Renn and I swim

It was completely fogged in when Harley wanted out at 4:45 a.m. and still foggy when I woke up after 7:30. S was slow to rise, but once awake and done his initial phone scroll, he made a coffee—only to complain that it was too small. When I made mine, I made him another, but he was still unsatisfied with his coffee intake. So, he pulled out the brew machine and made two more cups… which he didn’t enjoy after all. now he knows why the girls do not care for his coffee when here.

We both had our computers ready for the Morgan Wallen ticket sales at 10 a.m.—I was in charge of Saturday, while he focused on Friday. When the event started, I had almost 4,000 people ahead of me in the queue, while he had only 1,800. He managed to get in within nine minutes, while it took me 13. The next hour was a complete disaster as we struggled to secure tickets, constantly encountering errors or finding them already sold out. By the time we finally got through, tickets were already being resold at inflated prices.

B jumped in and managed to grab some four rows from the top in the far south corner for Friday. I checked and saw that tickets just four rows behind those were already selling for $475 each! So, I switched to Friday and found us seats in the middle of the stadium for less—snagging them instead. That left B needing to resell hers, but she wasn’t increasing the price to make a profit. She was, however, panicking about the sale, but it didn’t take long for a coworker to express interest. Now, to get the cash.

S browsed the internet while I worked on blogs and did a bit of accounting. The fog remained socked in all day. After lunch, S went to roll a bale while I tackled the pots and pans that had piled up. It was time to test out the new car tires, so we headed to the city, making a quick stop in town to do a return and pick up  library books. Beans and Renn were excited to see us—always a great feeling! 😊 She (and her parents) finally got to open her Christmas present from GG Kuhn’s, which turned out to be perfect additions to her kitchen setup.

A shopping basket, cart and fuzzy purse with money

along with stickers were most exciting.

After visiting for a bit, we headed to swimming lessons just after 4. I was the lucky helper while S and K watched from the bleachers. Renn absolutely loves the water, but by the end of the half-hour, she was definitely tuckered out.

Renn dives for a ring

floats on her back and kicks with the flutter board

After changing, we made our way home, where Nathan was serving up a delicious pasta burger bowl topped with freshly grated cheese for supper. Then, he and Kaylin got ready for their date night—a surprise planned by Kaylin, with Nathan having no idea what was in store. He was more than pleased with her choice: a candlelit string quartet symphony at a church.

above 3 photos credit- Nathan

There was plenty of running around the island, reading & hiding books, and general Renn entertainment. S took the dogs out, then settled in to finish a movie he had started while Renn and I headed upstairs for her bath, stories, and bedtime. There was a bit of resistance, but she was asleep within eight minutes.

On the iPad she found a picture of Momma and Auntie, she would then kiss them :)

Back downstairs, S had moved on to a hockey game. When it ended, we started another episode of Bad Monkey. K and N returned, bringing up a gelato treat—thank you! We enjoyed it while chatting about their date night before setting off for home at 10.

Light snow fell the entire way back, heavier in some spots and melting in others, but the new tires handled great. Back at the ranch by 11, I sent Harley out for a pee—thanks, B, for feeding her supper! We then finished the Bad Monkey episode and even squeezed in one more before shutting it all down after midnight.

Shaina flies back, Kaylin goes to Hat

I had a bit of a restless night. Harley needed to go out at 2 a.m., and then I woke up at 5 a.m., anticipating my alarm set for 5:20. After waking Shaina, she started her Jeep, and we were out the door shortly after. I dropped her at the airport at 6:15 for her flight back to Ottawa, then headed home, arriving by 7. I crawled back into bed, hoping to fall asleep, but like Grandma, I just can’t nap during the day. Instead, I relaxed for a bit, made a few lists, and did some Spanish lessons.

Shaina took this trending photo of Lexi and had it framed ready to hang in their bathroom.

