About getting hacked

Rainbow in the back yard
View of a rainbow from the backyard.

It was the day before I left for Seattle when I was folding laundry and making the bed. I was listening to podcasts on Spotify on my laptop. I set the laptop on the nightstand. Suddenly, the podcast stopped.

I didn’t think much about it. Huh, I thought. Did my screensaver stop it? I tried to start up the podcast again. No luck.

Later, I was looking at my email and I got one from Spotify telling me that a new email was associated with my account, or some such words. They asked me to click on a link if I didn’t change my email.

Well, I didn’t fall off the turnip truck and I wasn’t going to click on their link.

At that moment my son called to chat and I told him what happened.

“What’s the new email address?” he asked.

“Something @Yandex.com.”

“Mom! That’s Russian!”

Yikes! I spent the next hours changing passwords to everything. My son told me I needed a password manager like Last Pass and a VPN. He said in today’s world, those two things are a necessity.

I quickly installed the needed items and felt better.

I copied the body of the email from Spotify and found a link on their website to send in the info that “No. I didn’t change my email address and now I was blocked.” I still wasn’t going to click on their link. But Spotify got back to me quickly and told me they’d secure my account. I had trouble accessing it for several days. Again this week I was logged out.

I wonder why my Spotify account was hacked? What was the purpose? Was it to gain access to my laptop and passwords?

This was not how I had planned spending my last day at home before my trip to Seattle to spread Mom’s ashes and reminisce with family.

Have you been hacked? Was it email or an app?

Do you have VPN or a password manager?

Happy birthday to my dear son!

Robert at the beach
My son at the beach when he was younger.

Today is my son’s birthday. It was also our big yellow lab Angus’s birthday.

The following story was first published in the Los Angeles Times Sunday paper in the Kids’ Reading Room section. It’s the true story of my son’s second grade birthday party. I repost this story each year in honor or my son and Angus.

Robert with the Easter Bunny
My son with the Easter bunny.



A Birthday for the Dogs

“MOM, I’m inviting 50 kids to my party.”

“What, Robert?” Mom said. “That’s too many. Do you know 50 kids?”

I sat in the back seat while Mom drove home after school. My eighth birthday was in two weeks. 

“There’s my class, plus Cub Scouts, and playgroup.”

“I can’t afford to take 50 kids skating or bowling. And I don’t want 50 kids in my house. What about the city pool? It’s heated, open year-round, and it’s only 50¢ a kid,” Mom said.

“A swim party, that’s cool!” I said.

“I’ll say yes to the party, but no to presents. Fifty presents are too much for one eight-year-old. It’s decadent.”

“What’s decadent?” I asked. Mom used words I didn’t know.

“Self-indulgent, corrupt.”

I sat silently and thought I’d be sad with no presents. Then I remembered Angus. Mom got him for me as an early birthday present. We were on a waiting list for two years with Guide Dogs of the Desert. He was being trained as a companion dog for people who couldn’t see. We got him because he had poor hips and couldn’t be a working dog. Angus was big, yellow, and I loved him. We shared the same birthday.

“I have a great idea!”

“What?” Mom asked, glancing at me in her rearview mirror.

“I’ll ask for money for Guide Dogs of the Desert.”

“Ah?” Mom made a weird swallowing noise.

“It’s Angus’s birthday, too.”

Big yellow lab
Angus

In the rearview mirror I watched Mom dab at the corner of her eyes with a tissue, and nod her head in agreement.

Two weeks later, I had a great birthday. Fifty kids came with bathing suits, towels and money. Instead of opening presents after cake, we counted dollars they had stuffed into a large licorice jar decorated with photos of Angus. 

Together, we raised more than $1,600 for Guide Dogs. Mom called me a “philanthropist” – whatever that is.

Angus and Robert

Happy birthday, son! We miss you, Angus!

Covid recovery

Olive in bed
I’m hanging out with Olive in bed.

This morning I had two tasks. Take a shower and change the litter box.

I accomplished my tasks and I’m ready for bed. I feel like I scaled Mt. Everest. I had planned to write about a recent hack from Russia. That’s right, I got hacked by Russia.

But I’ll save that for next week when I have more energy.

Happy weekend! Do you have any exciting plans?

Have you been hacked? What have you done to protect your phone or computer?

It was Mexico time

We’ve had two days of rain and now have ponds in our yard.

Today we were supposed to drive to Mexico. We’d planned this trip for a couple months. My family was appalled when I told them. Our friends here said we shouldn’t go. It’s too dangerous.

Our realtor who frequents the beach resort with his family said he had just been and it’s fine. The insurance guy who I called for the Mexico car insurance said it’s “Rubbish” to say it’s not safe.

Mexico is in the news a lot lately for two dead Americans, a kidnapped mother, missing Americans and drug cartels. I was a little nervous.

But then I got sick. My daughter asked me to test for Covid because my cough that’s keeping me up at night sounded exactly like hers when she had it. The test was most definitely positive.

My son sent me a link to Medical One and told me to get a zoom call appointment with a doctor. I did and I’ve been prescribed a few things to help with my cough and Covid. The doctor told me what to look for in the next few days and to call if I’m feeling worse. She also said to get an oximeter to test the oxygen in my bloodstream and what acceptable numbers were.

So, it’s a no go on Mexico.

Have you or family members had COVID? What were your symptoms like and how long did it last?

What do you think about traveling to Mexico?

A gray day

It’s cloudy and gray with a 90% chance of rain. It rained all night and should rain on and off the rest of the day.

