Marilyn, I think Jack has trouble with all bridges but I'm not sure.  The New Bridge in particular is bad for him because he has a fear of heights.  I'll try to remember to ask him.

I may lean back in my chair and close my eyes but I hate to take too many naps because I do like to sleep at night.  That was not the cause of my problem last night.  I did not used to nap, but I have a few years on you and naps creep up on a person.  Just wait!

Patricia, I hope things are better the rest of the day and tomorrow.  I am sure it is frustrating to have the necessary tools, but not have them with you.  I've always tried the handle on my front door when I go out to make sure it is locked or unlocked, depending on which way I am going.  When I was alone, I usually took the keys with me I had hanging in the kitchen but often times I needed them for where I was going - the mailbox or garage.  The front door did close on me early in my time here as I was standing on the front stoop and I had to walk up to Norm's in my stocking feet.  Maybe that is what made me go out with the keys.

Mary Ann

I have a fear of heights,  am claustrophobic,
and bordering on agoraphobia...   (which has gotten worse
since I lost much of my sight.

What a MESS!!! 
Sandy

Sandy, I am not afraid of heights as such, but I must have something firm to hang on to if I am looking from a height.  Even down low, I cannot climb steps without a railing.  Actually, I don't do steps well anyway, but when I go to Indps, I have to have help climbing two steps at Tom H's place because he does not have a rail.  I have one step to get on my porch stoop here but I have a railing so I can do it.  As we've said, getting older isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Mary Ann

Marilyn, Jack didn't quite answer my question about heights, but he did say when crossing the New River bridge that he grabs the wheel and keeps his eyes straight ahead to cross.  I think he must use the bridge to get to his daughter's place across the state.

Mary Ann

Ah yes. I can add my two cents about fears. I have a fear of open railings and such in high places. I think a lot of the places i remember being open have jump guards now, but I remember being terrified of the high bridge (was is the George Washington?) when we went to the Jersey shore. Also, there were the open rails at the boardwalk piers, and I remember the trip back from Cape Cod where we were on a narrow road (so it seemed to me) and had to cross a very high bridge. I always think of it being at Bear Mountain. Climbing onto the roof to help my husband with an antenna was scary, big-time. Oddly enough, i never minded airplanes. My first experience was in a helicopter with the door open and my and a friend just strapped in. I especially liked the view of DC at night, the east coast at night, and the red earth and windy sun-silvered rivers of Georgia.

Oh, and I am very hesitant about getting on, and then getting off escalators without getting pulled under. Remember all the stories when people used to get pulled down/under or just got stuck? You never hear of that any more. I imagine loose shoe laces were a haszard on escalators.

Most of this week will be around 90 with the high humidity making it feel like it is 100+.  My lawn is just about in need of mowing, but I won't even consider it before the coming weekend. In fact, the coolest day for the next ten days, so far as the forecast is predicting, will be next Monday. They are not calling for rain until Wednesday, and that is the only rain day listed. Of course, we all know how fast all that can change.

I am going to have to make a grocery trip soon. My grocery bills for the month have gotten higher than ever, even though I can't point to any big price increases. I think it is just that I have had to go in for a few things I am out of or low on and end up stocking up on sale things or buying some things I normally don't buy (like fresh made organic guacamole). Once in a while I like to try something new or splurge.

MarsGal, when I did my own shopping and paid more attention to things, I found that my staples all needed replacing about the same time.  At that time, I'd have a larger grocery bill.  Now I just go online to our store's online shopping site and enter an item that I may not see for a week and I don't notice one bill being higher than another.  Tom and I have different tastes so we can't share a lot of special foods. 

We are having a very nice rain now.  I see storm in the radar but I haven't heard any thunder yet.  We need the rain so bad and I think this might be an all-day rain.  My thermostat says it is 70 degrees outside, but it's 78 degrees inside so I think I'll turn on the a/c fan to circulate some of the outside air.  Hearing the rain on the roof is such a nice sound.

I think I caught up on my lack of sleep Saturday night and I didn't get up this morning until after 8 am. 

Two men drowned at Grand Haven yesterday.  It was hot and the waves were high enough to have a warning but both of the men ignored the signs.  They were separate incidents.  I don't know if the camera would have been on the scene or not because it was where we see from our site.  People formed a human chain to get to the bodies.  One man was 20, the other 54.

