July 2004 Archives

Awake 6:58 am Temp Downtown=55 Cloudy 17 hrs 18 min of daylight

Well, today's the day Willey is to decide which home he will buy & pay
with cash. Rosie will call us when she hears from Willey.

Just after breakfast, Kathy flushes our brown bathroom toilet & the lever
inside the tank that connects to the chain & raises the flush
ball....breaks. Hmmm, we can't have that...so we plan on a trip into town
this morning.
But first, I type 4 different ads & attach to 4 different pics to
advertize more things we have for sale. So our first stop is at Kinkos
where we make color copies of these items to post throughout the Alaska
Clubs in town. Drop Kathy off at the Sears Carrs store while I make stops
at: Alaska Club West; Home Depot; Central Heating & Cooling; Fire &
Fasteners; Alaska Club Midtown; pick up Kathy & stop at Alaska Club East,
then back to the house.

We have one phone message on our recorder...from Rosie. We brace
ourselves....she starts out by saying: " Monte & Kathy this is Rosie...I'm
sorry, I'm so sorry. Willey just called & told me he's going to pick the
other property. I really really sorry, I really thought he was going to
buy yours. It's a much better deal...but he gets to pick & choose what he
wants.."
And so that's the story of how we " almost " sold our house this summer.

Naturally we were a little disappointed as we were both looking forward to
starting our full time gypsy lifestyle....but that's on hold for the time
being. Now our plans will automatically shift to " plan B!"

I spray weed-B-gon on all areas of our lawn. The East side is looking the
best but West & North need more attention. As I am doing this, rain clouds
are looming from the Northeast. Ha, I thought, Mother Nature is trying to
discourage me...I'll do it anyway. About 2 hrs later....heavy rain for 10
min...I can't believe it! The weed-B-gon advertizes the killing power is
good if no rain for 2 hrs. Ok, this will be a test.

Gene Lutts arrives for Dinner with us: 6:50 pm. Fresh Salmon from Kevin,
broccoli, toast & fresh salad.

Evening time: we kibitz with Gene who lives in Florida but visits
Anchorage every summer to beat the heat. Sounds good to me. Lights out:
11:44 pm

Awake 4:40 am Temp Downtown=52 Light rain 17 hrs 23 min of daylight

This morning we call Rosie....Willey's realtor. " What's happening " we
ask. She had taken Willey to see our competition home yesterday & he still
likes that place....she says but " he likes your place too." She told
Willey " you can't buy both, you need to make a decision!" She asked us to
get a well & septic inspection.

Kathy calls FSBO & talks with Teresa. We have questions & she has the
answers.

Then take Kathy to the Doctor for her annual healthy check. While she's
there, I run some errands then return to pick her up about 20 min later.
We stop at FedEx Kinkos & fax info to FedEx so as to do some Global
traveling on Delta in September using our FedEx retirement benefits. Next
stop, a little grocery shopping at Fred Meyers, then back home.

Remainder of afternoon, we both go through some papers to keep or destroy.

Rochelle calls from Vancouver WA. We are a little embarrassed...we haven't
done so good keeping in touch. We talk with Monica & Maggie....cute girls.

8:00 pm Dinner: BIG hamburger, leftover spaghetti with sauce, toast &
fresh salad. Evening time: Kathy watches the 60 min program....I read
another motorhome magazine. Lights out:
11:22 pm

Awake 4:56 am Temp Downtown=56 Cloudy 17 hrs 28 min of daylight

E-mail Nick to get help in the URL category for listing our " for sale "
items on our Credit Union's marketplace. He responds quickly & clears up
most of the confusion....what a guy!
Our favorite son-in-law arrives around 11:45 am for use of our fish
cleaning sink to fillet his 12 sockeye salmon he caught yesterday while
dip netting. This is good as Kevin's reputation for extreme generosity is
ever increasing especially during the fishing season. Kathy & Kevin work
together wrapping the fish first in cellophane, then again in freezer
wrap.

Flash news: Kevin gets the call that confirms his full time computer
position at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Hip...Hip. He will be
giving his current employer FedEx a 2 week notice.

Shortly after 5:00 pm Sandy drives up looking for a house flier. Our flier
box is empty. Over 250 of those were used up since we've started
advertizing our house for sale. We invite her in & Kathy gives her a tour
of the house. She is a pilot for FedEx.
7:00 pm Dinner: Leftover potato pork pie, some leftover broccoli &
cauliflower, toast & salad.
Evening time: Kathy reads her novel...I read another motorhome magazine.
Lights out: 11:22 pm

Awake 4:45 am Temp Downtown=56 Light rain 17 hrs 33 min of daylight

Our morning was consumed with computer activities trying to upload our "
for sale " items onto advertizing sites...such as our Credit Union site.
We finally give up for now.

Early afternoon, I finalize the clean out of both upper & lower garage
floor drains. They look a lot cleaner now for sure.
Marty drives up with her 4 grandkids to get some of our seasoned firewood.
Our friend Denise tipped her off as to who has extra wood waiting to be
hauled away. They fill their truck bed in no time with Kathy's help.
Meantime, I am using my small German sander to take a wee bit of wood from
our master bathroom door to overcome a slight sticking characteristic.

We hear nothing from Rosie or Willey today. Rosie had earlier informed us
that Willey will be a cash buyer..she talked with his lawyer and was told
that Willey is good for it.

6:50 pm dinner: Kathy's mixed veggie stew with noodles & toast.

Evening X-word puzzle & motorhome magazine reading. Lights out: 11:31 pm

Awake 6:53 am Temp Downtown=52 Sunny 17 hrs 38 min of daylight

Kathy makes delicious sourdough pancakes for 2.
After breakfast, because she has small hands, I ask her help in cleaning
out the upper garage floor drain for me. A dirty job but....

