June 2004 Archives

Awake 6:15 am Temp Downtown=56 Cloudy 19 hrs & 15 min of daylight

Gary & Rosemary come into our house approx 10:30 to say goodbye for now.
They are headed to Palmer for the day....then Tok..then to Valdez & wait
for the Reds to come in. I think that's fishing talk. We sure enjoyed
hanging out with them.

I srart working on " the little things " to fix up while Kathy adds a 3rd
coat of paint to the upper garage steps. We decided to stay home today &
do what we can without buying any more paint until tomorrow.

We call our friend Alice in Anchorage & wish her a " Happy Birthday."
We call my Aunt Clarissa in Nicktown..she sent Kathy a " Happy Birthday "
card & at 96 yrs young, my Aunt's penmanship is still so eloquent &
smooth.

Ok, back to work: I install the epoxied & repaired knob for our instant
hot water unit in the kitchen. It works just fine now.
I sand the top of our pink bathroom door...it sticks no longer.
I fix a window shade problem in the gameroom. The catch for the cord had
slipped out of position.
I take both doors off their slide railing in our master bedroom for the
towels/medicine closet...then adjust, realign & lube them. They run very
smooth now.

Meanwhile Kathy washes then primes the steps leading to the lower garage.
Then she really takes on a challenge: Paintakingly scrubbing & using a
puddy knife to clean each panel of our upper garage door. Today she
finished 35 of 50. A tough job.

8:15 pm Dinner: Kathy's homemade chili with toast. It was a cool day here
in Anchorage...a good day for hot chili.

Some computer browsing & reading late evening. Lights out: 11:37 pm.

Awake 5:35 am Temp Downtown=62 Partly cloudy 19 hrs & 16 min of daylight

Today it's our turn to see the Arctic Thunder Airshow. Gary & Rosemary are
going with us and this is good because Gary is an avid airplane enthusiast
like I still am. We leave our house @ 11:15...drive to the Northway Mall
area where we board the " people mover " bus & get shuttled into the
Elmendorf Air Force Base. It's been about 10 yrs since either of us have
been to an air show so we're all eager to check things out.

1st up was a FedEx DC-10-30 converted to a MD-10. The difference was all
evident inside the flight deck...a glass cockpit. I knew all 3 of the guys
that were working this static display today and vice versa. It was a mini
reunion but we couldn't talk very long because of the long line behind us.
Then we checked out a: T-38, F-15, T-6, F-16, C-46, C-5, Cirrus SR 22,
B-25 & more. Some lines to get a closer look were slow going & other moved
quickly.

We watched the aerobatic guys show off their skills in a YAK 54, a crucial
Edge 540 & a Pitts S2B. All very impressive.

The JATO assisted C-130 short field takeoff was a blast to watch. But of
course, those Blue Angels topped the show as we expected. I could have
easly watched another hr of that precision type flying.

Gary treats us to a late lunch: Bratworst sandwich with potato chips & a
bottle of water. Back home @ 6:00 pm. The 4 of us rendezvous in our living
room for more food: Fresh healthy snacks provided by both cooks & some 14
yr old beer provided by me. We yak until 9:05 pm.

Nick called earlier...we return his call after G & R return to their RV
for the night. Nick is slowly moving into his condo. He reports that on
each visit to the condo, he is feeling better about being there. I think
that's a good sign. We talk for an hr.

Now we are tired. It was a good day of just goofing off, seeing that great
airshow & yaking a lot with G & R. Lights out: 11:20 pm

Awake 6:16 am Temp Downtown=64 Sunny 19 hrs & 18 min of daylight

Gary & Rosemary leave to visit local people they know in Anchorage.

Kathy & I work together painting the upper garage starting at 9:30. The
same routine as the lower garage: I do the high areas, she does the low.
This garage is not as challenging to paint as the lower garage. It is
bigger however and we run out of paint 5 hrs later. Our progress is good
for this day.

During our painting time, Katrina calls on her cell phone. She & her
roommate Star are attending the Arctic Thunder Airshow & they are queued
to see the FDX MD-10. I explain the difference of the MD-10 vs. the MD-11.
That was a 1st for one of our girls in asking a question like that.

En route to St. Pat's Church service, we stop at the Muldoon library where
Kathy returns some audio tapes & books on Japanese language. Home @ 6:20.

Kathy then gives the garage steps a coat of paint over the
primer(different color than the garage walls) while I peruse the Saturday
newspaper.

8:15 pm Dinner: Leftover Halibut with asparagus, salad & bing cherries.

Gary & Rosemary return @ 9:00 pm. They visit & we yak in the dining room
until after 10:00 pm. It's hot in our house tonight & it's tiring us out.
Lights out: 11:31 pm

Awake 5:55 am Temp Downtown=60 Sunny 19 hrs & 19 min of daylight

Casual morning...check Kathy's painting progress of last evening in the
upper garage--it's looking good. She's already used a gallon of paint.

Call Bob @ FDX Metroplex. He " OK's " the placing of our Fliers on the
pilots bulletin board. We plan to do that either Monday or Tuesday.

Call Frank in Eastern Washington. These people are letting us store our
Motorhome for a few months in one of their BIG storage facilities that
they normally use for winter onion storage. He reports everything seems to
be fine...no smoke reported from inside the building.

Today we are expecting Gary & Rosemary to return with their RV. I would
like to go downtown & check out some new activities there but would also
like to be here when G & R arrive. I call his cell phone...it's not on and
no msg opportunity. We leave a note & head to town at noon time.

Downtown Anchorage is full of people. The Blue Angels are flying a special
show for the physically handicapped as we stroll around 4th & 5th
Avenues. It's exciting to see & hear those low flying jets so close to the
city. We plan on seeing that Arctic Thunder Air Show on Sunday. Kathy & I
share a reindeer sausage sandwich for lunch then do some minor grocery
shopping @ Fred Meyers en route back to the house.

Gary & Rosemary had already arrived & all set up in our RV camp site when
we get home. We sit in our living room & yak for hrs..drinking some of our
14 yr old Belgium beer that they agree is amazing good.

6:15 Dinner for 4: Crusty fresh halibut with baked potatoes, bacon bits,
sour cream, asparagus & fresh salad. Bing cherries for desert. A delicious
meal. Later we sit in our living room & continue yaking until around 10:00
pm. when Gary & Rosemary succumb to their RV unit. Kathy & I do some late
evening reading & computer browsing. Lights out: 11:49 pm.

