Saturday

Had a great breakfast this morning at the Wrangler with Barrie and Benny. What a wonderful start to a beautiful Saturday.  Snow is predicted for tomorrow.

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The pictures I posted yesterday of Shoshoni looked pretty depressing, but I tend to photograph old things.  There are parts of Shoshoni that look pretty good.  They have some senior housing, a couple of nice parks, and of course there is the little old Presbyterian Church, which is beautiful.
 

 

The minister and his family lived in a house right next to the church.  Their daughter was my age, and we went through school together.  The minister's wife used to play the piano in the high school gym for our school dances.

 

 

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I bought something that maybe isn't good for me.  I used to love to take naps on the couch years ago, when I was still working.  That is one of the things I planned to do when I retired, but for some reason, I have never started taking naps.  Last week I bought a throw for the couch, a soft fuzzy blanket.  For some reason, I all of a sudden have an urge to nap on the couch!





Friday

Now playing on my radio, "I Want You to Love Me Like My Dog".

I am not in favor of excessive government control, but can't our government step in and outlaw Black Friday?  People run amuck!!

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Every now and then I go through files on my computer and try to get rid of some things.  Kind of like cleaning my closet.  I got stuck going through old photos, and am always fascinated with the photos I took in my old home town, Shoshoni, several years ago.  I decided to post some of them.

 

This is what's left of the Derby Dining Room and Bar.  I used to work here.  There was an old unused gambling  room off the bar.  Nick kept a mattress in there for drunks, sheepherders, or someone who just needed a place to sleep.  They are pretty sure that is where the fire started.  Even though the Derby wasn't open, someone got in and evidently was smoking in bed.

 

This is the front of the Derby and the east side of Main Street.  There used to be a restaurant there, a pool hall, a movie theater, and the hotel on the end.  The Yellowstone Drug Store was on the ground floor of the hotel.

 

 

And this is Sid's store.  Part of the store was originally the restaurant, and part of it was the movie theater, so the floor sloped.  Part of it was two stories, and had narrow hallways with no exit.  So eventually, the fire marshal shut it down.  The store was full of merchandise for many years.  Sid's son eventually started to haul things out and sell them from a wagon parked in the street.  I bet it's not empty yet. 

 

 

I used to know the people who lived here.

 

 

This motel sign was on the edge of town.  Missing a lot of light bulbs.  I like how they spelled "singel", and wonder what "IR" means.

 

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About the pie I posted a photo of yesterday.  It may look like I dropped it getting it out of the oven, but it tasted really good!

 



Thursday

 

Sara Lee, where are you when I need you?

Wednesday

The fire alarm is going off, and I am cooking.  I think that's just a coincidence.

The fire drills here are unique, to say the least.  I think the purpose is to just make sure the alarms are working.  Our instructions are to stay in our apartments, and if we really do need to leave the building, they will come get us.  I spent too many years running kids through fire alarm drills at school, and I always have the urge to get up and find a line to join.

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I still don't know who this cowboy is.  It is from a photo I took years ago at the Winter Carnival.  This guy was standing on a snowbank talking to Stan M., and I snapped his picture.  I did a pencil drawing, and more recently, a watercolor.  Several people told me they thought it was Tim Baxley, but I showed these to Barb P., and she says it's not.  Anybody recognize him?

 

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I've given up on the parsley I planted in my windowsill.  Very few of the seeds sprouted, so now I overplanted with chives.  Seems to me the basil is growing very slowly.  The planter is in a south window, and gets plenty of sun.  



Monday

I try to walk some every day.  The walk down the hallway to check my mail is nice, but today the office delivered my mail to my door because I got a package.  So I guess I will just have to walk for the sake of walking.  There is an exercise bike just down the hall, but I hate the things.

I got my "new" laptop out today to install some programs.  Laptops tend to wear out.  Well, all computers do.  I decided to find something as a backup with Windows 7 while I was still able to.  No way am I going to fight with Windows 8.  Been there, done that, and returned the computer.

I've decided I will install Microsoft Office 2007.  I have purchased Office 2010 twice on EBay.  The first one, EBay pulled the auction for some reason, and the second one, the seller returned my money.  And I'm not paying retail price for it.  Office 2013 is out, and I thought maybe I could find 2010 at a bargain. 

 

I worked on a pencil drawing of this beautiful little girl last week, but I sure didn't do her justice. 

