Tuesday December 20

[Shirlv]

Morning All, a sunny 32°. Another do nothing day. I’m just bidding time until the holiday is over and l settle down to hermit life again. I only leave the apartment during the day and seldom see anyone. I’m safer here than with my family who worries about me. Someone is always dealing with some ailment. I have brain strain trying to keep up with the changing symptoms of various virus lurking out there. I was happy to see the Cactus with buds. I have LED stick on strips of lights under the kitchen cabinets. Evidently the cactus loves LED. Porch friend shops Home Depot and gave me their 4” poinsettia which likes LED too. Lol wish I had exciting news but I can hardly keep up with boring. Hope everyone feeling under the weather recovers quickly. Be safe

[Redetotry]

Good Morning Shirl and all who check in later. Your Poinsetta and your Cactus are very pretty.They must like the LED lights to have such big blooms, especially the Poinsettia. I'm with you with you in wanting to avoid gatherings of people especially those who have recently flown.
I am always depressed at Christmas and this year is no exception except this year I am also stressing about the storm that is coming. I wish we had bought a new generator when the one we have quit. I have no idea what we would do if we have ice and no power!
Tina I hope the puppies arrive with no problems but I'm sorry you didn't get to go to Florida. Barbie I'm glad you had a bit of an outdoor adventure. I'm looking forward to your photos. Beth hope your car is repaired soon.

[Colliemom]

Morning Shirl, BJ and all. Shirl, your cactus reminds me of the ones we used to have years ago. They bloomed around Thanksgiving/Christmas. My parents had a big nativity with all the figurines from the 40’s/50’s and we would set it in our bow window with cotton snow and put those cactus plants all around it. I was so pretty.

Winter Storm Elliot is slowing making it’s way here. I’m sure Pat is getting hit again. It is supposed to be starting here on Thursday but more into the late afternoon/evening and definitely through Friday and Saturday. As of right now they are saying that we are in for some very heavy snow, no amounts have been given as of yet, track is still a bit undetermined, but the Weather Channel is saying anywhere from 12 to 18 inches. We are being warned of heavy snow (meaning wet type) to start and also wind. They are saying there could possibly be blizzard conditions and they are advising people who have travel plans to prepare to reconsider plans. So it will be interesting to see what happens. Once the storm has passed us the wraparound lake effect is also supposed to kick in. Reading on some of my Facebook group pages, people are already starting to say that they are changing plans for the holiday and most people seem to be taking it in stride. We all will be heading for the grocery stores of course to pick up the last-minute stuff that we need or any essentials. I’m hopping that for the sake of those who do not have a generato, the Power doesn’t go. I have gas for my snow blowers but I am going to top off the can when I go to the store and get gas for both that and the truck. Sometimes depending on how a storm hits and how much snow we get, lwe have to get out maybe once or twice during the day in order to keep up with the amount so that it doesn’t overwhelm the blowers and stuff. This kind of reminds me of the blizzard of 78. Only then they didn’t have the weather forecast in tools to really give us a lot of information like they can now. So, you gals east of me be prepared for whatever is coming your way.

Piper has a vet appointment this morning for boosters and check over and I also have a haircut appointment, so we are going to be peeling out of here very shortly. We have a just a bit of light snow coming down but no big deal. I also want to stop at the credit union. I have a delivery coming via UPS that have to be signed for and I am unfortunately not going to be here, so I asked my neighbors if they could do it for me. They are off to the store this morning but maybe he won’t come until later. I did not know that this had to be signed for or I would have asked him to bring it out a different day. I decided to trade my HP computer that I bought for a MacBook instead. So that’s what he’s bringin

So I guess I had better get myself going here so we can leave. Have a nice day everyone and those of you that are going to be in the path of the storm and especially those in the south that are going to be experiencing some extremely cold weather for you, stay safe.

[OregonLuvr]

Speaking of earthquakes, I survived the January 2010 earthquake in Eureka It did major damage. In my RV park 5th wheels with trucks parked underneath partway the 5ers fell on them, some off their blocks. Here is the article. Not my first earthquake, coming from southern California it was a usual occurence but never this bad where I was living.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm ... story.html

I was getting ready for work when it happened. Then we got a call from the hospital to come in early if we could. All the fire alarm lights were flashing (good I am not epileptic) computers were down and we were on generator power. Had to go around and unplug all the things we needed from the white plugs into the red plugs (those are the only ones that will work on generator power) The grocery stores had bottles of liquor all over and soft drinks, a couple had their windows blown out. Several historic buildings downtown suffered major cracking. It was very scary. Worst one I have ever been in. Have gotten some updates from my friends over there and so far no major damage but the aftershocks are still coming and no power.