Awake 6:20 am temp 53 Sunny 19 hrs & 20 min of daylight

Our newly painted lower garage looks great now that the paint is
completely dry. The face lift was without a doubt, the right thing to do.

We leave the house @ 10:45 am. A shopping we will go. 8 stores, 3 hrs 10
min later we are back home. It was exhausting for me but Kathy is all
charged up. After a quick lunch, and now armed with more paint & a new
target of the upper garage, she's ready to go again. Yes, now the upper
garage. UGH! The walls have already been washed down & cleaned so that
part is over with.

I need a break from painting. I let her get started on the lower areas of
the garage while I man my bucket of the Cherry Picker, drive over to the
East side of our house & paint all those window frames. I am in the
afternoon & evening shade, wearing my Jungle Juice bug repellant &
enjoying these comfortable temps. If one has to paint the outside of a
house, this Cherry Picker setup with it's maneuverability & bucket comfort
is not too shabby. 4 hrs later, I am finished. During my 3rd hr, Kathy is
taking a break from her painting & is now outside potting flowers in 3 BIG
flower pots to be placed in front of our house. She's not wearing any bug
repellant & those mosquitos this year have been the worst I've ever seen
up here. @ 8:30 pm she says " that's enough!"

Since I'm all bug protected for now, I decide to mow & trim the lawn
before taking a shower. Finish @ 9:30 pm.

@ 10:15 Dinner: Leftover tuna & chicken breast with whole wheat noodles,
spaghetti sauce & fresh salad. We are tired. Lights out: 12:28 am

Awake 6:34 am Temp Downtown=56 Sunny 19 hrs & 20 min of daylight

Late morning start for our casual housework on the little things yet to
do. Plus I had this lazy feeling & maybe spent more time on the computer
without realizing it...but my boss did. She was ready to get with it & get
it over with so shortly after 11:00 am we continue our painting of the
lower garage. We work all afternoon until it was completely finished at
6:15. Only break was 20 min @ 3:30 for a snack, otherwise our paint
brushes & rollers were on the move.

It was tricky painting...the walls are flat. When using a roller & brush,
it didn't look very good so we both let the paint dry a little, then go
back over that area several times again. In addition to that, when this
house was built & inspected, the authorities insisted that the heating
system was inadequate for the square footage of the house. Even though it
was a commercial heating system & the builder/owner was in the heating
business, they insisted another supplemental heating system be installed.
That system then became an addition to the already built lower garage,
with all the exposed supply & return ducts & the air handleing unit high
on walls & ceiling. That system works fine but we never use it. It isn't
needed. The main furnace does a great job by itself. In the meantime, I
had to paint around & over that air handler & the duct work all afternoon.
It was tough! We finish cleaning our brushes & moving the equipment back
into the garage @ 7:15 pm.

9:45 pm Dinner: Fresh tuna, toast & fresh salad.
Kathy worked really hard today--while watching the last 15 min of the
news, she snoozes. Lights out: 12:38 am

Awake 5:09 am Temp Downtown=53 Sunny 19 hrs & 21 min of daylight

After breakfast, Kathy & I make a BIG decision for our next step in the
housework program....we WILL paint the lower garage(formally my
laboratory). We didn't want to do this...a garage is a garage & they are
not suppose to be squeeky clean but....my laboratory was a busy, active &
productive operation during our years here & it really could use a face
lift.

After moving the remaining equipment & stuff outside, Kathy heads downtown
to buy more paint & more groceries while I start vacumming & cleaning off
the walls.

My 1st cousin Florentz calls from Pennsylvania..a keeping in touch call.
He's been having a busy summer repairing equipment for the family,
friends, neighbors, etc. He also picked over a gallon of fairly large
strawberries on our property back there. Florentz is retired & over 70.

Before Kathy returns, I take another break & call our good friend Rochelle
in Washington State. She & Dean are storing our Suzuki auto @ their home
during our Alaska time this summer. We also talk some real estate stuff as
they sold their home themselves 12.02.02. Also talk with our Goddaughter
Monica. She knows us better since we've spent some time at their home 1st
week of May. She talks well for her age...soon to be 6, quite smart & is a
very pretty well mannered young lady.

I'm on a roll now...so I call my old buddy John here in Anchorage. I
haven't seen or talked with him since April 14th. At that time we talked
of my using his woodworking shop to build a new flower box for the front
of our home. So I ask him today if that offer still stands & he tells me
the workshop is mine. I will plan on this & let him know when I can start
on this project.

I get back to the garage cleaning just in time for Kathy to catch me
working diligently on the walls. She changes clothes & gets right with the
painting plan. Being a little shorter, she covers the lower areas & I
cover the high areas. Our borrowed ladder is gone now so I have to use a 5
gallon bucket to step onto a 30 gallon barrel which has another 5 gallon
bucket on top of that. That gives me enough height to reach the ceiling.
We finish one wall of three..then call it quits @ 7:30 pm.

9:30 pm Dinner: Whole wheat noodles with spaghetti sauce, chicken breasts
& fresh salad. Kathy watches the 10:00 pm news during my kitchen cleanup
time. Then some computer browsing. Lights out: 12:02 am

Awake 6:15 am Temp Downtown=58 Sunny 19 hrs & 21 min of daylight

Kathy & I work together this morning making contact with the Elmendorf &
the Fort Rich newspapers...to run an ad for our home sale. While she's on
the phone making the contact, I'm on the computer e-mailing facts & a
picture. Kathy also talks with Stacey to make changes on our flier.

Then we take a ride to our nearest FDX Kinko's & fill out an application
for listing our home @ the Elmendorf Air Force Base for a sales listing in
their housing office. No shopping today so we are back home @ 4:00 pm.

Kathy washes & squeegees the upper garage floor & parts of the front
sidewalk. She also sprays water on the cedar siding boards in front of the
house to clean off any dust...then moves the water sprinkler around both
front & back yards to keep the grass green.

Meanwhile, I affix the replacement wheels that we picked up @ Replacement
Glass on Saturday..to the mirror closet door in the Katrina/Zack bedroom.
Those wheels were shipped from Pennsylvania & I am happy that they are
still available. Then I silicone the molding next to the 1st floor shower
that Kathy painted June 7th. Next I take both sliding doors off the game
closet, readjust, lubricate & reinstall. I do the same for the sliding
doors in the bonus room closet. It makes a nice difference in how smooth
they slide. Then I install a new belt in Kevin's dirt devil vacuum
cleaner.

9:15 pm Dinner: Pork roast with special sauce, brown rice & fresh salad.

Some late night reading. lights out: 11:51 pm.