I think I’m coming down with a bug. I haven’t been sick in a long time. But last night was rough. I was coughing, felt like I had a fever and someone split my brain with an axe. Not good.

I woke up hour after hour with relief. It’s 1 a.m. I have five more hours to sleep. It’s 2 a.m., four more hours. Finally, I pulled myself out of bed and took an Advil. I had moved into the casita so I wouldn’t keep my husband up all night. I was propped up on four pillows to help me breathe. I had the humidifier on and Olive was on my legs to give me comfort.

I had to get up early and drive my husband to surgery. It was a minor oral surgery thing, but he was having general anesthesia, so despite how I felt or what a lousy night’s sleep I had, I was on duty.

I packed a quilt, pillow, my laptop, Cheryl Oreglia’s book “Grow Damn It!” that I’ve almost finished. I had my journal to write my three pages. I was ready to hunker down in the car for hours. I didn’t want to sit in the waiting room coughing and sniffling.

I got two pages of my three written and my phone rang. The procedure was over. I’m talking 20 to 30 minutes!

I was kind of disappointed it was so quick. It was a let down after I was so prepared to sit for hours.

I drove him home and unpacked the car. Put him to bed. I’m ready for bed, too.

What procedures have you had or your spouse that went easier than expected?

Or, what has been worse than you thought it would be?

Views from my trip

The house I grew up in from second grade on. No we didn’t have a blue garage! What were these people thinking!

I grabbed the front of the house photo from Redfin.

After my aunt and I left Robe Valley and my mother’s ashes, we drove to my hometown, Snohomish, Wash. During our journey we detoured up Lord’s Hill to my old house that I lived in from second grade until I left for college. My mom sold it after “the divorce.” It was too expensive for her to keep up on alimony payments.

First street Snohomish
First Street, the touristy part of my hometown.
Snohomish first street
Another view of First Street Snohomish.

We stopped for lunch at Andy’s Fish House. The Pacific Northwest has the best seafood. I had chowder, salad and a piece of cod. My aunt had fish and chips. It was delish!

Oto Sushi
While I’m posting about food, I had sushi with my BFF from college at Oto Sushi near my brother’s house. This was called “Skinny Girl Roll” because it didn’t have rice. It was so fresh and yummy.
View from my brother's patio.
View from my brother’s patio overlooking a small lake. It’s a gorgeous home and location. Notice they have one of my flamingos in the backyard!
Nephew playing piano

My nephew played Moonlight Sonata and Für Elise as a tribute to my mom. He used his Covid shutdown days to learn piano!

13 Coins Seatac
The counter at 13 Coins, one of my mom and dad’s favorite restaurants when I was growing up.

My aunt and I spent the night at SeaTac airport after our adventure in Robe Valley and Snohomish. Next door to our hotel was 13 Coins which was a favorite memory of mine with my mom. My aunt said it was a place she and her husband frequented in the 1970s. Sitting at the counter is more exciting than in the booths, because it’s where all the cooking takes place.

13 Coins Seatac
The line action at 13 Coins by the Seattle airport.
brother with two sisters
Mom, her older brother and my aunt who is 11 years younger than Mom.

My aunt shared a small scrapbook she made for my mom’s 70th birthday. This was a photo in it that I loved.

cat on a suitcase
Olive immediately attacked my suitcase when I came home. She made the suitcase her perch for hours.

Thanks for taking a look at my week in the Pacific Northwest.

A phoenix rising from the ashes

Private road through the woods

This is the private road through the woods to our riverfront property. We ran across this obstacle on our journey.

My aunt and I made the trek to Robe Valley where our family has owned property along the Stillaguamish River since the crash of ’29. Our mission was to spread my mother’s ashes in a place of beauty that she loved.

At dinner the night before at my brother’s home, we celebrated mom’s life. I was surrounded with love from my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew, spouses and children and of course aunt.

I worried about the condition of the road to the river. Would it be too muddy? Would it be flooded? We were told we’d need a chainsaw this time of year to make it to the river.

“We don’t do chainsaws,” I said.

My aunt who turns 80 this year, nodded her head in agreement.

gate to private road
A new gate to our property.

Our first obstacle was a new gate. Prior to this gate, we had a chain across our road. Fortunately, I packed the key that was mailed to me by a distant relative a few months ago. Whew! It worked!

When we stopped at the fallen branches blocking the road, I was able to push and hold them back while my aunt gunned the accelerator and drove through.

Then something surprising happened. A Great Blue Heron (not a Phoenix) rose from a low branch and flew up in front of us. The Great Blue Heron was my mom’s favorite bird. In the 80-plus years this property has been in the family, no one has seen one.

My aunt said “Mary is that you?” (Mary is my mother’s name.)

The heron kept flight directly in front of our car as we made our way down the road. Literally we were looking up and forward.

I’m reminded of Victoria’s post yesterday at Victoria Ponders with these words from her dear friend:

Look Up.  Look Forward.

https://victoriaponders.com/

It was a sight or a sign. It was other worldly. I didn’t get a photo or video, but the four-foot tall bird guiding us down the road is etched in my mind.

We reached the river without further obstacles, prayed and spread my mom’s ashes along with blue hydrangea blossoms (blue was my mother’s favorite color and she loved hydrangeas.)

We left in peace knowing Mom was put to rest in one of the most beautiful places that she loved.

river view
Where we spread ashes with snow on the riverbanks and snow capped mountains in the distance.
Stilaguamish River in Washington state.
View across the river from our property.