There Be New Carpet in Here!

Yipee!! It's all done! I have gone from a frozen/burst pipe on New Years Morning. . . to a nicely restored, slightly remodled room and bathroom in about 6 weeks.

It's taken me a few days to get back to the laptop to write and let you know, but the restoration/reconstruction of my room and bathroom is now complete! Before the flooring arrived, I was very happy with how the wall repair and the paint turned out. The colors are even better than I had hoped they'd be, although it's hard to really see it in these photos. The bathroom is now a light lavender. In my bedroom, only two of the walls were painted during this project. The contractors painted those walls a blushed white, including the walls against the bathroom. My other two lavender walls remained the same, as I painted them 4 years ago.
So. . . I waited for the flooring to arrive.

They called me on Tuesday afternoon to inform me that they would be over the next day, arriving between 8am to 10am to begin installing the flooring. . . I was elated! But I had to vacate everything off the floor of my closet, and who knew just how much had accumulated there!? Yikes! It turns out that when you don't move every couple of years, you forget to go through things and toss stuff to Goodwill or trash it! Ya loose track! What a mess! I have now made a couple of trips to Goodwill and there are more in the plans. . . as I gradually go through things, while putting my room back together!

Anyway, I digress! By Tuesday night, I had everything vacated from the closet floor and I was ready for them to arrive with my new flooring. Of course, they would have to be the ones to move the furniture. I planned to move my car out of my garage and store the furniture and such in the garage while the flooring installation took place. That's what we did and it worked nicely.

That Wednesday morning I got up early so I'd be ready by their 8am arrival. At 07:30am, my doorbell rang! Yikes!!!! My hair was wrapped up in a towel and. . . I had to toss on a robe to answer the door! "Installation people are NEVER early!!" I thought. I answered the door in a fluster of unpreparedness. . . It was the plumber arriving to remove the commode, before the flooring guys got there. They were actually going to install this stuff correctly!!! Wow. . . How cool! Unlike the builder of the house who just installed the linoleum around the toilet. So I let the plumber in and directed him to the master bathroom to do his work.
I went back into my other bathroom to finish getting dressed and put together. I was finished before the plumber was. I went in to check on his progress. He was almost done. He finished within five minutes and he left. About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang again and it was the installers! The lead-guy Ray, introduced me to his helper, Diego. They seemed very nice. Ray had me come out to the truck to look at the flooring they would be installing. . . to make sure it was what I had ordered and was expecting. It was indeed, the right stuff!
After I moved my car, we set about moving everything out of my room and into the garage. They tore out the old carpet and pad. They brought in various tools to clean the bare concrete floor and materials to begin the intallation processes. They brought in the linoleum, measured and cut it, and Ray began installing it in the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Diego cleaned up the concrete floor in my room and prepped the floor for glue and pad. He brought in the materials and began cutting and laying the pad. Once the pad was cut and laid out they way they wanted it, then Diego went back and folded back the pad, poured the glue on the concrete, and laid the pad back in place. It was an odiferous process!

Ray finished intalling the linoleum and then they went outside to get the carpet. They must have measured and cut it outside, and then brought in the carpet. Because when they brought it in, it was just about the right measurements and I noticed I had extra outside (which they later rolled up and saved for me). The first time I stepped on the new carpet, it was like walking on a fluffy cloud! I love this stuff!

I had never watched a carpet install before, so the process was interesting. I know they do it everyday, but it was facinating to see how they just zip in and make cuts around corners and doorjams and it came out perfect! Then the stretching process is cool too. They have nifty tools. It would have taken me two weeks, if I had to do it!! haha But they did it in a few hours! All in all, with moving my furniture out, removing old carpet & pad, prepping the floors, installing linoleum in the bathroom, installing pad and carpet in my room, and then moving my furniture back into my room. . . they were done in about 5 or 6 hours! I'm thrilled with the way it all came out! The little bit of color in the linoleum matches perfectly with the carpet. I'm very happy with the choices I made.

Now. . . I look forward to when the weather warms enough that I can open some windows!! The fumes are not too bad, but it does smell a little wierd in my house for now. And, I'll be vacuuming the new carpet a lot. . . New carpet sheds for a while. Although, that's not me vacuuming there in the photo. . . that is Diego doing the honors of the first vacuuming with my Dyson vacuum. That's the first guy who has offered to vacuum my carpet in a long time! haha It's my job again now. No biggie, as the Dyson does a great job of it. And I'm thoroughly enjoying how the carpet looks and feels!

That's all on this project! I'm glad it's done.

Be Well!

~Paulena

Drying Out...

Happy Friday!

A few people have asked, "So how is the restoration going? Are you drying out yet?" Well, let's see. . . New Years Day was pretty much a wash. hahaha
Hey, at least I can laugh about it! I had the drone of the two big fans for a total of six days. I think that I mentioned about the restoration guys visiting Thursday, and partially cutting open my bedroom wall to air-out behind the tub.

Friday, my insurance adjuster visited, photographed, measured and documented, but I think I mentioned that too. Monday the restoration guys came back and took their fan club home. It was suddenly SO quiet!!! The heater came on and startled me! haha "Oh yeah, regular house noises!" But there was still a six foot hole in the bottom 12" of my bedroom wall and insulation was exposed. It would have been a messy place to have the cats messing around and exploring, so I had to keep the bedroom door closed for a while longer. And if you know anything about cats, they do NOT suffer a closed door in their house very well!! So there was no hope of ME using the room and shutting them out. They would have worried the door into oblivian!! So we continued to camp out in the living room a few more days.