Awake 7:23 am Temp Downtown=61 Sunny 19 hrs & 21 min of daylight

Kathy makes her famous Sourdough Pancake breakfast for me, gets the
newspaper from the paper box at the end of our driveway & cleans up the
breakfast dishes...a Father's Day treat.

Later, Nick & Katrina call about the same time to give a Father's Day
wish. I talk with Katrina first...then return Nick's call. We should have
a Father's Day celebration several times a year. It's comforting getting
these special treats & compliments from the family.

Neighbor Harry calls. He's ready to have his 8 ft ladder returned.
Remember: It's 7 ft 5 in's when open, 8 ft when closed. It sure has come
in handy for our cleanup & repairs. I return it promptly.

Start watering the front & back yards. Dry weather is upon us.

Kathy prints info on our FSBO signs. Using limited resources, I make up
flimsy sign structures out of old kite wood strips left over from years
ago. I'm hoping the wind won't take them airborne.

@ 3:15 we leave with some makeshift tools: A 4X4 piece of wood as our
hammer & a rod iron to puncture a hole in the ground. We place a sign @
Copper Drive, about 200 ft from our driveway, and another sign 4 miles
down our road to the main road of Tutor & Campbell Airstrip road.

After that critical & cautious placing of our signs, we rendezvous with
the Footes & Katrina at Mooses Tooth for....tra da, Pizza & Beer....to
officially celebrate: Father's Day for Dad. It was a nice gathering...the
girls & Kevin + Matthew(thru the pen of his Mother)each wrote nice things
about their father in their card. Thank you guys! I really enjoyed it.

Back home @ 7:30 pm. Continue watering the lawn-front & back. Then...we
watch a movie on TV: " Cider House Rules." An interesting flick.
Lights out: 12:01 am

Awake 6:20 am Temp Downtown=57 Sunny 19 hrs & 21 min of daylight

@ 9:25 am Kathy & I affix the BIG FSBO sign @ the end of our driveway with
25 fliers in the box.

@ 11:15 we leave for BIG Lake, Alaska. About a 1.5 hr drive from home. En
route we have a 20 min delay driving down our road because of the annual "
Mayor's Marathon " 26 mile race today which uses part of our subdivision
road for the runners. There were 3700 runners from all over the country
entered into this race. Then we stop @ " Replacement Glass " to pick up a
special order of 2 door rollers for the mirrored closet doors in the
Katrina/Zack bedroom..another stop @ " K " appliance for a new belt for
the Dirt Devil vacuum unit Kevin is letting us use... then we continue on
our drive up to Big Lake just beyond Wasilla. This 1.5 hr trip takes
closer to 2.0 hrs. A lot of traffic on the Parks Hwy.

Our local pals are having a rendezvous at Dottie's newly built chalet on
the lake today. 15 of us gather to kibbutz, eat, tour the lake in Dottie's
speedboat & relax on a sunny Sunday. It's amazing how active this lake is
today...sailboats, seaplanes, paddleboats, speedboats & water skiers, etc.
It's been February since we've last hung out with our buddies & it was a
good gathering.

En route back to our house, we attend 6:00 pm mass @ the Sacret Heart
Church in Wasilla, stop at the Ace Hardware & the Brown Jug in Muldoon in
Anchorage. Back home @ 8:25 pm. Late snack: Popcorn & Mixed nuts.

A little late night reading. Lights Out: 12:10 am.

Awake 7:15 am Temp Downtown=58 Sunny 19 hrs & 17 min of daylight

A casual morning...Kathy watches her usual TV programs when she's NOT
doing housework: " The View " & " Regis & Kelly." I read the ABC news on
the computer & check the real time stock trading on the market. Then take
some photos of our home looking Eastward toward the Chugach Mountains.
Then we don our grubby clothes & do some dirty housework.

Kathy gets after an asphalt crack that was hiding underneath the van &
became visible after moving the van. I clean & reseal with Silicone the
weather stripping on the side door of the upper garage. A short work day
for us.

After showering, we drive to Fred Meyers & do the one hr film
developing...then meet with Stacey to finalize our listing on their FSBO
web site, get our FSBO signs, our master flier sheet & discuss more
procedures on dealing with prospective buyers, closing costs, who pays
what, etc. Then we visit FDX Kinkos & make 100 copies of our house flier
to distribute around town & put into our sign box.

@ 4:15 pm Meet with neighbor Bill & Debbie @ Simon & Seafords for drinks &
appetizers. Bill is retiring soon, has a motorhome & loves to travel so we
always have a lot to talk about.

En route home, we stop @ Providence Hospital & the Native Hospital to post
our FSBO fliers on their staff bulletin board...with the help of a
security guard. These hospitals are within 7 miles. Back home @ 7:00 pm

Dinner: Popcorn & mixed nuts. Kathy struggles to stay awake while I am
reading a Motorhome magazine. Read until 12:12. Lights out: 12:12 am

Awake 5:50 am Temp Downtown=50 Cloudy 19 hrs & 20 min daylight

Today we continue our casual " clean up the little things " repair work.

I begin by epoxying that broken knob on our Instant Hot Water unit on the
kitchen sink. The unit itself works fine, it's the plastic on the knob
that has weaken & slips on the shaft. I have searched casually for this
part for over 2 yrs to no avail....even on the internet they advise that
the part is no longer available.

Kathy is cleaning, sanding & varnishing a wooden cup holder for the
Melissa/Nick bedroom. This too, was another item we just couldn't fine in
our local area so she's refinishing the original.

After my short epoxy job, I venture outside with the Cherry Picker to
finish painting all the West side 2nd story window & door frames. Now I am
excited & all charged up. It's cloudy but the sun is getting ready to
break through and I want to finish this project before it gets too warm. I
just get started when the door bell rings: Melissa surprises us with a
visit with our grandson Matthew in tow. His BIG eyes & infectious smile
are overpowering...I feel like I am on a roll again with this painting
project & don't want to stop...but I don't want to miss their visiting
time either. After about 30 min of painting another window frame, my
heart ovrwhelms my charged up work ethic...I lay down the brush & enjoy
some relaxing moments with Matthew & Melissa before they have to leave.

Then it's back to work @ 2:00 pm. Kathy gets serious with the grass & moss
that lives in & around the concrete board separations on our sidewalk @
around the house's concrete foundation. It's very time consumming & tough
work but it looks so good when she's finished.

We quit @ 6:30 pm. 8:30 Dinner: Lamb chops with baked potato, cucumber
slices with mozzarella cheese & fresh salad. Some late evening reading.

