Just Two More Sleeps!

I actually hate that expression, it's over used, mostly for kids to help them gauge when important events are arriving. For me though, it's just going to be two more sleepless nights until we climb into that big bird for the 12 hour flight to Athens. Did I mention anywhere before that I hate flying? I hate flying, I hate being surrounded by lots of people and am somewhat claustrophobic. Usually halfway through a long haul like that the bathrooms look and smell like something my dog wouldn't even use (if I had a dog) and the flight staff become surly. Nevertheless, it's pretty much the only way to get there. The only saving grace is that I get wheelchair assist and get to board first and at the destination I breeze through customs and immigration sitting comfortably in a wheelchair.

The question from most friends is "what the heck are you going to Greece for now with all the fires" and I guess we don't really have a choice. The trip's booked, paid and relatives are awaiting our arrival. I'm also told by various bloggers that things have settled down somewhat, at least in Athens. I am spending lots of time reading different opinions on who is to blame. Things like terrorism and arson have been blamed for this disaster and I'm keeping an open mind. Since it's not my country and I don't live there it would be foolish of me to verbalize my opinions. Here's a link to an interesting opinion piece written by a blogger friend.

I had one more doctor appointment this morning and I got a cortisone shot in my foot. That's the one that was broken in May and didn't heal well. I hate needles but gritted my teeth and now will just sit with my foot up for while and let the drug work. The rest of the day will be spent with packing, boarding out my houseplants, visiting friends tonight and just taking it easy. This will be my last post until sometime next week when I figure out the Internet system in Greece. Have a lovely weekend all...I'll be back next week.

Another Quizz - I'm In Denial, About Packing!

I have to pack, not only for me but for my husband too...yes,I do that for him but he does other stuff, but here I sit playing around with the computer, reading blogs and doing quizzes. This one comes compliments of Chrysalis Angel, thanks Chrys.

I have stuff piled all over the spare room bed, floor and hanging on doors but so far very little has made it into the suitcases. Considering that we are leaving Sunday for seven weeks, I'd better stop doing these things and get going. So what are you?

You Are: 40% Dog, 60% Cat

You and cats have a lot in common. You're both smart and in charge - with a good amount of attitude. However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out!

Are You More Cat or Dog?

Sadness And Excitement

I'm both sad and excited at the same time, how can that be? I'm sad that we had to close the cabin for the winter, I'm sad that Greece is burning but I am excited to be going there, to see my Mother-In-Law again after almost ten years and to meet up with new friends.

My last look at Miskwabi Lake until next year...



We drove up Sunday morning, a bright, sunny, brilliant day. I spent some time cleaning my pottery studio and with some luck it will be in full operation next summer. I was planning to open it this year but with my Mom getting sick and passing away in May, my desire waned. Next summer will be different...

This was taken a few summers ago when the studio was in full operation and I lived in that cabin for five months, without running water I might add.



And this is now...very sad and neglected...



If anyone is interested and is a new reader I did a series on how I came to be a potter and why. You will find the story by following the links.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
The End

Don't feel you have to read it, but I thought I'd link it because it seems I have a lot of new readers and this is probably the best way to get to know me.

After all the cleaning and packing was done this is what I saw from the deck. I sure wishes I had a better camera at that moment...



I know, it's just a boring moon that wasn't even quite full but standing there watching it through the trees I wondered just how many people in the world were looking at that very same moon at the very same time...

And last but not least, one of the friends who comes to visit quite regularly very early in the mornings and again just before dusk...

Greece In Flames?

Well not quite, but I understand it's pretty bad. Someone described it as raining ashes in Athens and whether that's an exaggeration or not I don't know but the news reports aren't good. People are dying because some idiot set a fire.

My husband spoke with his brother this morning who was on his way to a village called Pylos, in the Peloponnese region. He was turned back by police road blocks because of the fires. His wife's family lived there and we hope that all is well with them. This village is also on my list of places to visit when we are there. There are two castles and surrounded by "pine covered hills" to quote the Lonely Plant. Let's hope they are still standing.

The offspring said to buy this book and being as cheap as I am hated to spend 35 buck on this book. Considering that it costs 25 USD and the Canadian dollar is pretty strong right now it seemed a rip off to me. But is is full of useful information. I discovered to my amazement that Codeine, which is in my pain medication is banned in Greece! What the heck do they use for serious pain? I could be prosecuted if I don't get notes from the doctor. Good thing I'm seeing him Monday so I will get those notes. I'm back to having to take Codeine for migraines. The Cardiologist is pretty sure that the wonder drug Maxalt RPD which I had been using for close to a year, is probably what's responsible for my heart arrhythmia. Seems that when you get a migraine, the blood vessels going to the brain open and Maxalt RPD, which is in the Triptan family closes (well not completely) those blood vessels. If there is even the slightest obstruction there is risk of stroke and heart attack. He told me it's not "worth dying for". Too bad because it really did work and kill most migraines within two hours. Now it's back to suffering for up to two days.

