Life in Weyers Cave

I bought a new stove and, at everyone's insistance, got the flat top kind with some reservations. Yeah, it looks cool, but I have had friends who weren't altogether sold on it. Early ones had to use special pans. I normally LOVE any new technology, such as my washing machine without a transmission, but I failed to see the great environmental, cost, or use advantages. Bottom line: Eh! Yeah, it looks cool. It cooks well, but no faster or slower than my old one. I have been warned not to use high heat because it can crack the surface. Then why do they HAVE high heat? I think they WANT you to crack the surface, which is something that constantly scares me. There is an extra "warming" burner in the middle of the back and that is kind of cool, and the two sized element in the front is nice. But before, I didn't mind drips. I would just take out the pan and put them in the wash or scrub them with Brillo pads and I didn't care if they were spotless. David ...

David edits the ham radio newsletter each month. This is the article I wrote for it for February. Ham talk: XYL is wife, OM is husband -- and the average age of the people reading it is about 80. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * How to Keep Your XYL in Tune My OM, KD9LA, asked me to proofread this newsletter and lo and behold, there was an article "I" had written about Valentine's Day. In it was the same old "Don't forget to give your wife a card and take her out to dinner" routine. My dear hams, although this is kind of a minimum "formula" to get by on Valentine's Day for those who have an impaired romantic gene (which usually becomes deactivated by a wedding certificate anyway), let me help you out. The secret is to be original, unpredictable, and romantic. What woman wouldn't brag to her friends that her husband used a whole role of aluminum foil and dressed the dog up like a horse to m...

Snow is falling all around. We went to church in the snow, which was cancelled after sacrament. But then it stopped as soon as we got home, so there is only about an inch out there. Being the first snowfall of the season, it is treacherous driving. I miss the primary kids, but a day off is always nice. Dianna had her all-county band concert last night. I guess this is about the last one. She is not in all-district and doesn't plan to do this next year. There was a baptism of a 17 year old hispanic girl named Vivian last night at church. Hopefully Dianna will have a new friend, although they don't seem to have a lot in common. I have my Notary Public now so I can take affadavits for divorce cases. I ordered a seal and it should arrive any day. My friend Cress (old college roommate who is a lawyer) will process the divorces. I have also applied for several other jobs. Still thinking I should get some computer certifications. But the cost scares me off.

I went to Dr Shouey, teh foot doctor yesterday. I have had to sleep with ice packs on my feet for quite a while, but with the other pains I have had these have taken a back seat. Turns out I have bursitis, so he game a shot of novocaine, then another shot - don't know what it is - that is supposed to solve the problem. Hurt like the dickens for two days, but then be better. I had to take a percocet last night and got high, didn't sleep well, but this is just the next morning and it does feel better. As I had my xrays taken, I noticed the door. It had a picture of Satan in the grain in the wood. I told the doctor I want ten percent if he sells it on EBay. I am upset that many of Gail's caregivers give her a hard time about the Jehovah's Witnesses coming on Wednesday mornings to teach her as they have for over three years. She looks forward to these visits because she loves to learn. Now the caregivers have upset her so much she has asked them not to come back. S...

Today we tried UVa. Chantell woke up vomiting blood. After nine hours, we were sent home. Nothing they can do. Her pains continue and she is losing weight and unable to eat. No one has a clue. Allen and I feel very helpless. She is scheduled for a ten hour day tomorrow. I don't like this game.

Yeah, well, daddy's home. Two weeks he was gone. And now he is home. And he isn't gone anymore, because he is here. Yeah. Well, daddy's home. I went to Gail's this morning. Her caregiver was grumpy. I don't like grumpy. I watched all the old people go in the doctor's office. Some were grumpy. Some were smiley. I think when your mother says "don't frown because your face will freeze in that position" she was talking about older people. Kids faces change a lot. Older people get in a mindset and stay there. I want to be happy. I don't like to be around grumpies. They wear me out. It takes a lot of effort to be in a bad mood and complain about everything. And always be thinking everyone is out to get you. I asked Gail's caregiver if the fact that Gail was on a low salt diet was written in her records. Then had a lecture about how could I ask such a thing and of course they know she is on a low salt diet and these caregivers are P...

It was in the low 20s last night, which is particularly cold since it has been so warm here. I think it snowed in the mountains. We haven't had snow yet this season -- nothing even close. Of course, the heater can't keep up with the cold. If it drops below freezing, the heat pump is really inefficient. I knew last night before I went to bed that it would be cold so I had a room heater on high and I woke up to my normal 72 degrees, but the kitchen was 66, and we had seminary in there at 6:30. Once the temperature outside is 32, the house quickly heats up to whatever the thermostat says, so it is getting much warmer now. But I am still shivering a bit and have been wrapped in lots of blankets all morning. Seminary was good this morning. We went over the Apocrypha, what the books were and what they basically taught. It is a subject I find very interesting. I think it is funny that classic Christians can have faith in a Bible put together under the direction of a man who wa...

Thursday night was Ruritan Board meeting, and then Saturday I finally had the Distict Band Auditions. I think the final count of kids auditioning was 800 or so and most came through my concession stands at the hgih school. I spent all Friday buying stuff 800. My van was packed! We had waffles, pizza and hot dogs, drinks, chips, and candy. I have done it three times before, so I knew pretty much what to expect. One parent insisted on coffee, so I gave him the pot and the coffee and asked him to make his own. A second person wanted some as well. Apparently someone wanted diet drinks, because the seven kinds of flavored waters and two Seven Ups flavored with Splenda didn't count. I have a moral problem with feeding people Nutrasweet, so I didn't buy any. One person said she was diabetic so her doctor insisted she have it. R-i-g-h-t. But I won't go off on Nutrasweet right now. Email me if you don't know why it is poisonous. And stupid. I started out with 12 helpe...