Family Hopping

 

We had made arrangements for Ryan (aka Tony) to come pick us up from the bus depot.  He met us at 6:15 in the morning and took us to my sisters house where we would sleep – or attempt to anyway.  We were introduced to the family dogs Sadie and Donny.  Gary was asleep on the couch where we’d be sleeping – or trying to and Jerry asked if we would give him permission to use us in a youtube video.  He then taught us a geography game which I had assumed he wanted us to play while filming for the youtube video.  But that is a far as it got.  Perhaps we weren’t worthy subjects for his channel?

          For the most part we spent time with Ryan and his family while Ryan was off and before the kids had to go back to school.  We played games with them and then Ryan took us all to Dee’s for dinner.  After he brought us back to my sister’s house, we played games with her family.  Playing games with different family members really was the highlight of our being there. 

          On Saturday we helped Todd (aka Bill Jolly) with cleaning the church.  Later Ryan came for us and we went to the park.  It was hot and the kids wanted to go swimming.  Jai or I had suggested going to Fairbourn to run through the fountains.  We drove from the park toward the Fairbourn station and Ryan parked in the lot of West Valley Library. As I was getting out of the car I realized that I had left my backpack at the park.  Thus we did not make it to Fairbourn as we stayed in car and headed back toward Vista Park. So grateful that my backpack was still there when we returned. 

        We chose not to go back to Fairbourn but to the apartment where Ryan's family lives.  He and the kids played in the pool while Jaime and I played games with our very pregnant Chelsey.  Jaime and I had brought our suits to Utah but they were in our suitcases back at Todd and Shelly's house and I didn't think returning for them would be worth the extra amount of driving it would take as       Utah is under construction.  Every spring and summer it always takes longer to get from point A to point B than in the fall.  So many roads.  So many polycones, barrels and signs.  So many detours. We crawled through traffic each time we were in the car 

There was construction on the road, on buildings, parking lots . . . very overwhelming.  So happy I had not driven.

     Todd and Jaime were watching an episode of Star Trek: Strange New World. I was talking to Richard on the phone and excused myself and went downstairs as to not disturb Todd's program watching.  Sadie was down there and had chewed me out for being in her territory.  Fine, I did not want to be there anyway.  Richard said I sounded tired and should get some sleep.    I slept great on Saturday night. Apparently I was out the minute my buttocks hit the couch.

          On Sunday we went to my sister’s ward.  There was a youth that gave the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting.  What an awesome prayer.  So refreshing hearing a youth give the prayer in Sacrament meeting.  There are two wards that meet in the building.  Each ward has their own sacrament but will combine for the second meeting to account for more activity.  That is a brilliant idea!  Wish we had that option.

Hodgepodge of Thoughts

  

        I have been thinking of an assortment of things lately – none seem post worthy however.  I haven’t come up with any great ways to transfer my thoughts.  So perhaps I’ll just assign numbers.

 

1.     I’ve driven many mornings without having to deal with school buses and I always forget.  Thus I have been leaving the house a wee bit earlier in order to pick up Jenna who does go to seminary in person – at least for the time being.

2.     On our return we pass the middle school which has always had a flashing light signal before the turn.  But I have not seen the signal since mid-summer.  I told the crossing guard about it.  Thus far it isn’t working still.

3.     I’ve seen a lot more construction signs and reflective cones set up all over Myrtle Creek.  And they somehow become permanent additions as they had in Utah traffic.  I don’t like that.

4.     At the end of August Douglas County was instructed to turn all fire meters to extreme.  We’ve had over twenty-five fires across the state.  I think we are down to seven now. Our country meters have gradually gone down.  This morning the MCFD was set to moderate and now they have been set to low.  But this is still considered fire season so the restrictions are still in force.

The horrible air quality has been surrounding the state for over a month now, but Myrtle Creek got only a taste of it for two weeks or so before it rained.  The skies have been overcast and the air is more breathable and appears to be clean.  Fog no longer mingled with smoke – though there is smoke north and east of us.