I also did a stress test and I came in at the low normal. My hips are so bad and my energy so low from the fybromyalgia, two techies were holding me up by my belt as I was on the treadmill. One solution to the arythmia that has been suggested in Heart Ablation were they thread a wire through a vein in the leg to the heart and zap it. Apparently it can only be done twice in a lifetime after which a pacemaker is an option. I'm just going to try the drug for a while since it seems to be working and make a decision later.

We have to head up to the cabin tomorrow and close it up for the winter. Water pipes have to be drained and the well shut down. Emptying it of all food and mouse proofing is on the agenda for tomorrow. The rest of the week will be spent doing some serious shopping and packing. It should be a good week as long as I don't get that dreaded headache...

The Salsa Recipe

For those of you who asked, here is the recipe for the Salsa. I hope you enjoy it...


(makes 5 - 500 ml jars)
(1 cup = 250 ml)

6 Jalapeno Peppers
7 cups prepared tomatoes (roughly 6 pounds) Pour boiling water over tomatoes, skin and seed and chop into small pieces.
2 cups coarsley chopped onions
1 cup coarsley chopped green pepper
3 cloves garlic,finely chopped
1 can tomato paste (a little more if tomatoes are watery)
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (I think you can substitute oregano or basil if you don't like cilantro)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
(if you really want it hot add tsp ground cayenne pepper)

Put everything in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil gently for roughly half hour or until it has the thickness you like.

Meanwhile, in a canner boil mason jars for 10 minutes. In a separate pot boil mason snap lids to soften seals.

Ladle salsa into hot jars, wipe rims, put on snap lid and screw bands.

Return all jars to the canning pot with at least and inch of water covering the jars, bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes. Remove jars from the water bath and let sit for 24 hours.

Enjoy

Let Things Not Go To Waste!

My husband has a thing for tomatoes, I mean he really really love them. As a result, when planting in the spring, he just simply doesn't know when to stop.



This year he put in FIFTEEN fricken tomato plants and guess who has to deal with them? Yup, yours truly. I had intended to give them away but seems no one wanted them and rather than let them rot, which really goes against my German frugality I decided to do the following;

Harvest



Chop and Dice



Cook The Stuff



Into The Jars It Goes



Process The Stuff and Voila, Finished Salsa



Next year I swear only three tomato plants, otherwise Steve can learn how to do this himself.
If anyone wants the recipe just leave a comment and I'll post it...now I'm going to rest my back.

Only Twelve Days To Go

Whenever someone asks " how long will you be gone" I always seem to reply, six weeks. Well, today I check the calender and it's actually seven weeks and two days. That's the longest uninterrupted stretch away from my home ever. That's even longer than my offspring who spent five weeks in China and five weeks in Thailand once. Our other California boy is currently in Indonesia chasing the waves. And Steve usually spends five weeks in Greece every year with his Mom, but for me, never more than two weeks. I tend to miss my bed after a week.

The list of things to do before we leave grows longer by the day, there are houseplants to board, there are bills to prepay for two months, there are decisions to be made what I need to take, what I can and cannot live without.

Since there are three separate countries involved with different climates the clothes have to be planned really well. The main trip is to Greece where we will do some touring around, a week in Germany for me and a one week cruise to Turkey and the Greek Islands. We are only allowed one suitcase apiece but I am going to try for a third one for shoes and jackets and stuff. Hopefully Olympic Airlines will oblige us. If not I guess we will have to pay extra, it's tough to get seven weeks of stuff in two suitcases.

First and foremost on my list of necessities if my pillow. I learned from our trip to Cuba that not all pillows are created equal and for me a good nights sleep depends on it. So I'm squishing this nice big feather pillow into the suitcase, no matter what.

The next important thing on my list is this little travel chair. It weighs in just under three pounds, Steve can carry it easily and it will make my life so much more comfortable if we have to wait in lines anywhere. I have a problem standing for any length of time and I'm told that getting back on a cruise ship at the end of the day entails lineups.

This is what it looks like all folded up and it has a neat carry strap that Steve can just sling over his shoulder. What that man won't do for me...

And then of course, the absolutely most important stuff, the wool. A knitter can never go anywhere without yarn so this is some of the stuff I'm bringing, together with a couple of projects that have already been started. I left it kind of late to order from KnitPicks but they obligingly put a rush on it and it arrived today.


