Saturday October 18 2008

Ruby Mountains

About today's picture - I've had so many similar photos of fall and snow lately that I decided to put one I like from our trip to Northern Nevada last spring that I never used. It is of some fields and cattle on the west slope of the Ruby Mountains. Sure pretty there.

Another really nice day. We haven't had much to do today - or if there is we're not doing it. Debbie did the little bit of ironing there was. Thank you very much for doing that dear Debbie. Joe went out and checked the big front gate, and got yesterday's mail. Bonnie and Craig are coming over tomorrow afternoon to put the second new gate up. I'm anxious to see it.

We have one more real estate paper to scan and send to James with our signature. We tried that yesterday to send the counter offer and the scanner wouldn't quite cooperate - it took a lot of time - then past the deadline it finally decided to go. So hope it's got the kinks out today. We're making lists of what we need to buy, and what will be taken to the new house from here.

Debbie also got the boxes out to the barn so we can begin to pack up the paintings from the Art Show in the Barn display. Some will go to be hung in the new house and also some for the Mixed Media Art Show in November. And I organized some of my painting supplies. Then I painted a little bit today. Some things to do artwork with will go to the new house, but I'll try to keep that to a minimum. There's always the art supply catalogs if I need something. Debbie and I are watching the new "3:10 to Yuma". She's going to make fried chicken for dinner. She made oatmeal cookies yesterday that are really good.

Curtis and Tayler called today from Reno. He had gone up to see her on his motorcycle and they were sitting there somewhere having sushi. She says she's doing good in her classes and having fun with her friends.

This spell after chemo has been pretty miserable. I mostly slept for the last two days, and am finally coming out of it this afternoon. I get to thinking I would like to stop having the chemo. I don't know what that would do. I've mentioned it already, but the pain I get in my neck and shoulder is hardly stopped with the pain pills - they have usually taken care of pain pretty well but not this. I think it will never go away, but then it gradually does. Tomorrow should be better.

Sheral and their family are here at their ranch after a long visit in Texas. They are closing their place up for the winter, and may come over tomorrow before they go home to Layton.

That's about it for today.

Friday October 17 2008

BEST OF LUCK FOR FEELING BETTER

AFTER YOUR SURGERY, JUSTINE.

.

AND GINA, HAVE A GOOD TRIP TO ARIZONA

TO HELP SALLY GET WELL TOO.

Bad night from shoulder and neck pain, but slept through a lot of it thank goodness. And then after a long hot shower slept more until nearly noon. This is very much like I've had before about the day the pump comes off. I'm wondering if both of us might be having a little side effects from the flu shot too.

We made a counter offer on the Arrowhead Drive house and they have accepted it. We were able, finally after starting over and over, to scan and email our contract so not to have to drive back in to town. Was afraid we would not make the deadline. Seems like things get difficult at the worst times. But thankfully James made everything work. We will be able to take possession of the house about the 30th. So we will start a new and different part of our lives. We will have to get furniture, but will probably just do what is necessary right at first. There will be an inspection to see that everything works right. And one of the first things will be to get the utilities changed into our name. James said he would help with that. I'll write more about the details when I feel better.

It's a pretty day today, almost 60. Debbie is in the kitchen making cookies. Beverly called.

Thursday October 16 2008

Best Wishes for a

Speedy Recovery From Surgery

Sally

.

And also to Charm's Mom who is

coming home today fromhaving liver cancer

surgery a few days ago.

.

Good luck to you all

and feel well again soon.

.

.

Looks like a moose or?

Well, a mostly cloudy day and looking mighty dark to the west. We go into town again today. Probably we'll eat lunch here and then go to meet James at 1:30 check out the next house, so not to be gone so long again. I also have to go to the clinic and get the port taken off. We'll run into the grocery store for a few things.

Slow morning, still feeling pretty tired. So nothing to write about yet. If anything interesting happens this afternoon I'll be back to report.

Want to say hi to Sally who is having (I think) hip replacement surgery. You get well soon Sally, and I sure hope this fixes everything up so you are out of pain.

10:30 and starting to snow.

Wednesday October 15 2008

Antelope at Sunset - Need to click this one.

I didn't sleep last night until about 5 a.m. and slept then until about 8:30. Not feeling bad just awake and unsleepy. The chemo does that for some reason. Betty had called this morning telling how Obama is going to be changing tax laws - if he gets elected.. So we added this to our list of questions. We put a pork loin into the crock pot so there would be something for dinner when we got home. Back to town again today, left about 10:15 and first went up to the Arrowhead Rd. house to show it to Debbie and go through again, making any notes about things that need fixed or questions we wanted answered. Boy after the 8" snow the yard is VERY muddy, an icky sticky clay. Debbie said she liked this house as well as the other one. We all like it very much and always have. It is just totally different from the 2 bedroom log one - kind of sterile at this point. The woman finally did make a counter offer this morning -. $2000 off her asking price and no furniture. So we felt she didn't want to sell it very bad. She said she would just keep renting it.

