A Day Of Changes

No fear, nothing drastic in the 'change dept' it's just that the weather has had some distinct changes as you can see here in the first two pictures. I was expecting rain early in the morning and got it. Enough rain not to go riding during the time of day I like to ride. So I turned my focus online to finding the black wheels for the FJ, the same brand and design that I had on my first FJ in 2014. I found them right under my nose at the TireRack, a company I had used years ago for one of my Mini Coopers.

Within an hour after sunrise Stella and I put our walk into a 'rain delay' just like baseball. I didn't mind getting wet under the light rain but I didn't feel like toweling her off when I got back. With the natural oil in the coat of a hound, the water is never absorbed by the towel. So we waited and I went back to my searching online, comparing prices and where they were in stock. I was hoping I could make a trip to Tucson and get them today but that was not possible. They will be here with free shipping within 2-3 days.

I like the Duluth Trading Company and their tv advertisements. I've never bought anything from them but after my first order I placed last Sunday I doubt that I will buy again. In fact by late tonight if I don't get some kind of update about shipping I may cancel the order. It wasn't a hard order. Another flannel shirt since I am finding out that might be the winter shirt around here. They had a short strap that attaches on a seat belt of a passenger seat, to Heidi's collar. It's a safety thing, keeping her from flying into the dashboard on our road trips if I ever had to slam on my brakes.

In this day and age of online sales and surveys in your inbox anytime you buy anything online or in person, I may be expecting too much ... such as an email telling me my order has shipped within two days of the weekend order. If not that, at least have my order show up on my online account when I log in to check status ... instead of NO RECORD OF ORDER. I have their order confirmation email with an order number. Seems simple, maybe not. Yes, I have called and talked to a real person the last two days, who told me it was shipping that afternoon. I lose my little patience with stuff like this.

Note:  It has come to my attention at 5:17 AZ time, from a blog reader that lives in Duluth MN, not only is the 21" of new snow a problem but many roads are closed or not passible. With all the snow and ice their major lift bridge is not working. So even if my order were ready to ship, highly unlikely it would get anywhere. As she said "the point" where Duluth Trading Company is located has been closed and just opened up for residential traffic. SO MY APOLOGIES FOR BAD MOUTHING DULUTH TRADING COMPANY.

I should have turned off my kitchen light when I took this picture.

REI is another disappointing online order. You would think companies such as this would be on top of their game with so much competition for online sales other than Amazon. I ordered three things November 23rd ... they shipped them in three different shipments and based on tracking information they all came from the same warehouse in Kent Washington. The problem is on order#2 they decided to send it cross country to Richmond VA first, then figured out that Arizona is in the opposite direction. I am suppose to get it today in the mail. Let see ... Amazon delivers in 1-2 days after the order is placed or REI for 12 days after the order?????

I keep reminding myself that nobody's perfect but really ... it's not that hard to ship something correctly and on time. I DO KNOW I will not buy anything else from REI or The Duluth Trading Company online ... I'll go back to Amazon.

Later in the morning it was time for a walk. My lower back needed some exercise from that huge error in judgement I had Monday afternoon. You remember how I was going to lay on my back under the side of my FJ to lift a very heavy rock rail with brackets, up into the area to bolt it to the frame of the car. I didn't succeed but Toyota did yesterday. In the meantime all that twisting, turning and lifting irritated my lower back on the new hip side. Sore enough, stiff enough that I wasn't going to get on a bicycle today. Stella trotted a lot during her walk. Heidi stayed behind to finish her late morning nap.

I had a feeling that as the weather turned to sunshine that the winds would pick up. They did, making that 67° feel a little cooler than it was. Am I not adapting to the SE Arizona winter like I thought I would, turning into a whimp instead so soon after moving? I never thought temps below 70° would give me so much problem. I'm already looking forward to springtime and a hot summer.  Ha Ha

Stella and I rarely hear the puppy next door anymore. They surely didn't get rid of it already. I haven't seen them walking it on the sidewalk in front of the house, so it's hard to say. Stella will stand and listen for the puppy barking or crying every morning soon after 8am.

Another change I was feeling today was my lack of motivation. Granted I got up early (5am) but that is not a rare thing for me. Normally on a day that I don't feel like riding a bicycle, I feel like taking a hike somewhere or driving around the local area with my camera ... but not today. Those urges were nowhere to be found.

So while Stella slept on the patio and Heidi was on the bedroom floor in the sunshine, I sat on the patio facing the sunshine and feeling the cool air whip by my face. The sun was so hot on my face but the cool wind kept me in my sweatshirt. It didn't take 30 minutes before those winds blew in the gray rain clouds to mix with what you see here. No rain is on the hourly forecast for today.