I start siliconing a corian shelf in place in the lower shower.
Meanwhile, Willey calls: He wants to negotiate on buying our house over
the phone...I ask him if he & his realtor Rosie can come up here today so
we could discuss this in person...I don't want to negotiate over the
phone. He said he will call Rosie.

Another meanwhile, the Footes arrive. We sit on the front lawn & talk for
quite awhile. Then...the phone rings: Rosie will be here in 10 min.
We discuss & negotiate in the breakfast nook...he offers, I
suggest...Rosie takes notes. We still don't have a binding contract
however. Willey says he'll be in touch in a day or so.

Then the Footes & us take a hike up the road for some extra fresh air &
exercise.
5:45 Dinner: Potato Pork Pie with broccoli & cauliflower, toast & fresh
salad. The Footes leave for their condo @ 7:05.
Evening time. We both read most of the Sunday paper. Lights out: 11:20 pm

Awake 6:34 am Temp Downtown=54 Some clouds 17 hrs 43 min of daylight

Call Cy on his cell phone in Pa. We discuss our Nicktown campground
upgrade plans. He says..." no problem & will be done for our arrival late
August."

Start cleaning out the upper & lower garage floor drains. Take a break
from that & crank up the Cherry Picker to inspect our cedar shake
roof...all of it. It looks good for its 22 yrs. In the areas of least
sunshine, there are small traces of Algae so I spray some safe Algae
killer on those areas.

We attend 5:00 pm mass @ St. Pat's Church. The parking lot was being
reclaimed & all torn up, so we had to use the alternative entrance. This
project is nearly a yr late in the works so the contract work was
unannounced. Mass was delayed a whole 5 min due to late comers.

Afterwards, we do the pizza & beer thing at Mooses Tooth. I ask Kathy if
she is getting burned out with going to the same place for so many
Saturdays. " No " she says..." it'll take more repetitions than this for
burn out." I was happy to hear that answer. It is a good hang out.
Tonight, Mooses Tooth is celebrating 8 yrs of being in business. They also
have a Bear Tooth restaurant & movie theater with tables that allows you
to drink your beer & eat during the movie showing. Their special outdoor
music concert tonight with tents, live band & other food choices was well
attended.

Kathy spent a great deal of time earlier today going through " stuff " to
keep, donate or toss.
Evening time: Kathy struggles to stay awake..." Its the beer she claims!"
I read another motorhome Magazine. Lights out: 11:31 pm

Awake 5:56 am Temp Downtown=53 Sunny breaks 17 hrs 46 min of daylight

My cousin Florentz calls from PA. He's doing fine. A lot of rain this
summer has stunned his usual fabulous garden growing. He gives me his
son's cell number so that I might call & arrange to have our Nicktown
campground be updated with new gravel & a more level circular drive for
when we arrive late August.

BIG day today: We carry out the BIG flower box & place it on the two
wooden beams jutting out from our front porch. Then add 40 lbs of white
granite rocks into the 3 sections, followed by 60 lbs of pea gravel into
the 3 sections, followed by 50 lbs of potting soil into those 3 sections.
Kathy then transplants some of her flowers from her small pots outside to
the BIG flower box.

Jeff calls. We talk about the stock market, investing ideas, future plans,
etc. Jeff would like to have my business but I do prefer to do my own
thing when it comes to investing.

Kathy & I make a quick to Andy's Ace Hardware for more flowers for the BIG
flower box. When we arrive home, she transplants more flowers into the BIG
box. I change out a 3 way electrical switch in the lower garage that was
beginning to show signs of possible failure.

7:00 Dinner: Tuna steak with baked potato, toast & fresh salad.
After dinner, we take a neighborhood walk up to Roger's intended home
site. It's such a nice evening...no bugs, clear sky, comfortable temps,
etc. We need to do more of this casual exercising. We continue walking
down to Bill's hangout...then back home. 1+20 walk time. Late evening: I
check off AMX credit card receipts on statement. Kathy begins reading a
new novel.
Lights out: 11:26 pm

Awake 5:15 am Temp Downtown=55 Some clouds 17 hrs 53 min of daylight

This morning Kathy paints the final coat on the BIG flowerbox. I finish
painting a small strip area above the upper garage door that Kathy
couldn't reach. Then I install a new water filter in our home supply
system. Usually I change the filter at least twice a yr...so now is the
time.

Then I replace the humidifier with a rebuilt one...later I will clean up
the one taken out & get it ready by replacing some parts so it can be used
sometime during the winter season. Usually twice during the winter, these
units are exchanged. Keeping proper humidity in our house during the
winter is important for creature comfort.

Kathy & I make a trip to town....Home Depot...Replacement Glass...Dr.
Steers office...Carrs grocery store & back home @ 3:30.

Then I paint the 2nd coat of Penofin(wood preserver)on the eve that I
missed doing last summer.

Get some boxes out of our mini-storage unit(the 1984 Ford Van)..bring them
into the gameroom to start going through them to either: ( 1 ) send to the
motorhome in Royal City, WA ( 2 ) send to the Suzuki in Vancouver, WA ( 3
) send to Nicktown storage ( 4) donate to the thrift stores or ( 5 ) TRASH
IT! Sounds simple enough, right? So we spend some time going through
these boxes before dinner.

8:30 Dinner: Leftover Chicken Stir fry with rice, bean salad & toast.
Lights out: 11:38 pm

Awake 6:27 am Temp Downtown=55 Some clouds 17 hrs 57 min of daylight

A call from our friends Myrta & Rene in Andelfingen, Switzerland this
morning made our day. They want to confirm our plans to attend their party
& wedding starting September 10th. We talk for 36 min. That was a nice
surprise. When we told them Katrina was touring France as we speak, they
wanted her e-mail address to invite her to their wedding as well.

Kathy gives the BIG flower box a coating of green paint on the inside.
I crank up the Cherry Picker again & give those bay window frames their
1st coat of paint.