We went back to Jame's office and got the paperwork started over for the Arrowhead house. Then dropped the dogs off for their baths. They had to go into a kennel pen together and didn't want to stay there much. Especially Sparky was pretty vocal about it and begged me not to go out the door and leave them there. The groomer said they would be finished about 3 or 3:30.

We went to the Patio for lunch, then to Rendezvous Pointe to get our flu shots. That only took just a minute. They had the times wrong in the paper (which said 9-12 and 1-3 actually should have been 9-1 and 2-5..... or something). So we were there at 1 and they were just going to quit, but took us in right away.

Then over to the accountant's office. He said the decisions we were making are good, and shouldn't incur any penalties, fees or taxes. Through the coming years the gains on property that you sell are being taxed differently, and some things are changing with the inheritance taxes, but not much will be different until 2012. So all seems well in that department. with our estate planning and the trust.

Next to the bank again and everything with switching money over to be accessible is o.k. there too. While I was getting our safety deposit box, Bill told Joe and Debbie about another house that was being foreclosed on, in a very nice newer development on the edge of town. It would likely be almost $100,000 less than the Arrowhead house. It's about 10 years old. I know I was very tired being the day after chemo, etc. but it was almost too much to think about changing and starting over again , even with such a huge savings. I'm sure I'll feel it would be smart to think about this new opportunity. James is being very patient to see that we get the best place for us.

After we picked up the dogs from their bath, we drove by this house. And we could have looked at this house and some others in this area very early on, but Joe has always said that he didn't want to live on the highway i.e. every time we drove by there he would say"Why are these people putting their houses right on the highway" - and 191 is right in back of the house. Now he's saying for $100,000 he could live on the highway. The house is on over two acres and the yard is landscaped - even a waterfall and pond, hot tub with a nice porch. Fences can only be pole and rail, no wire (so as to let the wildlife through), so I'm not sure how they would let us fence in the dogs. They would have to have a sturdy pen, being so close to the road. Also all the roads are flat - no hills to worry about in winter.

I forgot to take any pictures of either house again today. Will try to do that. So we still have things to think about. We will see inside the new house in the morning. I'm supposed to go back in to get the port off.

This afternoon when we got back home I looked at email and too a nap until 9 p.m. so Joe and Debbie had the dinner without me. I made a roast pork sandwich with applesauce and salad a while ago. The dogs are pooped from their trips to town, and the bath. So they have been sleeping. I'm sure I will also sleep better tonight. The movie for tonight is About Schmidt with Jack Nicholson. He's almost always very good. I watched it a long time ago, and so it was almost like I'd never seen it - poor memory, and I liked it a lot.

Tuesday October 14 2008

Another early day, left the house by 7:30. It was cold and clear here - about 15 when we left. Got up over 50 by afternoon in Jackson. We were able to go to the accountant to request an appointment tomorrow, in to the bank to see the prez again and take in some of the financial forms. They are going to take care of the rest of that.

Then on to Jackson. Debbie drove me in her car today. The trips up and back were beautiful with the new snow. It hardly seems like any time since I last was posting snow pictures. Coming to the rim there began to be fog which made for yet another type of beautiful scenery.

Hate to keep writing same same so won't go into a bunch of other details. We made it up there on time, and got right in the chair. The port behaved a little better today and let Lisa draw blood from the port, but they still had to use the clot buster. She also had to stick me in the hand for some of the blood. My blood tests were better. Also the protime test showed that now my blood is too thick so the dose of coumadin and was adjusted accordingly.

Debbie went off shopping and sightseeing. She got a new DVD player because her old one went kaput. She got my prescription and did the grocery shopping while I was in the hospital, so we didn't have to stop after for that. A quilt guild from Salt Lake had sent 100 lap quilts or baby quilts to distribute to the cancer patients. So I was given a beautiful quilt and some bulbs for the garden - I chose tulips and daffodils. I envisioned going to plant them in the flower beds of the new house.

I was finished by 2:30 today, one of the shortest ever times. There were only two of us patients there so we had the nurses all to ourselves. Michael from Big Piney was there. I've seen her quite a few times along with her son and husband. I was pretty devastated as was she to learn that her treatments weren't working, but they were starting her on a new kind of chemo. She will be in my thoughts and hope that her new treatment will work better.

