Month: January 2014

Well. The Broncos won their AFC title game last Sunday and are off to the Super Bowl. Our son Toby called us to see how excited we were at this development and was somewhat chagrined to learn we are not that excited. It would be nice if the Broncos win but it won’t crush us if they don’t. We just hope for a good, close game that is well played by both teams. I will, however, dig out my Broncos sweatshirt and wear it for the game.

This last week has been a bad one for me. I was off work all week with a medical problem. I was experiencing stomach cramps and abdominal pain. Turns out there was an adhesion problem in my abdomen which caused a partial blockage of my small intestine. Part of the intestine was stuck to the wall of the abdomen.

My first visit to the doctor, last Monday, resulted in a prescription and X-rays. By Wednesday the X-rays were back but the doctor wanted a CT scan as it would show more soft tissue detail. It was that or a colonoscopy, so I opted for the CT scan. Results of the scan showed there was no mass inside the intestine, good news for me. By now I was on a regime of anti-gas medication, stool softeners, and orders to pump liquid into my diet. By Friday I was able to eat three smallish meals, the first time I was able to do so all week. Today I am feeling OK but not 100%.

If the intestine does not come unstuck by itself I may need surgery to separate the intestine from the abdominal wall. The doctor thinks the intestine may be stuck to the scar tissue of my appendectomy, done when I was in grade school.

Good Lord. One thing I don’t want  is hospital gowns, poking and prodding, and stool softeners. This could impact our plans for the summer, not to mention the severe discomfort that would result from abdomen surgery. Hopefully the intestine will un-stick itself and any more intervention will be unnecessary. Odds of that happening are not in my favor, though, so we will have to see what the next few weeks bring. The doctor did clear me to go back to work tomorrow.

Once again, our sympathies to family and friends in the Midwest who are putting up with below-normal temperatures. We had the coldest December on record, but January has been near (and sometimes above) normal. As I look outside my window I can see some of the ice on the edge of the road starting to melt, indicating today will be above freezing as it has been for the last week or so. Average daytime temperatures for this time of year are in the mid to upper 30’s.

Thanks for the comments regarding the cabin dreams. Our biggest decision concerns what we intend to do with the house; use it as a weekend getaway or would we use it in retirement as a full-time house, even for part of the year?  The answer to that will influence our choice of house plans and we are continuing the debate.

There has not been a lot else going on this past week. We did put up a few more framed photos  and Pam bought some foam to make cushions for the glider bench. Maybe this week will be more interesting!

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Our oldest cat, Mira, visited the vet for several overnighters with intestinal problems Tuesday and Wednesday.  Intestines seem to be the topic of the week.

Men are not good patients.  Cats are better patients.

Happy Trails

I am writing this on Sunday morning; the Broncos play their AFC championship game against the Patriots later today. Otherwise there is not a lot going on in mid-January folks!

We’re cabin dreaming this winter, and we’d welcome some feedback on possible floor plans for a cabin on the lot. I have advocated a fairly traditional cabin and Pam has come up with a somewhat unconventional structure. First, here are some details of Pam’s Solargon house, which is supposedly based on a yurt:

Solargon octagonal cabin (Mfg. photo)

Here is a typical floor plan for the Solargon 30-foot model:

Typical floor plan (Mfg. photo)

We would put such a structure over a walk-out basement giving us more storage space and square footage to put the utilities such as  a hot water boiler, furnace, solar system “stuff”and pressure tank for the well.

The kit is available with either 8-foot or 10-foot walls; we would opt for the 10-foot model. Square footage is 700 square feet, which would about double over a walk-out basement.

Advantages of the Solargon include: lower purchase cost, easier assembly,  soaring interior spaces, and more economic in terms of heating and cooling. Manufacturer is in Fort Collins so shipping would not be very expensive. Disadvantages include: no covered deck (who wants to shovel snow off a deck?) and the garage would need to be an octagon as well to visually blend with the structure. More information can be found at: http://www.solargon-structures.com

My selection is more traditional, with a rectangular cabin and a covered porch:

“Hunter” model cabin (Mfg. photo)

Suggested floor plan looks like this:

Hunter floor plan (Mfg. photo)

My thought would be to add a garage to the left-hand side of this plan. This cabin would also be put over a walk-out basement doubling the over-all square footage. This floor plan is 1,460 square foot of space. We couldn’t  afford log construction so would go with a standard timber-framed structure.

Let us know what you think about either of these two approaches. Construction is a couple of years away but it’s nice to dream in the middle of Winter.