Rosie calls: She & Willey would like a copy of our " as built " survey.
Kathy changes from painting clothes to...go to town clothes.
Meanwhile , using the 30 gal barrel & a folding chair as a ladder, I apply
penofin on a section of eve that I missed doing last yr.
Then I replace a broken whisker weather stripping on the lower garage door.

Kathy returns from her trip to town with more paint, a few groceries, two
different grades of gravel & potting soil. Then changes back to her
painting clothes & gives that BIG flower box a coat of brown paint on the
outside boards.
7:45 Dinner: Thick Pork Chops with broccoi& cauliflower mixed with hot
blue cheese, apple sauce, toast & salad.
After dinner, Kathy paints another coat of brown on the BIG flower box.

Evening time: I read my motorhome magazine, Kathy reads her health &
nutrition newsletter from Tuff University . Lights out: 11:15 pm

Awake 6:23 am Temp Downtown=57 Partly cloudy 18 hrs 2 min of daylight

Kathy is 1st in line to use the Dell computer this morning. Mid morn, I
take my turn before the " fix the little things " program starts for the
day.

I vacuum the electronic air filters. For several weeks now the intake air
control was set to wide open...during our really hot weather. The air
handler draws from the north side of our house, the cool side, so the air
coming out of the register vents in the house is almost like having air
conditioning. Having the intake air wide open really sucks the bugs into
the system even tho there is a screen covering. So yesterday when I showed
Willey the electronic filtering system, all these dead bugs come falling
out from being trapped by the pre-filter. So I had to clean that dead
scene up in the event of more tours.
From the gameroom leading outside to the patio, a board split apart, so I
drilled 6 holes, clamped that board together, used 2 inch screws &
fastened it tight. Then filled those holes with epoxy wood that takes 24
hrs to cure to be painted tomorrow.

Crank up the Cherry Picker, using a small German sander, finish sanding
those bay window areas(the dormers) that the BIG brute 4 inch belt sander
could not get into. Then rinse off the sawdust with pressured water from
the garden hose.
Meanwhile, Kathy primed the BIG flower box, waited 4 hrs, then painted the
horizontal slots a nice green color. She has spent some time tracing
Katrina's touring in France...looking up on the internet the different
towns & attractions. Pretty neat having Katrina's diary to follow along
with her travels.
8:15 pm Dinner: Leftover Spaghetti with meat sauce & toast.

Evening computer time & X-word puzzle. Lights out: 11:02 pm

Awake 6:40 am Temp Downtown=57 Partly sunny 18 hrs 6 min of daylight

After our coffee, we walk the neighborhood for exercise...55 min, plus
check out the new house being built across the street next to Harry's new
acreage.

Kathy calls the social security office in Kansas City. The lady says she
can expect an electronic transfer the 2nd Tues of each month.

We attend a small lunch gathering with some of our pals from the AK club
just down the road @ O'Brady's on Tudor.

Finish taking measurements on the BIG flower box dividers & ends. Then cut
out templates & pencil the lines to be cut on the wood. Neighbor Bill
agreed to do the cutting this afternoon after 3:00 pm. I was impressed
with Bill's precision millwork & I give him credit for his efforts in
making this BIG flower box the best one I've ever made.

As I continue the assembly of this masterpiece, Kathy informs me that
Rosie, Willey & Lottie are on their way up to tour our home again. They
seem to like our hangout. This time, we go along with them & explain more
features in detail. Before they leave, they take a disclosure packet with
them. They also let us know that they are seriously looking at another
home as well.

6:50 pm Dinner: Chicken stirfry with toast.

After dinner, I finish the BIG flower box assembly & sealing. It is now
ready for painting. Kathy spends the evening on the Dell computer &
reading her novel. Lights out: 11:54
pm

Awake 6:12 am Temp 56 Light drizzle 18 hrs 11 min of daylight

Call nick in Seattle. I reveal my brother's plan to use the Fred & Martha
estate monies to fund our siblings Japan travels when attending Nick's
wedding in July 2005. I think Nick likes the idea very much as do we.

Mid afternoon, Kathy & I walk the new Atelier extension road for the new
sub-division being developed. It's quite interesting. We hear that 20 lots
will be available for building...ranging from 1.0 to 3.0 acres. We meet &
walk with neighbor Jay who lives just below our property on Atelier.

Kathy is making dinner when the phone rings...Rosie & Willey would like to
tour our home this early evening. " Come on up " I tell em. They do a self
tour then ask questions...then tour some more. They seem to like our
house, the view, the space, the jacuzzi, etc., but they have more homes to
look at on their list.

8:30 Dinner: Delicious Spaghetti & meat sauce with toast. One of my
favorites.

Watch a video from the library: " The Angel Devine." A different kind of
movie but it did keep my dear wife awake. lights out:
12:05 am

Awake 6:10 am Temp Downtown=56 Cloudy 18 hrs 15 min of daylight

My Sister Corinne calls from Lily, Pa. We have a good chat & she brings us
up-to-date on " what's happening " with her, my siblings, aunts, uncle,
cousins, etc.
I call my buddy Ray in Ocean Shores, WA. He updates me on his family
activities.....very interesting. I don't need to update him on our
activities as he reads this daily journal.

Talk with neighbor Bill who has some precision woodworking tools that I
might need to make trim cuts on the BIG flower box. We plan to rendezvous
Monday for further studies.