I guess Stella was feeling the same way I was today.

Since I didn't have a lot of pictures for today's post I decided to pull some from the library like I have done before. All of these next pictures were taken on the 4th of December in different years.

2018 Dec 04

2017 Dec 04

2016 Dec 04

2016 Dec 04

2015 Dec 04

2015 Dec 04

I think I have come to the phase where I have to have an exercise program on a regular bases that consist of stretch and some basic exercises. The doctor on Tuesday did not mention doing anything like that but I know when I feel I should. He did say I would not see a lot of improvement from here on out based on what I told him. Past patients have told him it takes around 8 months before they were feeling normal. I mentioned the small aches and pains I sometimes have and he said that is normal and part of the process then once again reminded me that I also have a femur that was broken before the hip replacement.

He did say I can do everything from here on out, except those activities like running, skiing, snowboarding, basketball games, racquetball, tennis etc. He did not verbally tell me those activities but they are listed in the book they gave me the day before surgery at the hospital. So stretching, some pushups and some resistant band training should be okay.

It's one of those days where the words don't flow easy. I sit in the chair grasping at something to write and at this point in the blog I cannot think of anything else to write about. I guess it's like I said on Facebook this afternoon with that picture of Stella stretched out sleeping next to my chair "Sometimes it's just good to take a day off during the middle of the week" ... I guess that is what I have done mentally today.

It's sunny, with dark gray clouds mixed in and gusty winds just like you would imagine in the 'Wild West.

A Busy Couple Of Days

I don't know how it happens but you can get pretty busy in a day of retirement and before you know it, it's already past 6pm and dinner isn't ready. I didn't have a lot planned for Monday except ride my bike, walk the hounds and do some reading. That all changed after my first phone call to Sierra Vista Medical Group billing department. Like all other companies I wasn't talking to anyone that was working in Arizona, let alone in the town my doctor is located. This time it was a girl in Colorado. I had her confused in no time.  LOL

She promised to make the adjustment to my balance due for a payment I had proof I made November 21st but she did not see it anywhere on my account. Yeah, I know holidays get in the way of work but come on ... 11 days??? She also told me she would send me a confirmation of her adjustment so I asked "how, in what manner are you going to send it?" ... the word "manner" threw her off, she didn't answer so to make it easy for her I suggested EMAIL !!!! What a concept. When she did NOT ask for my email address I gave it to her because I'm such a nice guy after 45 minutes of confusion on the phone just after 8:30am. See where I'm going with this?  HaHa ... thought so.

I decided I'd give her a chance to process all that she was going to do ... a simple posting of my payment 11 days prior making the balance due ZERO. I had another cup of coffee to calm down, discussed philosophy with Stella as she stared back at me ... then called again. I knew I'd get another billing trained professional that could tell me if it was posted on my account or not. After all it is 2020 and most financial transactions can post in a fraction of a second as long as you are doing your job.

Why did it not surprise me that he didn't see anything that I told him about. Nor did I receive an email confirmation. The pieces to this puzzle was coming together fast and the final piece was to get some kind of warm clothes on, get in my car and head out to the local doctor's office so they could fix what their billing department could not. I knew the process and so did they ... you know how?

I'VE HAD TO DO THIS ONCE PER MONTH EVERY MONTHY SINCE MY SURGERY AND FIRST BILL.

Let's just say things turned out the way they should with some guidance from yours truly. I felt like I was working a job again, enough to know that I don't want to work any job again.  LOL

The best thing to relieve stress in my case is to ride a bicycle. It was a perfect time when I got back, almost 60°, sunny and very little wind. You can read about that ride if you want on my bicycle blog located on the sidebar.

I knew by the time I got back a few hours later, FedEx would have delivered my rock rails ordered for the 2007 FJ Cruiser. I am slowly building this to what I had in 2014, my first FJ Cruiser.

When the sunshine disappeared today, Stella was somewhat irritated. You can see she is upset and can't find a spot to lay done to sleep. She likes to sunbath not sleep on rocks in the shade.

Heidi may not look like it in this picture but the past week I have not seen as much energy from her in years as I have the last 4-5 days. She barks, sprints around the house faster than any camera can catch her, sleeps all through the night without waking me up and eats her kibble in half the time it takes Stella to finish.  She is also going on every morning walk that Stella and I take. She has walked more here in her new home than she did in years back in 'the tropics'.

