Tuesday morning I saw my radiation oncologist for a follow-up.  She recommends another mammogram 6 months after my last one (despite what the surgeon said about being able to go a full year) so I have made an appointment for June.  That afternoon I took a  nap, and was sleeping hard when the alarm went off to take my car in for its 3:00 oil change appointment.  I brought a book and waited, though I didn't expect it to take almost 2 hours.  In hindsight, I should have just dropped off car earlier, come home, and slept undisturbed.  Next time...

Wednesday morning was Busy Bees quilting, and I took the two quilts I'm entering in the quilt show because Sharon is the NW Valley 'person' and I could hand them over to her.  That definitely beats driving all the way to Mesa to drop them off myself!

Joni presented instructions for the second month's row of stars.

Here are Louise, Patty, Joanne, Susan, Carol, & Monica showing off their rows of little squares from last month:

 Of course <g> I took pix during Show & Tell, which I'll share here.  Carol was thrilled to have finally finished this "D" Flying Goose top (and I don't think that stood for 'delightful'....)  The top may have taken her a long time, but it certainly turned out gorgeous!

Joanne made this signature block quilt using fabrics that she won for completing the most UFOs in 2012 - Nice!

Betty's quilt, using a Pickles panel, made me smile!

Melissa has started working on next year's opportunity quilt.  She had her artist brother Ben design some original flowers and then she embroidered them on her machine.  (His first flower was much too detailed, and the second one was not one continuous line.  On the third try he finally 'got it right' - but said he never thought it'd take so long to draw a flower!)

This afternoon was my quarterly Echocardiogram.  Except for the fact that I have to pay for it (they called yesterday to say that since I haven't yet met my annual deductible I'd need to pay $1,000 up front)  it would have been a painless procedure :)

 

Of course I won't know the results for several days, but I'm not expecting it to show anything.

On the way home from that I stopped in to have the new lenses put in my frames.  It not only went amazingly fast (I was prepared, with a book, to be there a while!) but in addition to now having a nice, unscratched view of the world,  my frames are also all straightened out (don't know how they got so wonky.)  Plus I also got to shop at the Farmer's Market set up out front; apparently it's there every Wednesday afternoon.  

Tom and Alex were hard-at-it this afternoon, cutting down the 8 'bush' hedge behind the cottonwoods.  (They had to be at least 15' tall.)  We've got bulk trash this week (they've already picked up some of it, but drove by and said they'll be back tomorrow) so it really needed to be done today.  Tom has been working very hard (only 2 months post op!) and the yard keeps looking better and better. He did (finally) go out and buy a chain saw yesterday to replace the stolen one... sure beats sawing all those limbs by hand!!!

It turns out that we've got a rather large hive of bees now living inside a hollow section of one of the cottonwoods; apparently they thought about going after Alex, and Tom is concerned that they're the Africanized ones who like to attack.  We'll certainly keep an eye on things over there.

My shoulder, which after several increasingly painful weeks was finally thinking about feeling better, started really bothering me again after the recent rake-a-thon on Monday.  So this evening I tried something new and it helped a little.  There's a lot more raking that needs to be done, but I don't think I'll be able to help with that.

Sunday afternoon Mary and I went to the movies and saw Identity Thief. 

It may not have been Oscar caliber, but it was definitely entertaining and we both enjoyed it. And since Mary has been dealing with some heavy issues lately she said it was exactly what she needed.

Angie's birthday party also turned out to be an Oscar party, red carpet and statuettes and all. I did get to watch pieces here and there, but because I hadn't expected the awards to be on at a birthday I had set the DVR to record it (always nice to not have to worry about falling asleep before it's over.) We came home well before the end, but since I knew it was recording there was no real incentive to stay up and watch. Thus when I woke up (at 4:00 this morning) I got comfy on the couch to watch the entire thing. 

On the plus side, it's always great to be able to fast forward through the commercials...but since the proceedings ran over the allotted time slot, my recording ended during the commercial before the best actor, best actress, and best picture awards, thereby missing Jennifer's fall, Michelle's presentation, the Loser Song, etc. 

Guess next year I'll know to also set it to record the following show also... <g>

Angie & Hoogie have done a great job renovating their house - I hadn't been inside since shortly after they moved in, although we have seen Hoogie working tirelessly on the outside.  Thanks to them (and Ben & Estera across the street) our corner has undergone a major transformation in the past 18 months!

At dinner last night we got the scoop on the Power Lifting competition.  Lisa set state records in all 3 of her events!  It actually turns out there were no previous records to break since she's the first woman small enough for her category.      

 I am currently the Arizona USPA record holder for the bench press, squat, and deadlift in my weight class!   It's technically in kilos so here are estimates in pounds: squat 121, bench 60, deadlift 126.

And, even better, in two of the events she achieved personal bests, which is really the 'true' test of anything, and all the more impressive because she wasn't feeling well.  Chas had filmed the action, so we did get to 'see' her compete after all.  Very impressive!  And so was the size of her medal:

Chas also broke records in two of his his three events, with very impressive numbers.  They've both been working hard, and were rewarded for it.