@ 3:45, leave to make a library stop, then Costco, then attend 5:00 pm
church service @ St. Pat's. Afterwards, talk with neighbors Matt & Joann
who just returned from Malta on holiday. Then we go to the ole hangout
Mooses Tooth for Pizza & some good beer. Before our table is ready, we yak
with Dan who has been the manager since the place opened nearly 8 yrs
ago...and is getting married in February. Mooses Tooth is usually very
crowded this time of the evening. Again, we see none of our local buddies.
Where is everyone? Are we the only retirees out partying so often? All
this activity tires Kathy out so when we arrive back to the house, she is
ready for the big nap.
Sometime after 11:00 pm .......lights out

Awake 6:18 am Temp Downtown=56 Sunny 18 hrs 20 min of daylight

Today, among other things, we want to start the process of Kathy getting
her share of Social Security bucks. So after a wonderful french toast
breakfast, we head downtown...1st stop @ our Credit Union...then to the
Federal Bldg on 8th Ave. The process takes only 30 min, then we take a 10
min walk over to Hasco & purchase a replacement Chronotherm thermostat(
Honeywell ) for the gameroom/1st floor. It's such a beautiful day for
walking around town. Back in our car, we call the Footes for a possible
visit(no answer). En route home, we experience a 20 min delay due to major
road improvement work being preformed on our Basher road...and this is
good. Back @ 2:00 pm.

Ok, time for more fun. Finally I do the epoxy wood repair job outside our
gameroom door on a small section of water rotted wood. After curing for a
day or so, It will be sanded & painted. Another dare to have anyone notice
the work area.

Kathy & I deliberate on taking action with our kitchen dormers. They are
made of pine wood, painted with the rawhide stuff & not looking so good.
So out comes the Cherry Picker...kathy takes her position on the back
porch...using my 4 inch, heavy duty portable belt sander, I painstakingly
& painfully sand off the old rawhide on the vertical & horizontal wood
sections. She was my cheering committee: " Go man go!" " You can do it!"
" You're my hero, you hunk!" Wow, who could resist working like an beast
with that kind of encouragement. On occasion she would move indoors to
avoid all that sawdust...those wonderful cheering words were being
replaced with coughing & sneezing sounds. Anyway, we did it! Later to be
primed & painted.

After a good shower & a glass of wine, I am back to being a regular husband.

9:00 pm Dinner: Big hamburger patty, Pasta asparagus, toast & fresh salad.

Cross word puzzle late evening. Lights out: 12:02 am

Awake 5:11 am Temp Downtown=58 Partly cloudy 18 hrs 24 min of daylight

Kathy primes the fish cleaning sink's support structure in upper garage.
She also cleans a corian piece that is part of our master bedroom shower
seat that I silicone in place this morning.

Rick calls to see the house this afternoon sometime...so I mow the front
yard using tractor & lawnmower.

Paint Penofin wood preserver on the two cedar siding boards I fitted into
place yesterday....2 coats.

Kathy scrapes a residue off the Melissa/Nick bedroom window & Katrina/Zack
bedroom window using a razor blade. Me thinks it's probably some Penofin
liquid that strayed off course last summer during my painting of the 2nd
story siding boards.

Kathy would like to paint a first coat on the fish sink structure now that
the priming has dried but does not want to be seen wearing her painting
clothes when that guy Rick & his wife visit to tour our house this
afternoon. So she does nothing & she just hates doing nothing.

Meanwhile, I don't care if someone catches me wearing dirty work clothes
so I continue the assembly on our BIG flower box.

Before I know it, Kathy calls for dinner & she's not happy that the guy
Rick didn't show & didn't even call to cancel. Whoever he is, he's in
trouble.

5:45 Dinner: Leftover Pork Roast with fried apples, beans, broccoli, toast
& fresh salad.

7:00 pm Linda & Tim arrive. They request we show them our home. Then we
talk & they tour themselves...then we talk some more. So far, this couple
have been the most suitable family to live in a house this size. They have
4 children, 2 just starting high school. They say nice things about the
location, view & great features we have to offer. They also said they have
just begun their search for a home to buy this month.

Casual evening after Tim & Linda leave. We munch on popcorn & have some
spirits. Lights out: 11:28 pm

Awake 6:08 am Temp Downtown=50 Hazy, smoke 18 hrs 28 min of daylight

A welcome cooler temperature this morning. High's forecast in the 60's.

This morning the washing machine gets assembled...no parts left
over...then I silicone some loose linoleum on our steps going to the
landing in the upper garage.
Next 5.0 hrs..with no lunch, are dedicated to the cutting, milling &
fitting 2 cedar siding boards on the lower corner of our house that I have
dreaded to repair....no suitable tools to work with. Fortunately my
favorite son-in-law loaned me his portable power saw or the fix would have
taken days to finish. Maybe those boards have been missing since the
beginning of time or since we purchased the house in 91. I had to make
several precision 45 degree cuts, mill the board down to 1/4 of an inch in
places, shave 1/8 inch off other areas, etc...it was most challenging.
Using a portable saw without any good holddown device is a bummer. But
it's done & I dare anyone to spot the area that I've worked on!

Meanwhile, super girl Kathy makes a trip to FSBO headquarters for some
personal top secret information.

Now I am excited to continue working on the assembly of our flower box.
Spend 2.5 hrs drilling holes...necessary because this oak wood is 4
quarter and tough, then 25 screws are powered into one side attaching the
base with the back side of the flower box. That's enough fun for today.

Just before dinner, Linda calls & makes an appointment to see our house
tomorrow @ 7:00 pm.

7:45 Dinner: Combination of leftovers: Halibut, tuna & noodles, " T " bone
steak, bean salad & toast.

Casual evening...mostly reading. Lights out: 11:21 pm

Awake 6:20 am Temp Downtown=63 Sunny 18 hrs 32 min of daylight

Our flower box looks good....it's only pieced together temporarily as I
eyeball it. But..I did completely overlooked cutting slots into the front
section which would give it a little esthetic charm. I did slot the end
caps however. Since I am returning John's truck anyway, I ask kathy what
she thinks about taking the front section back to the woodshop & give it
that added touch. She agrees, so we measure the Rav 4 to make sure we have
the room to bring that board back home.

It's a short 12 mile drive to John's place from here. John invites us into
his den for a chat. Somehow we get to talking about John's early days in
Alaska. He's a great story teller & has us spellbound for over an hour
with his descriptive account of making his way to Alaska for the first
time when fresh out of law school in 1947. What a memory & recall that guy
has.