Just had breakfast, raining out but 38° so not too bad. Been watching some videos on how to transfer my phone to the different service from Verizon to Visible. The phone should come this morning. I have activated my own phones before but not when I changed services. So this will be interesting. There are sim cards involved....yikes. I dont know what I would do without Youtube to help me with so many things, not just technology but many many other things. Then my stupid printer was offline for some silly reason. BUT that problem was solved with a reboot. I love my laser printer instead of the print cartridges that dry out on me for non use. No longer have that issue. I dont print alot of stuff so paying $50+ dollars for cartridges that would dry out before I could use them seemed silly. So I bought a pretty cheap laser printer and I am only on my second toner cartridge in 2 years.. It only prints in black and white but that works for me. I dont print pictures out anymore and if I do find I have an outstanding picture Staples can print it LOL

Well I better get busy before Fed ex comes. Because we all know this wont be a 10 minute job LOL LOL

[Shirlv]

Karen, what brand laser printer do you have?

[OregonLuvr]

Mine is no longer available, they have newer ones now but I paid $110 for mine so these are still in the ballpark.

https://smile.amazon.com/HP-Laserjet-M1 ... f9840&th=1

[Redetotry]

Karen I lived in Trinidad for a summer in a tiny trailer and ran a antique shop on the main street. The RV Park was Sounds of the Sea and right by the ocean only too many trees to see it. I had a friend in Arcata and we would go to Eureka to shop but the odor from the paper mills kept us from going very often. I really loved it on the coast. I remember when you were working in Eureka but not the earthquake.

[chalet05]

10 degrees and lots of snow falling! Predicted 7-14 inches by Thursday. I'm glad Monica and I went downtown yesterday. Guess I have never been there during the day after previous snow had chance to melt. What a dirty slushy mess, but fun shopping and stopping for a snack. Alan decided to chauffeur us so no shuttle timing involved.

At least someone else handles the snow blower and snowplow here - I just have to shovel the car out.

I have an older HP laser printer - not sure but what it is my 2nd one. The toner cartridges last forever. I started using laser when printing genealogy. I miss being able to print in color from time to time, but not worth having another printer and the cartridges. Karen, I didn't switch phones but switched providers when I moved here. I didn't have any issues so hoping you won't either. Shirl, love the plants! I would love to have a Christmas cactus, but will wait until my travel days are over. Tina, my ignorance, but is there a reason to expect problems during puppies birth? Barbie, hike sounds beautiful!

Sheila and Martha, hope you both get over whatever you have quickly!

11:30 and still in pj's and have no idea what I'm doing today!

[OregonLuvr]

BJ I went to Trinidad quite a bit, had a coworker that lived there. Ate many a meal down by the pier and at the Casino LOL Arcata had a great Saturday market. I liked my time over there. I extended my contract off and on for over 4 years. I lived in the RV park across 101 by Target. I had gotten Emma in October and January we had the big earthquake, she was pretty traumatized. She liked the Motorhome when we were parked but lost her mind when we had to drive. Thinking it might have had something to do with the earthquake.

Anita there is nothing more ugly than dirty snow LOL but when it is falling and pristine I love it. My phone isnt here yet so guess I will start a project. Going to make some cookies.

[JudyJB]

I had an HP printer that I kept tucked underneath my dinette, but the ink dried up, so I bought a Canon, which I had had before. I do keep it in a plastic bag inside the original box, but the ink never seems to dry up even though I seldom use it. I think the plastic bag helps.

I have been at this campground at Hensley Lake near Fresco, CA, for three days and this is the first one where it has not been a very dense fog. It is a little hazy, but I can finally see the lake and even the hills on the other side. Lake is very low, but that just means very few campers--I found three others while on a walk today, but could only see one before my walk because this place is very hilly with curving roads. Tomorrow morning I head to Napa, with a stop to pick up some prescriptions and one for some steaks. Will be glad to see the kids.