Some very intense wind last night (woke us up) and when Alex left for work this morning he said it was really cold out.  I can see it's quite windy.  I'm not inclined to go outside and check, at least until I get the urge to soak in the hot tub.  Of course we will have to walk next door for Angie's birthday party this evening, but we'll bundle up.  <G>

This week I have a fair amount of stuff going on.  Today I need to straighten up a bit because the ladies are coming to clean tomorrow, and how can they dust if stuff is all over the desks, etc.  Tuesday I have a follow-up appointment with the Radiation Oncologist in the morning, and the exterminator will be here in the afternoon.  Wednesday morning is the Busy Bees meeting and that afternoon I have my ECHO heart test at the hospital.  Nothing on for Thursday - except that I'm scheduled as the Word Wizard on Friday and I haven't yet added anything to the robe, so that needs to be done.  This guy looks ready to motivate me...

Not feeling that well today, so I didn't do much except return an overdue book to the library and pick up the waiting book.  Then I napped much of the afternoon.  

Now we're just waiting for Lisa and Chas to finish up at the competition and then we'll all go out for dinner.  They both had a great day - I'll get all the details over dinner and pass them along tomorrow.

Alex moved back home - temporarily - this afternoon.  He and friend Clay are getting an apartment together next month.  It looks like a nice place, and no surprise that Alex can't wait.

Today was very productive - I made LOTS of phone calls (several to set up medical appointments and clear up issues relating back to the hacked debit card) which allowed me to cross a multitude of things off of my To Do List.  

Maybe not 'my most' but it still felt good.  

I did try to pull weeds in the front yard this morning (had told Tom not to mow because after irrigation I wanted to get at the root of the problem.... pun intended.)  Unfortunately we didn't get much water as usual  in the front because some sticks clogged up the gate, so the weeds pretty much held their ground (there are those terrible puns again!) and I gave up.

I picked up my ring at the jewelers today (it's now so clean and sparkly that it looks like a new ring) and on the way home saw a neon green sign for a yard sale that called to me, so I made a slight detour.  There was a large reptile tank with heaters, etc. that I thought Lisa might be able to use so I texted her, and sure enough, she thought it was a great idea.  It was quite a bargain at $25, and should enable her to create quite a habitat for Lemma.  Since she's in town this weekend for a weight-lifting meet, she can 'grab' it tomorrow night when we all meet for dinner.

I had planned to go watch - but she says I would be BORED and she'll show me pictures.  So I guess I won't go, just in case it would throw her off of her game.

I also swung by the library to drop off some books, and there's wasn't anything waiting for me when I checked the Hold shelf.  However, later today an e-mail arrived that let me know there is now one waiting for me.  I still have plenty to read, so it's no biggie, just a tad frustrating.

We thought we were going to a birthday party for dinner tonight (for Angie) but it's been switched to Sunday.  I filled up a pretty heart box today with Hershey Kisses as her gift - now I have to hope that 'someone' doesn't get into the box and nibble away at the chocolate.  (And I purposely waited until the last minute to buy the chocolate because some of us are NOT to be trusted around chocolate!) <G>

You can see from the kisses I set out for scale that it holds a LOT of chocolate; still I have no doubt I could make a serious dent in it without too much trouble...

Chemo was uneventful (as usual) and (also as usual) the bendadryl really knocked me out.  Today several folks 'graduated' after completing their final chemo session - I'm looking forward to doing the same!

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel - 

unless it's the lights of an oncoming train? <G>

Weird Weather does not even begin to describe yesterday in Arizona!  We 'only' got rain - but parts of central Phoenix and Scottsdale got SNOW - and I don't mean a dusting!!!  Don't think anyone ever imagined that rush hour problems would be caused by snow!  Here's a picture of the 'fun' yesterday afternoon on Loop 101.

Of course folks in Phoenix don't even know how to drive in the rain (sad but true) so it was no surprise that there were accidents all over the place yesterday due to the slippery conditions.

And at the golf tournament in Marana (north of Tucson) people were no doubt expecting (the usual) 80 degree sunshine, and instead got SNOW!  (And Tuesday we had 'regular' weather, sunny and in the mid 70s!)

First-round play in the World Golf Championships event was suspended Wednesday when rain that came down sideways quickly gave way to snow from a winter storm that dumped close to 2 inches on Dove Mountain in about an hour. The temperature plunged to 33 degrees at the cactus-lined layout 2,800 feet above sea level.

 

Tucson also got snow - 

here's a short clip that Robin posted of it snowing at their place.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10200587252585533&set=vb.1285775408&type=2&theater

Lisa's school is near their place and it also snowed there, understandably making the kids nuts (I know how excited Lisa and Alex used to get about rain!) and emptying the teachers' lounge when everyone ran out to look at it.