Lights out: 11:49 am.

Awake 5:57 am Temp Downtown=50 Cloudy 19 hrs & 19 min of daylight

After breakfast, a shopping we will go. Groceries & minor home repair
items on the list. 6 stores in 4.5 hrs. Not bad I say & we keep our
cool...the temp remained @ 50 degrees & windy. It's jacket weather today.
Back home @ 2:35 pm to find our EMPTY garbage cans & their lids scattered
about the back yard.

Stacey, our assigned & very able assistant from the FSBO group, visits to
take a " suitable for framing " picture of our home for their web site but
alas....Mother Nature is not cooperating. Weather moved in with lower
clouds & drizzle. Not a good photo moment. She will try again tomorrow.

After lunch I replace a fuel filter on my favorite Cherry Picker, then
place a cover plate on an exposed electrical ceiling outlet.

7:15 pm Dinner: Fresh Tuna steak with a citrus ginger sauce, brown rice &
fresh salad with a special dressing including sliced strawberries.

Evening time: Kathy begins getting in touch with her local buddies via
phone while I clean up the kitchen & dishes. Later, I work a X-word
puzzle.

Ok folks, today's report clearly demonstrates the more relaxed atmosphere
of kathy & Monte's former lifestyle revisited. May it continue....with a
little less shopping however. Lights out 11:18 pm

Awake 6:16 am Temp Downtown=56 Partly Cloudy

Casual morning for us. We sit in our living room & just talk for hours of
what we have been doing, what we have yet to do & what to do after that.
It was sort of like trying to gaze into the crystal ball of life during
these times.

I for one, am excited about our future...leading toward a full time gypsy
lifestyle & roaming the countryside on a set of wheels. But there remains
many things yet to fine tune in this plan to make it happen.

Since our FSBO assistant gave us a passing grade on our housework Monday,
we feel the push to continue doing the little things can now be at a more
relaxed pace.

To emphasize an attitude of relaxation, after lunch Kathy lays down on our
couch & takes a good nap while I clean up the dishes. I am not quite that
fast at adjusting, so I sneak down to the lower garage...start the Cherry
Picker & paint 6 window frames on the kitchen's West side + paint over the
primer on the back porch door.

So much for Kathy's nap...as soon as that big onan engine started roaring,
she was up & at em...doing some organizing of our spare light
bulbs(keeping 2 of each kind that we use throughout the house)the rest to
be donated to Salvation Army. Then she cleaned more of our light fixtures.

When I finish my painting, I mow the grass with the Kubota tractor. Kathy
does the trimming with the Snapper mower & also trims more sidewalk grass,
the RV parking ramp & the rear patio using a big knife.

I pump up a low tire on the 1983 Volvo & drive it around back to park on
our cleaned up RV ramp.

We finish up today @ 6:30 pm. Watch 30 min of Nova: " Investigation of
who shot down the German flier Manfred Von Richthofen?" The Red Baron.

And...I drink a classic beer that somehow was included in our " Move from
Memphis " that I brought home from Belgium during the late eighties. It is
a trappistenbier(Monk Beer) and was still surprising GOOD!

8:15 pm Dinner: Chicken Stir-fry with whole wheat noodles & fresh salad.

At 10:00 pm, we watch " Good time girls of the gold rush days." Again
Kathy demonstrates: The attitude of relaxation by falling asleep in her
easy chair during the show. Lights out: 11:18 pm

Awake 5:55 am Temp Downtown=51 Partly sunny

Today the FSBO assistance inspector is scheduled for a walk thru of our
home at 11:00 am. She will then tell us if the house is ready to go on the
market for sale or not. We will have questions.

The lower level of the house has been inspection ready since Friday...the
upper level will be ready this morning before 11:00 am so says Ms
Whirlwind Super Cleaner.

You see, I understand how this magic works now...I've seen it happen
before. Nearly everytime we have guests....it's the Ms Whirlwind Super
Cleaner in action. Usually during these energetic, frantic & bustling
outbursts, I find solice in a quiet far away room somewhere in the house
...seeking shelter to wait out the storm so to speak. This morning
however, the expression: " you can run but you can not hide " comes to
mind. Ms Whirlwind had me taking boxes & bags to our temporary mini
storage facility(the 184 Ford Van) & the overflow area of my lower
garage...for quite awhile. Many trips, many bags & boxes of the " stuff "
that might be the least bit offensive to the eyes of the invited guests or
the FSBO assistance inspector are now well hidden.

So now you too know the magic formula for a well kept home in 2 hrs or
less: Hide the clutter 1st, 2nd hide the clutter and 3rd, hide the
clutter. Hey, it works for us!

Stacey arrives promptly @ 11:00 am. She is young, confident, experienced &
has her act together. One thing might have thrown her routine inspection
off a bit was the view we have from our house of the city, the Inlet,
Alaska Range, Chugach Mountains, Etc. She seemed mesmerized for awhile. I
just knew those clean windows had everything to do with it. Anyway, she
scrutinized most of the house but she apparently knew what to look for
without looking in every little knook & cranny & we passed with flying
colors. She had conpiled a list of recent comparable home sales in our
area to get a ballpark figure for us to use. So on Thursday this week, our
home will officially be: " For Sale by Owner."

After Stacey leaves...it's back to work for us. It's the little things.
Kathy trims more grass from the sidewalk. I scrape, scratch, brush & prime
a few window frames that can use a little more tender loving care. We
finish for the day at & 7:30 pm.

Call Nick in Seattle. He's a tired & a busy fellow. We enjoy talking with
him always.

9:15 pm Dinner: Leftover " T " bone steak with broccoli & salad.

A little late night reading.. Lights out: 12:10 am

Awake 5:50 am Temp Downtown=55 Sunny

Kathy makes a quick breakfast for two: Bacon, eggs & toast. I eat that
quick breakfast quickly, then get right on today's housework schedule of
chores.

Back to the window cleaning program....the Cherry Picker is my chariot
today...it has 12 tires but no steering wheel. All around the house, West,
East, South..20 windows & their frames in all. It takes most of the
morning & some of the afternoon but I do a masterful job that pleases my
boss. A mid afternoon rain shower calls for an change of jobs to go inside
& finish the 3 office drawers that needed glides replaced and adjusted.
Now all the drawers of the house are running on smooth glides. Whew!

Kathy meanwhile is varnishing a few scratches on our entry door, washing
the front porch and steps and trimming the grass on our sidewalk. Her work
pleases me. She also cleaned out & vacuumed the equipment room, then
cleaned & organized our den that had many things on the homemade bookshelf
which we donated to Salvation Army.