Then there are the mundane things like can I get Sensodyne toothpaste in Athens, well maybe not so I'd better pack it, and so it goes. Before you know it, there is a whole pile of stuff with nowhere to put it. The presents too take space, my MIL always has a little wish list, things I know she can get there but I guess when it's from us they are better!

The laptop needs to go in for cleanup, I bought a 4 GB usb drive for photo storage, both camera's are ready to go and today I'm going out in search of The Lonely Planet books for both Germany and Greece and get one of our cellphones unlocked so we can get a local SIM card in Greece. Gotta be prepared, as the offspring would say...

While all this is happening my best friend is in Montreal at the bedside of her 93 year old father, who is very ill, may or may not survive and all I can do is send prayers her way and hope for the best. She was with me every step of the way when my Mom was hospitalized this past April and now I can't do that for her. It breaks my heart.

Why I Blog

I started this blog in November of 2005 mostly because my offspring thought I should have one and what the heck, I'm always game to try something new. So with the help of IM the offspring talked me through setting this blog up. We were heading off to California to visit with my husbands two sons who live there, and my offspring thought by having a blog he would be better able to keep track of what I was up to.

I was such a neophyte, I had absolutely no clue what a HTLM code was or how to upload photos, size them and post them. So every morning as I was having my coffee in my stepson's backyard, I would log on and try to figure out a little more of the puzzle.

When we came home from the trip I thought I'd try a little longer, see if I could keep it going. I had lots of ideas, lots of opinions on stuff but really, I'm not a writer, fight with punctuation all the time and the only thing I'm really good at is spelling. I rarely use spell check.

I started finding other blogs and leaving the occasional comment. That in itself was hard for me, I'm actually a shy person. Most people who know me wouldn't say that about me, I mean I was a reasonably successful real estate agent for over twenty years, but it was a constant battle with myself to "be out there". I'm also incredibly opinionated as my bridge buddies would attest to. Since my really bad arthritis cut short my career I became more and more withdrawn and went into a funk. My interests and hobbies became very solitary and I spent most of my time in my chair knitting or doing stuff with and for my Mom who lived with us.

The blog became directionless, some days I was ranting about current events and other days posting knitting projects. It all became too confusing so finally I split them into two different blogs. Different people visited both blogs and I made some nice friends through the knitting blog.

During the last nine months of my Mother's life through necessity this time, I rarely went out. I was deathly afraid to leave her alone and when Steve and I did go out for an evening we arranged someone to come stay with her. She'd had a couple of falls and I was terrified we'd come home and find her on the floor. That trip to California was the last time I travelled together with my husband anywhere.

The blog became my outlet, my place to let some stuff out knowing that nobody really knew who I was. My mother hated the computer, even though I was with her 24/7 she thought it took away from her. It became my escape. All during my mother's hospitalization without the blog I think I would have gone nuts, or at least more nuts than I already am.

Now I'm going through my own crisis and have discovered that there are a lot of caring people out there, one in particular who will remain anonymous, but who has been sending lots of prayers and helpful advice my way. That has been the most surprising thing about this whole adventure. People are actually visiting, reading and once in a while commenting.

I have read some other blogs where the authors complain about low readership and some have even quit. That was never my motivation, it's nice but it's not the main event. I may slow down, or I may quit but never because no one visits.

In two weeks I'm off travelling with my husband, our first trip together in almost two years and we hope to have a wonderful time. I hope to have some stories to tell and pictures to post and I'm sure finding Internet Cafes won't be too difficult. Lucky for me, through this blog I have made a friend in Athens who I would never have met were it not for the power of the net....that's one of the best reasons to continue blogging, it brings people together.

Chrysler - A Sucess Story

I met with the Service Manager of the Dealership this morning. He did keep me waiting a few minutes, which was not unexpected on my part. Seems to be standard operating procedure.

We sat down and he asked who wanted to go first. I told him to go ahead and address my concerns regarding the sealer that was used. I let him talk for half an hour or so and finally just asked what he was prepared to offer.

He offered to do the compressor job for half price, $450. I agreed and I think it's the best I could do... Ask and you shall receive, of course I had the paperwork to back me up. After that I spent the rest of the day in ER dealing with heart palpitations and other shit.

Chrysler - Don't Mess With Me-Update 1

I drive a van, I know, I know, not very friendly toward the environment, but I bought it when my Mom was still alive and we needed to transport walkers and various other things when we travelled. Now of course, I wish I didn't have it but I'm stuck with it for a while longer.