I stayed in my PJs all day (Teresa didn't mind) but ended up having to get dressed to go out to dinner.  I'd told Tom 'I'd buy if he'd fly' for Chinese food, but he wanted to go to the buffet.  Alex was invited to meet us there, which was a good thing.  Tom didn't bring his wallet since I was buying, and I spaced out grabbing my purse because I wasn't driving.  So we had no money, and Alex had to cover the bill.  

There was also an issue finding a restaurant when the intended rendezvous destination turned out to have closed - cell phones came in handy - and we did eventually find the restaurant Lynne had mentioned to me on Monday.  All's well that ends well.  :-)  AND my fortune cookie packet had 2 cookies (and fortunes) in it!

In a bit I'm off to chemo; nothing else planned for today.  I'm 'letting' Tom take care of irrigation today.

Tom found a power cord that worked for Mom's old printer - but without the software disk has no way to get it running.  However yesterday Cheryl posted that she had some things (including a printer/scanner/fax) that she was giving away, so we rendezvoused midway yesterday (even though I was more than willing to drive to her house to pick it up!)

Now I'm just waiting for Tom to get a chance to hook it up.  He got more trimming and some mowing done yesterday afternoon, and last night relaxed while we watched a movie (The Fugitive) on TV.  I'd seen the movie several times, most recently while back in Maryland this past Fall, but this time there were 'notes' at the bottom of the screen that gave all sorts of wonderful insight into the making of the movie.

Today's he's knapping with Kaye and Barry (hope they manage to stay warm out in the shop!) and Teresa is 'tagging along' so we'll get to hang out together!  Haven't seen her in ages (since she retired? and has been BUSY going here and there, mostly with the horses.)  Glad I don't have to go out today; it's a cold, slimy day and just perfect to just hang out!  Raining here, although the snow level is predicted to be low enough that there could be a dusting of snow in  nearby Carefree/Cave Creek!  Of course the ski resorts are getting slammed, with a possible 2 feet (!) of snow expected.  

Alex and friends were planning on heading up to Flag today (he has no classes on Wednesdays) for a day of snowboarding, but I'm really hoping they don't.  Even IF the roads are even passable (which is questionable!) it's still bound to be a driving nightmare.  And just because they have a big 4X4, that doesn't mean they're won't run into problems, or guarantee that another idiot on the road doesn't cause problems for them.  

And now I'd better get dressed before Teresa arrives  :-)

Stay warm and dry today!

Good news on the car front: I can now access my spare tire (it was locked underneath, but I had no key - discovered that problem when I tried to have the tires rotated last oil change. Of course that also means I'm less likely to get a flat, right?)  Accura knew the unsuccessful tire rotation was how I'd discovered the missing key, so they rotated my tires for me gratis.  While I was there I also had the back windshield wiper replaced.  The whole unit had been snapped off, so there was more involved than just picking up a new blade at the auto parts store (which I found out when I first tried that option.) And there was more good news: because my motor was still usable I saved about $100.

FYI The Accura waiting room was pretty upscale - lots of goodies to eat (wide assortment of fresh fruit, granola bars, cookies, etc.) and a well-stocked Keurig (I opted for some hot apple cider.)  As another plus, they topped off their service by washing the car, vacuuming the inside, and (best of all) cleaning the inside of my windshield.  

Before I left the service office guy asked if there was anything else he could help me with, so I did try to have him set up the Bluetooth to enable me to 'call home' without having to pull over and get out my cellphone. I can already take incoming cell calls with a touch on the steering wheel, but after many failed tries he said he'd have to do some research and get back to me.  (And yes it did make me feel better that I'm not the only one bumfuzzled by technology.)

On the way home I popped over to the lab to get my pre-chemo blood drawn, and then dropped off a stack of books at the library since there were several that were due back soon.  I'm glad I thought to look on the HOLD shelf because there were 3 more waiting for me.  (I haven't even gotten an e-mail yet about them, so they must have just been put out this morning.)

All in all it's been a productive day.  Now I can relax this afternoon... and read!

Another beautiful day yesterday, in the 70s - perfect for working in the yard!  We had watched Dr. Zhivago on TV the night before, which reminded us (as if we needed a reminder!) of why we choose to live where Old Man Winter (usually!) behaves sensibly!  

During the movie, 

Tom thought he recognized Garry & Karen's back yard a few times. <G>  

This is pretty to look at, but I just DON'T want to live there:

Tom got a LOT more trimming of dead stuff done yesterday, and yet he's barely made a dent in it; the two huge oleander hedges are not going to be fun.  On the plus side, at least he's able to do stuff like that now, though I do think he's going to have to put aside the hand saw and finally replace the chain saw that got stolen (along with all that other stuff out of the shed and shop) 2 years ago.  We have our quarterly bulk trash pick-up approaching rapidly, so there's a real push to get it done sooner rather than later, which would entail moving the piles twice.... never fun! 

We delivered bags (and bags) of lemons/oranges/grapefruit to a couple of our neighbors - though the trees of course are still heavily laden with their bounty.  I'm very happy to report that the absurd 5-day freeze apparently did not hurt the fruit. 

Now I'm off to get some work done on my car, and after that a quick trip to the lab to get my blood drawn.