The contractor fellow from Cactus Rose Construction had called me on Sunday, just to touch base. He said he'd call back on Monday to schedule a visit. He forgot about me on Monday. I called them on Tuesday and he called me back within about an hour. He said he had that nagging feeling all day Monday that he'd forgotten something. He appologized profusely and said he felt so guilty. I told him that as long as he felt guilty, then he was forgiven. We laughed. He visited later, on Tuesday afternoon. He also measured and documented. He gave me the bad news. . . That it would be about three weeks before they could get to me.

He said I have the option to ask State Farm to chose another contractor in the hopes of getting someone sooner. But I already knew how slammed everyone in the local industry has been. A LOT of folks had freezing pipe troubles between Christmas and New Years, but most of them sustained more damage than I did, because most of them weren't home when their's happened, and/or their's came through ceilings. I was one of the lucky ones. So I told him that if three weeks was when we could get it done, then so be it. I asked only one thing. . .
. . . "Could you, pretty please, slap some wall board up over the hole in my wall, to keep the cats out of the wall? That way I could at least be back in my bedroom and sleep in my own bed and get off the couch! Could you please just do that little thing? No frills, just wall board."

He said that would be no problem and that he could come over in the next two days and do that for me. He said he would do that himself. I was very grateful. That meant I would only be on the couch another night or two. He actually ended up coming over the very next day. . . to take the photos he forgot to take the day before, and to put the wall board up for me. Then he moved the entertainment center back against the wall for me and put the tv back in place.

So I'm off the couch and using my bedroom again. I'm opting to keep that bathroom closed off, for now. There is no linoleum on the floor, just bare concrete. And the front kick-board is now missing from the vanity. None of that is a real big deal and I could toss a couple of throw rugs down and still use that bathroom. But the silly cats do try to squeeze under the vanity. I worry that there might be exposed nails under there or they might get stuck. Since I have already been using the middle bathroom and my stuff is already in there. . . AND I would just have to move my stuff back into the middle bath in three weeks (when they come back to do the work). . . I just keep the master bath closed and use the middle bathroom until it will be all done. Besides, the cats have been enjoying the clear shower curtain I have in the middle bathroom. It seems to be a fun novelty to explore! So it's all good and things will gradually get back to closer to normal.

I'm still looking for meaningful work, but I'm Ok so far. Last night I was sitting in my livingroom, reading a book about my new camera, by the fire. I had a purring cat sitting against one leg. I had to smile. I thought about how very blessed I am. I have a home, and a loving family, and terrific friends. I am warm and relatively safe in my home. It's a calm and happy place to be. So there are a couple of minor inconveniences in my life at the moment. . . So what? At least my circumstanses are such that I qualify for unemployment benefits. And I will find meaningful employment. . . Long before the benefits run out, I'm sure! I feel blessed that I can sit by a warm fireplace in my home and read a book with a purry kitty at my side. And I know that if I want to pick up the phone and chat with my Mom or my Dad, some other family member, or one of my friends, they are a phone call away. So. . . Life is Good!

Be well!
~Paulena

Wacky Water Works...

Happy New Year!!

I rang in the new year quietly. I stayed home and watched movies by the fire. The next morning, I awoke and made the coffee. I was watching the morning news and sipping my coffee when I heard. . . what was that? It sounded like my bathtub was hissing! I jumped up and ran in the bathroom to see what it was. It didn't appear that anything was happening in there. As the fog cleared my head, I realized it must be the hose bib outside, on the other side of that wall. I jumped into my shoes and ran out into my backyard. . . Sure enough! There was the hose bib spewing a geyser of water. . . pipe froze, broke and let loose!

Well now, the nice builders of my house didn't put in a home-owner water shut-off valve. . . so the only water shut off for my house is the one in the sidewalk, out front. Problem is, I can't lift that big ol' heavy metal panel to get to the shut off. . . then, I also don't have the right tool to turn the valve. In my residual fog, instead of thoughtfully calling 311 -- I called a neighbor, who wasn't home. Then I called my Mom (since she has dealt with floods before). . . and oh yeah. . . Just call 311!!! haha DUH! A sleepy, foggy brain is a frustrating thing!

I finally called 311, and they gave me the number to the emergency water services. I called them and they sent a crew out. It took an excruciating 15 - 20 minutes. . . very quick actually. But when your house it spewing from a main artery, it seems like forever! In the meantime, I went back into my bedroom for something. I walked over near the bathroom and. . . squish! Oh s%*#!!!
I looked at the bathroom floor. . . water was oozing across the floor. . . from the wall!! I tossed towels down on the floor in a desperate attempt to keep the water back. But there wasn't much I could do about the water going under my carpet, into my bedroom. I just hoped I could get things stopped and someone to move the entertainment center before it sustained any damage!

"Oh where is that water crew???" I thought. I went to the linen closet and grabbed more towels and tossed them down on the bathroom floor. Like a trapped cat, I ran back and forth from the bedroom to the front door. . . anxiously searching to see if the crew had arrived yet. They finally arrived and shut off the water!! Hallelujah!! I then called my home owner's insurance company, filed the claim, and got my claim number.

Then, I called Mom back and asked for names of reliable companies to mop up. I called Rockefeller's Cleaning and Restoration upon her recommendation. They, in turn, recommended TLC Plumbing. That's who has been taking care of the cleanup & the plumbing fix, respectively. I have been very happy with both companies! TLC came within a couple of hours (on a chilly holiday) and fixed the affected plumbing and got my water turned back on. I was only without water for about 4 hours. Just as the plumber was finishing his work, the restoration guys arrived.