Anyway, Kathy assists me in cutting the horizontal slots in the front
section board....then we help John gather & load up his truck with spruce
limbs that he cut days earlier. Then to Spenard Builders Supply for
screws, drill bits & paint for the final assembly of the BIG BOX.

7:15 Dinner: Fresh halibut from Kevin(very good), asparagus, leftover
potatoes & rice, salad & bing cherries.

Evening motorhome reading & computer browsing. Lights out: 11:10 pm

Awake 4:54 am Temp Downtown=57 Sunny 18 hrs 36 min of daylight

Already it looks like today will be another scorcher...high 70's, low 80's
That's hot for us alaskans.

Kathy has an 11:30 hair cutting appointment with Robin plus other errands
to do....then @ 4:45 to meet Katrina @ Alex's place who is letting her
park her car in a bay of his garage for ( 5 ) months...then Kathy will
bring Katrina here for dinner, and later we'll take her to the airport for
her 12:55 am departure to Seattle, New York and Paris.

I leave shortly behind Kathy...driving John's truck over to his
woodworking shop to finally build our large flower box...to be mounted on
our front porch.
John was not home but the shop is open. It takes me awhile to get things
layed out & learn his equipment...so 5.5 hrs later, my pieces are all cut
out. I've used my own one inch oak brought up from Memphis in 1991. This
box will be heavy. John arrives @ 3:30 just after I've finished cutting.
The remainder of my oak supply I am donating to John's cache above the
rafters of his woodworking shop. He's getting some fine lumber...kilm
dried, surfaced two sides, one inch thick. We work together getting those
boards up to the rafters. Now I am feeling the heat of the day.

Melissa, Kevin & Matthew arrive at John's place for my ride back home @
4:30. But John insists that I use his truck & haul that BIG BOX back
tonight & return his truck tomorrow. Sounds good to me so I thank the
Foote's & load up the truck.

As I pull into our driveway, Kathy & Katrina are just parking & the
Foote's were right behind me. Good timing.

We gather tonight to have a special dinner & to wish Katrina a Bon Voyage
for her 5 month sojourn to Europe. The last 3 months of that 5 will be
attending classes @ the Lorenzo De Medici Art college where she will be
completing her minor in art.
7:15 Dinner: Pork Roast with fried apples, broccoli, red potatoes, toast &
fresh salad....fresh strawberries with reddi wip cream for desert.
Matthew was hand feeding himself with a slice of banana bread and doing a
fine job of that.

After the Foote's leave, Katrina finishes up her packing, showers & we
head down the road to Barnes & Noble for a quick rendezvous with her
roommate Starr....then on to the airport. She's leaving from the new " C "
concourse terminal tonight. We say our goodbyes, wish her to be safe,
have fun & enjoy her studies. We are back home @ 12:25 am.
Lights out: 1:50 am.

Awake 6:13 am Temp Downtown=63 Sunny 18 hrs 39 min of daylight

The ole traditional sourdough pancake breakfast is alive & well this
morning.... just for the two of us though. Kathy made 1/4 of a batch.
During the old days when we would have all the kids up for this breakfast
feast, she would make a double batch. Our favorite son-in-law could easly
woof away 18 pancakes at one sitting & keep smiling.

This morning when getting the Sunday newspaper, I was surprised to see
both of our FSBO signs run over by a vehicle during the night. Tire tracks
were highly visible. I straightened out the big sign, the other received a
splint to strengthen it's broken leg.

Enroute to a rendezvous with Katrina this morning at Barnes & Noble, we
hasily pound new holes into the ground & resurrect both of our injured
signs.

After meeting some of Katrina's church friends, she rides with us to the
Dimond High School where we attend one of the services of " Change Point
", a rapidly growing Christian organization. It was a very crowded
auditorium mix of young & old alike, singing, praying & being very
attentive to the speakers on stage. An eye & ear opener for us for sure.

Enroute back to our house, we grocery shop at Fred Meyers & call the
Foote's for a visit(no answer) as we were within a minute of their condo.
Back home @ 2:00 pm.

When adding more fliers to our FSBO box at the end of our driveway, a
young couple driving by stop & ask more about our house. They are moving
to Anchorage from New Mexico & are house hunting. We invite then in for a
self tour. Later in the kitchen, we talk for 20-30 min. They would like to
live in this Stuck-A-gain area.

Dinner: " T " bone steak, Asparagus, toast, fresh salad with strawberries.

Later evening, a middle aged couple drive up...we invite them in for a
self tour also. They have been renting in town for yrs and are looking in
our area to buy. They have many questions. Lights out: 11:12
pm

Awake 6:26 am Temp Downtown=58 Sunny 18 hrs 43 min of daylight

A day of DO NO HOUSEWORK for us. Kathy sleeps in a downstairs bedroom
again. We still think it's an allergy attack. But...she's " OK " enough to
do some shopping. It's Home Depot again, Wal-Mart, Kinko's, Costco...and
then we attend 5:00 pm church service at St. Pat's.

My plan, should she accept it, is to load kathy up with some good
micro-beer at Mooses Tooth tonight to rid her of that nasty allergy. ya,
she falls for it! Pizza & beer again. We see none of our buddies at the
hangout this evening. Back home @ 8:00 pm. Kathy is now very tired & keeps
falling asleep during the late evening...probably the Micro beer remedy
working & clearing up that allergy. I do a little computer browsing &
x-word stuff late evening.

Lights out: 11:45 pm

Awake 6:38 am Temp Downtown=63 Sunny 18 hrs 46 min of daylight

How sweet it is: 3 days in a row...the mosquitoes are absent-gone-zip. No
Jungle juice, bug zapper, long sleeves, etc required. It's about time & I
like it.
Zack calls from Motorola regarding insurance coverage for eye exam &
contacts. Kathy calls FDX health benefits...he's covered for eye exams
only, one per yr., co-pay $30.00.