Seeing as she never got supper last night, Harley was eager to eat her breakfast, and the cats enjoyed their usual soft food to start their day. With my coffee in hand, I tackled some marketing, accounting, and other computer work before heading out to work on the maple coffee table. I decided on a walnut gel stain for the base and ended up using it on the top as well. I also stained the brand-new knobs so everything would match, then left it all to dry. After that, I checked out and took pictures of the 2 "new" old dressers recently dropped off, tossed Bird’s winter blanket in the wash as per B, and got back to working on tutorials—breaking for some leftover spaghetti for lunch.

it looked perfect when done and wet

The day isn’t nearly as warm as they forecasted. It’s only zero at one o’clock in the afternoon, and it was minus six when we headed to the airport this morning. Still, it’s going to be warmer than what’s coming—Sunday’s high is supposed to be a frigid minus 20. Good grief.

Kaylin made a solo road trip to Medicine Hat, arriving around noon. Sheldon took her over to help Papa with lunch. He had managed to stand a couple of times this morning and sat up in the wheelchair to have his lunch, making for a very exhausting morning of ups and downs. After eating, he requested to lay down to continue visiting.

I uploaded photos and posted yesterday's blog then on to mundane housework that required an iced coffee to motivate me. This process took quite a while. Since the weather forecast predicted poor conditions, Harley and I decided to go for a walk. We checked on the hay situation and made sure Switch’s nose wasn’t runny before returning to the task of scooping poop. After that, I resumed house cleaning.

As it id drying I like the top but the base is still too reddish ;(

S thought he might be home by supper, so I took out burgers to grill. I finished cleaning up to relax in the sunshine on our bed and browse Instagram. Kaylin texted that she was heading home at 5, and her dad would arrive later, so I put burgers in fridge and started watching the Morning Show until he got here after 7. We were eating when B arrived to feed the horses. S went to the TV room to watch the Flames game, and I went back to Apple TV. After the Flames won, S woke up, and we watched an episode of Bad Monkey.

2 girls and I head to Medicine Hat

Harley slept in the garage with the cats, but I still woke up after 2 am to apply cornstarch to my itchy skin, which has been bothering me for a few days. I also took a Fisherman’s Friend lozenge to soothe my cough. Once up, I fed the cats and dog, made a cup of coffee, and then sent them out for their bathroom break. Since the weather forecast predicts a cold spell coming with a temperature of plus 6 degrees Celsius today, I made the cats stay out.

After showering and getting ready to head to the Hat with B, I worked on sharing tutorials and marketing content. Shaina decided to join us as well. I took Harley out for a walk since she and Cooper will be spending the day indoors. Jay came along today as well. I can understand why day walks can be so challenging after being frozen all night. The walk to the gate was much slower this morning. Once back, I fed the horses, as Britt was running behind. Shaina arrived while I was feeding the horses and brought me a tea for my journey. Thank you so much!

B arrived before noon, gave Bird a shot, and we set off. With B behind the wheel, we reached Grama’s quickly, arriving before 2. Sheldon was napping and Grama was resting. S drove us to the hospital to visit Papa who was bright and chipper when we arrived. The girls went to Tim’s for lunch and brought him a coffee to enjoy. Shaina gave him a relaxing foot massage, and Sheldon got one on his shoulder as well.

Papa has a new roommate—a lady recovering from hip surgery who was in a lot of pain, suffering from a headache, and experiencing rising blood pressure. Poor lady. When Papa mentioned he was tired and started drifting in and out of sleep, we all returned to their house at 5 to let them both rest.

Renn is rescuing a polar bear after an avalanche at "school" today

I helped Grama set up her online health account so she could access both her and Papa’s records. Meanwhile, S and the girls went back to check if Papa needed help with supper, but he opted for just an Ensure. Candace arrived shortly after they left.

At the hospital, the nurse fast-tracked the AHS account verification, and all of Papa’s test results were available on screen. This was right up Britt’s alley, as she understood the medical terminology. The extensive and frustrating imaging from this morning showed no signs of a GI bleed. It’s still unclear what tests will come next to determine why his hemoglobin is dropping, but we’re relieved that he seems to be improving otherwise.

Grama, in the usual style, got out various food items for a tasty smorgasbord supper. The hospital visitors had returned to eat and socialize. Around 8 pm, Sheldon headed back to the hospital, setting Papa up on his tablet with a free televised Tigers hockey game.