The cleaning and restoration has consisted of quickly unloading and moving my entertainment center, pulling up part of the bedroom base boards, pulling up part of the carpet, removing the affected carpet pad and probing the wall base with a nifty device that measures moisture. They measured and documented. Then they wet-vac-ed the area. Next, they set up a fan club of two big fans. I have listened to the drone of the fans since Tuesday afternoon. But it's all for a good cause. Thursday, the restoration guys came back and removed the linoleum (water came in underneath it and the backing was wet), and they cut open part of the bedroom-bathroom wall to probe for moisture, which we were sure we'd find loads of. . . since the water bib is on the opposite side of the tub wall. Much to our astonishment, it was relatively dry!! But just to be on the safe side, they redirected the fans inside the wall. . . to dry everything back there for several days. I wouldn't want any mildew growing in there!

The insurance adjuster visited me today (Friday) and surveyed the area, measured, photographed, and documented everything. He explained to me the next options and steps. We decided upon a plan of action and he left to submit the report and get the rest of the ball rolling. They will choose a contractor to call me by Monday for scheduling the work. I could have chosen the contractor, but this way, they oversee any issues that might develop and the contractor still works for me. . . and I still have the final say-so on the work. So the contractor will call me. On Monday, we schedule the work. The vanity might have to be replaced, the linoleum replaced, the wall board has to be replaced & the room painted, the affected carpet pad replaced, the carpet re-stretched (if possible) and put back and cleaned. If the carpet cannot be restretched, then probably new carpet will go in. Of course, they take care of moving all the furniture involved. Whew!

My cats are weathering the process remarkably well. They are cautious of the noisy fans, but curious. They are especially curious about the big hole in the wall!!! But that is part of why I have the bedroom closed off. That also cuts down the effect of the noise. They hate that closed door!! In the meantime, we camp out in the living room and use my sleeping bag. Yes, I do have a second bedroom, but it's my "study/office" and it was already a disaster-area. . . a mess I have intended upon organizing this year! And now. . . it also has some of the stuff from my entertainment center stored in there. I fear it will get worse, before it improves!

So in the grand scheme of things, it could have been so much worse! Thank God I was home when it happened, that I heard it, and that it happened while I was awake (relatively awake). It's an inconvenience, but it's getting resolved. The restoration guys told me they had moved a couple of families out of their homes before they arrived at my house. . . folks who had gone to New Year's Eve parties and had arrived home at 2 or 3am and came home to "Squish!" -- a completely flooded house due to frozen & burst pipes! So I feel rather blessed that I caught mine early!!!

I hope your New Years has been more quiet than mine. And I hope that you have a wonderful, prosperous, and happy year!
Cheers!
To your health!

~Paulena

Delightful Christmas!!

I was at my grandmother's (Nana's) house with my Mom and Don (my step-dad). We were doing the usual Christmas Eve traditions we do every year. All the gifts had been brought over the day before. That evening around 4:30pm, we arrived with most of dinner. Mom and I prepared and warmed up what was left to prepare for dinner. When dinner was ready, we all prepared our dinner plates -- buffet style. Black Forest ham, sweet potatoes with toasted marshmallows on top, fresh green beans, fruit salad, and fresh-baked cresent rolls.

We finished dinner, and had our key-lime pie and coffee. My Mom was unusually anxious to get started with opening the gifts. This had always been how my grandfather (Baba) had been, so we joked that she was channeling my Baba! I figured that she was just really excited to see what was in the big box with her name on it!

So we finally went into the living room, where the tree and gifts were patiently waiting. Mom always "plays Santa" and retrieves the gifts out from under the tree and distributes them among us. Meanwhile, Don sets up his video camera to record the evening's events. Once Mom had handed out all the packages, she excitedly sat down and got out her new camera. This was the new camera that Don had bought her about three weeks earlier -- as her early Christmas gift. And just so you will understand the humor in all of this, let me give you a bit of background...

. . . Earlier in the year, my Mom had her eye on the Olympus Evolt E-510 digital SLR camera. She was wanting to upgrade from her FujiFilm FinePix S7000. We tend to somehow coordinate on these things without even knowing it. We both love our S7000s. But I had also reached a place with my S7000 where I was bumping into a few limitations and I also wanted to upgrade to either the Olympus E-410 or the E-510. There were so many things I wanted to try and experiment with and learn. So much more I wanted to be able to do with what I was learning in digital photography.

I have been an Olympus photographer for years!! My very first camera I ever bought with my own money was an Olympus 110mm point-n-shoot camera. And my first 35mm SLR (single-lens-reflex) camera was the Olympus OM-1n (in 1979), and my second camera (in 1985) was the Olympus OM-2s. I still have both of those SLR film cameras and the lenses. I can't seem to bear to part with them. So I had done a great deal of research into the new Olympus digital SLR cameras. . . and unbeknownst to me, so had Mom. I was saving up for my E-510, when I was laid-off from my job at the end of November. I was quite bummed-out! Not only was I now in a bit of a financial bind and hoping I can pay the mortgage, but my dream-camera would now have to wait a lot longer. It was a brick wall. Very frustrating. I would have to "re-group."

About three weeks before Christmas, Don took Mom out to look at cameras. He went ahead and purchased her early Christmas gift. . . the Olympus Evolt E-510. When she called me (all excited) and told me about it, I told her she was a big brat and we chuckled about it. I was really happy for her, but it was a little bittersweet for me. It was a giant representation of my sudden jobless state and it stung, ever-so-slightly. I was still feeling overwhelmed and bummed about the lay-off and the financial belt-tightening I was having to do. No one meant for it to be that way, but it's just one of those quirky life things that happens.