TTYL

Mary Ann

Mary Ann, I saw that human chain, that was made on the Lake this AM on GMA

MarsGal, I still do my own grocery shopping once a week. that is one of my exercises

of course I have my pushmobile with a basket in it.  I cannot walk unaided any moreI do spend more.

Hi Everyone. It is a beautiful and sunny morning.  We are to be around 90 degrees today with a 40% of some afternoon showers.  I had a good nights sleep last night as was really tired as yesterday was a busy day with Church and working on Pat's laptop.  I did get her laptop all back in order late yesterday afternoon after spending 4 to 5 hours working on it yesterday.  I don't have anything on my schedule for today.  I have already fixed Pat's breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen and will just take it easy the rest of the day.  We haven't decided yet what we will have for dinner tonight. 

Sandy, I find the humidity is harder to take than the high temperatures but combine them and it is really uncomfortable.  I am also a bit claustrophobic but am OK in an elevator. 

Marilyne, we have seen several reports of alligators getting into peoples homes.  Nearby here they are trying to catch a big alligator in a lake area near homes that they are afraid of.  My wife's aunt and uncle for several years wintered on Pensacola Beach, Florida in a high rise building overlooking the water and they were on the 16th floor as I recall.  I did sit out on their balcony and didn't have any concerns.  It was a beautiful place.  The place did have floor to ceiling glass on two sides, one overlooking the Inter coastal waterway and the other the Gulf of Mexico.  I also don't like to be in long tunnels.  I guess we each have things that bother us. 

Mary Ann, the Chesapeake Bay bridge into Delaware actually has people available to drive folks over it is they cannot do it.  Pat has a cousin who for more than 50 years had a beach home in Rehoboth Beech, Delaware she used the service.  If you don't like bridges one sure wouldn't want to drive from Miami to Key West.  I am familiar with that glass platform at the Royal Gorge and there are some tall buildings that have similar platforms.  I wonder what there was about sleeping Saturday night as I also only got about 4 hours of sleep, which isn't enough for me. I missed the golf tournament yesterday and I see Marilyne had the same problem.  It is indeed sad when people will not heed the warnings that are there to protect them. 

MarsGal, I have always been a little nervous about standing in a subway station waiting for a train.  When I was growing up our farm house had a wide front porch up on a platform with no guard rail and it has 5 or 6 steps to climb and there was no railing.  I didn't think anything about it but wouldn't be comfortable with it now.  I try to avoid steps if at all possible.  We had a heat index here yesterday of 100 degrees.  It was so wet here last week that the lawn people were not able to do most of the lawns.  I just read this morning that Social Security should see at least a 2.7% cost of living increase next year so things are costing more. Retired Federal employees also get the same cost of living increase and I am looking forward to it.   

Patricia, I think you deserved a day of pity party after your experiences the day before.  I hope your blisters are better today. Glad to see your keys and cell phone were not lost and guess I didn't read carefully when you were discussing them. 

deAngel, there are a lot of very high bridges in this country. 

MarsGal - You and I are about the same when it comes to heights.  If it's an outside open balcony or open space like the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, etc., I cannot approach it at all.  However, as long as I'm enclosed, inside, I can look out of a window and it doesn't bother me. Airplanes are fine, because I'm safe inside.  I'm no fun at an amusement park, when it comes to riding on the Ferris wheel, or thrill rides where you are rising up in the air om an open gondola.  Climbing a ladder is out of the question, even when I was young.     
Bridges don't bother me as long as I'm "safe" inside the car.  However, I doubt I could walk across one!  I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, a number of times when I was a child and a teenager, but never as an adult.  Driving across it is fine - even fun, if the traffic isn't too crazy.

Nothing of importance on tap here today.  I'm planning on going to my favorite Whole Foods, for a couple of things that I can't get anywhere else.  That's about all I have planned, except always hoping to get to things like shredding, or cleaning out drawers and cupboards, and getting rid of stuff that we don't need anymore.   

Good morning from a soggy Interior! This will be the second full day with 100% chance of rain. We are having wind gusts and periodic brownouts or electrical flickers. We are also warned that another weather system is due Tuesday, adding to yesterdays and today. The next dry day is expected to be a week from tomorrow.

I thought I was recovered from my sleepless night, but I'm ready for a nap now and it's only 12:30 pm. 

Our Mackinac Bridge (Big Mac) frightens people and on windy days the outer lanes or the entire bridge may be closed.  I have driven over it myself and it is fun, but I have not driven on a windy day. 