Kathy had a bad sleeping night. She moved to a downstairs bedroom around
1:00 am so she wouldn't disturb her dear husband. A sore throat, stuffy
nose, headache, etc. We think it's an allergy...maybe that paint!
Regardless, after coffee & breakfast, in spite of her restless night & not
feeling her best, she gives the upper garage door it's 1st coat of paint
over the primer paint. Then 4 hrs later, painted the final coat to finish
up her part of the project.

During her garage door painting time, I re-caulked the master bedroom
shower, then assembled another FSBO sign structure using a yard stick &
more kite sticks. Then smeared some silicone on the washing machine tub
barrel covering the suspected leak area. Now it's 6:30 pm & we've done
enough for this day.

8:00 pm Dinner: Tuna & noodle casserole, bean salad & fresh salad.

After dinner, we take our 2 new FSBO signs down the road, pound the rebar
into the ground to make holes & replace our missing signs of 5 days ago.
Some computer browsing & x-word puzzle late evening. lights out: 12:09 am

Awake 6:34 am Temp Downtown=67 Sunny 18 hrs 50 min of daylight

Kathy gets right with the program(doing the little things). It was decided
that the upper garage door be painted the same color as the walls. She
spends several hrs giving that door it's 1st coat of primer.

During her prime time(no pun intended), I challenge that patio door latch
for a repair. I should have scrutinized this latch carefully before
shopping for a new one...as it required only bending a metal catch tab to
function properly. Now it works good & should last a long time.

Next I begin disassembling our 22 yr old washing machine. I have a limited
amount of junk tools to work with. Kathy in no way...wants to purchase a
new machine at this time so I'll go as far as I can with the potential
repair. We did disclose on our FSBO that our washing machine leaks with
heavy loads but now it leaks heavy with every load. Amazing...I am able to
get to the tub barrel using among other tools, a early 1900's railroad
spike(from the Cordova to McCarthy line)as a chisel & for a hammer, a
metal piece used on the Kennekott copper tram for bringing down the ore.
Sure enough, the tub has a rusty spot just above where water has been
leaking. After this area is dry, I'll smear some silicone around that
area, let it cure, then test it thoroughly.
Although our master bathroom is squeaky clean, there are areas where the
caulking should be removed & recaulked. I spend 1.5 hrs on that & then
take a break to do something less confining.

Next: Last Thurs when I loaded my red & white oak lumber into John's
truck, I exposed an unpainted wall area above the high shelves in the
lower garage. So by laying on my stomach while clinging to the rear of
the top shelf, and using a combination of wide & narrow paint rollers & a
paint brush, the project if finally finished. Whew!

Meantime Kathy surprised me by cleaning up the caulking in our shower that
I started earlier this morning....and she did a super good job. Tomorrow
I'll be able to recaulk that.

As if Kathy hasn't done enough already today...then she attacks that upper
garage door again(4 hr wait) with another coat of primer paint. What a
hustler she is today.

9:45 Dinner: Chicken stirfry, cantaloupe, bing cherries & fresh salad.
Some late evening x-word puzzle Lights out: 11:38 pm

Awake 5:58 am Temp Downtown=58 Sunny 18 hrs 53 min of daylight

I am tired of seeing dandelions trying to monopolize our lawns, so this
morning I spray the front lawn with weed(b)gon. Now we'll see who is
........" the boss ."

Kathy does some light cleaning & organizing for Karen's noontime
appointment for a home tour.

I begin constructing more FSBO sign structures(two of our signs are
missing). My supplies are limited so I am using old yardsticks & kite
sticks....kind of flimsy but hey, my material supply is short.

Meanwhile Karen arrives & Kathy tours her through our home. She is from
Fairbanks, her husband works as a Doctor here in Anchorage & he rents an
apartment. She wants to move to Anchorage with country living near his
office in the city.

During their touring time, I get the sections of our homemade portable
basketball backboard unit assembled for picture taking to advertize for
sale. Also take pictures of our 1984 Ford Van, the tilt trailer, the 1983
Volvo & the Sears grass catcher for selling.

When the tour is finished and Karen has left, Kathy continues with her
computerized ad she started before Karen's arrival. We are now ready to
advertize in our Anchorage newspaper our home for sale.

Then...a shopping we will go. Home Depot; FSBO Headquarters; Fred Meyers &
Ace Hardware. Back home @ 4:45.

Kathy has been doing laundry and that small leak under the washing machine
has not gone un-noticed for sometime now....but today, it's gone too far.
I pull the machine away from the wall, take off the access cover &
discover the leaking area to be the tub barrel. Tomorrow I will look at
this problem closer.

At home Depot, I had purchase a new patio door handle & latch mechanism.
The present 22 yr old unit would only open the door when raising the
handle upward, not downward. I simply thought a new unit would easly solve
this problem. 30 min later, it's obvious that in 22 yrs, things have
changed for the door mechanism units. The inside latch assembly is about
1/2 inch longer than our original which offsets the whole unit & renders
it un-workable. Finding another unit to match ours might take more time
than I want to spend on this project....tomorrow I will look at this
dilemma closer.

8:15 Dinner: Pork Chops, Lamb Chops with mint jelly, bean salad,
cantaloupe, bing cherries & fresh salad.

Some X-word puzzle solving for both of us late evening. Lights out: 11:45pm

Awake 7:30 am Temp Downtown=60 Sunny 18 hrs 56 min of daylight

Today we clean & reorganize the house after the family holiday activities.
Kathy dusts, cleans 90% of the 2nd story windows inside, cleans 6 of the 7
sinks, the bathroom mirrors & toilets. During this time I am hiding in
another room & pretending she isn't doing anything....no not really.
Sometimes it bothers me when she gets into these whirlwind cleaning
frenzies...makes me feel guilty that I am loafing & that I should be doing
something to help out. But..I'm an outside man...can only do technical
things..very complicated fixes and all that stuff.

