November

It's November, and I signed up for National Blog Posting Month. Why not give it a try? It's raining, we just had a time change (meaning it's getting dark early) and I'm working less (thankfully, more time at home and for my hobbies).

Today was our first day off work together, and it poured rain all day. We thought about driving to Medford, Oregon but the exit for I-199 was closed, probably from a landslide from all the rain. We drove to Brookings, Oregon instead. Gas is cheaper but groceries, not so much. We came home with a 6-pack of Italian beer. I never tasted Italian beer. We are not really drinkers, but it's nice to relax once in awhile.

If you have been reading my posts you might have noticed my succulent-collecting spree. It was nipped in the bud by the sun slipping south and my growing areas now shaded even more than in summer. The only spot that gets good sun is my upstairs spare bedroom window. Oh well, so much for growing succulents outside. In a last-ditch effort I bought a plastic Halloween prop, a black plastic "cauldron" that will make an excellent large, cheap pot that I can place by the corner of the garage for some Aeonium starts. I have learned they are winter growers, but they need full sun. Thus the corner of the garage location. I'll post some pictures later.

Now that I know my two growing areas are "iffy" for succulents, I've been thinking about what else I can grow there. Here is my climate:
Maritime zone 9
Summer days: mid to upper 60's, some 70's, rare 80's, dry, sunny.
Summer nights: low 60's, some 50's, some heavy dew.
Winter days: mostly in the 50's, some 60's, partly sunny or cloudy.
Winter nights: mostly in the 50's, some 40's can get light frost in January, heavy dew, fog.
Storms: winter storms bring heavy rain, sometimes very high winds, rain events can last 2 or 3 days.

So I'm wondering---Cymbidium Orchids? I suppose I could grow what grows naturally here, but I'm not interested in Hydrangeas or Rhododendrons, which are bushes and need to be planted in the ground anyway. With only a patio and gravel, I'm stuck with pots. There is a Fuchsia Society but I am not interested in them, either. >sigh< I don't want to spend a fortune, and I don't want light stands in the house.

Not in the Mood

I am not in the mood to go to work today. I think the shorter days are getting to me. My neck and shoulder hurt (work related), although my knee is better.The vitamin D seems to help, I haven't been sick. Still waiting for Sundays off. They hired a new person, but she is waiting for her security clearance. When she starts, I will work Saturday and she will work Sunday, and split up the rest of the week however they decide. I'm hoping it will be soon. Well, off to work I go...

My New Passion

Succulents! I have always loved them, and now that I can grow them outside year-round, I'm just tickled pink! One of my neighbors has a yard sale and I bought two large plants for only a dollar each! I still keep some of my plants inside. Here are some of my lovelies:

 Upstairs window, left to right, Jade, 2 more Jades and a Haworthia (in white pot), a small Portulacaria, 2 Haworthia Alba and Senecio rowleyanus - String of Pearls

 Outside, in front, left: Jade, Stonecrop and small something I haven't ID'd yet. Right: a basket from Home Depot for the awesome price of $17. Has a little of this and that...blooming Ice Plant, Jade, Kalancho, something else, something else....will repot in the spring.

 Kalanchoe - Mother of Hundreds or Mother of Thousands, pink version (Pink Butterflies or Pink Ladies)

 In the jade family, I like they geometry. There is a stunning red variety but it needs full sun, and I would need to order it.

 A small Jade that belonged to my mom years ago, a treasure. I repotted it in this pot but the pot has no drainage, a problem I will be working on tomorrow.

 Haworthia Alba.....love it, bought this one many years ago, maybe 20 years ago. I have divided it into 3 pots now.

 Bottom, left to right: Aeonium ($1 plant), NOID X-mas cactus. Top, left to right: Kalancho Mother of Thousands Pink Butterflies, Aeonium (the dark variety, another $1 plant), a mixed pot I haven't identified yet, a small pot of Aeonium, and Sempervivum (Hen's & Chicks) Spider Web.

Not sure

 Left, a Jade with folded leaves, right, a mixed pot that I need to transplant, with Aloe, Burro's Tail, Pencil Cactus and a small Adromischus cristatus - Crinkle Leaf Plant

 Left, grafted cactus, center, Kalanchoe tubiflora - Chandelier Plant, another type of Haworthia that I call Window Plants because they have "windows" on their leaves.