Debbie wasn't back by the time I got the pump on, so I went out and checked email on the computer in the waiting room. She soon came and we started on home. James called us about as we got to Cora and asked us to stop by the office. I was all exited that the buyer had accepted the offer on the house. But soon to find out that they had not, and would not ever give a counter offer. All the Realtors had agreed that we were very close to what the appraised value would be, but she had paid quite a bit more for it when she bought it and said that the furniture cost $20,000. Well, we all know what happens to the price of furniture once you take it home.

We would still certainly be interested in the South Fork house if her realtor could convince her that we should not be required to pay her bills. I do love the house. So we decided to go to our second favorite home on Arrowhead - brand new up toward Fremont Lake. We will have to furnish it, and have it fenced right away.

Tomorrow we have appointments with our accountant, the bank and with James to go and show Debbie the Arrowhead house and get on with the job of finding a place to buy. And the dogs each have a bath appointment at noon which hopefully won't take too long. So it will be up and driving to town again, and then again on Thursday to get the port off. I'm going to put a half a pork loin roast in the crock pot in the morning so some dinner will be ready when we get back home.

Monday October 13 2008

Tonight - Wish I'd Looked Out a Little Sooner

for the Alpenglow

,

James, Joe, Lynn signing the offer

Snow Left from Yesterday in Pinedale
.
Debbie Walks the Dogs.
All you can see of them is their footprints.

Joe, Debbie and I were up early and back to town to sign our offer for the house. Got in there a little too early to see the bank President (he had appointments), so had some coffee, walked the dogs, and then went to see James first. We got all the paperwork signed and initialed. When we got to the bank for our 11:30 appointment we hit another glitch in the financial stuff, oh goody, and then all of us sat on hold on the phone with the broken, no that's BROKER, for an hour I'm sure, while they consulted and told us we couldn't get our account as collateral this way either. Anyway I've never seen a more patient man than the bank president and how good he has been to help us. I'll just make the long story short and say we have to fill out more forms and come back tomorrow. And the next day. Anyway in any scenario if the seller accepts our offer or even if we have to counter offer, the deal should be completed by October 28. We should know by 4 p.m. tomorrow whether they accept our offer.

We ate lunch at the Mexican restaurant, and it was pretty good. I was hungry today. We stopped back by James office to add and initial a clause the bank wanted, then got some gas and came home. Stopped at Boulder to check out the newly remodeled store. It is pretty nice. Before they started remodeling they used to have Schwan's ice cream and a little fresh vegetables, but the lady working there told me no they have never had either of those. Like I was the new person. We got some Blue Bunny vanilla ice cream to bring home which was chosen from the 5 cartons they had there at the time - she said they had more flavors yesterday. Got home and tried to figure out the forms for a while. You know how mathematically challenged I am. More about all that when we really get some progress or something good actually happens. I'm going to ask lots of questions so we don't have any surprises later.

We put some lasagna in the oven for dinner and had garlic bread and salad with it. Tomorrow we off early again to go to Jackson for chemo. Debbie is going to take her car and she will be driving. She wants to shop up there for a few things while I'm my treatment.

Sunday October 12 2008

I tried to tell her other dogs stay outside

all the time

.

Snowy Day for Snoopy Rock

COLUMBUS DAY! No comment really, I admire their courage to make the journey, but at this point agree with the Native Americans that he is not much of a hero. The Indians have had nothing but misery and destruction of their cultures ever since.

Today was another quiet day. I spent the morning typing up my "house" notes, got 5 pages and it felt good to get that done and organized.

We had about 2 or 3 new inches of snow on the ground this morning and it has stayed most of the day - slowly fading away. We had dreary clouds and snow showers most of the day, and wind during the showers. It never got up to 35 today so pretty chilly. Dogs are denned up again. They know better than to want out.Tomorrow should be cold but better. Should have taken some pictures of the snowy day but I didn't.

I did add 5 more new photos of the South Fork house I lifted off the realty listing pages to go along with the others I had posted - was that yesterday? So scroll down and see a little more of the house and yard. I still don't have pictures of the bedrooms, so next time we go there I will photo the bedrooms for sure. They are really cute.

Tomorrow morning we go in to Pinedale again to make our offer. I will get another protime test at the clinic.

Joe's watched sports today. Debbie and I got some more laundry done, she made lunch, and is busy out in the kitchen now making a peach/apple cobbler and probably dinner. I think we're having ham slice with creamed peas and potatoes. That's what she wanted to make.