It is not raining now, but we may get more.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - I did have a decent night's sleep last night, compared to my usual restless, off and on sleep pattern.  I slept for seven hours, getting up for only one bathroom break, so that is good quality sleep for me.  My average sleep is about 5 or 6  hours, out of the 24.  My doctors seem unconcerned, saying that a person will sleep the number of hours that they need, so not to worry.  Doctors don't believe in giving sleeping pills or anti anxiety meds to seniors, because our metabolism is so slow now, that it stays in our system, and is still there in the morning and throughout the following day.  More prone to falling, weakness and dizzy spells.  Then if you take another one again the next night, it begins to build up in your system, and so on and on.  Eventually, all you want to do is sleep. 

Good heavens, just checked the forecast for the week and they are predicting 112 degrees for Thurs. this week.  UGH

Joan - That's more like the Richland, Washington, that I remember in the summer of 1957! LOL!

Hi Everyone.  It is going to be another typical summer day here in South Carolina.  Yesterday there were storms all around us but we didn't get any of the rain.  However, one of the Churches in our county had its steeple blown off and a man was killed when he was struck by lightning.  An apartment house was also hit with lightning.  Apparently we may have a repeat of the pattern today.  I have a busy morning today as will meet with my friend at 10 am and then have to get over to Walmart to pick up a prescription and then go downtown to the other Walmart to pick up an online grocery order.

Marilyne, my wife has never liked rides at an amusement park.  I no longer even own a ladder but do have a three step stool with a high handle on it.  I still don't like to get on that third step and avoid it if at all possible.  We had a Whole Foods store nearby when we moved here but they closed a couple of years ago. 

Patricia, bad weather indeed and the brownouts are sure no fun.  I hope your foot was feeling better yesterday. 

Mary Ann, have you ever been over the bridge from Tampa to St. Petersburg that is several miles long but it basically flat and crosses Tampa Bay? The Sunshine Skyway Bridge that also spans Tampa Bay is one the it pretty steep. 

Joan, it sounds like Thursday will be a day to keep plenty of ice frozen in your refrigerator as that is indeed hot. 

Marilyn, I got my quantity of sleep yesterday when I slept nearly all day in spurts.  Today I am up and feel a bit better.  I was up long enough yesterday to pay a bill via my bank.  I had a bed partner nearly all night and he's still there!  I'm lucky that I have no appointments this week.

Larry, I have never heard of the bridge from Tampa to St Pete.  I have been on the Sunshine Bridge many times.

Today is our State Primary and I voted absentee ballot.  We have four Republicans and three Democrats running for Governor.  I don't like five of them and don't know enough about the other two.  I voted for one of the two and I know he will not win enough votes.  Tom tells me I should vote for the party and not the person.  In the Primary we cannot split our ticket but in the National we can.  I'm already worrying about who I will vote for in November because I expect one of those I don't like will win.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - Interesting that Tom advises you to vote for the Party, and not the person.  I have always voted for the person.  In California, we can vote for anyone in either party, in both the Primary and the National elections.  If I feel good about a certain candidate, and think that he/she would do the best job in office, I vote for that person. I look at their background and their character. I have crossed back and forth on party lines since the first time I voted, which I think was in 1956 or 58?  Not sure?

I woke up really early this morning at 4:30, and tried to go back to sleep but was not able to.  So I got up around 5:30, and cleaned up the kitchen, which I had neglected to do last night.  Then made the coffee and have been sitting here at the computer reading my emails and looking at the depressing news headlines.  These ongoing fires here in Northern CA, have devastated whole communities, and they are far from over.  I don't know what these poor people are going to do.  It's such a hopeless situation.

Well, it is afternoon by now.  Have been skimming over a lot of sites this morning.

Did want to say Hello, and hope everyone is enjoying their day.

Yes, those fires are terrible.  In another site that I frequent quite often,  one of the gals lives in Northern Calif. and they have had their car and trucked packed to be ready to leave if they have to.  She said the fire last week was about 15 miles from where they live.  So far, today, she said the direction has changed, so they are still in the "wait and see" pattern.  It must be so hard to have that kind of worry on and on.   They have a large piece of property and have just finished some extensive yard work and new things for their house.  Really so sad.

Marilyne and Mary Ann,  I, too, was kind of surprised that Tom had advised you to vote for the party.  I have always voted for the person, and not their particular party affiliation.  We have a big Governor's  race in Maryland this year, and the current one has done a great job in bringing jobs back to our area and lowering some taxes and road tolls and generally has an over-all great following.  His opponent is proposing lots of perks......free college, free this and free that.   It doesn't take much to realize that nothing can be made free,  without raising taxes.    So, I do know that a lot of people have crossed lines to make sure the current one stays on the job. 