The rock rails had arrived when I got home. They are in the boxes on the right. Shelving on the left is still waiting for my friend to come and get them. He told me again last week he would be over and wanted them for sure ... it's been two months now.

I had this vision I could do this job myself. 6 bolts on each side, can't be that hard. I didn't realize how heavy that rail was and with the brackets already welded to the rails, made the job even harder. Especially when I am laying on my back doing a bench press on the rail and trying to get it up and over one of the bolts so it can slide down in place. My hip was screaming louder than I was, although it was not cussing, like I was. It did not take long to decide to load everything up in the cargo area and call Toyota for an appointment to install them.

It took them a little under an hour to install them and pull the FJ around to be picked up. Another good thing about having them do it, as they applied the brakes I noticed I had a left brake light out. So while I paid the bill for installing the rock rails, they replaced the light bulb at no charge.

Right before I bought this, the previous owner bought and installed brand new stock Toyota wheels that come with the FJ. They look great but I prefer black wheels like my first Voodoo Blue had. I'll sleep on that question a few nights and see what kind of vibes I get.

This FJ is in awful good shape for a 2007 and only 97,xxx miles on it. If I was told I could only have two cars, I'd keep this FJ and my Mini Cooper S ... the same combo I had a few years ago.

Here's a picture of that first FJ I had ... rock rails, same color with black wheels.

So what happened today ... besides the appointment to Toyota, I was too busy for grocery shopping so I ordered online and they will be here between 5pm-6pm and it's 4:49pm as I type this. The biggest thing was my 3 month followup with the surgeon this morning. Again the hip and femur look fantastic, he is thrilled I am back to riding my bike like I was before my crash. I should feel completely normal in 8 months and he finished by telling me to come back and see him a year from now.  December 3rd, 2020.

Fry's is on the way ... that's all for tonight.

Is That Frost On My Car Windshield ???

I researched the winter weather here, before I decided to move to Southeastern Arizona. I plugged in small towns from New Mexico to Arizona. I didn't want to live in Yuma, Phoenix or southern Texas. I did not care that it would drop into the 30's while I was sleeping if the sun would warm the day up to the 50's in the months of December, January and February. So I chose to live where I do because there was just too many positive things to pass up. Yet it was a little surprising to glance out the window this morning and seeing frost on my car windshield as I opened the vertical blinds that Stella loves. I guess I should have kept those ice scrapers I threw away last May before I left Indiana.

I am going to start posting late afternoon or early evening Arizona time again ... kind of wraps of the day with photos and commentary. I like that better than spreading days over different posts.

It doesn't bother the hounds one way or another. They have the same routine 1,710 miles away. Get up, go outside, eat breakfast and then get back to sleep as soon as possible. Based on the tossed blankets and REI small camping pillow, which is out of the photo, Heidi must have gotten too hot last night and kicked everything to the side off of her bed.

Stella was sound to sleep when I left the computer room for my second cup of coffee. She must have heard me unlock the front door to step outside to take that photo of the car and truck windows. She doesn't like to miss food or walks and can hear both in a deep sleep. I wonder sometimes if she would like to put me on a leash so she can stay near me all the time. She never sleeps too far away from me after four years and three months of rescuing her.

We are going for her walk this morning, the temperature will not matter since it's not as drastic as winter temps in Indiana were, plus the sunshine is bright this morning. I like morning walks more than afternoon walks, less traffic, less distractions for her and Heidi.

While I was getting ready to watch my day of college football, Stella decided to soak up some warm sunshine, which had not been around since last Tuesday morning. She evidently found the warmest part of the yard and wasn't going to move. She sat motionless for a long time before laying down.

During one of the commercials of the game I didn't see Heidi or Stella anywhere inside. They were not on the patio soaking up the sunshine. Look where I found them. It was in the low 50's but at 4,300  feet elevation the sun is hot and it feels much warmer than the temperature. This is the temperature range I found on climate data for a winter day. I can live with that.

After my team blew a 24-10 lead, something I have seen too many times over my lifetime, I was swearing to my friends online that if they end up losing this game "that is it, I'll never watch another ... ever". Well I grew up watching Indiana football and basketball. My dad was a coach and graduated from Indiana U, as I did and my younger brother. So I am use to terrible football records and blown games. But damn ... heading for one of the best seasons in Indiana football history ... then blowing this game would put me over the edge of insanity.  When it was 38-38 starting the 2nd overtime I came so close of turning the game off.

