Thursday morning I finally ordered Brownie's portrait from MyPoochFace.  (My gift certificate was a Chanukah gift from Tom back in December, but of course "things happened" before I could take care of it.)  Then there had been a number of snags, but now those have been solved and the order is currently underway.   

Here's the photo they will be working off of, taken last summer at the Apple Pool.  I love his one-ear-up-one-ear-down pose! 

Then I'd gathered my courage and called COX to (re)fix the remote.  Happily Steve accomplished that faster than the guy earlier in the week.  It had been annoying needing to use two different remotes.

I turned Creepy on and got his flap working, but he soon quit.  When I checked, the leaf basket was crammed full, and Tom had a helluva time first getting it open to empty it (as did the pool guy on Friday), and then getting it closed afterward.   There's a reason I didn't even try...

Before PT I played catch in the pool with Tom and Alex, who had serious complaints about my poor throwing "ability".  Obviously I throw like a girl. <g>

Naturally Ryan was very pleased to see me walking again (though not as pleased as I am!!!)  However in view of what happened last time he decided not to add anything to my regimen Thursday.  Instead he wants to wait and see how I'm still doing on Monday, and then slowly add things.

 

I wanted to replant the huge aloe I pulled out of one pot the other day, but hadn't realized I'm out of dirt. [later found a partial bag] So I made a stop at SummerWinds after PT to pick up some, along with some flowers for my shelf outside the kitchen window now that I'm mobile and able to go in and out and water them!

I picked up some begonias (?) and now that they're planted I have a brighter view outside the kitchen window.  I had gotten tired of looking at the bare dirt in those pots!

Friday morning I'd swept the front and back porches to cut down on the dirt that would get tracked in since the cleaners were coming.  So after yesterday morning the floors were again clean (and also the pool) which (like washing your car?) was what it took to make it rain last night.  I woke at midnight to heavy rain, and while I'm not sure how long it lasted, we will take whatever we can get!

We did receive some (potentially!) excellent news from irrigation yesterday.

IRRIGATION PUMP REPAIR UPDATE: Monday morning a test will be done to make sure the pump is running good again.  If all is well the plan is to begin irrigating Aug. 4th, Westside, and irrigating Aug. 9th, Eastside.  The schedule for the 4th will be posted Monday night and for the 9th, Saturday night.

So "if all is well" (HERE'S HOPING!)

as part of the western run our trees would be getting water the week of August 9th.

Carol had invited Brownie (and me) over yesterday afternoon, which was a nice visit for all of us.  Her recovery had also been moving more slowly than she would like, but at our ages <sigh> we just don't bounce back like we used to!

After dinner Tom and I got a surprise visit from Shelley and her nephew Justin, who is visiting from Maryland.  He's in college getting a degree in geology, and she brought him over to pick Tom's brain.  Shelley really liked our 'new' kitchen, which she hadn't seen.  Then, while the guys chatted, she and I looked at some of my quilts.  

She's getting back in doing stained glass, and I look forward to seeing some of her creations.

By the end of yesterday my foot was really kvetching.

Happily this morning it seems to be back to where it had been the past several days.  I guess I was on it a bit more yesterday, doing all the sweeping, but have nothing like that on tap for today.

 I forgot to mention that Alex "fixed" my car window Tuesday evening.  He rode in the backseat when we went to Habit Burger, and discovered that his window wouldn't go down either.  He suggested that maybe the Kid Lock had been engaged (in the 10 years or so that I've been driving that car, I didn't 'realize' I had that option...) and sure enough it was.  Sure saved me a lot of money, because now it's just that right outside mirror that doesn't work electronically - but it's set for me which is all that truly matters, right?

Mary had said Susan was going to try to send out a daily diary during their Africa trip, and this morning the first week's worth of daily messages greeted me.  WOW!  Susan's first e-mail 'apologized' for all the detail (requested by her friends) but reminds me of my blog <g> and is certainly fine with me!

Their trip to Zimbabwe (near Africa's 4 Corners) took several days and had its share of stress (though most of it was entertaining in the telling) so it's not surprising that Susan wrote she was glad to finally arrive and put themselves into the hands of the tour group.  

The place where they are staying looks incredible - quite the comfy 'hut'! Though it is open air, and since it's winter there it's chilly they're grateful for the warm comforters and hot water bottles.  

Upon arrival they were informed that they "can’t use the pool for a couple of days because elephants have recently used it."  Their group (the first visitors there since Covid started) sounds compatible, and is only ten people (instead of the usual 22 because many had cancelled due to covid concerns.)  The meals sound incredible - and the pictures certainly seem to prove it!  At one point "the chef was busy keeping monkeys away from the buffet", and on another afternoon Susan “had to fight a monkey over my cake”.  She did mention that many of the animals seem quite curious about the people since they haven't seen any tourists in 18 months. (No mention of penguins... <g>)

They have seen an incredible range of animals as they "drive on something reminiscent of a dirt road", and the pix Susan has taken with her phone are amazing.  She also has a 'real' camera with her, though those pix (expected to be better, which is hard to imagine) won't be shared until her return to Arizona.

During their initial safety lecture they were warned that lions see the jeep as an animal – that is unless the occupants move and show the lions that there are prey aboard.  So they have been warned that if a lion is spotted they are to remain very still. Sounds like excellent advice to me! 

I'm thoroughly enjoying Susan's wonderful photos of elephants, giraffes, a jaguar with a fresh impala kill, a hippo family ("at least eyes, ears, noses"), LOTS of different birds, etc.   Though many of the bird species Susan listed are unfamiliar to me (and sound quite exotic), the guides got excited when some very rare birds were spotted.  Apparently bird watchers from around the world come there hoping to see them but are all too often disappointed.