So now, the upper garage, the front & back porch, the equipment room, the
den, kitchen, breakfast area & the driveway are also presentable in the
scheme of things.

It's been a long day for us and we made good progress. We quit @ 8:25 pm.
Showers for both of us then a late 10:00 pm dinner: " T " bone steak &
fresh salad. Some Sunday newspaper reading. Lights out: 12:14 am

Awake 6:02 am Temp Downtown=49 Sunny

I start my day by cleaning out our sauna. It was being used for years as
my closet. Then I lubricate the heater fan motor in the upper garage. All
that water I sprayed trying to clean that ceiling yesterday effected the
fan bearing but a few drops of oil near the bearing did the trick.

We admire..then ponder over the garage ceiling artwork.......and we think
it will be " OK " the way it is. Actually some of my spraying may have
made a difference...the BIG ROUND SQUEEKY CIRCLE isn't quite as obvious
this morning as it was yesterday.

Kathy spends most of her time today cleaning the upper garage walls, floor
& shelving....and no ceiling work. I was checking on that.

I spend over 2 hours cleaning grass & weeds out of the driveway asphalt
cracks...then spray the cracks with the killer roundup. We quit the
houseworking at 3:30 pm.

En route to 5:00 pm church service at St. Patrick's, we make a library
stop to return a video Kathy was using on the Japanese language, then
donate 3 bags of styrofoam peanuts to the nearby UPS store. After mass,
we stop at the recycle center to rid ourselves of a bunch of cardboard,
glass & tin.

Dinner tonight: Moose's Tooth Pizza & dark beer. We don't see any of our
buddies tonight. Back home @ 9:00 pm. We continue watching our FSBO video
and doing our workbook. Lights out: 11:40 pm.

Awake 5:48 am Temp Downtown=46 High cirrus clouds

A later start on the housework this morning. We watch some news coverage
on the church service eulogy for our former President Ronald Reagan. Very
touching! Then we disignate today as: Clean the upper garage day.

Working together, we move the remaining things off the North shelves,
position the 7 foot ladder, which is actually an 8 foot ladder when folded
& 7' 7/12 inches when extended.. anyway, using the ladder & vacuum
cleaner, I do the high areas of the window, heater fan & top of shelving.
then she vacuums the lower areas...shelving, fish cleaning sink & ducting
from furnace.

Meanwhile, I am the cleaner of the outside windows...again. This time the
Ground level all around. Using Kathy's formula of ammonia, vinegar & water
for the cleaning & old newspapers for the final wipe drying....it leaves
no streaks.

Meanwhile Kathy calls to get my opinion. In the upper garage she climbed
up that 8 foot ladder & started scrubbing the dirty ceiling which is
textured sheetrock...and the BIG round circle area she worked on is
squeeky clean but the remainder of the oversized 2 car garage ceiling is
d-i-r-t-y. She informs me she can do no more because it's hurting her
back. Now we have a problem. Well...for the next 2 hours, I try various
methods & different formulas to spray that ceiling to clean up the
remaining dirty areas...nothing is working to our satisfaction. So I say
we let it dry and see how it looks in the morning.

Back to a more simple chore of organizing. I move 14 tires out from the
lower garage & store them in our tilt trailer for now.

Kathy returns to the downstairs level & finalizes the cleaning process by
vacuuming all rugs in all rooms. At 7:30 pm, we call it a day.

Dinner: Tuna casserole, bean salad & fresh salad. After dinner we watch
our " For Sale by Owner " video & do our workbook. Lights out:12:10am.

Awake 5:30 am Temp Downtown=45 Sunny

The Salvation Army truck backs into our driveway @ 9:30 am. I ask Mark,
the main man, if they would prefer to load their truck directly from our
tilt trailer which is backed into our garage, or unload the stuff from
where the trailer is now...they prefer the easy direct idea. So I attach
the trailer to the Ford van & bring it outside for a direct unloading &
loading. When they get finished with that, there's a lot more inside the
garage and some more in the lower garage. These guys are happy...and we
are happy. A much quicker & easier way to clean up our act in lieu of a
garage sale at this time. If everyone wouldn't have been so busy, a family
garage sale could have been a good experience & a fun time.

Now that the " stuff " is gone, Kathy & I sit leisurely in the living room
and ponder over our next move. Both garages need to be cleaned
up....maybe tomorrow or Saturday. We are not looking forward to this. It's
a dirty job.

Kathy continues her work downstairs: Cleaning windows inside, mirrors,
sinks, vacuuming rugs, etc.

I am working upstairs in the kitchen: removing 8 more translucent ceiling
panels for cleaning then replacing them back into their grid areas.

At 4:30 pm Kevin visits to remove some of their baby things that we were
keeping here for little Matthew to use during their visits. He fills up
his Camry but doesn't have room for some of his computer equipment down in
the game room.

Kathy & I finish up our day's work a little earlier then usual. It's 5:30
pm & we think we've done enough. Dinner: Old fashion meat loaf, baked
potato, broccoli & fresh salad.

Evening time: I read some Motorhome Magazine & Kathy spends time on our
new Dell computer. Lights out: 11:07 pm.

Awake 6:21 am Temp Downtown=47 Cloudy

Gary & Rosemary come up for the good coffee at 9:30 am from the Jura
Impressa S-90 machine. At the touch of a button, you have many choices for
your morning coffee.....all very good.

Now that the family garage sale is off, they will be moving on to the
Kenai area for more sightseeing & visiting other friends around Alaska.
It's been a delight having them & Kylie hang out with us off & on for
nearly a week. If we hadn't been so occupied with housework, we could have
enjoyed goofing off with them a lot more.

I finish vacuuming all the ducts & replacing the supply & return vent
grills throughout the house.

Then I head downtown to " Replacement Glass " to order 2 homemade window
sills for our crankout windows in both the lower bedrooms. Stop at " REI "
Recreational Equipment Inc. & buy some more Jungle Juice....next stop: "
Home Depot " to make a return on a can of varnish that Kathy didn't use &
buy some more white Silicone Sealer and a Fluorescent bulb for our
overhead kitchen lighting. Make a quick stop at the " Brown Jug Warehouse
" to pick up some spirits...back home @ 1:55 pm.

During my absence, Kathy makes a call to the Salvation Army Thrift Store
for a Thursday pickup of our " stuff " to donate. She finished varnishing
all the wood in the gameroom save for the dance floor this morning....and
has now has moved into the office downstairs for cleanup.