My friend in Chicago, also an IU alumnus, texted she was leaving the tv on with the sound turned off in the other room that she could not watch anymore. "If they win ... I'll go in rewind and watch the game, IF they lose I'll delete what was taped."

IU beat their hated rival 44-41 for their 8th win ... for the only the 8th time in 130 years of playing football, winning that many games. They have only won 9 games in a season TWICE in 130 years. Maybe now you can understand my intensity, when "it's just a game Steve".

After the game, I planted that ugly patio chair of mine out in the center of my backyard facing the sunshine and still able to see the mountains, smoking my 'victory cigar' ... it could be my last. Not because they may never win again ... I just don't like smoking that much, plus cigars are not healthy.

I didn't have my phone with me to take a photo but Stella was passed out on the patio, hanging over the side of it, sleeping in the sunshine. She had a rough day moving from place to place inside and outside to find the perfect place to nap.

Remember when I said that food could wake her up from a deep sleep. Well she was smelling steaks on a grill. Not our grill. Not her grill. The neighbor's grill. But to her or any bloodhound based on the "Bloodhound Property Laws" ... that is her steak, not theirs. Once she found out that she was not eating steak on a Saturday afternoon to celebrate the IU victory ... she headed inside JUST IN TIME .... to see the Papa Johns Pizza delivery man at the door. How lucky could she get.

She and Heidi took their normal portions whenever I am eating something while sitting on the couch, which usually involves watching a football, baseball or basketball game. They don't move an inch, they don't blink their eyes ... they are focused on nothing else but getting a piece of the pizza crust or a plain breadstick. Just one piece will not be enough either and I'm not sure they even taste it since it disappears so fast in their mouths. Let's just say they had a good snack.

Just because I had nothing else on my plate did not mean that Stella was finished begging. She always tries to get closer to the action if she thinks she can sway me into giving her one more piece of whatever she has been sharing with me. She will also sit there for a long time, not blinking ... once she figures out the snack is over and nothing else is going to be served ... she pouts with her head lowered.

Commercial time or halftimes of football games are always a nice time to head outside and see what the sky is doing. In this case I just barely caught the sunset.

All iPhone pictures today.

Just in case some readers may not know that use a phone or table to read the blog ... at the bottom of your screen you will see a link called "web version" .. if you click that link you will see the normal website as you would on a computer which includes the sidebars. There you can see other bloggers listed or the blog archive for posts all the way back to 2011. I also added some old favorite blogs I followed in the past back on the sidebar. Take a look, maybe one that you followed is back there on the list.

I am not a coffee expert. I always thought it was the water, filtered or tap, that made the difference in how the coffee taste. Some friends reminded me it wasn't that at all, it was the coffee maker that makes the difference. How could it ... there is hot water being poured over grounds then into your pot no matter if it is a Mr. Coffee, a Bunn or a Cuisenart coffee maker. Well after almost 20 years using a Bunn, two different makers, I found out the maker does make a difference in taste ... a big difference.

I tried the cheap route and bought a Mr Coffee. I returned it after two days of use. I hauled the leaking old Bunn coffee maker out of the garage trash to hold me over until Amazon shipped the Cuisinart maker I bought. After the FIRST CUP of coffee made by the Cuisnart I found out my friends were right ... the coffee machine makes a difference in the taste of coffee. One of my best purchases even if I only drink two cups per day.

I like riding my bike in the morning, right after getting back from Stella's walk. That was the summer routine up to the point of my crash. By the time I was back to riding after my surgery, the temperatures had cooled enough in the mornings where I didn't want to ride until the afternoons so the temps were above 50°. So I am in a little bit of conflict ... if I wait for warmer temps in the afternoon, by that time I have found something else I want to do besides ride a bicycle.

If I ride in the morning like I want, I am going to have to wear cycling clothes, which I have, to combat the temps in the 30's and 40s, depending how early I ride. I find that riding that early in the morning kinda sets the day up for me. I feel better whenever I ride, mentally and physically. Then I have all day to do what I need to do whether it be errands, hanging out with the hounds, reading books or possible roadtrip ... there is not that interruption in the day to change into cycling clothing and riding for an hour or two. In the mornings it does not feel like I am interrupting anything ... just getting a start on the new day.

I ended up not riding. By the time the afternoon rolled around to where I planned to ride I was on a different project. Cup of coffee in hand, two sleeping hounds in the sunshine, I parked my chair on the edge of the patio and enjoyed the day.

It was a nice relaxing day today, where we didn't do much as you can see. In retirement sometimes you don't have to do anything to enjoy what you have.

Sunny days are back here in the 'Wild West'.