Anyway, I get out the l-o-n-g hose for the central vacuum & do both sets
of stairways while she is vacuuming all the rugs in our house with the
Dirt Devil. Then I continue doing some re-caulking on our Jacuzzi while
she re-pots some outdoor flowers.

The house is ready. Jim & Laurie arrive @ 7:00 pm to do a self tour...then
we answer questions.

8:15 Dinner: Hamburger with broccoli, beans & fresh salad.
Late evening around 10:30 pm, we go for a drive around our neighborhood to
see the new homes that are being built. Lights out: 11:40 pm

Awake 6:05 am Temp Downtown=54 Some clouds 18 hrs 59 min of daylight

Semi-casual morning. Kathy gives Nick a splendid haircut before noontime
while I organize some misc boxes in our living room ...then move them to
our mini storage facility( the 1984 Ford Van ).

The Footes arrive @ 12:00. While Nick, Melissa & Kevin continue their
computer activities as from yesterday...Kathy & I mow the front & back
lawns using both the Kubota tractor & the snapper lawn mower.

Little Matthew, although very cute & smiling a lot, is not having a good
day. There were several occasions that a few of us thought seriously of
using earplugs when entering the living room area.

Early 4:15 Dinner: Spiral sliced baked ham, mashed potatoes with gravy,
corn, toast & fresh salad.

The Footes were planning on spending more of the evening with us but with
Matthew being a little on the fussy side, they leave around 7:30 pm.

Then....Kathy give me a splendid haircut.

Evening time: Nick previews the Kirsch family photo album on line with
Kathy & I. After some casual chit-chatting, we drive Nick to the arpt to
catch his 12:55 am flight back to Seattle. It's always been a special
treat for us & the family when...either or both of our boys visit home.
Lights out: 1:02 am

Awake 7:11 am Temp Downtown=56 Partly sunny 19 hrs 2 min of daylight

Nick up @ 9:00 am ... Footes arrive @ 12:30 pm. Katrina won't be visiting
today as she is on a 4 day kayaking trip as a staff member with a group of
physically disadvantaged individuals.

Again the Dell laptop computer in the living room, for the most part, is a
magnet of activity for the younger crowd. Kevin's job applications are
being thoroughly scrutinized by Nick for content & prior job discription
accuracy, etc.
Then melissa thoroughly scrutinizes Nick's recommendation letter for his
friend Alex to assist his acceptance into a special school for programming
computer games. Of course, this esoteric language is all very fascinating
& entertaining to the 2 seniors parents, who occasionally understand a few
words that are spoken in our native English language.

6:15 Dinner: BIG AMERICAN traditional hamburgers with all the trimmings.
An hr later, we celebrate Kevin's birthday with a BIG carrot cake made by
Kathy.

The Footes leave @ 7:30 pm.

8:30 pm...Zack calls from Glenallen, Illinois wishing us a " Happy 4th. "
He & several of his Intern buddies are enjoying a BBQ at his girlfriend's
home near Chicago. Zack says his summer Internship with Motorola is going
well.

Remainder of the evening was filled with casual talk with Nick.

Lights out: 11:34 pm

Awake 7:13 am Temp Downtown=55 Some clouds 19 hrs 4 min of daylight

Nick is up @ 9:00 am...Melissa & Matthew arrive about the same time.
Katrina arrives @ 12:15. We all watch as Matthew is fed solid food for
lunch. He is sooo cute & is eating very well.

Using the Dell computer, Nick introduces us to the family photo gallery on
line...where he has us set up with our own photo albums.

Melissa & Matthew leave @ 3:00 to attend their church service @ SEAS.

@ 4:30 kathy & I leave for church services at St. Pat's. Afterwards we
shop @ Costo for more groceries.

Katrina leaves @ 5:00 to attend Faith Christian church on Muldoon.

8:15 Dinner: Fresh Tuna, baked potato, toast & fresh salad. After dinner,
Kathy, Katrina, Nick & myself play the card game: Phase Ten. It's a close
game to the end & Katrina wins with Kathy on her heels. We finish @ 12:45
am. Lights out: 1:02 am

Awake 6:17am Temp Downtown=56 Clouds & Smoke 19 hrs 7 min of daylight

Kathy & I meet with the Alaska Club gang at the Alaska Club @ 10:15. It's
a gathering to celebrate Kathy's birthday...12 fun people to hang out
with. We spend over 2 hrs catching up on each other's life. The only
exercise this morning: The jaws!
I talk with John, the financial guru of the club. He " OK's " the posting
of our " house for sale " fliers throughout the 6 club locations in town.

Afterwards, we visit Jeff @ UBS & tour his office. Today is sports day @
UBS for the employees & Jeff is wearing a LSU jersey in lieu of a jacket &
tie. Some of his peers brought food for the occasion so we eat skewers of
meat balls in the conference room while listening to Jeff's talk on
staying ahead of inflation during one's retirement yrs. Jeff has been
trying for over 2 yrs to get my business to no avail. He's a nice guy:
Visited kathy with flowers after her knee surgery; sends birthday cards,
etc. I make a deal: If his influence & good salesmanship brings us a house
buyer for a very small %, I'll sign up for his retirement program. An
incentive for both. Jeff is young but very good @ what he does.

Then we visit Wal.Mart for more paint. Then we post fliers at 2 more AK
Clubs & a grocery store. Back home @ 5:00pm

Tom & Marge call from Colorado. We talk for 1.7 hrs updating each on our
families. It would be nice if we could be geographically closer to them...
they are really good people...but they have no plans on living a gypsy
lifestyle.
Later, Kathy makes a huge carrot cake for our favorite son-in-law to be
exposed on Sunday. Our 8:30 Dinner: Reindeer sausage, Tillamook cheese &
salad.