Mom wanted for me to help her learn to use her new camera. And while I really looked forward to the opportunity to get my hands on it and play with it, I was still trying to conquer the unemployment blues. So I wasn't as enthusiastic as I would usually be, but I knew I'd overcome that in short order, I just needed a bit of time. Within a week or so I was gradually becoming better equipped to assemilate my situation, life, and the technical nature of her new camera, although I had not yet had the time to read any of the instructions. Yes, I'm one of those odd-balls that must read at least some of the instructions, then experiment. . . then read more instructions, then experiment more. . . and so on. But with the holiday frenzies, there had not yet been time. But I was looking forward to the opportunity.

So. . . there we were on Christmas Eve, sitting in the living room and Mom was retrieving her new camera so that she might capture the evening's events! I had taken a few photos with her new camera and it was every bit as nifty as I had imagined. With camera in hand, she was insistant that I be the first to open a gift, and she insisted that she choose which one it should be! She was absolutely giddy! I laughed and went along with it.

She chose the larger of my packages and made me wait until all cameras were ready and trained on me. I was really beginning to wonder if a ferret was going to jump out of that box, or what! I began tearing the wrapping paper off of the box. Underneath was a plain brown box that seemed to have been shipped recently. But in our family, boxes can be deceiving. Once I had the wrapping off, I began to work on the tape that sealed the top. I required a blade to cut through the tape, and Don graciously supplied his pocket knife. He slit the tape for me and asked me to wait until he was back behind the camera.

Once he was behind his camera again, I was "allowed" to continue. I bent open the first box flap, then the second flap. I bent open the third and I removed some packing material. Then I bent open fourth flap and revealed what looked like an Olympus box, a camera bag, and some other items. I gasped and blinked back tears. As the realization trickled over me of what I was seeing in that box, I pulled the inner box out of the outter shipping box. Yes, indeed. . . It was an Olympus Evolt E-410 digital SLR camera with the two lens package, an extra battery, the battery charger, a 2gig CF memory card, and the camera bag!!! I squealed with joy and tears began to involuntarily stream down my cheeks. I was so suprised, so happy, so touched. . . that they had found a way to afford such a wonderful gift for me. What an amazingly wonderful, kind and thoughtful thing to do. . . Not in my wildest dreams had I imagined that one of those cameras was in my near future!!

Since the E-410 and the E-510 are so similar, Mom and I are now learning them together. I know that it's more a matter of photographer skill and not as much "the camera," but having a camera that will allow you to do and try the things you want to do is. . . well, it's just fun and exciting!! I'm a step closer now to my eventual goal of becoming a semi-professional or professional photographer. And while I still have days where I feel frustrated about my current employment situation, I'm feeling much brighter with something new to learn. And who knows what this might bring into my life! I'm still getting through the instructions and learning all the amazing things this camera will allow me to do. But it's a joy of discovery as I experiment. It is amazingly similar in feel to my old SLR film cameras that I so love! But this is even better. I was telling Mom that it's like someone took my Olympus OM-2s and took it to the spa and did a wonderful, total make-over on her! And now. . . she's a new (and way better) camera!! haha

I'm translating as I learn features and what they mean so that Mom can experiment too. So stay tuned to our Flickr sites, as I'm sure she & I will both be posting new photos soon!
Mom's flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/empresspat/
and my Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/calico/

Oh yes, the rest of the Christmas Eve evening. . . was fun, and delightful. It is always great fun to watch everyone open their packages and see their expressions. I think that is my favorite part. . . seeing the expressions! Well, that and recieving something wonderful that you never expected. . . and even little things and things you might have guessed. It's is all so appreciated. We all had a great evening. We talked on the phone to my Uncle and Aunt in Maryland and thanked them for the gifts they sent. Although I haven't had the chance to talk in depth with my Dad & step-mom, Julie (they are out of town for a couple of days), I have spoken briefly with them and it seems everyone in our family had a great Christmas.

I hope everyone's holiday has been wonderful and filled with warmth, love, and maybe even a miracle or two! I feel like I've had a miracle.
And may your New Year be filled with joy and prosperity!
Be Well,

~Paulena

Lunar Eclipse Success!!

Well. . . Mostly anyway! As I mentioned in the previous post, at 04:20 (MDT) in Albuquerque, there was a broken layer of alto cumulus clouds obscuring the moon. That finally moved out of the way by about 04:35 or 04:45. . . And the clicking began! I had my tripod and camera on standby and quickly set them up. I'm glad I got the images, but I'm disappointed with the quality of the lower-light, red phase photos I captured. Of course, until you get them on a regular computer screen, you just can't quite tell how they came out. This was the first time I had a chance to use this particular camera for a total eclipse. So I had a bit of a learning curve to tackle -- In the dark! This is by far, the best digital camera I've owned, so far. However, over the past 2 & 1/2 years, I have been finding it's limitations. Last night was another such occasion. Don't get me wrong, I still like my Fuji FinePix S7000. It's just that there are some things I would like to stretch into that this camera may not be able to stretch with me. I may have to save up (sooner) for the DSLR camera I have my eye on and see how I fair with that! See here the first (red totality shot), and the last of the series I shot last night.