Mark calls: we chat for over an hour.....then it's back to working for me.
We could have talked longer but I'm pretty sure, my boss is fully aware of
my off time.

Out & up goes the Cherry Picker...spend over 2 hours scraping & cleaning
those West side 6 living room windows. They were a mess. No mosquito
harassment today.... again I wore my Jungle Juice armament gear. Katrina
arrives about 5:00 pm to help Kathy with moving the many items we & the
family will be donating to the thrift store tomorrow. Later Kathy makes a
list of those things for charitable tax credit.

Dinner @ 8:15 pm. Chili with Tostito chips. Lights out: 11:50 pm.

Awake 5:50 am Temp Downtown=46 Light rain

Gary, Rosemary & Kylie drive off in their truck leaving their trailer on
the RV camping pad @ 5:52 am. They are returning their granddaughter back
to Fairbanks doing a roundtrip today. That's over 700 miles.

Start cleaning our translucent ceiling panels. Over the years, the mad
chef obviously stirred up some flying specials because there are numerous
splatters over both the kitchen stove area & the triple hole sink. I
remove each panel, wash it thoroughly, then using a toothbrush & a quick &
brite solution, get those greasy spots outta sight. It's time consumming
but hey, I've lots of time....I'm retired you know! Our kitchen ceiling
has 18 fluorescent bulbs that magically magnify those greasy spots
throughout the 20 ceiling panels. Today my patience wears thin so I clean
only 8 of 20.

Then, in keeping with the good housekeeping program, I wash out & flush
the holding tank on each of our 5 bathrooms toilets. Our heating system
has valves that we can adjust to allow warm water flow into the toilet
bowl on the flush. Kathy particularly enjoys this warm water asset during
the winter time.

The Foote's arrive approx 3:30 pm. Kevin is here to help us load our tilt
trailer: 2 dressers, a homemade large book/toy shelf unit, bedframe, night
stand, 3 large mirrors, music chair and other misc items. Kathy helps
coordinate the process & carry a few things herself. We have been storing
these items in the gameroom for?? But now there is a movement in the air
for a family garage sale. It's a heavy load & full trailer. Then using the
1984 Ford Van, I haul that trailer to the upper garage & park it.

It suddenly occurred to me during this physical workout that this planned
family garage sale on Saturday would be operated mainly by us senior
parents. Kevin will be working a full day...Katrina has had a camping
weekend planned for some time now, and Melissa will be busy taking care of
Matthew. This means that the heavy trailer load we just experienced will
be driven over to the Foote residental area very early morning, unloaded,
then perhaps going back to our house for yet another load, loading &
unloading again, then spending a good part of the day at the sale itself.
Just as the Foote's are leaving, I express my thoughts of this indecent
proposal. Kathy & I look at each other....Melissa & Kevin look at each
other! Then we say our goodbye's & give the wave from the porch as they
are driving away.

Back to work we go: Now I am removing all 29 supply & return vents from
the 1st & 2nd floors.

The phone rings: It's Melissa....she's been talking with Katrina. She
wants to nix the garage sale on Saturday with Katrina in agreement. Oh,
gosh, there is a Santa Clause.

Back to the vents: Using our new Bosch dishwasher, I load up both racks
with these vent grills & let the german machine do the work. Before
bedtime, all the vents are sparkling clean.

Late dinner @ 8:30 pm. Spaghetti with spaghetti sauce & Salad.

Just as we are finishing up our dinner, Gary & Rosemary return. Their
Fairbanks trip was good & they are tired. That's a lot of driving for one
day...most of it done by Gary. Lights out: 11:40 pm

Awake 6:07 am Temp Downtown=54 High Cirrus clouds

Shortly after breakfast, I brush & floss my teeth, then dash off to the
Dentist for my 9:30 am appointment. I have an old filling that needs to be
replaced and these guys are very, very good. We've been seeing them since
1992 here in Anchorage.

One hour later, I stop at Fred Meyer to buy my favorite yogurt...Dannon La
Creme. I love having this stuff on my three kinds of cereal smothered with
fresh strawberries, wild blueberries & then flooded with whole milk. Back
Home at 11:00 am.

Kathy & I load our tilt trailer with anything & everything that we can't
use, keep, or the kids don't want and we can't sell without a hassle. Gary
volunteers to use his Dodge pickup to pull our trailer load to the city
dump off the Glenn highway close to the town of Eagle River. It felt real
good getting rid of all the superfluous stuff. When we return back to the
house, Gary takes Rosemary & Kylie to do more sightseeing & shopping
around Anchorage.
Meanwhile, Kathy has been repainting the connecting bathroom downstairs. I
stir up my own paint, crank up the Cherry Picker & paint all 6 window
frames on the West side of the living room. Today though, I lathered up
with some mosquito repellent so I could at last have a little peace &
tranquillity during my painting....not like Saturday. It worked well.

Gary & his gang returns just as I was painting # 4 window frame. He had
offered to mow & trim the yard today so I took a break & checked him out
on the Kubota tractor & snapper lawnmower. He did a fine job.

It was about 7:00 pm when I finish my painting so I check on Kathy to find
out how she is doing. We both agree that we have done enough.

After cleaning up, we invite Gary, Rosemary & Kylie inside for happy
hour..wine for us adults. Both Gary & Rosemary enjoyed seeing my wooden
wheel on the snapper lawnmower that I installed in 1992 because a new
rubber one cost $ 35.00. So then we told them about our homemade
stationwagon we put together back in the seventy's. They had a good laugh
over that story.

Dinner for two: Chicken breast with spaghetti & tomatos & salad.

Read some Motorhome magazine in bed. Lights out: 11:25 pm.

Awake 5:54 am Temp Downtown=55 Partly sunny

Kathy spends over 4 hours in the kitchen this morning preparing food for
the brunch bunch....8 total. Gary, Rosemary & Kylie arrive first @ 11:30
am. Then Katrina @ 11:45 am from her church service ...then the Foote's at
12:45 pm. The food: Pasta Frittata, crispy french toast, brisket meat &
mixed fruit. It was outstanding...above & beyond the call of duty!!!

After brunch, Kevin & Katrina do the dish clean-up job. The rest of us
relax in the living room, talk & watch little Matthew try to talk.

Later, Gary, Rosemary & Kylie take a hike up our Basher road to Joe's new
development of 16 new homes.

Meanwhile Kevin & I are in the lower garage sorting out stuff to toss &
stuff to save for the possible garage sale next Saturday.

Katrina leaves around 4:30 pm. The Foote's at 6:15 pm.