5.     We see helicopters flying with their buckets.  It seems like the fires are further to make such a trip to fill the buckets and haul the water to where the fires are burning.  At least we’re told that the tough winds that we recently had did not spread the fires any.  Most of them are at least 50% contained.

6.     Before the month started the news channels started off the program with the newest and total of coronavirus cases.  After the month started fires were the leading story and cornona cases weren’t reported until after the first commercial break like it was an after thought of “oh, yea, and by the way . . .” almost as though COVID had disappeared.  But it was back to the first report and then the fires

7.     I have not returned to work.  I’ll wait until flu season and Christmas break if I do decide to return.  With these new hearing aids it is probably not a good idea as I haven’t gotten used to them yet.  Or at least the right one – which is the one I really need.  I think I’m okay without the left one right now.  As though the hearing aid isn’t challenging enough I will have to learn to wear them with a mask.  Doesn’t that sound fun?

8.     Saw the black flag as a symbol of our divided nation (politically) and had some Pharisees (my new nickname for Trump supporters) rattle on about the evils of abortion if I voted for Biden as though that is the one and only thing his campaign is built upon.  Beats dictatorship.  But I never said anything about Biden.  I never said anything about race.  But the Pharisees don’t understand that the definition of a civil war is a war between two organized groups living in the same state or nation and does not necessarily have to do with race.

9.     I’ll go on facebook to post a little trivial fact about a past president or presidency.  I will no longer be viewing news feed.

What Are They Doing To My Street?

            I have noticed orange diamond shaped signs indicating construction.  At first I noticed them posted near unpaved streets figuring that perhaps they were being paved – although it seems to be an unrealistic thing at this time of the year now that I think about it.  But that is what I had thought initially.

            This morning I heard what sounded like power drill noises.  What the heck?  I didn’t even check my window.  90% of the time I look for a source to match a sound, I don’t see anything.

            I had a dentist appointment at 10:00.  It wasn’t until I left the house that I noticed the orange signs were on our street.  Why?  What are they doing?  Why are they making so much noise?

 

that's our house btw

taken from our driveway

It doesn’t appear that I got a member of the crew who dressed in a uniform much bulkier than what's shown in this illustration:

The Sights and Sounds of Utah . . . NNNOOOOOO

          Corey has had to deal with the challenge of driving to work in Las Vegas construction or attempt to try and maneuver himself around it.  Ah, the good old days (not) of experiencing that very thing in Salt Lake.  I suppose Las Vegas and SLC can afford to put up detour signs - though it seems inconvenience - there is the option of using other streets.  Not so true in this part of Oregon.

          I told Corey that has been another plus to living here.  Sometimes I have noticed Roseburg streets seem at a shutdown, but here in Myrtle Creek, the road construction has generally been less than a week.  Cones go up, signs go up, but they either move down the road or else disappear altogether.

          There was the inconvenience of going South on Old Pacific during a few months last year, but hey, Old Pacific is a long road connecting Myrtle Creek to Tri-City and a way out to Riddle.  As inconvenient as it was for many, it did at least move.

          This year there has been construction on a neighborhood road leading out to Old Pacific.  The signs have moved - but seem to be making their way into the neighborhood rather than out of it.  Currently, there is the option of turning right instead of left and winding my way through the adjoining neighborhoods - but I prefer going to the light than around the neighborhood.  At the rate the signs are moving, it will be inconvenient to try to go either direction.

         

          The news forecast told about an expected heat wave for Roseburg.  No No No.  I want the temperatures for the past six weeks to continue.  Heatwave not welcome!  When Jenna and I passed the fire department this morning, we saw that the fire danger sign had been changed from moderate to high.  NOOOOO  

          The largest class in attendance to the water fitness last year had been 15 - or maybe 16 with the instructor.  On Friday we had 20 in attendance - our largest class yet.  And the pool was cold again.  Body heat does not penetrate in the water or else no one had any to give

          I haven't been to the pool for four days and my body has been rebelling as I haven't had a good workout.  I chose not to go on Monday as it looked cold out, and though the temperature of the pool has been opposite of the air in years' past, that has not been the case this year.  Yesterday my stomach was giving me problems and I thought being in the water would only add to those problems. 