My aunt is doing much better and is practicing walking with her walker. Most of the medical staff in the hospital assumed she was at the end stage of dementia because she was confused and in bed. I refused hospice because I wanted her to get her COVID shot and also PT and OC, which is happening now. She is chatting with friends in her facility, eating meals, and no longer refusing meds. She has always recognized me when I call, so I was pretty sure she had a good year or so left.

[BarbaraRose]

I was just now reading about the earthquake in northern CA, and I just felt a jolt here! I thought Romeow had just leaped up on the bed but he is sleeping in the closet. Will have to check the earthquake website shortly and see if I actually did feel something!

Haven't accomplished much today. Got up early to get my blood drawn for labwork for my upcoming Dr appt in January. Then came home and crawled back in bed for awhile. Just cruising around on FB and YouTube since then. I did run to the library to pick up 3 books I put on hold. Somehow I came home with 11 books! Had to check out their used bookstore... I can redonate them when I am done reading them .

OK, now off to check the earthquake site...

[BarbaraRose]

Yep! Not my imagination!! a 2.5 just a couple miles north of me! Not a biggy like up north, for sure, but what a strange feeling to be reading about an earthquake and then feel one at the same time! Haven't felt one here for about a year.

[JudyJB]

The only earthquake I have ever felt was in a Ford office building in Dearborn, MI. Three of us were sitting at a table in a conference room on the second floor and felt rumbling. Like a bunch of dummies, we continued to sit there and discuss why we were each swaying back and forth, like maybe it might have been a big truck going past! When it was all over, we decided it must have been an earthquake, which it was. It was centered in Eastern Ontario, but they said the dense rock in the area made it able to be felt a long way away.

[Bethers]

Nothing to report here. I haven't heard anything from the Ford dealer. If that's still the case tomorrow afternoon I'll call just to ask if they've had a chance to look at it. I can't be impatient as I didn't have an appt. I've placed an order with HEB for delivery Thursday. $5 delivery charge and $5 tip to the driver. I keep going in and adding something else lol. I might as well make sure I fill my cabinets, etc.

Lyn, your dog is so cute. Thanks for sharing another picture.

I see lots of cold and snow happening. For those of you up north, hang in there. And for those, like me, down south, for a few days we'll be hanging in but not nearly as bad. We do have a hard freeze coming through and a couple quite cold and obviously colder nights for that freeze to happen. Friday will be the worst here and Christmas will feel almost Christmasy temp wise (actually a touch of snow would be ok with me but not predicted) but then back to the 70's next week and upper 40's and 50's nights. I will prefer that.

The favorite printer I ever had was a laser printer. Several years ago I replaced my printer and almost every time I needed to print anything, the printer cartridge was dry. I got mad and trashed that printer and have done without since. Sometimes traveling I'll stop at a library if I need something, but when I'm at an RV park, most will print things on the office, usually no charge.

[BirdbyBird]

Jane has had her puppy. Turns out the vet was wrong…. There was only a singleton in there. She said she wasn’t hungry this morning and it went from there. She delivered the it so little girl about 1:58 and then kept us in suspense for four hours. By that time my friend came with some pitocin to see if her contractions would start up again… it also serves as a clean out shot to be sure there isn’t a placenta left behind…. Anyway, she began to settle and both Denise and I looked and felt her stomach and there didn’t seem to be any lopsided issues…. Puppies get delivered from alternating horns so a second puppy would come from the other side. Anyway we drove to the Emergency clinic for and X-ray just to be sure that they wasn’t a dead puppy in there or another reason…. Puppy girl weighed in at 12.5 oz. No one to fight over for food…. And yes I was a nervous reck. Just like human births there are all sorts of things that can go wrong. Puppies can present in the birth channel wrong Large puppies can get stuck. Some are still born or have cleft palates. They also can’t regulate their own temperature for the first couple weeks. Especially the first week. If their body temperature drops they get chilled easily. Once chilled their stomachs are not able to process nurishment. They need to be warmed up first or the die. My first litter over thirty years ago was a litter of 8 and I lost one of the girls the first 25 hours…. Whether she got chilled or not I will never know but she rapidly faded. At least Jane didn’t need a C section. It took her a while to settle down and just let the baby nurse. Now I just have to watch that she doesn’t keep licking the pups tummy where the cord was tied off. Mothers can tear the bellies if they get to fastidious and over zealous in their cleaning. There won’t be much sleeping tonight.