Then Kathy & I do just a little organizing...like moving the mattress &
boxsprings from the Katrina/Zack bedroom upstairs and into the upper
garage to either donate it to a thrift store or junk it.

Then we settle down in the living room for reading the Sunday paper.
Something we haven't done very much of for quite a while. It feels good
just to read & relax for a change.

Our dinner was simply: Popcorn.

Zack calls at 8:45 pm from Chicago. He was en route back to his Motorola
housing unit from visiting the Speake's family & his girlfriend. He sounds
good. So far, he likes the people he's meeting @ Motorola, the other
interns & his boss. His work however, hasn't really started though. It was
comforting for us to talk with him.
Lights out: 11:17 pm

Awake 5:38 am Temp Downtown=53 Sunny

We start our day by replacing foyer light covers...all 5 now identical
save for a few tinted differences that only a trained eye could possibly
detect.

Kathy roars off in the RAV 4 with a smile...grocery shopping in
preparation for tomorrow's BRUNCH bunch rendezvous.

Time for me to get brave: Using the Cherry Picker, I take 2 hours and
prime the West living room window frames. The mosquitos today are a real
nuisance. Luckily I keep that bug zapper in a ready position for a quick
draw off the Cherry Picker bucket.

I had just finished with my priming fun when Kathy returns from her
shopping fun...and Gary, Rosemary & Kylie return from their fun trip up
the valley to Wasilla. I think Gary & gang had the most fun: They went for
a dog sled on wheels ride, rode a minature train over trestles & thru
tunnels, then toured an outdoor museum of Alaska memorabilia during
earlier times.

Then the 5 of us meet Katrina at 4:45 pm to transfer 4 concrete blocks
from our car to hers...that she will use to raise up her bed highter for
much needed underneath storage space at her pad.

Then us 5 attend St. Patrick's 5:00 pm mass together. Afterwards we live
it up and have pizza & beer at the Moose's Tooth. Our friends Mike &
Denise show up just as we are finishing up so we make the introductions &
enjoy even more social minutes. I can't wait to get back to more of this
goof off lifestyle instead of what we are doing so much of
daily...housework! Mike & Denise, being younger than us seniors, were
just winding up a 20 mile bike ride today to & from Eklutna.

Back home @ 8:40 pm. Lights out: 11:37 pm

Awake 6:23 am Temp Downtown=48 Sunny

Happy Birthday to Zack today. He's 22 years young.

We have this central vacuum system that has outlets throughout the house,
and a long hose that one has to use when vacuuming. The electric plug &
wire on one end when using the beater bar has deteriorated enough over the
years that it's now defunct. Recently I have learned that that plug & wire
can be easly replaced whereas for a few months I had thought that we would
have to replace that entire vacuum hose. The trick is to heat the end of
the plug with a hairdryer & loosen up the rubber locks, then pull with a
pliers and that plug comes right out. Next week I plan on buying a new
plug & wire.

Kathy inspires me to make phone calls in search of a wood window sill
piece that we need for both downstairs bedrooms. It covers a crank out
mechanism for those windows and over the years, the weather has
deteriorated the wood and it looks kinda bad. After several calls
downtown, I drive off to " Builders Millwork " who via the phone, said
that they think there are several pieces left over from years ago that
will work for our windows. Well, not true....not even close. Next, to "
Replacement Glass " where there is some glimmer of hope from the sales
lady. Only catch is: $ 125.00 each. Whoa! We will see....I've been
casually looking for these window sills for a long time now. Back home @
noon time.

Start cleaning those windows that I painted the frames yesterday...then
move the Cherry Picker to the West side of the house & begin scraping &
wire brushing more window frames that need to be cleaned, caulked, primed
& painted. We both call it quits at 6:45 pm.

We call Zack for his birthday early evening but no answer on his cell
phone. We leave a singing & verbal message.

Kathy spent her late morning & afternoon finishing up the Melissa/Nick
bedroom wood varnishing...then moved out into the long hallway to varnish
the solid wood doors & floor molding leading toward the gameroom.
Dinner for two: Chicken stir fry.

Gary, Rosemary & Kylie went to the Dimond Mall & the 5th Ave Mall today
mostly for Kylie. Then Gary washed his truck. Later this evening after
our dinner, we play " Phase Ten " card game until 11:10 pm.
It was a close finish between Rosemary & myself but she wins NOT BY A
NOSE, but by a card. Lights out: 12:02 am.

Awake:6:57 am Temp Downtown=47 Partly Sunny

Gary, Rosemary & Kylie join us for breakfast this morning: Kathy's healthy
muffins, egg quiche & ham with pineapple. After breakfast, with Kylie's
encouragement, they go to the H20 Oasis park for the remainder of the
morning & some of the afternoon.

Paul from " Mountain Tops " arrives @ 9:25 am. He checks our kitchen
counter corian closely. We ask him to give an estimate for cost of routing
out the cracks & filling them in with spacers, then polishing. We probably
won't have this done but we do want to have the estimate anyway.

Then @ 10:45 am we leave to go shopping....we need more materials for
fixing & painting + more groceries. Only 6 stores & a visit with Melissa
& grandson Matthew. I needed more fuel for the Cherry Picker & the Snapper
lawn mower also. Our short visit with Melissa included bringing Matthew's
swing back that was at our house. She felt it was not entirely safe so she
plans to trade it back in at the store for another model. Back home @ 2:10
pm.

After lunch, we both continue with the fix up program. Kathy starts
repainting the connecting bathroom downstairs but after painting two
walls, does not like the color...and I agree with her. So it's back to the
drawing board with that phase.

The rest of the afternoon from 3:30 to 8:30 for me was spent in the bucket
of the infamous Cherry Picker....painting those window frames that I had
primed on Tuesday evening.

Late Dinner: Pork Chops, asparagus & salad.

Gary, Rosemary & Kylie visit us for evening coffee & more yaking in the
living room. Gary & Rosemary are worn out trying to keep up with Kylie at
the H20 Oasas. Lights out: 11:55 pm

Awake: 6:00 am Temp Downtown= 46 High Overcast

After breakfast, Kathy talks me into cleaning the 6 spotlights in our
living room. It's a high ceiling so I have to use that 7' ladder.

Meanwhile Kathy cleans all 5 bathrooms in anticipation of our friends
arriving from Nevada today. Then this whirlwind lady whooshes around the
kitchen center island & other areas of the house and magically nearly
everything is clean & orgainzed....just like that. Most guys just couldn't
do this kind of magic. Especially me.