The girls and I left before 9 am, with Candace accompanying us. We made a quick stop at Tim Hortons for a tea before heading west. When we passed through Brooks, the temperature was -8°C, but it had warmed up to a balmy 0°C by the time we arrived home at 10:45 pm. The Chinook winds were blowing, but that’s expected to change. The dogs were delighted to finally get outside after being indoors for 11 hours. Shortly after, B and Coop headed home (thanks for driving us B), while Shaina and I went to bed. Naturally, I couldn’t resist sneaking in an episode of The Morning Show on my iPad before falling asleep.

Spectacular sunrise and sunset day

A beautiful sunrise greeted me at 8 AM, marking the start of a productive day. Har, never asked to go out all night. On the other hand, S was restless and kept getting up and down. To get us energized, I prepared two coffees for us to enjoy in bed. While S was packing to head to the Hat for a few days, I took advantage of the quiet moment to work on marketing my tutorials and items for sale. He was on the road at 10.

Shaina kept Renn home today to spend the day with. Here are some of her captured moments.

Calling Beans to save her and I love you

As well as these I missed from Kaylin from the last few days.

big girl sits at the table now to eat

ponytail girl

I also dedicated some time to troubleshooting an issue with my one-year-old computer. It was displaying an error message indicating that I was running out of memory. After some research and half hour with Apple support, I discovered that I had been undersold RAM. To rectify this, I spent some time cleaning up unnecessary files and removing my old phone backup, which was a whopping 1.5 GB!

seems she likes iced coffee now

A lady arrived after 12 p.m. to purchase a portable humidifier, just as I had finally published yesterday’s blog. As she was driving out and the gates were closing, the customer called from the customs trunk. She and her helper arrived to load and take home the humidifier, and she was delighted with it. Meanwhile, I returned to working on marketing on Etsy, updating items and adding a few new ones.

The humidifier buyer discovered that an essential part was missing from the box but it was found in Sheldon’s box. Consequently, she had to return it as I think I will set on my nightstand after she said she can't find any under $70. After a late lunch of a tuna sandwich after 2, I resumed troubleshooting my computer and cleaning up storage space. I spent another 45 minutes with Apple support to regain more storage space.

This upcoming cold spell prompted me to step outside and take Harley for a walk. The curling sheets leading to the gate are gradually clearing a few narrow spots along the edges, but it’s still quite risky. Back at the house, I cautiously walked on the ice to scoop up the poop that had been revealed. I checked on the horses and Switch, who appears to have a definite nasal issue on the right side. Naturally, this has B wishing the vet appointment had happened today, but she’ll perform a SAA test tonight. Harley was fed and sent out with a leg, as I’ve decided that this won’t happen once the cold weather arrives. Before coming inside, I washed the dog dishes. The lingering burnt cake smell had me leave a window open and turn on the oven fan on high, but it still persists. I suppose I’m fortunate to have a sensitive sense of smell.

We sure can relate to a sinus infection if this is what she has.

Stella followed us all around while outside like usual and happy Harley heading out

It was time to unwind in the afternoon sun on our bed while watching the Morning Show while my watch updated. As I prepared a spaghetti goulash, the sunset skies ignited. Alberta skies are simply breathtaking. And the best part? The days are getting lighter later, which is another bonus. I savoured a bowl of the delicious goulash in bed watching the show followed by a second bowl because it was so delectable.

supper out with the dancer

S sent a Papa update that expressed concern from the DR as to a possible gastrointestinal bleed. He requested additional imaging and another blood bag since his hemoglobin had dropped again. Unfortunately, the stomach gas had returned, indicating that these measures were necessary. I was updating this blog when B arrived to feed horses. She also wanted to perform a SAA test on Switch to monitor her infection levels, so I bundled up and went to catch her. Despite the -2 temperature, the night was relatively calm and doable. I took her to the barn, B drew her blood, and I inserted it into the machine. After 9 minutes, the test results showed 0, which was intriguing. What could this be? She will share with Dr Ashley.

B gathered her buckets and left after 8, texting to say there was a parcel at the gate. When I asked if she could grab it, she had already passed. I put on my boots again and walked to the gate without a flashlight. Surprisingly, it was easier to walk now, even in the dark, because there were more bare spots and seemed grippier. Harley, the chicken shit dog, slunk along behind me after repeatedly calling her name and only went as far as the winter gate. When I retrieved the parcel and headed back, I suggested we go home, she was off. However, she did wait closer to the yard gate, which was amusing. What a terrible guard dog!