In any case, we found out we have to put in a well before we put in a septic system. We’d hoped to put in the septic first as this would mean I would not have to pull the RV over to the dump station to empty the holding tanks.  Ah, no.  Well first.  Septic and well will cost around $20K according to a local contractor. We are looking into ways to finance these improvements this year as our (ambitious) goal is to complete the driveway, get a tool storage shed, and get the well and septic in place. Big order…the septic may have to wait until 2015.  After that we need to install an off-grid solar system for power — although we could run the well pump from a generator if we had to for a couple years. At a minimum we need to complete the drive, purchase a storage shed, and get the well drilled. It will be a busy and expensive year. Once this work is done (and paid for) we can start getting serious about putting up a cabin.

In other odds and ends, mom cat Ebony was taken to the shelter this last Wednesday. We found out  all 4 of her kittens had been adopted within a week of being dropped off. That is good news to us, particularly Pam who puts so much time and effort into the fostering process.  They were all black kittens, a challenge to adopt during busy kitten season (Summer).

It’s been a while since I put some pet photos in a post so here is a recent photo of the dogs Blondie, “Sassy” Bru, and “Auburn” Jo.  All three dogs have been through their winter groomings, Bru also successfully came through lumpectomy surgery in December:

Blondie, Bru, and Jo

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

A guiding parameter when considering development of the Sanderling lot is something our realtor mentioned while we were on the land search.  The development where we’ve purchased the lot doesn’t really support resale in the quarter-million-dollars-and-up range.  So, when putting in improvements and buildings, one must proceed with as much economy as possible to keep the overall costs in line. Difficult to do when well and septic alone are half the cost of the lot.  And driveway installation costs are horrendous.

I’m also concerned about who will actually build the proposed cabin, when that time comes.  The best economy is to purchase a home kit, but let’s face it – neither Jer nor I are capable of assembling a kit at 9,000+ feet any more.  My thought was to contact the local shop teacher and see if he could foreman a small crew of capable Fairplay industrial arts students for a long summer weekend.  Lots of food, a porta-potty, and cash payment —  voile — an erected cabin shell.  (?)

Happy Trails.

I have been watching more TV than normal as the football season is winding down. All the college games have been played and the NFL playoffs are on-going. Coupled with the winter weather this means more inside time and more TV watching.

I wish Auburn had held on to defeat Florida, but otherwise the college games were pretty good. Imagine…36 bowl games. Some I have never heard of, along with the teams that played in them. I guess I don’t pay enough attention during the season. I didn’t watch them all, by the way, just the majors like the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and  a couple others.

My sympathies to all our Midwest friends and family about the Packer loss. I thought sure the Pack would be moving into more playoff games. On the other hand, I never thought the Broncos would make it this far. They beat San Diego today and will be playing the Patriots next week. Winner of that game goes to the Super Bowl. We will have to see what happens next week!

Last week at this time the Midwest was suffering from a polar vortex that dropped temps to record lows and forced school closings. Record temps were not only found in the Midwest; our Florida friends, Mary and Jeff, reported a low of 34 around their place in central Florida. (Of course it rebounded into the low ’80s a few days later.)  We remember those cold Wisconsin days. In ’91 we had just moved back to Wisconsin from Oregon and the Christmas Day temp was -22. The steering wheel in the Toyota cracked from being so cold. I had to outfit both cars with freeze plugs and tank heaters so they would start. Bundling up the kids was always a chore. Yes, we remember those days well and extend our sympathies to everyone who is dealing with this weather.

Out here it finally warmed up enough to begin melting the snow and ice on the roads. A light snow this morning covered everything with a thin layer of white, but it was short-lived as the temps got near or above freezing this afternoon. The yard still has a heavy layer of snow, but the white stuff is receding around the edges of the sidewalks and driveway. Our two snowiest months are ahead (February and March) but for now there is a lull.

Pam ordered a glider bench and it arrived a couple of days ago. Here are the components sitting in the living room:

Glider parts waiting for tung oil

Pam lightly sanded the surfaces then put a coat of tung oil on all the wooden parts. After letting it dry and doing the assembly work the glider looks like this:

Assembled glider

Initially we will use it in the house, then on the deck when the weather warms up. Pam has wanted  a glider for a couple years and it is sort of a late Christmas gift. It is quite comfortable to sit on but Pam will fix up some cushions to make it even more comfy.