Meanwhile on Monday, after mowing the grass with the Kubota tractor, I
wanted to follow up the trimming with the Snapper mower....but that 25
year old machine didn't run so well. No power + running rough and I didn't
want to take the time to troubleshoot that day. Now that I've had time to
thing about it, it had to be either spark or fuel. I choose 1st, the
sparkplug. Bingo! It was a mess. Now the old machine runs like new again.

Early afternoon, our doorbell rings: It's Gary. He's arrived but where is
his truck & trailer, wife & granddaughter? " They are up the road " he
says. My directions where superb but someone just recently took the road
sign for our road and the only other sign reads: No Outlet! Gary wasn't
about to enter a road that indicated: NO OUTLET pulling his trailer.
Anyway, we guide them into our RV parking pad backside of our house,
introduce them to the amenities of water, electric, telephone & internet
cable, etc., but Gary only needs power for now. We met Gary & Rosemary
over two yrs ago back in Pennsylvania and have kept in touch ever since.
They've traveled here to Alaska from Nevada, picking up their
granddaughter in Fairbanks, then drove here to our place.
Kathy makes dinner for five: Stuffed peppers, bread, salad & a fresh fruit
dish for desert. We sit & yak in living room until 10:00 pm.
Lights out: 11:08 pm

Awake 6:05 am Temp Downtown=38 Partly sunny

Our Katrina calls @ 7:24 am to complain to me...can you imagine!! She was
really tired from the hike to Long lake & didn't sleep well overnight, so
to stay awake while doing school work last night, she drank a cherry
Pepsi. Then at bedtime, she was WIDE awake for hours....and now, sleepy. I
was sympathetic to her dilemma.

Mountain Top Corian calls for Kathy @ 8:25 am. They are to visit us this
Thursday & check out our corian kitchen countertop.

Christy from Moore Heating calls @ 8:42 am. James the service man is on
his way. I had asked for James to replace our supply diolectric union &
isolator that's located on the backside of our broiler. It's beginning to
show signs of leakage when our heating system is shut down for the summer.
Last fall he estimated it would be an all day job.... he felt that part of
the duct work would need to be removed. Meanwhile, I got to scrutinizing
this project and surmised that if he could just remove the flue ducting,
it would be much simpler & less expensive. When James arrived, we
immediately went to the equipment room and I brought up my theory about
the flue removal approach. Without hesitation James said he had been
thinking about this idea also and feels that it will be a much better way
to go.
4.5 Hrs later, James is finished....in half the time. Still expensive but
half the price. James is an impressive young man. He put himself thru a
Tech two year electrician's program...graduated top man in his class with
a 4.0 GPA...then went to boiler & servicing school. Now this young man is
classified as a senior service guy doing some hi-tech repair stuff around
town. His work is outstanding. James leaves at 1:35pm.

Kathy removes 12 window screens...I wash and install same.

Kathy varnished the north stairway...then moves into the Melissa/Nick
bedroom for more varnishing of the wood.

Using the Cherry Picker, I first wipe clean the areas that I scraped &
wire brushed on Sunday...then paint primer on the exposed wood area. It's
7:30 pm now & threating rain so I park the Picker in the garage for the
night. Kathy & I both take much needed showers.

Katrina & roomate Star arrive at 9:00pm in separate cars. They load up
Troy's " stuff " and drive off to deliver the goods to Troy who is renting
a place close to the Alaska Club.

Dinner @ 9:30 pm Beef Stew with toast. Lights out: 11:32 pm

Awake: 6:53 Temp Downtown=51 Low clouds & drizzle

Memorial Day is special for many people....and it's also special for us in
remembering War & Peace.

We decide we will continue our housework this day like any other.

I spray the texture splatter on the wall next to the shower downstairs.
Then take both sliding closet mirror/doors off in Katrina/Zack's room to
check. Find one door with a broken wheel. I remove it and will try to find
a replacement.

Kathy continues working in the den...varnishing window frames & floor
moldings.

Kevin calls, they will be hiking today regardless of the drizzling rain.

I clean & prep some of the tile in the lower shower...ready to re-grout.

Kathy is now finished in the den, and regroupes for another attack on that
ugly laundry room. In fact, the battle is so intense that when the smoke
clears, it's 7:30 pm. Oh yes, if you could see the carnage?

I need a change of pace here, so I head outside...take the winter tarp &
blankets off the 1984 Ford Van & turn the ignition key. It starts right
up. Now we winterized that van late last August...that's nine months
ago..and it turns right over and purrs like a diesel.

I struggle to get the fenced side rails onto the tilt trailer & move it
over next to the lower garage...then hitch it to the Ford van. Now I'm
having fun...tossing " stuff " that I will no longer need or can't take it
in the motorhome. Some of this stuff is good but it's gotta go.

The trailer is half full when I back it into the upper garage for more
tossing of " stuff." Later this week, we'll take this load to the city
dump.

Mow the grass again using the Kubota tractor. Then clean up the RV parking
pad for Gary & Rosemary's visit starting on Wednesday.

Late dinner at 9:30 pm. Hamburger stuffed with bacon, mushrooms & blue
cheese and spinach salad with mandrian orange slices. Lights out: 12:12
am.

Awake: 7:02 am Temp Downtown=49 Sunny

Before breakfast, Kathy is already washing down the laundry room walls in
prep for painting. Then she starts making the family Sunday Brunch meal
for a 1:00 pm rendezvous. What a girl!!

The unveiling of the repaired computer nook area also happened before
breakfast....and if you didn't know exactly where to look, you would never
know where that fix took place. Yaa.

Katrina arrives at 12:30 dressed nicely after attending her church
service. Then the Foote's arrive at 1:10 with a smiling Matthew.
Brunch: Mexican Quiche with oatmeal whole wheat pancakes & fresh
strawberries. Quite good I must say. After the dishes are cleaned, Katrina
has to dash off to meet her hiking & camping pals as they will be
overnight at Long Lake tonight & returning to Anchorage on Monday. We hang
out with the Foote's until around 5:15 & welcome the relaxed break from
our housework. Then it's back to work.

Kathy spends over 3 hours spot painting in the laundry room, then in the
den, more varnishing of window frames & floor molding.

I crank up the infamous Cherry Picker to scrape & wire brush the outside
window frames of living room & master bedroom in prep for a fresh coat of
prime & paint later. Then give the Cherry Picker a grease job of 19 grease
ports. We both agree to wrap it up at 8:30 pm.

Late Dinner: Hamburger with melted cheese & Popcorn later.
Lights out: 11:42 pm