Have a great afternoon.

JOY

Mary Ann I use to work the polls for 10 years, and most of that time i was chairperson. 
i now vote for the person.  that is on a national and local. Belonging to the senior center, we meet all the politicians,  They set down and eat with us, when we have the once a month Twilight dinners That way I have met all the County Supervisors.

I also vote for the person and have crossed party lines in voting many times.

We had a storm and a good rain last night but today is partly cloudy and another hot summer day. 

Tom is a devout Republican and I am not - I am a devout Independent!  I have always voted for the person and I will continue to do that.  I know the two forerunners for Governor will lead the pack and I'm voting for neither of them.  One is our current Lt Gov and the other is our Attorney General.  I just don't like what I've heard about either one. 

In the 2016 election, I did not vote for either Presidential candidate.  I wanted to vote for  Hillary but I wasn't too sure about her and I could not vote for Trump!

Afterward I had misgivings about doing that because at my age, I'm not sure I'll have another election to vote in; I can just hope now.

Mary Ann

Hi Everyone.  It is another bright and sunny morning here in South Carolina but our weather pattern is to continue for at least several more days with with rain or storms developing in the late afternoon.  Finally yesterday afternoon we did get some nice rain.  Today the lawn people are applying fertilizer and weed control on our lawns. I have noticed several weeds popping up in my front yard so glad they are doing this.  I expect they will also be mowing since they didn't get most of the yards mowed last week due to the wet yards.  The calendar is clear today as have no where I need do go.  Hopefully Scott will come out this evening and spend a couple of hours with us.  We have a bunch of green onions that I need to chop up.  Pat was going to do it as she could sit in her chair at the sink but just hasn't felt up to it. 

Mary Ann, online bill paying and depositing sure makes things a lot easier.  I used to hate having to write a lot of checks. I am now having most of the monthly bills charged to my credit card but get advance notice that the charge will be made and the amount.  Then I can just go online to the credit card company and make a payment.  A couple of the utility bills will make a charge to use the credit card so I just do an online payment having a check sent to pay them and that avoids the charges.  I have already submitted our requests for absentee ballots for the general election.  I hope your candidates won. 

Marilyne, I like to think of my self as Independent.  However, there are some candidates I just could not vote for.  I woke up around 4:30 this morning and could not go back to sleep but sure wasn't ready to get up.  I heard them say that they don't expect that huge fire to be controlled until the first of next month and that it is now the largest fire California has had in recorded history. 

Joy, I would want my vehicles packed if I lived in a zone where fire was raging.  The economic loss is going to be staggering for the lost homes and businesses and jobs.  I am glad that you are happy with your Governor.  Somebody is going to pay for everything that is "free".  I have voted for some local capitol improvement taxes like schools and libraries and other things where we can actually see how our tax money is being used. 

deAngel, we used to have the local politicians come to our men's coffee group and answer questions. 

Jean, we have had strong storms all around us but so far in the last several days the rains have been of short duration or not accompanied by the wind and hail that other areas have experienced. 

Good morning Larry and all the other early friends.

It is a pretty sunny morning.   Lovely blue sky..

Nothing special in my little corner.  I did get my Walmart order made last night and have already added another item to it this morning..  My DIL will pick it up for me on Friday evening.  On Sat. I hope to get to our local farmers market.  It will be held on the parking lot of a local business.  Makes it a lot easier to get around on a solid pavement.  It usually is held on the grounds of the local Fire Dept. but they will be setting up for their annual carnival.  The ground is just so uneven and rough there, that I can't get around with my walker.  I even bought a new walker with bigger wheels, but that didn't work any better.  I hope to be able to go and get some local peaches and some other fruit. 

I have been up a while and need to get some breakfast.

Just wanted to say "Good Morning" and let you know all is well.

Have a pleasant day.

Joy

Good morning Larry and Joy and others who follow.  I'm up but I'm not sure I'm attem.  I'm going to drink the rest of last night's supper - Instant Breakfast, Yogurt and skim milk.  Food did not interest me, so I suggested to Tom that he get me the makings, which he did.

Larry, you mentioned Scott visiting tonight - this is Tuesday and he usually is with you on Wednesdays. 

Joy, I have trouble on uneven ground too.  I used to like to walk to a wooded area near here (very near!) but I can't any longer.  If Tom is with me, he will always help me and if he's not, I try to avoid the uneven ground. 