I found that my old film cameras were a tad easier to do the manual focus on an object like this, in mostly darkness. With this camera, the view finder was very grainy with such a dim subject. The graininess made it next to impossible to see well enough to tell whether I'd focused finely enough. When I tried to focus further, it appeared to be too much the other way -- which frankly never made sense to me, being that infinity should do it. . . I mean, it's the moon which is pretty friggin' far away! But it was like the focus ring would never stop. There may be an issue I need to have checked out. We shall see.
~Note: Upon further thought, I now realize that some of the "soft focus" (in the red shot above) is probably also due to the long exposure and not "tracking" the moon. . . as there would have been slight travel of the moon in that 2 or 3 second shot (whatever it was, I forget). That would also account for some of the fuzz to it. That one kind of reminds me of a peach! Anyway -- MORE argument for getting a telescope!! hehe

In the meantime, I did the best I could working with less than optimal conditions. I really need to break out the instructions again and re-read the low-light stuff. I has been a while!
Once the moon was in less shadow, the graininess in the view finder diminished and my ability to focus improved! And. . . my exposures decreased with the added light, ergo. . . less moon movement. I'm thinking. . . perhaps if I'd had a telescope to attach the camera to, perhaps the focus would not have been an issue. I'll try that next time (I hope).
Unfortunately, I heard from one source that the next total lunar eclipse that would be visible in the U.S.A., would not be for about 6 or 7 years. However, I've heard from a couple of other sources that it will be in February 2008. I will have to double check the facts on that!! But it is, what it is! I'll roll with that. Maybe by then, I'll have that sweet little Olympus DSLR that I've been salivating over! I'd be MORE than happy to test that little bugger out anytime! ;-) OR I'll have a telescope?

At any rate, it was way to early for sane people to be getting up, but I really wanted to try this out. Now I've learned a few more things. I'm always. . . ok, usually up for that. I'm now motivated more than ever to locate my old negatives of the last time I stayed up and photographed a total lunar eclipse -- on film. I now want to find them and scan them in and see how they compare.
Soon, hopefully.

Be well!
~Paulena

Oh my Meg...

I was going along just fine today. Then all at once, I wrote down the date. . . and boom! I had to take a deep breath, look up, and blink rapidly in an effort to hold back the tears. I was successful, for the time being. Once I got home from work, the moment had slipped my mind. Then later, I was comfortable in my reading chair, I reached over to get a pen to jot down a note. For whatever odd reason, boom - it hit me again. . . that it was August 9th. The tears unexpectedly began to well up again. "Has it really been 6 years?" I said softly to myself. "Oh my word. How I miss her so very, very much!" And with that, the tears began to quietly roll down my cheek.

My dear sweet baby kitty, Meggy. Shown here many years ago, when she was just a kitten - just a few months after she was born in my closet. (You can click on the photo and learn a tad more about her) She lived to the ripe old age of 18 years and 6 months. It was August of 2001 and she had begun to act a bit strange. Back then, my vet (Cheryl) made house calls. So Cheryl came over on the 7th and took a look at Meg. It appeared that my poor old kitty had some sort of blockage near her bladder. Cheryl gave her a dose of antibiotics, in the hope that perhaps there was an infection and the medicine would bring down swelling. We gave it two days. But on the morning of the 9th, Meg was back to the strange behavior again. I went to work and I called Cheryl, knowing what the probable outcome would have to be. It broke my heart. We made the appointment for that afternoon. . . I think it was for 3pm. My Mom (who was my boss back then) told me to take the rest of the day off and go spend it with Meg. My Mom called my Dad (they've been divorced for years, but they get along great now). Mom asked my Dad if he would please go over to my apartment and be there for me during the appointment, since she couldn't be there. Dad said he would absolutely do that.

I spent the day with Meg. I gave her some of her favorite canned food treat. She normally ate dry food, but the canned food was for times when her teeth were bothering her or I just wanted to give her a little treat. She gratefully ate the treat. She got to spend quality time out on the balcony in her favorite camp chair. . . but she always seemed to think that it was a great kitty hammock! Perfect size and shape for the average kitty body. As the afternoon sun cooperated and moved around to light the balcony, she basked in the sun. I sat next to her, in the other chair, positioned in a shady spot, and I read. She would occasionally stretched out her paw and touch my thigh. I'd look over at her and she would be looking up adoringly at me, as if to thank me for the glorious afternoon. I was so eternally grateful that it was such a beautiful Summer day. It was warm, and a bit humid for Albuquerque, but great for Summer. At some point, Meg decided she was too warm, and she jumped off the chair and turned to look up at me. It was as if to say, "Have you had enough of the sunshine? I have, let's go in now." I smiled at her and I closed my book and went in the living room with her. She lead the way.

We went into the study, where I had a wonderful East-facing window and could see the Sandia mountains. Thunderstorms were brewing over the mountains and beginning to move toward the city. It was after all, our monsoon season. We settled onto the futon-sofa and Meg curled up in my lap. I petted her silky fur and she purred. I had to read some more. I couldn't stand to do much thinking at that point. She didn't look sick. She didn't act sick. But her bladder was blocked and it was most likely a tumor. There was nothing that could be done to save her. She was too old to operate on. So I opened my book with my free hand and read, while I stroked her beautiful soft furry form. She purred until she fell asleep, but even then, she would occasionally wake and immediately purr.

I began to hear thunder a few miles away. I looked out the window and the clouds had thickened substantially. I saw a flash of lightning. I looked at the clock and it was about 2:30pm. About five minutes later, there was a knock at my door. It was my Dad. He hugged me so tight. He told me he was so very sorry, but that I wouldn't want her to suffer. I told him, "I know, but that doesn't make letting go any easier."

When I had answered the door and let Dad in, Meggy had followed me, as she usually did. She jumped up on the living room couch and sat down. She was ready for my Dad to pay homage to her beauty. Dad dutifully bend down and scratched behind her ears and pet her. She closed her eyes and purred. About that time there was another clap of thunder. Meggy jumped down and ran into the bedroom and hid from the noise. That was about the time that the thunderstorm let loose. It poured!! It was a torrential downpour. . . the type that causes flash floods. Dad and I sat and chatted, while we waited for Cheryl to arrive. The rain continued and 3pm came. . . and passed. I figured Cheryl was stuck somewhere in the rain. At about 3:15pm, she called from her cell phone. She told me it would be a little bit, as she was stuck in the North Valley. She had been there seeing another client when the rain hit. One of the main roads there was flooded and she was having to take an alternate route, but it would take longer. I told her it was not a problem. . . I didn't mind the extra time with my sweet little fuzzy baby.