          We were told that the water was the coldest Monday than it had been all summer.  It was also learned that the thermostat/heater has not been producing accurately.  I had that figured out last month.

          We could hear police sirens in the distance sounding closer to us and had expected to see them.  After we returned home, I was hanging wet clothes on the line.  I could hear yard buzzing coming from my neighbor's yard.  We don't have a garden this year. I haven't missed having to go out and weed and so forth.   

Renovation and Makeover

We knew there'd be problems before we moved in.  I didn't get that the discoloration on the floor meant water damage.  We called the insurance company who sent a crew out June 28 and stayed with us until July 6 and disappeared.

The insurance company had wired money to our bank in addition to paying Service Master.   okay, additional expenses like the plumber, electrician . . . but wait.  We still need more than just a sub floor. . . Installation 

We finally heard back from Service Master on August 11, I believe.  It was by phone on Friday and they said they'd be out on Monday.  They weren't.  Roland received a call after 6:00 pm on Tuesday.  A representative came to give an estimate, which Roland tore apart and ended up agreeing to dry wall only.  Oh, and let's not forget the furnace that has been in our kitchen the last 6 weeks.  And please return our daughter's possessions!

Dry wall put in.  Furnace installed but not connected.  Jenna's belongings didn't arrive until Friday.  To save ourselves some money, we decided to paint and install the floors ourselves. Some pictures I have posted already.  But here is a synopsis of our lives June 28 through today.

June 27 water damaged floor

floor ripped up and fans dry out

furnace lived in the kitchen along side our dining table

I did try to liven it up a little

didn't always work out though

this would be Jenna's room June 29

Roland on cat walk fixing breaker switch Jun 30

we had pulled out 5 drawers of clothes and 

stored them in the tub - it served as a temporary closet

washer and dryer lived outside

July 3,  Jenna's room

furnace hole, Jenna's room, washer and dryer space

July 6 subfoor

July 6  Jenna's room

furnace still not hooked up

this one appears to be out of order . . . . hmm. 

wall connecting to laundry wall  July 1 probably

washer disconnected Aug 16

Aug 16 wall in Jenna's room

sorting through clothes that Kylee gave her

Aug 16

cutting drywall in our carport

Aug 16 Roland spackling laundry/hall

Aug 16 spackling Jenna's wall

Aug 18 Jenna picked out a really loud paint

August 20, finally set up for moving back in

August 22 quite proud of her green wall

Aug 22, start the flooring project

our back porch during renovation

Aug 24

our kitchen seems to have taken a dive as well

Aug 25 All done.

Division Street is Closed

My water aerobics classes

had started when

I was still out of town.

I've gone everyday this week

except today.

Each member of the class

including the instructor

faced a new challenge yesterday.

Division is getting a makeover.

I don't know that it had even been

worth it.  The air was cold before

we got in.  The wind against

our wet bodies made it feel even

colder.

I guess I still had time to go

if I had not continued with this post, and

if the road is finished, but only if I

didn't have to wait for the construction

workers to direct me.

I was reminded of this commercial

When I approached the elderly lady

dressed from head to foot in fire engine

yellow - almost like the government

descending on Elliot's family in

the movie E.T.

It's a long way around and

will be late for certain should

I choose to go that way.

Probably I should go for

a walk in the park.  Perhaps

I should have gone this morning

before I took my assessment.

I am so tired all of the time.

I went outside to do some weeding

and watered the plants.

Roland asked me to plant the

cantaloupe.  That wore me out.

I was awake for a while.  Searching

for answers for assessment put

me back in a coma. As

soon as I post this to my blog

I will go in the kitchen and

do dishes and then

I will go through many boxes of

clutter to see what might be

keepable and what can be

donated for the citywide yard sale.