Last week the air conditioning died a slow death and I took it to the dealer. Now even though this van is on the older side, it only has 95,000 KM on the odometer and you would think that air conditioning should last a little longer, right? Well turns out that during a certain period in the late 90's, Chrysler had a problem in that regard. In fact when I took this van to my regular mechanic he did tell me that the air would die at around 100 K. Guess he was right.

Only thing is, it actually has been a problem from about 65,000KM and I had complained about it and it had a previous repair done. I bought it (second hand) from a authorized Chrysler dealer and during one of the times it needed repair, they pumped in something called "Sealer" without my authorization. The job of this sealer is to go through the system and plug little leaks. I know from previous experience that this stuff doesn't work and clogs up the entire system. So fair warning to anyone out there who wants to use it, it doesn't work long term. It's a down and dirty, cheap way to fix the air on car that you don't intend to keep for long.

When I got my bill for this "cheap" repair it was over 500 bucks so I hadn't a clue what was done. At least not until this past week when I realized to my horror that I now have to replace my entire air system, front to back, at a hit of over $2000. When I questioned the Assistant Service Manager she insisted that she had told me and after much discussion conceded there might have been a "misunderstanding". Nope sorry, I understand things quite well and I wasn't told. In fact because the repair was over 500 bucks and the bill just said "sealer kit" I assumed it was things like seals, gaskets, you know that kind of stuff. I saw no reason to think blow in sealer was used knowing that that wouldn't have cost more than 125 bucks tops. I assumed that a leak had been found an fixed. Never, ever assume...

Expensive lesson, yup...don't trust anyone, read your bills, question every single thing when you take your car for repair. See, now they want to replace the compressor to the tune of 900 bucks but my mechanic, well he says, don't waste your money it won't last. That sealer will get into the new compressor and kill it.

But I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet. I have sent an email to the Service Manager and if I don't get a timely response, I'll try the owner of this particular Chrysler dealership. If that doesn't work, well, there's always small claims court. I am not letting this go, there are principals if not money at stake.

My own mechanic, sweetie that he is, has offered to let me come to his shop and copy all his research on the sealer in question so I have more ammunition against the dealer. I know what I'll be doing tomorrow. Meanwhile, I await a reply to an email I sent to the Service Manager. Let's see how long that takes and what the response will be...


Just to update the above post, the Service Manager of the dealership has finally contacted me but not until I followed up the email with a fax. Judging by my telephone conversation with him, I know he's going to try to browbeat me tomorrow when we meet. He actually raised his voice to me on the phone and that doesn't bode well. I'll keep you informed.

Littlest To Biggest

My sweetie brought these in from the garden this morning and said, "here's something for your blog". He even had them lined up for me to take the picture. There are tons more out there but he thought these were cute.



The tiny ones are really sweet.

Michael Moore - Does He Tell The Truth?

Go to this site and watch a 6 minute video clip. Decide for yourself if Michael Moore is all he says he is... it's well worth the time.

How Hot Was It Yesterday?

It was so hot that the squirrel's didn't even want to play. Normally they run around the yard chasing each other but not yesterday. This guy really didn't want to play. It was 35C yesterday with humidity it felt like 40C and it was a record breaker.



We're heading north to the cabin to decompress a little. I can't wait to get into the lake and cool off. No DSL up there so no blogging until next week, maybe Tuesday. I wish everyone a lovely weekend.

A Bad News Day

Last month I had a wrap around heart monitor in my life for two weeks. The purpose of this gadget was to capture the episodes of rapid heart beat that I have been experiencing in the last few months. My Doctor sent me to the clinic back in April and there was a three month (pay attention Michael Moore), yes THREE month waiting list for this little gadget. I finally got it hooked up, lived with it, recorded episodes and called them in nightly.

Yesterday the result was given to me by my GP and it's official. I suffer from Arrhythmia and together with high blood pressure seems I'm in a little trouble. Seems that the little device was recording heart rates of 200 BPM, which is quite high. Normal heart beat is under 100. The blood pressure thing is something totally new to me. I have always had low blood pressure so readings of 160/99 are kind of freaky. I don't fit the profile either, I'm not overweight, I don't drink excessively in fact mostly I don't drink and I exercise a fair bit. Getting more exercise is a real problem with the arthritis, which is kind of a catch 22, but I try.

I told him I didn't care particularly, I was going on my trip whether I live or die. I am not cancelling anything but recognize that the health insurance I bought at a ridiculous cost will not cover me if something heart related happens. I'm just going to take my chances. Next week I see the good Doctor again and we will figure out how to treat this. Meanwhile, I stopped all salt in our food and I monitor my blood pressure at home.

I'm still having the arrhythmia and today to top it all off, I have a migraine...such is life.