Meggy had made her way into the bathroom during the storm and regally situated herself upon a purple towel I had left on the counter. I let her stay there. She seemed comfortable there during the storm. That bathroom had two doors - one leading to the master bedroom, and another leading into the main living area. I sat in there with Meg, while Dad stood in the doorway to the living room. We chatted some more. I don't now remember about what. He was so sweet just to be there for me. I decided I wanted a photo of Meg on that purple towel. I knew it would be the last photo I would be able to take of her alive. I didn't have any film, but I did have a first generation digital camera. That is to say that it was not a great digital camera, but at least it would take some photos. I took a few photos of her on the towel. The first one I took, woke her from her nap and she appeared to be a little groggy. But then I told her, "Look at me sweet baby girl"and she perked up.

After a while, I think it was about 4pm, Cheryl arrived. She examined Meggy while she sat on her royal towel on the counter top. As expected, the swollen area had not gone down and Meg was blocked again. It would have only been a matter of a few hours before it would cause toxicity and great discomfort. There truly was nothing else that could be done. It was time. I wrote out a check for Cheryl. She suggested to get that out of the way, as things would be difficult enough later. Then I gently gathered Meggy up in my arms and took her into the bedroom. Dad picked up the towel and brought it. I asked him to lay the towel on the bed, where Meggy would be comfortable. I laid Meg down on the towel, on the bed. She wasn't sure she wanted to play this little game. She squirmed a little. I calmed her. Cheryl said that Meg would need a sedative first, as she was still kind of spunky. How ironic. That broke my heart too. She gave Meg the sedative shot and then she and my Dad went into the living room and sat on the couch. They chatted, while I had my last few minutes with Meggy.

Just then my other cat, Teazer jumped up on the bed. He was only 3 years old, but he seemed to understand that something of significance was happening. He is normally a bit of a handful. . . kind of a pill. But right then, he was calm, gentle, and well-behaved. He sniffed at Meggy and he nuzzled her. . . as if he knew it might be good-bye. I had mostly held back the tears. . . until that moment. Then Teazer jumped down and went into the living room, with Dad and Cheryl.

I could hear Cheryl talking to Teazer. He was trying to steal her pens and pull on the handle to her medical bag. She is always so sweet and gentle with him. . . even when he is being a little devil. It was only a few minutes, maybe five or ten that I had left to cuddle Meg. She became very groggy. Cheryl came in and checked her pulse and said it was time. She asked my Dad to please gently hold Meggy's back legs. Cheryl said Meg might jerk a little when the needle went in. I sat curled around my precious baby. I talked sweetly to her to ease the confusion that I imagined she must be feeling in a groggy state. My Dad had tears in his eyes, only one of about 4 times in my life that I have witnessed it. There was a slight jerk, but not much. I stroked Meggy's fur and talked to her. . . and I cried. Gradually, she relaxed more and more. Cheryl monitored her vital signs and told me when my sweet Meg was gone.

I don't remember much right after that. Only the sorrow. I know I must have seen Cheryl out the door. Dad help me gather Meggy's lifeless body. I took her over to my Dad's house. He has a few acres in the far NE heights, near the foot of the mountains. We had agreed that we would bury her there. The rest was mostly a blur. I know that Dad had me wait in the house while he dug the hole. We placed her in the ground and I sprinkled her with lavender and mint (she always love the way they smelled), before Dad buried her. She lays in view of the Sandia Mountains.

I still remember most of it almost like it was yesterday. So vivid, so strange. So you may wonder why I wrote of this now. I don't even know for sure, only that the anniversary came. . . sneaked up on me actually. Last year, it was a day that passed uneventfully. I remembered, but it didn't grab hold of me. I'm not sure why it hit so strong this year. It wasn't like I was counting the days or anything. I wasn't. It actually surprised me. I didn't expect to have any reaction. The date almost slipped past me. I expected the same this year. Maybe it's just fresher in my mind this year due to my friend loosing her husband to cancer. Maybe that has those memories closer to the surface.
2001 was an emotionally charged time for me. Two days after Meggy's death, my boyfriend of that time (Gilbert B.) learned that his cancer had returned. We had only met a short time before he was diagnosed! He had fought the cancer for 5 months, then had a month where he thought he was in the clear. . . then the news that it had returned. Three months later, he also died. Bad year.
And in between all that, of course -- Sept. 11th happened. What a crazy year!
And as you might imagine. . . if I remember Meggy's passing this vividly, of course I remember Gilbert's passing just as vividly, and maybe more so. But where as Meggy had a wonderfully long & full life, Gilbert was only 33 when he died. He loved cats. It was my hope that when he passed, perhaps Meggy was there to greet him along with his loved ones. I hope they took care of one another. I'm sure they have both watched over me.

I suppose it's just hard to believe it has been six years! I still think of them frequently.
Don't take time with loved ones for granted. Let people know that you love them. Give of your time. Life can turn in a New York Minute! Slow down and enjoy the people (and pets) who you have been blessed to have in your life.
Appreciate!

~Paulena

Thyme Management

Greetings!