Saturday Schedule

I hope I don't get into the habit of this schedule!  I couldn't stay awake last night, so I went to bed really early (for me).  After a good night's sleep, I woke up at 3:30.  I got up at 4:00, fixed some steak and eggs with fried potatoes, and a pot of coffee, and read for a while.  I went back to bed about 7:00, went sound asleep, and woke up at 10:00 and washed the breakfast dishes. 

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When I walked down to check my mail yesterday, two women were sitting in the lobby visiting.  I decided to be sociable and sat to visit with them.  Well, chalk another one up to experience.  I found out the girl who cleans my apartment is worthless.  I must be missing something.  I think she is great.  And the guy who drives the bus from Rendezvous Pointe is terrible, and always late,  and the housekeepers do a terrible job of cleaning the apartments and are lazy.  There was more, but I forget what, exactly.  There must be something wrong with me that I don't notice these things.  Next time I check my mail, I think I will have a reason to get back to my apartment fast.

 

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I tried to kill my little windowsill herb garden.  It was below zero, and I left the planter between the drape and the window glass.  The basil was laying flat, but it recovered.  Tough little guys.

 

 

Every year after the first big snow, I would get this book out to read to kids.  The book is Alfalfa Hill, and the illustrations are in pen and ink.  This artist is one of my favorites, and once in a while I will look him up on the Internet just to see more of his work.

 





Friday

AHHH---- Barrie to the rescue.  She picked up my prescription. She started my truck and moved it off the street to the parking lot in front of Sublette Center.  She said she would come back and clear off the snow the city piled up around my truck, but I see Kevin is already out there on the little tractor clearing the street. 

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The prescription was only a little over $18!  Good grief!  I paid $139 for a tiny bottle of eye drops, and a ninety day prescription for blood pressure med was just $18.  Well, I did injure myself trying to get the darned cap off the bottle. 

 

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Barrie told me Kasey's dad would not be picking her up for the weekend because "his job blew away".  That seems to happen a lot.

 

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Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when Kennedy was shot.  That is, if they are old enough. I had been to the dentist, and was driving down Miracle Mile just out of Tucson when the radio announcer said "It has been confirmed.  The President it dead."

 

My friend who was with me and I were stunned speechless.  When we got back to Silver Bell, I didn't go back to work.  We went in the house and spent the next two days glued to a television.

 



Thursday

Alice, my sister-in-law called this morning.  She had good news - she sold the sewing machine I had sent home with her.  A friend of ours bought it for her daughter for Christmas.

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There must be 8 inches of beautiful snow on the ground this morning.  It snowed during the night.

 

 

It looks like I better move my pickup off the street and into the parking lot in front of Sublette Center.  In fact, it looks like I should have done it yesterday!

 

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Meanwhile, in the kitchen - - - -I may have solved at least a small part of my failures.  I have an oven thermometer, but thought it was at the house.  I found it in the back of a drawer today, and tested the temperature in the oven.  Sure enough, if I want the oven to be 400°, I have to set it to 450°.

 

How did my grandmother ever bake such delicious bread and other things in her old coal/wood kitchen range?

 

 





Wednesday

Cooking hard boiled eggs (again) and rice.  Stay tuned.

 

These are the colored mats I ordered for the art group. I wasn't sure if they would be good quality, but they are nice, so I ordered some for 8" x 10" pictures.  These cost less than half what the mats cost in the art supply catalogs. 

 

I'm watching EBay for tubes of watercolor .  Sometimes you can get bargains, if you are patient and keep watching.

 

I started a new pencil drawing today.  It's only 5" x 7", so it shouldn't take long to finish it.

 

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In the Kitchen With Duene

 

Egg salad is so easy to make, right?  First you hard boil some eggs .........

Well, I had a little trouble getting past the first step.  An egg exploding in the microwave oven is VERY loud!  I've had that little microwave egg cooker for years, and it has always worked perfectly,  Until today.

I have a small frozen pizza, so I think that is what I will be having today. 

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And it goes on, and on, and on, and on.  Dr. Jensen's office called this morning.  The doctor wants to see the medical clearance, and he would rather it be in the form of a report, not just handwritten on a prescription pad. 

 

So I call Dr. Barry's office in Salt Lake.  Well, guess what?  They can't release my information unless they get a request from Dr. Jenson.  I guess the patient doesn't have the authority to ask them to send the release.

 

So, back on the phone with Ann, in Dr. Jensen's office, and they will fax a request to the cardiologist who can then fax the report to them. 

 

Why do I feel I'm caught in the vortex?

 

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Anyone want to come over for an egg salad sandwich?