 Very tiny ground cover Sedum japonicum 'Tokyo Sun'

Really...?

I asked my supervisor (the pharmacist) for Sunday's off and also not to work so late on Friday (9pm). It was met with the normal "Walmart needs associates at the busiest times bla bla bla". I countered by telling her Sunday is my husband's only day off, and somewhere in the discussion I mentioned I didn't want to work late because I get up at 4 am. She asked why, and her jaw dropped when I said I get up to get my hubby off to work. It was like, "OMG can't he get up by himself?!?!?!" She made so many condescending remarks, in front of all the other pharmacy employees, it was just humiliating. Well, lady, I get up because it's MY CHOICE and plus that I DRIVE him to work so I can keep my car so I can come to work at the piddly ass job at Walmart. He rides his bike home, but at 4:30 am you CANNOT SEE YOUR HAND IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE on Inyo street because it's so dark. Yeah, he could get a light but really, he works hard and long, why should he ride his bike 2 miles BOTH ways? A couple more paychecks or so and I'm going to tell Walmart good bye. My hubby and my hubby's job are way more important. I can't wait, I really can't wait. Now...off to work.

Catching Up

Wednesday my hubby had the day off YAY so we went shopping in Eureka. That town is a madhouse, traffic is crazy. It's so much nicer up here, even though Eureka has way more places to shop. We found much cheaper groceries at a WinCo store. We might actually drive the 80 miles there once every couple months and stock up.

After I was sick in July, Walmart told me I can't get sick until after September 28th, but my body didn't listen. I caught ANOTHER head cold that went into my chest. I have not needed my asthma inhaler here, except when I get a chest cold, so I had not noticed that it was empty, and it was midnight.

I was going to tough it out but hubby insisted he take me to the ER. They wanted to give me a treatment but I can't take albuterol, and they didn't have Xopenex. So they kept me for awhile and sent me home with a script. Hubby called off work to stay with me. I had a doctor note saying I could return to work after two days.

This time I made an appointment with my doc in case Walmart called me in for another "coaching". Previously they had recommended I ask why I get sick all the time. My doc ordered a vitamin D test. I'm low, so I am to take 1000 IU of D3 per day and get checked in about 6 months. Apparently vitamin D is connected to one's immunity.

Anyway, I am finally done coughing up junk, however I am going against Walmart policy and avoiding the sickies. No, really, I'm supposed to approach them with a smile while they cough and sneeze all over and ask them if they need help finding anything. I'm also having problems with my neck and arm. It started when they had me zone the grocery isles, especially the heavy stuff. It involves bending and reaching in odd positions and pulling everything forward. My neck has hurt ever since and my right arm goes numb when I hold it up. I don't zone other parts of the store anymore, ever since the pharmacist found out they were pulling me out of my area, but every day that I work I'm not allowing my neck and arm to heal because, well, my job is mostly zoning.

So hubby and I have been talking, and looking at our budget. We are very close to paying off the last of the credit cards. My plan was to continue working until we built up our savings, at least through the winter, but it looks like that will change. The reasons....my health, the rainy season is coming and he will need the car, and we miss each other. Ok, maybe the last reason made you roll your eyes, but honestly, we need to be home at the same time and enjoy life together. It's been a long five months, ever since my hubby started work at Rumiano, no time together unless he took a day off to match mine. I only have time to cook from scratch on my days off, that means 5 days a week I'm eating junk. I'm exhausted.

It makes me very happy to think about quitting work.

Life is Getting Better

At times I have thought about the isolation here. But I would rather take my chances with the best doctors being 60 miles away than to die slowly in the city. The trucks rumbling down I-80/94 did not whisper to my soul.

I mark my days by the sunsets I've seen and the rocks I've gathered.

A typical view of the sunset from my back window where I lived in Indiana. I did have a better view at the park, but it was often too humid, too cold, had too many mosquitoes or bad air. I cried a lot in Indiana.

Now, a three minute drive takes me here. The sweeping views heal me. I breath, and I don't cry.

Rocks and flowers make me happy.

I think I will be done at Walmart in the foreseeable future. That is a good thing, for I did not come here to work at Walmart.

Live from Crescent City! Harbor Sunset Cam

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