I hope you all had a terrific holiday weekend. Memorial Day weekend is kind of a mixed bag. For some, it's very recreational, and for most it would seem -- signals the "unofficial beginning of Summer," as I keep hearing the newscasters say. And for others, it's very personal and somewhat introspective, I suppose. Ideally it's a time when we remember all who have served our country and respect what sacrifices they made for the citizens of our country. We should respect the freedoms they have fought for and have afforded us. Freedom has never been free. I know that's kind of a worn-out phrase now, but true none-the-less. I for one, am very grateful to all who have served our country. I am thankful for all my freedoms. Thank you!

So how did I spend my time over the holiday weekend? Well I didn't get enough done, but it will still be there next weekend too! This weekend I spent doing mostly some landscaping and gardening in my yard. It's been a multi-layered plan of attack . . . It just takes time! Lots more work to do, but I'm chipping away at it. A few more trips to Home Depot &/or Lowe's, should help. I have (and have had all along) a series of plans that I want to accomplish each year for the yard. Eventually it will be "done" the way I want it. But due to time and expense, it will take a couple more years. At some point this year, I'll make it over to "Plants of the Southwest" and choose a tree for my back yard. On Sunday, I did manage to relax a bit. I was back at landscaping on Monday. So nice to have that extra day off. More time please!! I came to the conclusion that ALL weekends should be 3 days . . . and holiday weekends should be at least 4 days! haha Let's vote on that, shall we?

When I bought my house in December of 2003, the backyard was very desolate. I saw it as the proverbial "blank slate" on which to paint my gardening & landscaping aspirations! It didn't appear that there was anything alive in the yard. There was one small tree (or large bush) that was in question. I had to give that some time and wait until Spring 2004 to ascertain it's condition and variety. Oh . . . yeah, there were two pyracantha bushes in each back corner. Wouldn't you know -- THOSE had to be alive and well! I intensely dislike pyracantha bushes -- it comes from a bad childhood experience. But they are banned from all my yards. So my Dad & I wasted no time and took those out right away, in January 2004!! Other than that, my back yard appeared to have no other life. It was all rock . . . that gray, medium-size stuff, and the questionable tree/bush in an oval-shaped, brick-outlined, sandy-dirt area. Since the property had been abandoned for about a year and a half before I ever bought it, there were a lot of dead weeds to deal with.

Come Spring of 2004, I was mostly done with the house interior cleaning and painting. But I still had a lot of work to do -- in the yard. Such is life buying a HUD repo, but Oh-so worth it! Then, I discovered the questionable tree/bush was indeed very alive and it was a Desert Paradise tree. Seen here, is the little tree in it's first bloom as my tree. At the time of this photo, I had also just planted my little butterfly bush (only about 8" high) opposite end of the brick bed, and some garlic chives and some Greek Oregano in that same bed. Also here, a close-up photo of the tree's blooms, complete with a cooperative bee.
I also discovered a wonderful little surprise rose bush (in the back there, very small, near the fence) that struggled through and made it. It has yellow roses. So that was it for life in my backyard initially. Then I set to work on it. I started with what I could initially afford that first year and began planting various herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, feverfew, sage, curly parsley, garlic chives, bee balm, yarrow, chamomile, & tarragon) and flowers along the back edge and the sides . . . making flower beds as I went. But the edging had to wait. That's when I planted the little butterfly bush that I had been nurturing in a pot for a year. It was in a 8 inch pot and only about 8 to 10 inches high at that time. It is now almost 7 feet tall!

My second Spring there (2005), I started working to build two raised, brick flower beds. One in each back corner, both of them three-tiered, quarter circle. I had never tackled anything quite like that before. Except for hauling the castle-bricks from the store to my back yard, I did all of it myself. My trusty friend Carol helped me haul the bricks for that project. Then I was on my own. I smashed one of my index fingers in the process. OUCH! That will never look right again! Since it was my first attempt at building a raised brick flowerbed, I would do a few things differently now. I have since learned a lot, but all-in-all, the flowerbeds turned out fairly nice. I also began edging the side flowerbeds with matching castle bricks. A pointer for any aspiring landscapers out there: Don't wait until next year to finish getting "the rest of the materials" for the project you began this year. I did that with the castle bricks and now two of the colors I was working with I can no longer find. Oh well! Punt! That year, I also ordered three Fairy Rose bushes from a catalog. Of course when they arrived, they were not much more than sticks with a little bit of root system. But they were guaranteed so I had nothing to loose. I planted those next to the wood fence on the south side of my yard. Now, each of them is about 3 or 4 feet around! Amazing what a little time will do!

Once I finished my nice, pretty, brick, raised flowerbeds that I was SO proud of . . . Well, then wallboy entered the picture. A new next door neighbor arbitrarily decided to cram an ugly, 6-foot, cinder block wall (down my throat) into the picture. It replaced the old 5-foot, wood fence. Sure, it had needed a little bit of maintenance work, but the wood fence had character, it breathed better, it didn't radiate heat, it was more colorful, and just looked better. Oh . . . and I could see my beloved Sandia Mountains and the city over that fence. But the new, ugly wall has since blocked that view, and has added about 10 degrees of reflected heat to my yard in the Spring, Summer and Autumn. The installation of his almighty, holy wall left a mess in my yard, his workers trampled two of my newly planted bushes, and left part of one of my raised flowerbeds damaged on one side. It also left my back fence unattached, flopping, and leaning -- for the wind to tear down. I had to set about repairing all the damage and mess that he allowed his workers to leave behind. I had just been injured in a car accident the week prior, so I couldn't do it myself at that point. I had to recruit a wonderful friend of mine to help. And my Dad & one of his friends fixed my flopping fence. But that raised flowerbed has never been quite right or quite the same since. :-( So all that set me back a little on what I wanted to accomplish on the yard that year. That's all I'll say here about wallboy. I have a collection of photos and a story about that experience on my Flickr page, if you're so inclined to peruse it. Be my guest. It's mostly just a "vent" story. You know -- everyone has one of those neighbors at least one time in their life. It's aggravating, but . . . Oh well. Eventually, in time, one of us will move to another house.

