asked if she and Len would like to go with us.
Len drove and we had a good visit each way.
We saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, the musical version.
I think it is/was the most enjoyable performance I have ever seen. It was just hilarious and had a lot of twists and turns and a surprise ending. I think it would be fun to see again and see if I missed any of the innuendos. They were coming a mile a minute.

Following is Judy’s facebook entry from a couple of nights ago.
Extreme Makeover Team comes to SLC
by Judy Dean Jepson on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 at 12:21am
Great night - we just attended a fundraiser for Jonah Gomez that included entertainment from David Osmond, Thurel Bailey, Alex Boye, and comedian Jason Hewlett (a mission companion of Niki's husband, Greg). Very talented men. We had VIP tickets and front row seats. Jonah's mom, Jessica Kasparian Gomez, grew up with my kids. Jonah has 2 very rare blood disorders that require regular transfusions and extensive care with high medical expenses. They were surprised last Thursday, along with Jonah's sister, Ellie, by Ty Pennington and the "Extreme Makeover" team. The were whisked off to Disneyland while the community of professionals and volunteers of more than 1,300 have rushed to build a new home in the Daybreak community southwest of Salt Lake City. Can't wait for them to come home Wednesday afternoon and for everyone to shout "Move that bus!"