Speaking of furniture, here is a photo of Pam’s “antique” drop-leaf table, now serving as our printer stand and extra work space.  Pam says this table may actually be someone’s shop project from the 1950s, but time has qualified it to be considered “antique:”

Pam’s drop-leaf table

The printer, an Epson R1900, is a large unit and takes up a lot of space. (The basket under the table holds dog toys.) Having the table near the computer has worked out very well, giving Pam more space around the computer to spread out papers and eliminating a lot of clutter. The table has a built-in drawer on the left side that makes a good place to store extra paper and ink cartridges.  Table came from a local Re-Store shop,  a division of Habitat for Humanity. Cost was $100.00 but the best part is the table fits the spot where Pam wanted it. Still need a few small items on the walls (a few of my photos), still need a console table/sideboard. Then the “spruce up” project will be done.

In cat news, Ebony (mother of litter #24) had her spay operation and will be surrendered to the shelter this coming Wednesday. Ebony is  young and petite and black — we think her chances of getting adopted this time of year are pretty good. Right now she is bored with no other cats or her kittens to keep her company. Must be tough with nothing to do but eat and sleep all day.  (Sounds like a pretty good life, actually.)

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Jer humors me with the mention and photos of “my” glider.  Truth is, I’ve been looking at that glider for almost two years now in the catalog and finally ordered it.  I envision it someday up at Sanderling, inviting us to actually sit down and enjoy the mountains rather than work ourselves till we drop.  For me to sit in it, I will need a pillow behind my back to fit in the glider; Jer’s size is perfect for the seat depth.  When it arrived, and we unbundled the glider from packing material, I was distressed to find I needed to hand sand all cut and curved edges.  I thought the Amish had made this item, apparently Amish folks don’t sand rough edges?  Goes to show nothing is quite as you think it will be.

Happy Trails.

Just in case you missed it, here is a great flash mob Christmas video:

http://www.military.com/video/forces/air-force/usaf-band-does-holiday-flash-mob/2893304289001/

The US Air Force Band does a flash mob at the Air and Space Museum. “Joy To The World.” Really neat if you like both Christmas music and military bands.

So  — Welcome to 2014.

First, I want to to thank several people:
Larry and Tabitha for being my most consistent comment posters. I appreciate your comments!
Judy and Willis Volden for sending us a gift of fudge every year. Great stuff!
Mary Hayes, Jon Bjornson, and Tom and Patti Hamilton for being good friends who visited us in Colorado during 2013.
XS 11 club members Ray,  Ed, Scott, Tkat, and Brant for time shared together during motorcycle rallies.
And, not least, Pam for putting up with me for another year.

Last year was sort of a watershed year for us. We started improving the mountain lot we bought late in 2012. By Pam’s count we made  23 visits to the lot in 2013. Most trips were overnighters but a few were one day events. Buying the lot was a big deal for us; we had spent almost 2 years looking for a lot that was within our budget and had some of the basic requirements we had set out including: a view, few neighbors, and a mix of evergreen and aspen trees. Although we worked  hard and probably didn’t spend enough time just enjoying our days at Sanderling, we did get much enjoyment from being in the high country. 2014 should be easier in many ways as we now have the RV, truck, and a plan of attack for cleaning up the lot and further development of the land.

No family members died in 2013, a good thing at our age. However, our Christmas card list keeps shrinking, down this year to about 50 cards from a high of over 120+ a couple decades ago. I get the feeling people just don’t send as many cards as they did in the past (maybe because first class postage is so high?). It is also true that we keep losing older aunts and uncles as well as older co-workers from previous places we have worked.  That’s one of the sad parts of Christmas, remembering the friends who are no longer with us (miss your sense of humor, Harry Recker and Bob Krueger).

So what else is ahead for us in 2014? I’ve already touched a bit on the lot. This year we hope to extend the driveway up to the saddle where we will put in a pad for the RV. This will get us into a more secluded area with trees around us and get us better access to the middle part of the lot. An equipment shed would be nice for storage of tools like the chain saw, generator,  and cart.  All it takes is money….:)

We plan to travel a bit more in 2014. It’s been a while since we took an extended trip together. While we did get to Boise last year to meet Felicity at her Sweet Adelines convention, that was basically a weekend trip. Pam would like to get together with her high school friends Mary and Julie for a “Wenches Weekend” sometime this spring (plans are in the works for that), and we are talking about a trip into California’s Napa Valley for our 40th anniversary.  More on both of these in future posts.