Last Summer, I began my irrigation project. But I ran into trouble when the person who was helping me with that couldn't finish the project right then. We got as far as trenching, laying in the pvc piping, designating where the risers would go & getting those put in, and then filling in the trenches. Connecting the pvc piping to the works - and connecting that to the water source and timer . . . that remains to be done. There was a time when I wasn't sure if he could ever help me finish it, or if I would have to hire someone to finish it. For a time, I got all depressed about that. It set back my progress too. Turns out if he is able to help me finish it, it will have to be sporadicly, or he will refer me to someone who can finish it for me. So in the meantime. . . here we are a year later trying to tie up those loose ends! So I'm still getting out there with the hose-sprayer every evening. I suppose it's "quality time" spent with my garden?

Right now, my yard is kinda ugly as it moves through it's transition phase. No photos of that yet. Check in soon, I'll post some. But for the moment, the irrigation phase is not yet complete. There is pvc piping sticking up in weird places, and while the trenches where the pvc pipes were run have been filled in, you can still see where those trenches were. I have not yet rehabilitated the ground along those lines. I keep thinking, "What if I need to dig that up again to troubleshoot a pipe issue? I don't want to have put a bunch of time & work into it and then wreck it." So this year, I'm getting my flowerbeds back in order. I'm finishing the castle-brick edging of the side and back flowerbeds, that I began last year (or was it the year before?). And oh My, how that Honeysuckle bush has grown since last year!!! This year I'm having to put up some lattice to train the Honeysuckle to, so I'll be putting it up on that whole fence. The plan is to also put lattice up on the ugly cinder-block wall, on the other side of my yard. I'm hoping that will cut the reflective heat and replace some pleasant character to the yard. It will also give a place for future vines to grow. . . hopefully beginning this Summer!
I've planted one small tree -- a Mimosa tree that will eventually grow to be medium-sized. I have marked and designated another spot for another tree, and I'm moving around lots of rock. I'm redistributing almost ALL of the gray rock in the entire backyard. Eventually it will be mounded-up as the banks of a rock river running through the yard -- that I've had kind of outlined with an old gray edging. Talk about back-breaking! Moving those rocks? Eeeks! I have to take a lot of breaks!! This will make the space for what will eventually be a "meadow area" on the back-side of the yard. Like I said, there is still lots of work to do, but I'm chipping away at it. I'm not sure what I'll have time to complete by the end of this Summer, but we shall see.

Before wallboy and before beginning the irrigation phase, I thought my yard was kinda pretty. Definitely much prettier than Before I started! I guess it's in that "awkward stage" right now. But eventually, I'll have the peace restored to the yard.
Redoing the deck? hahaha THAT will be another project for . . . another year. Maybe even railing and a patio cover to go with it. One thing at a time. Sometimes I get antsy to get it all done. All good things in time! There's that word again! Oh well . . . That should be no problem, now that I'm growing thyme! So far, I have "Mother of Thyme," "Creeping Thyme," and "Lemon Thyme." I suppose it's all about Thyme management!!

~Paulena
(BTW -- All of these images are my photos and they are copyrighted. I hope you enjoyed them.)

Reno Balloon Race 2006

THIS is too cool! As a balloon pilot myself, I know how the flights work and all, but I never saw a time lapse of a morning's flights. This is just oo cool and my hat is off too the person who made this video possible!
~Paulena

Lightning Waltz - 7/26/06 Thunderstorm From East Mountains

Lightning Waltz - 7/26/06 Thunderstorm From East Mountains
Originally uploaded by Paulena-KE5DDZ.

Another of my recent lightning shots. I've been busy chasing lightning shots (as you can probably see). I haven't made time for writing lately. I'll have to jump back on that soon.
TTFN,
~Paulena

Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Snap, Crackle, Pop!
Originally uploaded by Paulena-KE5DDZ.

Just a short post, for now. I'm so proud of this lighting shot I caught on July 24th, 2006. I just wanted to share it.
More later...
~Paulena

April is here and GONE!

I know I keep saying it, but ~ My How Time Flies!!!
I keep thinking (a dangerous pastime!) that I'll have more time to get on here and write... but then life happens, very quickly, I might add. I have been getting out and about on the weekends and enjoying the nice Spring weather. Easter was an absolutely beautiful day, here in Albuquerque!! I went out and visited our local "Bio Park" which consists of our city's Aquarium, the Botanical Gardens, and the Zoo. I only made it to the Botanical Gardens, but I was there for hours! I took my digital camera with the intent of getting some good photos. I took upward of 300 photos that day!! Of course not all of them were good. But with digital photography, I can edit to my heart's content! I can delete the duplicates or near-duplicates. I can 86 the fuzzy-focused ones, and I can crop the ones I want to change. I love it!

Back in about December 2004 or so, a friend of mine introduced me to a photo-sharing site called "Flickr." I joined up (which can be free) and I enjoyed it, but I got a slow start. Eventually, I began exploring the site more and gradually I added more photos. I have been having a blast on there!!! I have almost 200 photos uploaded there now. This past weekend, I took another 2 or 3 hundred photos!
I went to the Albuquerque Tricentennial celebration near Old Town. You can check out some of the photos from my last two weekend excusions at my Flickr site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/calico/


SO that's what has been keeping me busy these last few weeks! haha Now it's time to get the garden going. I'll start that this coming weekend.
Enough from me for today.
~~Paulena