Kirt came home from work and said we needed to go see how high the creek was.... it is over by the blue house with the wrap around porch that Merika really likes on Porta Rosa in Elk Grove.

Then we stopped at the little shop and had Fish and Chips for supper.

Stake Sunday School Presidency & Wives

Last night we hosted Kirt's new presidency and their wives for dinner. I planned Hawaiian Haystacks and made pink salad, cooked carrots with parsley and ginger butter(melted). Also made a Chocolate cake with cherries and had vanilla ice cream.
One of the counselors called to beg off as their child was ill with a fever that was rising.
We had Linda and Jack Hale and Jacky Joe and Margaret Smith and Kirt and I. We had a great time and laughed and visited and got to know each other. The meal started at 6 and they were all still here at 9:30- then since we all had to spring our clocks forward we said good bye, loaded the dishwasher and went up to bed.- but had to do the article for the back page of the Provident Times newsletter... I had done the front earlier in the day.

Kirt had a very full day before any of this started. He had to speak for 1+ hours to a class at the university, fix Charlene's lawn mower, take Dot and her car for a 25 minute drive and then get it smog tested, mowed the front and back lawns and was supposed to clean at the church, but forgot.

New Job Duties

Even though I will still be a Risk Management Analyst in the Risk Management Department at the EGUSD when the REMS grant is over I will have completely different job duties. Kirt suggested that I find some course work to help position myself better for the new position. I started toward the profession designation of CPDM- Certified Professional in Disability Management. At a staff meeting when there was mention of they would have no one to do the Interactive Processes I was able to say that I had just done part of a webinar on the Interactive Process through CSAC-Excess. In the same staff meeting I was able to remark that I had started the CPDM. I think it gave me some credibility. Then the other analyst, Margaret, took a job in HR so I will be the only analyst for an indefinite time- cabinet will not allow the position to be posted due to the budget problems. Marlon was supposed to go to a Disability Conference Friday morning, but had triple booked himself so he asked me to go. It was just here in Sacramento and I had no problem driving to it. It was a good learning experience.
On the way home I stopped at Kaiser to have my BP checked- it was high, had a pedicure with Tracy at Judy's, and then picked up a Rx at the EG Kaiser. I think I left my ATM card there...will need to try to track it down.

Feeding the Missionaries - Cincinnati Chili

We had the opportunity to feed the missionaries on Thursday night. Had the bright idea to invite another couple as well. Metz and Carol were glad to come. I tried out a recipe that Birke suggested. It was for Cincinnati Chili - which is served on top of spaghetti. Since I had never made it, and since it might have been too spicy for me I also made a large casserole of funeral potatoes. Wednesday night as I was making most of the food I also made a cake and a large jello with fruit. A few weeks ago when we had the missionaries the on from Kansas, Elder Genteman really like the jello.
The chili was really hot- even with sour cream I couldn't take it, but all the men ate with a gusto. We had a different missionary who was on splits with Elder G. and he said it was his first time ever eating homemade jello- he had only had the little jello cups from the store.
After the missionaries left we visited with our friends and then sent some leftovers home with them- some funeral potatoes for her and some chili for him.
I may be related to Elder G. He has a Bradshaw in his family and when I said that my grandfather's name was Douglas Bradshaw Fowler - Elder G said he mother's maiden name was Fowler- that is too much of a coincidence... and her father was Clark. I have a cousin name Clark, but it would not be him.

To Church with Kirt

It was Fast Sunday today so there was no ward conferences scheduled so Kirt got to come to church with me. I think it was only the 2nd time this year.
A young lady, Jaime, who was baptized this past summer likes to sit with us on the back row. I have been going to the gospel essentials class with her when Kirt is not there. She is a real sweetheart. Last week after church she and I sat on the bench opposite the library and I showed her how to make a loom hat, today she had it done and Merry helped her finish it.

We had a nice meal to break the fast - BBQ ribs, rice and broccoli. Kirt took a plate over to Dot, the elderly lady (80's) who lives across the street.

Fixing the Yellow Truck

Shaunika's family(including Jason) has been sick this week with the flu so Kirt figured he wouldn't be able to go out to have Jason help him with the truck. Shaunika called early to say the Jason was feeling well enough to help Kirt.

I decided to go also (and we were crossing our fingers that we would make it). Kirt and Jason undid a few bolts off and lifted the cab off and fixed something about the thing where you put the gas in.

I made cookies with Samantha, the kids played with bubbles, and jumped on the trampoline. We fed the chickens the scraps.

Kirt primed the floor of what will be the new shed. Samantha had put on her Cinderella dress and wanted to use the paint roller- they didn't let her.

Shaunika and I took Jacob and went to Michael's- she was getting a gift card for a friend. I bought KFC to take home to feed everyone. We threw the scraps to the chickens.

New Glasses & a Stiff Neck

It seems like every time my glasses change prescription I have to get used to looking through no-line trifocals all over again. What that actually means is I have to look up and down repeatedly to find the actual small space I can see through for that distance- depending on what I am looking at.
By Thursday night my neck was absolutely killing me, and my whole head and neck hurt. Icepacks, and rice bags and NSAIDs will hopefully solve the problems.

I actually got the glasses prescription last summer, but was plagued with dry eyes and had the doctors say my eyeballs looked like they had been sandblasted- I told them it felt like that also.

The option of having my tear ducts cauterized didn't sound too appealing. Eventually, I saw a specialist who diagnosed that the lubricating glands under my upper eyelids were clogged and he put me on an antibiotic- similar to one that teenagers would need if they had acne.

That medicine and 2 fish oil capsules a day seem to be solving the problem, so I finally felt confident enough in how my eyes felt to get the glasses.