I have a lot of quack grass that the cat likes.  He has been barking at me for a week as if to cough up a hairball.  I don't think the quack grass is the culprit but I don't know.  I told Tom we need to take him to the vet so that will be on our agenda soon. 

Larry, I have my utilities taken from my bank account and some other monthly charges taken from bank accounts too.  I send my monthly condo fee by check from the bank.  I recently started paying my church pledge by way of the bank.  The only checks I might write are personal, such as birthday money.  It is such a great convenience to be able to do that as my writing has gone from bad to worse because of my arthritic shoulder.

Mary Ann

Mary Ann - Your dinner last night, sounds like the modern version of "comfort food". Those instant breakfasts are very much like Ensure or Boost.  I usually have bottles of either one of those drinks around here, when I don't feel like eating solid food. Also, yogurt is always kind to my stomach, and nourishing as well. I sometimes include a slice of plain toast, and that's enough.  I used to keep a lot of Campbell's Soup in the cupboard, but now I only have a few cans for those days when my appetite is missing.  My favorite one is Chicken and Stars. 

Joy - If it's not too hot, I may go to the local orchard stand today, and get some fresh peaches and nectarines.  They also have heirloom tomatoes this month, which I love. The tomatoes from Safeway look so "plastic" to me.  They are always rock hard, all the same size, and have no taste whatsoever.  I wish I lived near a Farmer's Market, so I Could get a wider variety of fresh veggies.  There are quite a few on weekends, but nothing during the week.

shirleyn - I've been wondering about you?  you haven't stopped by to say hello, in a long time?

Joan - I hope that Dan, has continued to get better this week?  Also, let us know how Candy is doing, and how you're feeling? 

Marilyne, Dan is doing remarkably well.  He is off to do his shopping today.    Candy had another Biopsy on one of the open sores on her tummy yesterday..  Evidently they just do not know how to fix her.

Marilyn, I do have some cans of Boost or Ensure (not sure which without looking) and I didn't think of them, but I have fixed the milk, Instant Breakfast and yogurt for many years.  It went down fine and I finished it for breakfast this morning.  With Tom gone, I just had a bowl of cereal.  I have to use up the milk in some way or another.  Tom won't drink skim milk and I like it.  Ordinarily we don't have milk in the house, but with not feeling too swift, I wanted what I wanted.  I'd love to go to a farmer's market, but I'd want to buy too much!

Joan, it would seem someone would come up with an answer to Candy's problem.  I know some doctors can determine what the problem is after others have not.  Dot was in great pain and she went to our doctor who could not come up with an answer.  One time she went in and it was his "off" day so they scheduled her with another doctor who told her right away what her problem was and prescribed a cream which does away with the pain for about five hours.  Now, why couldn't our doctor figure that out.  He's not an old doctor, but not young either.  In his 50s. 

Mary Ann

Mary Ann, I have never encountered the problems Candy finds herself in.   Her Primary Dr. for instance does not do anything but send her to specialists.  So far the specialists have done nothing to help.  All they do is poke, probe and cut.

I read your posts on fear of heights and it brought back my worst memory.  Living in Seattle, my dad used to take me all over and especially to look at the diesel engines on submarines.  I must have been 11 or 12 and to walk the plank from the dock to the sub - there was no rope to hold onto.  Half way there - I dropped to my knees and began crawling - my dad was mortified and I was scared.  ....  I made it and then walked behind the officer, he had someone in front shouting "woman on board".  Talk about embarrassing.   

wjoan:  I am so sorry you cannot get an answer to the medical problems Candy endures.  I hope her doctor keeps on searching.   

Carol - I can relate! Something similar happened to me when I was about 12 years old.  I was at a public swimming pool with friends, and they were all insisting that I jump off the high diving board. I was afraid of the height, but I wanted to appear nonchalant, so I went up the ladder and out onto the board.  Then I began to feel weak and terrified, and I got down on my hands and knees and crawled back to the ladder.  They laughed, and I was embarrassed, but I didn't care.  I've never been on any diving board since that day.

Mary Ann - I hope you're feeling better today, and will eat a regular dinner tonight?  I finally had a good night's sleep last night, after three miserable nights of wakefulness.
The weather today is ugly.  Because of the ongoing fires, the air is thick with smoke, and  looks like fog . . .  but with a eerie looking pink color.  The sun shining through the smoke makes for an unnatural, other-worldly look.