The parcel was water based stain so good thing I hiked it there. Back inside I finished up the blog and changed for bed watching more Morning show before calling it a night.

Emotional support banana :)

It appears that missing her supper had Har a bit peckish around 3:30 am. Perhaps it was S who roused her, though, as he was up for a bathroom break and a glass of milk. I made our coffees on this lovely 2-degree morning. Oddly Har didn’t want breakfast but the cats were delighted to eat. Speaking of pets, Nathan shared this hilarious photo that cracked me up.

S ran the car to town to get the tires put on after 9 p.m. Meanwhile, I published the brown book table tutorial and shared it on all the sites and with the sponsors. Then it was on to updating all the other tutorials with my before-and-after photos, updating spreadsheets and completing my monthly invoices for my affiliate income. 

S was back with my now safe to drive and clean car after 10:30. He has been wavering on selling it but has realized it is of way more value than we could get to sell it so why bother. He was then back to searching on his favourite Marketplace for truck tires. I did more computer work before we had leftover lunch with a side of news.

This is Sheldon' lunch, a bacon tomato spinach sandwich made with 2 somewhat burnt pieces of all butter Christmas cake as the bread!

He was off to hockey early today hoping to be changed and able to join in on the K of C agent convo with Kaylin. He was in on Shaina's earlier today as he sat at the tire shop. We are getting the girls set up on their own for their investments set up years ago by Grama & Papa.

Oh my gosh, today Renn took a banana to "school" as her emotional support buddy.

It stayed with her while she read

and played out doors

and even thru story time. She eventually decided to eat now mushy banana at lunch with a spoon :)

She has done this with a sucker and a plastic gum container in the pa

I resumed working on yesterday’s blog and sorting out the difference between a Nespresso subscription and a regular order. In the end, you save 10% and don’t have to order as frequently, so it seems like a worthwhile investment. Since I was feeling better and it is a beauty plus 5 out, I decided to take Harley for a much-needed walk. Afterward, I spent some time cleaning up poop after our walk. If this warm weather persists, I’m curious to see how much more I’ll reveal after six weeks of sickness and not having scooped poop.

Back to the garage, I fed her, and she finally ate. I tried a test whitewash on the coffee table drawer, but I’m not sure about it, so I scrubbed it off. I might go dark, but I’ll see. Soon after, a couple from down the road delivered two free dressers and even unloaded them in the garage. Her name is Shaynna. This is the second time in a week that I’ve chatted with someone named that, excluding our Shaina, of course. :)

I prepared a large tray of vegetables to roast for supper, which will be served with prime rib bones. S returned home later today before 6 p.m. He sold the bison head that the AV taxidermist had done for what he had paid for it to be done European. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding about the agreed-upon price, S said he paid $450 to have it done and would take $100 over that. The fellow arrived with $110 and told him to keep the change!  Obviously a big communication gap but I guess it no longer occupies the space on the carpet.

Papa enjoying his snacks, today they had him stand briefly during his PT as well as OT therapy. 

Supper was ready to be enjoyed before 7 p.m. It seems like bad timing because B was out just after 7 p.m. to make a call with the K of C representative and Sheldon. They completed the transfer quickly, and then she had supper with us. It appears that she and Nathan will be competing against each other on Super Bowl Sunday, each rooting for an opposing team. 

I cleaned the black mirror and loaded it into her car. The buyer will pick it up from her work tomorrow. Thanks, B, for being the contact. B went and fed. Yesterday she messaged Switch seemed to have a sinus infection and booked her a vet appointment tomorrow but tonight she seems better. Looks like we may wait a day or 2 and see what happens. She and Cooper headed home after 8. She had ordered me cartrophen so Harley got a shot as limping as of late again.

The news has forecast a huge shift in weather coming this weekend. It is supposed to be PLUS 10 tomorrow as a high but Saturday has a high os MINUS 20. That is 30 degree swing, WTH! We decided to go for a hot tub seeing 3 out but the wind was biting making it not as enjoyable getting in or out. I think I will be taking another 2 week hiatus from having a hot tub.

S headed to TV room to watch hockey where I delivered him a yogurt bowl. After finishing the blog post I headed to bed watching AppleTV till he came up at 10 and we started a new series called Bad Monkey.