@ 10:25 pm we head toward the airport...stopping @ Carrs Sears Mall for
more groceries, Alaska Club West to post 3 more fliers on their bulleting
board and picking up Nick @ 11:30 from Continental Airlines coming in from
Seattle. Back home @ 11:55 pm. We are all a little tired so our after
midnight chit-chat slows to a crawl around 1:20 am. Lights out: 1:32 am

Awake 7:15 am Temp Downtown=54 Cloudy 19 hrs 9 min of daylight

@ 11:12 am ..a shopping we will go. First to check out the " Sell4Free "
Real Estate business Gary & Rosemary told us about last week. It's located
in a small strip mall area next to Carrs on Northern Lights...about 15 min
from our house. After talking with the Broker, the deal is: You can sell
your house for free if you are buying another house through them. Thanks
but no thanks.

Then to Costco where Kathy stocks up on food for this 4th of July weekend
when Nick, the Footes & Katrina will be visiting. At Costco Kathy finds a
large bag of frozen blueberries(which Costco rarely carries) so we make an
unscheduled trip back to the house to keep our frozen goodies frozen.
Then we continue our shopping @ Carrs @ Sears Mall where we run into Joe
the Irishman. We haven't seen him for over 1.5 yrs. He looks great for a
guy over 72. Kathy does more grocery shopping while I return the 2 videos
we watched Tues & Wed.

Next we drive South & East for 15 min to visit my ole buddy John. He
invites us in for some tasty smoked salmon. Then he tells me about his
plan: He will add insurance on his 1976 Ford 250 truck, let me drive it
back to our house where I will load up my oak wood collection, and at my
leasure, return the truck back to his workshop. At that time, I will
probably start constructing a new flower box for our house.

Kathy & I visit Tom, the Vacu-maid repairman of Anchorage. Just 10 min
from where John lives so we take care of this problem while we're in the
neighborhood. The electrical plug on the hose for our central vacuum
cleaner has frayed & failed...and Tom has the new updated parts to bring
it back to life.

Then I drive John's truck back to our house..Kathy drives the Rav 4 to
visit Melissa & Matthew(not home) & do a little more shopping @ Fred
Meyers before she drives home.

John's truck has a tailgate problem. The end rod that releases the latch
mechanism for opening the tailgate on one side has slipped off the handle
assembly. He's been trying to fix it himself or have somebody else solve
this problem without success. It took 15 min to solve the problem &
another 30 min to fix it...so I got lucky. Later this evening I called
John to relay the good news...he was delighted.

Dinner: BIG hamburger patty(no bun), fresh salad & bing cherries.
Some computer browsing & reading late evening. Lights out: 11:28 pm

Awake 7:05 am Temp Downtown=56 Foggy 19 hrs 11 min of daylight

Kathy spends another 5 hrs painting the upper garage in the lower areas
plus cleaning the remaining 15 garage door panels. She is glad that door
panel cleaning job is over.

I spend another 4.5 hrs also painting in the upper garage...then 4 hrs
later after the paint is dry, adding a 2nd coat to a smaller area that was
too high for Kathy to reach. That took only 30 min. Now if WE decide NOT
to paint the garage door on the inside, we are finished...we don't
know...could go either way?? We're having so much fun doing these things
together.

8:05 pm Dinner: Leftover Pork roast, mixed veggies(sliced peppers,
asparagus & snap peas) all in a cream sauce + toast & Bing cherries for
desert.

My friend Mark calls @ 9:15 pm. We talk home values, taxes, home projects,
RV plans etc. I miss Mark & my former retired lifestyle. Can hardly wait
to get back to it.

Late evening time....we watch the movie: " Something's gotta Give." It
was great. This movie Katrina also selected for her senior parents on the
occasion of Kathy's birthday. Lights out: 12:47 am

Awake 6:03 am Temp Downtown=55 Fog & Drizzle 19 hrs 13 min of daylight

Happy Birthday to Kathy...I can't believe she is 62 yrs already. She
doesn't act or look the age. I make her breakfast of 2 eggs over easy with
bacon & toast....then clean the dishes. Naturally she likes this kind of
service.

@ 11:15 we leave the house...stop at Wal-Mart for more paint & other
supplies. Then visit the FedEx Metroplex to see Bob & Mike. They will post
our house for sale flier on the crewmember bulletin board and keep us
up-dated on inquires.

Then to the free parking @ the Ted Stevens International Airport to attend
the ceremonial opening of the " C " Concourse...8 yrs of planning,
constructing & 240 million dollars. Alaska Airlines will occupy all 9
gates. It's a beautiful work of art...very futuristic. There are
restaurants, full Starbucks coffee shop, upper level observation deck, new
lounge, & a first for the State of Alaska, a 300 ft moving sidewalk. All
very impressive. We arrive early to guard our seats while waiting for
Melissa & Matthew. In no time at all, the place was crawing with people
everywhere. Several speeches later with ribbon cutting & news coverage,
the " C " concourse was opened for public viewing. We walked along the
concourse, ate complimentary hors d'oeuvres, drank complimentary Starbucks
smoothies & other drinks...it was quite fitting for a VIP's birthday like
Kathy. We also toured the new hi-tech baggage & x-ray handling machinery
installed in the basement level....also quite elaborate & functional.
Matthew by the way, was a perfect gentleman during all of this
celebration. His G Daddy & YO Mama were very proud of him. We say goodbye
for now to our daughter & grandson...and move on to the next adventure.

We call Katrina & rendezvous with her @ Moose's Tooth for Pizza & beer.
She suggests watching a movie tonight at our house...so we stop @ Carrs to
select not one, but two movies. " The Calendar Girls " movie was based on
a true story and fun to watch. Kathy stayed awake without any help from
the peanut gallery section. It was a good day for special treats to help
celebrate Kathy's Birthday. Lights out: 12:35 am.