This year’s motorcycle group rally, on the east coast, will be in Canada above the state of New York. I am toying with the idea of attending this one, but there are other rallies planned in other parts of the country that also sound interesting. Decisions, desicions… At my age there are not a lot of years left to get out and ride so I plan to make the most of it while I can.  (Pam also appreciates the break from having me in the house – a mini vacation for her too.)

Along with the regular New Year’s resolutions ( lose weight, excercise more) I have made a new one: Be more courteous. I think as a society we have become less civil over the years and simply don’t appreciate the other people in our daily lives as much as we should. So I plan to say “Thank you” and “I appreciate that” more than I have in the past.

I also resolve to get all my dental work done. Been putting it off far too long. (TMI?) I also need to look into treatment for my sleep apnea. There is a place in Grand Junction that specializes in treating apnea and I need to get in and be evaluated. My brother Jon got treatment a few years ago and reports it changed his life a lot; he has more energy and sleeps much better at night. Hopefully I would see similar results.

In other news, I mentioned working on the Honda’s brakes in my last post. I put new rotors on the front and new pads in the rear calipers. The old front rotors were too thin to “get turned” (resurfaced) so I had to replace them. The Honda has now received a new battery, tires, and brakes in the last few months. Hope it is now good for another 50K miles with just routine maintenance (currently 315,000 miles on the odometer).

Honda gets new front brake rotors

Rear pads (left) were getting pretty thin compared to new pads (right)

We took Christmas down on New Year’s Day. All the lights, ornaments, garlands, and other stuff are now back in boxes and up in the garage attic, waiting for Thanksgiving week next year to again be brought out. Seems like such a short time ago  we decorated the place. This Christmas season just seemed to fly past.

Christmas tree 2013

Mesa County issued a burning ban because of the weather inversion, so we didn’t have an opportunity to use the fire pit at all during the holidays. This December went into the books as the coldest on record; we did not get up to our seasonal avereage of 37 degrees the entire month. Our heating bill for the month went up almost $70.00.  It was even too cold to go snowmobiling.

Speaking of snowmobiling, I won’t be out on my sled this winter. I did not renew my registration and may sell the Mountain Max. Pam gets concerned when I go out alone and I find I enjoy riding the ATV a bit more, so my snowmobiling days may be over. I was out on the ATV on Christmas Day; the snow was not so deep on Wild Horse Mesa and I could get around OK. The heated grips and thumb warmer, my Christmas present, worked well and I had fun getting out.

I think “getting out” is the key, I am not happy just staying around the house. Pam has questioned why this is so, and I guess it’s because I was raised in rural Wisconsin and had access to rivers, streams, and forests all on our own (60 acre) property. With a small house and 4 kids my parents encouraged a lot of outside time, even in the winter. I had a snowmobile during my high school years, and before that we had a variety of winter activities.

One of these involved being pulled on a tobaggan behind a horse. Later on we substituted Dad’s 8N Ford for the horse and a hood from a ’53 Chevy – it had a curved up nose – for the toboggan. A foam pad made the hood a bit more comfortable to ride on. I can still remember doing donuts on that hood while the tractor swung us around in an empty hay field. (Crack the whip with the tractor pulling us.) Fun times. Dangerous, but we never considered that. In any event, I spent a lot of time outside, even in the winter. Old habits die hard.

Pam took the four black kittens to the shelter this last Friday. Ebony, the Mom cat, will follow shortly after she gets a spay operation. We will be “kittenless” for the first time in about 7 months.  I’ll be glad to get the master bathroom back and not have to guard the door to the hallway when I go in and out of the master  bedroom. (The kittens spent their days in the master bedroom/bathroom.)  We should have a few months off, but undoubtedly Pam will foster kittens during 2014.

Time to wrap up this post. I hope all who read this have a healthy and satisfying 2014.

That’s it for now. Thanks for looking in!

Pam’s Two Cents Worth:

Resolutions:

To begin altering my “wardrobe” so my clothes are as comfortable as pajamas and my shoes are as comfortable as slippers.  (Hopefully I won’t have to go as far as Hugh Heffner and actually walk around all day in pajamas and slippers to accomplish this.)

To find a reason to renew my long-expired passport.

To actually go on some of those trips we talk about.

As for that being nicer concept of Jer’s, I think I’m going to stick with grumpy old person.  It’s workin’ for me.

Dreams:

A lottery win.  This doesn’t have to be the ginormous half a billion jackpot, $750,000 on up would be quite acceptable.  I promise to help others as well as animal rescue organizations if a big lotto win comes our way.

A part-time job (again).  My mother died when she was 65, life speeds by so rapidly, time is precious.

Happy Trails in 2014.