Yesterday I finished up the dark green borders on the fishing panel, which is when discovered how I'd sliced through the panel - because (incredibly!) I managed to do it yet again!

Laying out my long strip across the center fold to measure and cut 

I (obviously!) got too close.  

At least from now I am FULLY aware of that possibility 

(though amazingly it's never happened before.) 

Naturally I will be MUCH MORE CAREFUL cutting from now on!!!

However at that point I decided it 'might' be wise to quit for the day. 

So instead I opted to veg on the couch and watch the Olympics in between working some on the puzzle.  Ours may not be quite as difficult as this puzzle... but it's close!

I have PT this afternoon, and am excited to 'show off' my latest walking skills!  It is still painful when my good foot misses a step and puts more weight on my right one, which means I will be cautious about what exercises I attempt today. 

 

Obviously I do NOT want to cause another month's setback!

Though it was Leg Day at the gym yesterday, I worked on things like quads and hammies, avoiding anything that would stress my ankle.  (Tom didn't think I should even go to the gym, but I knew I could be careful.) The rest of the day was uneventful, and I continued walking around the house.  And while my foot was tired by the end of the day, it still worked!

I'd been wanting to try Habit Burger (after Sherri's glowing recommendation) so last night the three of us dined there.  It was frigid inside, so at Alex's suggestion we ate outside (where it was "only" 103.)  I have to admit I was somewhat disappointed, though not sure what I was expecting.

Naturally I was a bit apprehensive when I got up this morning after using my foot all day yesterday, and the first steps of the day were somewhat uncomfortable.  But now my foot seems to have settled in.   

Of course I'll still use one crutch (like I did when we went out last night) 

when I head to quilting this morning.

You know how you wash your car when you're trying to make it rain?  My thought was that dealing with the usual nightmare of the DMV, for a handicapped placard, might negate any need for one - but would most certainly make the hassle worth it.  Who knew that when I walked in there after PT yesterday, around 3:30, I wouldn't have to wait?!  I now have a 'temporary' temporary placard; the real one will be mailed to me.

But since it wasn't a hassle, maybe my 'plan' won't work...?

This morning I got the answer... IT WORKED!!!!!!!!!!

Because all morning I have been walking (admittedly gingerly) 

around the house WITHOUT A CRUTCH!!!

And you can bet I WON'T overdo anything at the gym or PT this time!

In other good news, this morning I finished making the rest of the pinwheels and then attached both strips to the panel.  Next step will be to add another narrow dark green border before I decide what's next.

Now for the bad news, from Irrigation, which arrived yesterday.

 The pump is still currently down. Please be assured we are doing our best to get all repairs taken care of ASAP.  We will not be irrigating a full cycle on the 27th. When the pump is running again, we will run a west side cycle instead of a full cycle. Hopefully, beginning Aug. 8th (westside only)

Since we are part of the east side run, that means the earliest we can expect water is the week of August 15.  While the recent rain was nice (it made the grass and weeds happy) it wasn't enough for the trees.  So with the heat back in full force we will definitely need to water, meaning that along with the hefty electric bill we can also expect a serious water bill from the city.

I got into the pool yesterday morning to see if I could wake up Creepy.  From the layer of dirt in the pool, without any clean swaths, it was clear that he hadn't run during the night.  I got the flapper working (no idea why it isn't happy) and then helped him navigate, was about ready to get out anyway when the rain started and chased me out.  It sure came down hard for a bit, but there are NO complaints about that, especially since it quit before I had to 'hike' to the gym from the parking lot.

After the gym (where I only skipped one machine) it was raining again, but not too hard, for my walk to the car.  Spent the afternoon watching some of the taped Olympics, worked a little on the puzzle, and finished reading West With Giraffes.  Mom would have loved it!

This morning I swept the front porch (could almost have shoveled the dirt left from the recent heavy rain that flooded it) and watered the plants.  It is unpleasantly humid, so it felt great to get into the pool afterward to cool off.  

Creepy still isn't happy, though I managed to get his flapper going and then spent considerable time walking him around the shallow end of the pool.  But whenever he ventured into the deep, where a few leaves were waiting to ambush him, he needed some TLC from me to get going again.  

This is extremely frustrating since we recently supplied him with (pricey) new parts that should have made him ecstatic.    

Why the flapper won't flap (and move him around) without 'priming' from me is a mystery.

In a bit I'm off to PT, and after that plan to swing by the DMV 

to see about getting a handicapped placard.  

I did do some weeding yesterday morning (no shortage of that to be done!) 

When I got tired of working outside in the humidity I retreated inside for some sewing.  I needed to put a border on the panel because the trio of pinwheel blocks came out a little too wide.

But I guess I should have mucked my table first.  Obviously it was crowded with too much stuff in the way, because look what I accidentally did when I was cutting the strips:

The 'missing' slice was still attached, and I used some stabilizer to put it back together.  

HOPEFULLY it won't too noticeable in the finished product!  

But after that major snafu I decided I was done sewing for the day!!!

I had noticed that Pokey had worn off  'her' phone number, so yesterday I decided to freshen it up. 

 

I did have to mark it in pieces; 

it obviously tickles/bothers her, since she moves on during the process.

Last evening we finally started a puzzle that had been a gift to me from Alex. 

Since it has 2000 pieces it "probably" will take a while!

Yesterday I watched the first gymnastics of the Olympics, men's qualifying - but I'm really looking forward to the women today.  There are a lot of laughs (along with ouchies) in the following clip:

Real People attempting Olympic events

Better have breakfast and get dressed so I'll be ready to head to the gym in a bit.